'The Jindoeese are a wise people. Sarene,' her father said, his voice growing firm. 'They did what they needed to survive.'
'But that would mean giving up!'
'It would mean doing what we have to do,' her father said. 'I won't do anything yet. As long as there are two nations left. we have hope. However, if Arelon falls, I will be forced to surrender. We cannot fight the entire world, 'Ene, no more than one grain of sand can fight an entire ocean.'
'But…' Sarene's voice trailed off. She could see her father's predicament. Fighting Fjorden on the battlefield would be an exercise in complete futility. Convert or die-both options were sickening, but conversion was obviously the more logical choice. However, a quiet voice inside her argued that it was worth dying, if death would prove that truth was more powerful than physical strength.
She had to make sure her father was never given that choice. If she could stop Hrathen. then she might be able to stop Wyrn. For a time, at least.
'I'm definitely staying, Father,' she declared.
'I know, 'Ene. It will be dangerous.'
'I understand. However, if Arelon does fall, then I would probably rather be dead than watch what happens in Teod.'
'Be careful, and keep an eye on that gyorn. Oh, by the way-if you find out why Wyrn is sinking Iadon's ships, tell me.'
'What?' Sarene asked with shock.
'You didn't know?'
'Know what?' Sarene demanded.
'King Iadon has lost nearly his entire merchant fleet. The official reports claim that the sinkings are the work of pirates, some remnant of Dreok Crushthroat's navy. However. my sources link the sinkings with Fjorden.'
'So that's what it was!' Sarene said.
'What?'
'Four days ago I was at a party.' Sarene explained. 'A servant delivered a message to the king, and whatever it was unsettled the king a great deal.'
'That would be about the right time frame.' her father said. 'I found out two days ago myself.'
'Why would Wyrn sink innocent merchant vessels?' Sarene wondered. 'Unless. Idos Domi! If the king loses his income, then he would be in danger of losing his throne!'
'Is all that nonsense about rank being tied to money true?'
'Insanely true,' Sarene said. 'Iadon takes away a family's title if they can't maintain their income. If lie lost his own source of wealth, it would destroy the
foundation of his rule. Hrathen could replace him with someone else-a man more willing w accept Shu- Dereth-without even bothering to start a revolution.'
'It sounds feasible. Iadon asked for such a situation by concocting such an unstable basis for rule.'
'It's probably Telrii,' Sarene said. 'That's why he spent so much money on that ball-the duke wants to show that he is financially sound. I would be very surprised if there wasn't a mountain of Fjordell gold behind his expenditures.'
'What are you going to do?'
'Stop him,' Sarene said. 'Even though it hurts. I really don't like Iadon, Father.'
'Unfortunately, it looks like Hrathen has chosen our allies for us.'
Sarene nodded. 'He has placed me with Elantris and Iadon-not a very enviable position.'
'We all do the best with what Domi has given us.'
'You sound like a priest.'
'I have found reason to become very religious lately.'
Sarene thought for a moment before replying, tapping her cheek as she considered his words. 'A wise choice, Father. If Domi were ever going to help us, it would be now. The end of Teod means the end of Shu-Korath.'
'For a time, perhaps,' her father said. 'Truth can never be defeated, Sarene. Even if people do forget about it occasionally.'
Sarene was in bed, the lights down. Ashe hovered on the far side of the room, his light dimmed so much that he was barely an outline of Aon Ashe against the wall.
The conversation with her father had ended an hour ago, but its implications would likely plague her mind for months. She had never considered surrender an option, but now it looked almost inevitable. The prospect worried her. She knew that it was unlikely that Wyrn would let her father continue to rule. even if he did convert. She also knew that Eventeo would willingly give his life if it would spare his people.
She also thought about her own life, and her mixed memories of Teod. The kingdom contained the things she loved most-her father, brother, and mother. The forests around the port city of Teoin, the capital, were another very fond memory. She remembered the way the snow settled on the landscape. One morning she had awoken to find everything outside coated in a beautiful film of ice: the trees had looked like jewels sparkling in the winter daylight.
Yet, Teod also reminded her of pain and loneliness. It represented her exclusion from society and her humiliation before men. She had established early in life that she had a quick wit and an even quicker tongue. Both things had set her apart
from the other women-not that some of them weren't intelligent: they just had the wisdom to hide it until they were married.
Not all men wanted a stupid wife-but there also weren't a lot of men who felt comfortable around a woman they assumed was their intellectual superior. By the time Sarene had realized what she was doing to herself, she had found that the few men who might have accepted her were already married. Desperate, she had ferreted out the masculine opinion of her in court, and had been mortified to learn just how much they mocked her. After that, it had only grown worse-and she had only grown oIder. In a land where nearly every woman was at least engaged by the age of eighteen, she was an old maid by twenty-five. A very tall, gangly. argumentative old maid.
Her self-recrimination was interrupted by a noise. It didn't come from the hallway or window, however, but from inside her room. She sat up with a start. breath catching in her throat as she prepared to jump away. Only then did she realize it wasn't actually coming from her room, but from the wall beside her room. She frowned in confusion. There weren't any rooms on the other side; she was at the very edge of the palace. She had a window looking out over the city.
The noise was not repeated. and, determined to get some sleep despite her anxieties, Sarene told herself it had simply been the building settling.
CHAPTER 18
Dilaf walked in the door, looking a bit distracted. Then he saw the Elantrian sitting in the chair in front of Hrathen's desk. The shock nearly killed him. Hrathen smiled, watching as Dilaf's breath audibly caught in his throat, his eyes grew wide as shields, and his face turned a shade not unlike the color of Hrathen's armor. 'Hruggath Jar Dilaf yelped in surprise, the Fjordell curse rising quickly to his lips.
Hrathen raised his eyebrows at the expletive-not so much because it offended him, but because he was surprised that it should come so easily to
Dilaf. The arteth had submerged himself in Fjorden's culture deeply indeed.
'Say hello to Diren, Arteth,' Hrathen said, gesturing to the black-and-grayfaced Elantrian. 'And kindly refrain from using Lord Jaddeth's name as a curse. That is one Fjordell habit I would rather you hadn't assumed.'
'An Elantrian!'
'Yes,' Hrathen said. 'Very good, Arteth. And no, you may not set fire to him.'
Hrathen leaned back slightly in his seat. smiling as Dilaf glared at the EIantrian. Hrathen had summoned Dilaf to the room knowing full well the kind of reaction he would get, and he felt a little petty at the move. That, however, didn't stop him from enjoying the moment.
Finally. Dilaf shot Hrathen a hateful look-though he quickly masked it with one of barely controlled
