Isana smiled faintly. “Senator Theoginus said almost the same thing.”

Veradis smiled. “Uncle Theo is an incorrigible old horse trader. But he knows that room, my lady.”

“Can he be trusted?” Isana asked.

Veradis considered that gravely. “Under the circumstances, I believe so. Valerius is from Aquitaine, after all—one of the cities most separated from the vord threat. Uncle was one of the men who most wanted action taken on Count Calderon’s warning about the vord, and Valerius all but crucified him for it. If Uncle Theo says he has strong support among the Senators of those areas most harmed by the vord, I’d say he’s almost certainly honest, and that it is highly probable that he is also correct.”

Isana shook her head. “You had to stop to consider whether or not your own uncle might be lying to you.”

“My uncle the Senator,” Veradis said, her serious eyes sparkling for a moment. “Yes, my lady. I love him. And I know him.”

“I suppose it’s rather late to be revisiting that concern,” Isana said. “They must have convened by now.”

Veradis nodded. “My lady... regardless of today’s outcome, you should know that there are a great many people to whom you will always be the true First Lady of Alera.”

Isana held up a hand. “No, Veradis. Too much is at stake. The one thing certain to destroy us is division. Despite recent history, I believe that Alera is a Realm of law. If its lawmakers so decide...” She shook her head. “To attempt to hold on, to defy them openly, would only hurt the Realm. We absolutely must avoid turning our focus upon fighting one another instead of keeping it where it should be.”

There was nothing to betray it in her face, but Isana sensed the sudden sharpening of Veradis’s interest. “If Valerius has his way, you will be nothing but a Steadholder again. Your son would be but one more bastard child of the Citizenry. And Aquitainus Attis, the man responsible for the Second Battle of Calderon, and the deaths of your friends and neighbors, will rule the Realm.”

“Exactly,” Isana replied. “The Realm. Which will still be here.” She shook her head and sighed. “I haven’t forgotten what he’s done. But we won’t survive what’s coming unless we stand together. If that means that I must...” She shrugged. “If I must accept that I will return to my home, the richer by many enemies, and that Aquitaine will never need to answer for what he did to the Calderon Valley, so be it.”

Veradis nodded slowly. Then she asked, “And Octavian. Will he see it the same way?”

Isana considered the question for a moment. Then she nodded. “I believe so. Yes.”

“Even though,” Veradis said, “you know that should Alera prevail against the vord, Aquitaine could not possibly afford to leave Octavian alive and at liberty, after.”