“Then may we suggest that we table it until after then. If you like,” Cardenia nodded to Korbijn, “you may give the House of Nohamapetan excellent seats to the coronation and we will speak to Amit Nohamapetan afterwards.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Emphasis on ‘speak.’ We hope we are understood on this matter and not otherwise represented to Lord Nohamapetan.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Then is there anything else?”

“One small thing,” Korbijn said. Cardenia waited. “We need to know your imperial name.”

“We are Grayland,” Cardenia said, after a pause. “Grayland II.”

* * *

“I hate the imperial ‘we,’ ” Cardenia confessed to Naffa.

After the meeting with the executive committee, the two of them had lifted to Xi’an, the heart of the Interdependency, in order for Cardenia, now Grayland II, to begin the formal transfer of authority from her late father to her. Upon arrival Grayland II was immediately surrounded by advisors, courtiers, flatterers, and assistants, all with their own agendas and plans. Cardenia was tired of it in the first hour and there was all the rest of her life yet to go.

“What bothers you about it?” Naffa asked.

“It’s so pretentious.”

“You are the emperox,” Naffa pointed out. “You are literally the only person in the universe who may use it without pretension.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do. I just think you’re wrong.”

“You think I should use it all the time, then.”

“I didn’t say that,” Naffa said. “But you have to admit it’s a pretty fantastic power move. ‘Oh, you have an opinion? Well, screw you, because my vote counts as two.’ ”

Cardenia smiled at this.

The two of them were alone, finally, in the cavernous private apartments of the imperial palace of Xi’an. All the assistants and courtiers and advisors had been shoved out the door by Naffa. There was only one more thing Cardenia had to do with her day, and it lay behind a door here in the private apartments. A door that could be opened and entered only by the emperox.

Or so Cardenia explained to Naffa, who frowned. “Only the emperox.”

“Yes.”

“What happens if anyone else enters? Are there dogs? Lasers that will burn you to ash?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Can your servants go in there? Or technicians? Are you, as emperox, responsible for tidying up? Is there a small vacuum cleaner in there? Are you made to dust the place?”

“I don’t think you’re taking this very seriously,” Cardenia said.

“I take it seriously,” Naffa promised. “I’m just skeptical of how it’s being presented.”

They both looked at the door.

“Well?” Naffa said. “You might as well get it over with.”

“Where are you going to be?”

“I can stay here if you like and wait for you to be done.”

Cardenia shook her head. “I don’t know how long this will take.”