But in theory, I had no living family. At least, I’d thought so before Darzin D’Mon read my grandfather’s letter. Now I faced the possibility that I not only had living parents but Relos Var considered them enemies.

If Thaena was right, then I was bait being used against someone else.

“Yes,” Kaen said. “Not your mother. I’m sure she was a delightful woman. A dancing girl, I think Var said? Something like that. But your father…” He smiled. “A Khorveshan soldier, indeed. But higher ranked than a mere officer. High General Qoran Milligreest, the High Council’s leader, most powerful man in the empire.”

“The emperor—”

“—is a puppet who won a magical free-for-all and takes his orders from the council, which your father commands.”

I didn’t respond. I think I was still in shock. The high general?

“I see the look on your face. Qoran is a fine man. I’ve met him on several occasions. Sadly, he can’t keep his trousers buttoned. His wife deserves so much better.”

“Says the man with several dozen wives.”

“That’s politics,” he responded. “I would be faithful in his position. Of course, we’re graced by your presence due to his lack of self-control, so it’s just as well. His missteps are to our benefit.”

I found myself glad I was already sitting, because I felt faint. “I’ve met him.”

“After Lonezh, I imagine.”

“I thought—” I reached for the tea and drank it, not tasting the butter this time.

“You thought the high general paid attention to you because he wanted to know why Xaltorath picked you as his host, why Xaltorath wouldn’t leave. But no. High General Milligreest picked you out earlier, before the Hellmarch finished. Someone—probably Emperor Sandus—looked at your aura and recognized who you are: a Milligreest. A Khorveshan. And Milligreest never admitted the truth. He left you with the Vishai and returned home, after pretending you were no relation at all. It almost worked.”

“And from this, you assume he’ll care what happens to me?” I said.

“Oh, I don’t have to assume, because he should have unleashed the Quuros army’s full magical might on that Hellmarch, if he didn’t give a damn what happened to the eight-year-old girl guiding it. Yet he didn’t. There’s no good excuse for your survival. When the time comes for him to consider unleashing those forces once more, I want him to hesitate like that again. And he will, because he cares.”

Words cannot describe how numb I felt. This was so much worse than I had thought. Even worse than the sham of being labeled Danorak and hailed a great hero.