There were no proper cells in the Hotel Ancerre, so at first they’d locked Raesinia in a wine cupboard. Empty racks lined the walls, with just about enough room between them for her to sit cross-legged. She’d done that for a while, concentrating on her breathing and the feeling of the binding tidying up the last of her wounds. The front of her shirt was still heavy with drying blood, and she smelled like a butcher shop.

Eventually, a couple of Patriot Guards opened the door and grabbed her roughly by the arms. They dragged her into the corridor, where Ionkovo was waiting, a thin smile on his face. Under his watchful gaze, the Patriots frog-marched Raesinia through the halls to the door of what looked like a guest room, which had been hastily fitted with an iron bar and a padlock. Inside, it was spartan, with a single bed, a table, and a high window too small to fit through. Probably intended for a guest’s servant, Raesinia guessed. There was a basin full of water, though, and she filled a cup from it and drank greedily.

“You’ll remain here for a little while,” Ionkovo said. “Until we can arrange safe passage out of the city. Then you’ll be coming with me to visit His Eminence the Pontifex of the Black.”

“Mmm.” Raesinia held up one hand as she finished gulping her water. “I’m sure that will be edifying for everyone.”

The Penitent stared at her for a moment. “You’ve lost, you know.”

“Probably.” Raesinia set the glass down and looked back at him steadily.

“Your general’s army will burn in the streets. Even if Maurisk falls, the mob will tear down whoever puts himself in his place, eventually. We will recover the Thousand Names, and you will be our guest at Elysium for the remainder of your days.”

“I hope you’re prepared to put up with me for quite some time, then.”

“Was it worth it? You could have spared Vordan all of this.”

“By becoming Orlanko’s puppet? Marrying some Borel?”

Ionkovo shrugged. “You’d hardly be the first monarch not to interest herself in affairs of state, nor even the first Orboan. Certainly not the first to despise her spouse. Would that have been such a bad life, in the end? You claim to love your countrymen, but all you’ve brought them is chaos and death.”

“And freedom from the rule of people like you.”

“Those who bear demons?”

“Self-righteous hypocrites.”

The Penitent actually laughed. “I doubt any nation anywhere will ever rid itself of those.”

He was probably right, of course. Raesinia sat on the bed with a sigh and plucked at the sodden neckline of her shirt. “So, what do you want from me? Don’t you have a war to run?”

“I wanted to ask you something. I don’t expect you’ll answer, but please remember I gave you this opportunity.”

“What?”