As regent she would have some power. She could still fight Raj Ahten subtly, so long as she lived. She could give her people some measure of happiness, of freedom.

Certainly, that was why her father still lived, why he didn’t choose to fight to the death, as her mother had.

Iome’s heart hammered, and she could think of nothing to do, could formulate no worthwhile plan, but remembered Gaborn’s face earlier in the day. The promise on his lips. “I am your Protector. I will return for you.”

But what could Gaborn do? He couldn’t fight Raj Ahten.

Yet Iome had to hope.

Raj Ahten nodded to a guard. “Call the facilitators.”

In moments, Raj Ahten’s facilitators entered the room, cruel little men in saffron robes. One bore a forcible on a satin pillow.

Raj Ahten’s facilitators were well practiced, masters of their craft. One began the incantation, and the other held King Sylvarresta, coached him through it. “Watch your daughter, sirrah,” he said in a thick Kartish accent. “This you do for her. Do for her. She everything. She the one you love. You do for her.”

Iome stood before him, dazed, listened to her father’s cries as the forcible heated. She daubed the sweat from his brow as the metal suddenly twisted like something alive. She gazed into his clear gray eyes as the forcible drew away the endowment, sucked the intelligence from him, until she could tell that he no longer remembered her name, but only cried in stupid agony.

She sobbed herself when he gave his final scream of pain, and collapsed at her feet.

Then the facilitator went to Raj Ahten, bearing the white-hot forcible trailing a ribbon of light, and Raj Ahten pulled off his helm, so that his long dark hair fell around his shoulders, then pulled off his scale mail, opened his leather jerkin to expose his muscular chest. It was a mass of scars, so marked by forcibles that Iome could see only a few faint traces of unmarked flesh.

As he took the endowment, Raj Ahten sat back on the throne, eyes glazed in satisfaction, watching Iome narrowly.

She wanted to rage against him, to pummel him with her fists, but dared do nothing but sit at her father’s head, smoothing back his hair, trying to comfort him.

The King opened his eyes, regaining consciousness for half a second, and he stared up at Iome, his mouth open, as if wondering what strange and beautiful creature he beheld. “Gaaagh,” he bawled; then a pool of urine began to spread on the red carpets beneath him.

“Father, Father,” Iome whispered softly, kissing him, hoping that in time he would at least learn that she loved him.

Finished with their incantations, the facilitators left. Raj Ahten reached over to his sword, pulled it from the Queen’s throne.