The suns were going down by the time Honoured Mother Chandni had a chance to speak to her son alone. They’d kept up their pretence of assured confidence through the afternoon, nodding to staff as they wandered the corridors, and in Chandni’s case, giving quiet words of encouragement. With High Lord Yadavendra in residence, everyone was tense, and working twice as hard as usual.

It was only when they were safely inside Satyendra’s chambers that they allowed themselves to relax. Chandni found herself dizzy with stress and reached out to the wall to steady herself, while Satyendra threw himself onto his bed face first and lay there, splayed, like a dead Squidkin.

She helped herself to some water and went to the window, taking comfort at the sight of the solid walls, and the sense of being high above the world, safe.

‘What happened?’ she asked.

His reply was muffled by the bedding.

‘Satyendra, what happened?’

He turned his head enough to give her a sullen look. ‘I said, don’t ask. I don’t want to talk about it.’

‘At least tell me if you did well.’

‘I didn’t embarrass you, if that’s what you’re asking.’

‘Was High Lord Yadavendra very difficult?’

‘Awful.’

She went and sat by the side of his bed, and began stroking his long hair. ‘From what I could see, you were excellent at lunch.’

She watched him try not to perk up at her compliment. ‘I was?’

‘Yes. The High Lord is clearly very impressed with you. Can you tell me why he wanted to see you afterwards?’

‘No.’

‘Should I be worried?’

‘That depends,’ his despondent expression returned, ‘on whether you love me more than Lord Rochant.’

Chandni didn’t answer. She loved her son, of course she did, but she also loved her Deathless Lord. It was her sacred duty to groom a vessel for Rochant’s soul. In her mind, those loves coexisted. If it hadn’t been for the assassins killing the other potential vessels, Satyendra would never have been called, and it wouldn’t have been an issue. Now though, there was no one else. She looked at her son and asked herself if she was strong enough to see this through.

When it became clear she wasn’t going to take the bait, his face became pleading. ‘Tell him I’m not ready. Tell him we have to wait a little longer.’

‘We’ve already been through this. I will offer my thoughts but in the end it is his decision.’

‘Tell him!’ hissed Satyendra, turning over and grabbing her arm. Tears glimmered at the corners of his eyes. ‘I need more time.’