in any language.

“To bring hundreds of soldiers,”

said Xau, “would be a show of force.

To come with three guards

is a gesture of trust,

a gesture that may bring us

nearer to lasting peace.

Artoch?”

“A powerful gesture,

but a powerful risk also.

Vihaz had many supporters—”

“A risk we will take.”

Xau looked over at Heng.

“Thank you. You may leave.”

Heng bowed, turned to go,

turned back, knelt down, hastily,

his heart thumping as if it, too,

wished to escape the eyes

of all those people.

Heng said, “Your Majesty,

you may need a translator.

Let me come.”

“Thank you,” said Xau.

“We accept your offer.”

Xau’s gaze on him then,

steadying Heng as he rose to his feet,

as he stepped out of the shadow.

TRAINING: STAFF

King Donal’s staff struck Li’s.

Donal grunted, stepped back

into the drill’s next move,

shifted his grip: “Keep—”

Donal swung his staff, “him—”

wood hammered wood, “safe.”

“I will try,” answered Li,

captain of Xau’s guards,

in his poorly accented Innish.

Xau had been teaching

all his guards Innish: Li fluent

despite his terrible accent.

“Do more than try.”

Donal shoved hard on the staff,

straining to drive Li back,

but Li matched his force

as if it were child’s play.

Move. Countermove. Response.

Li stopped, no warning, mid-drill.

Donal overbalanced, recovered,

followed Li’s gaze

to Leong and King Xau—

Leong holding both men’s staffs,

Xau’s arms trembling.

Xau looked from Leong

to Li and then to Donal,

and raised his eyebrows.

“We are fine,” said Xau.

“Li, you’re like a mother hen.

Cluck, cluck, cluck.”

“Leong?” asked Li.

“His strength is improving,

but he is still weak.

He should rest now.”

Xau held up his hands in defeat.

“Continue. We will watch.”

Donal bowed to Li, resumed the drill.

Move. Countermove. Response.

Vihaz. And his fucking assassins.

Donal shifted. Wood hammered wood.

Tomorrow, Xau would be in Sumbral—

Tomorrow, Xau could be dead—

Donal’s staff cracked in two.

He fell onto Li’s staff,

staggered back upright,

stared at his broken staff,

tossed the pieces to the side,

bowed to Li. “I’m done.”

Donal took off the padded jacket,

walked over to Xau.

“If you don’t come back,

if this fire-bone business

if a trick of Tahj’s,

if he hurts you—”

Donal stopped.

Xau waited.

“If Tahj harms you, I will crush him

beneath the boots of both our armies.”

“We are counting on it.”

The lightness left Xau’s voice.

“Tahj knows your reputation,

knows you will have command

of our combined armies.

It may give him pause.”

“It had better,” said Donal.

They helped the guards clear up;

went to the barracks dining room;

ate with a squad of skirmishers

who could hardly get the food

from their plates to their mouths

for gaping at the two kings.

ESCORT

Underwhelmed and unimpressed,

Prince Cyrus, commander of Tahj’s cavalry,

escorted King Xau down the Shahness Pass.

Hard to credit

that the gaunt man

riding ahead of him

was the legendary king.