“Yes, if you wish to treat King Donal

as your equal, then he must be

introduced to everyone of importance

on his first official visit.”

Xau skimmed the list.

“Ministers, yes. Guild heads, yes.

Generals, yes. But every judge?

Every scholar?”

“A mere twelve scholars.”

“Twelve scholars.”

Xau imagined Ang Su raising a point

of abstruse logic and Donal’s likely reaction

(a word no translator could render

both politely and accurately).

All Xau could do not to laugh,

but Artoch had worked tirelessly,

so Xau mastered himself.

“Very good.”

“Your Majesty. One more detail.”

Artoch looked down at his sleeves

as if suddenly fascinated by them.

“King Donal said he would bring

just five men with him—

Queen Fian is not accompanying him.”

“We know. And so?”

Artoch, a man who’d intimidated generals,

hesitated, cleared his throat.

“Five men, no women.

King Donal is said to be a man

of considerable appetites.”

Xau had spent too many nights

sharing a tent with his guards

to be shy about such matters:

“If you want to offer him harlots,

we will approve it.

Speak to Captain Tsung.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Artoch’s eyes fixed on his sleeves

as he retreated from the room.

TWO KINGS

Side by side rode the two kings:

Donal, the Red King,

red-haired and red-handed in war,

and Xau, the Horse King.

Donal come now in peace, welcomed,

to the land he twice attacked,

come at Xau’s request,

sooner than he himself

would have chosen.

Barely a week at home

before it was time to leave.

But he would have turned round

and ridden back to Xau

the same hour he’d reached home

had the younger king asked it.

Shadow and darkness behind them

and a debt Donal couldn’t repay.

“You’re looking better.”

Donal searched Xau’s face,

found no sign of the harrowing

that had marked him five weeks ago.

“Are you better?”

“Largely.”

“And this is what you want?

That I come to the memorial?”

“Yes.” Finality in Xau’s voice.

Donal noted the soldiers

riding in advance,

the scouts on their flanks,

his own men and Xau’s guards

following behind them.

At length, Xau looked over at Donal.

“Though we cannot forget

and will not ignore

what happened, we seek an end to it.

Peace in place of war.

Friendship in place of fear.

Let it start with the two of us.”

“You think we can be friends?”

Donal shook his head inadvertently.

He owed Xau his kingdom.

A demon slain,

hundreds of Donal’s people

freed from the demon’s service

at a cost that had nearly broken

the younger king.

Yet they had little in common—

by all his informants had ever heard,

Xau neither drank, nor gambled,

nor even whored.

Unexpectedly, Xau grinned.

“Why not? What are you thinking?

That we are nothing like each other?”

“That, and wondering why you speak Innish.”

“By our father’s command.”

“King Hao? He called us barbarians.”

Had, in fact, addressed Donal

as King of the Barbarians

the one time they met.