Seven. A majority.

It didn’t matter that the remaining ensis refused to show her allegiance. It didn’t matter. Because she had gotten approval from the majority of the council, and she was now Alu’s queen.

The city was won.

The citizens of Alu stood on their benches and shouted for her as she rode around the Pit on her horse, her face fiery. Determined.

From across the arena, my eyes found Dagan. With Nasu, he grabbed Commander Ummi off her horse and paraded her around the other side of the Pit on their shoulders. On her mare, Assata cradled her broken arm, gritting her teeth in pain, but delirious in the victory nonetheless. Next to her, Higal shouted, mouth open wide, one victorious fist to the sky.

Crying with abandon, I placed my hand over my heart, the gesture of my city, as Dagan cheered in exultation. I took in the wreckage of the bodies all around me. The blood. The price of human life spent to further each side’s aims. I cried, for we were safe, and those guardsmen were not. Everyone who paid the price of war certainly was not.

But for now, the weakest in Alu would be served by someone who held their needs in her hands with more regard than her own power, and I prayed as I lifted my head to the sky, that she would serve them well.

We owed it to those who had died to ensure that she did.

ARWIA CALLED FOR a couple of the Koru to go find Shiptu and release her from the dungeons, but I had one person on my mind and one only: Dagan.

People streamed into the Pit, claiming their dead and carrying their wounded to safety. I helped those I could as I wended around the chariots. He was in this Pit somewhere. It didn’t matter that he’d be covered in gore. I would find him. I would fling myself into his arms and tell him I loved him until I lost my voice. I would.

My heart in my throat, I pushed past a pair of men carrying a dead guardsman between them, as a band of Koru headed out toward the dark passageway that led into the city. Arwia trailed behind them on her white mare, regal. Glowing. The sarratum she was born to be.

I turned to the Koru, clasping each of them on their shoulders as they trailed past. “My many thanks for the miracle you performed for us. My many thanks. Thank you for your help. We couldn’t have done it without you. You saved us. Thank you.”

One of them paused. “We were protecting our city as well as yours. We will stay to instate Nin Arwia on the throne, but after that we must return to our queen.”

I placed a hand over my heart. “Of course.”

She returned a Linaza salute and went on her way as Arwia called to me.