Part 21 (2/2)
”I don't have time-”
”Eat while you're walking. Talk less.” He paused in front of a small stall and quickly purchased the food he meant for her to eat. She was hungry; it had been a long day, and there hadn't been much of a lunch to break it. Sanabalis and Tiamaris hadn't returned by the time she'd all but run out the front doors, which was bad; she had a couple of questions she wanted to ask them.
They'd wait until tomorrow, a.s.suming Diarmat didn't turn her to ash, eat her, or throw her in the local dungeon for insubordination. Or breathing.
Get a grip, Kaylin. He's a teacher. You spent most of yesterday on the borders of the fief, while Shadows the size of a building tried to squash you flat. At the remove of a day, those Shadows were infinitely more appealing, and only in part because manners, etiquette, or their opinion of her made no difference at all. She had the option of dodging or dying; nothing she said when she opened her mouth was likely to change that.
Whereas, with Diarmat, there was a small chance that something she said could change her whole future, for better or worse-except for the better part.
Ugh. She'd spent so much of her life telling herself-and, more embarra.s.sing, anyone else who would listen-that she didn't care what other people thought of her. Her life-much of her life-had revolved around that belief, because she had believed it. She was good at her job.
...At all the parts of her job that didn't require her to be anything other than a half-educated kid from the fiefs.
All right, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I'll learn.
”Kaylin?”
She reddened slightly. ”What?”
”You're cracking the cobbles.”
”Very funny.” She could see the Palace a few blocks away. ”Severn, how did you manage it?”
”Manage what?”
”How did you learn the manners and etiquette of the Imperial Court?”
He shrugged. ”To start with? I didn't talk much.” He still didn't. ”I observed. I watched what other people were doing. I watched people react to each other. It's not much different; the n.o.bility use different words and gestures, but the intent's the same.”
”Intent?”
”They're politer when they threaten you. They don't call in their thugs when they're p.i.s.sed off. They don't throw a punch themselves, and they don't pull weapons. But power matters. Once you get used to the way they talk, you can figure out what they would have said if they'd lived in the fiefs.” He shrugged, a fief shrug. ”They're not better or worse than fieflings. You've learned to speak Barrani; you can speak pa.s.sable Leontine and Aerian. Consider the difference between Barrani and High Barrani.
”The difference between Court Elantran and street Elantran is similar, but larger.”
She thought about it for two seconds. ”The big difference is that there isn't anyone to observe but Diarmat. His guards don't breathe when he's there. No one speaks to him unless he speaks first.”
”That's still something. Until you have some feel for what he's saying, say as little as possible, as politely as possible. Speak High Barrani exclusively. You don't need to smile. You don't need to be friendly. He doesn't have to like you.”
”He's never going to like me.”
”No, he isn't. Give up on that. It's easier. You don't have to charm him. You don't have to impress him. You just have to survive him.”
”Can I ask for a small favor?”
”How small?”
”Take this home for me?” She handed him the sword.
When Kaylin entered the very large room that she'd been escorted to the last time, she realized how much easier said than done that was. She also became acutely aware of just how much dirt and dust had acc.u.mulated on her clothing during the long day in the fief the minute she crossed the threshold.
Diarmat was seated behind his desk at the far wall. He didn't look up as she entered; he appeared to be engrossed in his writing. But this part of the drill, she knew. She walked briskly to his desk and stood in front of it, fighting the urge to lift her chin and expose her throat, since that didn't seem to mean to Dragons what it meant to Leontines.
There, as much at attention as she could force herself to be, she waited. And waited. And waited. She looked at a point just above his left shoulder and listened to the rhythmic sound of quill against paper. Even, deep breaths kept her calm. She understood this particular test; she'd learned how to pa.s.s it before she'd actually been inducted and taken the Imperial Oath. There was no way that Diarmat could make her fail this, and she took some comfort in that.
If he kept her standing here for three hours, she could go home without disgracing herself. It would be a long three hours, but the consolation prize would be the tiny sense of victory she'd take with her.
Clearly, Diarmat was aware of this.
”Private Neya.”
She looked down. ”Lord Diarmat.”
He rose and handed her an envelope. ”Please deliver this to Lord Sanabalis.”
She nodded sharply and turned to head toward the door. He cleared his throat. It was a remarkably deep and unfriendly sound. ”Lord Sanabalis is not currently within the Palace; deliver it to him on your own time.”
”Lord Diarmat.” She slid the envelope into her s.h.i.+rt's interior pocket, where it was just long enough it would bother her for the rest of the evening.
He rose and came out from behind the desk. She stood her ground.
”What,” he asked, in a cool voice, ”is your business with the Emperor?”
”Whatever he wants it to be.”
The Dragon Lord raised a brow. His eyes were a shade of bronze, but Kaylin doubted she'd ever see gold in this particular face. ”Elaborate.”
”I have no personal reason to see the Emperor, Lord Diarmat. I have no personal desire to see the Emperor.”
”You dislike him?”
Oh, please. Kaylin almost resented the transparency of the question. Actually, she did resent it. She therefore kept her face as stiff as possible. If her words were a bit chilly, he probably wouldn't notice. Or care. ”The Emperor is the Commander of the Lords of Law. His laws are the only laws I enforce and follow.” Grinding her teeth, she took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. ”I don't know the Emperor well enough to either like or dislike him, because it's not relevant. I respect and admire his laws. The Lord of Hawks meets regularly with the Emperor, and any commands he receives, we receive. We don't need to know more than that.”
”Do you know why he created the Law you uphold?”
”Yes, sir.” d.a.m.n. ”Yes, Lord Diarmat.”
”Where did you learn this?”
”In the Halls of Law.”
”You were not a noteworthy student in any positive sense of the word. Please elaborate what you feel you were taught.”
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