43 Mother-in-law (2/2)
”You didn't resist?”
”Oh I resisted, he had to drive a spear through me to get me to stop.” Grinning, Eva loosened her shawl and pulled her dress aside a little, showing a faint knotted scar across her shoulder. Elya hissed at the sight, such an injury should have been crippling. ”It looks worse than it was. Add in Nikolai's treatment and there's almost no after-effects. You should see his leg. I managed to get in a few blows myself.”
”You married the man after stabbing each other?” Elya asked, incredulous at the story.
”Of course, we were at each other's throats from the start. I tried all sorts of things to escape, from seduction to poisoning. I still remember the three days Artem dragged me along while running to the bathroom every hour or so.”
”Quite a courtship.” Elya said drily.
”In a way it's better than putting on a facade and lying out of your teeth.” Eva fanned herself, the sharp dangerous sense dissipating. Relaxed and casually drinking tea she appeared human and Elya felt she was finally seeing her mother-in-law's true nature.
”Maybe mother. I still think it would be better not to leave injuries on each other.” Elya rubbed her own scar. The thing still bugged her. Coupled with the missing tooth she felt quite battered. She wasn't a prissy little noble fearing any blemish, but any mark on her made her feel inadequate in front of Nikolai.
”A good marriage means you have to accept your partner for who they are.” Eva flicked her finger against the cup, listening to the ringing for a moment, lost in thought. ”Well, back to the story. Rather than bore you with all the details, there were a few misunderstandings with the Hand and we were hunted for a while and eventually 'faked' my death in a fight along some nameless trail in the old Morales lands. We even managed to take down most of the local coven. The Hand is good, but the Morales are excellent soldiers and Artem was their best. Well, except Nikolai, the Morales are excellent soldiers.” She added with a smirk. ”I took a new name and showed up as a merchants daughter being courted by Artem after being saved.”
”The Black Hand found you somehow?”
Eva flicked the cup again and sighed. ”They never lost track of me. The Hand is far more dangerous than people realise. Betrayal matters little to them. They care for results and power. A Black Raven itself slid into my chambers one night.” They both shivered. Black Ravens were the greatest agents in the employ of the Hand. Depending on who you asked, they were either equivalent to or more powerful than the Hand's of the Emperor. Never less. ”I was given an option, lose my unborn child or officially rejoin the Hand.”
The cup in Eva's hand shattered, shards digging into her flesh. Elya came to her side and quickly wrapped the injury in a handkerchief, making sure no porcelain remained in her flesh.
”Not much of an option. I may have been trained by the Hand, but my time with Artem… softened me.” Eva continued, her voice flat and emotionless. ”I agreed, and they placed me in charge of the small coven on the Morales estate. Things moved along smoothly, it was far enough away from Court that little was demanded of me but when Nikolai started showing magical talent, the Hand took a greater interest in my affairs. Nothing onerous, just checks on his growth. Master Etanani dragged him off for his apprenticeship and the Hand became silent. They avoid tangling with competent Master Mages. Luckily, even the vaunted Seers of the Black Hand's Council couldn't have foreseen Nikolai's meteoric rise and before they could make a move to manipulate him through me…”
”Galicia.” Elya breathed, bits and pieces of information fitting together.
”Yes. The Ancient Spell formation he refuses to talk about. Galicia changed everything.” Eva patted Elya's hand and took another cup to take some fresh tea. Cold tea now. ”The Savant itself gave the order to assist him and I was inundated with all sorts of reconciliatory messages. When Niki came to Konstanz after the war, it seemed reasonable to utilise every resource I had available to help him. The enemies he's accumulated would cripple a lesser man.”
Elya squeezed her mother-in-law's shoulder, feeling a twinge inside at the constant danger Nikolai was in. She knew it wasn't the Houses which concerned Eva.
”Why not tell them? If the Hand doesn't want to move against him, it would shift his attention back to the actual threats behind the Stardust and assassination. Even in my short time here, I've seen Nikolai fixated on the Rose Building and the Hand's activities to a fault.”
”I considered it dear. Unfortunately, Artem is a stubborn, honourable man. He'd launch a crusade against the Hand, taking out as much of the organisation as he could, eventually provoking a massive response.” Eva opened her fan and gazed at the fluttering snowflake. ”Niki… Niki would wage war.”
”He's not insane.” Indignant, Elya defended her fiancée.
”Neither is the Hand. Nor are they pleasant. Their conciliatory messages and promotions were simply a means to remove the 'forced' nature of my position.” Eva stressed the word forced and Elya's heart lurched.
”He'd consider it compelled servitude.” Elya's mind spun at the implications. What a terrible thing to have to hide because your dangerously powerful son would be unable to control himself.
”Yes.” Eva hung her head. Voice barely a whisper. ”I love my boy dearly Elya. But he's a True Imperial, and the Blood runs stronger in him than most. Whispers from my contacts in the Hand tell me the Savant is absolutely terrified of Nikolai.”
”Still, I'm sure he could protect you and himself.”
”It's not us I'm worried about. While my boy has many enemies, he also has many steadfast allies. Half the Empire would fall in on his side in any conflict, let alone the Children of the Great Dragon. The continent would be plunged into war.” Eva looked up and fixed Elya with a deep stare, pain and sadness shining from her very depths. ”I'm not a good person but I cannot have so many deaths on my conscience. Especially when Niki and Artem could be among them.”
”I understand.” Elya assured her that she wouldn't tell anyone her secrets. ”Why tell me though?”
”Because it's a burden and I long for someone to share it with? Because you're close to my son and can act as a bridge between us? To make you complicit and bind you to the House? To give you the knowledge you need to succeed me?” Eva swallowed a gulp of cold tea and grimaced. ”Take your pick. You'll learn there's never really a single reason for any action.”
Elya removed her gloves, tossing them onto the table and sliding her sword aside. Pulling her chair to the Baroness's side Elya took out several papers she'd taken from Nikolai's office.
”I'm not happy with this deal with the Black Hand, but I can understand your reasons.” She clarified, heaving a deep breath at the complex situation. So many secrets and factions were pulling at them all. ”Still, since we have access to their abilities, let me tell you my idea to dig up information as quickly as possible. We have two avenues, first the traitors in the guard and second the actual Stardust suppliers…”
Eva leaned in and they planned the disposition of Hand agents and Knights to gather intelligence.
Such an unlikely alliance probably hadn't been formed since the Reclamation.