Page 128 of The Sundered Realms

His pasty skin blotched. “Every Serenthuar ambassador passes through our Gates.”

This Gate specifically, no, but infuriatingly true in essence. The problem with Ormbtai—well, there were many, but the fundamental one any Serenthuar ambassador had to contend with was its geography.

The Gate to Serenthuar was hidden in a forest. Every other Gate out of Ormbtai sat in very visible, open grassland, and there was no way to get to them without leaving the cover of the forest. Ormbtai kept their “asset” Serenthuar isolated and under control by overwhelming guarding of those Gates. Accordingly, that meant there was no way to cross their borders without coming to the attention of Ormbtai officials.

Vhannor’s credentials, fortunately, could not be safely scorned. When they nevertheless tried to hold Liris for longer, she stayed quiet and tried to enjoy his blistering takedown of this violation of her rights.

Part satisfying, to know he would defend her and they couldn’t stop him.

Part bitter, to know that nothing she said or did would have mattered in a favorable way.

Ultimately transportation was brought for them, as well as a detachment of guards to bring them to Ormbtai’s government seat. Liris and Vhannor were settled into a carriage with two guards inside and more surrounding them without. Their guard detail included casters, but Liris was confident that this set, they could take without trouble. She arched her brows at Vhannor inquiringly.

Vhannor asked in Hinsheorese—of course he chose the rare language isolate, she loved him, but agh—“I defer to your expertise. I imagine their treatment of you will get worse before it gets better. Are we better off... making our own way?”

Making our own way. What a delightful way to phrase “utterly destroying everyone who thinks they can trap us and leaving them in the dust.”

Liris sighed and shook her head. “It won’t matter. Besides, this is our one chance to arrange the only backup that might arrive in time. They’re taking us where we need to go.”

Ormbtai might be convinced not to do the right thing for the right reasons, but to weaken Serenthuar’s position and standing? That, they would consider.

The guard said, “None of that. You’re not doing yourself any favors speaking words we can’t understand. Can’t trust anyone Serenthuar trained.”

“Oh, I’m worse than that,” Liris said, fluently in the most aristocratic High Enchor tones he would understand. “I’m not only smarter than you, I also don’t care about courting your opinion.”

Vhannor snorted and said again in the obscure language, “Not going to make any useful friends here, I see.”

Liris answered him in kind, smiling pleasantly all the while at the guard whose visage darkened. “The government’s recruitment process for Gate guards specifically tests for any sympathies toward Serenthuar, and they don’t hire those people. Ormbtai’s Gate guards freely lie about Serenthuar in order to advance government officials’ agendas. So, no. In this case it is safe to assume all agents of the state are irrevocably against me, and I don’t need to pretend patience for their bigotry.”

Their plan, fortunately, did not depend on members of Ormbtai’s government seeing the error of their ways. Liris liked to think there might be enough time in the world for that someday, but not now.

And she was trained to use the resources she had.

Vhannor nodded, switching to the same aristocratic tones she’d used before. “I admit Ormbtai’s behavior thus far has been more shameful than I expected. Perhaps I’ll have to adjust my affairs.”

This wasn’t particularly true: even before Liris had relayed her own knowledge of Ormbtai, his opinion had been low. Vhannor already acted accordingly in political gatherings.

The guard didn’t know that he wasn’t embarrassing his masters to the Lord of Embhullor, however, and blessedly shut up, albeit with bad grace.

He did, however, make a point of shifting when they approached Ormbtai Palace to make sure they got a good view.

This, too, was an Ormbtai directive. All Serenthuar ambassadors were taunted with this.

The palace was painted shades of blue and white, designs they could afford to upkeep. Behind the gorgeous castle miles of forest were visible, a testament to the resources Ormbtai had at its disposal—both without Serenthuar, and to keep Serenthuar contained.

Liris had seen images of this very view, of course; all Serenthuar ambassadors were prepared for this in advance. Still.

Still, even as angry as she was with the decisions the elders had made for her, for their people, this demonstration viscerally offended her.

But she didn’t have to react any of the ways she’d been taught to. Liris didn’t represent Serenthuar, and that was impossibly freeing.

She looked at Vhannor. “You know that shop on the road up to the university that looks like someone upended a bucket of paint over it?”

He considered. “Which one?”

Liris smiled. “Any of them is a worthier sight than this.”

The guard scowled.

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