Page 129 of The Sundered Realms

Vhannor would understand she was completely serious.

The prince of Ormbtai himself was not in residence, which was unusual for this time of year: probably squirreled away for safety while the rest of the government functioned more smoothly in his absence.

And by government, she meant—after spending a not insignificant amount of time being passed among functionaries up the chain—Chancellor Ariurn, who welcomed them with smug coolness, directing all his attention to Vhannor as if Liris might as well not exist.

“No need for a formal audience right away, I assume?” the chancellor decided. “You’ve come a long way today and will no doubt wish to rest.”

Translation: you won’t have an opportunity to exert public pressure.

That mostly suited her anyway. However: “While I’ve heard many enviable tales of Ormbtai’s comforts, I’m afraid we won’t have time for more than sampling them. You will, of course, know already why we’re here.”

Chancellor Ariurn regarded her sidelong. He looked like he was glowing with good health, and Liris had some idea of how many tinctures he applied to himself to maintain that effect.

His silence lasted a beat too long; an attempt to quell her with shame for a misstep without saying a word.

“Oh dear,” Liris said. “Have I surprised you? How unfortunate.”

Chancellor Ariurn rolled his eyes and didn’t deign to respond. Instead he glanced sympathetically at Vhannor as if they shared a joke, then ignored her, setting off to ostensibly lead them to their rooms. All Serenthuar ambassadors learned the floorplan of this palace, however, and Ariurn’s route took them around the palace to show off the best views.

He wasn’t ignoring her at all. He was rubbing her face in what Serenthuar didn’t have and expecting her to take it.

Natural resources like trees, lakes, and huge swaths of arable land for crops. But also people, not just in different uniforms with gear—because they could afford that kind of differentiation—but others at leisure.

The hallways were lined with pastoral paintings on one side and wide windows on the other, but Liris felt the weight of all their implication pressing on her like the halls of Serenthuar had.

She had broken out of the life Serenthuar had planned for her, but in a way, she had managed to make her way right back to it.

But she no longer had to bite her tongue.

This circuit gave Ariurn an opportunity to demonstrate how well Ormbtai had their surroundings in hand: the stationed guards, the sight lines to the edge of the forest where they sat.

Liris remarked to Vhannor in a bored tone, “Yes, the palace used to actually be inside the forest, until excessive and misguided forestry management efforts led them to kill their own forests. They’re still learning how to fix them with Serenthuar’s scholarship.”

The chancellor paused and narrowed his eyes at her. He wouldn’t have ever met a Serenthuar ambassador who didn’t have to take his shit.

Liris smiled back, showing her teeth.

Ariurn said to Vhannor, “Perhaps, Lord of Embhullor, you might rein in your hanger-on.”

“Inhibit my partner’s effectiveness on purpose? I shouldn’t think so,” Vhannor said. “Perhaps, Chancellor, since we’ve skipped the formal audience, we might skip the posturing as well.”

“You do name her partner, then. You ought to know Serenthuar are always grasping for an angle.”

Not an unfair assessment of Serenthuar ambassadors, though the fact that they were trained to do so because they had to, because of people like him, and yet he should nevertheless criticize them for it, was quite a thing.

But Vhannor said, “That has not been my experience. If it has been yours, consider there is another common denominator.”

Ha.

“And frankly, Chancellor,” Liris said, “rest assured your reputation precedes you. If I have learned anything from my colleagues, it is that you cannot easily be moved, which means I don’t have time to bother trying.”

Finally, he faced her directly. “Do you think I’m stupid?” he asked idly. “Do you think I don’t know you’re attempting to manipulate me?”

“You’ve already pointed out you’ll assume that in any case, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t,” Liris said. “Pertinently, however, you might note that I don’t do so on Serenthuar’s behalf. Have you considered what a Serenthuar ambassador might be capable of if they were not so consistent in their allegiance?”

“Yes,” the chancellor hissed.

“Splendid,” Vhannor said crisply. “Then you may have some appreciation for the fact that I’ve been teaching Liris everything I know about spellcraft.”

---