Page 42 of The Empty Throne

"Yes," Oskia said quietly. Sobeki was halfKenten, son of a woman who was now a powerful duchess. The Skyeline also had ties to the royal throne. "Does your husband…"

Ralidya nodded. "Yes, he knows everything.There was no way I could keep such a secret from him, even if I'dwanted to. Corinta is his daughter, born while we were having aquiet affair when his late wife was still alive." So same motherdifferent fathers. Given how alike they looked, they'd clearlyinherited much from their mother, though Oskia had not seen Sobekiin her at all. Now she was paying attention, though, she didn'tknow how in Shatar she had missed it.

"His Majesty also knows, of course. We didnot expect everything to happen this way. Sobeki was meant to betold next year and brought here to meet me, meet everyone, discussif he wanted to take up the role of Crown Prince of Cremisio.Wendeth always insisted he not grow up forced into the position."Her mouth twisted, hands tightening in her lap. "I did not agree,but I gave him all rights to the boy, so it was not my decision tomake. The way Wendeth died, the chaos that has followed, I assumethat he never got to leave word to any of you that Sobeki is hisheir, or about any of his plans involving Kenten. How did you knowto come here, though, without knowing about Sobeki?"

"My mother," Oskia said. "Some notes she leftme before she died." After she'd murdered the entire fucking royalfamily before she could learn of and kill Sobeki herself.

Oskia wanted to cry. Scream. Laughhysterically. She pressed fingertips to her forehead. "I'm sorry,all the travel and the news is catching up to me. I'm not feelingwell. I think I need to lie down."

"Of course, darling," Ralidya said, andcalled for servants. "We'll get you settled and speak more whenyou're properly rested."

"Thank you," Oskia said, and rose as the dooropened—and promptly blacked out.

She stirred as she was being settled in aroom that smelled of spruce and lavender, an odd combination butnot unpleasant. "I'm so sorry," she said groggily to whoever washelping her. "I guess I was more exhausted than I thought."

A familiar voice, young and cheerful,giggled. "I'd imagine having a bit of shock there at the end didn'thelp either."

"No, I suppose not," Oskia said with a faintsmile, and sighed as she was finally settled in the bed. The strikeand smell of a match being lit filled the room, and then a servantwas lighting lamps around the room. Oil lamps, common in this partof the world, because oil from various ocean catches was abundantand cheap.

When the lamps had been lit, and a tray ofsoup and bread had been set on a bed tray over Oskia's lap, Corintapulled a chair close and sat with her hands folded in her lap. "Iam sorry I was so careless. It never occurred to me who my motherwould be speaking with when I went to see what she was doing. Ithought it was that wretched ass from Tuluth again."

Oskia wrinkled her nose, because she had agood guess who 'that wretched ass from Tuluth' was, as he had areputation for being forward and grossly persistent with anyoneyoung and pretty. Mostly those with ample breasts, but Oskia hadput up with him in her younger days.

Corinta chuckled at her face, and they shareda look of understanding. "Mother said she will come see you soon,after you've rested. She was called away to see His Majesty, andshe needs to inform him of your arrival anyway."

"Of course. If I'd known what exactly I waswalking into, I would have arrived differently." Oskia sighed andpicked up the spoon on her tray. The soup was actually chowder,thick with potatoes and clam. A treat in a place where things likecream were not easily come by. Even for the wealthy, dairy cowswere uncommon.

When she'd eaten about half of it, Oskiasaid, "So you are Sobeki's half-sister, by Lady Ralidya and… Iassume."

"I am," Corinta replied. "I've been eager tomeet all of you for years. Mother promised that when the time cameI could travel to Cremisio and even stay there should I desire.I've been training for a long time. I know the language, a coupleof dialects even, the history of the throne and Houses, foreignrelations, trade, economy… I want to be an asset to my brother andhis home, should he have need of me." She smiled faintly, a littleshyly, "Though I don't know what I can offer that the famous GreatHouses do not already provide."

"You're already contributing more thanKuluris," Oskia said dryly, reflexively reaching to touch the luridscar across her stomach where a serrated blade had torn it open.She should have died. It would have been preferable to owing thatsly, blood-soaked, black-hearted bastard her life.

She dropped her hand and resumed eating,refusing to let such good chowder go to waste.

"Is it really true he murdered his wholefamily?" Corinta asked, voice dropping to a whisper, as if she washalf-afraid Bittersea himself might hear and come for her.

Oskia grunted as she dipped the bread in theremains of the soup. "Yes, and he wasn't kind about it. Tell memore about your mother and my king."

Sighing in the way of the young being forcedto relate something boring for the hundredth time, Corinta said,"They met when King Wendeth came here to discuss revisions to theHareth Trade Agreement. He met my mother, and they had a briefaffair. When she learned she was with child despite all theprecautions they'd both taken, he requested she keep the child.Another encounter when they were both visiting Terek resulted inme. Again, despite all precautions." Corinta rolled her eyes."You'd think they'd have learned the first time, but I guess kingsdo what kings want."

She waved one of her hands in the air."Anyway, eventually, I don't know exactly when, they and HisMajesty here decided that a marriage between the king's bastard sonand one of his nobles here would not only secure his son's place onthe throne, but solidify a relationship between our two countriesonce and for all, make us strong allies, give Cremisio real supportagainst all encroachers."

"Eventually to take us over themselves, nodoubt," Oskia said bitterly. The whole reason she'd come. Only tolearn it was Sobeki, fucking Sobeki, whom she loved more thananyone else in the world, was the secret heir she needed to kill.It wasn'tfair.

Corinta frowned. "Nobody here wants tosubjugate Cremisio."

"For now. Just because His Majesty doesn'twant to take us over now doesn't mean he won't eventually, or thathe won't be replaced by somebody who thinks we're ripe for theplucking. These alliances all end the same way: with the weakerunder the boot of the stronger."

"That's not what anyone here wants," Corintasaid softly, staring at her hands. "I vow it. We want an alliance.To stand together against Terek and the others. It's written intoall the drafted contracts and other papers that subjugation—"

"Papers don't meant a damn thing when peopleare greedy enough and powerful enough to sate that greed," Oskiasaid flatly.

Corinta seemed to wither and crumple in herseat. "Surely you would not have come all this way if you reallybelieved we were only out to hurt Cremisio. That's never beenanyone's ambition, I vow on my life, on my mother's life, and thereis no one in this world I love more than her."

Oskia pushed her empty tray away. "I think Iwould like to rest."

"As you wish," Corinta said stiffly, and tookthe tray before all but storming from the room, the door closingsharply behind her.

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