Page 11 of Ironhold, Trial Two

“The point is that the Colosseum is the one thing that brings all the nobles and people of Aetheria together. It is still seen as something sacred by at least a portion of the empire's nobility. And it is a place where the children of some of the highest nobles of the land are in danger for possibly the only times in their lives. The ways in which they navigate that danger will forge alliances and enmities that will influence Aetheria’s politics for decades to come. It is also the one place where people can speak who would not otherwise do so. Take those two.”

She points at two young men at the far end of the table. I think one of them is a gladiator, lean and hard bodied, his dark hair close cropped, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. The young man next to him is portly and soft in a way that would not survive in the Colosseum. He wears many rings on his fingers.

“Their families have been at odds for a number of years. But I have put the two together, and I have every confidence that by the end of tonight, if they aren't lovers they will be well on theway to it. When they are both in positions of power within their family, things will shift.”

“And what do you get out of that?” I ask her.

She smiles as if I've finally asked the right question. “I can shift things my way, of course, but mostly people tend to remember the person who did them all these favors, who set things up to their advantage.”

There are a couple of things I still don't understand.

“Why do you need to be here to do this?” I ask. “Couldn't you have acted as a power broker outside of Ironhold?”

Ravenna shakes her head. “Nowhere near as well. Here the danger means that old rivalries can be put aside, lost in the moment. It's also a place where families are not present. Young men and women are becoming themselves, forged in the heat of battle. And while that iron is still hot, I can put my stamp on it.”

“So you have to be here?” I say.

“That’s not the only reason,” she replies. “I will gain respect if I make it through all five seasons.”

“And the danger?” I ask.

“Are you worried for me?” Ravenna laughs lightly. “Danger can be managed. Controlled. It is one of my more powerful bargaining chips here.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. This is getting more confusing by the second.

“Oh, Lyra, you didn’t think that all the bouts were fair, did you?” Ravenna says. “The right suggestion in the right place can change who someone fights, or the terms of the bout. Fighters can be bought off, paid to take a loss with minor injuries rather than risk death. A foe can be poisoned just before their fight, so they move slower. If someone’s family angers me, their fights get harder. If they go along with things the way they should be, they get easier.”

“You’re talking about cheating,” I say, unable to keep the shock from my voice.

Ravenna looks me in the eyes. “I’m talking about survival. Survival in the Colosseum, but also survival in the much more dangerous arena of Aetheria’s politics.”

She smiles, raising her voice. “But I’ve monopolized you too long, Lyra. Come, you must mingle with the others! And dance. There should be dancing!”

I don’t want to dance. I feel as though I’m in the middle of something at least as deadly as any fight in the arena. Something on which my survival might depend. And it’s something I barely understand at all.

Chapter Six

I wake the next morning to find that I have been summoned to the gates. I walk there and find them open a crack, revealing a palanquin beyond,decorated in gold and mother of pearl, carried by four burly porters. A curtain on the side window of the palanquin twitches aside slightly, revealing a brief glimpse of Lady Elara, beckoning to me.

I realize that she has done it, she has come to collect me as my patron. For the first time since my arrival, I will be able to set foot beyond the walls of Ironhold, without it being to go to fight in the Colosseum. That prospect fills my heart with joy.

“What are you waiting for?” One of the guards on the gates demands. “Get out there. We need to get these gates closed again.”

He treats it as if it is just an ordinary day, rather than the first taste of freedom I have had since I was brought here. I hurry out of the gates heading for the palanquin and hopping inside. Lady Elara is waiting for me, seated on silken cushions. She gives a signal and the palanquin rises, the two of us carried back towards the waiting city.

“You came for me,” I say.

She raises an eyebrow. “Did you doubt that I would? We need to begin your training.”

“And all of this?” I ask, gesturing to the palanquin.

“Should a noble woman of Aetheria travel in squalor?” she asks. She sighs then. “It is expected of me. When I travel, and people recognize me, they must also see that I behave in a way that fits their image of a noble. I must be seen to be decorated and pristine, aloof and demonstrating my wealth. It is a performance, much as the ones you put on in the arena are performances.”

“I doubt anyone has ever been killed for not riding around in one of these,” I point out. There seems to be a world of difference between the lives of the nobles and the deadliness of the Colosseum.

“You might be surprised,” Lady Elara says. “A noble woman walking unescorted in the wrong parts of town might quickly find herself robbed and killed. And then there are other more subtle dangers. If I do not appear to be what people think I should be, they will start to say I have lost some of my wealth and influence. That, in turn, will cost me wealth and influence. If I lose enough I become vulnerable. There are those who would take advantage of it. Possibly some of them would see me dead if they could.”

“You nobles make everything sound as though it's some grand game. As if everything that goes on in the city is just you moving pieces around.”

---