Page 45 of The Goblin Twins
“You mean you can’t just punch everyone in the court you don’t like?” Lai asked, tipping his head curiously.
A’bbni choked on a laugh, and Shi’chen gave Lai a shove on the arm. “You think you’re funny.”
“I know I am,” Lai replied, giving him a bright grin that Shi’chen returned. He was more than a little happy that his friend had not run off as soon as he had delivered Shi’chen to his brother, though whether that was because of A’bbni or not, he had no idea.
“I have a feeling the Council will want to talk to us soon,” A’bbni said with a sigh, leaning his cheek on Shi’chen’s shoulder.
Shi’chen stroked his fingers gently through his brother’s curls, glad that A’bbni did not pull away this time. “We’ll be ready for them,” he reassured. “Until then, I’m just glad to be back with you.”
The meeting with the Council came sooner than anticipated. By the time the twins had awakened the next morning – Shi’chen curled up in A’bbni’s bed around his brother – there was a message waiting, informing them that the Council wished to meet with them that afternoon.
“I can already tell you this is going to go poorly,” Shi’chen grumbled, staring down at his fingernails like they held the answers to the universe. They were sitting in one of the offices in Lord Kella’s house. The Council had sent word that they would meet with them at the Arvay estate rather than risk having them travel on the streets where, even separately, they could be recognized. While Shi’chen knew this made sense, it still put him on edge. He already knew he did not like the Council, and he was not eager to meet with them in a place that was supposed to be safe for them.
Sitting next to him, A’bbni looked entirely too calm for the situation. “Agreed. But we’re using this as an opportunity to learn more about what the Council wants.”
Shi’chen growled softly in his throat. “I would bet anything they want us dead.”
A’bbni did not respond to that, just curled his fingers around the cuffs of his tunic, as if to pull the long sleeves further down. Shi’chen caught the movement and placed his hand lightly on A’bbni’s wrist. He did not need to be reminded of the scars that still marked A’bbni’s back or the humiliation and pain Hi’jan had inflicted on him. “I’m sorry, i-sha. It will be all right. I will not let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” A’bbni said softly, shifting to lay his head on Shi’chen’s shoulder for a moment. They had decided that Shi’chen was going to be his usual abrasive self, making A’bbni seem like the meek one in comparison, to figure out what the Council was trying to achieve, since the Council did not know either of them well enough to know what parts were genuine. And Shi’chen had no doubt that he would irritate the Council quite easily with his contempt; he would not have to fake that.
Shi’chen gave his brother a gentle hug, then let go as there was a polite knock on the door. A moment later, the door opened, and Garina admitted the three Council members into the room. A’bbni stood, and Shi’chen mirrored him, knowing the etiquette was to stand to show them respect, even though he felt they deserved none.
Mii’ra smiled at them as they moved to the table where chairs waited. “Good day, Your Highness,” she said, bowing her head to A’bbni.
“Good day, Your Eminence,” A’bbni greeted, and Shi’chen had to admire how confident and cheerful his brother sounded. “We present our brother, Captain Shi’chen Er-Ha’sen. This is Var Mii’ra An-Sha’kri.”
“Your Eminence,” Shi’chen said, giving her the smallest bow polite protocol would allow.
“And Vr Jin’fen An-Gea’la,” A’bbni said, nodding to the large man next to her.
“Your Eminence,” Shi’chen greeted him.
“Captain,” Jin’fen acknowledged.
“And Vr Ba’shea Ii-Heshar.”
A’bbni had warned him of Ba’shea’s ties to slave trading in the past, and Shi’chen had to suppress the urge to spit in the man’s face. He wondered if he had met him before, as there seemed to be something familiar about him that was unsettling. The old goblin gave Shi’chen a smile that would not have looked out of place on a crocodile. “Your Prominence,” he greeted the man, keeping his tone polite, envying A’bbni’s ability to seem so calm all the time.
“Please, sit,” A’bbni offered as he and Shi’chen sat down.
“How was your journey, Captain?” Mii’ra asked as the Council members sat down across from them.
“Fine, thank you,” Shi’chen said with a polite smile. Even if he was inclined to talk to the Council, his experiences on the ship were not something he intended to discuss with them. “Our brother says that you are in contact with members of the rebellion against the Emperor.”
“Indeed,” Jin’fen said, folding his hands together on the tabletop. “We have contacts in various cities, but many are located in Er’hadin.”
“Are these contacts trustworthy, considering the Emperor has placed a price on our heads?” Shi’chen asked. Next to him, A’bbni’s ears turned just a bit red at his forthrightness.
Mii’ra flushed at that. “Your Highness,” she started, but Shi’chen interrupted again.
“We asked a question, Var An-Sha’kri. We refuse to put ourselves or our brother in further danger if our safety is not considered. Are those involved in the rebellion trustworthy or not?”
Mii’ra looked like she wanted to scold him, but he ignored it. A’bbni was the diplomatic one. He was a Captain of the palace guard, and he was not going to let them forget it.
“They are, Your Highness,” Jin’fen said in his low, rumbly voice. “We can all safely agree that those involved in the rebellion support you and would not turn you in. And as the Emperor’s reach grows, more people are turning away from him.”
“What is the news from Er’hadin?” A’bbni asked curiously.
