Interesting. Perhaps this was what Kichona needed. An unorthodox approach to an unorthodox enemy.
“We must stop my brother before he grows his army further,” Aki said. “Can you send a dragonfly to the Striped Coves before he arrives?”
“I cannot guarantee it, but we’ll try.”
Aki nodded. “Good. Tell the Striped Coves taigas to evacuate the citizens. And then the taigas themselves should hide.”
Strategist smacked both hands on the table. “You want the taigas to hide like cowards?”
Glass Lady glared at him. She turned to the empress with an apologetic dip of her head. “What my colleague means, Your Majesty, is that, with all due respect, we don’t think it’s advisable to leave the Striped Coves completely unprotected.”
“I don’t mean for them to abandon their duties. The Striped Coves are a valuable part of Kichona, and we won’t leave it open to pirates. But they can’t stay at the Society post there. The taigas would be captured by Gin, and we’d be handing him an army, which is precisely what he wants.” Aki sat back in the commander’s chair and crossed her arms. “I want half of them to stay in the Striped Coves, and the other half to regroup here to protect the capital, which I guarantee is where Gin will end up. I appreciate your perspective, but with all due respect, I defeated my brother once. I can defeat him again. We will do this my way.”
The councilmembers held their tongues. She knew they didn’t approve. They probably thought her inexperience was leading her to act rashly. But the old guard’s way isn’t working, Aki thought. Gin certainly isn’t following the old rule book.
“Actually,” she said, “have this message posted at the harbor for my brother: I would like to meet with him in neutral territory where there is nothing to tempt him—let’s say, Dassu Desert—to discuss a cease-fire and peace treaty.”
“He’ll use his magic to hypnotize you,” Glass Lady said.
Oh. Aki hadn’t considered that. Now the Council really would think she was just plowing headlong into folly.
There was some scuffling beneath the floor of the black stone table. The councilmembers leaped to their feet, weapons trained on the source, while the Imperial Guard grabbed Aki and began shoving her toward the door to safety. Her heartbeat skittered.
“Don’t hurt us!” a boy shouted, his voice muffled but loud, as if he were pressed right up against the floorboards. “It’s Broomstick. And Fairy.”
“What are you doing down there?” Scythe asked.
Glass Lady rolled her eyes. “Eavesdropping, I’d wager.”
Bullfrog grumbled. “Like I said. Penchant for breaking rules.”
The councilmembers muttered a spell that allowed them to heave the boards off the floor. Two apprentices climbed out, covered in dirt and coughing.
“Aren’t you two already in enough trouble for Spirit’s last stunt?” Glass Lady asked.
Broomstick screwed up his face. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“And you thought it would be wise to tempt fate by crawling under the floorboards of the Council Room to eavesdrop on the most confidential of conversations?”
Fairy shrugged sheepishly. “It seemed like a good idea at the time?”
Glass Lady sighed. “Your Majesty, meet Broomstick and Fairy. They’re two of your fireworks hooligans.”
Chapter Forty-One
Fairy and Broomstick laid themselves prostrate on the ground.
When they rose, Fairy said, “We’re sorry for the, uh, intrusion.”
“I suppose it’s all right,” Empress Aki said, as she returned to her seat. Her Imperial Guard remained close by. It almost made Fairy laugh out loud. As if I’m a threat the Imperial Guard needs to protect her from.
“We wanted to speak to you because we have an idea,” Broomstick said.
Bullfrog grumbled. “Normal people with ideas to present come in through doors, not floorboards.”
Fairy’s tongue tripped over itself.
But then Empress Aki said, “Normal isn’t working. You say you were part of the league of rogues who rigged the fireworks in my palace? Well then, I want to hear what you have to say. After all, we are dealing with my brother here. Some trickery is almost certainly afoot.”
League of Rogues! Despite the gravity of the matter at hand, a grin spread across Fairy’s face. Beside her, Broomstick did a better job of hiding his, although she could feel through their gemina bond his pleasure at being recognized by the empress as worth listening to.
“We heard you suggest a meeting with Prince Gin in Dassu Desert,” Broomstick said, “but as Glass Lady mentioned, if you get close to him, he can hypnotize you and make him your puppet.”
“That’s right,” Empress Aki said.
“But what’s the purpose of the meeting?” Broomstick asked. “Do you really expect him to agree to a cease-fire? I’m guessing not. I think this is just a stall tactic to allow the taigas from around Kichona to centralize here, so we can fight Prince Gin with a bigger army, right?”
The empress smiled. “You have quite a head for political strategy for someone so young. I’m impressed.”
Broomstick flushed. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
She nodded. “You’re correct. Gin has no incentive to actually agree to peace, even a temporary one, when momentum is on his side. But I do think asking him to meet with me will buy us time. If only because he’ll be tempted to stray from his current plans to try to hypnotize me. Or kill me.”
Fairy trembled a little, knowing what was next in her plan. But being stuck here at the Citadel, unable to do anything while Spirit and Wolf were out there, was like being caught in a pixie trap. Fairy had been rattling the cage bars for days, wanting to get free, but those who had captured her had forgotten her because she was too small. She didn’t want to be insignificant anymore.
She took a deep breath and said, “Which is where our idea comes in. You may have noticed a resemblance between us. Not that I would ever claim to be as radiantly beautiful or intelligent or poised as you, Your Majesty,” Fairy added hastily.
Empress Aki smiled gently. “There’s no need for flattery. But yes, I do see a resemblance. If your hair were gold, you could pass for a younger version of me to someone who didn’t know me well.”
“Exactly. Let me go to this meeting in your place. Your brother hasn’t seen you in ten years; it could work. And with enough Imperial Guards, maybe we have a chance of capturing your brother or . . .” Fairy stopped. She couldn’t suggest killing the prince. Even though he was a traitor, talking about assassinating a member of the royal family was treason.
“It’s all right,” Empress Aki said. “This is war, and in war, there is always the possibility that someone will die. However, I cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself to save me.”
Fairy walked all the way up to the edge of the Council table. “But Your Majesty, that is the purpose of the taigas. We serve you and the kingdom, whatever and however you need. You must stay alive and with your wits about you if Kichona is to survive Prince Gin’s attacks. As one of your soldiers, it would be my honor to do this for you and our kingdom.”