Gustor kept his voice low but still returned to the topic Yhkon was hoping he would drop. “Going to give her a chance?”
“Um, no.” He glared sideways at him. Of all the Wardens, Gustor was usually the one that didn’t cause trouble or frequently annoy him. Except for his occasional sarcastic moods when he applied his greater knowledge of Yhkon’s personal life to amuse himself. “As you ought to know perfectly well.”
A shrug. “You could do worse.”
There wasn’t much argument against that. This is the point where we let this subject die. “Well I can tell you that next time, you get to pretend to be her man.”
Gustor smirked, shrugged again, and didn’t say anything more.
Yhkon briefly listened to Jaylee talking to Talea, long enough to convince himself that he wasn’t the topic, before tuning it out, forcing himself to focus. No more worrying about Jay or her fantastical ideas of romance. Get Amilyne, and get out of this blasted place.
22
Kings and Orphans
I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Talea wondered if anyone else was finding their new companion as vexing as she was. At the same time, she couldn’t help wondering if a large part of the reason the girl was vexing was because she was possibly the most gorgeous fifteen-year-old alive, and she knew it.
Amilyne, who apparently preferred Ami, had been the hardest ward to convince. Terindi had taken it calmly, as she took everything. Rikky had been eager at the prospect of being a hero and starting a new life. Skyve had already known a great deal of what was going on, and practically been expecting the rest. But Ami…it had taken three seconds to assess that she did not like or trust Talea. And only three more seconds to determine that she had spent far more time worrying about hiding her ability, than wondering if there was a reason for it or others that shared it.
And then, when she’d finally agreed to meet the Wardens and Wylan, it had taken three seconds into that introduction to conclude that she and Jaylee had something in common—flirting. Gustor was old enough to be exempt, but Yhkon and Wylan were not.
Now, with Ami at least mostly convinced, they were returning to the orphanage to gather her few belongings. For Yhkon and Wylan she had only angelic smiles, for the rest of them only complaints and suspicious frowns.
“So.” Ami was almost jogging to keep up with Yhkon’s long strides. He clearly didn’t want to be kept up with. “What is it that us…what do you say? Wards? What is it that us wards are supposed to, um, do? With our abilities and the San Quawr and everything?”
“End the Eradication.” Gustor answered.
“More specifically,” Yhkon didn’t slow his pace to accommodate her at all, or even turn to look at her, “defeat Kaydor.”
Ami’s step faltered. “Defeat as in…kill him?”
Yhkon stopped and turned around after all. “Yes…” His tone was questioning.
Her perfect eyebrows drew together as she crossed her arms. No more angelic smiles. “He’s a good king. He’s been funding the entire orphanage from his own pocket for years, and comes to visit us. And while everyone else sees us as nothing but worthless orphans, to be made into laborers as soon as possible, where we’ll be slaves…well not only is he trying to improve the conditions of lower class, he’s also trying to make it so that orphans can move into middle class. He—”
“He is a tyrant,” Yhkon interrupted, his expression stone cold. “You think he cares about you, or the other orphans? You have no idea the type of man he is. It’s all a front.”
She was intimidated, as she ought to be. Yhkon was still frightening even to Talea when he was in one of his moods, let alone to a girl that had just met him. But Ami stood her ground. “What proof do you have? Zentyre is improving under his rule, isn’t it?!”
Yhkon swore under his breath. “How would you know if it was improving? Have you ever even left the city? Even if it was improving—no king that wants to murder an entire race that has committed no crime can be considered anything near good,” he spat out the final word, spinning and continuing with an even faster, angrier gait. Jaylee stayed on his heels.
Amilyne was left both flinching and glaring after him. She had more fortitude than Talea would have given her credit for. Gustor watched Yhkon go with something like an impatient sigh, before walking beside his ward and explaining quietly. “You have to understand, Ami, that Kaydor is the one who instigated the Eradication in Zentyre years ago, and now has brought it back. He is killing and enslaving innocent men, women, and children simply because of their race.”
She sucked in her breath through flared nostrils. “Well…couldn’t there be a misunderstanding? I’ve met Kaydor, unlike him,” she glowered at Yhkon’s back, “who’s just judging him without even knowing him!”
Talea bit her lip, feeling resentment at Ami’s unfair accusation and wanting to set the record straight. But Yhkon was extremely particular about who knew his life story, and probably wouldn’t appreciate it even if it was in his defense.
Gustor, however, apparently wasn’t going to let it go uncorrected. “Which is exactly what you are doing, to Yhkon.” He stopped her. “Kaydor personally killed Yhkon’s family and his fiance.”
That erased the glare from Ami’s exotic gold eyes, and softened her jaw into a distressed frown.
Without further discussion, they kept going. Talea trailed the group beside Wylan. “Did you know that?” she whispered. “I mean, about Kaydor supposedly trying to improve conditions for lower class? Had you heard it before?”
He didn’t answer right away. “Yes,” he said at length. “Grrake said that he raised the base wage lords can pay their laborers, and now requires that every village be provided with a school, whether the lords like it or not.”
It probably should have been heartening. The people she had grown up with, still in Vissler Village, weren’t starving for lack of money to buy food with, as they often had. Children in other villages were getting the education that might have otherwise been denied them. Yet…it was Kaydor behind the progress. Kaydor, who they intended to wage a war on.
But it wasn’t just him. They would be entering a war against Zentyre. She’d never been in a war, but she’d been taught enough history to know that there were always consequences. That it wasn’t just the soldiers fighting who suffered.
What if they didn’t start a rebellion as they’d supposedly been destined to do? If Kaydor were left to rule Zentyre, undisturbed…would the region be better off? Wouldn’t their war actually harm the innocent lives they were trying to protect?
Their arrival at the orphanage didn’t give her time to find answers, if there were any. “Gustor,” Yhkon held open the door, “take Ami and get what she needs, we’ll keep watch.”
Gustor nodded and gestured Ami in ahead of him, but she paused before entering, looking at Yhkon timidly. “Yhkon…I’m sorry.” She lowered her gaze and disappeared inside before he could react.
He looked confused briefly, before frowning at Gustor, no doubt realizing that he must have told her something, to bring about such a change of heart. Displeasure was plain enough in his demeanor. Still, he only jerked his head for him to go in. Not so long ago, Talea felt sure he would have shown his irritation much more vividly. It was still visible…but he wasn’t acting on it.