thought I would die in the attempt, and I didn’t care. And then…”
“And then you succeeded,” said Caina. “Rolukhan and Cassander and Kalgri, all of them dead by your hand.”
“Aye,” said Kylon.
“And now you don’t know what to do,” said Caina.
“I didn’t think I would live this long,” said Kylon.
“It’s hard to know what to do after you take vengeance,” said Caina. Kylon watched her for a moment. “You know I understand that, Kylon. Maglarion murdered my father when I was eleven, and I spent the next seven years learning to become a Ghost, thinking how I would one day find him and kill him for what he had done. And when I did, when it was all over…I didn’t know what to do with myself. I just didn’t, not for weeks. I thought of drinking myself into a stupor, or finding some handsome man and luring him into my bed, or masquerading as an Imperial noblewoman and living a life of ease.”
“None of those things sound like you,” said Kylon, a dry note in his voice. “What did you do instead?”
Caina shrugged. “You know what I did. You were there for a lot of it. I threw myself into the work of the Ghosts. Then Corvalis died, and I came here, and I did the same thing.” She let out a long breath. “And now…”
“You don’t know what to do next either,” said Kylon.
“No,” admitted Caina.
“Whatever it is,” said Kylon, “we’ll find it. Together.”
Some of the fear lifted from her. “Yes, together.”
But not all the fear. Some of Kalgri’s whispers lingered in her thoughts, for she knew that the Huntress had not been lying. Or, rather, Kalgri had been using the truth to wound her.
“It is odd,” said Kylon, cutting into Caina’s dark thoughts.
“What is that?” said Caina.
“All my life, I never doubted my purpose, but that was because my purpose was laid out for me,” said Kylon. “First my duties as a noble of New Kyre, and then to avenge Thalastre. And now…I am not sure.”
“Well,” said Caina. “I know what we’re going to do next.”
“What’s that?” said Kylon.
Caina smiled. “We’re going to go see the Padishah crowned.”
###
A vast throng gathered in the Court of Justice, spilling into the galleries of the Golden Palace and into the surrounding streets, all to see the new Padishah take his throne. The blood and the corpses had been cleaned up since Caina’s last visit, along with the wreckage of the Mirror of Worlds, though the damage to the stonework remained. From what Caina had heard as the Iramisian embassy had ridden through the city, the new Grand Wazir had ordered repairs first to the walls and then to the many houses damaged by the fighting and Cassander’s fiery circle.
The embassies of a dozen nations had arrived to bear witness and greetings. Lord Martin and Lady Claudia represented the Empire, and Caina thought Claudia looked smug as she stood next to her husband. Of course, why should she not? Martin Dorius had come to ask the Padishah to stay neutral in the Emperor’s war with the Order, and thanks to Cassander’s crimes, the Umbarians had alienated the Istarinmul, ensuring that Istarinmul would never side with the Order. There were embassies from other lands as well – high khadjars from the court of the Shahenshah of Anshan, ambassadors from the various sultanates of Alqaarin, and emissaries from the free cities of the west. Caina had heard that an Umbarian ship bearing a new embassy had attempted to dock in the Alqaarin harbor, only for Istarish war galleys to chase it off with Hellfire.
Kylon grunted as he looked at the embassy from New Kyre.
“What is it?” said Caina, touching his arm.
“My cousin Ramphias,” said Kylon with a scowl. “The Assembly appointed him the new High Seat of House Kardamnos after I was banished.”
Caina spotted Ramphias on the other side of the Court of Justice. He looked a great deal like Kylon, albeit older and more weathered. Ramphias’s eyes widened as he saw Kylon, and he stepped away from the other Kyracian lords and stormsingers and stormdancers as if intending to approach Kylon, but the press of the crowd separated them. Of course, Caina and Kylon had come with the embassy of Nasser, Prince of Iramis, and they stood not far from the dais and the throne itself.
So Caina had a good view as the Emissary of the Living Flame, by ancient tradition, placed the diadem of red gold upon the head of Kutal Sulaman