Chapter Nineteen

What A Day This Is

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Three weeks passed before Kazia saw Abrizhen again.

He had sent a formal letter to the Queen threatening to halt exports of Valeskan steel to Caedra if Kazia was not handed over, making the forthright accusation that Caedra was holding a Valeskan citizen who was not of sound mind.

The Trade Minister, Sir Aleryl, was outraged and arguing for the Queen's compliance. Steel was in very high demand among Caedran businesses and loss of these contracts could be devastating to the economy.

As Sir Aleryl was desperate to avoid such an outcome, the Queen had granted a rushed meeting with the Valeskan Embassy that very afternoon.

"You needn't attend," Amelys told her.

She and Brandra had come to Kazia's lab to deliver the news, finding her with Tamyn in the midst of planning their work for the week.

"Just keep out of sight, but stay close in case we need you."

"I will attend," Kazia said. "It won't be the full court on such short notice?"

"Only those most relevant to the discussion," Amelys answered. "You really don't have to."

"I want to," she replied. "Madame Brandra, would you please accompany me? For support."

"Of course, Dear," Brandra said.

Kazia looked at Tamyn, who seemed to be trying to blend himself into the background.

"Tamyn..." she said hesitantly. "Might I ask you to attend as well?"

His eyes betrayed a hint of his surprise, and she could feel how nervous he suddenly became.

"If my brother is still intent on slandering my mental state, I might could do with a character reference. You've observed me for some time now, and you aren't as close to me as Mistress Amelys or Brandra. Your testimony may carry more weight."

"Yes," he answered as Kazia felt him gather some resolve. "Of course I will."

She knew she was asking too much, but if Abrizhen was going to be so ruthless, she would have to be as well.

~~~*~~~

In the Great Hall, two long tables had been placed before the throne on opposite sides, facing each other.

The Valeskan Embassy had arrived first and occupied one table, Abrizhen in the center surrounded by secretaries and other Embassy staff.

Kelvaran was also present, seated at one end of the other table, and Sir Aleryl in a chair nearer to the throne. Amelys led their party to sit with Kelvaran.

Abrizhen didn't look up from the table until they had all been seated. He fixed Kazia with a hard stare, and the corner of his lips twitched into a cold smile.

As he glanced at the others with her, though, and his gaze fell upon Tamyn, the smile faded, and his lips parted slightly. His shoulders rose as he drew a deep breath, and some color seemed to drain from his face.

Tamyn returned his gaze with no readable expression at first, but after a few moments his jaw clenched ever so slightly, and his brows furrowed. He looked away.

Abrizhen turned a heated glare to Kazia, folding his arms in front of his chest and breathing deeply.

Kazia only gave him a genuine smile in return, then looked toward the head of the Hall as the Queen entered. Everyone rose as she took her throne and called the meeting to order.

"Sir Aleryl," Queen Inaissa began as everyone took their seats again, "you called for this meeting so why don't you present your case."

Sir Aleryl stood again before he'd completely sat down.

"Your Majesty, it is clear to me that the Devratha family simply wants their daughter and sister home again. I really can't fault them for their heavy tactics. If it were my own daughter, or yours, Your Majesty, would we not do what we must? I am certain that some amicable agreement may be reached here. We must not allow our two great countries to come to economic sanctions to keep an individual, who I am led to believe is at best a mediocre Alchemist, and at worst an ill woman better remanded to the care of her family."

"Lord Devratha," Queen Inaissa said, "We have received your statement, of course, but I would like to hear from yourself why Valesk is so eager to lose revenue in forcing Lady Devratha's unwilling return."

"To be honest and frank, Your Majesty," Abrizhen replied, "we may endure some small loss of revenue, but we have ample markets overseas to make up the deficit. We will not greatly miss your business."

"Likewise, we are able to purchase plenty of steel from Brinland," Inaissa countered.

"If you are satisfied with an inferior product at higher prices, then yes," Abrizhen said.

Sir Aleryl shook his head.

"Your Majesty, our industries are making great progress of late, but costs must be kept down for their continued success. Brinland has just issued patent for the first truly workable airship and will have a fleet before long. How are we to compete?"

Queen Inaissa sat back in her throne and looked from one to the other man several times in thought.

"I will take your arguments into careful consideration," she said finally. "But I am still not convinced of the claims you have levied against your sister, Lord Devratha, and I cannot in good conscience evict any person who has come to me for aid. She is, after all, an adult entitled to all of the rights agreed upon between the Five Nations in our treaties."

"With all due respect, both to Your Majesty and to my own sister, but although she may be of age, her condition renders her unfit to make these decisions for herself."

Between Amelys, Brandra, and Tamyn, Kazia felt surrounded by anger at these words, but she only smiled lightly and shook her head in frustration.

She noticed that Abrizhen stared away to her side, his smirk melting into a frown, and she turned to see Tamyn's usually calm countenance set in an expression of profound disappointment.

"Master Ilianus," the Queen called, bringing their attention around. "I'm so glad you've joined us today."

Abrizhen's glare returned as he stared alternately at both Kazia and Tamyn in turn.

"Master Ilianus is Lady Devratha's direct supervisor in her work here," Inaissa continued. "Master, in her time here have you witnessed any behavior that might corroborate Lord Devratha's claims? Any signs of mental instability or violent tendencies?"

"I have not, Your Majesty," Tamyn answered. "Lady Devratha has shown herself to be nothing if not competent, intelligent, and capable. There is nothing 'mediocre' about her work, as Sir Aleryl put it. She has been a very valuable addition to Your Majesty's Alchemists."

"We should ask Lord Meratha," Sir Aleryl interjected. "We all know that he has his suspicions regarding the Lady."

Amelys fixed Kelvaran with a hard look as he rose.

"I suspect her of being an operative, not a lunatic," he said. "My own recommendation would be her confinement by Your Majesty rather than facilitating a possible extraction."

"Kelvaran!" Amelys hissed.

"Lord Meratha," Sir Aleryl said, "I do have it on hearsay that you have been concerned about some of her behavior. Particularly these claims of violent tendencies."

Inaissa turned her gaze to Kelvaran.

"Lord Meratha, I'm aware of your suspicions, but have you directly seen any actual behaviors to corroborate Lord Devratha's claims regarding her mental state?"

Kelvaran stood, but remained silently thoughtful for a long moment, seeming to debate himself.

He finally threw Amelys an apologetic glance before saying, "She practices Martial Contemplation."

"What is the significance of this?" Inaissa asked.

"It is a form not practiced by Alchemists as it can cause... a disruption to the mental state," he answered.

A murmur went through the other side of the room, and Abrizhen smirked again.

"I didn't think Lord Meratha would ever stand on my side of anything," he said. "What a day this is!"

Kazia gave a small sound of exasperation and Brandra patted her hand.

Amelys rose, still glaring at Kelvaran.

"Your Majesty, this is only true of those who practice magic and the manipulation of ethereal energy, neither of which are the case for Lady Devratha. I myself prescribed her Contemplation practice and feel it to be perfectly safe. This is, in short, nonsense. I have explained this to Lord Meratha already. It is only his own bias causing his concern."

"Quiet all," Queen Inaissa ordered. "Quiet. Lady Devratha, I'm sure that you're growing tired of listening to everyone talk about you. Is there anything you would like to say to the court?"

Kazia took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, there is," she said, rising to her feet.

She fixed her gaze on Abrizhen.

"I do have something to offer you, Brother," she said.

He returned a skeptical expression and raised his eyebrows.

"If you would like to hear it," Kazia continued, "you must send all of your people outside. What I have to say is not for their ears."

A murmur went through the Embassy staff and several of them leaned over to whisper to Abrizhen.

Sir Aleryl's face reddened and he stammered a few things to the Queen, but she and the others at Kazia's table simply waited for a response from the Valeskans.

"That isn't going to happen," Abrizhen declared.

Kazia regarded him thoughtfully, then nodded.

"That will be all then," she said crisply. "Go tell Father that you failed."

She began to move as if to leave.

The muttering on the other side increased, with more people attempting to get Abrizhen's attention. He ignored them, glaring over at Kazia, before finally waving them all off.

"Fine," he said. "All of you go out. I'll just report to you later."

The Embassy staff all gaped at him for a long moment before a few of them rose, prompting the rest to follow. With many whispers of "highly irregular" they all filed out of the Hall.

Kazia stood still until the doors had closed behind them and the room was cast in silence.

Now alone on the other side of the room, Abrizhen sat frozen, arms folded across his chest, eyes boring into Kazia.

 

~~~*~~~