Temple of the Traveler: Empress of Dreams by Scott Rhine

chamberlain ambushed Pagaose as he dressed. “Sire, you’ve been avoiding the Mandibosian ambassador.”
    “A little.”
    “Without the money from the south, we might starve. We rely on his country to eat,” the chamberlain said. “He’s invited you to his estate tomorrow for a meal. To decline would be seen as unfriendly.”
    “What’s his chef’s specialty?”
    “Beef products for every course: cheeses, stews, fried fat curls, steaks, kabobs, and a sweet made from scorched milk.”
    Pagaose winced. “I suppose not eating it would be an insult.”
    “Smile for an hour, nod, and do exactly what you were going to do before the meeting.”
    “You never use that tactic on me do you?”
    “You, sir? Never. You’ve also neglected to respond to Lady Evershade.”
    “Who?”
    “Nightglow’s mother. They live on the north shore of the volcano—the part that rarely gets sun. I’m sure it’s the location that gives their family the menacing reputation.”
    The emperor whispered, “Couldn’t we let the guards beat me with staves for an extra hour each day?”
    “She wants to throw a party in your honor. You could garner a lot of supporters just by showing up and waving.”
    “Tell Nightshade she can accompany us to court this afternoon. I’ll discuss the unpleasant details with her then.”
    “What colors, sire?”
    “Pardon?”
    “She will need to know what colors you’re wearing in order to accent your entourage.”
    Pagaose spread his hands, picking an outfit at random. “Red with gold accents.”
    ****
    Anna paced on the cobblestones outside the palace. “He’s going to be late.”
    “The guards call him optimistic. We generally don’t schedule him for back-to-back meetings like this, but tax collecting has become pretty important recently.”
    Nightglow remained serene, and her crimson kimono stayed unwrinkled. “His highness is always on time, by definition. If you want to run ahead and wait for us at the courthouse, he’ll understand.”
    “I don’t do that.”
    “Run?” the slim, young woman said with in a catty tone.
    The brewer woman clenched her fist at the aristocrat and growled. “I meant abandon him to self-serving nobles who might take advantage of his kind nature.”
    Niftkin squeezed between the two women. Nightglow whispered, “You didn’t want him alone with someone skinnier than you . . . which is every other woman on the island.”
    Anna lurched forward just as Pagaose emerged from the palace. “Problem?”
    “No, sir,” squeaked Niftkin. “Just a lively debate about your proposal to lower the Inner Islands tribute from one-part-in-seven to one-part-in-ten.”
    “I think it’ll streamline the process, encourage farming, and improve the local economies,” the emperor said, ignoring the glares between the women as they took positions beside his elbows. “We may have to walk rather briskly.”
    “Double-time march!” the head guard ordered.
    A hundred paces along their route, the alley narrowed. A little beyond this, an ox cart blocked their path. Four of his seven guards went ahead to remove the obstacle.
    Nightglow’s shriek alerted them to the four masked men with spears that charged the rest of the emperor’s group from behind. Niftkin knocked Nightglow aside as he blocked a spearman with his sword and gutted him. The remaining two guards interposed themselves between the attackers and the emperor. Anna tripped on the uneven cobbles as she tried to flee, and slid to the ground. The last spearman thrust at the easy target she presented. Pagaose knocked the weapon aside with his rod of office, and the tip of the spear snapped on the stone. For a moment, the two stood face-to-face. Too close to miss, the attacker grinned as he reached for a dagger. The emperor smashed the assassin’s windpipe with the short, metal rod, and the man fell over, choking.
    He stared briefly at the man as he died—his first. He felt a brief urge to save the assassin’s life.
    After