"I've done fairly well so far," Tavi said, stung.

Gaius grimaced. "Don't be a fool. You were an annoyance before, and one difficult to reach, at that. Now you're an objective-and no one is untouchable, Tavi. Your father wasn't." Gaius paused and coughed several times. It had a wheezing sound to it.

Tavi frowned and tilted his head. "Sir? Are you feeling all right? You look a little..." He nearly said "frail," but hurriedly replaced it with, "... pale."

"Am I all right?" right?" Gaius asked in a mild voice. "Boy, I told you to stay here and manage Arnos. Instead, you get outmaneuvered by the fool, arrested, then proceed to escape, take up with pirates, assault the bloody Grey Tower, and carry off the most important prisoner in Alera." Gaius asked in a mild voice. "Boy, I told you to stay here and manage Arnos. Instead, you get outmaneuvered by the fool, arrested, then proceed to escape, take up with pirates, assault the bloody Grey Tower, and carry off the most important prisoner in Alera."

"Sir," Tavi said. "I know it looks bad-"

Gaius kept going, ignoring him. "That campaign of chaos not being enough, you then return here, declare your identity to the entire world, challenge a senior Senator to the crowbegotten campaign of chaos not being enough, you then return here, declare your identity to the entire world, challenge a senior Senator to the crowbegotten juris macto juris macto, and as if that was not enough, you strike a truce with the largest invading force ever to attack the Realm, and at least a Legion of armed rebels-criminals, boy-to boot!" His voice rose, stentorian, echoing from the stone walls of the enormous chamber. "You've set policy with no regard whatever for the future! You've broken-no, shattered shattered Crown Law! Have you any idea what you've Crown Law! Have you any idea what you've done?" done?"

The suggestion of the First Lord's displeasure had sent men hurrying from the room-and his open wrath literally sent tremors through the stone floor and made the room's furylamps flare scarlet in reflection of his anger. Tavi knew that Citizens all around the Realm would have immediately bowed to one knee and averted their gazes in the face of Gaius's outrage. Prudence suggested that Tavi might want to follow the same course.

Instead, Tavi found himself squaring his shoulders, setting his jaw and, somewhat alarmingly, stepping forward to brace the First Lord directly, eye to eye.

"I know what I've done," Tavi said quietly. "I have followed your orders to the best of my ability. I protected innocent Alerans whom I would otherwise have been forced to murder. I made use of the best transport I had to retrieve a prisoner from the Tower-a prisoner to whom you and I both owe our lives, I might add, and who has been unjustly imprisoned for four years for the sake of appearances.

"Then I returned here, parlayed Varg into a summit with the Canim command, and used information they provided me to remove a murdering, treasonous slive from power and see something that almost looks like justice done. And after that, I negotiated to gain the Realm the single largest, best-trained, and most destructive allied force Alera has ever known." He paused a beat, then added, "Sir."

Gaius's expression of wrath darkened, then faltered. He opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it, eyes calculating, and asked, "Allied?"

"Yes, sir."

"Explain."

Tavi did, sharing his theory about the reason for Sarl leading the exodus from the Canim homeland, explaining that he, and the Canim themselves, believed that the Vord were destroying their home, and their people were fighting for the very life of their race.

"I'm not sure we shouldn't let them fight," Gaius said after a moment. "The enemy of my enemy, is my friend, eh?"

"If the Vord are truly the threat I believe they are, I think I'd rather keep the enemies we know than trade them in for new ones."

"A point," Gaius murmured. "But Alera as a whole is hardly going to approve of a truce with the Canim."

"It isn't a truce," Tavi said. "They surrendered. They're prisoners."

Gaius's eyebrows lifted. "They had the city surrounded. They outnumber your local troops by more than five to one. And they surrendered. And while still in possession of a heavily fortified city and retaining their arms, they are your prisoners."

"Mine," Tavi said, "personally, in my capacity as the Princeps of Alera. They have given their parole, and I have accepted it." He offered Gaius a faint smile. "The Realm has known more elaborate fictions, sir."

Gaius's mouth twitched. "Mmmm. What did you offer them?" Gaius asked.

"To allow them to leave," Tavi said. "To provide them with watercrafters enough to get past the leviathans. And to give them support troops for the defense of their homeland."

Gaius frowned and began to speak, but then paused. "Support troops. The 'Free Aleran' Legions?"

"I've taken the liberty of drawing up a proclamation of general amnesty to those in this region who have broken laws in acting to protect their lives and those of their families due to the Canim invasion and Kalarus's rebellion," Tavi said, turning to the table where he'd set the documents aside, "contingent upon their service to the Crown. I've also had a proclamation drawn up declaring the general liberation of all slaves in Kalaran lands."

Gaius accepted the two parchments and scanned them. "Well. At least you didn't attempt to sign them and enact them."

"Naturally not," Tavi said wryly. "That would be overstepping the bounds of my authority."

"Overstepping the-" Gaius shook his head. "As if assaulting the Grey Tower wasn't transgression enough to earn you a death sentence." He spread his hands. "Proving your heritage won't be an issue. Septimus saw to that. But your actions have created a problem, Octavian. You are, by all rights, a criminal."

"And if you use your authority to pardon me," Tavi said, "it will erode what support you have left and undermine my own position in the eyes of the Citizenry."

"Precisely," Gaius said. "Your actions have created an untenable position for us."

Tavi nodded. "If only there was some way my actions might be pardoned as part of a mass amnesty-one in which many Alerans great and small were excused for extraordinary actions taken in good faith."

Gaius stared at Tavi for a long and silent second. Then he stared at the paper in his hand.

"I came to the same conclusions you did," Tavi said quietly. "Once word spreads through the Realm that there's a Princeps again, every cutter in Alera will be able to find work-or the same people who killed my father will come together again to remove me."

"One won't," Gaius said quietly.

"Kalarus?"

"I believe so," he said. "There was never any proof, of course. But I knew." He tilted his head, studying Tavi's face. "So. You depart the Realm, placing yourself beyond the reach of assassins and High Lords alike." Gaius frowned. "To what gain?"

"First," Tavi said, "I get to make sure that the Canim aren't going to use their fleet just as Arnos feared they would-to shift their attack to a weaker part of the Realm."

"I thought you had a high regard for the honor of the Canim leaders," Gaius said. "I thought you had a high regard for the honor of the Canim leaders," Gaius said. "I do," Tavi said. "But there's no sense in being stupid, is there?" "I do," Tavi said. "But there's no sense in being stupid, is there?" The First Lord's mouth quirked up in amusement. "Go on." The First Lord's mouth quirked up in amusement. "Go on."

"Second," Tavi said, "I'll be able to gather intelligence on the Canim and the Vord, both of which are going to be valuable in the future."

"True enough," Gaius said.

"And, once I've taken the Canim home and gotten them settled back again, I'll be able to return, claim the amnesty you're about to declare, along with all the rest of the Free Aleran Legion and, perhaps, a few of my own men-"

Gaius smiled faintly.

"-at which point I should be able to return to the Realm without anyone feeling the need to put me behind bars."

"And meanwhile," Gaius murmured, "you gain time to develop your furycraft more deeply. And I am given time to build up greater support for the Realm's Princeps. Which should be quite possible, given all you've done, as well as everything your mother has managed to accomplish." He shook his head. "I must point out that should you be killed while on this sojourn, the entire plan rather falls apart."

"If I stay, they'll kill me," Tavi said. "If I go, at least everything that wants me dead won't be taking it personally."

"Question," Gaius said. "What makes you so sure I'm not planning on sending you south to finish Kalarus's forces?"

"You'd have told me already," Tavi said. "I'd have been given marching orders before we had this talk. Given that you didn't, I assume that the rebellion is over."

"Yes," Gaius said. "Yes," Gaius said. "Volcano?" Tavi asked. "Volcano?" Tavi asked. "Yes." "Yes." Tavi shuddered at Gaius's tone-flat, quiet, empty of humanity. "Are you all right?" Tavi shuddered at Gaius's tone-flat, quiet, empty of humanity. "Are you all right?"

He expected the First Lord to brush the question off. Instead, Gaius shook his head, and said quietly, "I don't believe so. But I have neither the time nor right to indulge in self-pity. How long will you be gone?"

"I expect we'll leave before summer is out," Tavi said. "We'll winter in the Canim homeland. I'll return next spring."

"A year, give or take," Gaius mused. "I can work with that." He walked to one of the tables, took up ink and a quill, and dashed his signature across the bottom of both documents he was holding. "The copies?"

Tavi found the small stack of duplicates Ehren had written out. Gaius read each before signing them. Tavi helped sand and blot the fresh signatures, and for a moment, the rather mundane task occupied their attention.

Gaius left a single copy of the documents with Tavi and took the rest himself, rolling them into a leather carrying case. "Well. There is a great deal of work ahead of us both. Good day."

The First Lord turned and strode for the door. The First Lord turned and strode for the door. "Grandfather?" Tavi asked quietly. "Grandfather?" Tavi asked quietly. Gaius stopped. He glanced over his shoulder, his body language cautious. Gaius stopped. He glanced over his shoulder, his body language cautious. Tavi shook his head. "Just... trying it out. I've never been able to use it before." Tavi shook his head. "Just... trying it out. I've never been able to use it before." Gaius nodded slowly. "Grandson," he said quietly, as if considering the way the word sounded. Gaius nodded slowly. "Grandson," he said quietly, as if considering the way the word sounded. For a long minute, neither spoke. For a long minute, neither spoke.

"You look like him, you know," Gaius said. "A great deal." He gave Tavi a faint smile. "I expect he would have been proud of you."

"You and he didn't get along very well, did you?" Tavi asked. "You and he didn't get along very well, did you?" Tavi asked. "As a rule? No." "As a rule? No." "What would you have done, if he'd brought my mother to you?" "What would you have done, if he'd brought my mother to you?" Gaius shrugged a shoulder. "I'd have reacted badly, I suppose." Gaius shrugged a shoulder. "I'd have reacted badly, I suppose." "She's my mother, sir," Tavi said. "She was your son's wife." "She's my mother, sir," Tavi said. "She was your son's wife." "Yes." "Yes."

"I don't expect you to shower her with affection," Tavi said. "But she could be a great help to you. And she deserves your respect."

"I will bear that in mind," Gaius said.

"Do," Tavi said, without threat or malice in his voice. "Or you and I won't get along very well, either, sir."

Gaius showed Tavi his teeth. "Be careful, grandson," he said, making two statements at once, and left the building. Gaius showed Tavi his teeth. "Be careful, grandson," he said, making two statements at once, and left the building. Tavi sank down onto a stool and bowed his head. He wondered what it would have been like to grow up with a grandfather. Tavi sank down onto a stool and bowed his head. He wondered what it would have been like to grow up with a grandfather. Then he shook his head and rose. He had no time for nor right to self-pity, either, and there was a great deal of work to do. Then he shook his head and rose. He had no time for nor right to self-pity, either, and there was a great deal of work to do.

Bernard led them safely out of the immediate area. Whatever pursuit had been behind them when they came into Kalare, it evidently disintegrated with the destruction of the city and the resulting blizzard of ash. When the skies finally cleared again, Amara lifted them both into the air. It was far more work than she would have had to do if she had been alone, but she wasn't trying to set any speed records. Even so, only a day of travel carried them into the lands surrounding neighboring Attica, and to a traveler's inn beside one of the causeways.

They were so filthy from the journey through the swamps that they might not have been able to buy a room at the inn if they hadn't been able to show the innkeeper gold coins as well as silver when he asked to see their money. The first thing they bought was a bath. They wore robes provided by the inn while their clothes were being cleaned, and ate their first proper meal in weeks.

After that, Amara had assumed they would collapse into an exhausted sleep. After that, Amara had assumed they would collapse into an exhausted sleep. Bernard had other ideas. Bernard had other ideas. She couldn't say she disapproved of the direction of his thoughts, either. She couldn't say she disapproved of the direction of his thoughts, either. Afterwards, sleep came. But she awoke in the deeps of the night, and just lay quietly, listening to her husband's heart beating. Afterwards, sleep came. But she awoke in the deeps of the night, and just lay quietly, listening to her husband's heart beating. "He didn't give you much choice," Bernard rumbled. "He didn't give you much choice," Bernard rumbled.

Amara hadn't realized that he'd awoken. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts. "You knew what he was going to do?"

"I suspected," Bernard said. "I suspected," Bernard said. "You didn't say anything," she said. "You didn't say anything," she said. "I didn't know," he replied. "And I hoped he would do it differently. Tell you." "I didn't know," he replied. "And I hoped he would do it differently. Tell you."

"I feel like a fool," she said. "He said he would stop Kalarus from using the Great Fury. It never even occurred to me that he'd do it by setting it loose."

"I know," Bernard said. His arm tightened on her gently. "I know," Bernard said. His arm tightened on her gently. "If I'd known what he intended... I don't know if I could have... I couldn't have made myself a part of that." "If I'd known what he intended... I don't know if I could have... I couldn't have made myself a part of that." "I know," Bernard said. "So did he." "I know," Bernard said. "So did he." "What have I done?" Amara whispered. "I betrayed my oath." "What have I done?" Amara whispered. "I betrayed my oath." "He lied to you, Amara," Bernard said. "He lied to you, Amara," Bernard said. "He never-" "He never-"

"He deceived you," Bernard said, his tone brooking no dissent. "He chose words he knew would give you the wrong idea to get what he wanted out of you. He knew what he was doing. He knew how you would react. He accepted it."

Amara pressed her cheek against his chest. "He knew about us. That I'd broken the law."

"Amara," Bernard chided, his tone softening, "the First Lords worked out years ago that outlawing marriage among certain personnel is probably the worst thing they could do actually to discourage it. We handled it just as it's done in the Legions. We were discreet and still performed our duties. In return, he overlooked it. Good commanders always handle it that way."

True enough. She'd thought through the logic, tracked down the motivations, the reason, the simple calculation of the entire situation.

And then the rest of it hit her.

She found herself shuddering against Bernard's chest, weeping. His arms slid around her, pulling her more tightly against him, and she sobbed harder. It was too much, too much. The weeks of toil and danger. The horrible destruction at journey's end. She could still see the tiny, helpless figures, hopelessly running from a fiery death.

And without her help, it could not have happened.

How could Gaius have done that to her?

It hurt. Oh, it hurt hurt. She had trusted trusted him. him.

Just as she had trusted Fidelias.

She wept against her husband's chest, feeling miserable and foolish for doing it, and found herself unable to stop for several minutes. By the time she did, she felt emptied out, heavy, lassitude beginning to seep into her thoughts.

Bernard kissed her hair gently, simply present.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered. "I've never done anything else."

"I know a place you could go," Bernard replied. "It's a little rough, but there are good people there. There's a man there who has a lot of folk to care for. He could use the help of an intelligent, courageous, and talented woman."

She tightened her arms around him, just soaking up the warmth of him. "Yes?" She tightened her arms around him, just soaking up the warmth of him. "Yes?" "Mmmmm. Countess Calderon. It suits you. And I've wanted to see you in my colors since..." "Mmmmm. Countess Calderon. It suits you. And I've wanted to see you in my colors since..." "Since when?" "Since when?" "Since I bandaged your ankle," he replied. "Since I bandaged your ankle," he replied. "I suppose I'd need some clothes," she said sleepily. "Dresses, perhaps. I've never owned more than one." "I suppose I'd need some clothes," she said sleepily. "Dresses, perhaps. I've never owned more than one." "I can afford them," he said. "I can afford them," he said. "I'd never thought about doing this," she said. "Being a wife." "I'd never thought about doing this," she said. "Being a wife."

"A wife with a great many hostile wind furies about," Bernard said. "Not to mention a full military garrison to help oversee. I'm afraid there won't be much time for knitting."

"I'm terrible at knitting," she replied with a yawn. "Well. Except for a mail coat, once."

"We can hire someone for knitting, then." He kissed her forehead. "I've hoped we could be together. Actually together."

"So have I," Amara whispered. "I just never thought it would happen."

"With the rebellion over," Bernard said, "there's bound to be better times ahead. It will be a good time to settle down. Maybe even start a family. We'll finally have time to try again."

Amara smiled. "Mmmm. A good wife embraces even the most tedious chores." Amara smiled. "Mmmm. A good wife embraces even the most tedious chores." Bernard murmured, "Oh, really?" He moved his hand. Bernard murmured, "Oh, really?" He moved his hand. Amara's breath caught in her throat as her heart sped up. "Aren't you tired?" Amara's breath caught in her throat as her heart sped up. "Aren't you tired?" Evidently, he wasn't. Evidently, he wasn't.

Isana watched Gaius depart the improvised command building from her chambers in the small, restored home across the ruined street. He took to the air and vanished, all in the same motion, as if he had simply become the wind. No more than a handful of people even saw him leave.

"He had the document case with him," she reported quietly.

"Tavi guessed correctly," Araris said. He stood in her doorway, watching her.

Isana turned, glancing uneasily down at the gown she wore-dark, muted shades of scarlet and blue, a sedate gown suitable for the widow of one Princeps and mother of another, and it was quite the most expensive dress she had ever owned. A makeshift wardrobe in the room held several other outfits every bit as costly, and much more suitable for the Princeps Matron than her simple grey dress. The outfits had been a gift from "Free Alera," which Isana suspected in this case meant Varg and his young Aleran aide de camp, Durias.

"I almost wish he hadn't been right," she murmured. "Over the sea. Surrounded by Canim. Facing the Vord."

"Perhaps," Araris said. "Perhaps not. Personally, I'm glad. I couldn't protect him here. Not against the kind of people who will want him dead."

"I understand the reasoning behind it." Isana sighed. "And I know he's developed into something far more than the boy I raised, and that he has obligations and duties, Araris, but crows take it, he's still my boy. I hate to see him go so far from home."

"My lady," Araris said, gently mocking sternness, "a woman of your station should not curse." "My lady," Araris said, gently mocking sternness, "a woman of your station should not curse." Isana gave him a level look, and the swordsman smiled in reply. "I'll watch over him." Isana gave him a level look, and the swordsman smiled in reply. "I'll watch over him." She couldn't help but return the smile a little. "You always have." She couldn't help but return the smile a little. "You always have."

His smile faded. "It's you I'm worried about," he said. "The First Lord is sure to summon you to the capital to help rally support for Octavian. And Lady Aquitaine isn't going to like that."

Isana waved an unconcerned hand. "She'll adjust. She's practical in that way."

"I'm serious, Isana," Araris said. "You're going to be in danger."