The applause and cheers redoubled. The light and glow in the room brightened around both of them, and if Allesandra knew that it was only an effect of the light-teni huddled in the room behind the dais, it still seemed fitting and right.
That evening, after the reception and a brief Third Call blessing by Archigos Karrol, Talbot escorted them to the private dining room within her apartments in the palais. Allesandra walked with her arm linked in Jan’s; Archigos Karrol stumped along behind with a cane and a single teni attendant and Starkkapitan ca’Damont, while Erik trailed the company by a pace.
Waiting for them in the room were Sergei and Varina. Varina was empty-armed now, having given Nico’s daughter to the care of servants for the duration.
“Kraljica! Hirzg Jan!” Sergei’s voice boomed as Talbot opened the door and stepped aside. “You don’t know how delighted I am to see the two of you together! Matarh and son, as it should be. Hirzg Jan, you certainly remember Varina ca’Pallo, A’Morce of the Numetodo… “
Varina bowed to Jan, who returned the bow, but Allesandra heard a distinct hiss of distaste from Archigos Karrol. The man muttered something Allesandra couldn’t hear to his attendant.
“Please, sit,” Allesandra told them, gesturing to the round table Talbot had set up in the room, laden with decanters and covered plates. “There are refreshments, and we’ll have dinner brought in later. Jan, if you would sit next to me…” She watched the others settle around the table: Sergei to her left hand with Varina next to him; Archigos Karrol to Jan’s right, then Starkkapitan ca’Damont. Erik sat between the Firenzcians and the Nessanticans, with Varina and ca’Damont on either side of him; she saw him glance uncomfortably at ca’Damont, who had defeated his vatarh. The Archigos’ teni attendant and Talbot took a small table to one side of the room, near the servants’ door. Allesandra waited until they’d all settled and Talbot had gestured to the wait staff to pour wine.
“This is a momentous occasion,” she said finally, lifting her glass. “I would propose a toast to the renewed Holdings, and to my son, Hirzg of Firenzcia and now A’Kralj of the Holdings.”
“And to victory over the Tehuantin,” Sergei added.
Allesandra nodded. “To the Holdings, and to victory.” The phrase was echoed around the table, though Jan only lifted his glass with a smile, without saying anything.
“Kraljica, I appreciate the hospitality you’ve shown us,” Archigos Karrol said, though the expression on his face belied the words. “But the work of the Faith awaits me. I should go to the Old Temple and see what the vile Morellis have done. And I would like Nico Morel given over to me tonight, so that I may immediately place the judgment of the Faith on him.”
“So you may take his hands and tongue, you mean?” Allesandra asked the man, and Varina gasped. She stared at Allesandra, as if afraid that Allesandra would hand Nico over despite her promise. “So you may then execute him?”
The Archigos sniffed. “Indeed. Morel has placed this fate on himself, Kraljica. It’s not my doing. I will, of course, take hands and tongue publicly, in the Temple Square, so that everyone may see what happens to heretics who defy the Faith.” He glanced at Varina as he said the last.
“I’m afraid, Archigos, that I have changed Nico Morel’s fate, at the A’Morce Numetodo’s request,” Allesandra answered. “Nico Morel currently resides in the Bastida, and he will remain there at my pleasure.”
Karrol’s head turned toward Allesandra, like a turtle looking sideways. Both his hands were on the table, as if he were trying to decide whether to stand. Across the room, she saw his attendant start to rise; Talbot placed his hand on the young man’s arm, shaking his head. “How strange that a Numetodo unbeliever would be concerned with Morel’s life, since if Morel had his way, she would be in the Bastida or worse herself. But in any case, Nico Morel is the Faith’s business, not the crown’s or the Numetodo’s,” Karrol declared. “This is a matter of religion, not of state.”
“Ah.” Allesandra placed steepled hands under her chin. “Though war is a matter of state, Archigos. Tell me, how many war-teni did you bring with you?”
The Archigos hissed like a turtle, too, Allesandra decided. “I hear that it was less than two hands,” Allesandra continued. “So few. .. However, Sergei has promised me that Nico Morel will give us the war-teni of Nesssantico, and that he will also send word to those who refused to follow you, and that they will come at his call.” She saw Sergei nod at that, as Varina glanced at the silver-nosed man strangely. “It seems, Archigos, that Nico Morel is able to provide the state far more war-teni than you can. So I don’t think your business at the Old Temple is quite so pressing. I’ve already pardoned the teni and war-teni who followed Morel, provided they go to the front. Those few who still refused…” She lifted an uncaring shoulder. “Well, I will permit you to do with them as you will.”
Archigos Karrol’s face had gone white, as if he were choking. “You will permit… You have no authority to do that, Kraljica. None at all. I am Archigos, and I-”
“And you, Archigos Karrol, don’t seem to realize just how fragile and precarious your position is. The majority of your teni followed Nico Morel rather than the unfortunate A’Teni ca’Paim, and your own war-teni did the same. Where is this power you seem to think you possess, Archigos? You couldn’t defeat Nico Morel, but I did-with the great help, I would remind you, of the Numetodo. It would seem that the Faith is no longer the only ally to which a Kralji can turn in time of need, nor the strongest. I suggest that if you wish to demonstrate how the Faith can help, you do so, Archigos. My faith in Cenzi is as strong as ever, but frankly I don’t think the defense of Nessantico would be any less strong if you shared the same cell as Morel.”
Karrol slammed his hands on the table, causing glasses to ring and china to clatter. “My Hirzg, will you let this… this… heretic speak to me this way?”
Allesandra saw Jan shrug from the side of her vision. “If the Kraljica can actually produce the war-teni for my army, Archigos, perhaps she has a point.” He turned to her. “Matarh, you haven’t changed a whit. You still somehow manage to have things your way.”
“I won’t stay here,” Archigos Karrol spat. “I don’t need to listen to this apostasy.”
“Then I will permit you to leave,” Allesandra told him. “But be cautious with what you say and what you do, Archigos. You will consult either my son or me before you take any significant action-either that, or you’ll find that you’ll be replaced by one of the a’teni who does realize that the Faith is the servant of the state rather than the reverse.”
“You have no authority to replace me,” the Archigos blustered. “The Concord A’Teni won’t stand for it. The need of the Faith supersedes that of any state.”
“If you would like to test that theory, Archigos, I invite you to try. Talbot, would you have the palais gardai escort Archigos Karrol to the Old Temple, so he may survey the damage there? Perhaps he’d like to supervise the work crews, since he can’t give us the war-teni we require.”
Karrol’s assistant came forward with his cane as the Archigos stood. He glared at Allesandra, who calmly gave him the sign of Cenzi in return. Karrol stalked from the room with what little dignity remained to him. Jan applauded ironically as the doors closed behind the man.
“Huzzah, Matarh,” he said. “That was well-played. I’ve been trying to find an excuse to get rid of that ineffective old bastardo for a year or more now, and here you’ve done it for me.”
“You can thank Sergei,” she told him. “He’s the one who will convince Nico Morel to cooperate.” She saw Varina glare at Sergei with that-as if she realized the meaning underneath the words. “And now-to our own business. Have you spoken with the nations of the Coalition? Are they all in accord?”
“I’ve not spoken to them all, though I’ve sent messages to them,” Jan told her. “Sesemora is the strongest of them outside Firenzcia, and therefore the most dangerous, but Brie is the first cousin of Pjathi ca’Brinka and the family connections will prevail. Miscoli will fall in with Sesemora. East Magyaria knows that Tennshah’s troops would be swarming over its borders without Firenzcia’s protection. West Magyaria…” Here he stopped and glanced-once-in Erik’s direction. “The Gyula is our man.”