If Tiyana did punch her, she’d of course defend, but then what? Despite her words, Maiya couldn’t lay a hand on a princess, broken kingdom or not. She couldn’t really even order her around, which was why she’d played up her head handmaiden attitude so much. It gave her authority even when she had none.
Still, that didn’t mean Tia couldn’t make her life miserable. Maiya would bet good money the princess would do something stupid to strike back at her somehow.
I’m definitely gonna pay for that at some point.
“Erm, apologies, madam handmaiden,” the mejai—Haymi—said. “We fully intend to help and abide by your orders.”
The princess shot her mejai a glare, but she ignored it.
“I’d appreciate that, Haymi,” Maiya said, earning a surprised look from the mejai.
“You know my name?”
“Of course,” Maiya said simply. “What of it?”
“No, just… I didn’t expect someone of your station to memorize a mere bodyguard’s name.”
“So are we expecting trouble?” Tiyana asked. “Or is all this just for the sake of appearances?”
Maiya didn’t answer immediately, leading them down a hallway. One benefit of Kin’jal utilitarian design was that all their garrisons shared identical floor plans, making them easy to navigate.
“A bit of both. We’re expecting a raid tonight.”
“Who’s attacking?”
“Nobody’s attacking, per se.”
How am I supposed to explain this?
Maiya had come up with a plan beforehand, but with Tiyana being how she was, Maiya doubted she’d accept it so easily.
Maiya led them to a guard room, where she introduced herself to the jailors.
“Show them to me,” she said.
“Show what?” Princess Tiyana asked, growing confused. “Why am I even here? What’s going on?”
The door opened, and even before Maiya spied them, she knew it’d be bad.
The putrid stench forced her to cover her nose. It was the smell of unwashed bodies and feces.
More than twenty demons sat shackled on the cold stone, the light all but gone from their eyes. There were two-armed demons, four-armed demons, red demons, and one gray demon among them.
Maiya’s heart bled.
How could they do this…
This wasn’t the first demon jail she’d seen, of course, but it never got any easier. Every bit of her urged her to command the guards to unbind them, to set them free. She wanted to cry.
But anger suppressed her tears. This was the true face of the world. The dark, dirty side everyone pretended didn’t exist. More demons existed than people knew. Kingdoms and Empires just did a good job of keeping them hidden.
Disgusting.
This was what Princess Ira was trying to change. Maybe this was the real reason the princess had assigned her here. To get her to hate the status quo so much that she made Ira’s mission her own.
If so, it’d worked. Maiya raged at those complicit in these crimes.
“Disgusting,” Princess Tiyana said from beside her, and Maiya’s rage burned no less brightly.
She feels the same! Maiya thought. Maybe she’s really not as bad as I thought?
“Why haven’t you slaughtered these demons already? Why do you keep this filth alive?”
Maiya’s hope doused the moment it’d been lit.
“Or are the Kin’jal merely squeamish? Allow me in there. I’ll eradicate them myself.”
Figures. But I have my part to play. I hate you, Ira.
“You are shortsighted for a princess. It would be so easy to kill them, wouldn’t it? To dump them in a hole and burn their bodies? But what would this do to the other demons? The radical ones who ravage your lands? Would they not redouble their efforts?”
Tia glowered. “An unnecessary concern. We can handle them. We’ve suppressed those terrorists for centuries already. What’s a few more suicidal maniacs to eradicate?”
“Kin’jal does not see it that way. Tonight, raiders from the Pagan Order will arrive at this garrison to break these prisoners free. We will let them.”
Tia whirled. “Tell me why I shouldn’t spear your gut right this instant? That’s treason, handmaiden.”
“In fact, these are my orders. Orders that apply to you, as well. You are to put up a fight, yes. But when ordered, you will stand down. Is that understood?”
Tia glared at Maiya, saying nothing, but Maiya calmly shifted her eyes to a more reasonable target.
“Didn’t you just say you would cooperate?” Maiya asked Haymi, giving her a pointed look. “Am I to believe that was a lie?”
“No, of course. We will obey your orders, handmaiden. Won’t we, Tia?”
“You want the Pagan Order to eliminate them, is that it? You can’t even do your own dirty work,” Tia spat.
Maiya nodded. “It is more efficient to have those zealots dispose of the demons. That is all. Why waste our resources when another country will gladly do it for us?”
“Let me make one thing abundantly clear. I dislike you, Maiya,” Tia replied. “And I dislike this plan. Were it up to me, I’d have killed them all already. When I see those demons, I see killers. Murderers, who don’t think twice about ending the lives of women and children. Better to kill them now than take risks.”
“Are you saying you refuse to cooperate?”
“Oh, I’ll cooperate, but only within reason. Only for my brother’s sake. And I make no promises that no demons will die on this night.”
Tia’s expression supported her words. This was her ultimatum.
Guess that’s about all I’ll get from her, Maiya thought. Locking Tia up in a cell would be a politically disastrous move, so Maiya would simply have to control the damage as best she could.
When she’d coerced Prince Erhan to send help, she’d had him promise to send Tia. For one, it was a bigger ask—and thus more of a show of Kin’jal force—but it had been an unnecessary risk. The real reason she did it was to get Vir to a location and time of her choosing. Over the past months, she’d followed his trail, but she’d always remained one step behind. Always missing him.
She’d of course tried getting the Brotherhood to relay a meeting place and time, but they always refused, just as they had at Daha. The Dahan Executor hadn’t been lying when he’d said he had done Vir a favor by relaying his note to her. Owing to privacy and security concerns, they explicitly refused to play the part of courier. Maiya felt the Brotherhood’s obsession with secrecy bordered on paranoia, but then again, they’d outlasted most governments. Who was she to comment?
When Princess Ira had dumped this Matali mission on her, Maiya saw an opportunity and had devised a plan. At first, she’d thought about simply asking Erhan to put her in touch with Tia, and thus Vir, but for the princess’ personal agent to do such a thing would be suspicious. So she’d disguised her personal desire with a professional one. The hardest parts had gone off without a hitch, too.
Ash dammit, Vir! Why’d you have to stay behind!
She wanted to rage at her friend. Maybe shake his shoulders and shout at him. Vir’s presence would have offset the significant downside of this plan—Tiyana herself.
When Erhan had confided that he’d issued a gag order around Tiyana with respect to the Pagan Order’s true nature, Maiya had dreaded being unable to keep the princess under control. She figured she could rely on Vir to help keep her in check.
“That is all I ask,” Maiya said, wondering at Tia’s words. Could she really hold the reins of this notoriously bullheaded princess?
A guard rushed up to them, breathless. “Madam handmaiden, Commander Rohin has deployed our Acira. It’s raiders, ma’am! We’re under attack!”
Maiya smiled. “Then let us be gracious hosts and put on a good show, shall we?”