“Good morning, Lieutenant,” he said, beaming. He filled my glass with orange juice, poured tea into my cup, and then, after hustling back into the kitchen, reappeared with plates piled high with food that he set before me. “When you’re finished, the captains want to see you, sir.”
So much for lingering over a pot of tea. I sighed and thanked him, starting in on my eggs. After a moment, I realized that he hadn’t left and looked up. Basel gave me one of the goofiest smiles I’d ever seen, even on him, and did a little bow. “I made sure the eggs were fresh, sir. Went to the market first thing this morning to get them.”
“Uh, thank you, Basel. And it’s just ‘Rabbit.’ Please.” Basel’s smile got goofier. “The fruit is also fresh-picked this morning.” He took the cloth he held and wiped a smudge off the table. “Just let me know, sir, if you need anything else.” He bowed again and, backing away, nearly fell over the table behind him. He teetered on one foot, caught his balance and bowed once more, still grinning as he went backwards into the kitchen door.
The relayed command loomed larger than trying to figure out why Basel was fawning worse than usual, so I finished my meal quickly and hurried to the captains’ office—only to run a gauntlet of smartly snapped salutes, elaborate bows and greetings of “I give you good morning,” and “Grace to you, Lord Rabbit.” With everyone wearing Basel’s same goofy smile. It should have been a short walk down the hall, but it seemed to take forever to reach the captains’ office, my back and arm twinging from all the return bowing and saluting. I knocked on the door and heard Javes bid me enter. “Shut the door behind you, Lieutenant,” Javes said. I saw Suiden sitting behind his desk, and did so very softly.
“Sit.” Javes waited until I seated myself at a chair placed midway between his and Suiden’s desks. “We have a problem, Lieutenant. It seems that word of your—marking has leaked out and now the Lord Commander is being pressured to take away your commission and discharge you from the army.”
One guess as to who leaked it.
“Groskin.” I sighed. “I’m not surprised, sir. He moved his and everybody else’s gear out of our room last night.” Feeling my own headache starting, I rubbed a knuckle between my brows. “The king also knew about it.”
All of a sudden I had the absolute attention of both captains. “The king knows?” Suiden asked.
I dropped my hand. “Yes, sir. He questioned me about it last night.”
“When Gherat took you to him?” Javes asked.
“Yes, sir,” I said again, then added, “His Court was there.”
“His Court!” Javes said. “All of them?”
I barely caught back a shrug. “I don’t know, sir. The room was full. The Lord Commander was there too.”
“Questioned in front of witnesses,” Suiden breathed. Then he glared at me, his eyes rather red. “You should’ve told us immediately—” He broke off, remembering his condition the previous night.
Javes gave a brief grin, then leaned forward. “What did the king say?”
“He rebound me to my oaths.”
Suiden joined Javes in leaning forward, both their faces intent. “Tell us exactly everything that happened,” Suiden said.
“Everything,” Javes echoed. “Do not leave a single thing out.” They listened as I recounted what had happened the night before after I had left Captain Javes and Laurel.
“Gherat was left outside while you were invited into the king’s chamber?” Javes asked at one point.
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, jolly good.”
“The king kept calling you cousin?” Suiden asked at another. “And insisted that you do the same?”
“Yes, sir.”
They listened to the rest, frowning but saying nothing about the letter from the Magus, then sat back. The dragon and wolf looked at each other, then at me, dropping their muzzles into the same tongue-lolling, teeth-baring grins. The dragon picked up a teacup in his hand and took a sip. The wolf watched me for a moment, then gave a knowing look. “You’re seeing our, uh, other selves, aren’t you, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Your hand is glowing a bit.”
I glanced down into my palm.
“Never mind all that.” Suiden placed his teacup down. “Tell me, Rabbit, are you aware of what the garrison at Freston is?”
“It’s where the army dumps all its—screw-ups, sir.”
“Not just any screw-up, Lieutenant,” Javes said. “But officers who, because of their connections, are allowed to retain their commission. Like Groskin who calls a doyen uncle. Or Slevoic, who’s related to both the Commander of the Royal Garrison and Lord Gherat.” Javes’ mouth pulled down. “Which is why he’s been able to get away with so much. It was considered a miracle that he was even sent to Freston.”
“Politics,” I said. “Uhm, sir.”
“Very much so,” Suiden said, “as Freston is also where the army isolates anyone that they’re not sure of but want to keep an eye on, like me, the nephew of the Amir of Tural.”
“Or me, the son of a very wealthy merchant who has strong ties to the Qarant,” Javes said.
Remembering the looks of recognition Javes received last night, I wondered just how wealthy his da was and how strong his ties were to the Qarant.
“Or you, Rabbit.” Suiden looked at me. “Directly related to two of the most powerful Houses in Iversterre. But brought up in the Border.”
“It didn’t matter what was said about you when we were in Freston, as we were so far away from anything vital that no one cared.” Javes said. “However, now we’re in the Royal City, and between Groskin’s hysterics and Slevoic’s machinations—” The captain broke off as he shrugged.
“But with Slevoic being on report, what he says shouldn’t matter,” I said.
Suiden placed his teacup down and rubbed his face with his hands. “Commander Loel has determined that the lieutenant acted in self-defense.”
“What?” I stared at the captains, my stomach suddenly tight. “A review board wasn’t held. Sirs.”
“A commander has the power of summary judgment over all who report to him,” Javes said. “We were put under Loel’s command when we arrived in Iversly.”
“He has it even over his kin?” I asked, the tightness creeping around to my spine.
“Yes,” Javes said. “Welcome to the army, Rabbit.”
“I’ve sent a protest to the Lord Commander,” Suiden said, taking his hands from his face. “But until he renders a decision, Slevoic is returned to the unit.”
I sat still, stunned.
“And now those who questioned having someone from the Border in the army all along are not only demanding your discharge, but also wondering out loud whether you should be banished from Iversterre,” Suiden continued. “It hasn’t helped that neither Chause nor Flavan claimed you until last night”—his look turned back into a glare—”nor that you slammed that major in the Royal Garrison’s mess, however annoying he may have been.”
“Just so,” Javes said. “But with the king rebinding you to your oaths and offices, those mouths are stopped and their teeth drawn.” He smiled as he got up. “I’d give just about anything to be a fly on the wall right now in Lunkhead’s office—” He broke off as he realized what he had called the garrison commander in front of me, and cast a look at Suiden.