Rixie and Pryvani had discussed options for some time. Pryvani had made some calls to allies in the Imperial Senate, and had her press secretary make her available as a potential guest on chat shows; she intended to give a full-throated defense of the Emperor and Empress, and drop a mention that it was highly convenient that two members of the Ten had just died, and that one of their successors was being represented by Aud’s husband. Rixie, meanwhile, was going to have her team go through the files on the Ten Noble Houses and see what leverage could be brought to bear, primarily on the House of Sjedi, but also the houses of Lavra and Daiduson. If there was to be a war, Pryvani was ready to support the Empress with all her resources, and Rixie was, too.

Neither of them was particularly surprised when, thirty-five minutes after reports announced that the conclave had ended, Rixie’s pad chimed. She answered, immediately securing the line.

“High-born Rajenlif,” Rixie said, answering. “First of all, are you all right? Is there anything I can do to help?”

Rajenlif sighed, and smiled. “Rixie, first of all, I recognize the background; you are in Sen. Tarsuss’s office, I assume?”

“She is, Your Imperial Majesty,” Pryvani said. “I echo Rixie, I’m ready to help however I can.”

Rajenlif nodded, and said, “There are very few times I would ever ask this, Pryvani, but…I need to speak to my niece privately. Can Rixie please withdraw for a moment?”

Pryvani glanced at Rixie, and said, “Your Imperial Majesty…I will withdraw. There is nothing in my office that Rixie has not seen; even if I wanted to hide something, she’s good enough to find it if she wanted to. Rixie, just let me know when I can come back in.”

“Boss,” Rixie said, “I really don’t mind….”

“Nonsense,” Pryvani said, rising. “Your Imperial Majesty, my offer is open; the House of Tarsuss is at your disposal.”

“The House of Throden-ColVanos is already deeply in debt to your house, Pryvani; three of my grandchildren exist because of you. There is no more precious gift you could have given us. Go well.”

Rixie waited for Pryvani to leave; she had a sickening feeling that she knew what Rajenlif was going to say. It was the best move on the board; the only one that foreclosed a challenge. The only one that did not open the door to a renewed battle for human rights in her ancestral home. And it would require sacrificing just one piece.

Her.

Rixie took a deep breath, and said, in Jotnar, “High-born Rajenlif, I suspect that there was a challenge to the House of Throden-ColVanos today?”

Rajenlif nodded. “There was.”

“Was it successful?”

Rajenlif nodded. “The Governor-Regent recognized that the House of Aljansen was unaware of an important detail about my family. And recognizing this, he allowed the motion to prevail without a drawn-out challenge. The head of the House of Throden, by vote of the Council of Ten, is the eldest living grandchild of Hirera IX who has not disclaimed the throne.”

Rixie closed her eyes; she wiped tears away. “And so…the question is, will Hirera’s eldest grandchild disclaim the throne, thus allowing it to pass to the next-oldest, who has not?”

Rajenlif nodded.

“I was wondering,” she said, “if you or my father would realize that. I was desperately hoping you would…and I was desperately hoping you wouldn’t. But…I’m sure you know that this is not just about the Carba Throne.”

Rajenlif smiled, and said, “I am so very, very sorry, Rixie. And so I will tell you this, and know that I mean it: If you wish to say no, if you wish to keep your anonymity, if you wish to disclaim the throne…then do so. You do not owe me or my family anything. We failed you; I cannot ask you to now save us. If you take this on, it will be just one more debt we owe you, forevermore, one that we cannot repay.”

“And if I do, Aud wins,” Rixie said. “And humans lose.”

“Aud will not win, not as long as I draw breath. Your younger sister may yet win this very small battle in a much larger war, but I am more than ready to face her down at the next battle, and the next, and the next, as long as I live. I have dozens of moves, she has but a few. You don’t have to say yes. And Rixie,” Rajenlif said, gently, “if you say no…you will still be my niece. You will still be my friend. Rhionne disclaimed the throne; she would have had priority over Audara. It is not Rhionne’s fault. It would not be your fault. It is Aud’s, and Aud’s alone.”

Rixie rubbed her eyes. “Rhionne didn’t know Aud would do something like this. She just loved Pierce enough to give up the throne.” She took a deep breath, and said, “And I love Alex and Ryan enough to accept it.”

Rajenlif nodded. “Well-born Hyrikken, leader of the House of Throden, my successor; it is my great honor to request your presence in Naesavarna four days hence, that you may take your seat on the Council of Ten, its latest conclave having been suspended so that you may. Understand, it is the position of the crown that the House of Throden is a branch of the House of Throden-ColVanos, and that we would hope the branches can be merged. If it can be done cleanly, before you must take the mantle of Dronung, we will do so; you and I will coordinate this, along with Emperor Tiernan’s heir. It is my hope that in a few years, when things have died down, you can quietly retire House Throden, with the full support of the council and the Jotnardiggi. But for now…for now, you are the crown princess. I am sorry, Rixie. You deserve better.”

Rixie chortled. “You know, there are people out there who would think I was some kind of fool, being upset about maybe being a Dronung someday.”

“Yes, well, there are many people who are not as wise as you are, Rixie,” Rajenlif said. “Now, the next steps…I will talk with Vwokhu.”

“I’ll talk with her, Dronung,” Rixie said. She hadn’t been thinking about her mother – it was all too big – but this could be so bad for her. “I will talk with Pryvani, maybe we can keep her hidden.”

“No, Rixie, this is my responsibility; the House of Throden-ColVanos has already wronged Vwokhu Skamøld in a dozen ways,” Rajenlif said. “And if there is one more…we will do what we must to make it right, as if we ever could. But that is my responsibility, not yours.” She sighed. “The other issue, one I am sure you are aware of, is the potential for assassination. We have not shared your identity, nor will we until the conclave, but should it be discovered….”

Rixie nodded. “Nobody’s getting to me here on Avalon. This compound is safer than One Imperial Square. Off Avalon will be the real issue. I trust you will make arrangements for a location in Naesavarna the night before the conclave resumes?”

Rajenlif nodded. “I am tempted to place you on the palace grounds, but that will make your identity very obvious, the moment you set foot on the grounds – and I do not want to give Aud any time to think of how she could object to you. But I will have my guard find a suitable location for you in the city; after you are seated, that night you will stay in the Palace of the Three Shaars, as family. As you always should have been able to.”

Rixie nodded. “I expect there will be much more to discuss, but…I have to talk to my family. And Pryvani. I will not…I will not discuss this with her if….”

Rajenlif smiled, and shook her head. “There is nothing going on in the Empire that Pryvani has not seen; even if I wanted to hide something, she’s good enough to find it if she wanted to. As Tiernan told Pelleas, relaying this to her will just save everyone time.”

Rixie nodded. “As you wish. Safe flights, High-born Rajenlif.”

“Safe landings, Well-born Hyrikken,” Rajenlif said, ending the call.

Rixie waited a good five minutes before she signaled Pryvani that it was okay to return.

“So,” Pryvani said, “how did it go?”

“Pretty horribly,” Rixie said. “At least for me.”

* * *

“How do you vwof this up this badly, Luviisa?” Nyyriki shouted. “How do you push this and not know for sure that Kullervo doesn’t have another child!?”

“I still say it could be a bluff,” Skor said, gamely. “They wanted to adjourn the meeting. Get a chance to strategize. They could come back in four days and just say, ‘Well, he didn’t want to become Jofur, so anyhow, back to the discussion,’ but maybe they put pressure on Rajinvalt to switch his vote, or convince Riggu to ask for his aunt to represent him, or something.”

“It’s not a bluff,” Aud said, sitting quietly in the corner of the drawing room of Luviisa Aljansen. “There was a rumor that there was one more.”

“And you didn’t make sure? You vwofas fool!” Uđđi Lavra shouted. “How could you….”

“I made vwofas sure!” Aud shouted back. “I worked for years on this! If there was an older sister or brother, they wouldn’t be given to some stranger. That’s not how Hirera would have done it. A royal child would be taken care of, given an opportunity, not just thrown into the adoption queue. But they wouldn’t want them to come back and seek the throne, so they would have placed them with a noble or wealthy family, preferably outside of Jotnarherath, or possibly with the Hoplites. I tracked down everyone remotely likely, even accepted an interview with….”

She trailed off, and looked down. Otna’s eye, she had the data…she hadn’t tried to get actual DNA. But…they couldn’t spoof those…could they?

“An interview with who?” Nyyriki asked.

Skor looked at Aud, eyes wide. “You don’t think it’s her, do you?”

“She’d be the right age,” Aud said. “She was always high on the list, honestly; I visited her…her ‘son.’ Interviewed as a possible record-keeper. I checked her genetic codes as part of the process, but they didn’t match Kullervo’s. But if….”

“Who are we talking about?” Uđđi Lavra asked.

“Rixie Carey,” Luviisa said, looking up for her pad. She had been quiet as this discussion had gone along, having just received an urgent transmission for Cornerstone that had arrived precisely one day too late. “I just received some information from a source suggesting we look into her.”

“Timing’s great on that notification,” Lavra said.

“I vwofas know, Uđđi!” Luviisa shot back. “And to your question: yes, Aud, if they really wanted to hide her…they could have made her gene code disappear. Or more precisely, made it fail to match her father’s,” Luviisa said. “But now we have a chance. A chance to stop her from succeeding.”

Skor shook his head. “Look, I know Aud is good, but there’s no argument that a Hoplite who’s got a legitimate claim….”

“No, no, no arguments. We simply ensure that she does not take the crown,” Luviisa said.

Skor’s eyes went wide. “What…what are you saying….”

“Quiet, Skor, you never know who’s listening,” Luviisa said. “I will reach out to some persuasive friends. They will interface with her, convince her that it is in her best interests not to show at the resumption of the conclave. And we will go forward.”

“It’s a big gamble,” Nyyriki said. “If she accepts, and shows….”

“This ship is coming in for a landing, one way or another,” Luviisa said. “We have all wagered everything on Audara. And she still has my full support. And, I hope, yours.”

Uđđi Lavra stared hard at Luviisa. “If Carey shows…or if you’re wrong, and it’s someone else entirely, and they show…the House of Lavra is going to have to make some tough calls, very quickly. My support ends at that point.”

“I hate to say it, Luviisa, but mine does too,” Nyyriki said.

“Carey’s daughter is a hybrid,” Luviisa said, calmly.

Uđđi threw up his hands. “At some point, it becomes about our houses’ survival! And if Princess Rixie is going to be our next Dronung, then the House of Lavra will do what it must to avoid discommendation. Even if that means we have a half-breed running our province someday. I am not going to sacrifice my family for yours, Luviisa.”

Lavra and Daiduson stormed out. Aud said, quietly, “I’m so sorry, Mother Luviisa, I….”

“It was sloppy, Audara. Very sloppy. But do not concern yourself with it. I will make it right.”

“Mom,” Skor said, “what exactly are you going to do?”

Luviisa smiled. “I am going to do what must be done to protect this family, Skorsjad. Always.”

* * *

Alex had been staring at Rixie long enough that she finally felt the need to say, “Are you okay?”

“I…okay…let me get this straight: because the rules of succession in Jotnarherath are basically Calvinball…the only way to shut up a bunch of anti-human bigots who might also be murderers…is to give up and trick them into making you Dronung?”

“That…is about it, yes,” Rixie said.

“You didn’t even ask me what ‘Calvinball’ was,” Alex said. “Not sure if I’ve explained it before or you’ve just given up.”

Rixie smirked, and Alex said, “Aha! I was worried you had no sense of humor left. So what are you going to do?”

“Oh…frak,” Rixie said. “I…uh…I already said yes. Oh, Alex, I’m an idiot, I didn’t talk to you first! I should have, before accepting. I felt like…I mean, Rajenlif was asking…I don’t know. I’m sorry. I can call her back if you want….”

Alex sighed, and rubbed a hand through his hair. “I mean, probably, yeah, you should have, but to be fair, I don’t think you expected to be offered the crown when you got up this morning, and given the stakes…if Rajenlif thinks the easy way is to admit that Audara isn’t her only illegitimate niece and by the way here’s your new Queen, Rixie, who none of you have heard of before, good luck everyone…if that’s their best plan they must be in a bad place.”

“She would probably win a fight over it, at least long-term,” Rixie said. “But it…it would give Aljansen a chance. And even with a win, the number of anti-humans on the Jotnardiggi grows. This gives them no chance. It ends the debate before it begins. Rajenlif is going to simply say that it’s ridiculous, but rather than litigate it she’ll pass the crown to me someday. If the Jotnardiggi doesn’t like it, I’m not going to fight to keep it – I’m going to agree with Rajenlif. But – and this is the important part – I can’t just refuse it. If I do, Aud succeeds me. At least for the moment.”

“Lot of ‘for the moments’ in here,” Alex said. “You know, Jotnarherath has a pretty lousy system of selecting a Head of State.”

“The Dronung historically had more actual power over Jotnarherath than the Emperor does over the Empire,” Rajenlif said. “It was only seven hundred years ago that the Jotnardiggi really started to take over government. Before that, a bad Jofur or Dronung could really wreck things. Now, they can only wreck things a bit. So they put all these failsafes in place, every time there was another failure. And never really redesigned the system, so it’s nothing but failsafes, and more failure-prone than ever if someone wants to push it. And now, there will probably be more; whether I have to take the throne for a few days before pulling a Throdr….”

“Who’s Throdr?” Alex asked.

“A hero of Jotnarherath. Dronung the First Throdr held her office for a few days, before abdicating in favor of the captain of the peacekeepers, Mylor NieUkko.”

“So, like a coup?” Alex asked.

“No, no, Throdr was a distant relative of the First Thogn. She never expected to take the crown, and she didn’t want it. Just wanted to be a farmer. So she picked the smartest advisor she could find, made her Dronung Geastomylor I, and went home. In the process she let her successor start a new dynasty and ordered her to form the Jotnardiggi.”

“So you plan is basically to quit, and give power to Vallero?”

“Yes,” Rixie said. “Gorram, I want nothing to do with this. Rajenlif said they’ll try to undo this in a few years, when things have calmed down and they can do it without risking a blow-up, but if they can’t, I’m out the moment I have the chance.”

Alex exhaled. “Okay, okay. All right. Well, good. Worst-case, you quit after a day….”

“Three days, minimum,” Rixie said. “Throdr served two, and…well, out of respect….”

“Okay, I’m looking her up when we’re done talking. Rix, you realize…are they going to be okay with a human Jofur? Even for a couple of days?”

“I don’t care,” Rixie said, leaning down and kissing him. “That is non-negotiable. If they get me, they get you. Jofur-Consort Alexander. And by the way, you realize that you are now, officially, Prince Alex?”

Alex blanched. “I didn’t want to be a Senator. I really don’t want to be a…wait, if I remember right…Starry’s a princess now, isn’t she?”

Rixie nodded. “She is. And Ryan’s a prince.”

Alex sighed. “That almost makes it worth it all. Okay. Well…just promise me that you won’t let this go to your head, start ordering me to do dishes or it’s off to the dungeon.”

“Now Alex, my dear,” Rixie said, “I was just thinking the other day that we’re running out of Iron Maiden scenarios.”

“Oh, I can think of more,” Alex said.

“You aren’t the problem. I’m the one who’s struggling a bit. But…this princess has never been courted by a young peasant boy who sees beyond her imperious and demanding demeanor. I’m wondering what that would be like….”

Alex smiled. “As you wish,” he said, with a slight bow.

* * *

Vwokhu was glad that she had been sitting down when she took the call.

She had been on edge ever since the news reports broke earlier in the day about Aud Aljansen. She hadn’t known that Kullervo had yet another hidden daughter, but she supposed she didn’t know because Aud was hidden; she wouldn’t have wanted him talking with Aud’s mother about Riksa, so she understood why he hadn’t spoken with her about Aud.

But when she got a chance to watch the interview with Aud, to hear her planning out how she would challenge Vallero for the throne…well, Vwokhu had always been skilled at reading the lay of the land, and if one of Kullervo’s hidden daughters was going public, there was a decent chance the other would be pulled into the mess.

She had not, however, expected this.

“So she…she is…Riksa is to be Dronung?”

“Hopefully not,” Rajenlif said. “Though I must state that the ‘hopefully’ does not mean she is rejecting the throne. There are…legal reasons why her doing so would be a problem. The goal – hers and mine – is to stabilize the situation, allow us to gather ourselves and push back decisively, and eventually, to have Rixie decline the throne in a way that does not allow Aud to take it. Your daughter doesn’t want to be Dronung, and at times like this, I can tell you that she is absolutely correct. Nobody should want it.”

Vwokhu sighed. “I don’t suppose there is a way to keep my family hidden in this. I don’t…I don’t want to be the mother of a Dronung any more than Riksa wants to be Dronung.”

Rajenlif shook her head. “I would certainly try to keep your existence hidden, if you so wished. But once Rixie is introduced as the Crown Princess…it will be official, even if we know the plan is for it to be temporary. And given that…well, I know too well how the media will react. Any repeated visits with you would be immediately noticed, and…well, you are a beautiful woman, and my niece gets her looks from you. The media would make the connection.”

Vwokhu felt like she had taken a knife to the heart. She could preserve her anonymity, the simple life she had chosen. But it would cost her Riksa.

She had given her up when she was girl, a girl who couldn’t understand what a scar it would leave on her. And despite all the good – Akwe, and Namø, and Hyrikkenwuode (oh, they would definitely figure that out) – she had only felt whole and complete in the last few months.

She now knew what a scar it would leave to give her daughter up, and she couldn’t do it. Not again.

“High-born Rajenlif…tell me that they would be able to figure it out just from her visit this year,” Vwokhu said.

Rajenlif understood exactly what Vwokhu was saying; if it was a fait accompli, then she could choose not to choose. She would not have to give up Rixie, and she would not be choosing to give up her anonymity – the latter was gone already. Vwokhu had phrased it in such a way as to indicate that if this was a lie, well…she understood what the choice would be, but she would feel better believing that she didn’t choose her family over her daughter, because she didn’t want them to be different things.

“I think you are quite right,” Rajenlif said. “And that is no lie or exaggeration. They will be very curious about who Rixie’s mother is. I know she’s visited you, and so there are records of one of Pryvani’s yachts traveling to Sininentavas. An enterprising reporter would figure it out.”

“Then what choice do I have?” Vwhoku replied, with slight relief. “I just…wish my daughter didn’t have the sense of duty she seems to have.”

“I can understand that, but…this isn’t just about the throne,” Rajenlif said. “If you will do me a kindness I am not owed, and keep this in confidence – Audara is anti-human rights. And I believe that is what is at the root of this. As does Rixie. If that is the case….”

Vwokhu sat up a bit straighter. “High-born, you should have led with that,” she said, with a tight smile. “If this is to protect my grandson and son-in-law…Riksa would walk through fire for them.”

“Your grandson has walked through fire to protect others, you know,” Rajenlif said.

“I know,” Vwokhu said, with no small measure of pride. “He got it from his mother.”

* * *

Siru wasn’t sure if she should answer the call; would it be more suspicious to answer it with the video off, or more suspicious to let it roll to her inbox? After a brief moment of consideration, she decided that it was better to answer it than not, and so, making sure the camera and location were turned off, she answered.

“Hi, dad,” she said, stifling a yawn; she had managed about 12 hours’ sleep, but it was both half what she really needed and not especially restful; of course, she didn’t know that she would get a restful sleep ever again, so she resolved not to worry about it too much.

“Hey, Siru,” Skor said. He sounded as tired as she felt. “I…suppose you saw the news today.”

“Yeah,” Siru said, deciding not to elaborate.

“I…first, I’m sorry we didn’t warn you. It was…this was….”

Her dad trailed off, and he said, “Siru, I am willing to bet you have your camera off so you can make rude gestures at me while we talk, and I don’t blame you. I really am sorry. More than you know.”

Siru leaned forward a bit, and decided to use the lie she’d been planning. “Really, my room’s just a mess. I mean, I’m not happy about not knowing. You could have told me. I…really would have appreciated not finding out the way I did.” The last part was, of course, technically true.

“I’m sure you would have.”

“So is Aud going to be Dronung? That’d make grandma happy. Her grandkid on the Carba Throne. At least…well….”

“It’s…complicated,” Skor said. “Siru…this is a direct attack on the Dronung. And the Emperor. And others too, like Kullervo and Princess Vallero. It’s…we’re committed to it now, but….”

She could hear the hesitation in her father’s voice, the fear that he was betraying them all. But he said, “I love my wife. But your grandmother…Siru, this could all go very wrong. I’m worried it already has. I just…I don’t want to tell you too much, because I don’t want you getting caught up in it. I’m already trying to figure out if I’ve screwed things up for Riggu beyond repair, if it crashes out. But…I mean, what I’m saying….”

Siru would never have expected her father, Sen. Skorsjad Aljansen, heir to Luviisa Aljansen, Hersvru of Tromsø, to say what he was about to say.

“Siru, if it comes down to you or the family…if you are questioned by anyone, tell them you had nothing to do with it, you knew nothing about it, and if…if it comes down to it….”

Skor was quiet a long time, before he said, “If it comes down to it, you’ll know, and if it does…protect yourself.”

Siru felt nauseous, like she had the night before. But this was worse. So much worse. Because she could hear the same shock and disbelief in her father’s voice that she felt in her gut. It was all true, all of it, and he was finding out, same as her. Aleks had been right about everything.

Gorram it.

“Dad,” she said, “if that’s where you are…if it’s that bad…if…you can’t let grandma do it. Whatever it is. You can’t…if Aud is going to take you down…you have to protect yourself.”

“I’m worried it might be too late for that,” Skor said. “And I told you…I do love Aud. And I can’t let her face this alone. But I also love you, and Riggu, and…one way or another, I will make sure you don’t face repercussions for this. And maybe it will work out. Maybe it will be okay. But…Siru, my daughter, if it goes bad, it is going to go very bad. You…you said you go to school with Prince Ulysses, right?”

“Yeah,” Siru squeaked, blindsided by the non-sequitur. “I, uh…we’re in a class together. Why?”

“If…it might be smart for you to mention that you think this is a bad idea, what Aud’s doing. That you don’t love it. Just so that they know…not all of the Aljansens were on board with this. That you weren’t. Yeah. Yeah, when you see him…tell him this scheme makes no sense to you. And if somehow, it doesn’t blow up in our faces…but if it does, it will help. Trust me, do this, please?”

Siru took a deep breath. “Dad, I…actually let Ulysses know after I found out about this, that I…I didn’t think it was a great idea. I honestly don’t. Which is why….”

“I’m glad, Siru,” Skor said, chuckling ruefully. “You’re smarter than me. Now, I need to go, but…be careful. And no matter what happens, I love you.”

“I…I love you too, dad,” Siru said. “And please….”

But Skor had terminated the call.

She sat for a long time, watching Aleks doze on the bed. She considered pretending the call hadn’t happened, but she knew that there was a decent chance that there was a listening device in the room. And besides…her father, at least, wasn’t a killer. He was horrified by it. She had chosen Jotnarherath and the Empire over his family. He was still trying to find a way not to choose. But he was not her grandmother, and he was not her stepmother.

She decided she would let someone know about the call, and what he said. For one thing, maybe Rajenlif could get a hold of him and convince him to do the right thing. But if nothing else…well, he was warning her, and trying to keep her safe. She wasn’t going to defend the House of Aljansen.

But maybe she could defend her father.

* * *

The large, disheveled man didn’t really want to answer his pad; he was in a generally bad mood, and he had a feeling that the person calling him wasn’t going to improve it. Atrei had always warned him about actually caring; “Eras, you motherfraker, you start caring you can’t enjoy the money.” Of course, Atrei Ganas had died of a drug-induced heart attack on his toilet, so Eras Kameo wasn’t sure that he’d been right about that.

“Kameo,” he said, hitting answer.

“This is Keystone.”

The person he was looking at was not Keystone, of course; it was a holographic simulacrum of an older man, speaking with a Wedney accent. Of course, Kameo was no fool, and based on rumors and some digging, he was quite certain that there were perhaps three people who could be Keystone; all were members of the 79, and two of the three were Jotnar. If he had to wager, he would have guessed it was Luviisa Aljansen, who had always had a feral streak that he had respected.

“You know, Ganas is not just your house newsfeed,” he said, pouring a kapskrasi. “I’m not gonna run with something just because you bring it to me.”

“Have you been following the news out of Jotnarherath?” Keystone said.

“Yeah,” he said, taking a slug, and mentally increasing how much he would wager. “Saw they’re trying to push a bastard daughter of Kullervo to the throne. Not sure how that works…Jotnar rules are stupid. But if it causes Rajenlif some pain, well….”

He smiled, as the holographic simulation scowled. “It is not just designed to cause Rajenlif pain. It is designed to protect the throne from hybrids.”

“I mean, it’s still an open question whether Vallero would put one of Rhionne’s kids on the throne,” Kameo said with a shrug. “Hasn’t ruled it out, but it’s a pretty big gamble….”

“They are determined to make it happen,” Keystone said. “And I can prove it.”

“Oh? How’s that?” Kameo asked. “They tell you?”

“There was a successful motion to restore the House of Throden. But there was a catch. It turns out that Kullervo has another bastard daughter. One that Rajenlif and Kullervo trust. And one who happens to have a hybrid daughter of her own. A hybrid daughter who is now second in line to the Carba Throne.”

Kameo set his drink down, and placed his pad in its holder. He grabbed another pad and a stylus, and began jotting down notes. “Okay,” he said. “You have my attention.”