Matei woke the next morning to the sound of hesitant knocking on his door. He rolled over in his bed and looked blearily toward the balcony windows, trying to judge the time of day from the light filtering in through the curtains. Having spent only two nights back in the palace, he still felt disoriented when he saw the room. He slid out of bed, groping for a tunic and finding one crumpled on the floor.

He opened the door to see a familiar, but unexpected, face: the late emperor's most trusted advisor, Yorek. At his side was the Arcborn guard set to watch while Matei had slept; she had drawn her sword, which had certainly not set Yorek at his ease. Sweat glistened on the old man's bald pate.

"Councilor," Matei said, unable to conceal his surprise. "Good morning."

"Forgive me for disturbing you, Your...Highness," Yorek said, offering a smooth bow. He spoke with caution, as if uncertain how to address Matei. "I did not think you would still be abed."

Matei looked back into his room toward the windows of the balcony, trying again to judge the time by the angle of the light. "I cannot say I have slept easily in a good many years," he said, turning back. "What can I do for you?"

Yorek hesitated. "Well, my question is more the reverse. I am afraid I don't know how to be subtle about this, so I shan't be."

"Good. I value directness." Matei gave the councilor a tight smile. He had never particularly liked Yorek, but had never disliked him, either; the councilor had been a frequent presence in his childhood, but had never shown much of an interest in him. Now, knowing that the old man had been a close confidant of Emperor Korvan—and given that their most recent interaction had been when Yorek had escorted Mhera and Matei toward the executioner a few days before—Matei doubted that Yorek could be trusted.

"Then I'll be direct. I have heard...whispers around the palace that Prince Kaori has refused the throne. They say he has demanded you take the crown."

"So he has."

"Will you, Your Highness?"

Matei sighed. He stepped into his room, smoothing down the rumpled front of his shirt, and waved his hand to beckon Yorek inside, too. The guard outside made to follow him, but Matei did not think himself likely to be in danger at Yorek's hand. "Thank you, Lesha," he said, with a subtle shake of his head. "I'll leave the door open."

He turned his attention back to the councilor as he strode toward the chairs arranged near the window of his childhood room. "Please, Yorek. I haven't been a Highness for a very long time."

"But you will be again?" Yorek followed and accepted the seat Matei indicated, raising his brows with obvious interest.

"I will," said Matei, hoping his words sounded more confident than he felt.

"I do not suppose there will be a place in the palace for a councilor who served the old regime." Yorek spoke calmly, but there was an undercurrent of tension in his voice.

Matei sank down into the seat across from the councilor. The question was not a light one, and Matei did not know how to respond. "I haven't given much thought to what we will do next. Kaori saw to the immediate needs of the city—putting out the fires, securing the gates—but if you thought we had gone far enough down the path to have put together a council, I'm afraid you gave me too much credit, my lord."

Yorek said nothing. He lowered his gaze, pensive.

Noting Yorek's serious expression, Matei studied him for a moment, wondering what to do with this man, his father's creature. "Yorek, how much of the truth did you know?"

"Enough."

"And you kept his secrets. You concealed my mother's murder. You knew what had truly happened to me."

"No. That, I didn't know," said Yorek.

"You were his closest confidant."

"His only."

"And yet you claim you didn't know?"

Yorek shook his head, his expression earnest. "I didn't. I had my suspicions, but I could never have been certain. His Grace never confessed to me what had happened to his wife, and when it came to you...He believed he had done the only thing he could, and the only merciful thing, by casting you out. I believed then, and I believe now, that he banished you because he cared for you."

"Do not speak to me of care," said Matei. "Do not speak to me of the Corpsemaker's mercy."

Yorek was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "Your father was an emperor, Prince Koreti. He was my sovereign. I am not ashamed to say he was also my friend, but above all, he was my ruler. What could I have done but continue to serve him?"

Matei's instinct was to turn Yorek away. The councilor had been loyal to the Corpsemaker and was loyal to him still; it was clear in the councilor's manner that he grieved Korvan. But the truth was that Matei grieved him too, in away. He had longed for Korvan's love once, for his approval; he had wanted to make him proud. He had seen in Korvan the ruler Yorek had served and knew how such a man could inspire loyalty.

Besides, Matei knew better than most that one does not lightly challenge an emperor. Had Yorek challenged Korvan, it might have cost him his position at the least, and more likely, his life.

Even still, the matter at hand was a critical decision: force Yorek to leave, or let him stay? Matei could tell Yorek wished to remain in the palace, which made sense; it had been the only life he had known for decades. But could there be a place for the councilor now that everything must change?

Matei was exhausted. He wished he could have one day, one hour free of decisions. He tried not to let on how tired he was when he said, "You come to me seeking a position, turning with the winds to seek out the path most agreeable to you?"

"I will not lie to you. I am motivated in part by self-interest, as any man would be. But I think I can serve you, Prince Koreti, as I served your father and his father before him."

"You certainly knew before, and if not you certainly know by now, that Korvan was not my father."

Yorek cleared his throat. "Forgive me."

Matei waved his hand to dismiss the matter. "So you expect to tutor the unexperienced princeling."

An expression of amusement crossed Yorek's features briefly. "I would not say it like that. But the fact is that you have been long away from the palace. You were, in many ways, groomed for the throne. It will be no secret to you that your fath...the late emperor planned to name you as his successor, Prince Koreti. Nevertheless, climes in a palace change as swiftly and temperamentally as those outside its walls. And if you truly mean to do what I think you mean to do, you will need all the help you can get."

"And what is that?"

"You did not stage a rebellion to sit the same throne as Emperor Korvan. You mean to change the way our empire is governed. Change it substantially. And it need not be said that you'll find this a monumentally difficult task."

"I should not be discussing affairs of state without Lady Mhera."

"Lady Mhera?"

"Yes. She and I shall reign together as co-rulers. I do not mean to change the tides of history alone."

Confusion crossed Yorek's face. He made to respond, hesitated, and appeared to change tack. "Very well. I think the nobles of the city will be more receptive—slightly, very slightly—to the changes if Lady Mhera sits the throne as well. She is, after all, a fully Starborn woman. But she is that: a woman. And after all that has happened, it—well. It is most irregular. Then again, she is your cousin, and such a match has precedent."

"Everything will be changing; there will be no 'regular.' And I should make it clear that we do not plan to marry. As I said, we will reign together as co-rulers; she will be empress in her own right. It is important to me that you, and every other councilor who passes through the doors of this palace, understands that."

This thought seemed not to register fully for Yorek. He knit his brow, appearing to grasp for a response. "Why, I...She never seemed the least interested in any matters pertaining to the crown, Your Highness."

"She was never given much of a chance to explore any interests outside of sackcloth and prayer."

Yorek was silent at that.

"In any case, I will not discuss affairs of state without her present. I am certain you have plentiful advice for how we should approach the many challenges that face us, but I will not receive it, at least not yet. I would speak with her and consider her opinion on whether you shall stay. As I said, we have not yet considered our council, but we will be sorely in need of advisors before long."

Well-versed in politics, Yorek did not betray his reaction to Matei's pronouncement—or deferral of one—with any change in his posture or facial expression. Nevertheless, Matei sensed that he was relieved; no decision was at least not a decision against him.

But there was one thing Matei wanted to know. "Tell me one thing, though, and look me in the eye when you do it."

Yorek raised his brows in question, meeting Matei's gaze squarely.

"Can I trust you, Yorek?"

Without hesitation, the councilor said, "I saw in you from your boyhood the roots of a fine king. Be he your true father or not, Emperor Korvan was a leader of men—and I saw his mark in you from the beginning. He did not choose you as his heir alone, Prince Koreti. I had his ear from the day he was crowned. It is a noble mind and a strong hand that secures the loyalty of the realm as a whole by winning the hearts of the people within it. If you prove yourself the leader I think that you are, you shall have mine."

"And I does not concern you that I am a half-breed mongrel?"

"You were of mixed blood from the day you were born, and yet all I said is true. I have had plenty of time to think on this matter over the past couple of days, Your Highness. I do not dissemble: I am a pragmatist, and I must look out for myself. You will rule, whether I bend my knee or know. But so must you look out for your own interests. I can serve you well, and I will do so of my own free will and with loyalty, if you will have me. I can help you succeed in what you aim to do, and I can provide my council when I think you aim to go wrong."

Matei gave a crooked smile. "I am not afraid of lacking advice on when I'm wrong," he said. "I am certain there are many standing by to point out all my wrongdoings without delay."

Yorek had clearly spoken his piece, and he seemed ready to depart, but he did not rise. He smiled politely at Matei's joke, but made no response. After a moment, Matei realized that he was waiting to be dismissed; he would not rise before Matei rose, would not suggest he had other places to be when he aimed to serve as a trusted councilor, expected to be at the emperor's disposal at any time.

Awkwardly, Matei stood up. The Rebel King was not used to having people defer to him so thoroughly. In Hanpe, he had always been shown respect, but he walked among people there as their equal, always leading by example. He gave orders, but he was no stranger to being challenged and had never been treated like a true king.

Yorek rose in the same instant. He bowed. "I await your pleasure, Prince Koreti. As soon as you are prepared to deliver your decision, I shall be ready to work—or to depart, as you please."

Matei led Yorek to the door, feeling tired again already. "One more thing, Councilor," he said as Yorek stepped into the hallway. The councilor looked back in question. "My name is Matei."

I know some folks have been wondering what became of ol' Yorek, so now we have answers to that question!

Hmm...Can we trust him?

The next chapter comes on Tuesday, yay! We're going to check in with Mhera to see how she's getting along in the role of empress...