She expected shouts of protest—or at least murmurs. Not silence. Absolute silence, but for the rush of the wind through the receiving room. The wind picked up flecks of ash and skin, a thin shell of bone clinked across the marble, and a cloud of ash bloomed like the bell of a jellyfish.

The magisterium representatives stared, as did the guards. All except Olav. His lips pressed together, and for one moment, those obsidian eyes locked on her. I know, they seemed to say. I know it wasn't just to save Mai that you did that. They saw into her soul and stripped her bare, finding the part of her that had relished taking life and basked in the thrill.

A pit of dread opened in her stomach. Now, the rush of consuming Ro's life turned to the sensation of falling without stopping, deeper and deeper into that pit.

Olav's nose wrinkled. He raked a hand through the black spirals of his hair and barked," Josiah, help me find the servants to clean up this mess." Then he strode off, turning his back on her, on his emperor.

And Rina fell.

Mai was oblivious to Olav's insult—or he just didn't deign to react. He had what he wanted: a bride, a bridge between their people and something to heal the Carnelian Way.

"Any objections?" asked Mai, addressing the six remaining representatives.

The crystal beneath Rina's skin burned. She still heard Olav's boots retreating through the hush.

High-magister Balasi coughed. He steepled his fingers and said, "Erm, Your Magnificence, how do you propose we break this to the rest of the Magisterium—or to the public?"

Rina fell faster. Gods, she'd worried about a rebellion in Amadore—this might spark one throughout the whole nation. Why had she listened to him? Her spare hand reached to her crystal, to where it pulsed in time to the rapid beat of her heart, burning now with the élan vital she'd consumed from Ro.

"I don't quite comprehend you, Basali. I will announce the engagement, and they will accept it. What else do you expect?"

Under Mai's stare, Basali seemed to shrink a little. "Your Magnificence, there was no disrespect intended."

"Just the implication my wishes would be rejected."

"No, Your Magnificence."

Rina heard the lie in Basali's words—people would reject it. Of course, they would.

Mai smiled. "Peace, High-magister Basali. Your concerns are not without cause. This was not my first encounter with opposition and rebellion, nor do I anticipate it will be my last. It is exactly why I brought a small group of trusted representatives to this council meeting. I only wished Ro had moved past her folly and decided to support me—she and Nab failed this test. Yet," he said as an aside, "it was better to have betrayal before a small audience than a large one." He paused. "What I need from each of you—as representatives of the high-magisters, magisters, and acolytes—is your support in my decision of marriage.

At the word marriage, Rina's descent quickened.

She scolded herself. Gods, she was marrying an emperor. She was marrying Mai the Merciful who would finally bring equality to her people. Not only that—he cared about her. This was a fairy tale, wasn't it? Something she wouldn't have dreamed about in her most fanciful imagination. So why did she fall not fly?

"High-magister Basali, you will ensure the legal documentation is watertight—I want our union legally binding." Basali paled at the order, and his eyes flickered to Rina, but he didn't say anything. With a slither of dread, Rina realised it was not only out of loyalty to Mai that he agreed. He feared her.

"Pilo, as head of the medics, I require you to compose a report to confirm the presence of the Taint within Ro, and—"

The ring of booted footsteps rang through the hall as Olav the guard returned with a pair of servants with a black lacquer box and brooms.

"Ah, Captain Olav," said Mai, lips curling. "You have so graciously returned to us—with help, I see." The servants turned wide eyes on Mai—eyes that widened further when he indicated for them to get started—knelt and commenced sweeping.

Olav's dark gaze grazed Rina, then fell on Mai. He stood straight-shouldered, hands clasped behind his back. Only a rapid gulp betrayed his discomposure. "Your Magnificence."

With a swipe of the hand through the air, Mai brushed the title off. "I will need an account from you and your men stating my betrothed acted in a manner to protect my life."

A cough of surprise escaped Olav. "Your Magnificence?"

Rina fidgeted in her chair until Mai's hand pressed her hand against the carved chair arm. All the while, she fell deeper down into that internal pit as the servants brushes swept across the marble like winter branches scratching across a frosted window.

"I will explain to you clearly," Mai said in the tone of a teacher toward a truant child. "Magister Ro defied me and was so consumed with the Taint that she was full of the mubash—the essence of the Taint." He rose one thick black brow and quirked his head, the Carnelian crystals in his crown glinting. "You understand this, yes?"

Olav swallowed."Yes—Your Magnificence."

Smiling, Mai inclined his head, a tight black ringlet brushing across his cheek.

The desire to brush the strand of hair away, to hold on and slow her descent, came over Rina. Mai's grip kept her in place. Regal. She needed to act regal, not like a fantastic or a moon-struck bride-to-be.

"I'm glad that much is clear. Let me spell out the rest for you. Rina feared any mubash remaining in Ro might poison me, and so she sent her Carnelian Way into Magister Ro to incinerate any remaining Taint. Ro was so overun with the Taint she did not survive the process. Had Rina not acted, my life may have been in peril."

Olav's eyebrows narrowed. "Your Magnificence, I—I am just a soldier, I don't understand how—"

"High-magister Pilo," interrupted Mai, directing his attention to the high-magister of the medics.

"Ah—yes?" replied Pilo.

"You will confirm what I say to the captain."

"Your Magnificence?"

Rina felt the charge of electricity across Mai's palm as it held her down. The static caused the hairs on her arms to rise, even as she fell. Beside her, his dark robes began to move and flow like sheaves of wheat on a wind-swept field.

"Ro posed a risk to me, yes?"

Swallowing, Pilo nodded and began to worry his lip. For a moment, he looked to the glass ceiling above, then said, "Yes, theoretically—yes— it is true. While there are still reports of natural mubash—particularly in the islands of the Cerulean Sea—the taint-spawned mubash hasn't been seen in centuries. Were even questioned as a myth."

"I can assure you, High-magister Pilo, as someone who has lived many years, they are not a myth."

"Yes, yes." Pilo stroked his chin and began to pace, lost in his theorising. "Though given their secretive nature and the program you have set up to remove the seeds of the Taint, this is no surprise." He stilled mid-stride.

"Gods, but the implications of the Taint in a magister—one who had been a high-magister..."He turned to Mai and Rina and released a breath. "This is—that is if the Taint has spread through our ranks..." He shook himself. "Forgive me. This conjecture is not for the present moment. Let me continue."

Mai extended a hand in a graceful motion.

"Ahem. Yes, well, what we do know is that venom is deadly—potentially even to one such as yourself. No records—to my knowledge—exist of a person surviving a mubash bite. Even a natural mubash. There is a record of a powerful mage gifted in healing who died from their poison. I should never have let you—or Anat," he added, sending her an apologetic glance, "approach magister Ro. It was neglectful and foolish and—"

"It is forgotten, Pilo. Please continue."

"But, Your Magnificence."

Impatience crossed Mai's face. "Frankly, Pilo, you couldn't have stopped me." Again, he extended his hand in invitation to speak. "Continue."

Pilo began to walk again. One, two, three steps, then doubling back, the single Carnelian crystal in his silver diadem catching the light. "The records state that once a mubash is conceived within the Taint, it is not possible to consume said Taint—it now resides in the mubash itself. The mubash must be incinerated. The records cite cases in which it was possible to do this and keep the patient alive, however, given the amount of mubash within Ro." Pilo stopped again. "It was merciful of you to try to rekindle magister Ro's life, but—" He looked at Rina, a flicker of fear dancing in his eyes beside the respect—"if what the records say is true, your life—all our lives—were in grave danger! You Magnificence, we must—"

"Thank you, Pilo," Mai said, the steel in his voice cutting off any chance of Pilo's continued protest. "Captain Olav, does this suffice?"

"Yes, Your Magnificence. The report shall come."

"Though it pleases me to hear this, captain, I still detect hesitance."

Rina noted the slightest shift in Olav's stance, the movement of a soldier standing on uncertain ground. "Magister Nab, what is to happen to him?"

"He will be executed for treason, of course."

A gasp escaped Rina, and Mai sent a message down the line. Trust me, my dear.

In answer, she swallowed, took a stilted breath, and straightened her back, focusing her eyes on Olav's forehead.

"But, Your Magnificence, he requires a trial. And—well, is the guard tower the appropriate place to house a member of the council?"

"There is no doubt of a trial, captain—nor is there any doubt of his guilt. He is sent to the tower out of treason, and it will be your job to lead the investigation to find out which other members of the Magisterium conspire against me. From there, we will weed out any Taint and treachery. Any further questions, captain?"

A faint blush had crept across Olav's cheeks. The room had heated again, and in his uniform, under the glass, a sheen of sweat coated his skin. "No, Your Magnificence."

"Excellent. You are to liaise with High-magister Basali and the other council representatives here. Does anyone else have any questions?"

Silence.

"Then begin."

★☾●☽★

A/N: Thank you again for reading the last part of chapter 29. I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you notice any 'darlings' that need killing in the next draft, please consider letting me know.

As ever, I appreciate you keeping up with this story, imperfections and all 😽