Empress of Wolves by J. Aislynn d' Merricksson Page B

She wished to know how it had come to pass that I had let you through the borders in the first place. I do not know yet what the Emperor will choose to do with me,” Ventaal replied.
    “What did you tell them?” Kalla asked.
    “The truth. I told them the truth. That I let you through knowing full well that you were magi, but that it was also truth that the Dashmari ruler wished to seek an alliance with Emperor Sykes. My actions were treason, though I would not change them for anything. More good than bad came from it, no matter what happens, but at the very least I should be stripped of my command.”
    “And the worst?” Kalla asked quietly.
    “Exile. Or at the very worst, execution.”
    “I'm sorry, Ventaal, that you should be punished for helping us. I don't think it will come to that, though. Emperor Sykes is not that cruel.”
    “I don't regret it, not at all. No, I doubt it will come to my execution either, but…” his voice trailed off as they arrived at the conference room. The Admiral gestured for her to enter and followed behind. Their seating arrangements were much altered this time, with Kalla where 'Kartoff' had been seated and Aleister in her spot, followed by Vander and Kasai, then Manny and Sir Lukas. Marcus occupied Sir James' spot. There was a great deal less tension with this meal, a great deal more bantering conversation.
    The Castellan and his servants brought in a meal of eggs mixed with mushrooms and sausage and apples from the Palace's cold cellars. As they ate, Kalla managed to coax from Zacharias how they had learned of who she truly was. Apparently she wasn't the only one to have received a visit from the Tree Lords that night. She was a little concerned though, at how quiet Vander was during the meal. He spoke little and seemed preoccupied.
    The meal was finished and the room once more became a conference room. Kalla spent the rest of the morning in negotiation with Sykes and together they reached an amiable agreement. Argoth would be allowed greater mining rights in Dashmar, in return for imports of much needed foodstuffs. Kalla had requested that Admiral Ventaal and the
Kujata
be sent as the Argosian emissaries. She had been pleasantly surprised when Sykes agreed with no fuss. Ventaal had been just as surprised. As late afternoon approached, Emperor Sykes sent Owyn off to have two copies of the trade agreement drawn up. They stood to stretch and Zacharias spoke up.
    “Perhaps now would be a good time to retire to the Grove. The others may come as well, if they wish,” he said.
    “Now is as good a time as any.” She looked to the rest of her group. “They will come. It is fitting that they should be there,” she said. Aleister and the others gave her quizzical looks, but said nothing aloud as they followed Jonas and Zacharias through the Palace.
    “
What is going on, milady?
” Aleister asked. Briefly she told him of her meeting with King Holly and of his request.
    “
Ah, that explains where the flutes came from then. I had wondered,
” he said, laughter bubbling in her mind. The Fox found it amusing and was delighted to learn that they would be going back to the Forest.
    “
Never thought I'd see you happy about going into a forest,” Kalla
responded with laughter of her own.
    At the center of the Evergreen Palace stood a great grove of trees, surrounded almost completely by a clear moat of water. This grove was the seat of the Clerics' power, the heart of Argosian spirituality. The grove was open to the sky, the waters channeled from the nearby Algassey River, entering through one section of the Palace and exiting another. Kalla recalled overflying the Palace with her father, when she was much younger. The Evergreen and its grove were breath-taking from the air. From above one could see that the Palace was laid out in a series of concentric, spiraling circles of green granite interspersed with the elegant tree towers. At the center of the rings had stood a majestic grove of