Heroes of the Empire: The Unari Empire Trilogy, #3

By JD Byrne

The world is falling apart around Aton Askins. His childhood friend is rotting in a cell for a crime she didn't commit. There are soldiers in the streets of Cye and an army of angry widows waiting outside the city. His mystery employer might be using him to gather artifacts of the ancient gods to build some kind of weapon. Now he's been given one last job, one last artifact to find, supposedly on a mythical floating island halfway around the world. He needs to stay in Cye to help his friend, but he needs to finish his work so he has the money to take his family away from the city. Most of all, he needs to keep those he loves safe from what's coming.

 

The Widows Army is restless and may be slipping away from Belwyn of Annanais. Stuck outside of Cye, unsure of what to do next, she needs to do something, anything, to make sure the promise she made to these women to find answers about their loved ones doesn't go unmet. When an unlikely ally presents himself, she uses the opportunity to enter the city and finally find the evidence she needs to show the world the truth of the Port Ambs bombing. All the while, the currents of protestors and revolutionaries are threatening to overtake her.

 

Lives collide and the fate of an empire hangs in the balance in this thrilling conclusion to the Unari Empire Trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JD Byrne
• Release date: Jun 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223296539

JD Byrne

JD Byrne was born and raised around Charleston, West Virginia, before spending seven years in Morgantown getting degrees in history and law from West Virginia University. He's practiced law for nearly 20 years, writing briefs where he has to stick to real facts and real law. In his fiction, he gets to make up the facts, take or leave the law, and let his imagination run wild. He lives outside Charleston with his wife and the two cutest Chihuahuas the world has ever seen.

Book preview

Part I

We are fated to do wrong

This we cannot stop

What we can control

Is choosing to make it right

Ayrs of Galen, Book 6 Chapter 11.3

Chapter 1

Xaria pulled her cloak tighter around her the closer she got to Jerrod Square. That was partly due to the early-morning chill that had settled around Cye for the past week. When the breeze blew, it knifed through her body as if it might cleave her in two. The cloak could only do so much, but it helped. She’d much rather be at home, next to the fire, with Kaisia and Aton. She had volunteered for this, though, and had to see it through.

The cloak didn’t do as much good making her feel safe in this errand. The emptiness of the square was unsettling at the best of times. It was supposed to be a place full of life, full of people, but Chakat’s crackdown had driven them away. The early-morning light, which left portions of the square in shadow, didn’t help as she made her way across.

The patrols of the Unari Vigilance League had expanded from the area just around Jerrod Square out to cover most of the heart of the city. Roving bands of young men—they were almost always men, from Xaria’s experience—with their red-and-gold armbands and assorted clubs and cudgels, on the hunt for enemies of the Empire. Reports in the less-reputable newspapers said some were now carrying guns, although the official word from the police was that the squads were unarmed volunteers, helping to keep order.

Any time she went to the city for supplies, Xaria had run into at least one of the vigilance gangs. The men unnerved her, always staring as she hurried past, but in the middle of the day when there were others on the street, she’d not felt afraid. Now, with the sun barely starting to peek over the hills, the city was just coming awake and the streets were mostly deserted. As she reached the final corner that would take her into Jerrod Square, she counted her good luck in having avoided any gangs so far.

Even if there were fewer roving gangs at this time of morning, the League members who manned the checkpoints in and out of Jerrod Square were still in position. Even Aton was hassled by them when he came home from his last job, just trying to get to the Hotel Voisine to see his employer. Now she was here, nearly face-to-face with them, all by herself.

There were three men at the checkpoint, all in their early twenties, by Xaria’s estimation. She stopped a few paces short, trying to hold them at bay as long as possible.

Well, what have we here? one of the men, wearing a shabby brown hat too small for his head, said.

Papers? said another, with the mix of boredom and authority that indicated he’d been doing this for a while. Maybe he was in charge.

The third man, squat and round with a scraggly beard, kept quiet but eyed her up and down.

Xaria swallowed hard and pulled a crumpled note from her pocket.

The one in charge snatched it from her hand and gave it a quick glance. The Voisine, eh? At this time of morning?

Xaria curtseyed, as much to hide her face than from any attempt at deference. She wasn’t very good at lying, even for a good cause. I come when I am summoned, sir. She had to play the role of servant, give this man no reason to look too closely at the note. It was one Aton’s employer had given him when they had met previously at the grand hotel. Aton had modified it just enough that she could use it, so long as no one became too curious.

Ooh, she was summoned, said the one with the hat. I like the idea of having a woman I can make come running any time of the morning.

Xaria wanted to object to his implication. Before she came to work for Aton as Kaisia’s caregiver, then became his wife, she had done just about every kind of service job imaginable to survive. But she had limits that had kept her clear of men like these, whose minds went first and foremost to their basest desires. She bit her tongue and kept quiet.

Wonder how much it costs, that kind of service, said the man with the hat.

More than you make in a month, if she’s headed for the Voisine, said the squat round man.

Xaria did her best to look placid and docile. She looked up and held out her hand. If you please, sir, I am expected. And in somewhat of a hurry.

There was a long, cold silence as the wind whipped through the square. It gave Xaria an excuse to wrap herself up even more tightly.

The one with the hat reached for her, but the one in charge slapped his hand away. He gave his subordinate a stare that could break glass, while handing the note back to Zaria. She’s got business with someone who could sell all of us every day of the week. That’s an enemy we don’t need.

She took the note and tucked it away quickly. Thank you, sirs, she said, with a quick nod. I’ll be about my business.

They parted as she moved forward, walking as quickly as she thought she could without making it look suspicious. She needed these men to forget about her and didn’t want to give them anything to linger in their minds. She scanned the square, looking to see if any of the other groups manning other barricades had taken notice. None had.

She headed for the Voisine, getting close enough to make eye contact with the doorman, standing out front in his spotless uniform.

He nodded to his right, down the street.

Xaria nodded back, swerving away from the hotel’s front door at the last moment. She turned toward her real destination, the old Imperial jail, and took a few more deep breaths. It was almost time for another performance.

~~~~~

Years ago, not long after she married Obran, he and Ethyna had gone to a party, a fundraising gala, that was held in the old Imperial jail. Parts of the dense maze of cages, some of which dated back to the time of the first Unari kings, had been opened for partygoers to explore while they sipped expensive wine and made pledges of financial support to some worthy cause. All Ethyna remembered about that night was wondering where all the prisoners were. It had been a selling point of the party that the jail was still in use, if not very often. She remembered wondering if they had all been moved out just for the party.

Sitting in her own cell now, Ethyna had figured out the mystery of the missing prisoners—there simply weren’t any. The petty criminals and violent people the police dealt with regularly were kept in another, newer facility on the outskirts of the city. The Imperial jail was only used for special prisoners, those being held by the Imperial Investigation Service or on orders from the emperor. Right now there was only one such prisoner, and it was she. She was charged with a base, common crime, but realized that her case was anything but ordinary.

Ethyna’s cell was in a short hallway, with another empty one directly across from her. There was a high window, so far up she couldn’t see anything out of it. She hadn’t seen the sky in weeks and yearned to feel the sun on her face. A few lanterns hung in the corner of her cell provided soft, flickering light, but it wasn’t enough to keep the damp rock walls from feeling like a tomb. If she was sent to the scaffold, at least that would be outside.

She hadn’t even had a conversation with anyone else since that sorry excuse for an attorney came to visit her. Jailers would come and bring her meals, and take away the waste basin, but did it without any warmth or comment. When she was arrested for Obran’s murder, her access to his fortune had been cut off. It was all she could do to pay the attorney’s retainer, scraped together from funds she had stashed away in case she ever needed money without Obran knowing about it. The best she could do was hire someone who was happy to make his name in a high-profile case, even if his client wound up on the end of a rope. She may find herself in the ground, but his name would be in the papers for weeks.

No one else seemed to care that she was there, nor that she was innocent. No friends had come to see her or tried to write. Her family, hundreds of miles away, hadn’t been able to break through to her, if they were even trying. She knew from the day of her arrest what the papers were saying. Who would come see a woman charged with killing her loving husband just to gain control of his wealth?

So Ethyna was shocked to be awakened from the thin straw pallet laid on a cold stone slab that passed for a bed when the jailer said she had a visitor. Her attorney hadn’t mentioned coming to see her in the last vapid letter he’d sent, so she didn’t think it would be him. But who else could it be? Her mind went to Aton, wondering if he would try to do something and help. Or, perhaps, if he had found Obran, alive and well somewhere. Hope was all she had at this point, so she nurtured it as best she could.

She and the jailer had a routine for moments like these, where he shackled her at the wrists and ankles, as if she were a feral beast that would bolt for open air the first chance she had. What would happen if she tried to run? Would they just track her down and capture her, returning her to her cage? Or would they gun her down, befitting a murderess that most felt was a blight on polite society? Part of her thought it might be worth trying. If she failed and it brought the release of death, would that be so bad?

The few times she’d met with her attorney, Ethyna had been taken to a room that was much like any other in a public building, sparse but functional. There were two armed guards just outside the door, but if Ethyna closed her eyes, she could imagine she was somewhere in Obran’s office building, not feet away from a dungeon.

This time, however, they never made it that far. Instead, the jailer took Ethyna to a room that was accessed by a narrow door made up of iron bars. Inside, it wasn’t much wider, with just enough room for the one chair that was there. In front of the chair was another set of bars, just like the ones in her cell. Beyond, there was a small, regular-looking space, with a closed door and its own chair. Ethyna slipped into the small cage, struggling to sit with any kind of grace while shackled. Behind her, the door clanged as the jailer locked her in.

Who’s come to see me? she asked, back over her shoulder.

Apparently, you have a well-wisher, he said. Shows what the Empire’s coming to, I suppose.

The concept of a well-wisher caught Ethyna by surprise. Before she had a chance to ponder who it could be, the door in the room opposite her opened. A small woman walked through, cloak pulled tight around her shoulders. She had plain features, all but her bright blue eyes that looked to be gateways to a deeper, more thoughtful soul.

Fifteen minutes, ma’am, the guard said, closing the door. No more.

There was a moment of silence after the door thunked close behind Ethyna’s visitor. She hadn’t moved to sit down yet, as if waiting for Ethyna’s permission.

You can sit, if you like, Ethyna said, finally. You heard the man. We haven’t got a lot of time.

Fine, the woman said, shrugging off her cloak and draping it over the back of the chair before sitting down. I’ve had a hard time getting here and will surely have a hard time getting back. I’ll take all the rest I can get.

Ethyna nodded, wondering what she meant, but decided to push past any pleasantries. If I may be blunt—who are you?

Of course, the woman said, sitting up straight. I’m from the Cye Justice League.

The what? Ethyna couldn’t suppress a weary laugh.

It’s a group of concerned citizens who have come together to ensure that those caught up in the Imperial justice system have their rights respected. It sounded like a well-practiced speech.

Really? Ethyna said. How many concerned citizens are we talking about?

Well, the woman said, looking to the ground. We are a new organization, but your plight has galvanized our resolve.

She didn’t have time for games. How. Many?

The woman took a deep breath, looked over her shoulder at the closed door, then leaned in closer to the bars. In truth, she whispered, we’ve only two members right now. She looked Ethyna directly in the eyes. But we are both very interested in your welfare.

The emphasis caught Ethyna. She cocked her head. Two of you?

Yes, the woman said. Myself and—she paused—my husband.

Ethyna’s eyes went wide. She took another, good close look at this woman. Oh my gods, she said as the truth clicked in her mind. You’re Xaria.

Xaria sat back and, in a tone much louder than necessary, said, That’s right, Miss. We’re very concerned about your welfare and your case.

Ethyna winked, getting with the program. She leaned in close to the bars. Aton sent you? Why didn’t he come himself?

He thinks it’s best if there’s no direct connection between you and him, at least right now, Xaria said quietly. It will let him more easily do the work he needs to do.

Work?

The work of proving you’re innocent, Xaria said. Of getting you out of here.

I thought— Ethyna stopped before a lump rose in her throat. I thought he had a job, with an employer who didn’t let him work for anyone else.

Xaria shrugged. He’s between jobs. Trust me, he’s spending every waking hour on trying to find out what happened to your husband.

She didn’t say who killed your husband, Ethyna noted. A ray of hope, even if she knew it was fleeting. "What if he gets called away again?

Don’t worry about that, Xaria said, shaking her head.

Ethyna could do nothing but trust this woman, trust Aton. She had nothing more to lose. Has he learned anything?

Xaria sat back and returned to her public voice. We’re aware of what the papers say, Miss. Safe to say, we are equally aware that sometimes the truth of matters is to be found elsewhere. She leaned in again. I don’t want to say more, not here. I need to wear down the guards, make this a more routine affair, before we can talk openly. Rest assured, he’s doing everything he can.

There was a knock on the door and the guard stuck his head in. Just a few more minutes.

Thank you, sir, Xaria said with theatrical deference.

Ethyna sat back and studied her new ally. What now seemed like years ago, she had called Aton out for leading a kind of double life, using both her and Xaria to fill the void of Kaisia’s mother, Mara, his late beloved. She had told him it wasn’t fair to Xaria, but it hadn’t been fair to her, either. Even though she loved Obran in her own way, Ethyna and Aton had roots that went back decades. She had hoped to call his bluff. He had taken the bait, but didn’t make the choice Ethyna thought, and hoped, he would.

Can I ask you a personal question? Ethyna asked.

Xaria stiffened in her seat. I suppose.

Part of Ethyna didn’t want to ask this question. She decided that she had to know exactly where she stood with Xaria, whether she could really trust her. What has Aton told you about me?

Xaria opened her mouth to say something, stopped, then said, That you’re his oldest friend. That you grew up together, in poverty. And—she paused again—that you’ve been lovers, off and on, over the years.

Apparently, Aton hadn’t held anything back. Did he tell you that this was going on while I was married?

Xaria nodded. I won’t pretend to know your heart, Ethyna, or know what I would have done under similar circumstances. My history with Aton is odd enough for tongues to wag, should they choose.

Ethyna felt that dig in.

I won’t judge you for what you’ve done, assuming you’re actually innocent of this crime, as Aton assures me you are. I trust him.

Do you love him? Ethyna couldn’t stop the question before it flew out of her mouth.

Xaria stood and smoothed her skirt. Do you have to ask? If not, why on Oiwa would I be here? She held out her arms, taking in the cold, gray brick walls and the bars, then fixed her gaze on Ethyna. Do you?

I did once, Ethyna said, hanging her head. They were telling truths, right? No sense denying it. Not for a long time, though.

Xaria turned and knocked on the door.

Before the guard could open it, Ethyna said, Xaria?

She turned.

For what it’s worth, he chose well.

~~~~~

Xaria was so weary, lost in her thoughts, that she didn’t notice when the carriage lurched to a halt at the top of the hill.

Miss? the driver said, knocking on the frame of the door he had already opened for her. Are you all right, Miss?

Xaria shook her head and took a deep breath. Yes, thank you. Lost track of time for a moment. She grabbed the bag of fresh greens she’d gotten from the market and stepped down from the carriage. She tipped the driver well and watched as he turned the two-horse contraption around quickly and set off down the hill.

The sun was beginning to set, bathing the hillside and the valley below in a warm, orange glow. The chill was settling back in, but she didn’t mind as much, although she did notice there didn’t appear to be a fire going inside. She wondered what Aton had been up to while she was gone.

She walked around the corner of the house and found Aton and Kaisia sitting on the garden wall. They were looking down into the Valley of the Queens, as they’d done frequently over the past few weeks.

I’m home, she said with a smile.

Kaisia turned, a grin spreading across her face, and slid off the wall, taking a second to steady herself. She walked haltingly toward Xaria, her excitement running headlong into the fact that she was still coming to grips with the braces on her legs that allowed her this mobility. She was a quick study, but had such a long way to go.

Xaria knelt and folded the girl in her arms. Have they come out yet?

Just starting, Kaisia said, squirming free and taking Xaria’s hand to lead her over to the wall.

Hello, Aton said, greeting her with a kiss. Good trip?

I got the errands done that needed to be done, she said, glancing at Kaisia.

Aton nodded and lifted the girl back up onto the wall next to him. See there? He pointed down into the valley, where pinpricks of flickering light were starting to emerge from the thick forest. Must be about dinnertime.

Since Aton had returned from his last job, this had become routine. He and Kaisia would sit on the wall and watch as the sun went down and the campfires of the Widows’ Army began to blaze in the valley below. Xaria supposed it was beautiful, in its way, like fireflies coming out at night. She wondered if Kaisia’s attention was that superficial or whether she was attracted to the idea of so many thousands of people down below, each of them a mystery to her. That girl loved to find out new things about the world.

Xaria cleared her throat.

Speaking of dinner, Aton said, taking the hint. He put Kaisia back down. How about you go wash up, than you can help us get everything ready.

Aton slipped his arm around Xaria’s waist as they watched Kaisia’s progress. All these years, I never thought I’d see her walk.

Xaria nodded, just managing to avoid crying. It was worth it, that last job. All these jobs, to give her something like a normal life.

That was my hope all along, Aton said. I just never thought I’d actually see it.

Once the girl disappeared around the corner, Aton pulled his wife back to the wall, leaning against it. Did you make it through all right?

She pulled the fake pass out of her pocket. It worked this time, but we’ll need to figure out something else moving forward. Those vigilance gangs worry me.

I know, he said, taking the paper. How was it at the jail?

You’d think that would be just as bad, but I had no issues there. I think we’ll be able to work with them, so long as I bring the occasional sweet treat.

Bribery? Aton chuckled.

Is it still bribery if you’re just sharing food? She winked. I can make that defense with a straight face.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Aton said. After an awkward silent moment, he asked, How is she?

Not good, Aton, Xaria said softly, as if to lighten the harsh truth. If she stays in there too much longer it will kill her, regardless of what happens at trial. Any chance to get her released until then?

Aton shook his head. I talked to a couple of former clients who know that world. She likely doesn’t have access to the kind of money she’d need in an ordinary case, and her case isn’t ordinary.

She furrowed her brow, confused.

From what they told me, Ethyna’s being held on some kind of special warrant, signed by the emperor himself. There’s no bail for that kind of thing. We’ll have to think of something else. He took her hand, like he suspected her worry.

She rested her head on his shoulder. It did her good to know you were out there, working for her. I didn’t give her any details, but just that helped. Maybe next time?

Only if I find something first, he said. He stepped away from the wall, pulling her along with him. Come. Dinner awaits!

Chapter 2

Belwyn was ignoring the others. They sat around a fire into which she gazed, focusing her attention on the shapes and patterns of the flames, how they danced to some unheard tune. It wasn’t that the discussion going on around her was trivial. It was very important, but things had bogged down into a discussion of details. After all these days waiting in the forest, she had stopped caring much about details.

I think that about wraps it up for me, Brixton said. After a pause, he added, Is everything all right, Belwyn?

What brought her back into the conversation was that he simply called her Belwyn. It had taken weeks for the former Imperial Army captain, once commander of her personal guard at the Imperial Palace, to drop the honorific Lady. He’d gotten there quicker than Hagan, at least.

Fine, she said, looking up from the fire. Brixton was across from her. To her left sat Hagan, her longtime aide and now confidant. Across from him sat Valpari, Belwyn’s adjutant in the command structure of the Widows’ Army. We have supplies to last a while longer, right?

With strict management, and assuming others continue to provide support, Brixton said, yes. He furrowed his brow, apparently frustrated by having to repeat himself.

Good, she said, like she didn’t notice his annoyance. How’s the census coming, Valpari?

Once the Widows’ Army had settled down in the Valley of the Queens, Belwyn decided that they needed to know just how many of them there were and where they were from. Belwyn had overruled Brixton’s initial objection that such information would provide the Empire with useful evidence to prosecute them should it come to that.

We’re long past the time to worry about that, she had said. Haven’t you said as much before? Didn’t you say that once you helped me escape, you’re likely to be hanged as a deserter if caught?

Brixton couldn’t argue with that point, so shifted to another. It’s less about me or you or Hagan, Lady, than all these other women who have joined you. If they slipped away into the night right now, the IIS would be none the wiser that they were ever involved.

Belwyn appreciated the concern, but thought it was misplaced. We’re all in this together now, she said. It’s Cye or bust.

That is what made this continuing delay all the more frustrating. Belwyn had always intended that this pause was just that, temporary, while she and Coleman, spokesman and conduit to the Unari Pan Democracy League, could plan how best to enter the city and press their cause. But Coleman had been absent more often than not, and Belwyn could feel their momentum slipping away. She was tired of waiting. The census at least gave her something else to focus on.

At the time they made camp here, they numbered more than ten thousand. Another thousand or so had trickled in since, but Belwyn doubted there were many more who would join. It was one thing to be swept up in something larger than yourself, another to set down your life and trek across the Empire to do gods knew what. At least they weren’t losing members at any great rate as they waited in the woods. Not yet, anyway.

 We’re about a quarter of the way through, Valpari said. I really wish we could just get everyone’s basic information, then come back later and collect their stories. We’d have a better collection of information more quickly that way.

Belwyn shook her head. We need personal connections at this point. If it looks like we’re only interested in numbers, I’m afraid we’ll lose people.

That’s not why we’re going to lose people, Valpari said, crossing her arms.

In the back of her mind, Belwyn knew this would be coming, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. What does that mean?

It’s been weeks since we set up camp, Valpari began, like she had rehearsed this. When we were on the march there was a sense of purpose, like history was driving us forward, our ranks always growing. When we stared down those Imperial soldiers? It was like there wasn’t anything this army couldn’t do.

In Belwyn’s head she could still hear the shouts of the women when the soldiers were arrayed in front of them. The words of that nameless old song—we are stronger together—came back to her. So did the way those men, those boys, had decided they couldn’t gun down a bunch of mothers and sisters. She’d never felt more powerful in her life.

And then? Hagan asked, as if he knew Belwyn wouldn’t.

Then, Valpari said, arms spread to take in the camp that stretched into the arboreal darkness, we stopped.

It was necessary, Belwyn said sharply. She sat up straight, trying to project an aura of command. We had to consolidate our forces and plan our next move.

If we’d just kept going into the city, lives would have been lost, Hagan added.

Brixton nodded in agreement.

Valpari scowled. No one would argue that point, nor did anyone object to establishing this camp. But some of us are getting restless at the lack of action. We asked these women to leave their homes, their families in some instances, to join us in a noble undertaking. Before too long, they’re going to wonder if it’s time to go home.

She was right, Belwyn knew. Her home had been at the Imperial Palace, even after Oudrick’s death, but that was taken away when Chakat shuttled her off to Annanais. That was where she was born and raised, but it couldn’t be home so long as Chakat’s goons had turned it into a prison. That was why she ran. So long as Chakat was emperor, she couldn’t go back. She had little to lose and no place to go, something that wasn’t true for most of the other women.

I know it’s frustrating, she said after a moment. I’m frustrated too! But we need to be patient.

Valpari stood, like she was going to run, but instead looked down at the ground. It’s not just a matter of patience, Belwyn. There are rumblings out there about your leadership, that you’ve become weak.

What? Hagan leapt to his feet, like he was going to challenge Valpari to a duel.

Belwyn motioned for them both to sit back down. Tell me.

Valpari sat, picked up a small twig, and threw it into the fire, watching as it burned away. The women know that we’re waiting on Coleman. Some think you’ve let him take control of this army.

Coleman? Belwyn laughed.

Brixton did too. Haven’t they seen how stubborn she can be? How could anyone think Belwyn would give Coleman control over anything?

Belwyn decided to take it as the compliment he intended it to be.

I certainly know that’s true, Valpari said, suppressing a grin, and I think the others who have been with us from near the beginning do too. The newer ones, though, haven’t had the same contact with you. Meanwhile, they sit here all day with little to do aside from gossip and nurse grudges.

Belwyn recognized that she had a point. Where’s Casal? We need to make a better effort communicating to the army. Why we’re waiting and what we’re here to do.

Idira Casal had once interviewed Belwyn for a puff piece that was published in the Imperial Chronicle. She then struck out on her own and wound up writing for the illicit, uncensored broadsheets known as the black pages. She had talked about setting up a small, weekly newsletter for the army, to keep everyone informed about what was happening.

She had to check with some sources in the city, Hagan said. She’ll be back in a few days.

Belwyn stood and stretched. I’ll try to write something before she gets back, a kind of statement of purpose. Will that help?

Valpari stood, too, along with the others. It should. Might help if you made yourself more known around the camp.

Fair point, she said. Anything else?

No one answered.

The spot on Belwyn’s leg where her natural body met her mechanical lower limb was throbbing. Then I’m going to try and get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll know more.

She walked toward her tent, alone, without waiting for anyone to say good night.

~~~~~

It wasn’t a surprise to Belwyn when she found Coleman outside the next morning, sitting at a table, eating breakfast. What did surprise her was how many unfamiliar faces he had with him. To this point, Belwyn had wondered if the Unari Pan Democracy League consisted entirely of Coleman and the woman who he said brought him into the cause. It was with some relief that she realized these new people must be part of the UPDL too. There were four men and two women. All were fairly young, aside from one woman who was Belwyn’s age. A couple of them looked like they hadn’t eaten for days.

Good morning, he said, smiling when he saw her.

Morning, she said, taking the time to make eye contact with each of them before returning to Coleman. Can I talk with you for a moment?

Coleman excused himself and joined her by the tent.

Who are all these people? she asked.

The brain trust of the Unari Pan Democracy League, he said nervously.

Belwyn leaned out just a bit so she could see the table around him. Them? They look like they’re barely out of university!

Yes, they’re young, he said, shifting so that she was looking just at him again. But they’re smart, they’re determined, and they’ve come from all over the Empire to be right here, right now, with you.

Peering over his shoulder one last time, Belwyn began to doubt the wisdom of this alliance with Coleman and the UPDL.

You’ll see, let me introduce you, he said, voice firm but calm. He had gotten very good at being convincing.

They went back to the table and Coleman went around, one by one, making introductions. Belwyn was overwhelmed with the new information and made a point to come back and talk with each of these people so it would sink in.

Finally, Coleman reached the last person, a woman who was the oldest of the group, but still younger than Belwyn. And this, he started to say as the woman jumped to her feet.

Kenholm Granger, she said, extending a hand. Chief executive of the UPDL.

Belwyn was thrown on the back foot for a moment. A woman founded the UPDL?

Not founded, no, Granger said, laughing in that polite and forced way one does at a cocktail party. However, I was one of the first to join, so I’ve charged up the ranks, I suppose.

So you’re the one who recruited him, Belwyn said. That was a wise choice.

He is a treasure, don’t you think? Granger said, eyes bright. You should hear him with a crowd. He can put them right in the palm of his hand. Come such a long way since that first time at Speaker’s Corner in Dewford.

Coleman sighed, like he was about to collapse. That seems like such a long time ago.

Belwyn nodded. I read about it in the papers. It does seem quite a while back.

Granger sat back down, as did Coleman. After an awkward pause, they made room for Belwyn to squeeze in between them.

It’s a real honor to meet you, said one of the young men, who Belwyn just remembered was responsible for UPDL outreach in the Knuria. It means so much to see a Knurian at the head of something like this.

Granger jumped in. I understand you were a bit concerned about how the Knurians fit into all this. She motioned around the table.

Belwyn took note. She’d wondered just what she had shared with Coleman that he might have passed on to others. From now on, she would assume he told Granger, at least, everything. She decided to push on for now. So what brings you all here together, now?

Coleman nodded and another woman produced a copy of yesterday’s Imperial Chronicle. The headline blared, LOYALTY OATHS REQUIRED! in three-inch-high letters.

Belwyn didn’t even bother to read the story itself. This is a joke?

Granger snatched the paper away from her. Hardly. Chakat issued an Imperial decree that requires every subject in the Empire to sign a loyalty oath in the presence of an Imperial official. After that, they’ll have to carry it with them at all times and ready for inspection when ordered.

Belwyn took the paper back and scanned the text. It says something here about a tribute? She looked up for clarification, too stunned to continue.

The Emperor suggests that subjects could make a small offering to his well-being, Coleman said, as if he was quoting the article. Either when they sign the oath or beforehand at a temple.

It was like Belwyn had run headfirst into a brick wall. Of all the things she thought Chakat might have been capable of, this seemed the most deranged. The violence she could understand, as horrible as it was. Has he lost his mind?

He’s your brother-in-law, Granger said, arms folded. Did he ever have one?

Belwyn didn’t answer. Does he think people will really put up with this?

We do not, Coleman said, jumping up. That’s why we want to use it to our advantage.

We do? Belwyn folded the paper and put it down, but kept it in reach. She needed more time to fully digest this.

People will be coming out, either to protest this decree or comply with it, Coleman explained. Either way, it’s a captive audience, one we can help steer to our own ends.

Which are? Sometimes Belwyn had to stop and remember that whatever the UPDL wanted might not be what she wanted.

No citizen should be forced to sign a loyalty oath to an emperor, Granger said. The emperor should pledge to be loyal to his citizens. They are the ones with the ultimate authority.

For the second time in a few moments, Belwyn felt like she’d slipped into an alternate world. You want to bring down the Empire?

Not necessarily, Granger said. "Chakat has to be deposed, that