Page 104 of The Moon Blessed King
Alest’s hand takes Elician’s and squeezes it. He smiles at Elician, happy and proud.We did it.
There is only one more thing they need to do before they can focus on the building of their new nation. ‘My brother,’ Alest says. ‘I would like for him to leave Alelune.’
‘You want him in Soleb?’ Morsen asks.
‘He is loathed here,’ Alest says. ‘He will never be able to…be anything other than who he is. There will be no change. Here, the whole of Alelune will be his cell, and he will remain ever a monster behind its bars.’ He grimaces when he turns to face Morsen fully. He needs to force himself to meet the man’s eyes, ashamed of the asking. ‘Your wife gave us a home once. I don’t imagine Gillage will be easyto manage but…I know Elena won’t let him pretend the world is his to command.’
Morsen doesn’t answer right away. Alest is grateful for that. It’s a question that requires contemplation. ‘She would be delighted to try to make something of him,’ he eventually says. ‘If nothing else, she’ll enjoy having someone to talk to about science.’
‘Thank you, Morsen,’ Alest says. ‘I truly mean it.’
‘That boy owes you a great deal more than his life, you know, if he turns out well in the end.’
‘That’s his choice too,’ Alest says. ‘We all have our own choices to make.’
‘And Nured?’ Elician asks. Alest flinches.
‘If I choose to kill him, it’s murder, is it not? Because Ipersonallywant him dead when he…he did nothing legally wrong. Everything he did was sanctioned by Gillage or my queen.’
‘Everything?’ Elician asks slowly.
‘I can’t prove the rest.’
‘Does he have anyone? Family, friends? People who will care?’ He asks the questions through gritted teeth, displeasure evident but intention clear. Alest shakes his head. ‘Let himtrulybecome something else and start his journey again,’ Elician whispers. ‘This life is over for him…he has made his choices. He isn’t a boy like Gillage, turned twisted and wrong by fate. Nured knew what he was doing when he tortured you as a child, when he torturedLioand encouraged Gillage into violence. He always knew.’
Morsen looks between them. He doesn’t interrupt. Elician is glad for that, because when Alest nods his consent, it seems to take everything within him to manage it. Elician closes his eyes. He reaches out with his mind and his heart and his very being. He finds the mind and body and shape of a man who has been nothing but darkness and pain for many years. He finds the soul deep within Nured’s body, takes it and forces it to start its cycle anew.Die, he thinks. And knows the moment it occurs. Vengeance and justice taking place at once.
‘Done,’ Elician whispers.
He holds Alest to him, and Alest clings to his back. Guilt and uncertainty and despair and relief shiver across Elician’s senses as he presses his lips to Alest’s brow. With one death, there is so much relief, and that too is a sign of life persevering.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Alest
With Morsen’s help, they arrange a summit at the Blessedsafe for key members of both the Soleben and Alelunen political factions. Elician’s delegation is handled by Adalei, but Alest’s is far more complicated. Aside from tangential blood relations that were all meticulously whittled away by Queen Alenée, the lords and ladies of his court are meant to be made up of war heroes and members of society who have done an act of service to the crown deserving of attention.Your court is who you deem worthy of being at court, Partho explained simply.It will take time to grow.
Alest selects the obvious, then: Partho, Leferge and those who had served his mother but balked at serving Gillage outright. Then he chooses the less obvious: two of his Reapers from the cells and Madame Leonde.
Leonde is distinctly uncomfortable with the invitation. ‘I run an inn and work as a barkeep, Your Grace.’
He nods. ‘That is true, but all the people who came to Alerae did so because you started the march. They came because of you just as much as me, and I won’t forget that.’
‘I can tell a good story, but I have no head for politics, Your Grace. I’m not—’
‘I’ve spent most of my life underground, Madame – I don’tknowmy people. All I know of them is what you and a few others have told me, and all I have in my ear for what my people want and need arethem.’ He gestures to the nobles and their assembling staff. ‘I need a voice that I can trust isfromthe people I intend to serve. I can’t be the king you need if I don’t know what you need, or if I only depend on second-hand accounts from the people made rich off your work.’
‘If my king commands it.’ She bows her head.
‘It’s not a command,’ he corrects softly. ‘I just…I would be grateful for your help, Madame.’
She flushes, then nods. ‘I’ll…I’ll prepare then.’ Bowing again, she retreats a few steps and then leaves. Alest watches her go. He tilts his head, wanting to ask Elician a question, but the other man is not there; he’s with Morsen somewhere in the palace, discussing final matters regarding the summit and what Soleb should prepare.
Morsen will ride ahead with details for Elician’s court, and Alest knows such things are important for Elician to oversee, but after so long constantly being at each other’s sides, it still catches Alest off guard when he turns to find that he is alone. He doesn’t have anyone else he can speak to as a friend.
Most of Cat’s Reapers have scattered across Alelune. Some have already gone directly to Soleb. Some want to find their own way beyond the reach of the rest of humanity. Few wish to stay in the capital city, let alone its surrounding area. They, like him, have longed for someplace far away. He doesn’t begrudge their choice, though watching them leave hurt more than he thought it could.
‘You can be sad over a happy thing,’ Elician told him.
