Page 39 of The Concubine King
Yorith wanted him to be king?Fine.He would be.
He stopped and turned, startling Poyut to an abrupt halt as well.“Who is Lyrian?”he demanded.
She blinked at him, speechless for a few seconds.“Uh… Lyrian, Master of the Guards?”
“Master of the Guards?!”Ethyr repeated, exasperated.“So don’t you answer tohim?”
“Not anymore, not since I was promoted to this position.Yorith is in charge of all palace guards.”
Ethyr ground his teeth together.Of course he was.“Is there a way I can speak to him?”
“To Lyrian?”
“Yes!”
Poyut’s gaze drifted around.She looked mostly confused.“Maybe… but Yorith has confined you to your room.While that holds, I don’t think there is—”
“Try,” Ethyr ordered.
Poyut stared at him, shocked.He turned back around and marched the rest of the way to his room, leaving Poyut scrambling to keep up.She followed him in and watched him scoop up the shawl and jewelry to stuff into a chest.
“Why do you want to talk to Lyrian…?”
Ethyr glanced at the open doorway and the guards stationed to either side of it.Guards who, according to Poyut, reported directly to Yorith.
“Nevermind,” he muttered.
Poyut followed his gaze, then frowned at him.“I really am sorry, Ethyr.I just… I don’t have the influence you think I do.”
Ethyr closed his eyes.“I said nevermind.It’s fine.Just go.”He closed the chest and sat heavily on it, dropping his head into his hands.“Wait.”He lifted his head.Poyut halted in the doorway.“The man who gave me that cloak… his name was Kyarin.He had pale skin and dark, short hair; darker and straighter than mine.He said he was coming to Mahyria.Can you try to find him?I want to give it back.”
“Of course, Your Divinity.I will see what I can find.”She lingered another few seconds before dipping her head and hurrying out.
The following days, the only time the door was opened was when a random servant brought trays of food to Ethyr.A few times in the beginning he heard Poyut arguing with the guards in the hall, but after that there were no familiar faces.Not even Gionan.
Ethyr's rage simmered to annoyance, then frustration, then boredom.He paced his room; studied the tapestries; ate his meals as slowly as possible; he even tried on every article of clothing in the chests.But the days dragged on, every second longer than the last, until he was literally counting them for lack of anything better to do.
After a week, his resolve had evaporated to desperation.When there was a knock on his door, he flung himself off the bed to eagerly open it.The servants had always just walked in.
Yorith stood in the doorway, hands behind his back and chin held high as he peered down at Ethyr.“Are you ready to begin your lessons with Dessin again?”he asked.
Even a few days ago, he might have responded with vitriol.But the thought of having something—anything—to do at that point was like a glass of cold water in a drought.
“Yes,” Ethyr said quickly.
“Good.Get dressed.Poyut will retrieve you shortly.”Yorith closed the door.Ethyr watched it for a moment, his stomach sinking as he realized that Yorith had won, that he was giving the man exactly what he wanted.Compliance.But hehadwon, long before this.Ethyr would never be able to beat him, Yorith was simply proving that.Ethyr had no choice but to play the game as he designed.
He sullenly got dressed in an outfit Gionan had put him in before and was taken to the temple.Dessin acted like nothing had happened and they were simply carrying on exactly as they’d left off.At least the topics held a glimmer of fascination, in that they were more interesting than absolute boredom.
“Ethyr,” Poyut whispered as they made the short walk from the temple back to the carriage.“I can’t get you a meeting with Lyrian, but if you can convince Yorith to let you into the city with me, I can bring you to the administration forum.It’s where Lyrian and all the officials hold office and counsel.”
“If I can convince Yorith to let me?”Ethyr repeated in a mumble.“When he won’t even let me leave my room?”
“That can’t be forever,” Poyut reassured him.“If Yorith thinks you’re obedient he’ll be much more lenient, I’m sure.”
Ethyr stopped halfway to the carriage.Poyut looked at him in surprise, halting as well.
“Are you really not upset anymore?”he asked.
