Page 60 of The Concubine King
“Well.”Poyut’s face went grim.“He’s ordered you locked inside your room again.”
“No!”Ethyr groaned.
“You’ll have lessons still, but Dessin will come here instead.”
Ethyr buried his face in his hands.“Poyut,” he whined.“What am I supposed to do?”
“I heard everything that happened.I don’t think it’s your disappearance that’s made him do this, I think it’s Lyrian.Yorith knows you spoke to him and now he’s stood up for you.The High Priest is suspicious.”
Ethyr jerked his head up.“He didn’t stand up for me!”he exclaimed.“He just didn’t want to destroy innocent peoples’ livelihoods!He’s a better man than Yorith and Yorith knows it and can’t stand it!”
“Ethyr,” Poyut said quietly, the flickering shadows of firelight across her face making her appear even more solemn.“Don’t make assumptions.The both of them are dangerous men.”
You need to be wary of Lyrian.Kiaro’s words rang in his head like an echo of Poyut’s.Why was everyone warning him against the one person who was trying to help him?
Kiaro.God of deception.
“Poyut,” Ethyr said again, calmer.“Does anyone besides me speak directly to the gods?”
She tilted her head.“The High Priest does, of course.And the Head Priest, I think.”
He clenched his fists in the sheets.“And you work for Yorith, right?You report directly to him.”
“...Yes,” she replied slowly.“I told you so.”
“Did you tell him about my conversation with Lyrian?”
“Of course not.I only said we toured the forum and you did speak briefly with him, but also with Alania and Justice Malor.”
Ethyr stared at the silk sheet covering his lap, biting his lip.
“I’m not colluding with the High Priest, Ethyr, I promise.”
“Then why are you standing up for him?You’ve seen everything he’s done.That he’s doing.”
Poyut sighed.“Because he’s no worse than anyone else in a position of power, and he’s respected enough that I know he does his job well if nothing else.”
“So destroying innocent people’s homes is doing his job well?”Ethyr muttered.
“I didn’t say that.But he hasn’t destroyed anyone’s home.”
“Yet.”
Poyut sighed, tilting her chin down to regard him.“You know, when I met with him about this position, he asked me whether I was willing to protect the king at any cost, and under any circumstance.Even against direct orders from my superiors.”
Ethyr frowned.“He probably asks that to every King’s Guard,” he muttered.
“Maybe.But he knew the gods’ choice was going to cause tension, and even though he himself didn’t like it, he still made your safety a priority.”
“Not the safety of my family, my friends!”
“I know.I’m not saying I like him or approve of his methods.But my job is to keep you safe, and I take that very seriously.I don’t believe Lyrian is any safer an ally than Yorith.”
“How would you even know?What do you know about them?”
Poyut sighed and sat on the bed.“To be honest, not much.I was a lowly foot soldier in the Walklands for most of my career, and was only a cavalry soldier for a year before I was promoted to this position.I didn’t see Lyrian very much and never interacted directly with him, and never once saw Yorith before he chose me as King’s Guard.”
“Then why?”
