As Jan entered, applause rose and swelled, intermingled with cheers and calls of “Huzzah, Hirzg Jan!” He stood in the doorway as if pinned in place by the accolades, his arms lifting slowly, almost regretfully, to accept them. “Go on,” she whispered to him as he continued to stand there. “Go on down to them.”
He glanced back over his shoulder to her. “With you, Matarh,” he said, offering her his arm. She came forward to take it, smiling as she did so. The applause swelled and enveloped them.
She looked over the bright crowd. Black and silver predominated, as it did in all Firenzcian celebrations, echoing the colors of the banners hung high along the walls. Teni-lights gleamed brightly in the chandeliers, illuminating the ca’-and-cu’ of Brezno, all of them gazing toward the two of them. Their faces were snared in smiles, some of them genuine, but many overlaying concern and uncertainty and mistrust. No one could miss the number of Garde Hirzg stationed around the sides of the hall and strolling carefully through the crowd, their gazes solemn and diligent, nor Commandant cu’Gottering entering the hall directly behind Jan and Allesandra, or Starkkapitan ca’Damont’s dominating presence as well as many of his chevarittai offiziers. Firenzcia had now lost two Hirzgs in less than a year, and the A’Hirzg they knew had given the staff and sword to her son, whom they knew little despite his recent prominence. It was obvious that Firenzcia planned to have no more losses.
Firenzcia was used to change: in the lifetimes of many of those applauding Allesandra and Jan’s entrance, they’d experienced a great battle lost to Nessantico; they’d seen Allesandra herself held as hostage; they’d watched her revered vatarh abandon her in favor of her younger brother; they’d trembled as the old Hirzg Jan had seceded from the Holdings to create the Coalition; they’d witnessed the sundering of the Concenzia Faith as well, with Archigos ca’Cellibrecca defying the old seat in Nessantico and the ascension of Archigos Ana; they’d cheered as the Coalition grew stronger with each passing year, as it seemed that the Coalition might one day even eclipse the Holdings.
In their lives, Firenzcia had gone from a servant of the Holdings to its greatest rival. Brezno’s light now rivaled that of Nessantico herself.
They felt optimistic about Firenzcia and about the Breznoian branch of the Faith, but this year had shattered much of that optimism. Allesandra knew that they cheered now more for the hope that the new Hirzg Jan represented than for Jan himself.
If they knew what she planned… She wondered what their faces would look like then, and if they’d even be able to conjure up smiles at all.
Semini was among the forefront of the throng, his green-clad teni staff around him. Allesandra held onto Jan’s hand as they descended the steps. As the crowd began to close around Jan, many of them parents with their young, unmarried daughters prominently in tow, she pressed his arm. “Be polite to your subjects,” she whispered to him. “You never know which one of them you might need as an ally-or a wife.”
“Where are you going, Matarh?” he whispered back, and she could hear the apprehension in his voice.
“Don’t worry; I’ll be here and I’ll rescue you if I see something amiss. I need to talk with Archigos ca’Cellibrecca.” She nodded to the ca’-and-cu’ as they gathered around Jan and slipped through the crowd, greeting those she passed. The music had begun again, but most of those in the hall ignored the call of the dance to have their moment with the new Hirzg. “Archigos,” she said as she came to Semini, standing to one side of the crowd. His o’teni attendants, smiling and giving Allesandra the sign of Cenzi, moved aside to let her approach, and carefully returned to their own coversations.
He nodded to her, giving her the sign of Cenzi then holding out his hands to her. She took them, pressing her fingers to his for a moment before releasing him. They’d not had an opportunity to be together since their meeting at Stag Fall, over a month ago now, but there had been letters and the carefully-phrased messages. She knew how she wanted this evening to end: the arrangements had already been made-Semini would come to her rooms after the reception. She smiled. “So good to see you again, Archigos. Where is your wife this evening? I expected to see Francesca with you.” Always polite in public, always saying the right things.
“She’s not… feeling well and sends her apologies to you and the Hirzg,” Semini told her. “In fact, she has not felt well for some time, and I made arrangements for her to go to the spas at Kishkoros-she’ll be there for another week; I understand they’re quite invigorating and restorative.”
Allesandra nodded, pleased at the news: that removes one impediment to our affair. “They are. I’m certain the rest will do her constitution wonders-though I hope it doesn’t leave you too lonely.” She pressed his hands again.
He smiled at that, perhaps a bit too broadly. She saw one of his o’tenis raise her eyebrows in their direction, and Allesandra released Semini’s hands. “I’m certain that work will prevent me from missing Francesca too much. There will be much that the Faith can do to help the new Hirzg, don’t you think?”
“I know that Jan will be most grateful to you, Archigos. As will I.” She glanced over to the close knot of people around Jan. He was smiling broadly, shaking hands and touching shoulders, and there were young women gathered all around him. Despite his earlier apprehension, he seemed to be enjoying himself. The nascent knot in Allesandra’s stomach eased somewhat. Commandant cu’Gottering remained at his side, watching closely, his hand never far from the sword at his side. Allesandra suspected that despite the gilded elegance of the hilt, the commandant’s blade was quite serviceable. For that matter, she knew that Semini himself was an excellent war-teni, and had no doubt others of the teni with him were the same.
Jan was safe here. She could enjoy the evening, and enjoy watching the social maneuvers of the ca’-and’cu’ who had been invited. “Since Councilor ca’Cellibrecca can’t be here,” she said to Semini, “perhaps you would dance with me later?”
White teeth glistened through the salt-and-pepper beard; he bowed his head slightly. “I would greatly enjoy that. Would you care to walk with me, A’Hirzg?-my teni have put a lovely display in the garden, and I would like to show it to you.” He held out his arm to her. She hesitated a moment-the ca’-and’cu’ might not be paying as much attention to her as to her son, but they would notice. They always noticed. But she slipped her hand into the proffered arm and let him escort her to one of the balconies off the upper balcony of the hall. His o’teni, she noticed, carefully arranged themselves at the balcony doors as they passed through, facing into the room so that when Allesandra glanced back, she saw nothing but green-clad backs, though the door remained politely open.
“They’re well-trained,” she said, and Semini grinned.
“And they’re very discreet. Look,” he said, moving to the left side of the balcony, where even if someone tried to look out from the hall over the wall of the o’teni, they wouldn’t easily see the two of them. Below, the gardens of Brezno Palais were alight with balls of glowing light that wafted gently along the paths: achingly deep purples, searing blues, brilliant reds, greens the color of spring grass, yellows more intense than summer flowers. The night was comfortably cool and the stars mimicked the garden in a sky decorated with silver clouds. Couples from the reception wandered the maze of the gardens, hand in hand.
Semini’s warmth covered her back, his arms around her, pressing her against him. “I’ve missed you, Allesandra.”
“Semini…” She leaned back into his embrace, feeling the desire rising up in her. He smelled of soap and the oil on his hair and musk. She imagined herself astride him, moving with him…