Well, that went well, Tashi thought bitterly, tapping her fingers on the table.
The new moon rose over an expectant Rama. The fleet was already far away on its journey to
Gerfal, but the people were more interested in the drama close at hand. Tashi's grandmother,
the matriarch of the family, had come to court to hear the Third Crown Princess's findings. She
had not yet been allowed to see her granddaughter, but had been given a place in the front of
the audience for the hearing. The old lady sat grim-faced. If the rumors were true, then their girl
had failed them all in a spectacular fashion.
When Tashi was led into the Hall of the Floating Lily, her grandmother was the first person she
saw. She had managed to remain calm until this point, but the sight of the matriarch's
disapproving expression made her hot with shame and fear. The awareness that she was
displaying her emotion made Tashi feel even more wretched. Now she understood the function
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of all that white paint.
The three Crown Princesses were already seated. In the space usually occupied by the Throne of
Nature, someone had found her a plain wooden chair. Tashi sat down quickly, wishing she could
make herself invisible.
A bell rang and the Third Princess rose.
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"Taoshira of Kai, I have investigated the matters concerning your fitness to rule and will present my conclusions. Firstly, my sisters join me in regretting the ordeal you endured in Gerfal and
your subsequent incarceration. We are aware that this would test the strength of any of us.
However--"
Tashi flinched at the "however." She guessed that it boded ill for her.
"Two concerns remain. The first is that you publicly doubted the Goddess, undermining the
reputation of our creed before the eyes of the world. This is contrary to your vows of office in
which you promised to defend our faith until death."
Tashi pressed her lips together. So Korbin expected her to die rather than waver a fraction. If so,
then she could have no conception of what Tashi had endured and how death would have even
been welcomed by her. Only Ram had saved her from throwing her life away.
Ram.
I must be strong for Ram, she thought, and raised her chin.
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"The second concern," continued Korbin, "admittedly beyond your control, is that it has emerged that your election was flawed. The Chief Priest on Kai is now under arrest while this
matter is investigated. This fact, coupled with your weakness under trial, suggests that you
should never have been chosen for the role you now occupy. The Goddess's will was not
followed when you were erroneously instated as Princess."
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Tashi put her face in her hands, not wanting them to see her shame. She had never felt worthy,
now this was publicly confirmed.
"The procedure in this case is clear. The election is to be declared null and void and a search for the correct candidate to be instigated."
The Second Crown Princess raised her hand.
"Yes, sister?"
"Are we not to vote on this?" Safilen asked, her voice tight with anger.
Korbin shook her head. "We cannot vote to uphold a corrupt election. We have no choice but to
reject the false one and quickly find a replacement."
So that was it: they were casting her out. Abruptly, Tashi got up from her seat and turned to go.
There seemed no requirement for her presence any longer and she had no stomach to sit
through deliberations on the unfortunate girl to succeed her. At least now she could return to
Holt and search for Ramil.
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That's if he still wanted her when she found him.
"Taoshira, you are not free to leave," the Third Crown Princess said severely.
"I would've thought you would be pleased," Tashi said quietly, standing with her head hung.
"Anyone who has held the office of Crown Princess cannot simply walk out and rejoin society."
"Then I'll go somewhere else, away from the Islands." Tears were running down Tashi's face. She brushed them off, angry at herself for her weakness.
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"But, I repeat, you are not free under law to do so. You must return to the Silent Court and live out your days in the seclusion of the temple."
Tashi spun round to stare in horror at Korbin. "I cannot--I will not believe that this is the
Goddess's will for me! You take away my position, my self-respect, and now my last chance to
find happiness. I beg you to show mercy."
"Child," the First Crown Princess intervened, "there is no happier being than one who has chosen to serve the Goddess in the Silent Court."
"But I do not choose it--not now, maybe not ever." Her voice cracked with panic.
"Sisters," implored Safilen, "is this necessary? Taoshira has been tested enough. Why not let her be free on her own terms?"
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"Because that is not the law," Korbin said resolutely. She turned back to Tashi. "But you may bid your family farewell before returning to the Goddess's Enclosure for the last time. There is no
law against that."
Tashi stood for a moment, feeling as if her heart was crumbling into pieces inside her. She had
nothing left to live for, no hope of rejoining Ramil, no future. Fergox had been cruel, but this was
a trial beyond any she had endured. Mechanically she walked to her grandmother, knelt, and
kissed the hem of her robe.
"Sorry," she said briefly, then left with her escort, no longer caring what became of her.
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Chapter 20
Fergox's troops had a miserable time marching as fast as they could endure from their camp on
the borders of Gerfal to the capital, Tigral--a journey of hundreds of weary miles. The wagon
train was ambushed in Brigard.
Stragglers were set upon by bandits in Kandar. By the time they reached the open plains of Holt,
they were all itching to be home and take their revenge upon the slave rebels who had caused
them to miss the conquest of Gerfal.
Riding at the head of his army on his second-best horse, Fergox knew he was paying for his
mistake of pushing ahead with expansion while
neglecting the lands he already owned. He took the lesson philosophically.
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Perhaps this slave revolt was a timely reminder. Once the revolt was crushed and the
ringleaders disposed of, he would have to impress his rule more firmly on his people. He
pondered the punishment of killing a tally of all slaves across the Empire, even those who took
no part in the rebellion. If he killed one in five that would reduce his workforce, but he could
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make sure that only the least valuable were chosen to bear the penalty. Yes, that would be
fitting and stamp out any embers of revolt. As for the one they called the Dark Prince, some
jumped-up slave currently lording it in the palace, he would be executed very slowly in the slave
market where he belonged.
Fergox camped at the last crossroads before the city walls and summoned his commanders. In
the last few miles, his forces had been swollen by those who had escaped from the city. They
brought with them tales of the ferocity of the galley slaves and the widespread unrest. Most of
the rich families had fled--if they hadn't been murdered in their beds by their own servants. The
middling folk, the shopkeepers and the tradesmen, had stayed to look alter their property,