The king made a small noise deep in his throat. “I
understand you lost your own family to the Kozari.”
The sharp pang never dulled, not even decades later.
Even before the war had begun, Volos’s father— an ardent advocate for peace—
had been forced to flee Kozar. He hadn’t been safe in Wedeyta, though. Kozari
assassins had tracked him down eventually. While Volos hid in terror inside a cupboard,
the men had murdered everyone. They’d likely have sought out Volos and killed
him too, but a neighbor had been visiting at the time— a sweet boy who was
friends with one of Volos’s sisters— and the assassins had mistaken the child
for Volos.
“Yes, sir,” Volos said evenly. “My parents and my
siblings.”
“How do you feel about the
Kozari?” asked Prince Chidehu.
“I don’t…” Volos scratched at his hair. “I killed a
lot of them during the war.”
“And?”
“And… it didn’t bring my family back to life.” Did
admitting this amount to treason?
“It never does,” the king replied sadly. Then his gaze
sharpened. “How far does your loyalty to the crown go?”
“As far as it needs to.” Volos’s heart began to pound
heavily, although he wasn’t sure why.
“You’ve risked your life in service to this country.
Would you do it again?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Why?”
“I… I took an oath, sir.”
The king continued to stare at him. “An oath is only
words.”
“No, it’s—” Volos stopped himself. Took a deep breath.
The ground beneath him now felt more dangerous than any battlefield. “I beg
your pardon, Your Majesty. But to me, an oath is much more than that. My
promise is… apart from my sword, it’s the only thing of value I possess. And
even the best sword can be replaced. My… my integrity cannot.”
It was an honest answer, and perhaps also the right
one, because something in the king’s eyes softened slightly, and he nodded. But
he wasn’t through with the interrogation. “Captain Hiwot informs me that
Berhanu’s display in this room was hardly the first time he’s treated you with…
scorn.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I’ve tried to behave
respectfully toward him, and—”
“Yes. Your captain tells me this as well. She says
your restraint has been quite admirable, in fact.”
Another shift of the floor beneath him. Volos wished
he had something to hold on to for balance. “Thank you, sir.”
“Volos Perun, does your loyalty to the crown extend to
Prince Berhanu? Would you risk your life for him as well?”
“Yes, sir,” Volos answered immediately, even though
his tongue was thick.
King Tafari and Prince Chidehu exchanged a very long
look, clearly having a silent conversation. Perhaps they reached an agreement,
because they both turned to him at once.
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” said Chidehu.
“Because you may very well end up dying on my brother’s behalf.”
***
PS--Next Monday you can listen to the amazing Amy Lane and me being interviewed on the radio. If you're in the Sacramento region you can listen live, 9am on June 9. Or anyone can listen later online here.
No comments:
Post a Comment