He looked--as she would have expected from the emperor's son--empire-born. Of course, they were all born in the empire, but the term was used to denote those who came from the original kingdom that had eventually conquered the surrounding lands and formed the empire. His skin was the color of golden sand, his hair straight and black, his cheekbones high, and his dark eyes slightly tilted. It was, within the empire, considered the highest standard of beauty--a standard, Moria suspected, set by those who ruled it. She was not herself given to preferring any regional "look" over another, but even she would admit the boy was very well formed from face to physique, and she allowed her gaze to linger as he approached.
"Hello, Gavril," he said with a genuine smile. "It's good to see you back."
Gavril managed a stiff bow. In turn, Tyrus bowed to Ashyn and Moria.
"The Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood, I presume. I'm Tyrus Tatsu. Welcome to the imperial city."
"This does not concern you, your highness," Ellyn said. "It is a spiritual matter."
"Oh?" He stopped before them. "It sounded like a martial matter from where I was standing. Do you always discuss the spirits with shouts and drawn blades?"
"Your highness--" Thea began.
"Have the young Keeper and Seeker come for guidance? Additional training?"
"No, your highness," Ashyn said. "We bear a message for your imperial father. One that we have been instructed to deliver to his hand."
"Oh?" He gave a feigned look of confusion for the old women. "That does not seem like a spiritual matter at all."
"The spiritual matter is that they ought not to be in this city. Two Keepers and two Seekers ought not to occupy the same locati
on."
Again he faked confusion. "But it's been done, hasn't it? I seem to recall that one of the traveling pairs visited court last summer."
Moria bit her cheek as Ellyn's face darkened. Challenges and arguments posed as innocent questions were not Moria's style, but she could see the advantage of the strategy. There was no way the old Seeker could argue without seeming rude, particularly when the one asking was an imperial prince.
"Your highness," Ashyn said to Tyrus. "If we could explain the situation--"
"There is no need to bother the young prince--"
"The village of Edgewood is no more," Moria said. "The people of Edgewood are dead, massacred. The children were spared, but if we do not get this missive to the emperor, their lives are forfeit, as are the lives of every villager in Fairview."
Silence. Tyrus stared at her, stunned. "Your entire village . . ."
"Yes, your highness. Every man and woman. Now mercenaries hold the children in Fairview, under siege."
"We have only their word, your highness," Ellyn said. "Three children, one of them the son--"
"One of them a warrior in service of the empire," Tyrus said. "A boon companion who trained with me. Although given that Gavril is several moons my senior, I suppose that means I am merely a child, too."
"Of course not, your highness."
Tyrus turned to the two guards. "Would you leave us, please?"
Once they'd walked out of earshot, Tyrus turned to Moria and Ashyn. "The deeper problem, I fear, is that my father is not in the city."
"Your highness!" Thea said.
"It is, as you see, a matter of some secrecy. The people do not like their emperor to leave, yet my father feels the occasional need and does so unbeknownst to his subjects and most of his staff. I will, of course, have my brothers send a party to retrieve him. In the meantime, I would like to offer you the hospitality of the court. It has very richly appointed guest rooms for visiting dignitaries, which you are. Our Keeper and Seeker will remain in their quarters, in the Chambers of the Divine, suitably separated from you, should the proximity make the spirits uneasy."
Ellyn grumbled but allowed that this was reasonable.
"You ladies may take your leave, then," Tyrus said. "I will escort the young Keeper and Seeker to their quarters. The less time you spend in their presence, the safer it will be."
Thea and Ellyn withdrew with their beasts trailing after them.
"My apologies for that," Tyrus said when they were gone. "Things have been . . . difficult this last moon, which is why my father needed a rest."