“Who is this one, Knotai?” Fortuona asked, curious. “She thinks herself high.”
“Oh, well,” Mat said idly, “she’s just the Dragon Reborn’s woman.”
Catrona, who at the side of the room had bowed herself to the ground, made a strangled sound. She looked up at Min with bulging eyes.
Light, Min thought. She probably thinks she’s offended me or something.
“How curious,” Fortuona said. “That would make her your equal, Knotai. Of course, you seem to have forgotten to bow again.”
“My father would be mortified,” Mat said. “He always did pride himself on my memory.”
“You embarrass me in public again.”
“Only as much as I embarrass myself.” He smiled, then hesitated, as if thinking through those words a second time.
The Empress smiled as well, though she looked distinctly predatory. She moved into the room, and the people rose, so Min climbed to her feet. Mat immediately began to push her toward the door.
“Mat, wait,” Min whispered.
“Just keep moving,” he said. “Don’t risk her deciding to snatch you up. She’s not particularly good at letting things go, once she has them in hand.” He actually sounded proud, saying that.
You’re as crazy as they are, Min thought. “Mat, a bloody flower.”
“What?” he said, still shoving her.
“A bloody flower around her head,” Min said. “A death lily. Someone is going to try to kill her very soon.”
Mat froze. Fortuona turned sharply.
Min didn’t realize that two guards were moving until they had her pressed against the ground. They were the odd ones in the black armor—though now that she was close, Min could see it was actually a dark green.
Idiot, she thought as they pressed her face against the floor. I should have let Mat pull me from the room first. She hadn’t made a mistake like that—speaking of one of her viewings loud enough for others to hear—in years. What was wrong with her?
“Stop!” Mat said. “Let her up!”
Mat might have been elevated to the Blood, but the guards obviously had no problem ignoring a direct order from him.
“How does she know this, Knotai?” Fortuona asked, stepping up to Mat. She sounded angry. Perhaps disappointed. “What is happening?”
“It’s not what you assume, Tuon,” Mat said.
No, don’t—
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“She sees things,” Mat continued. “It’s nothing to get all angry about. It’s just a trick of the Pattern, Tuon. Min sees visions around people, like little pictures. She didn’t mean anything by what she said.” He laughed. It was forced.
The room grew very still. It was so quiet, Min could once again hear the explosions in the distance.
“Doomseer,” Fortuona whispered.
The guards suddenly let her free, backing away. Min groaned, sitting up. The guards had moved to protect the Empress, but one who had touched her pulled his gauntlets off and tossed them to the ground. He wiped his hand against his breastplate, as if trying to clean his skin of something.
Fortuona didn’t seem afraid. She stepped up to Min, lips parting, almost in awe. The young Empress reached out and touched Min’s face. “What he says… it is true?”
“Yes,” Min said, grudgingly.
“What do you see around me?” Fortuona said. “Speak it, Doomseer. I would know your omens, and judge you true or false!”