On that fateful day, as the fall turned to winter, perhaps three months after Mai had arrived at Asan Paril, she could scarcely believe her ears.

Ishad had rushed into her apartments at the Palace to tell her the news, and Mai could tell he could scarcely believe it either.

“Say that again,” she told him slowly, clearly. “Say that again.” My God, that can’t be true.

“I learned this the moment I reported to Belium Tarquin’s house for work today,” said Ishad. “And I rushed back to you as soon as I heard. There is an army outside the White Walls. Asan Paril is surrounded by Makini forces.”

“Do you know who leads them?” asked Mai, desperately trying to make sense of something that did not.

“It is said that the Makini are led by one who is called Strong Hand.”

“What’s the general’s real name?” asked Mai.

“You should sit down for this,” said Ishad.

Instantly, Mai sat back downwards, onto the bed. “What is the general’s real name?” she repeated.

Ishad stood over her, and while it was day, no bright light shined through the window now.

“The general’s name,” said Ishad, “is Varsis Hakshi dol Makin.”

“No,” said Mai, horrified. “Anyone but Varsis. Anyone but Varsis.”

“We both encountered him at Bola,” said Ishad. “He’s not the worst we faced. He’s no demon, just a man.”

“You don’t understand,” said Mai. “Varsis is more than just any Makini. He’s the best general to come along in a hundred years. A prodigy.”

“Asan Paril has never fallen to siege,” said Ishad. “You can’t argue with facts. We’re going to be alright.”

“The day…the day my father died, Varsis tried to kill me,” said Mai. “If anyone can break through the walls, it is him, and he will be back to finish the job.”

“Calm down.”

And oddly, Mai did. She looked up at Ishad, through tears she didn’t remember crying.

Mai stood up. “What now?” she asked. “And…why was this so sudden? Armies take time to move. Varsis’ forces should have been spotted days ago.”

“They were,” said Ishad. “But, as Asan Paril is neutral, High Lord Ashat thought they were just moving through the territory, to some other objective. It was not until this morning that the truth was found out.”

“How could Tur be so incompetent?” asked Mai.

“I don’t know,” Ishad admitted. “Maybe he was preoccupied.”

“Preoccupied?” asked Mai. “How can anyone be too preoccupied to not think about an army?”

“It’s not clear,” said Ishad. “One thing that is known, however, is that the other Paril Lords are not happy with Ashat. Spearheaded by Savel, they organized a meeting, to determine what should be done, not only about the army, but about Ashat as well.”

***

Tur is Ashat sat upon his seat of honor in the meeting room of the Paril lords. Including himself, they numbered seven.

And six to one were not good odds to work with.

Before Tur’s upraised seat, there was a great oak table, with three lesser chairs on either side. Each chair contained the Lord of one of the seven Paril. And not a one was happy with Tur.

Savel sat at the chair immediately to Tur’s left. He was the most vocal of the others. He was the ringleader. And that smirk on his face was gloating his victory.

“High Lord Ashat,” said Savel, “you are not a popular man right now.”

“I gave you my reasons for considering the army to be harmless,” said Tur. It was all he could do to restrain from banging a fist on the table. “No one would have thought any different than I.”

“You could have made better preparations for this eventuality,” said Savel, looking up at Tur in his high chair.

“I…”

“Public opinion is against you now,” said Savel. “And against you quite strongly. In times of need, as like this, when the High Lord of Asan Paril is acting in ways that endanger the city, as like now, the Paril Lords can oust him. We need a unanimous vote, but I am sure one will be reached. All who vote for Ashat’s removal, say aye. Aye,” Savel added, voting for himself.

The words traveled around the table.

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

Now, the only Lord left who had not cast his vote was the Lord of the Seventh Paril, the venerable Falil is Heratad. Lord Heratad studied Tur carefully, and for a moment, Tur dared to hope that the old man might vote nay, and give Tur a second chance.

Tur was mistaken.

“Aye,” said Lord Heratad.

Savel smiled upon the confirmation of his victory. “As the esteemed former High Lord Tur is Ashat has no wife, children, or siblings, and thus, no heirs, his line is now defunct. I, as the Lord of the Second Paril, have the greatest claim to the seat of the High Lord, now that Ashat is removed from that position. Therefore, I am now High Lord Savel is Varad, Lord of the First Paril. My younger brother Hiro, is now Lord of the Second, in my stead.”

Savel looked carefully at Tur. “You no longer deserve that chair,” he said. “Get up.”

In that moment, Tur realized that Savel had won their long rivalry, in a way he had never thought possible. Tur knew of no way to resist. He got up.

As Tur moved away from the chair, Savel took his seat, and leaned back upon his new throne.

Tur stood off to the side.

“I see that, as my brother is not here, the chair of the Lord of the Second is now empty,” said Savel. He looked at Tur. “Just this once, my former lord, you may sit upon it. But that chair is not yours.”

And so Tur sat, utterly disgraced and humiliated.

“The next order of business,” said Savel, “is what to do about the Makini army outside the White Walls.” A smile touched his face. “They need to be negotiated with, but who should we send. Who is…expendable. The former lord Ashat, of course.”

Tur saw the looks on the faces of those around him. They were not pleasant looks. “I am not afraid of going outside these walls,” he said. “If you wish me to go to the enemy, then I shall. You all are more cowards than I.”

“Safe cowards,” Savel corrected, with yet another irritating smile. “This meeting is adjourned.”

Tur came to the conclusion that a single mistake had cost everything, both to him, and to the city he so loved.

***

Mai sat on her bed. How could everything fall apart so quickly? she wondered. “We have to find Broken,” she said out loud. “He’ll know…something.”

“Finding him is easier said than done,” said Ishad.

And that was the truth. Neither of them had seen Broken in a month, though Mai doubted the reverse was true. No longer needed, he had just melted away into the shadows. He still had his villa, but he was almost never there.

But Mai had faith. “We’ll get to him, somehow.” She was halfway out the door, when she realized Ishad wasn’t moving.

“Aren’t you coming with me?” she asked.

“We don’t need to get Broken,” Ishad said flatly. “Think, Mai. How can he even help us?”

Mai was shocked that Ishad would say such a thing. “That’s what Broken does,” she said.

“But we don’t need him.”

“Then how are we going to get out of this city?”

“I’m a merchant, remember. There are rumors that a Makini fleet will be arriving shortly, to blockade the city, but the fleet’s not there yet. Asan Paril soldiers have forbidden citizens to leave the city through the port, to prevent a mass exodus, but due to my connections, I can work around that. I can get us out on a ship.”

Mai looked at him. There seemed to be something very wrong with that idea, but on the surface, there was no complaint she could make. They needed to get out of the city as quickly as possible, and it seemed Ishad had an answer that did not involve Broken.

Mai turned to her closet, and, as quickly as she was able, packed a few essentials in a single bag.

When she was done, Ishad took it. “Let’s go,” he said.

And they hurried out the door.

As they did so, the pair almost ran straight into a squad of eight guards, led by Lord Hiro is Varad. Savel’s younger brother. He still looked, in his way, dashing, but Mai didn’t care much for the way he looked.

“Going somewhere?” asked Hiro, as his soldiers spread out in a semicircle, leaving Mai and Ishad nowhere to go but back into the room.

“Apparently,” said Mai, “not anymore.”

Hiro looked at Ishad. “You can go, merchant,” he said. “This does not concern you.”

Mai saw Ishad’s hands drawing into fists, saw him reaching for the sword he wore at his side, but Mai knew the truth. Ishad was no Broken. All he could do here was get himself killed.

“Stop, Ishad,” said Mai.

Ishad looked at her, for a moment confused, then understanding.

“Glad to see you understand the futility of your position, merchant,” said Hiro. “Go.”

Ishad gave Mai one last long look, and dropped the bag of her things he carried onto the floor. The guards parted slightly, and Ishad slowly walked through the gap. The ring of soldiers tightened again, and Ishad was gone.

“When Lord Ashat finds out you hindered me…” said Mai.

“We don’t have to worry about that,” said Hiro. “Ashat is no longer in a position to order anyone. My brother has replaced him as High Lord of the city, and now, I am Lord of the Second Paril.”

“Good for you,” Mai said bitterly. “What do you want from me?”

“My brother believes that you remaining here is essential to the city’s survival.”

“Do you know why?” asked Mai.

“My brother knows best.”

And with that, Mai realized that he really didn’t, that he was utterly and completely his brother’s dupe. Up until that moment, Mai had had hopes that she could convince Hiro to let her go. Now, those hopes were dashed.

“Get back inside your room, Princess,” said Hiro.

Mai didn’t move.

“Now!”

Mai backed through the door. Hiro picked up her bag from the floor, and threw it in the room with her.

Then, the two of them stood toe to toe, Mai just within the bounds of the doorframe, Hiro just without.

“You will be fed at regular intervals,” said Hiro. “You will be allowed a limited number of visitors. But you will not be allowed out. Guards placed at your door will see to that.”

And he shut the door in her face, just as his own twisted into one of his brother’s traditional smirks.

Mai looked around her room, now her prison.

Everything made perfect sense. Savel knew she was the reason the army was at Asan Paril’s gates, and he hoped to trade her for the survival of the city.

“Damn this all to Casari,” she cursed, filled with a pent-up anger she had no idea how to express.

How could she be locked up again? Images of what her father had done to her resided in her head, and would not go away.

She knew the then and the now were only vaguely related in cause, but she couldn’t help but feel the connection.

After everything she had been through, after Broken had showed her that the Codes of Sara were not the only way…things had come full circle. Mentis, Savel, neither cared what Mai thought. They just wanted her to bend to their wills.

Mai despaired.