Admittedly, she hadn't been thinking clearly. The revelation about Moss had shaken her and she had acted rashly. If she didn't regain control of this situation she would be in real trouble.
"Come in, sit down. We need to talk, said Margit. You may leave us, she said to the soldiers. They lifted their hands off Venera's shoulders and retreated past the heavy oak door. They would have a long walk down the winding steps that led down to Liris's ground floor. Good , thought Venera.
She sat down on a decadent-looking divan, but she kept her feet braced against the floor, ready to leap up instantly if that was required.
The first step to taking control of the situation was taking control of the conversation. Margit opened her mouth, but Venera spoke first: What is an heir of Sacrus doing running a minor nation like Liris?"
Margit narrowed her eyes. Shouldn't I be asking the questions? Besides, what's your interest? she asked as she gracefully sat opposite Venera. Professional curiosity, perhaps? You are a noble daughter yourself, are you not? A nation like Liris would be an interesting playground for someone learning how to use power. Are you interested in rulership?"
"In the abstract, said Venera. It's not an ambition of mine."
"Neither is assisting your new countrymen, I gather. You were trying to escape us."
"Of course I was. I was press-ganged into your service. And you admit yourself you expected me to try it. She shrugged. So what could we possibly have to talk about?"
"A great deal, actually, said Margit. Such as how you came to be here at all."
Venera nodded slowly. She had been thinking about that, and the conclusions she had come to had motivated her to run as much as the facts about Moss. I arrived here through an odd chain of events, she said. At the time I wasn't prepared to wonder why there were armed troops sneaking over the lawns of Spyre during the nighttime. I was mostly concerned with evading them. But they pursued me here. Why here? At the time, I didn't know enough to even ask the question."
Margit raised an eyebrow and sat back.
"It's my father, you see, said Venera in a confessional tone. He's flagrantly paranoid, and he wanted his daughters to be as well. He
"I increase my leverage and buy some insurance by getting you out of Spyre and to a safe place that only I know about, said Margit. But you should really be happy that I haven't tortured you for what you know. I'd prefer to have you on my side. You must admit, I've treated you well."
Cautiously, Venera nodded. It was too risky to keep the key to Candesce for yourself. But a lesser piece of leverage"
"Who knows something vital about it that I can trade that's useful to me at the moment. Margit smiled, catlike.
It still didn't quite add up. Why did you let me go up to Lesser Spyre? Venera asked. Why risk exposing me at the fair?"
"That was to prove that I had you, said Margit with a shrug. While I was negotiating what to give up. Sacrus was at the fair. I told them to watch for you, but with the guards and defenses that surround the fair, they couldn't snatch you from me. It was the safest place in Spyre to display you."
Someone unused to being used as a political pawn might have been surprised at these revelations. For Venera, discovering that she had been played was almost reassuring. It placed her in a familiar role.
She knew exactly what Sacrus was going to do now. Venera had fantasized about it herself: you took the key and entered Candesce, and then shut down the sun of suns. As the darkness and cold began to seep into the principalities, you made your demands of the millions whose lives depended on Candesce. You could ask for anythingpower, money, hostages, or slaves. Your leverage would be total.
It would help to have enough experienced men to crew a navy, though, because one of your first demands would be that the principalities deliver up their own ships. Sacrus doesn't have any ships, do they? she asked. Surely not enough to run the blockade that the principalities would put in place."
Margit shrugged. Oh, we have several. Sacrus is a big nation. But in terms of weapons She laughed, and it wasn't a pleasant laugh. I doubt we would have to worry much about any fleet of the principalities."
Her confidence was suddenly unnerving. Margit sauntered over to the battered wooden cabinet and opened the top. Since you're here, she said, let's talk about the key to Candesce."
"Let's not. Venera stood up. My knowledge is my only bargaining chip, after all. I'm not going to squander that."
This time Margit didn't answer. She pulled a bell-rope that hung next to the cabinet.
The gravity was low enough and Venera still strong enough that she could probably make it to the window in one leap. Then she could scale the stonework by the tips of her fingers if she had to and make it to the roof in under a minute. Not, however, faster than the soldiers could climb a flight of stairs to retrieve her.
Margit was watching her calculate her options. The botanist laughed as the door opened behind Venera and a large, heavily armored soldier entered.