Smoke and Mirrors

-

Kalasin spent the rest of the week sightseeing. Together with her delegate, she visited menageries where native Carthaki animals were kept, experienced the bustling trade of the Carthak City marketplace and marvelled at the sophistication and learning of the Imperial University. Her tour guides generally alternated between Isaaru and Nadereh, with Kaddar too busy dealing with the escalating rebellion, which was beginning to extend its reach to the capital. While Kalasin understood the gravity of the problem, she couldn't help regretting that she could have spent that time getting to know Kaddar.

After the customary tours around Carthak had finally been completed, preparations for the wedding began in earnest. Kaddar had assigned a large proportion of the palace staff to organising the event. Since Carthak would be hosting the wedding, the Tortallans were not expected to contribute, and as a result, Kalasin was rarely given the opportunity to have her say on how the wedding would progress.

Since her presence was not required at the Imperial Palace, Kalasin spent most of her time at the Tortallan embassy. It was far more interesting and vigorous than she'd expected – there was always something happening, and the others were happy to include her in activities. Even Isaaru had stopped calling her "Your Highness", although he couldn't seem to bring himself to call her "Kally" like all the others did.

In any case, Kalasin was quickly absorbed into their group, helping Haid construct a simulacrum for his graduation project, watching in fascination as Ched performed one of his endless experiments, and staying up late at night, trading tales of exploits in Carthak with her own experiences in Tortall. For Kalasin, it was a welcome change from the deceit and duplicity of Court life, one which, regrettably, would not last.

-

Nearly two weeks after her infamous palace tour, Kalasin sat down to breakfast with her usual companions without her usual energy. Haid, looking up from his book to say good morning, frowned at her pale appearance. "Kally, are you sure you're all right? You've been like that since Monday – are you positive you don't want to see a healer?"

Kalasin shook her head. "It's only a passing thing – I'm sure I'll get better as I get used to living here." Vin passed her a plate, and Kalasin began to eat slowly.

Vin impaled a piece of sausage on her fork, then said, "Isaaru, I'll be going out to the city today. I need to buy some more supplies. Is there anything you need?" Her superior shook his head. "Haid, Ched? Anything you need?"

"I need more paper. And ink. And a good crystal, if you can find one. The simulacrum isn't nearly as stable as it should be. And if you're going by the university, there's a book I wanted to borrow as well…" Ched paused, then shrugged. "On second thoughts, maybe I'll just come with you."

Vin nodded and turned to Kalasin. "I don't suppose you'd like to come too, would you? I know you've already been, but I don't suppose you were able to buy or see much, with the Countess for your guide."

Isaaru looked up with a frown. "I don't think that's a good idea, Vin," he said. "She's not feeling well, and you know what Market City is like at this time." He hesitated, then added, "Besides, you've seen the reports from the palace. The rebels are moving into the capital now. It would be only too easy for them to recognise and attack Kalasin."

"She'll be wearing a veil," pointed out Vin. "And it's not like she'd be with the Countess, or anyone notable, so no one would know who she was. Besides, a bit of fresh air might do her some good."

Isaaru shook his head again. "Vin, I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" she demanded. "She'll be fine. Don't forget, I have the Gift too – I can protect both of us even if Kalasin doesn't feel up to it." The two of them continued to argue, until Isaaru reluctantly consented. "But if she looks even slightly more ill, bring her back here," he warned.

"Of course." Vin looked at Kalasin – so focussed was she upon her argument that she'd forgotten to ask whether Kalasin had actually wanted to go. "So how about it?"

Kalasin thought for a moment. She didn't really feel like going, but Vin and Ched would be with her, and Vin had tried so hard to persuade Isaaru to allow her to go… "Just wait a moment, while I get my things," Kalasin said as she stood up. She was rewarded by a brilliant smile from Vin.

"Excellent." The sixteen-year old stood as well, passing her empty plates to a maid. "Kally, Ched – I'll meet you outside in twenty minutes."

-

As promised, Kalasin met Vin and Haid at the embassy gates. Like Vin, she was dressed in the typical dress of a Carthaki lady, with accompanying veils. Ched was in his standard mage's attire. The markets were within walking distance from the embassy, so together, the three of them set off towards the bustling city.

Kalasin followed Vin as the girl persistently haggled with shopkeepers to purchase her goods at what barely half the original price. Ched bargained too, but with not nearly as much success as his friend. The two of them then took Kalasin around the market. They watched as women wove traditional Carthaki patterns into rugs, as nearby, other women dyed fabrics to be sold. Kalasin temporarily forgot her sickness when the three of them watched a camel auction, while Ched quietly explained how their various physical adaptations allowed them to survive for long periods in the desert. Vin helped her to pick out gifts to send to her family, while Ched browsed through several books he had picked out earlier.

They were just about to head home when a sudden explosion rocked the marketplace. Ched, Vin and Kalasin ducked instinctively as debris showered around them. The air was soon filled with thick, black smoke. Ched was shouting something, but Kalasin couldn't hear him over the screams and the roar of burning wood. Somewhere behind her, something collapsed with a crash that shook the ground. Vin tugged urgently on Kalasin's sleeve, pulling her into an awkward run, the three of them joining the throng of people fleeing the scene.

Once they were a safe distance from the fire, Vin shouted to Ched, "Take her back to the embassy! I'm going to see if I can help put out the fire!" Ched nodded tersely. Vin ran back towards the markets, a ball of water materialising in her hand. Ched then took a coughing Kalasin by the arm, half guiding, half carrying her down the road. He kept shooting looks back over his shoulder, obviously anxious to get back to the market to help.

"I can get back from here," Kalasin croaked, once the familiar gates of the embassy were in sight. Ched hesitated, unsure.

"I can't just leave you here –"

Kalasin waved off his protests with one arm, using the other to mask her coughing. Under normal circumstances, she would have stayed to help too, but she knew she was nothing but a hindrance in her current condition. "Go. I'll be fine."

"I'll do my best," he promised, then sprinted away.

Ched had need not have worried, however, because halfway down the road, Isaaru came dashing out the gates, flanked by his assistants, Keela and Jamin. He saw Kalasin stumbling towards them and immediately hurried to her side. Jamin and Keela picked her up without question and carried her the rest of the way to the embassy.

Isaaru guided her to a seat in the sitting room, signalling to a maid, who brought a tray of chilled water. He pressed a glass into her hand, waiting until she had finished drinking to start asking questions.

"Kalasin – are you feeling better?" When Kalasin nodded, Isaaru continued, "We heard the explosion from the embassy, and saw the smoke, but apart from that we had no idea what had happened. Why were you all alone? Where did Ched and Vin go?"

Kalasin explained what had happened. The drink of water had helped, but the smoke had left her head aching and she had to concentrate on her answers. Isaaru continued to question her thoroughly about her experience, until Kalasin finally made her excuses and trudged upstairs to her rooms.

From her window, she could see the scorched, smoking ground of the marketplace, and the tiny figures hurrying about, trying to rescue trapped people and put out the fire. Many were in the uniform of the Emperor's Red Legion, with occasional coloured specks that were mages. Vin and Ched are somewhere down there too, she thought, and wished more than ever she could have been of more use.

She thought she heard Isaaru talking to Haid downstairs, then footsteps outside her door. But she couldn't be sure, because a moment later darkness swamped her and she slumped against the window seat, unconscious.

-

Kalasin awoke some hours later. She wasn't sure whether she had fallen asleep or passed out, but whatever the case, it had left her feeling a great deal better. Peering out the window, she saw that the fire had finally been put out, leaving only a black scar across the marketplace. People were picking among the rubble – shopkeepers or scavengers, Kalasin didn't know.

Judging from the darkening colour of the sky, it was just past sundown – she'd missed dinner, but she hadn't felt hungry anyway. Voices drifted from downstairs; Kalasin recognised them as Isaaru's and Vin's. She hastily washed her face and fixed up her hair, then went to join the others in the sitting room.

They both looked up when Kalasin appeared. Isaaru pulled out a seat for Kalasin, as Vin greeted her. "Feeling a bit better, Kally?"

"Very much, thank you. What about you? Are you all right?" She had noticed a blood-stained bandage wrapped around the girl's leg.

"I got hit by a falling beam when I was helping clear out the wreckage. Careless, really. Normally I would have healed it in an instant, except that I spent all my Gift and more moving things and conjuring water to put out the fire." Vin shifted slightly. "Haid and Ched are at the hospital now. It's a nightmare – hundreds of people were injured in the fire. Some of the injuries are horrific – people with their faces nearly burned off, some with huge gashes, broken bones… Worse thing is, Zaimid – that's the chief healer – he's in Siraj now. He was doing some special treatment for Princess Fazia. He won't be able to get back for another two days, at the earliest, and the hospital staff are short of hands as it is." She took a sip of her water. "Ched is at the hospital now, helping out. He says won't be back till tomorrow morning, at the earliest."

Kalasin bit her lip. If only she was well! She had plenty of training in healing, and had often helped Neal and his father in the infirmary. As it was, her sickness had left her Gift depleted and she could barely light a candle, let alone heal a person. She fought down her bitterness, instead turning to Isaaru. "Do they know what caused the fire yet?"

"The Red Legion report that it was just a typical market accident," Isaaru replied. "Someone knocked over a cooking stove into a box of blazebalm that a soldier was transporting."

"But you don't believe that," Kalasin said quietly, watching Isaaru's face.

"No," he admitted. "It sounds like a bad cover-up. For one, no soldier should have been carrying blazebalm through the streets. Normally they're transported in special containers designed so that incidents like that don't happen. And I don't like how you were at the market at the time. I know you were careful with your veils, but it is possible that someone could have caught a glimpse of your face, when you were sampling food or perfumes, for example. In any case, it seems like too big a coincidence for me." He stopped. "I don't mean to alarm you, but I think that from now on, you should be more careful. Stay here or at the palace as much as possible."

"I will," she promised. As her father had explained to Kalasin before she'd come to Carthak, as Empress, she would not only be stabilising Kaddar's reign – she would also be providing him with heirs. The rebels would see assassinating her as a necessary step to take to avoid Kaddar gaining more power. The idea that someone wanted to kill her wasn't new, but it still sent shivers down her back.

Isaaru rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I think I'm going to bed now. Kalasin, the maids left some food for you in the dining room, if you're hungry." He strode off to his own rooms, leaving her alone with Vin.

The sixteen-year old offered her a weary smile. "I should get some rest too, if you don't mind." She stood up, then paused and bowed deeply in the manner of a courtier. "Kally, I'm so sorry for leaving you. I didn't think. Forgive me."

Kalasin looked at her in alarm. "Please, don't apologise. You did the right thing. I returned here safely and you probably saved a lot of lives by going back to help."

Vin's face flashed with something unrecognisable, then it was gone. "Thank you," she said simply, and left, leaving Kalasin to contemplate the day's happenings alone.

-

Ched and Haid returned two days later, exhausted but satisfied with their work. They had only lost seventeen patients out of the near three hundred who had arrived at the hospital, and though many of the survivors would be scarred or maimed for life, at least they were alive.

Word about the fire spread quickly. Kaddar stepped up security measures: now, ten of the Red Legion stood guard at the embassy at all times. To her surprise, she also received a short note from her father, informing her that he would be contacting her shortly. Word of the fire had finally reached Tortall.

Kalasin spent the rest of that day preparing for the meeting. Jonathan would be using the mirror to scry her – it was one of their pre-arranged plans that they had put into place in case of an emergency. The mirror had been one of the few furnishings Kalasin had brought with her from Tortall – it had been specially ordered from one of the best metalworkers in the palace, and imbued with magics that strengthened communications over long distances. Jonathan had a matching one that he kept in his and Thayet's quarters.

So she was surprised when it was Roald who appeared in the mirror late that night, not her father. Her brother looked tired and grave, but his face brightened a little when he saw her. "Kally? Can you hear me?"

"Yes – yes, I can." She almost cried with relief, seeing his kind, familiar face again. "You look so tired – are you getting enough sleep? I thought it would be Father contacting me. Did something happen? Is he sick? What about Mother, is she well?" Seeing Roald's slightly bemused expression, Kalasin managed a smile. "Sorry. It's just that I've missed you all so much."

"I know," Roald replied gently. "Father had an emergency meeting with his Council, and couldn't come. He sends his apologies." He took a breath, then said, "We heard about the fire in Carthak. You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine. But there were so many others who were injured, Roald, and I couldn't do anything, because my Gift was so –" She stopped herself just in time. There was no need to worry Roald any more than she had to, especially with her brother already looking so weary. "Tell me, what's happening at home? Isaaru mentioned something about Scanra a few days ago…"

"Yes. Father's declared war on Scanra, finally. Myself and the other knights are moving to the border as soon as the pass opens." At the look of concern on her face, he added, "Please don't worry about me. I doubt I'll have much of a chance to fight, anyway. I overheard Father talking to Lord Wyldon last knight." He tried to hide the bitterness and disappointment in his voice, but Kalasin had known him too long to be fooled.

"Roald," she began, but he cut her off, saying, "I expect you'll want to hear about the others."

Roald described some of the happenings in her absence – Jasson had just begun his page training; meanwhile, Liam had passed his final exams and was awaiting selection as a squire. Lianne and Thayet were busy overseeing selections of new Riders.

"And Alan and Aly have just arrived in Corus, ready to wreak havoc on the Court," concluded Roald. Kalasin laughed. "And Numair says that he'll come to check on you before he flies north with Daine, so that's something to look forward to." He paused suddenly, head tilted towards something she couldn't see. Roald nodded briefly, then turned back to Kalasin.

"Kally, I'm sorry – I have to go now. One of the lords wants to see me about something. I'm sorry I didn't have time to discuss Carthak with you, but I'm sure it was very interesting." There was a hint of mischief in his eyes as he said it. "Take care, Kally. I love you."

Then he was gone.

Kalasin stared at the mirror for a moment longer, surprised at his sudden departure, then slowly covered it with a cloth. Quietly, as to not wake the others, Kalasin made her way outside to think.

-

It was Vin who eventually found her on the terrace, watching the clouds drifting across the moon. Deep in thought, Kalasin did not even look up as Vin came to sit next to her.

"That's not safe, your Highness."

Kalasin started. "Oh – Vin. What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask the same of you, Kally. Didn't Isaaru tell you to be more careful?" She sounded awkward, obviously still feeling guilty that she had left Kalasin during the fire.

"I'm sorry. I will be."

"All right, then." The two of them sat side by side for a moment, just watching the stars.

"You don't have to stay with me, you know," Kalasin told her. "I'm thinking, that's all."

"Someone has to look out for you, don't they?" Vin smiled at her, and the ice was broken. Vin twisted her fingers and muttered something under her breath, and golden butterflies streamed from her fingers, fluttering towards the moon.

"Beautiful," breathed Kalasin, reaching out to touch one. It flickered for a moment, then passed through her fingertips and continued to flutter onwards.

"Just an illusion," admitted Vin. "I used to work on as one of the Emperor's entertainers, to earn a bit of extra money for the family. That was in Ozorne's day, of course, when taxes were ridiculously high and even nobles had to be careful about what they spent."

Kalasin blinked, suddenly tired. The butterflies were becoming blurred, and her eyelids were feeling so heavy… "You… spelled me…" she managed to get out, before she finally lost the battle for consciousness.

"Yes," said Vin agreeably, once she was sure she was asleep. "You'll need the rest, after all." She gazed at the sleeping girl for a moment, then carefully picked her up and carried her inside.

Outside, the butterflies extinguished themselves in the night.

-