After the events in the training room, Mai and Broken retired to their separate chambers, to prepare for another feast in the First Dining Hall.

Mai brushed at her hair in front of her room’s full length mirror, wondering where Ishad had gone, as he was nowhere to be seen. That was when Broken entered, without knocking.

Mai turned as he came in. Broken had bathed, and changed, and was now remarkably presentable to high class society. He had changed his appearance quite a bit from the way he had looked in the training room.

“Why didn’t you knock?” asked Mai, setting her brush down on the nightstand. “You didn’t know what I was doing in here. I could have been bathing!”

“And yet you were not,” said Broken, calmly. “I came here, now, because I have an important question for you.”

Mai picked up her brush once more, looked in the mirror, and combed a few more strokes. “Can’t it wait?” she asked. “The feast will be starting shortly.”

“I do not expect an answer as of yet,” said Broken, “but I need your answer by noon, two days from now.”

“What’s the question?” asked Mai, abandoning her brush again, and for good this time. She looked firmly at Broken.

“Do you want me to throw the fight?”

It took a moment for Mai to understand what Broken was talking about. Then she realized. The fight… The match Broken is going to have with Savel! And a moment later, Mai realized why Broken had asked such a question.

Broken gave the explanation out loud, anyway.

“I want to know if you want to get back at me, for what happened to Ishad.”

Mai’s mouth finally dropped open.

“You would do that?” she asked. “With all the honor at stake? You would let him beat you, and suffer the humiliation?”

“Just as surely as I know that in an honest fight, I would beat Savel to the ground, I know that if you told me to throw the fight, I would,” said Broken. His gaze was straight down, at the tile floor.

“Shouldn’t you be asking Ishad this?” said Mai. “He’s the one that got hurt, not me.”

“Ishad forgave me,” said Broken. “You did not, and I feel the need to redeem myself to you. The outcome of the battle rests in your hands.”

“I…I have to think about this,” said Mai.

Broken looked up again, with the tiniest hint of a smile on his face. “I thought you would.”

Mai’s mouth shut, and her expression became pensive.

“Let’s go to the feast,” said Broken. “You can think there.”

And so, together, they walked out into the hall. Once there, they came upon Ishad. He was dressed well, and looked to be in a hurry to go somewhere, but as he saw Mai and Broken, he stopped.

“Hello, Mai,” said Ishad. He nodded. “Broken.”

“Where are you going?” asked Mai. “Aren’t you coming with us to the feast, Ishad?”

“No,” he said. “I have business outside of the Palace.”

“What kind of business?” asked Mai.

“After we went our separate ways this afternoon,” said Ishad, “I went to the merchant quarter, and introduced myself. A prominent merchant, named Belium Tarquin, has invited me over for dinner at his house tonight. He seems interested in hiring me.”

“That’s great, Ishad!” said Mai. “But…”

“Don’t worry that I’m missing the feast,” said Ishad. “Truth be told, I didn’t really fit in with all the nobles last night, anyway.”

Mai wanted to counter that statement, but it had indeed been the truth. “When will I see you again?” she asked.

“I should be back tomorrow morning,” said Ishad. He smiled. “Until then, I bid you farewell.”

And then he walked away.

“It seems the dream of a life of you and Ishad together is beginning to be realized,” said Broken. “I’m happy for you.”

Mai didn’t respond. After the question Broken had presented her with, she didn’t quite know what to say.

They went to the First Dining Hall together, for the feast.

Before they began, Tur is Ashat announced that he was going to make a speech, but Mai was hardly listening. She was concentrating on making her choice, the choice Broken had presented her with. As she thought, Tur is Ashat began.

“Thousands of years ago, the First God-King, Maverax, fought the chaos, and founded the First Dynasty, the Aimpir Dynasty. His eldest son became the Second God-King, and the eldest son of the Second God-King became the Third. After that, the descendants of Maverax were mortal, and seeing that the order of things had been created, and was good, the three God-Kings ascended into the sky, into Elysium.”

What do I do? I wanted Broken to suffer, for what he did to Ishad, when the damage caused was fresh. But now, Ishad has healed.

“The Aimpir Dynasty ruled for two hundred years, until the Emperor on the throne forgot his duty, and the God-Kings reached down from Elysium to strike him down. From the ashes of the Aimpir, a new, Second Dynasty arose, to unite the Empire once more.”

But does the passing of time make what Broken did right? He danced Savel on strings. He did as much as strike the blows himself.

“The last Emperor of the Second Dynasty proved corrupt, and so the guardianship of the Empire passed to a Third Dynasty, and then, and Fourth, and then a Fifth. The cycle continues to this day. The Arathou Dynasty was the Ninth, and, after eleven centuries of its rule, the longest rule of any dynasty, by far, now it seems it too has faltered.”

But should I grant Broken mercy? He offered this choice to me, of his own free will. He must feel horrible about what he has done.

“While the reign of the Arathou Dynasty has brought about peace and prosperity, we are again faced with a troubled time. The neutrality of Asan Paril stands firm, but I understand that to many of you, it seems the world outside our walls has gone mad.”

Broken is smart, though. The only reason he offered to throw the fight may well be because he knew I could forgive him.

“It may not seem this way too many of you, but the current civil war is not the first time the Empire has undergone great trials. That is why I speak of history, to remind you all of how great our land is. To remind you of what the God-Kings promised, before the Ascension: The Empire will never fall. It has not endured three millennia to come to an end in our lifetimes.”

I must get my vengeance. Broken has put me through so many horrible things, he deserves this one small embarrassment!

“The Empire will endure because it was founded on virtue. Great demons have stalked our lands, and tried to end the order. A thousand years ago, the demon Casari is Koranor almost succeeded. But he failed. Why? Because the Empire was possessed of something he could never understand, and still is. The Empire is possessed of unity. Even when different factions broke apart, they could become reunited, and forgive each other.”

Forgiveness! Ishad forgave Broken, and he was the one wronged. Broken gave me this opportunity to reduce his honor, because I had not forgiven him. Because he wants me to forgive him, so that he can move on with his life.

“The Empire is also possessed of loyalty. Citizens have a common bond with each other, a common bond that, when the end threatens, is remembered. The Empire is possessed of duty. We are all a living whole within its benevolence, and in the end, the Makini, the forces of Ehajdon, and all the other Houses will understand. Those that war will realize, whether it is this year or the next, or even the year after, that they have a duty to reunite the Empire.”

Loyalty. Duty. When it really mattered, Broken was always there for me, and for Ishad. He saved my life more than once. He saved Ishad’s life more than once.

“I can assure you that there will be peace once again. Thank you for listening, my friends.”

Tur is Ashat sat down into his chair, and the feast began. Mai ate, but as she did so, she glanced over at Broken, who sat across the table. Despite everything, she still wasn’t sure what her answer would be.

Dinner past quickly for Mai, as during it, she was deeply engrossed in thought. After the meal was finished, and people were free to get up, to head to talk to others in one of the nearby lounge chambers, or to retire, Mai found herself gravitating to the two noblewomen Broken was friendly with. Val, and Aza.

When Mai reached them, Broken was nowhere to be seen. Mai approached the pair, and began to engage then in conversation.

She was surprised with the results. Val and Aza actually turned out to be quite interesting conversation, and not at all haughty, like Mai had expected.

As she and they talked, as the three noblewomen laughed together, Mai kept thinking that at any moment, Broken would show up.

He never did.

Eventually, it became late, and Mai left. Almost as soon as she had gone from Val and Aza’s sight Broken appeared in the hallway beside her.

“Did you enjoy talking to them?” he asked.

“Were you spying on us?” Mai responded.

“I was talking to others nearby, in such a manner so that while I was doing so, neither you nor Val nor Aza could see me, but I could see and hear you perfectly well. Draw your own conclusions.”

“You were spying on me,” said Mai.

“Better,” said Broken. “While I do care for Val and Aza, you are my primary responsibility. I had to watch over you.”

“You didn’t do so much watching over yesterday, when you were in the training room, and I was elsewhere,” said Mai.

“You were with Ishad,” said Broken. “I respect your privacy with him.”

“Why do you respect my privacy with him and not with others?” asked Mai.

“Because between you and him, there is a likelihood of intimacy,” said Broken. “With Val and Aza, there is not.” Broken paused. “Unless, of course, there is something you are not telling me.”

Mai resisted the urge to slap him. “I would never betray Ishad,” she said. “And certainly not as a--”

“Do shut up,” said Broken. He looked about the crowded hallway. “While I feel there is nothing wrong with certain words, and their implications, others might disagree, even as they associate certain words with you.”

Together, they began to walk from that hall, up to their chambers. When they reached their respective doors, Broken turned to Mai once more. “Have you thought about my question?” asked Broken.

“Yes,” said Mai. “During the speech.”

“And have you come to an answer for me?”

“Not yet,” said Mai.

Broken nodded in acceptance. “The time you have left to make your decision is shrinking,” he said, and walked into his room.

Mai went into her own. She got into bed, still troubled with the decision she had to make.

Sleep.

Morning came, as mornings would, and then morning past. At about noon, Ishad found Mai as she stood, alone, on one of the balconies of the Palace, looking down at the city of Asan Paril below her.

“How long ago did you get back?” she asked him.

“Perhaps an hour ago,” said Ishad. “I started looking for you as soon as I got back to the Palace, but you were quite hard to find.”

“Was I now?” asked Mai slyly. “How was your night with the merchant?”

“Belium Tarquin is very impressed with my lip reading talents, along with my ability to know where a person was born from the sound of their voice,” said Ishad. “He wants to see me again tonight, and it seems very likely he will make me a job offer, one that he hinted I won’t need to leave Asan Paril, to perform the duties of.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Odd to say this, especially after all the horrors we’ve endured,” said Ishad. “But sometimes, dreams do come true.”

“What do you want to do today?” asked Mai.

“I care not,” said Ishad. “I just want to be with you.”

***

Quite a bit of time later, Mai found herself preparing for a second feast in the First Dining Hall, the second feast in two days. She wondered what the cause was for such extravagance.

Ishad was gone again, off to confirm his new job with Belium Tarquin, and Mai was rather alone. Broken showed up, as Mai made her way to the First Dining Hall, but he hardly felt like company, what with his question hanging over Mai’s head. She acknowledged him with a nod, but nothing more.

At the First Dining Hall, before anyone could eat, Tur is Ashat spoke again.

“You may wonder why, two nights in a row, the Palace has engaged in festivities. Many of you may think that this second night is wasteful.

“It is not. It is to drive home a point. It is to drive home the point that we must remain firm and strong, we of Asan Paril. We had the ability to create a second feast, and so, we were not afraid to make one.

“Yesterday I talked about ideals. But today, I talk about putting those ideals into practice. If we stand cowed and afraid, we lose honor. We must prove to the rest of the Empire that Asan Paril has not bowed to the raging storm around us. That is why we have a second day of festivities.

“Because, as I said before, ideals must be put into practice, or they are worthless.”

During the meal, Mai thought on those words, and thought hard.

Ishad forgave Broken. Ishad hasn’t mentioned what happened in weeks. He has moved on, Broken is sorry, and my insistence that he throw the fight will only bring up old memories, old battles past. Yesterday, I thought long and hard, and came to no answer, only because then, I thought I would have all the time in the world to consider.

But I do not. Time marches steadily onwards, and a day has passed. I must put my thoughts to practice. I must make them mean something.

I forgive Broken.

And I must dare say those words out loud.

Dinner was soon done, and Mai left the room. For the second day in a row, she found Aza and Val, and talked to them lightly, for quite some time. Broken was nowhere to be seen, but, if yesterday was any indication, he was quite close on hand.

It became late, and for the second time, Mai excused herself from Aza and Val’s company.

As she reached the hallway, Broken appeared at her side, from seemingly nowhere. Mai had been expecting as much.

“Have you reached your decision yet?” asked Broken. His eyes moved to Savel, who was elsewhere in the hall, chatting with his fellows quite loudly.

“I forgive you,” said Mai.

“Thank you for saying that,” replied Broken.

As he said as much, Mai realized something. Blame rarely fell on a single set of shoulders. Broken may have orchestrated what happened, to get back at Ishad for some reason Mai didn’t understand, but while most of the fault might lie with him, not all of it did.

Savel hadn’t known he was being manipulated. He thought he was tormenting Ishad, an innocent, of his of his own free will. And he was completely unremorseful.

Some blame had to fall on him, as well.

Mai looked upon that smirking face.

More than some.

Mai fell to sleep that night, reflecting that Savel would get from Broken exactly what he deserved.

And also, Mai reflected how the statements Tur had made in his speeches had made her think about the matter in a different light.