Imstay King, Is’syal, 8th rot., 7th day

“Using the treaty really does work well,” I made a note on my tablet. “This took no time at all and most of the upcoming tests of the law will be decided by judges. Once a decent body of interpretation builds up, we can recodify the statute rolls to incorporate the treaty provisions instead of having them stand on their own. It’s so simple yet so workable. But there are a few things that the treaty and Emily’s trial transcript don’t address.

“Like what?” Kamagishi asked, seated next to me at my work table. She looked surprised.

“Corporal punishments applied to the weaker races. Situations where Cosm should be obliged to give aid to other races. Closing gaps in the law that will protect the weaker races from harm from both Cosm and from nature. There are a small number of items that fall into those categories," I sat back. "For example, is it really safe or wise to flog a Coyn? If a Coyn becomes trapped in a steep-sided irrigation canal, should Cosm passers-by be obligated to rescue? Should all public roads have water stations so Chem can stay hydrated? Things like that, Holy One."

“You’ve really been thinking about this a lot,” Kamagishi looked at me with disbelief. “Just who from the seven icy hells are you, frost demon, and what did you do with my king?”

“Why shouldn't I think about these things? It's part of my responsibility as a ruler."

She shook her head at me, “the Imstay I used to know and worked with two years ago would have convened the Convocation and Lord Holders to craft new laws. It would have taken two to three years and the result would have created equality on vellum and injustice in practice. You would have sided with the pro-slavery lord holders and the misery of the weaker races would have continued.”

"And there would have been blood in the streets and along the rooftops," I pointed out. "The kingdom would have split into warring factions and tens of thousands of people of all races would have died, from violence, famine, and homelessness. Garrison would have fought garrison and mothers would have made war on their sons and daughters. Ultimately, the shrines would have removed Imstay the Fool from his throne and from this life, and replaced him with Prince Heldfirk, with Aylem Queen as regent.

“Don’t mistake me for some benevolent and selfless reformed holy man of a king, Kamagishi,” I wagged my finger at her. “My motivations are nowhere near as pure as that. Like most kings, I have my ambitions. Don’t you realize that we are entering a nexus in history? The handprints of the gods are all around us. They have begun their third era of direct meddling and we are smack in the middle of it.

“Every little thing we do or say will be scrutinized and studied for the rest of time, Kamagishi. I do not want to go down in history as anything other than one of the heroes. I owe it to my legacy and I owe it to my children’s future to be that hero. I have been handed the opportunity to make Foskos a place where all six races can abide in safety and peace. Me! Imstay King and no one else! And I will not be the king known to history as the one who blew his chance to grab the glory of doing it right.

“I can see it now on all the statues they will put up of me: Imstay the Beneficent!”

Kamagishi released a great sigh of relief, “well, that sounds more like the Imstay I’ve known for all these years. Thank the gods. I was worried there for a moment, but you still sound like you. Enlightened self-interest is such a useful thing.”

Emily, Healing Shrine, 8th rot., 8th day

The days were getting colder. I could tell from the frost on the calcite window panes and my growing reluctance to stick more than my head from out under the covers on my bed. I ate my morn repast and then climbed back into bed where I was enjoying hiding under the warm blankets and reading a book of Foskan folk tales. A griffin and an eagle landing on the wide balcony caught my eye. It was Flavriansha with Imstay and Pibl with Kamagishi. They both had books strapped to their saddles.

Before Imstay could get off Flavriansha, I heard heavy footfalls echoing in the corridor outside my bedroom and the balcony doors bang open. Moving with all of the grace of a freight train, Aylem ran up to Imstay, leaned against his thigh, and said something that made him both gape and blush at the same time.

Before he had a chance to react further, she undid the saddle straps with magic, picked him up in her arms, and turned to bring him inside. Kamagishi looked shocked and then amused. She leapt off Pibl and followed.

“… is a shock, I know, but you can work through this. We can get through this together. Take a deep breath and hold it and then let it out…” Aylem’s voice gave instructions as her heavy footsteps trod deliberately to Lisaykos’ study. I didn’t know what was happening, but whatever it is, it motivated me out of bed and into my housecoat. I sprinted through the living quarters to the study.

“...no need to exert yourself,” Aylem's voice came spilling through the doorway into the study from the dining room. I rounded the corner to see him flustered and in an armchair near Senlyosart. Kamagishi was standing in the doorway from the corridor biting her finger, near to losing the battle not to laugh. Slapping footsteps echoed and Lyappis appeared looking over her daughter’s shoulder. Lisaykos had her pen stalled in midair, watching the action with one eyebrow halfway up her forehead to her hairline.

Aylem took two long steps from the sideboard with a beaker that she gave to Imstay, “That’s the best stuff we have in-house. You’ll need the stiff drink to steady yourself. Take your time because that’s from my private stash and it’s potent.

“You don’t need to panic. Just keep reminding yourself to relax and drift with the current. I can take care of the heavy lifting while you adjust. Don’t overexert yourself. You need to be careful in the near future to take good care of yourself. If there’s anything you can’t handle or feel frustrated over, please, Imstay, just ask for help. I’ll be there for you.” She knelt and then took his other hand lovingly, gazing up at his eyes with compassion and concern.

Imstay was the apotheosis of gobsmacked. I wanted a working camera in the worst way just at that moment. Lyappis was amused. I expected Kamagishi’s finger to start bleeding. It was Senlyosart who lost it first, dissolving into peals of hilarity and joined by Lisaykos.

The noise woke the griffin-shaped lard lump sleeping next to my favorite spot on the south wall lounge, “boy or a girl, or is it too early to tell?”

Aylem’s perfect expression of spousal concern vanished as she looked up at Asgotl, “it’s too early to tell. I might know in a rotation or two.”

Imstay began to recover his composure. He took a tentative sniff of the beaker and raised his eyebrows, “Galkos Valley?”

Aylem nodded, “I thought it was appropriate for the occasion. It is a reason to celebrate. Most silverhair couples don’t achieve three conceptions.” She smiled at him, still on her knees, looking genuinely happy. I think I was now gobsmacked.

Imstay took a large gulp from the beaker and then exhaled with force, “Whoo! That’s good stuff.” Then he put the beaker down on the low table in front of Senlyosart’s lounge, caught Aylem’s chin, and kissed her. Then he hugged her around the neck, “Thank you. You have made me a very happy man today, even if you are a tease.”

“Imstay, dear,” Aylem’s face clouded over, “why do you have bandaged unhealed lacerations on your back?”

“I can’t hide anything from you, can I?” Imstay sighed. “I had the adept on duty yesterday afternoon at the Citadel flog me,” he explained.

The look of instant displeasure on Aylem’s face was underscored by the bright red shade displayed on her face suddenly, “You stupid…!” She grimaced to a stop, clenched both fists, closed her eyes, and took a breath. Everyone else in the room held theirs, including me.

Aylem let the breath out, forcibly relaxed her hands and arms, and glared at the King, “please tell me you have a good reason for being such an idiot.”

“Kamagishi and I have worked for the last four days to create a first draft of the revised laws of Foskos,” Imstay said in a calm voice. “In doing so, it became obvious to me that many of the corporal punishments which are appropriate for Cosm may be unjust if used on other races. For example, a sentence of ten lashes is the most common sentence for many offenses, like the theft of livestock stud services or the destruction of someone’s foodstuff garden or craft tools.

“In such cases, the lashes are left unhealed and the criminal is expected to return immediately to his or her employment. But is it really right for an adept to give ten lashes to a Coyn, and then have that Coyn return to work? I decided that ten lashes could help me evaluate the role of whipping in the lexicon of punishments. As soon as my back is done healing, I will return to the Citadel to experience the punishment of rod strikes to the backs of the thighs.”

“Given how I currently feel, which is not at all nice, I expect I will experience something similar with the rod. Either way, I now doubt this sort of punishment for any race other than Cosm. For example, given the size of the lash, the whipping bruises on a Coyn will bleed much more proportionately than for one of us. This would easily explain something I never really understood before, which is why so many more Coyn die after lashing than Cosm. They must simply bleed to death under their skin because they will bleed more proportionately.

“It’s shocking, really, but I would never have discovered this without being lashed myself. To be understood, some things in life must be experienced first-hand. So that is why I went to the Citadel and asked to be lashed, Aylem love.”

By now, the entire room was gobsmacked except for Kamagishi, who was watching the rest of us with academic interest.

Aylem was distressed, “That’s the most idiotic thing you’ve done in years, Imstay, but I can’t find a better reason to be an idiot than what you’ve done. Are you really the same man I handfasted sixteen years ago?”

Imstay frowned, “I’m not sure anymore.” He picked up the beaker, “Maybe you should investigate that after I kill off this beaker of Galkos nipjuice. Any more from where this came from? You and I could spend the night celebrating,” he waggled his eyebrows up and down.

“I take it back,” Aylem rolled her eyes, “you’re the same tasteless rake I married sixteen years ago. And yes, I have an entire firkin of Galkos Valley nipjuice as a gift from the Council of Five of Inkalim.”

“Oh?” Imstay was curious.

“I found Dunasma of Urssi, Campmaster of Uldlip, after others had given up on finding her. Then I healed her after the Impotuan attack. She’s still here in Aybhas recuperating because she was another soul left for dead. To be frank, she should be dead. I’m still astounded she survived her injuries with most of her memory intact.”

“If she’s camp master?” Imstay posed the rhetorical question.

“Yes, when her mother decides to retire, she will likely inherit her mother’s seat on the Council of Five, and we will have gained a friend in Imkalim.”

That was news to me. I didn’t know Dunasma was one of the victims of the Impotuan attack on Uldlip. I reminded myself to ask Usruldes about the fate of his friend, Ulamis Tuleen. I also needed to go visit Dunasma.

The sound of running footsteps echoed in the hallway, and a breathless Opa burst through the door. She looked around the room and dropped to her knees without a pause, hand over her heart. “The blessings of the eleven gods be upon this sacred assembly,” Opa said the ritual phrase so fast that it was barely comprehensible. I could tell the kid was burning with impatience

“And also upon you, Trainee Opo’aba. Please rise and be at your ease,” I said from the chair I had climbed into at Lisaykos’ work table before Aylem could react. I surprised more than half the room since they missed my entering the study.

“So mom, dad, am I getting a little brother or sister?” Opa asked.

Damn, news in this place travels fast.