Traitor's Moon

closer. Loyal to both, he had been able to comfort neither. Phoria had never spoken of what caused the final rift between herself and their mother, not even to him.
    Whatever it was, you are queen now, my sister, my twin
.
    Leaving the drysian to complete his task, Korathan walked slowly to Phoria’s tent. As he approached, he heard her voice raised sharply. A moment later Magyana emerged hastily from the doorway.
    Seeing Korathan, she gave him a respectful bow, murmuring, “My sympathies, dear Prince. Your mother will be sorely missed.”
    Korathan nodded and continued in.
    He found Phoria sitting at her campaign table, greying hair loose about her shoulders. Her soiled tunic and mail lay in a heap beside her chair. Without looking up from the map before her, she said tonelessly, “I’m appointing you as my vicegerent, Kor. I want you in Rhíminee. The situation here is too dire for me to leave the field, so we’ll hold the coronation tomorrow as soon as you round up the necessary priests. My field wizard will officiate.”
    â€œOrganeus?” Korathan took a seat across from her. “It’s customary for the former queen’s wizard to officiate. That would be—”
    â€œMagyana. Yes, I know.” Phoria looked up at last, pale eyes flashing dangerously. “But only because Nysander died. Who was she before that but a wanderer who spent more time in foreign lands than in her own? And what did she do while she served Mother except convince her to become dependent on foreigners?”
    â€œThe mission to Aurënen, you mean?”
    Phoria let out an inelegant snort. “The queen’s not cold an hour and Magyana is in here badgering me for a pledge to continue with Idrilain’s plan! Nysander would have been no different, I suppose. Meddlers all, these old wizards. They’ve forgotten their place.”
    â€œWhat did you tell her?” Korathan asked quickly, hoping to circumvent another tirade.
    â€œI informed her that as queen I do not answer to wizards, and that she would be informed of my decisions when I saw fit.”
    Korathan hesitated, choosing his words with care. One had to, when Phoria was like this. “Do you mean to abandon the negotiations? The way things have gone these past months, Aurënfaie aid might be of value.”
    Phoria rose and paced the length of the tent. “It’s a sign of weakness, Kor. I dare say the surrender of the Mycenian troops along the northwestern border—”
    â€œThey surrendered?” Korathan groaned. Never in the history of the Three Lands had Mycena failed to stand with Skala against the incursions of Plenimar.
    â€œYesterday. Laid down their weapons in return for parole. No doubt they’ve heard that the Skalan queen sent her youngest daughter begging to the ’faie and it took the last of the heart out of them, exactly as I predicted it would. Southern Mycena is still with us, but it’s only a matter of time until they turn coat, too. And of course, the Plenimarans know. I’ve had reports of raids on the western coast of Skala as far north as Ylani.”
    Korathan rested his face in his hands a moment as the enormity of the situation rolled over him. “I’ve been pushed back nearly ten miles in the past six days.” The force we met above Haverford had necromancers in the front line. Powerful ones, Phoria, not the hedgerow conjurers you’ve met with back here. They killed an entire turma’s horses beneath them as they charged, then sent the corpses galloping back among our ranks. It was a rout. I think—”
    â€œWhat? That Mother was right?” Phoria rounded on him. “That we
need
the Aurënfaie and their magic to survive this war? I’ll tell you what we need: Aurënfaie horses, Aurënfaie steel, and the Aurënfaie port of Gedre if we’re to defend Rhíminee and the southern islands. But still the Iia’sidra debates!”
    Korathan watched with wary fascination as his twin paced, left hand clenched over the pommel of her sword so tightly that the knuckles showed white.
    Her old campaigning sword, he noted. She’d put aside the swordof Ghërilain for now so that she could be formally invested with it at her crowning, with all the power and authority it represented. He’d known all his life that this moment would come, that his sister would be queen. Watching her now, why did he suddenly feel as if