Free Prince of Storms by Kay Kenyon

welcome,” she said, “and also this friend whom I have not met.” She nodded to Ahnwalun.
    They gazed at her. Rather too long, Quinn thought.
    Anzi went on, “We share the Entire, now. As it always should have been. I see you have met my regent husband.”
    At this, Ahnwalun said, “You are Ji Anzi, then.”
    â€œYes, I have that humble name.”
    â€œBut not humble actions, to suit.”
    Quinn took her hand. “She has welcomed you courteously, Ahnwalun.”
    Turning to the other Jinda ceb, Anzi said, “Tindivir. Will you greet me?”
    He said, more softly than Ahnwalun had spoken. “Yes, certainly, Regent-wife.”
    Quinn had had enough. “That’s not her name. Please call her Ji Anzi.”
    Anzi removed her hand from his, and brought out from a fold in her clothes a scroll. “These are my formal words to your people. Please share them, Tindivir. I would like to speak for my actions, since there wasn’t time to do so before.”
    Tindivir took the scroll. “You have written an explanation. That is good, Ji Anzi, but it will not make up for what transpired.”
    â€œIt’s a start,” Quinn said pointedly.
    Tindivir put the scroll in a slit in his clothes. “You cannot know what fell out from your actions, Ji Anzi, so I will explain. Briefly: Nistoth was your teacher. You prevailed on him to create an involution to the Entire, bringing you into the center of the conflict here in the Entire. The justification was that your husband was in danger. But you had many weeks in our time to make your request in Manifest. You chose not to do this, and Nistoth chose not to do this in the mistaken belief that you had to act with immediacy. What transpired from this rash behavior? Did you save your husband? No, he saved himself. Did your actions have consequence in the Rose? No, we watched, and think that you did not greatly influence that outcome. So Nistoth has lost his position. Everything of his life art has been erased. Because of you, although your former teacher graciously takes his own blame. I am sorry to report that you have engendered much resentment among us for your actions and for Nistoth’s sake. I do not share the anger, since I must work with the regent. I am not happy to have told you this news, Ji Anzi, but you should not be the only one who does not know.”
    Anzi could barely speak. “Tindivir, I may have been wrong, but I thought the Rose would die.”
    â€œThat was of high importance to you. But not to us.”
    Quinn let those words settle for a moment.
    Tindivir turned to Quinn. “Show us the tents you spoke of, Regent. That would make a better beginning than reciting old mistakes.”
    Anzi stood forlorn at Quinn’s side. He took her hand again. It was not a good start, but for now, he and the Jinda ceb had met each other without guards drawing swords and without the Tarig creating an uproar, or any of the hundred things that could have gone wrong by them showing up like this. It might have been worse.
    â€œThis way.” Quinn gestured them toward the pavilion. He kept Anzi with him by imprisoning her hand in his, despite her trying to tug away. He would not, by God, let them drive her from his side.
    When they got to the pavilion, everyone was awake and standing by— Tai, Zhiya, Ci Dehai—all looking amazed and uncertain, if he read the expressions aright. On the hill, he thought he glimpsed a lone Tarig standing at a railing, watching.
    He told Zhiya that the pavilion had to be moved. He wanted it placed away from any canals—unlike its present location. Once that was done, the Jinda ceb could choose their place in the configuration of tents.
    Zhiya cocked her head. “I thought you liked the sound of the water as you slept.”
    â€œYes, but I can do without it.” He added, “Not all carp are carp.”
    The Jinda ceb had already made themselves useful, if only