The Last Days of Faneh-Thenyal

Janel purposely pushed the door shut, cutting off the view of startled pages and servants. The sight of his brother-half-brother and Prince-in full battle dress, lacking only his shield, stunned Corydon into a faltering stop. It was worse and worse.

"I've ridden three days to get here," Janel said, forgoing any salutations and courtly greetings. "If the gods hadn't been on my side, I would have been another week before I could bring you the news."

"You came by portal?" Corydon said, his voice soft.

"I had to. Thenyal has fallen."

It was impossible. Thenyal was the bulwark of the empire, the wall of mountains and mountain warriors, behind which the port of Faneh had stood, inviolate for-732 years.

"I-" Corydon began and stopped, his head shaking.

"You better sit down, Cory," Janel said.

"You too-you look exhausted-"

"I can't sit-"

"Gods don't tell me you're going to pull that protocol nonsense with me now!"

"No," he said, and even gave one brief smile. "No, not that. I can't sit in this damned armor. It's made for the saddle, but not the sofa."

"Here. Let me-"

"Cory-"

"Let me help. Gods, let me do something."

He didn't argue as Cory began to unlace the ties at his shoulders, clumsy with the work that the emperor had only seen done and never tried himself. They were silent for one shoulder and another. The bulk of the armor came away, but it stuck at Janel's side and he winced as it pulled free. There was blood there.

"Jan-"

"It's not bad. I wouldn't have made it this far if it was. Cory-Emperor, I have not told you the whole story. I don't want to. But you must know how Thenyal fell."

Corydon bowed his head once, a very regal movement he hadn't meant to use, but it was countered when he knelt on the soft carpet, spotted now with dirt from Janel's passage, and began unbuckling the grieves.