Aliana was uncomfortably full by the time she had proved none of the food was poisoned well enough to satisfy Ferich. She was prepared to return to the Secretaries' Hall but Ferich insisted she sit next to him as he ate with his me.

"You said you were the one that ordered meals prepared." 

Ferich phrased it as a statement, not a question, and it had been more like groveling, but she answered anyway. "Yes."

"You are the ruler here then."

Aliana stared at him, confused. "No. I'm an..." she trailed off, realizing she didn't have the word in the language of the Tribes, so she finished in Tavari, "undersecretary."

"Undersecretary," repeated Ferich. "I do not think we have these in the mountains."

Aliana smiled slightly at the thought. "No, probably not."

"An undersecretary is a leader."

"No," Aliana corrected cautiously. "I was one of fifty, who worked under the five Secretaries of Great Isarius. I copied notes, sent missives. Solved small problems that did not need to see greater eyes."

Ferich seemed to mull this over for awhile. "Where are your leaders?"

"Great Isarius is dead, his Secretaries died with him. When they heard, the priests killed themselves. The lords all left."

Ferich scoffed at that last. "Cowards."

"There are more dead in the women's quarters." Aliana said, remembering. 

"Women's quarters?"

"Great Isarius' wives. Some of his children." Aliana shrugged.

"Wives." Ferich snorted. "Foolish the man who would seek out more than one. It is no wonder he did not care to keep them close." Aliana bit her tongue and he continued. "I will see to it they are cleaned, if they have not been already."