Fealty

By the time dawn clutched at the sky with rose-gold fingers, the carnal claws of a funeral pyre's flames were greedily sinking into Vesra's flesh.  No songs of mourning were sung when she was carried into the heart of the Ashen Judgment; no words of honor were spoken when she was laid on the logs.  Only the crack and hiss of fire and and embers would usher her into the Ever-After.  

It was only fitting for one who had nearly killed the Emperor.

Ilon watched with dead, gray eyes while the jewel of the Ember House went up in smoke and ash.  He stood and watched until she was reduced to cinders and the pyre had begun to cannibalize itself.  Only then did he turn to his most senior of guards and murmur, "Make sure the Echoes strike her from the records.  It will be best for the House of Embers if she did not exist at all."

"At your desire, my Liege."

Before the man could hasten off, Ilon lifted a hand.  "One other thing."

"Yes, Imperial Highness?"

"Return to me when you have completed that task.  I have something of grave importance for you and your most trusted of men to tend to."

"Of course, my Lord."

"Thank you."

The guard bowed deeply and hastened off.  Ilon watched him go with a sense of uneasy satisfaction.  Only half done, he thought.  But not done yet.  He sucked his teeth and turned away from the sooty heap of charcoal and bones.

"See that this is cleaned up.  All of it."

"My Lord?"

Ilon's attention snapped to the young woman that spoke.  She was clearly Bone-born and Bone-bred, through and through - there was no mistaking the ghost-white skin and stark black hair, even if the ashen robes did a fine job of hiding everything else.  Even her irises were black, a sign of her bloodline's purity.

"The flames have licked her bones clean.  There is a risk that she might yet rise-"

"Your job is to make sure that doesn't happen, isn't it?  Keep the traitorous wench from sowing her seeds of treachery in the Palace from the Ever-After.  That is your duty, Bone-Keeper."

The young woman's mouth flattened out and her voice, bell-bright as it was, rang with discordant notes when she replied, "No, His Imperiousness.  My duty is to weigh the innocence in the bones - and render Judgment accordingly."

Ilon didn't deign to respond.  He left without sparing her a look.  He had other matters to attend to, after all, and none of them involved the smoking remains of the meddlesome Ember-born bitch.