Beshalar all but physically strong-armed the emperor into the carriage, crowding Cala and himself in behind. The coachman clucked to the horses and they rattled off. For ten minutes no one said anything. Beshalar looked like he was reinventing most of Setheris's favourite epithets
Peeling Maia's "everyone hates me" goggles off the situation I think Beshalar is probably terrified.
Beshalar got assigned this job on literally no notice, so he was starting late, he's had this job of protecting the emperor for literally hours, with a partner he's only just met.
Its only been a couple of days since the rest of the line of succession were suddenly died. No one knows exactly what happened yet, or if people are still actively seeking to kill the rest of the royal family. If Maia dies there will be at best a regency and at worst a huge succession crisis and Beshelar will be expected to commit ritual suicide.
And what does Maia decide he urgently needs to do? He wants to go on an unplanned trip, to an unfamiliar location, with no notice or prior arragements, where he'll be surrounded by strangers who are directly connected to the deaths of the imperial family!
