struggle, this worm intends to seize the imperial throne for himself.”
“A mere governor would aspire to displace both an emperor and king?” the incredulous chatra asked.
“Actually, his aspirations have a kernel of basis. He has some legitimate connection to the throne, though distant, through some obscure antecedent. The man is a fool, a fool risking death over wounded pride. We shall court this unexpected asset for our own ends. If he risks treason over merely being ignored, he’s ruled by emotions. We shall play to his vanity weakness.”
* * *
King Nemenese stamped about in his mistress’s palace apartment, trying to decide who was responsible for the serpentine assassin that attacked him at Engwaniria. He stopped often, looking about to see if anyone approached, not sure if he’d heard muffled footsteps or not.
“Helgamyr has no idea,” Nemenese said. “She insisted Saxthor was trying to dispose of her when I was in Ossenkosk. She blames the emperor for everything. There is simply no actual evidence that the emperor was involved, though he would be careful to cover his involvement. He’s married to my granddaughter. His request to explore new trade agreements was already approved. Was it all a ruse to cover his real intent?”
“Whoever attempted your assassination, a wizard is involved. Men can’t create such evil things as you described without the aid of magic,” the mistress said.
“All the courts have wizards, except mine. I have no way of exploring that aspect of this dilemma. Ever since my antecedent’s court wizard debauched his daughter whom the wizard was supposed to be tutoring, wizards have been outlawed in this kingdom.”
“Oh really?” the mistress asked. She perked up at the revelation, sitting up and pulling her scant, nearly transparent robe about her. “Do tell; I’ve not heard about that.”
“I shouldn’t have mentioned it. It’s been a family secret for generations.”
“A wizard and a royal princess,” the mistress mumbled, selecting a cherry tart from a tray by the bed. She took a nibble and tossed it back on the table. “Do tell your little pet.”
“What a disaster it was. The king sent his wizard to tutor his daughter in some of the arts. It seems he taught her something else and left her with child. The enraged king hid-- I should say sealed-- her in that dark, forbidden tower at the back of the palace. She was never heard from again. The sorcerer was dangerous and the king realized it. He exiled the fiend and told him if he was found in the kingdom in three days, the guards had orders to kill him on sight. The monster fled across the continent; eventually, it turned out, to the Prince of Prertsten’s obscure court at the far end of the peninsula.”
“And he was never heard from again?”
King Nemenese turned from his distracted thoughts and stared at the mistress. She dropped the macaroon she nibbled and looked down, avoiding his glaring response.
“You really don’t know do you? That scraggly, unscrupulous wizard became the Dark King of Dreaddrac, nearly destroying the peninsula and the known world! That’s why Velstorbokkin kings have banned wizards from the kingdom through the succeeding generations.”
Silent, the mistress settled down into her bed and said no more.
Nemenese stared at her a moment. “Never repeat a word of what I told you.”
*
“Whoever sent that assassin to kill me will try again,” Nemenese said to the chatra in the private audience chamber the next morning. He looked out across the horizon toward Senoshesvas then turned to the chatra. “If it’s the emperor, I must make an alliance with King Nindax before the perpetrator can seize my kingdom. We stand alone without allies at this point. We cannot survive as a sovereign kingdom should the might of the empire fall upon us without warning.”
“Senoshesvas and Velstorbokkin have never been allies, even when the imperial threat loomed large. Nindax is a
“A mere governor would aspire to displace both an emperor and king?” the incredulous chatra asked.
“Actually, his aspirations have a kernel of basis. He has some legitimate connection to the throne, though distant, through some obscure antecedent. The man is a fool, a fool risking death over wounded pride. We shall court this unexpected asset for our own ends. If he risks treason over merely being ignored, he’s ruled by emotions. We shall play to his vanity weakness.”
* * *
King Nemenese stamped about in his mistress’s palace apartment, trying to decide who was responsible for the serpentine assassin that attacked him at Engwaniria. He stopped often, looking about to see if anyone approached, not sure if he’d heard muffled footsteps or not.
“Helgamyr has no idea,” Nemenese said. “She insisted Saxthor was trying to dispose of her when I was in Ossenkosk. She blames the emperor for everything. There is simply no actual evidence that the emperor was involved, though he would be careful to cover his involvement. He’s married to my granddaughter. His request to explore new trade agreements was already approved. Was it all a ruse to cover his real intent?”
“Whoever attempted your assassination, a wizard is involved. Men can’t create such evil things as you described without the aid of magic,” the mistress said.
“All the courts have wizards, except mine. I have no way of exploring that aspect of this dilemma. Ever since my antecedent’s court wizard debauched his daughter whom the wizard was supposed to be tutoring, wizards have been outlawed in this kingdom.”
“Oh really?” the mistress asked. She perked up at the revelation, sitting up and pulling her scant, nearly transparent robe about her. “Do tell; I’ve not heard about that.”
“I shouldn’t have mentioned it. It’s been a family secret for generations.”
“A wizard and a royal princess,” the mistress mumbled, selecting a cherry tart from a tray by the bed. She took a nibble and tossed it back on the table. “Do tell your little pet.”
“What a disaster it was. The king sent his wizard to tutor his daughter in some of the arts. It seems he taught her something else and left her with child. The enraged king hid-- I should say sealed-- her in that dark, forbidden tower at the back of the palace. She was never heard from again. The sorcerer was dangerous and the king realized it. He exiled the fiend and told him if he was found in the kingdom in three days, the guards had orders to kill him on sight. The monster fled across the continent; eventually, it turned out, to the Prince of Prertsten’s obscure court at the far end of the peninsula.”
“And he was never heard from again?”
King Nemenese turned from his distracted thoughts and stared at the mistress. She dropped the macaroon she nibbled and looked down, avoiding his glaring response.
“You really don’t know do you? That scraggly, unscrupulous wizard became the Dark King of Dreaddrac, nearly destroying the peninsula and the known world! That’s why Velstorbokkin kings have banned wizards from the kingdom through the succeeding generations.”
Silent, the mistress settled down into her bed and said no more.
Nemenese stared at her a moment. “Never repeat a word of what I told you.”
*
“Whoever sent that assassin to kill me will try again,” Nemenese said to the chatra in the private audience chamber the next morning. He looked out across the horizon toward Senoshesvas then turned to the chatra. “If it’s the emperor, I must make an alliance with King Nindax before the perpetrator can seize my kingdom. We stand alone without allies at this point. We cannot survive as a sovereign kingdom should the might of the empire fall upon us without warning.”
“Senoshesvas and Velstorbokkin have never been allies, even when the imperial threat loomed large. Nindax is a
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