Chapter 19: The Emperor

 "He is almost here," the mage said to his co-conspirator. "He imagines that he is successfully avoiding my magic, but it is drawing him in. There is no escape for him."

"It is well past time," the other said, "you had promised would be sitting on the throne by now, and still I live in a drafty old house far from the power that I deserve."

"Say rather, the power you 'desire'. There are no secrets, no lies, between us."

"What does it matter? The important thing is that now we will see the end of our plotting and we will have our way."

"The end is closer, true, but many a fine plot has been ruined by impatience."

"I grow tired of this. Patience, you say, patience, again. I want what I deserve, yes, what I desire, and I do not want to wait any longer."

"Yet you must wait, or you will bring all our plans down about your ears."

The other man paced around the dim room on the edge of violence before flinging his hands in the air.

"Okay, we wait," he said finally, petulantly as a child.

The mage wisely said nothing, but let the other leave. He sat in the darkness turning plots over in his head. His partner in treason was growing harder to control and thus more dangerous. Still, he is needed, for now. He, too, left the room and walked back to his home secure in the knowledge that he was being followed. His co-conspirator was not completely a fool.

***

The mage received a message from the other that they needed to meet again. He walked inconspicuously through the streets and entered the tavern through the back door. The proprietors were used to such comings and goings and didn't care what the purpose was, as long as the coin was good. As usual, the mage arrived first. The other thought he showed dominance by making the mage wait. He didn't know how little the mage cared for such things. He could wait a season or longer for what he wanted. He had waited years already; a few minutes were paltry in comparison. The other arrived, barely schooling himself to be unnoticed.

"She's home," he burst out almost before the door closed behind him, "the wench is back and they are as giddy as newlyweds."

"The happier she is now the deeper the cut of betrayal will be later."

"Bah, she will believe nothing bad of the cripple, she is so besotted with him."

"That would be a problem if it really mattered what she believes. It is not her faith in him that we aim to shake."

"True, but it makes me sick to see them."

"You mean it enrages you that someone else has awakened the woman you tried to bury deep in pain and horror. That a cripple sleeps with her and has her love?"

"Enough!" yelled the duke. "She will return to me, whether she wills or not. She is mine! I will school her properly when she is back under my control."

"Take care," the mage said, "that she does not turn and destroy you."

"She is but a girl."

"Men have been destroyed by less."

"Enough, again. I will not be guided by your cautions and riddles."

"Without my caution, your head would be decorating the spikes on Traitor's Gate."

"Without your caution, I would be wearing the crown!"

"You will be happy, then, to hear that our pawn approaches ever closer to the city. I will let you know when best to play your trump and perhaps you will claim your crown and your daughter in the same move."

"Now that is a happy thought!" the duke said. "I will await your message." He swept out of the room without any further word. The mage who thought he had schooled himself out of any emotion or feeling discovered his hands were balled into fists of rage.

"I am beginning to think that the crown would sit very uneasily on that impetuous head, O Duke," he said to the empty room, "I think the plan must change to have it set on a calmer head." He left the room and walked home considering how to rid himself of a partner who had become a dangerous liability. The man was too full of petty angers, look at who he sent to the mage for their project. Look indeed, his small vengeance may be exactly what I need to rid myself of the second most important man in the kingdom.