SHADOW REIGN: VAN LAVEN CHRONICLES

by Tyler Chase

  “Don’t you dare try to evoke my pity!” Skarus roared. “You nearly destroyed our father when you refused his aid in favor of Van Laven. And now he’s gone and those filthy, maggot-ridden Van Lavens had something to do with it. I’d bet my life on it.”

  Vaush endeavored to hold his stern gaze, to turn away now would be a full admission of guilt. She watched as he approached like a panther stalking its prey.

  “Now, dear sister,” he said coolly, “you want a chance at redemption? Tell me what you know of my father’s disappearance and of House Van Laven’s involvement.”

  She steeled her nerves, knowing Comron listened in. “You suspect Van Laven had something to do with the rebel attack?” She asked mustering as much surprise as she could. “They had already bested Father. Why would they press their luck with such a brazen attack?”

  The most wicked grin spread across his face, one that would have dazzled his many female admirers, but only struck fear in Vaush’s heart. “You were always such a lousy liar, Vaush. You know damned well that was no random rebel attack. The configuration of the explosives and detonations devices indicates the work of highly trained professionals who knew how to stage a half-assed looking rebel attack.”

  She willed her jangled nerves to calm down and to think clearly. She managed a convincing look of concern. “Have you alerted the authorities?”

  He took another step closer. “I thought I’d cut right to the heart of the matter and stare the lion down the throat. Do they have him, Vaush? Is he still alive?”

  Her heart leapt into her throat. She would not regret their actions. Larrs forfeited his life the day he took her mother’s. It was justice!

  “Whatever has become of our—your father,” Vaush said, “I assure you swift justice will be done.”

  His face contorted with rage. “You’d compound your sins by covering for them? Gods below, Vaush, what has happened to you?”

  Again, a sharp blade of indignation seared her within. “After you learned the truth about my parentage, did you ever inquire as to what became of my birth mother?”

  His outrage at the seemingly blatant attempt to change the subject exploded. “Do you have no honor left? Did Van Laven fuck that clean out of you?”

  “Answer the question!” she commanded with such force that Skarus flinched, his brow furrowed in confusion.

  “I don’t know.” He thought for a second. “He said she died in childbirth, you were lucky to survive.”

  Vaush levelled him with a fiery glare. He was too smart to accept such an answer. No one who earned an Eruditus Degree in Advanced Fission Reaction Engineering and graduated at the top of his class could buy such a pathetic excuse. Her respect for him fell swiftly. Still her heart yearned for her adoptive countrymen.

  “Two things,” she said, holding up the corresponding number of fingers. “One—if you truly believe House Van Laven is responsible for your father’s death, launch a formal investigation and nail their conniving hides to the wall, just leave me out of it. Two—I still love Ti-Laros and would see her rise to prominence along with me. I can do so much for her from here. I can make her the premier power-generation builders of the empire. I can set her as an exquisite jewel among the great houses if only you’d let me.” She folded her arms across her chest. “So when you’re done cursing me for behaving like a decent human being, come back to the Lion Palace so we can set Ti-Laros on the path to true greatness.”

  The look of astonished bewilderment on Skarus’ face was very illuminating. Was it possible that he could set aside his inbred bias and forgive her for the sake of Ti-Laros? He hadn’t laughed and told her to take her dreams and go to hell.

  He peered at her curiously as if seeing her for the first time. “The future you paint might be possible somewhere down the line.” His expression grew dark again and his voice was laden with menace. “However, if I discover that you are covering for Van Laven,” he shook his head, “you truly will be dead to me and heaven help you for what comes next.”

  She drew up before him, staring him dead in the eyes. “I believe you just threatened the sovereign ruler of the Sellusion Empire, a crime worthy of death. Do it again and I will forget that you are my brother.”

  Again, his brow pinched together and his expression read who is this woman I once called sister? “I must be leaving now. I have business in the city.”

  “Very well,” she said, taking a step back to let him pass. As he did so, she touched his arm. “Skarus.”

  He turned to her, the hard look in the eyes having softened a degree.

  “Don’t let your pride and bitterness stand in the way of Ti-Laros’ grand future. Return to the Lion Palace soon, the best suite of rooms will await you.”

  He hesitated before replying. “As her Duke, I will always do what is best for Ti-Laros. As for the rest … we shall see how the investigation plays out.”

  Chapter 40

  Comron stormed through the door of the Blue Ravine Parlor, face flushed and green eyes blazing. Vaush braced herself for the confrontation; this conversation was a long time coming. It was about time he learned that House Van Laven wouldn’t be the only minor house to prosper under her reign.

  “Have you completely lost your mind?” he said as he approached. “How could you promise that vomitus crag mite quarters here and a windfall of business to Ti-Laros. They are the murders of your mother!”

  “Ti-Laros didn’t murder my mother, Larrs did, and now he’s dead. I’ll not join your vendetta against Ti-Laros, any resentment I felt died with him.”

  His face turned a darker shade of red. “You owe them nothing. They’re not your blood relations, and they’ve certainly had no difficulty spurning you!”

  “Only because they believe I’ve sided with Nethic against them. What both sides will come to understand is that I stand neutral in this feud. I hate neither side in the conflict.”

  “Neutral?” he said, his eyes livid. “You chose sides the day you married me, taking the name Van Laven and casting off Bastionli.”

  She drew back. “There was no grand symbolism in that; taking your name is a simple legality. You were wrong to read so much into it.” When she saw the vein pulsing at his temple, she quickly added, “I married you because I’m deeply in love with you, but it didn’t mean I had to start hating Ti-Laros, no more than you marrying me meant that you had to despise Nethic.”

  He raised his eyes to the ceiling. “But you no longer have any obligation to them, why can’t you sever ties with the people who’ve ostracized you?”

  “Because they are still my family, the people who raised me and made—”

  “And I’m just the asshole slaving like a damned fool to build your empire, destroy your enemies, and lay down my life for you. But by all means, throw all your love and affection at Bastionli who hasn’t done shite for you!” he railed.

  “Comron!” she said alarmed that he should feel that way. “You’re my husband and, someday, the father of my children. I offer you my exclusive devotion and the power to place your sons on the imperial throne. Nethic is to become the primary financial hub of the Empire. Is that not enough for you that you should begrudge me my desire to repair my relationship with my family?”

  “I am your family,” he said impassioned, his eyes glistening.

  “You’re my very soul; nothing even remotely compares to you,” she said consumed by his pain. “If you asked me for my very throne I’d surrender it to you, because all I have is yours. All of me belongs to you. Don’t you know that by now?”

  His chest heaved with emotion, and he lowered his head as the words sank in, soothing him.

  “Comron, I know how you feel about Ti-Laros, but I also know how much you love me and want my happiness. If in some small way I can make a peace offering to them, would you really begrudge me that chance?”

  He closed his eyes, struggling with the dilemma. Wasn’t his victory supposed to involve crushing all of Ti-Laros beneath his feet?

  “De
spite all that Crausin has done to us and tried to do to me, I forgave him for your sake, Comron, because there is nothing I would deny you. But perhaps you don’t love me as well ….”

  “Vaush,” he said exasperated. “You know that’s not true. This just isn’t part of the future I envisioned for us. Be patient with me as I try to … to,” he shook his head unable to say the words.

  She took hold of his arms. “It’s okay. I know how difficult this is for you. It took me awhile to make peace with the idea of Crausin being here on Novoxos with us. But the same principles that guided me on Patheis to save the life of my mortal enemy are the very same ones that compel me now.” She cradled his face in her hands. “Please, Comron, you know your support means everything to me,” she decided to take a calculated risk, “in fact, if you can’t give me support in this, I won’t do it.”

  He stared intently at her and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes that she should lay the decision completely at his feet.

  “More than anything,” she said, seeking to reinforce the message, “I want peace between us, I’ll do nothing to jeopardize that.” She had to give him the power, make him feel as if admitting Bastionli was a thing he had control over.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and opened them. “You have my support, but we will discuss every step toward this reconciliation. We’ll take it slow, very slow.”

  Her smile was brilliant as she threw herself into his arms and pelted his face with warm kisses. “Thank you, Comron. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  “Just remember to discuss it with me first, no surprises,” he firmly reiterated.

  “No surprises, I promise!”

  Chapter 41

  “That spawn of a serpent, Van Laven, has nearly tripled the empress’ net worth in a mere matter of months,” Braden Dredfort complained to the men sitting across the table from him. General Grusonious, with his long flaxen hair flowing back over his shoulders, sat to his right taking the brunt of Dredfort’s ire. “Considering all the trades he’s executed shortly before a sharp price change, surely you should be able to indict him for securities fraud regarding privileged trading violations.”

  Grusonious’ expression was implacable. “As I’ve already explained, circumstantial evidence is not sufficient cause for indictment. I must have actual proof that he’s been engaging in illegal trade resulting from privileged knowledge.”

  “Well unless you find something soon, that second rate house will be firmly ensconced in the upper tier as a full member of the imperial reserve board,” Rogueport said bitterly as if still chafing over surrendering his votes toward that goal. “No one could possibly know all that he does without several deep insiders or some highly sophisticated surveillance technology the likes of which we’ve never seen.”

  “I don’t give a damn about your pernicious little board,” Braden spat. “I just want him out of the Lion Palace and shipped back to where he belongs. They say Van Laven barely ever returns home to his wife in the city, and he is only spotted there sporadically at the week’s end. The empress is meant to wed Phineas, yet they’re laughing behind his back saying Van Laven’s too busy warming the empress’ bed to go home to his own!” He eyed Grusonious perspicaciously. “Perhaps it’s time we provided him with sufficient cause to return to Nethic. How can he enjoy the Lion Palace if his own is being burned to the ground?”

  Grusonious cut his eyes at him; his mouth grew taut.

  “Don’t worry, every man at this table has a vested interest in seeing Van Laven removed,” he waved a hand dismissively. “Isn’t that right, Prince Bastionli?” All turned to look at the youngest member of their party.

  Skarus Bastionli stared back with gleaming dark eyes as sharp as his father’s. “You’re damned right, my lord,” he said evenly. “I would also ask that you launch an investigation into the disappearance of my father, the former Duke of Ti-Laros.”

  Grusonious’s brow hitched. “I thought he died in the rebel attack.”

  “That’s what we were meant to believe, but I have reason to believe he was abducted by House Van Laven. Heaven only knows what they’ve done to him.”

  They all exchanged uneasy glances. “You’re certain that isn’t simply wishful thinking?” Dredfort asked. He needed House Bastionli for all the valuable intelligence they’d gathered on House Van Laven over the years, but he hadn’t counted on this complication.

  “I spoke to the empress concerning the matter,” Skarus answered, “and I know she’s lying.”

  Dredfort leaned back in his chair. “How?”

  “I spent the last twenty-four years living with her as a brother,” he bit off the reply. “I know when my sister is hiding something.” His face twisted in derision. “That she would lie to cover Van Laven hides against her own father …,” his hand clenched into an angry fist and he ground his teeth.

  Grusonious listened carefully and spoke in a measured tone, “I’ll keep up the pressure on the securities violation probe, but perhaps there is something to Bastionli’s claims.”

  Chapter 42

  For a moment, Vaush could only sit there in a daze even as her mind raced in a thousand different directions. It was a lie! The ancient feud between Houses Van Laven and Bastiionli was predicated upon a lie perpetrated by Emperor Sellusion himself.

  She returned the Bramech to its case and leapt to her feet. It was late in the evening, but she knew Comron and Crausin would still be in the study working hard devising and managing the systematic fall of the richya. But given what she’d discovered, a break from their work was necessitated. This news would change everything.

  When she entered the room, Comron and Crausin were on a conference call with Merit Hancet, who was, yet again, on one of his colorful rants against the Hegemony. Comron would probably welcome the distraction.

  “Excuse me. Hello Mr. Hancet,” she said as she entered the midst of them. “But I need a moment with Lord Comron.”

  Comron looked askance at her and muted the conference line. “We were just wrapping up. Can you give us a few more minutes?”

  She’d heard that before. A few more minutes with Hancet usually ended up being an hour. “I’m certain Crausin can wrap up the call for you. I need you now.”

  Comron smirked, “Really? You don’t think that can wait a few?”

  She hitched her thumb at the door. “No, I don’t. Come on.” She knew the inflection in her voice would get his attention. He followed her into their bedroom and shut the doors behind him. “What is it, Vaush? You look so lost.”

  She turned to look at him; her expression was pinched in consternation. “During the Unification Campaign, Emperor Sellusion Hrollaugr blocked all communications going out of Nethic to prevent all their calls for aid from reaching anyone, particularly, Ti-Laros.”

  He gave the obligatory scoff. “Ti-Laros has been spinning that line of guff for two and a half centuries.” He frowned. “Is that why you dragged me out of that meeting?”

  “Give me more credit than that, I used the Chronicle Archives and, furthermore, the records are contained in Sellusion’ s private journals.” She held out the Bramech to him. “I’ve marked the passages, Comron. It wasn’t a lie—Ti-Laros never knew Nethic was under siege until it was too late. But that was due to Sellusion’s artifice, not Ti-Laros’ cowardice.”

  He raised his hand and turned away from her. “Vaush, it’s ancient history. Too much has happened since then. Even if what you’re saying is true, none of it matters now.”

  “How can you say the truth doesn’t matter?” she said. “Ti-Laros won’t stop gunning for you because they can’t bear to see a Van Laven rise at the expense of Bastionli. If we can do something to end this feud, to show both sides that their two kings loved each other like dear brothers, and that neither betrayed the other, it could make all the difference in the world.”

  “You’re dreaming, Vaush,” he said, shaking his head. “Now, I need to rejoin that meeting to make sure Hancet—”
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br />   “Crausin’s perfectly capable of handling Hancet!” she said annoyed at his dismissive attitude. “You are going sit there and view those passages. You are going to learn the truth about what happened.” She grabbed his hand and placed the Bramech in it. “What you do with the knowledge from there is up to you.”

  When he just stood there, staring at her with a clenched jaw, she gave him a sidelong glance. “What are you afraid of, Comron? That Nethic had it wrong all these years?” She sat down on the divan and patted the space next to her. “Come, let’s begin the journey.”

  Comron exhaled and reluctantly joined her on the divan. He opened the Bramech box and allowed the biomechanical creature to do its work.

  Chapter 43

  Comron noted that Vaush had wisely chosen to begin the journey highlighting the deep friendship that existed between the King Rhaegor Van Laven of Nethic and King Duncan Bastionli of Ti-Laros. King Rhaegor and a large Nethicaen delegation were visiting Ti-Laros for the wedding of Duncan’s eldest daughter—her handsome groom was a Nethicaen nobleman. That certainly wasn’t widely publicized knowledge!

  Spirits were running high as all engaged in the festivity’s events eating, drinking and general merriment. There was plenty of cause to rejoice even beyond the wedding, for the allies had devised a clever battle plan and won a decisive victory over Sellusion’s superior forces. Indeed, Sellusion returned to Novoxos empty handed, acknowledging that when Nethic and Ti-Laros banded together, they were a formidable enemy, a true force to be reckoned with.

  In the midst of the celebration, Duncan had called Rhaegor aside to speak in private. Comron listened attentively as the two men spoke of the great victory, each extolling the other’s feats of valor in vanquishing Sellusion’s battalions. There they declared a solemn blood oath as brothers, to always come to the aid of the other and fight as one army against any enemy who came up against them. These were no mere words, Comron could see it in their eyes, the deep mutual respect and admiration they felt for one another, the kind that would cause a man to lay down his life for his brother-in-arms. The bond was the profound, unbreakable sort that should have endured for generations.