“I did not lie about the key facts. Abelle allowed me to keep my research because I didn’t use any of the university resources.”
“What about Izanami?”
“Yes, like me, she did all of her research in my workshop using equipment that I purchased, with my funds. To make sure my grandfather cannot take it, I pay the Palace rent on my workspace.”
Toshiko brushed back her hair and said, “You took a risk telling him about Izanami. He could have called your bluff and checked. Worse, he could have hired her.”
“Grandfather was not surprised. I am sure he knew Izanami is my business partner, and I also think he was proud that I tried to deceive him.”
“I didn’t tell him.”
Kaede took her hand and said, “I know.”
“It is hard for him. He wanted Hiro to sit on the throne and you to advise him.”
“My grandfather knows I have the mind of an adult, and that I am smarter than him. I frighten him. I know you will protect him, and I accept that. That has not changed my mind. I still want to marry you.”
Toshiko knelt in front of Kaede. “You have to act like a púca, or else you frighten the common people. When you’re older, you will understand, but no more talk of love, else you cannot come to my house as you please.”
Kaede looked down and said, “But most people think I’m a freak. I hear it every day. Everyone encourages their kids to do their best, but when I do, no one likes me.”
Toshiko hugged him and said, “I never said you’re a freak. I have always defended you. You know I like you, but given our age difference, grow up first. Don’t worry. One day, we can talk about marriage, but when you are an adult.”
“Yes, Toshiko,” Kaede said as he rolled his eyes.
“You need to stop pretending you are an adult or people will not support you.”
Kaede looked away and said, “I will try.”
“Good, now we should talk to your father,” Toshiko said, tapping the screen on the wall. She selected the residence and pressed express. The screen scanned her thumbprint, and the elevator sped to the top of the tower.
“My father cares more about his career than me.”
“No, Hiro adores you. It is just that he doesn’t know how to talk to you. You may not see it, but your Grandfather does love you, but you are right, you scare him.”
Kaede leaned in and whispered, “I know my Grandfather is always watching me.”
Toshiko stood up and put her hand on his shoulder while looking back down the hall. She took Kaede’s hand and led him to the lift. “The security system records everything; I will make sure he doesn’t see this conversation. But you must believe deep down that your family loves you. Your father may not agree with your Grandfather, but he doesn’t hate him.”
“My Grandfather cannot view all that data. Does the shadow army spend all day watching cameras?”
“No, he had a team develop an AI that samples all data, including audio from video cameras for keywords.”
Kaede snorted, “AIs are primitive, they can play games, and they often win, but one that understands video?”
Toshiko gasped and said in a stern voice, “Listen carefully, do not repeat what I am about to tell you. Do you swear? The Emperor must not know I told you.”
Kaede bit his bottom lip and bowed, “I swear.”
The elevator stopped. Toshiko said, “Wait,” and took Kaede by the hand and rushed him to his room and closed the door. She took off her shoes, waited for Kaede and took him to the kitchen. She took out her phone and activated privacy for the room.
“What is wrong?”
“Takahiro has an AI that can read lips. She can recognise someone from behind. She is so good at understanding words and body language that she can build an extensive psychological profile. She has files on many people, including you. She can comprehend many languages and tell the difference between a threat, a bluff, and an utterance. Fortunately, I am allowed to activate privacy mode in a room, but it only lasts while I am in it.”
“With a computer that powerful and the Shadow Army, why then is Grandfather scared of Patya? I thought Patya is a friend.”
“For a long time, Patya was Dain’s ally until Takahiro lied to Dain and said Patya told him about Dain’s secret. Dain was furious and didn’t renew contracts with Patya. Then Takahiro forced Patya to sell him some of his company, give him discounts and preferred customer status. Patya has no choice. He depends on Takahiro for delivery, corporate security, minerals, and waste management.”
“If he knew Dain’s secret, why force Patya to sell shares?”
Toshiko laughed and replied, “You should know that.”
Kaede frowned, his forehead wrinkled. “Grandfather doesn’t tell me anything about the others that I cannot read on the information network.”
“No. I mean, isn’t it obvious?” Toshiko asked.
Kaede frowned and screwed up his nose and forehead.
Toshiko said, “Your Grandfather lied. We shall call it is called a bluff. But Patya is the one with the secret, but Dain will not hold it over him.”
“Why didn’t Patya go to the other Senators or Lords for help?”
“None of the other Senators like Patya and most lords fear Takahiro’s security company.”
Kaede sat and asked, “Why?”
“Patya is loyal to the Empire, he likes his job, and if he could, he would arrest most of the Senate. They all fear me. They know I would cut their throats in their sleep if they went too far in their quest for wealth and power.”
“Patya is weird. He never looks at his wife the same way he looks at the Dwarf Queen. I know she is nice, but he looks at her like she is double chocolate fudge with honey on top. He is nicer to me than he is to his wife.”
“Patya was a boy soldier in the long war. He fought in the trenches against Goblins, Orcs, Ogres and other Elves. He would sneak into town, that is when he met the love of his life-”
“Katarina?”
“Tatiana.”
Confused, Kaede asked “The Dwarf Queen?”
“Not the current Queen. His Tatiana was the Queen of the Dwarves during the ice wars. The Dwarves had fled from North Hyperborea and took refuge in Central Hyperborea. Patya was her bodyguard, and they had a relationship. But she left him and led an army of Dwarves over the grass sea to link up with Takahiro’s army. Takahiro was the only survivor of that battle. The current Queen Tatiana is a descendant, and he fears Takahiro will tell her about the past.”
“But many Elves have a relationship with a non-elf.”
“I need to cut a long story short, so trust me when I tell you, times were different back then. Many saw relationships with non-Elves akin to genocide, even though behind closed doors, many Elves had relationships with non-Elves. But later Patya became a policeman and arrested many people for adultery.”
“Like my Grandfather?”
“Well, your Grandfather never got married, but he is different. Under the rights and duties of nobility, it is legal for him to invite the wives of other nobles to stay with him, and he always had harems of many Dwarves.”
“Do all nobles have that right?”
“No, unlike other privileges of the nobility, only the Emperor has the right to take another man’s wife, and one day, you will. But remember, when Emperor, you can ask anyone, but only a commoner can refuse. A male cannot divorce his wife for staying with the Emperor. But in the last thousand years, Takahiro rarely uses that right because he will lose support. Mostly he makes use of his employees at the teahouse.”
“So, could my grandfather ask my wife to be with him?”
“Yes, and as a noble, she cannot refuse. It is one of many reasons Hiro and his wife are not together.”
Kaede gulped. “Did Takahiro lay with my mother?”
“No. But, Galené is not your mother. But Hiro doesn’t want to talk about her.”
“Why will no one tell me about my mother?”
“A group of Witches d
edicated to producing offspring for the nobles carried you. They are an anonymous group inside the Blood-Witches.”
“What happened with Galené?”
“I made a mistake. I arrested Hiro because Takahiro told me she was a gold digger. But the truth is he didn’t want Galené to be your mother.”
Angry, Kaede said, “Ouch. That is so mean. Even for him.”
“It gets worse. Takahiro let Hiro think he had a night with Galené. He argued with his father, then with Galené, then with me. I told him it was a lie, but too late, Galené didn’t want to be with him anymore, and to this day, he cannot trust his father.”
“Has he taken Katerina?”
“No, that would end badly for Takahiro.”
“Why?”
“Patya doesn’t like Takahiro. Katerina only tolerates him. The people dislike Patya. Most of the Senate only tolerate him. His wealth comes from selling weapons and his political power from the Inquisition; without which he would be a minor lord. The only reason the other Senators tolerate him as number two is the fact he is not Takahiro’s yes man.”
“Is it true that many lords hate him?”
“I would not say hate. But yes, Patya is not popular. He is nothing without Katerina.”
“If Katerina is unhappy with Patya. Why does she stay with him?”
“When Katerina married Patya, the company became his, and she only has a minor share. As long as she is married to him, he pays her more than she would get if she left.”
“The only time I have seen her smile is after a weekend away with you and Abelle.”
“When you are old, you will enjoy a weekend in the hot springs drinking wine with friends who know what it is like to be old.”
“Is Takahiro bluffing, or will he expose Patya?”
“Most of the time he is only bluffing,” Toshiko replied. “But this time I fear he would ruin Patya and that could be bad for Katerina and you. Katerina has persuaded Patya not to call his bluff.”
“Do you think Katerina could be my friend?”
Toshiko sat on the bench and asked, “Why?”
“When I am Emperor, I will need real friends, and she is nice.”
“Why not Dain? He has no love of your Grandfather or Patya, and he is in the Senate.”
“Why not both?”
“Many have tried to be Katerina’s friend, but she fears they only want her wealth.”
“I like the way she plays the piano. Music pleases me, and I would like her to come over and play music with me.”
“I will ask her.”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I think Dain is cool. He has a racing team and speaks his mind. He doesn’t care what my Grandfather thinks, and I respect that. Patya grumbles but gives into my Grandfather. But maybe it would make my Grandfather angry if I spend time with him. Would it be all right if I told Abelle to tell Dain I think he is cool?”
“Wait until you can tell him to his face, and remember when you are Emperor, Takahiro cannot stop you being his friend,” Toshiko said as she tapped Kaede’s nose.
Chapter 5
September 1, 11,571, Imperial City.
An Ogre, dressed in a green medical gown, placed a plastic tray on a trolley table beside a medical bed. The life signs monitor was off, the drip was not in his arm, and the heat was set to maximum. The occupant, an Ogre, covered in bandages, was awake. He stared at the blank screen hanging from the ceiling over his feet.
The nurse went to say something, but he glared at her with his cold eyes. She shivered at the sight of his face. He had no eyelids, the bone of his eye sockets exposed, and the veins in his eyes were black. The bottom half of his nose was missing. Blisters, burns, and scars covered all his exposed skin. The smell was terrible, despite the fresh air pumped into the room. She held her breath and covered her mouth and nose as she left in a hurry. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her go.
He pulled the stand over to him. The tray had a plastic mug, only half full with a lukewarm black coffee, a slice of white bread in plastic, with a single packet of butter, on a plate. Beside it was a large bowl of chicken soup on a plate. It contained chunks of chicken, even the head.
He dug the head out of the steaming hot soup with his finger and chewed on it. Outside the door, two Ogres in a grey uniform stood guard, as the nurse left, one of them saluted the Ogre, while the other guard closed the door.
The Ogre sipped the coffee and tried to smile, his lips were reduced to thin crispy lumps, so it looked like a dog baring his teeth in anger. His large irregular teeth were charred, with many missing. His tongue was burnt so bad that he could not taste a thing.
He put the cup down and shuffled over to the window. He was many stories up in an office building. He could not open the window. All could do was lean on the glass and look down at the airport to the south. To the west was a large round black building.
“How are you feeling today?” a soft voice behind him asked as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. He ran his burnt tongue over the remains of his scarred lips. Her pink pumps clicked as she walked over to the trolley. She looked at his food and turned up her nose. Something inside him stirred as her scent filled his nose.
“Like burnt toast,” the Ogre replied without turning around.
“The best surgeons have worked long and hard to reconstruct you, but your body is beyond repair.”
“Spare me your lies. You expected me to die of my wounds.”
As she stood behind him, she said, “Your body refuses to heal, and we could not lift the curse.”
“Unless you’re here to give me a sponge bath, fuck off.”
“It is time to go. We will transport you to Hyades Prime.”
The Ogre turned around to face her; He saw an Ogre, but something was off. He took a sniff of her. She didn’t back off as he leaned over and sniffed her hair.
Instead of backing off, she ended the illusion. The upper half of her body looked almost human. But, the lower half of her body was that of a giant cobra, as were her eyes. The tail was twice the length of her torso.
The Nāga had smooth brown skin and long black hair. Her lips partially hid her fangs. She wore a plain white shirt, with a short pink skirt and a business jacket. She had the top three buttons of her blouse undone, the top of the lace cups from her black bra exposed. He admired the cleavage of her ample breasts.
He faced the Nāga and asked, “Why?”
“Relax, everything will be alright,” she said as she ran her finger down his chest to his groin.
He grabbed her arm and growled, “Want to suck the burnt stump?”
“Let me go!”
He smelled something. It aroused him. He slowly let go of the Nāga and said, “You’re the worst liar I have ever met.”
She hissed at him, and said, “Pilu claims OUR ship must have suffered a catastrophic failure during your contact with that transport. He claims we sold him a defective product and wants us to replace it.”
“Pilu is a greedy cunt. He demanded the Brotherhood repay him for losing his ship.”
“I see,” she said as she slithered around him, examining his torso, arms and legs. The bandages clung tight to his body, not a drop of blood or fluid stain. She stood behind him, put her hands on his shoulder and asked, “For the record, where were you when this mystery event killed your crew?”
“I was in the hold.”
“Did you find the sword?”
“No. We searched the ship, and we did not find it.”
“That is when a group of civilians overwhelmed you and your crew?”
“The survivors started the engines and rammed their ship into mine. It smashed the front end of their ship, killing the captain and bridge crew. Most of my crew were aboard my ship when it broke in half. I was on my way back to my ship when the Elves attacked us with firebombs made from cleaning fluid.”
“You’re telling me a small group of civilians managed to ram your ship and kill your crew, including the heavily arm
ed death squads?”
“Yes.”
“We trained them hard; they should have deployed throughout the ship. The shock troops should have killed everyone. Your orders were clear, no witnesses. You should have fought to the death.”
The Ogre clenched his jaw, went to the window and said, “I woke up in a medical room on a morphine drip. They scanned my hands a few times. I know a long time passed, but I could not count the days. One day they strapped me into a pod, and I heard some crew talk about how they flew around the star and used the slingshot manoeuvre to hurl them out of the nebula. After a few weeks drifting, a patrol found us and towed us back to Haven.”
Angry, the Nāga yelled, “Andre, you’re the only survivor. What did the Elves do with our ship?”
“They destroyed it,” he replied, he hammered out each word.
“Enough,” she hissed. “How much did they pay you to betray us?”
“Bitch please, if I handed them my ship, I will be on an island fucking better-looking whores than you.”
The Nāga went to slap him. He grabbed her claw-like hands, and he twisted her arm. She screamed in pain; it gave him a huge adrenaline rush. She went to tail slap him in the groin. He stepped to the side and grabbed her tail. She hissed loudly at him; her long, thin, forked tongue darted out of her mouth.
“Let me go,” she hissed.
Andre released her tail and grabbed her neck. “You don’t give a fuck about my ship or me. Why would a Nāga risk capture by coming to the Elven Empire to question me?”
She stared at him.
“Tell me, or I break your neck,” Andre growled.
“Go ahead. We don’t fear death,” she said in a defiant voice. She reached slowly into her jacket. He saw her pull out a wand. He punched her hard in the chest and kept hitting her until she gasped for her breath. Her wand fell to the ground. Andre kicked it under his bed.
“Tell me,” he spat at her.
The Nāga yelled, “Help!”
The door opened; the guard came in and asked, “Anything you need, captain?”
“Yes, go kill the security chief, and take his card. Put his body in the laundry cart, cover it with my bandages and send it down to the basement,” Andre replied.
Power Games Page 4
