by M. D. Laird
“So, you have to gain your feelings to avoid the fire?”
“That and a sacrifice, I think. I died saving Her Majesty.”
“I think I would rather burn than waste my life saving someone else,” said Thomas crassly. He took another mouthful of his food. “Another thing,” he continued belligerently. “Why are demons and angels acting as guards?”
“The queen was at risk when she first came to power,” said the disgrace. “The Impærielas did not have a trained army and would not allow her guards from outside. It was felt that demons and angels could guard her from a distance as we have better senses than the thorian, they could get to her quickly through the midspace if necessary.”
“Why are they still guarding her then? Aren’t you the most powerful thorian in the world, Your Majesty?”
“I cannot be alert at all times,” replied the queen.
“The role is demeaning,” said Thomas.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Prince Thomas. I can assure you my guards do not find their role demeaning. They applied for the position, and they are on a good salary.”
“You have given me an attendant,” the princess reminded him.
“That is a purely functional role,” said Thomas. “I didn’t give you an attendant to make you feel more important.” The queen smiled at him politely but said nothing. The disgrace was not rising to his taunting either. He continued. “Your Arkazatine demons are weak, which is probably why you have feelings and have fallen in love and all that nonsense. This would not happen in Axandria.”
“It is a very different country, Prince Thomas,” the disgraced demon said with as much patience as he could muster. “I suppose we have adapted to it over the centuries.” Thomas shook his head and sipped his wine.
“You have some amazing things on this continent,” said the princess. “I have never seen anything like it. I have read about some of the things in the herald, but I could never have imagined what they would be like.”
“They have nothing you can’t live without,” said Thomas.
“Even democracy?” asked the princess. “If Axandria was like Arkazatinia you would have a say in how it is run.”
“And spend hours at a time in the company of your father? No, thank you.”
“How is Axandria run?” the queen asked. “I notice you have heirs to your throne, does Axandria not select rulers for you?”
“It does, but it is no longer recognised,” replied the princess. “My ancestors defeated the Crown and established themselves as successors and installed a new rule and a new king.”
“How was that possible?” the queen asked, looking towards Thomas. “Don’t you have a mandate to protect the Crown?”
Thomas shrugged. “We didn’t even know that the Crown was taken until afterwards and then it was too late. We’re not involved in politics in Axandria.”
“The king had support,” said the princess. “He was supported by some wealthy friends and targeted his policy to allow them to profit and ensure their support. The throne now passes through my family. My father rules all of Axandria, he takes counsel from his friends, but otherwise, he does as he pleases.”
“The king married one of his heirs to the throne to a demon?” asked the disgrace. “That’s a bold move.”
“I am the youngest of eight daughters and five sons,” said the princess, “I also have nieces and nephews. My credibility as far as a potential heir is concerned is nominal.”
“Can all thorian reproduce in Axandria?” asked the queen. “Here it is only the Impærielas.”
“There are six rather than four orders of thorian in Axandria,” replied the princess. “Only the Rexalis, which is my order, and the Matiium can reproduce, and they are the most powerful orders because of that. They barter the marriage of their offspring like cattle.”
“That sounds awful.”
Thomas narrowed his eyes at the princess; he was here to sell the political marriage idea to the queen, and she was admonishing it. “It’s not all bad,” said Thomas nonchalantly. “The continent is usually peaceful.”
“It’s peaceful because my father keeps those with any power happy,” said the princess. “There are pockets of rebels who despise his rule.”
“No king can keep everyone happy, Princess. You’re just bitter about yesterday.”
“You were married against your will?” the queen asked the princess.
Thomas laughed. “The king had to beat her to get her to say her vows.”
“And you still married her?” exclaimed the queen.
“If it weren't me it would be someone else,” he replied, sipping his wine, “and given the reputation of some of the king’s friends she is better off with me. Anyway, enough admonishment of our esteemed ruler. I hear Mr Hallward is a librarian—a laughable profession for a demon, I must say—but what is it you do all day, Your Majesty? Managing your gentle folk can’t take up much of your time.” The queen frowned, Thomas grinned again, delighting in her annoyance at his comments.
“It does actually,” she replied. “I work hard to try to understand the problems of all the Arkazatines, and then I collaborate with the other rulers in the quorum, our government, to try to resolve them. So far we have vastly improved sanitation and given most of Arkazatinia running water, and I hope that project will be finished soon, and we have a project underway to ensure everyone has access to free healthcare and education.”
“That’s very noble, Your Majesty,” said Thomas. “Perhaps you could speak to the Axandrian king about how that works. Axandria would certainly benefit from education as it is full of illiterates. Of course, he is more likely to listen to you if you marry his son.” The disgrace glared at him again, and Thomas smirked. The queen seemed keen to change the subject away from marriage.
“I have also been working with the Procnatus scientists on a way of making magic more energy efficient,” she said.
Thomas snapped his eyes towards her. “I’m sorry, what?”
“When we use magic it is draining and takes a long time to recover,” said the queen “I proposed that we look into a way of making it less draining or last longer.”
“How?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m thousands of years old, Your Majesty, I’m sure I can follow.”
“Well, the body breaks down food into energy and, in simple terms, I am developing a method of bypassing the chemical steps that make energy in order to inject it directly. We could then use magic for longer.”
“That seems rather irresponsible,” said Thomas. “Why would you do that?”
“Because it will allow us to defend ourselves against threats.”
“Ah,” he replied. “That old adage. Yes, that is the default response for any reckless decision. We must always have deterrents to defend ourselves from our imaginary enemies.”
“Imaginary?” remarked the queen. “The Alchitch were very real.”
“And from what I hear they were very easily defeated without some new technology.”
“Yes, but we did not know the outcome, we thought we would perish. This technology would have given us more hope of success.”
“You know what I like about Axandria over Arkazatinia and Lycea?” Thomas asked.
“What?”
“We don’t have all the advancements you have and, political issues aside, it is a better place for it.”
“You think scientific advancements are wrong?” she asked. “I grant you, they have harmed the environment, but without them, we would not have medicine.”
“I am a demon so forgive my pragmatism,” he said. “Is the destruction of the planet and the corruption of humanity a justification for one benefit? Lycea is over-populated anyway, and new diseases emerge all the time to try to control the population and humans battle against it. Should that be allowed? Should their population not just be managed like every other species?”
“Surely, man w
ould not have been given the capacity for science if he was not to use it.”
“Yes, but he has used it unwisely. The greatest advancement humankind could make would be to recognise the dangers and not do something. Instead, they are motivated by avarice or as they like to call it, aspiration. Humans, and thorian, would be better if they were more like demons or even angels. They would be better if their emotions were less complicated. An advancement may be made for the benefit of humankind with all the greatest of intentions, but there are others who will then use it for malevolence—for money or for power.
“Where one man sees medicine, another will see poison. Whatever man discovers or invents to improve the lives of humankind another man will weaponise. The aeroplane is used to carry passengers just as easily as it is used to carry bombs. Even if things are not used to kill people, they are used to control them. Inventions to make life easier and more comfortable are really weapons to generate dependence upon those who profit from them. You may think your technology will enhance your defences, but it is an illusion. It is a weapon.”
“It will not be used as a weapon. It will be in the hands of the alliance and not the enemy.”
“It will be in the hands of the enemy. To your enemies, you are the enemy. If you heard that your enemies were creating this technology for their defences, you would view it as an act of war. You would think they were planning to attack you and were putting themselves in a better position to do so. Your enemies will think the same when they learn this of you. Deterrents are a paradox; they invite hostility rather than promote peace.”
“Her Majesty will ensure it is handled responsibly,” said the disgrace diplomatically, though Thomas received the impression they had had this conversation.
“There can be no guarantees of that,” continued Thomas. “It only takes someone to make an attractive offer, then one’s greed takes over, and soon everyone will have it. You hail from a land notorious for selling weapons to its enemies that they then use against you. Surely, you should know better?
“Of course, then it will start the inevitable chain of events where each side tries to have more power, each trying to get ahead of the other. This will be a mistake on top of a mountain of errors that the terrible combination of science and politics has made in the name of progress and in the name of power. If you looked at this idea and said, ‘this is a good idea, it will have enormous benefits, but will also have consequences, so I am not going to do it’ then you will have made the greatest leap in scientific progress the world has ever known.”
The queen gazed at him for a moment before speaking. “You have certainly given me something to think about, Prince Thomas.”
The princess interrupted Thomas before he could speak. “Where in Lycea are you from, Your Majesty?” she asked.
“The United Kingdom.”
“Oh,” said the princess. “I’ve read about that place. Is it true there is no industry but debt? You’re not planning to implement that here are you?” Thomas narrowly prevented himself from spitting his wine across the table and tried to hide his smirk. He was beginning to understand why the king never let his daughter speak to his friends.
After supper, with their hosts thoroughly irritated, Thomas took the princess for a walk.
“Why did you speak to the queen that way?” asked the princess, “I thought you were trying to get them to fall out with each other, not you.”
“I should have caused a little friction,” he replied. “She has that foul human attitude that I find abhorrent, the Procnatus are the same. They want progress whatever the cost.”
“You almost sound like you care.”
“I care nothing for humanity or the thorian for that matter,” he replied, “They could all burn, and I would be on the sidelines roasting chestnuts and enjoying the show. I am appalled that they destroy nature without a second thought. To be fair, the queen is young and naïve, and she will probably see reason and not go ahead with this, but she is working with the Procnatus, and they will only see a profit. They will go ahead with this plan with or without her. Before long every fae, witch and alchemist will have this technology.”
“If my father ever learned of this technology he would interpret it as an act of war as you say. I think it would give him a reason to attack these shores.”
“Your father sent me here to break off the engagement not to help him conquer the continent. The queen will still be running the place.”
“My father won’t be happy with just a marriage. He would never have sacrificed two children for one allegiance, especially not the next in line for the throne—who he has saved for eleven hundred years—to a queen who cannot produce an heir. There must be more to his plan.”
“He does not make a habit of conquering nations.”
“He doesn’t, but his method of going about this is rather odd; he must have a plan. He offered me to you too easily, which is strange considering he does not like demons. When you have finished your quest, he’ll probably find some law which prohibits marriage between thorian and demons and then void our marriage.”
“He wouldn’t risk conflict with me.”
“There will be no conflict. If he makes you a generous enough offer you will accept it.”
“If there were such an offer he would surely have made it in the first place. It would make no sense for him to offer a daughter and then take her back. You would be less valuable to marry out again. He is expecting me to have taken your virginity and a lord isn’t going to want a demon’s cast off.”
“You really know how to make me feel valued.”
“I’m just realistic, Princess.”
“Perhaps,” she said, “but he is up to something. He could have accomplished the same outcome without such a hefty price. Whatever he is up to, I know I’m not going to like it. I don’t think you should aid his plan for Arkazatinia.”
“I am not going to rebel against the king. That would invite unnecessary trouble into my life.”
“My father is corrupt. He is not a worthy king. Would you not prefer to see him unseated?”
“Failing in my quest will not unseat him.”
“No, but it may help to disrupt his plans a little. It will take action to unseat him.”
“I’m not prepared to take any action.”
“You wouldn’t prefer a democracy like Arkazatinia? Where your opinion is valued on matters of state?”
“We didn’t have a say before the Crown was disbanded. Unseating your father and even overthrowing the throne would not change that.”
“It might. If we got rid of the throne, we could install any method governance. We could have a republic, democracy or even whatever it is Arkazatinia has—that seems to work, everyone is listened to and gets a say. Sure there are still those who are greedy and want policies to work in their favour, but it is much better than Axandria’s rule.”
“How exactly would you accomplish this? Are you going to assassinate your father?”
“Tempting as that is, my siblings are no better than my father—he has trained them well.”
“How have you managed to escape his conditioning?”
“I was like them when I was younger, but I developed a conscience.”
Thomas laughed. “Perhaps that’s why the king sent you to me. Perhaps he hopes an unfeeling demon will knock that sentimentality out of you.”
“You won’t,” said the princess defiantly. “I know what my father is doing is wrong and nothing can be said to convince me otherwise.”
“Perhaps he sent you to punish me.”
The princess laughed. She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before she spoke again. “I lied when I told you why I couldn’t elope with James. We had originally planned to run—James will also be made to marry—but we decided to stay because we thought we might help the resistance.”
“What resistance?”
“The rebels. I met with them in secret to plan how we would
overthrow the throne. There are thousands of rebels throughout Axandria, but their collective wealth and influence do not make even a quarter of that of my father’s friends.”
“Why would you tell me this?”
“I’m telling you because I want you to help.”
“I can’t help. Acts of treason are against the decree.”
“My father is not the rightful ruler, displacing him would not be treason.”
“His throne was won through a revolutionary act, and it would take another revolutionary act to take it back. I cannot take part in revolutions.”
“The demons helped the Crown Alliance remove the Imperium in Arkazatinia, what is the difference?”
“They exploited a loophole as the Imperator threatened Lycea. Unless the king does the same, I will do nothing. I’m not going to help you, Princess. It does not matter to demons who rules the country. If I had a say, I’d only have to contribute to public spending like the Arkazatines. I am better off the way things are.” The princess appeared deflated. “I don’t know why you’re surprised. You should know better than to think I would help.”
“Are you going to stop me from meeting them?”
He considered for a moment before answering. “Just don’t get caught,” he said finally. “If anyone learns of your involvement I will hand you over to the king personally, I won’t go down for this.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t tell anyone that I know anything and write nothing on paper,” he said. “I mean it, Princess, if this falls back on me there will be trouble.”
The princess smiled at him. “Can I just ask why you are not stopping me?” she asked him curiously.
“Do you want me to stop you?” he asked. “Are you telling me so I’ll stop you and you have an excuse not to take part in your revolution?”
“No, I don’t want you to stop me. I am telling you because I value my safety. I may be able to hide my activity from my father, but I doubt I will have much chance hiding it from a demon.”
Thomas narrowed his eyes at her. “I really hope you don’t make any trouble for me,” he said. “I will annul this marriage, send you back to your father and let him marry you off to one of his disgusting friends.”
