by M. D. Laird
“You will have to find a way to keep me quiet.” She smiled coyly.
He felt his heart quicken. “I thought you were so innocent when I first met you.”
“You have quite the habit of misjudging me, my prince,” she purred.
Oh no, he thought as his excitement stirred. I’m never going to be able to keep my hands off her.
“Your wife is very lovely,” said Jacob to Thomas as they sat in the parlour having tea later that day. The princess had left the guild with the queen and her guards to show her the sights of Axandria and had left Jacob and Tharazan behind with Thomas.
“Yes,” said Thomas. “I am growing fond of her.”
“She seems quite besotted with you, Thomas,” said Jacob. “It is a beautiful thing to earn the love of another, especially considering the circumstances under which you were married.”
“I did not think things through when the king offered her to me,” said Thomas slowly. “I had not met her, and I did not think of her as a person with feelings. I have offered to free her, in a fashion. At first, she wanted to stay because her life here is preferable to life with her father, but now she wishes to stay because she is happy.”
“And because she loves you?”
“I think she only loves me because her father killed her lover and she has only known cruelty from everyone else.”
“Her father killed her lover?” asked Tharazan.
“He is quite the tyrant,” said Thomas. “He claims he learned of their affair after we were married though we have heard that he may have known before. The king invited us for supper, and then he executed the boy in front of the princess.”
Jacob frowned. “Is the queen aware of this? Acts like this could affect our allegiance with Axandria. The queen already intends to discuss the fact that Axandria forces its children into marriage as part of her terms.”
“The queen isn’t aware though I mean to tell her what I can before she meets with the king. I am concerned that I may tell her something which causes her to declare war on Axandria. I don’t wish to breach my decree by acting in a way that causes war against my own country.”
Tharazan shook his head. “The queen will not declare war based on what you tell her, and she will meet with the king before she decides anything. If she were to declare war on Axandria, it would be because the king threatened our lands and our people and only if she saw no other options. It would be the king’s actions that would be responsible and not your own.”
Jacob nodded in agreement though Thomas still felt unconvinced.
“I’m going to give her information that the king would not volunteer, even if she discusses it with the king it has still come from me.”
“The king is not the Crown anyway, and he is a tyrant,” said Tharazan. “You can deal with tyrants under your decree if you’re careful.”
“How?” asked Thomas. “I intended to ask Hallward how he dealt with Malia, but I never got the chance.”
“Under our decree, we have an obligation to protect members of our guild from abuse, cruelty, unjust punishment, neglect and exploitation,” said Jacob. “Whilst we are not obligated to protect anyone outside of our guild we can use our discretion to extend our protection to others under some circumstances. Calab used this to deal with Malia as she was exploiting the Procnatus by giving them blood which affected their sobriety and self-control.
“It is a little more complicated with the ruler of the land. We could not really deal with the Imperator under our decree until Queen Genevieve emerged as the Crown and then we could accuse the Imperator of treason when he would not stand aside.”
“I thought you could take him out because he was a threat to Lycea?”
“He hadn’t actually done more than think about invading Lycea. Challenging him on those grounds would have been risky, but once he had refused to stand aside for the queen, we could charge him with treason.”
Thomas chuckled inwardly as he recalled the princess’ remarks, They just charge everyone with treason, and they’re covered.
“Weren’t the Arkazatine demons proposing war against the Imperium for trying to exile them?”
“Yes,” said Tharazan. “Though it would have been a political headache. It would have been a minefield to engage in war against the ruler without breaching the decree. The whole thing was largely instigated by the Asmodeus prince whom, as we now know, has changed significantly.” Thomas avoided sneering in front of Jacob. “Thankfully, it never came to that. It is not a course of action I would recommend.”
“Why didn’t the Imperator just use the decree to exile demons? If he’d encouraged them to kill nobles, then he could have done so easily.”
“Well, firstly, we don’t have an abundance of nobles in Arkazatinia, there are only the order rulers and Lady Ariana’s family. Secondly, the order rulers are allied with the demons—even Lady Ariana to some extent. Thirdly, the Imperator was of the Impærielas and he was not terribly well-informed of the world outside of his order. His plans were chaotic at best, and the rest of the alliance did not aid them.” Tharazan indicated to the angel. “Jacob and I were certainly not going to tell him how to exile demons.”
“What about the Elion traitor and the rest of the Imperium? Someone must have known.”
Tharazan shrugged. “I guess so, but who knows why they didn’t tell him. Thanis certainly held prejudices against demons, but it was taking the Crown rather than exiling demons that was their goal. It wasn’t enough for them to simply occupy the Crown’s space. The Crown Alliance is too strong and whilst the Imperium could command our obedience to some extent, we would never truly be loyal to the Imperium and we would always look for ways to end the regime and restore the natural order. They knew that which is why they were so focussed on binding with the Crown. That way, we would have no choice but to be loyal. We’d be committing treason if we defied the Crown. The Imperator was just a pawn. A frontman, and he had become unstable under their influence. Perhaps leaving him preoccupied with exiling demons and conquering other lands left him less focussed on what was really happening. I suppose we will never know. The only people who could tell us are dead. The rest of the Imperium likely know nothing anyway, but they’re currently maintaining their silence in prison.”
Thomas folded his hands under his chin as he considered everything Tharazan had said. “Essentially you’re saying that to guarantee the safety of my decree I need to find evidence of treason? How can one charge the king with treason? He isn’t bound to the Crown but he does have the loyalty of his people.”
“He is not the Crown,” said Tharazan. “A sure way would be to find the Crown. They should still emerge even if they are not taking on the role of ruler.”
“Even if I found them, the task of getting to the position where I could try and reinstate the Crown is immense. This country is a mess politically. I have no allies other than the demons and angels, and none of us have a position in politics. The rulers are not appointed the head of orders in the usual way—the king refuses to recognise their rule, and he appoints who he deems fit and hands out titles. The true leaders are cast aside and have no position.
“If I did try to reinstall the Crown, my position would only be supported by those without power. Those with the power do not want change—they are happy with the rule, with their titles and their riches. I cannot change all that.”
“You do have a way in,” said Tharazan. “You are married to the king’s daughter. Whether he knows it or not, the king has given you some power in his court.”
“How?” asked Thomas. “He has no regard for anything his daughter says and is less likely to listen to me. Just last night we were summoned to a ball where he attempted to ridicule the princess and me in front of his lords.”
“I don’t think it will be easy, Prince,” said Tharazan. “But it is not impossible. There will be many amongst the citizens who would rather their orders had a natural rule and many who would rather the
Crown was installed. Perhaps you could start by finding support.”
“If I’m caught I will be accused of treason—if I’m accused of treason, I will lose my guild.”
“Asking questions is not treason.”
“Conspiring to overthrow the throne is. We are committing treason by having this conversation.”
“Under the law of the land, perhaps. But your guild is not held on the strength of Axandrian law and under your decree only a few acts are considered treasonous. Conspiring to overthrow a hollow crown would not be considered treason. You would only be considered treasonous if you were to remove the ruler without having a true ruler to replace them—you could not install an alternative rule, for example, or leave the land without rule. Your decree allows you freedom enough to allow the natural order of Axandrian rule to be maintained, but not the freedom to change the rule or initiate a change from the natural order. The sons and princes in Arkazatinia, for example, have not breached the decree by voting for democracy as it was initiated by the queen and not by themselves.”
“I need to re-familiarise myself with the Michælis. There is much I don’t remember.”
“If you wish to continue following your decree as far as Lycea’s sins are concerned, then you are no doubt well abreast of everything you need to know, but if you wish to involve yourself in politics, then it is essential that you understand it. Not just so you can exploit loopholes—though that comes handy—but you need to understand it, so you do not fall foul of it, and so others cannot use it against you.”
Thomas dropped his eyes to the floor. He would not be held at the ransom of the king if he understood his own directive. “I fear we have become lazy in Axandria and we need to rectify this. But from your understanding, I only need to find the Crown and then I can kill the king?”
“Well, yes, technically you could do that,” said Tharazan. “But you risk throwing the country into anarchy. You need support. You need help to defend the Crown as much as anything. Even if you took out the king, he has a line of succession and armies. They could go after the Crown.”
Thomas sat back in his seat and mulled over everything that Tharazan had said. The princess would be the key. Her links with the rebels would be the key to gaining support. He wondered if she could ever convince them to relinquish their thoughts of government and restore their old rule.
That will be an immense hurdle—perhaps a greater one than restoring the Crown.
He sighed to himself.
How did I ever get mixed up in this?
He wished he could go back to the day when he was summoned by the king and ignore him so he could return to his usual quiet and stress-free life. He sighed again. “I must leave for decree now, but I shall think over what you have said. I shall return at supper. Good day, Lord Tharazan. Good day, brother.” He nodded to Tharazan and Jacob and midspaced to Lycea.
Thomas returned to the guild an hour before supper and found the princess in their bedroom. She was sat on the balcony painting a landscape of the woods, distant meadows and mountains.
“That is good, Princess,” he said. “You have quite a talent for painting.”
“Thank you, Prince,” she said, smiling. “I think my work has improved since I have been afforded the freedom to paint whatever comes to mind. I used to have to control what I painted, and my work is not good if I have to force it.”
“I don’t really understand what you mean by that, Princess, but I do like your paintings. We should hang them around the guild.”
“Would you do that?”
“Yes. Pick out your favourites and ask Ramiel or Arakiel to hang them wherever you like. I want this one for my office, if I may?”
“Of course.” She smiled at him and was once again surrounded by the scent of adoration. It was a pleasant aroma, and he found himself inhaling deeply to enjoy it more. “How was your afternoon with Son Jacob and Lord Tharazan?” The princess, entirely unaware of the scent emanating from her, continued with her painting.
Thomas settled himself onto the seat opposite her on the balcony. “Interesting,” he answered. “There may be a way for me to aid your revolution after all.”
The princess stopped painting and looked at him sharply. “Really? How?”
“I can only help if they agree to restore the Crown.”
The princess looked deflated. “I don’t think they’ll agree to that,” she said, refreshing the paint on her brush, “but please, tell me what you have learned.”
Thomas told the princess everything Jacob and Tharazan had said, and she appeared intrigued.
“If you approach the rebels with this it may sway them. It will hold more weight if they believe it is the will of Heaven and Hell.”
“Perhaps,” he said. “I am less concerned with speaking to them now I know I am not breaching my decree, though I will re-familiarise myself with it first. Do you know who the Crown is?”
“No, but if I know my father, he will know where they are and will keep a close eye on them.”
“Does he hold prisoners at his guild?”
“Sometimes—can you spy on him if he is... What did Lord Tharazan call it?”
“A hollow crown. No, I don’t think so. He is still the ruler and I can only midspace into public buildings and not his home.”
“I can get into the guild. I used to sneak in and out all the time to see James.”
“Getting in and out of your bedroom is one thing, but getting in and out of his heavily guarded dungeon is quite another matter.”
She gave him a wide grin and urged him to enter the room and closed the door.
“What?” asked Thomas.
“The king has an escape route underground,” whispered the princess. “There are several entry points including one in the dungeon. The route is supposed to be secret—only his closest personal guards know of it. Not even my siblings know it.”
Thomas’ eyes widened. “Then how do you know it?”
“When I was a child I was hiding from my educator in my father’s office—I forget why, but he intended to beat me for something. Anyway, I became trapped in there as my father had a meeting with his guards. He said he was becoming concerned with a group called the something brotherhood—”
“The Amaryan Brotherhood?”
“Yes. He asked his guards to arrange a few more entry points to the escape tunnel. He wanted one from a store room, the wine cellar, his private bathroom and the dungeon in addition to the ones in his office and bedroom. I found the entry points once they had been completed and I used to hide in the tunnels when my father was on the rampage and then I later used them to sneak out. I was never caught, and my father doesn’t know I know about them—I didn’t even tell James how I was getting out.”
“I don’t know, Princess,” he said. “It sounds risky. You might not have been seen, but surely there were clues: worn paths, trampled grass. The more sensitive amongst the guards could have picked up your scent. You could have been followed without you knowing.”
The princess smiled and approached the trunk her belongings had been put into from her room. She rummaged around in the trunk until she found a small jagged piece of rock. It was Anaxagorean in origin and had the familiar fluid-like appearance. She handed it to Thomas and smiled.
“What is this?” he asked unmoved.
“It is an arcanus.”
Thomas’ eyes widened as he examined the unassuming piece of rock. He had not seen such a relic for a long time but knew it to be a very rare and powerful alchemical substance used to conceal the person carrying it. They could be seen, but they would not be smelled, and unless they spoke, they would be unheard and would leave no traces of their presence behind. Normally it would be smooth, polished and set on a chain, but this one looked as though it had been modified by the princess to look like any piece of rock. She had hidden it well, Thomas would never have guessed what it was, and she did not arouse suspicion by carrying it on her person.
“Where did you get it?” he asked, handing it back to her.
“I stole it.”
Thomas grinned. “From whom?”
“A dark alchemist who visited my father once. I frequently hid in my father’s office. It was the last place he would look when he was looking for me. The alchemist left his bag on the desk when my father was showing him some texts. I helped myself to a few things whilst his back was turned. There were a few potions that I used a long time ago and this. I used to wear it around my neck until I realised what it did. I began to notice that I did not leave footprints despite entering the guild with muddy boots, people started to accuse me of sneaking up on them, and then I noticed that some long grass I had trampled through during a walk was undisturbed. It was a while before I learned its name, but I realised it was important, so I tried to disguise it. I broke it into three pieces and hid them around my room. When my father had his attendants pack for me, they packed every piece as they were hidden amongst my clothes and shoes.”
“When you said you had a plan to hide from your father with James, were you referring to this?”
“Yes. Though this was to help us escape. We would have needed an alchemist to hide us permanently.”
He nodded. “I assume you have never told me in case you needed to get away from me.”
She blushed and nodded. “I’m sorry.”
He waved away her apology, he was unconcerned with her motives. Instead, he started to form elements of a plan for her to sneak into the king’s guild. “The entrance to the tunnel must be guarded? How will you avoid being seen?”
“It isn’t guarded well. My father didn’t want to draw attention to it by guarding it, so it is hidden in plain sight. No one uses it so there is no one to witness entering or leaving—it is reserved only for my father to escape and nothing more. It is only guarded by the guards on their routine rounds. I used to watch the guards and I would enter and leave the tunnel when it was clear.”
