Page 100 of Conspirators' Kingdom

Taisiya smiled broadly.

“Now you’re flattering me.”

“I speak only the truth,” he assured her.

“Calling what fae speak ‘the truth’ is like putting a bow on a pile of horse shit and calling it a gift.”

Mereruka grinned. He did so love it when his wife was moved to profanity.

“Interestingly, in Maat there’s a beetle-”

He trailed off as her gaze slipped over his shoulder. He turned his head. Nofret approached with a small papyrus scroll.

“Forgive the intrusion, Your Tranquility, Your Harmoniousness. Queen Nefertnesu of Keftu has sent you a message.”

Mereruka accepted the scroll and read over the contents.Damn. He’d been hoping to avoid this. Apparently, news of his miraculous return and recent nuptials had travelled far and fast. He really did need to expand his spy network.

“It seems we’ve been invited to present ourselves to my sister, freshly arrived from Keftu,” Mereruka said. “Remember what I told you of heartless fae?”

“That they will look like mages with pointed ears and that they are extremely powerful.”

“And Nefertnesu is one of them. We will have to tread lightly.”

It occurred to him then, when Taisiya didn’t ask to see the letter for herself, that he was really going to have to begin teaching her the written script of Maat. That kind of ignorance could easily cause Taisiya to lose face, or worse, her life.

Mereruka nodded at Nofret, who took her leave.

“Did you have something in mind when it comes to Nefertnesu?” Taisiya asked.

“I do,” he answered.

Nefertnesu had been sold off in marriage over a century ago to the land of Keftu. It wasn’t an altogether strange or tragic fate for a princess. Except that the fae who ruled Keftu had, only two centuries earlier, been taken over by a man who insisted on his court bleeding out their feeling hearts, as he had done. It was a dreadful magical ritual that conferred power, but at great cost to one’s very soul.

The worst had been that the political marriage hadn’t been necessary. Khety’s first foreign campaign hadn’t been the resounding success he frequently portrayed it as. When the rival, restless fae court began eyeing Maat after it had been militarily weakened, Khety decided to strengthen ties with Keftu rather than risk a skirmish.

Itet was the oldest sister, but already plaiting her hair with souvenirs of her kills. Nefertnesu had been pretty, shy and sweet, easily browbeaten into being sold off. Easily bullied into undergoing that horrid rite of passage. Bitter anger still heated the blood in his veins, even after all this time. If only he’d been stronger, older, more powerful, Khety might not have been able to force her hand. If only he’d been able to do more than bow to his eldest brother’s orders, he might still have the sister he loved by his side. Instead, all that was left was the foul revenant wearing her skin. It was the most senseless, cowardly offence Mereruka laid at his brother’s feet—one Khety would pay for in blood.

The only silver lining was that, as a result of her marriage, Nefertnesu wasn’t allowed unfettered access to the Hapi. And a fae as cold, ruthless and calculating as she had become would be eager to make a deal for access to more.

“And?” Taisiya asked, prodding him.

Mereruka shook himself from his morose thoughts.

“Nefertnesu’s access to the Hapi is exceedingly limited by Khety. If we make a deal to supply more of it to her, in exchange for her renunciation of her rights to Maat’s throne, she will likely agree.”

“And if she doesn’t agree?” Taisiya asked.

“Then we would be best served trying to find a way to kill her before she reveals my intentions to Khety,” Mereruka answered.

He was counting on Nefertnesu being suitably miffed that Khety had essentially cut her off from any real access to the Hapi, and her desire to see him brought low as a result. As she was now, she could kill them all with an errant thought, such was the power of a heartless fae.

“Do you think she’s impervious to lightning?” Taisiya asked.

“I would hope not, but heartless fae have access to magic even I can only dream of.”

“I should wear my best armour then.” Taisiya fingered her jewelled collar.

Mereruka nodded and stood, holding his hand out for Taisiya. It was best not to keep a fickle queen waiting. She slipped her pale hand in his and smiled.

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