Page 132 of Conspirators' Kingdom

Radjedef turned pleading eyes on Taisiya. She returned them with a cold glare.

“You have proven yourself to be inadequate to the task given to you by King Khety. Did he not publicly instruct you to provide for my safety as we collected his tribute?” Taisiya added.

“Yes, a thousand times, yes! So please, show mercy to Seneb and lay the blame for everything on me instead.” Radjedef grovelled at their feet, his ragged breaths stirring up sand.

Mereruka knelt down and whispered in his ear.

“Then beg me to give you the mark of disinheritance, as you so richly deserve.”

Radjedef looked up at him with resignation.

“Promise me Seneb will be safe from you.”

“I give you my word not to do him harm.”

Radjedef sighed.

“Brother, give me the mark of disinheritance. I welcome it to atone for my failures.”

Mereruka took the blade from his side and carved the symbol into Radjedef’s forehead. Once it was done, he whispered in his brother’s pointed red ear.

“Your lover is safe from me, but my wife made no promises. Come to our tent if you wish to bargain.” Mereruka grinned as he stood, revelling in the devastation plain on Radjedef’s face.

“That went well.” Vasilisa grinned as Taisiya and Mereruka entered their tent.

“Very,” Mereruka replied, beaming.

“It’s not over yet.” Taisiya sighed, flopping into her makeshift throne, exhausted at denying the siren song of the dragon hearts. It had taken everything in her to keep her focus on the soldiers, not to let her steps stray away from camp. The need nearly brought her to tears, like a child denied their favourite treat. Anxious fire rushed through her veins, draining the last of her reserves.

Mereruka sat down beside her and placed a hand on hers.

“No, but it soon will be. I can hear Radjedef coming.”

Taisiya readied herself. With the trap sprung, all that was left was to extract her price from Radjedef. As they’d plotted their actions, Taisiya’s anger had time to cool. As much as she wished violence upon the soldier, Seneb, he was more useful alive, and now that Vasilisa knew who he was, the man would always be at her mercy. Radjedef’s obvious, selfless love for the man would be the chains she used to bind them both to her will. She had restrained her rage at her half-sister for the murder of their father for her family’s sake, she could restrain herself again for the benefit of her new family.

Radjedef entered the tent alone, the blood still trickling down his face from the newly-carved mark. He fell to his knees without an ounce of his former swagger. Gone was the brash, haughty prince. In his place—a desperate man who knew he held not a single card in his favour.

“What will it take to secure Seneb’s safety from you and yours, Princess Consort?”

Taisiya let him stew for a few minutes as she appeared to consider his question. Her grip tightened on the arms of her seat as another song begged her to listen.

“A favour. Any favour. To be bestowed upon me at a time of my choosing. And your oath to protect me and mine, and to protect us from any under your command.”

“You expect me to contradict Khety’s orders?” Radjedef asked.

“To kill us? Yes, I’m asking you to fail.” Taisiya nodded.

“And yet you’ve seen what he does to failures,” Radjedef hissed.

Taisiya narrowed her eyes. He pursed his lips.

“Yes, and you’ve experienced first-hand our sense of fairness,” Mereruka said.

“Fairness?!It’s madness! Without my place in the succession before you, you’ve attached a flaming damn target on your backs! I kept my rights to protect the rest of you!” Radjedef raged, sweeping his arms wide. “I kept Seneb hidden for centuries to protect him from Khety! You think I don’t know who Khety will try to kill when I return with the two of you and his bloody scales?! His identity is known now!”

Taisiya almost jumped when Mereruka launched out of his seat in a rage. Her concentration had drifted already. She bit the inside of her cheek.

“You protected no one! What of Nefertnesu? She paid for your cowardice and Khety’s with her gods-damned heart! What of Mother?! Hm? Think I’ve forgotten that when Khety was slaughtering his way through her personal guards, you and the rest of the royal guard were conveniently too far to reach her in time? What of Inkaef? Did you rush to save him from his punishment? What of me, when he sent me to die across the sea, with soldiers of your choosing and orders to kill me if it looked like I might survive? The only one you’ve ever protected is yourself!”

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