Page 17 of Conspirators' Kingdom

The emperor placed a hand on his wife’s and sized up Mereruka. A ripple of strange magic swept his fingertips. Glancing down, he was horrified to find the tattoos on his hand glowing and visible. Had the emperor just broken the glamour Mereruka kept himself perpetually cloaked in? Was it a warning that the people of this cursed continent feared no magic because their emperor could dispel it at will? Fear slithered down his spine. He could not afford to have his glamour broken in public. Mereruka quickly reasserted the glamour that hid the damning truth on his skin and bowed his head.

“Please accept my apologies as well. The king was perhaps a little overzealous in his desire to see me settled. While I look forward to marrying a mage woman, I would never demand that which is impossible or repellent. In fact, your ambassador has agreed to help find a suitable woman.”

“Did she now?” the empress asked. She tapped her finger on the table as she eyed him up and down. “I suppose you’re handsome enough, though I doubt that’s what they’ll be after, given your little show earlier. Choose whomever you wish so long as she is amenable, Prince Mereruka, but keep in mind, the women of Lethe are rarely who they seem.”

Mereruka took her warning with a grain of salt, for the fae nobles were little better in that regard. Glamour was only the most conspicuous of methods to conceal one's intentions after all.

The rest of the evening played out much as he expected—stilted, careful conversation and cautious advances by nobles interested in securing Maat’s fortunes. Luckily, the mages who might have been sick in the presence of the fae kept themselves removed, though some with more chagrin than others. When the music began, the emperor and empress led the gathering in a graceful dance. It wasn’t one he was familiar with, but he watched the steps with interest. Dancing was something he greatly enjoyed.

“Prince Mereruka, would you like to dance?”

Taisiya surprised him by appearing at his side. She still wore the fae wedding dress, though she wore more suitable jewellery now. He liked the way the gown flowed like liquid down her body, an opalescent sheen catching the light. The ambassador possessed a petite, well-formed figure.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the steps.”

“I’ll teach you. The steps are simple enough,” she replied, pulling him out onto the dance floor. She placed his hands and began walking him through the steps in time to the tune. In a few minutes, he was good enough to keep up without stepping on her toes.

“I noticed that you used me as your shield at dinner,” she began.

Damn.

“I spoke only the truth.”

“The truth is rarely harmless. Still, it’s made my job a little easier. Follow my lead. I’ll introduce you to your first candidate.”

Taisiya guided him in the steps of the dance and had them gracefully turning until they reached the other side of the hall. Several mages scattered. He, too, felt the unpleasant crawl of their magic along his senses and was glad of their departure. In their wake, a young woman with deep, rich brown skin, black, elaborately coiffed hair and eyes of piercing green stepped forward. She curtsied prettily in her sparkling, lime gown. She had a determined set to her jaw and a dazzling smile. Taisiya had obviously lived up to her end of the bargain.

“Prince Mereruka, I present Domina Chloe Emerald.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Mereruka.”

He took her hand and kissed it.

“The pleasure is mine.”

Taisiya watched with a satisfied smile as the ball began winding down. Daria was beaming up at her chosen suitor, and Sonya was laughing at something her man had said, holding court at the centre of a close circle of prominent nobles. It had been too long since she’d seen them so happy. Even Prince Mereruka appeared pleased with the domina on his arm. Satisfied, she decided to catch a cool night breeze. Stepping out of the ballroom and into the gardens, she was careful not to stray too far into the shadows. It was doubtful there were many dark places free of amorous couples taking advantage of the merriment.

She was enjoying the fresh air, the lingering scent of some spicy-scented blossom and the soft slide of worn paving stones beneath her feet when she heard a laugh she would recognize anywhere. Taisiya followed it to the source. What she came upon wasn’t entirely a surprise, but shocking nonetheless.

“Milena.”

Milena flushed a deep scarlet. Zephyros turned an even darker shade. Their clothes and hair were in comical disarray. It seemed she’d interrupted something already halfway through. Milena’s legs were hooked around the wind mage’s core while he held her up in his arms, her back against the bark of the tree they stood under. They froze as they turned their faces towards her.

“Taisiya,” Milena replied, her tone prim.

“Zephyros,” Taisiya said.

“Ah, hello Taisiya.”

“So, when’s the wedding?” she asked, her smile wide.

They had a conversation with their eyes Taisiya couldn’t follow. Taisiya frowned. Affairs before marriage were common enough to be of no consequence, so long as precautions were taken. She was about to remark that she’d only been jesting about marriage when Zephyros spoke.

“You don’t care about a fancy wedding, do you?” Zephyros asked Milena.

“No.” Milena shook her head, a small grin on her face.

“So… next week?”

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