Page 23 of Conspirators' Kingdom

“As do I. Strategos, if you like, you could have a look at our weapons. I think you’ll find our metal a vast improvement to steel,” Djadty said to Marduk.

Mereruka spent the rest of the evening stewing over what Djadty had planned. Would Djadty try to maim him during combat? No, that would be too easy, too obvious. Was it a distraction to keep him occupied while Raemka and Itu set some other scheme in motion?

He turned over possibilities in his mind but came to no obvious conclusions save one—tomorrow, he had to overcome whatever obstacle they placed in his way. When Bas returned that evening with information, he feared none of it would help him in the trial to come.

“So? Which lady do you want to hear about first?” Bas asked.

“Surprise me, but be brief. I need you to try to find out what Djadty has planned for tomorrow during a sparring event,” Mereruka said.

Bas snorted.

“You don’t need a spy to tell you that. Djadty only ever has one plan—kill it with the pointy end.”

“If he were my only enemy on this mission, I would agree, but Raemka and Itu will have also had a hand in this.”

Bas shrugged.

“Maybe the sword is poisoned? What are you really worried about? You made them swear not to leave the continent without you alive and well, right?”

“I…did.” Mereruka paused as he recalled his exact words. “Shit.”

No, he hadn’t.

“What?”

“I might have forgotten to specify what condition I had to be in.”

“Shit! How could you forget that?”

Gods, he didn’t know. No, that was a lie. He knew full well he’d let himself get overconfident after he’d cowed them all by killing the trade minister. Too busy thinking about how they planned to force him to wed a barbarian or strand him, he hadn’t considered that they might have the moxie to murder him outright. In Maat, no one with killing intent had ever been able to approach him, save perhaps his brothers. That the fae here treated him with disdain was not unexpected, given they followed Khety’s every whim in hopes of advancement. But if they also had secretive orders to kill him if it looked like he might return? He’d erred to think Khety would always be so discreet with his hostility.

“Okay, okay.” Bas began pacing. “Most of the delegation is neutral anyway. The trade minister is dead, and he was easily the worst of them. That leaves Djadty, Raemka and Itu, maybe one or two of their subordinates.”

“If the blade is poisoned, I believe the empress could be of some assistance. She is well versed in such things,” Mereruka said.

“He won’t attack you with iron, since he can’t touch it himself,” Bas added.

“We hope.” Mereruka shivered in revulsion at the mere memory of it. If Djadty had a shapeshifter in his bloodline, he might have inherited a tolerance for the poisonous metal while remaining fae in appearance. After all, the soldier was not well known for his magical prowess, just his physical one. “I suppose that leaves us with the final possibility—a cursed blade.”

“I’d like to see the stupid look on his face when it doesn’t work,” Bas grinned.

Mereruka nodded. Thanks to the many counter-curses Mereruka hid beneath his glamour, it was nigh impossible for such a trick to work on him.

“All the same, secure the waters of the Hapi. Khety wouldn’t have been able to send a voyage out without some on board.”

Bas nodded.

There was a reason Maat was wealthy beyond measure, and it wasn’t that its nobles never cheated on their taxes or that they had more gold than similarly wealthy kingdoms. No, it was the control of the Hapi River. Blessed by some forgotten god with a love of the fae, its waters could cure what no magic could—iron poisoning. Maat’s royals were tasked with guarding it jealously and at any cost, no matter how cold-hearted or miserly the fae living outside Maat found that.

“Alright, tell me what you’ve learned today,” Mereruka said.

“Mages prize elemental gifts above all and look down on the rest. Those without elemental magic are called menials. Or ferals, which I think refers to the ones that look like shapeshifters. I don’t think they use the term to refer to shapeshifters in their animal forms who’ve gone mad, like we do. I don’t even think they know what shapeshifters are.” Bas shook his head at the absurdity of it all. “Domina Chloe Emerald is the second daughter of Magister Emerald and sister to Magistra Zoe Jade. Jade was once the apple of her father’s eye until several months ago when it came to light that she didn’t possess elemental magic. Since then, the magister’s favour has shifted to Chloe, who has become one of the most desirable bachelorettes in Lethe, owing to her family’s long history, wealth, and status as one of the most powerful families, barring the emperor’s own. No known scandals.”

So Taisiya had chosen a truly ambitious woman for him. She was taking that aspect of their deal seriously, though whether or not his wife had one of these elemental gifts meant next to nothing to him. No matter what magic she possessed, it would pale in comparison to all that even the youngest fae child could do.

“And the ambassador?”

“Illustra Taisiya Spark, third of five surviving siblings, all lightning elemental mages. Previously engaged to a son of the neighbouring governor. Mother, Illustra Oxsana Spark, currently a recluse in mourning. Theodore is the eldest child, a known pushover and a bureaucrat. Daria is next, a bit severe but expected to be engaged to one of the emperor’s cousins. Sonya is younger, a social butterfly, also soon to be engaged to a cousin of the emperor. Milena is the youngest, unruly and engaged to Lethe’s most prominent admiral. Not much else to tell that you don’t already know through gossip and rumours. They kept mostly within their former lands, and their connections and wealth vanished a year ago.”

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