Page 45 of Conspirators' Kingdom

“Mmm.”

“Your marriage to Taisiya has given her the gift of a brand new playground where none of her precious family members need to be protected. That is a freedom she doesn’t know yet to cherish. Prince Mereruka, I will tell you plainly—the only title worthy of my daughter is that of queen. When Taisiya realises that the Land of Maat is at her mercy, and not the other way around, I expect you to work to set her upon its throne, or get the hells out of her way.”

“I…see.”

“See that you do, or suffer the consequences. I am done dancing with you. Escort me to my daughter.”

He did as she asked and was immediately set upon by Taisiya’s sisters, each with her own brand of threat to lob his way. One swore to stick iron needles in his eyes. Another promised to drown him in a vat of perfume. The third simply smiled and recited all the areas where a man could be stabbed and survive long enough to spend his last hours in agony. As the night wore on, the threats became increasingly dire and florid in description. There was no magic to prevent any one of them from murdering him this very night, as they had all made crystal clear.

Mereruka soon found himself hiding at his own wedding. Gods below, what kind of family had he married into? Every single one of them had seen fit to threaten gory, detailed death between forced congratulations. He needed a drink but dared not seek one out. Bas, the little traitor, had smirked and told him to deal with the consequences of being an ass on his own.

When he looked up from his seat, he found another redhead staring at him with deep purple eyes. This time it was the brother, Theodore, the one known to be a pushover. His smile was genuine and warm when he approached. He reminded Mereruka of Bas when he was a sweet, smiling kitten. Except when he approached, Mereruka could feel the dread nearness of iron.

“Good evening, Prince Mereruka. We haven’t really been properly introduced. I’m Illustrus Theodore Spark, Taisiya’s older brother.”

“Good evening, Illustrus Theodo-”

“Of course, wewouldhave been properly introduced had you truly courted my sister instead of tricking her into marriage.”

Gods below, even the sweet kitten wanted his blood! Theodore sat beside him with the same amiable smile on his face, except now, Mereruka saw the hot, angry edge to it. Was the iron on his person?

“Though, I suppose you’ve had a chance to get to know her over the past few weeks of your visit here. My family, well, the ones remaining, are all very much made in the same mould as Taisiya. I fear I am the only one made of softer stuff than my sisters. It has left me rich in friends, but lacking in raw power.”

“I don’t-”

Theodore held up his hand to stop him.

“You see, my father tried to teach me many things, but the one that really stuck was that if I found myself incapable of some vital task, I must find someone loyal who would gladly do it in my stead. Over the years, I’ve taken that to heart. After my father passed, I was lucky enough to retain the services of his closest friend and aide, Viktor.”

Mereruka jolted when a man emerged from the shadow to his side and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. He had pale skin, fair hair and sharp grey eyes. His smile was chilling. The grim man from the sister’s wedding had made an appearance.

“Viktor is a darkness mage. Have you ever been through the void, Prince Mereruka?”

“I recall Taisiya saying it wasn’t for the faint of heart.”

Theodore laughed, a bright, jovial sound at odds with the implied threat.

“Viktor, he should see it for himself.”

Before Mereruka could bolt, he was dragged into a darkness so profound it disoriented his every sense. There was no gravity, no light, no sound, nothing but the terrifying, vise-like grip on an arm he only vaguely knew was attached to his body. Hot pain lashed his midsection. A moment—an hour—passed, and he was once again seated where he’d been before. It took him some time as his senses returned to him. He touched his side and hissed in pain. Three thin claw marks had sliced his skin.

“That looks painful. I’m a bit clumsy myself, so I usually carry around a good salve. Here.” Theodore pulled out a small tin from a pocket of his robe and set to pasting the aromatic salve on his wounds. “I have a good friend, a potion mage, who made this for me. It’s not as good as seeing a healer, but it’s as close as you can get.”

Indeed, the wounds were already closing and the pain numbed.

“She made this for me as well.” He opened a second tin to show Mereruka before closing it. It, too, was pleasantly aromatic. “Had I used this on your wounds, you would be dead now.”

Mereruka felt the pit of his stomach drop. He itched to use magic but the darkness mage kept a grip on his shoulder in warning and the iron dulled all but his glamour. Would the brother follow through on the sisters’ threats?

“I suppose that topic is a bit grim for a wedding. Speaking of, I have a gift.” He pulled a thin gold sheet from the pocket of his robe. “I know you can speak our language, but are you also literate?”

“No, Illustrus Theodore. The translation spell is only good for speaking.” Mereruka swallowed.

“Oh, then I’ll read the words on this for you. It says ‘If ever Prince Mereruka causes Taisiya to weep with sadness, Theodore will feel her sorrow.’”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“You see, this is a tablet something one of my friends, a curse mage, made for me. He assures me that curses written on gold cannot be broken except by the one who cast them. Have you ever seen a curse tablet before, Prince Mereruka? You see, you roll them up like so.” Theodore carefully rolled the delicate gold sheet and produced an iron nail. Mereruka swallowed down bile.Shit.“I suppose carrying this near you is rude, but then, so is forcing someone to marry you,” he muttered before continuing his explanation. “Now, all I need to do is pierce the rolled-up tablet.” He proceeded to do so and looked to Mereruka. “Traditionally, it’s buried, but it’s not strictly necessary.”

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