Page 8 of Conspirators' Kingdom

“Empress, Illustra, greetings,” Taisiya said.

The empress groaned.

“Gods, who do I have to be polite to now?”

“Selene! It’s hardly a chore,” the blonde illustra reproached the empress.

“Empress, I am Illustra Milena Spark. I wish to be introduced to Dominus Zephyros Opal,” Milena replied.

“Oh, you’rethatMilena!”

“You’re correct, Your Majesty. Though you certainly did a thorough job of dragging my name through the mud while you used it.” Milena’s smile was a touch too sharp to be sweet.

The empress was taken aback by the comment and studied Milena with a critical eye.

Taisiya’s lightning trickled along her fingers, sparking Milena. If only she could curse at her youngest sister. It had been their father’s ill-considered idea to force Selene to imitate Milena, all to delay suspicion that he had used the foul ritual to siphon magic from his daughters. A gamble he’d made and lost. Milena had woken from her coma to a weakened body and a reputation in complete tatters, forced to listen to all the outrageous stories about their father’s murderess while Selene had paraded about using Milena’s name. Taisiya had been able to force promises from Milena that she wouldn’t try to physically harm the empress, but it had been a hard-fought argument. Perhaps Milena wanted to marry into the Opal family so that she could move to an island where she’d never need to see the empress again.

“We look nothing alike. I wonder why anyone actually believed that lie,” the empress said as she picked at an imaginary piece of fluff on her gold-embroidered sleeve.

The unfortunate truth was that the two looked very much like sisters. Though Milena was taller with a fuller figure and had a distinctly reddish hue to her brown hair, there was no mistaking the similarity. Even their impulsiveness was eerily alike. At least Milena could claim that she was the more beautiful of the two.

“It is a mystery to me as well, Your Majesty,” Milena replied as she flicked an errant strand of hair from her face and raised her chin.

“Zephyros, did you say? He’s just there speaking to my husband, Marduk. Let’s head that way, hmm?” The illustra interrupted their posturing and steered the empress away with a touch more force than was strictly necessary.

Milena’s smile turned satisfied at the sight. Taisiya elbowed her in the side and tugged her along.

“I shouldn’t have to be nice to that whore’s get,” Milena hissed.

“You shouldn’t, but you must, for now,” Taisiya whispered.

When they approached the beast and wind mages, the empress made the proper introductions. Zephyros took her sister’s hand and kissed it. Taisiya was happy to note a slight blush across his cheeks.

“It’s good to see you’ve recovered. I am sorry that our previous meeting was-”

Milena waved her hand nonchalantly.

“You didn’t have our former home looted because you wished to.” She turned an acidic expression on the empress. “I believe that was under your husband’s orders, was it not, Empress? Thankfully, Lethe is full of good and decent men like Dominus Zephyros Opal, who was kind enough to ensure Mama and I were allowed to dress before we were taken from the premises.”

The empress nearly choked on her wine. Both the strategos and his wife blanched. Zephyros looked at Milena and then the exits of the hall, like he might have to plead for her safety and make a quick getaway. Taisiya would wring her neck, the little heathen. Had Milena gotten into some strange potion? How could she smooth this over?

Milena turned back to Zephyros, all sweetness and cheer.

“That’s all past now, isn’t it? Though I suppose if you wish to make it up to me, you can take me on an adventure! I have always wanted to sink a pirate ship with a bolt of lightning,” Milena said with a charming smile as she led the shocked but intrigued wind mage away from their small group without so much as a backward glance.

The empress howled with laughter, wiping tears from her eyes. Taisiya nearly collapsed with relief. This was one of the few times she was glad of the empress’ unpredictable humours. As she watched Zephyros and Milena’s retreating forms, she could see her sister captivating the infamously flighty dominus. Perhaps two of her siblings would marry for love after all.

“Well, who do you plan to sink your claws into?” the empress asked Taisiya with an air of amused tolerance.

Men were, at best, a vexatious desire that, when she’d been tempted to indulge, only led to deep, abiding disappointment. It would be best to marry some doddering old man with only a few years left, if only so she could go about her business as a respectable widow. She’d yet to identify the most elderly of eligible bachelors, but it wouldn’t be long until she found the perfect husbandly placeholder.

“No one. Not until all my sisters are happily and contently married,” Taisiya replied.

“Wasn’t there one more of you? The… spineless one? Theodore?” the empress mused.

The strategos pinched the bridge of his nose while Iliana shook her head, at a loss for her friend’s behaviour.

A fire burned in Taisiya’s gut, her posture stiffening at the insult. The empress was lucky Milena had not been present to hear it, or she’d be no more than a gory, blackened splotch on the gleaming marble floors. Taisiya was tempted to do likewise, but only after Vasilisa let the hungry inhabitants of the void at her first.

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