Page 52 of Conspirators' Kingdom

“Vasilisa, hold onto this for now.”

Her hand snuck out from the shadow of Taisiya’s gown and sank back into the void. Better not to give the fae any warning if she needed to end their lives.

She was nearly to her escort when the empress herself stopped her. Selene fairly hissed at the bevvy of servants following her. As they made themselves scarce, the bitch held out a decorative vial of perfume.

“It didn’t look like you were a willing bride, and I don’t sell people off for fancy fucking trade goods. Use this, and you’ll become a widow instantly. And if anyone asks, I didn’t give it to you.”

“My thanks, Your Majesty.”

If only shecouldkill her husband, she now had a plethora of ways to end him. It really was a shame their lives were magically linked. But for better or worse, she was committed to his scheme. One day, she would have a crown of her own, be a pawn to no one, and beholden only to her own ambitions.

Selene nodded and strode off, leaving Taisiya to her fate.

“You look like you had fun.”

“I suppose I did.”

Mereruka admired his comely new wife. Though he’d been forced to sleep on a hard couch too small for his frame, he was glad to see the sacrifice had been well worth it. That morning, Taisiya had stopped looking at him with bone-deep contempt. She was fast to accept the things she couldn’t change and had woken with a new scheme in mind, now that she could use him as a prop and the power of Maat as a cudgel.

They had agreed that in public, they would show a united, affectionate front. She had seen to it that her siblings were gifted with all the remaining gold, jewels and textiles meant to be her wedding presents so that they could openly flaunt their new status and connections within Lethe. They set sail with the gifts and trade goods of Lethe, as well as a list of imperial buyers and merchants eager to do business with Maat—a list as long as he was tall. Before the cursed continent had fully faded from view, they faced their first challenge.

Most of the fae simply ignored him—the cut direct. A few, like the treasury official Itu and Raemka the scribe, were blatant in their hostilities. Only moments after stepping outside their quarters, the ship in open waters, Taisiya and Mereruka were accosted. It said something of their enemies’ overconfidence that they dared do so while Mereruka openly carried a bronze blade at his hip. A quick scan of the upper deck confirmed the soldiers were below decks. Excellent.

“A barbarian wife for a lowlife prince. Our Eternal Serenity was wise to see you deserved nothing more. I look forward to the day we return, and you’re forced to renounce your ties to the throne. Then again, I imagine the mark of disinheritance won’t bother your already marred hide,” Raemka sneered at Mereruka.

“Perhaps, if you beg very sweetly, our king will find a place for you in his palace, scrubbing the floors,” Itu said to Taisiya.

Mereruka was about to respond, but Taisiya placed a hand on his chest, starkly pale against the teal of his skin.

“If I recall, your name is Itu?” At his silence, she continued, “Perhaps, if you beg very sweetly, your new princess consort will find it in her heart to forgive you your insult.”

“I am a hatya. I owe no apologies to those who associate with tattooed scum. You would do well to learn this before you arrive in Maat,” Itu replied.

“Husband, did that sound like sweet begging to you?” she asked Mereruka, all innocence.

“It did not, wife. In fact, I’d say that sounded downright disrespectful,” Mereruka answered, enjoying her game.

“It’s a pity. What is the usual punishment for insulting royalty in Maat?”

“Death,” Mereruka replied with a grin.

“Far be it for me to question the customs of my adopted home,” Taisiya replied, stepping away from Mereruka. “May the forgotten gods pity you, Itu.”

Before Itu could respond, she struck him with a bolt of lightning, the thunder echoing across the sea. Itu flew across the deck and flipped overboard. Mereruka charged Raemka and swung a fist into his gut. As the scribe doubled over, Mereruka seized his head in his hands and snapped his neck. His body fell to the deck. Mereruka kicked it away but didn’t bother to throw it overboard. Yet.

Mereruka looked around at the horrified expressions of the fae.

“Trade Minister.”

“Y-Yes, Prince Mereruka?” the man asked, swallowing.

“Assemble everyone on the deck before us. And let them know that any disrespect or tardiness will be met with swift punishment,” Mereruka said as he fingered his as-yet-unused blade.

The trade minister fled below deck, his frantic calls to assemble audible. Mereruka turned to Taisiya and whispered.

“Well done.”

“Have you bribed the crew sufficiently?”

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