Page 63 of Bloody Business

There was more than one way to secure an empire.

Smells Like Roses

Zac was hovering.Julepdidn't know what he wanted, but it was distracting her from her herbal concoction.

The redfly eye ointment had come out so well, she had decided to make an alternative treatment for sepsis.Goblins tended to make medicine that worked, and if it had adverse side effects (such as searing pain), that was irrelevant.Still, if a better version of the medicine was available, they bought it overwhelmingly.

Zac's hovering was interfering with her creative process.Never mind that she was once again set up at the dining room table where anyone could bug her.It was best to get rid of him.“Yes?”

“I have a school assignment, extra credit.It's an independent project, but I'm allowed to ask for help.”

She gave him the side eye.Ever since her visit to school, she'd been very leery about discussing his education.“What about it?”

“I know it makes you uncomfortable...”

“Just tell me,” she said impatiently.The sooner they got this over with, the better.

“Right.So we had a king.Nobody chose him, he was self-appointed.Everyone laughed at him, and nobody took him seriously until he started to amass kingly power.”

She crossed her arms and leaned on the table, giving him her full attention.“I think I heard about that.”

“So a coalition of generals, including general Yal and my uncle, helped bring him down.

“My assignment is to think of a different way to defeat him.I don't have the same resources and tools, so I have to get creative.I thought poisoning would be a good idea, but the king would be watching for poison.

“So I looked at history and thought, what is one of the key ways to make someone fall?Complacency was one of them.So then I thought, what can I do to make him complacent and careless?”

“What did you come up with?”she asked curiously.She was invested in the story now.

“Well, this guy was very paranoid.Usually when you're on the top, you get lazy.When you're young with a lot to accomplish, you're hungry for success and you have the energy to keep an eye on things.This king was middle-aged and he didn't seem to be slowing down.How can I make him be?”

She blinked.“Be what, tired?Sloppy?”

He made a gesture that welcomed ideas.

She hummed in thought, her gaze unfocused.“If all you want is complacency...You could scent his laundry with something addictive laced with dope.He'll be in a great mood all the time, gain weight and quit paying attention.Over time, you would increase the dose.He'll be so happy, he won't know what's going on.”She frowned as the plan got hazy.“I'm not sure what you would do from there.”

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