The Taint of Treason E-Book

Greg Alldredge

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: A Lilliehaven Epic Fantasy
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 323

Beschreibung

The throne was her rightful place…

… unfortunately, her evil stepmother took it all away.

The life of a princess should be a royal blessing. But when Morgan’s aging father marries a younger woman, the Crown Princess’s life becomes—treacherous.

Through a royal miscalculation, the Empire is now at war with a Necromancer of unknown strength and with unfathomable motives. Conflict has invaded the Wu Empire.

Morgan stands accused of treason; now, her life hangs in the balance. Forced to run, as the might of the Genke clan’s army hounds her escape.

Ghosts and monsters haunt the young princess, while she quests for a path to regain the throne.

Can Morgan find enough allies?

How will she save her Empire?

You’ll love the first book in the Lilliehaven epic fantasy series. Courtly intrigue meets swords and magic. The twists will keep you turning the pages.

Get it now.

Leseprobe

The Taint of Treason

Morgan’s Tale Book One

A Lilliehaven Epic Fantasy

By Greg Alldredge

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-949392-36-4

Contact the author at

[email protected] or

@G.Alldredge on Facebook

@MrAlldredge on Twitter

greg.alldredge on Instagram

© 2020 Greg Alldredge

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Art by Ryn Katryn Digital Art.

Melinda Campbell, Copyeditor

www.MCEdits.com

For fantasy lovers.

Note: For the elvish language, I use the International Phonetic Alphabet. An example translator can be found here: https://tophonetics.com/

Chapter One:

Chapter Two:

Chapter Three:

Chapter Four:

Chapter Five:

Chapter Six:

Chapter Seven:

Chapter Eight:

Chapter Nine:

Chapter Ten:

Chapter Eleven:

Chapter Twelve:

Chapter Thirteen:

Chapter Fourteen:

Chapter Fifteen:

Chapter Sixteen:

Chapter Seventeen:

Chapter Eighteen:

Chapter Nineteen:

Chapter One:

Everyone realized traveling the roads alone after dark was akin to suicide. Yet Kai followed his master, Doctor Seeme’Ur-Moon, from the safety the walls of the capital city offered to the wild track outward and home.

Kai went through life a simple doctor’s aid, ill-equipped to offer any resistance if the monsters of the countryside decided to attack and dine on them as a late-night snack. The night wasn’t the only time to fear the open road. Death might reach out any time of day or night, but the patrols ended with the daylight, and yet the good doctor decided to leave the capital well after darkness fell upon the land.

Once upon a time, Kai carried a pouch with a collection of stones, all ready to be enchanted. That was long ago when Kai carried on in a more dangerous fashion. Life with Seeme should be safe.

He never considered himself a mage. In his grip, he had enough control of magical energy to enchant an item for a few seconds. Little more than common japes, party tricks. Spells lasted long enough to throw the rock at a target. The longer he worried a stone under his thumb, the more power he charged the item with. The problem was the magic would leave as soon as the rock left his hand.

As a mage, he remained untrained and pretty much useless. Over the years, he’d become a marginally better doctor’s assistant.

The mountains inward blocked the glow of sunlight, the shadows of darkness were near-absolute. If not for the twin lanterns of the cart, the pair would have stumbled along in total darkness. The horse that pulled the cart might be able to find the path, but outside the glow of the lamps, Kai remained as good as blind.

The doctor went so far as to direct Kai to the less-traveled route. Off the royal road and into the swamps that flanked the outward side of the capital of Haven. If Kai didn’t know better, he would have thought Doctor Seeme was running from something.

In the darkness, every sound became amplified. The croak of the toad or the night bird song pulled at Kai’s attention. The wind rustling through the leaves held untold monsters in Kai’s vivid imagination. A nervous sweat had slicked his close-cropped dark hair to the back of his neck.

The journey to the capital was completely different… this leg of the journey completed in broad daylight, with a royal escort. Every comfort the empire had to offer at their call. His land many called the motherland—Zonogon—at least to the wealthy and connected, it offered a wonderful life. For as long as Kai remembered back, it had been his goal to reach that well-fed inner circle.

The whole journey, they traveled the major roads. Master Seeme had been summoned by the empress, Maa’Ca-Genke herself. Her husband, Emperor Daa’Ca-Wu, had taken ill, and Seeme remained the most renowned doctor on the island. It proved only logical they called for him. Logic dictated Kai should travel at the doctor’s side. He was his apprentice after all.

Their unannounced departure from the safe inner city that housed the royal family was anything but logical. Suspicious thoughts fought for time in Kai’s mind. Thankfully, suspicions served to drive the fear to the background.

Seeme muttered, “Let the animal take the lead. She knows the way better than either of us.” The old man sat next to the younger Kai. The doctor clutched a journal tightly to his chest.

Kai did as instructed and let the reins go slack. He risked a question. “Master… may I ask a question?”

“No.” The answer came abruptly, much harsher than Kai had ever experienced with the old man that sat next to him.

An orphan, Kai had long thought of the old doctor like his father, even if the man rarely gave the indication he felt the same. At least he let Kai ride next to him. The small two-wheeled cart barely fit them side by side.

Kai took the hint and closed his thoughts off to himself. The old man would speak when good and ready, never before.

“It is better… the less you know, the better… if we live till morning… I promise to tell you more.” Seeme glanced behind the cart, searching from something.

The doctor was famous for holding his thoughts close to his heart. It would be a miracle if Kai learned anything from the old man, but his restlessness hung heavy on Kai’s lack of nerve. If the good doctor acted afraid for their lives, Kai was terrified.

The morning remained several lifetimes away, Kai was certain of that. Even the swamp either side of the trail remained silent. The animals smart enough to seek shelter when the shadows grew. Like most people of at least limited intelligence, Kai never traveled after dark. Not until now, that is. The night held only death.

Kai’s anxiety gained the better of his composure. He needed words to fill the silence. “The emperor is better?”

Seeme shook his head. “I’m afraid not.” The good doctor glanced over his shoulder. “I’m afraid he will not be getting better soon.”

Overhead, the realm of the djinn floated. Kai believed the monsters rarely floated down to the land of the earthbound on their leathery wings, but it happened. The raids from on high near impossible to defend against, some threats defeated the highest of stone walls. The people of the clans did their best to protect themselves, but nowhere was always safe.

More than likely, Kai would meet his end from one of the many creatures that hunted the places between civilization. Pouring from deep under the earth, they would kill and loot before returning to the safety of their caverns. They preferred to hunt at night.

Even more likely was a band of human predators finding them alone. Men that, rather than seeking gainful employment, would waylay unsuspecting travelers and rob them of everything, including their lives, rather than allow the victims to turn the brigands in.

This was the civilized world Kai learned to survive in. Kai understood there had to be at least a thousand ways to die this night alone on the trail. In this instance, education proved a terrible burden. His imagination was wild enough to think of each one in exacting detail if he didn’t push his mind off the subject.

“Doctor… please, I’m afraid…” Kai didn’t finish the sentence. Ashamed of his feelings. He expected a verbal lashing for openly admitting his weakness.

Seeme looked back up the road. “You should be terrified, but not from the monsters that lurk in the dark.” He turned his attention to the road ahead. “There is a darkness hovering over our land.”

Kai risked a glance up, tempting fate. The djinn might swoop down from above and steal his soul. Such were the stories he remembered from his early childhood. If only he understood what dangers the doctor hinted at. It might give his overactive imagination something tangible to fear rather than a plethora of dangers imagined and real.

<=OO=>

Crown Princess Morgan’Ca-WuMai, first and only child of the emperor, stationed herself before the guarded doors that blocked her entrance to her father. Against the advice of each of her counselors, she had knelt before the door, waiting to be granted an audience with her father. From midday to well after dark, she had kowtowed with her forehead pressed to the stone courtyard, waiting for her petition to be heard and finally heeded.

Her white robes of station flowed around her, making her look like a great white bird had roosted before the imperial compound’s formal entrance. Ready for a long wait, she had wound her long black braids tight to the back of her head. Her stomach grew hungry. While she mouthed a prayer, the grumblings would not betray her hunger. They would be deemed unladylike. Appearance remained everything.

She believed it was dark now, the sound of burning torches and braziers easy to pick out in the silent courtyard. When this effort started, she’d hoped her father would take note of her effort, take pity, and reward her with a meeting. It didn’t come to pass. Only the hours crept by one after another. Positioned as she was, sleep would come easy to her if she let her weariness take over. Willpower to see her responsibility to her family and clan would sustain her while she waited. Sleep never an option.

The young Princess Morgan wasn’t surprised by the man ignoring her petition. Her father, the emperor, had never been a loving man. After her mother, his consort died, and the man she called father took his current wife, he became more distant. If Morgan had been a male child, that might have all passed, but as a female and not in the normal line of succession for the throne… well, Morgan learned early on she was expendable once a male heir was born. The problem for the emperor was every woman who became pregnant with his male child died in childbirth along with the baby. Rumors ran about curses and a princess practicing black magic to kill off all competition to the throne.

Of all the magic that ran through the islands, the black power of necromancy was the most feared. The thought of overcoming death, controlling the dead, forced grown men to their knees, praying to ancestors, long dead, for salvation. Other forms of magic could kill quicker, but the thought of the dead being used as weapons struck a primordial fear in humans.

Unfortunately, Morgan controlled no magic, owned no magic devices, and called on no evil spirits to kill the mothers and children. The five women’s deaths, as far as Morgan was concerned, were attributed to simple incurable bad luck. The sins of her father revisited on him for past actions. The country suffered for his past transgressions more than his wives. Now with his new wife carrying a boy, it would only be a matter of time before another pair of deaths were added to her father’s long list.

The doors before her opened, but Morgan refused to raise her head, rather she would keep her position with head touching the ground until the court relented and gave the young woman an audience with her father. The scent of flowers and incense washed over her.

The voice of Empress Maa’Ca-Genke called out to the young woman. “Must you disrespect your family by remaining out here? Out in the sun all day, unprotected, your skin will turn like a fisher wife’s leather face.”

Morgan opened her eyes but couldn’t spot the empress’s shadow lurking over her. “I only wish to see my father… to do my duty as his child… to care for him… the rumors travel fast. I know he is ill… Please let me see him.”

“Look at me, child.” The empress’s voice left no doubt her words were an order. The woman’s tone grated on Morgan’s nerves. She wanted to lash out.

Morgan pushed her head off the ground but remained on her knees. Her eyes lowered, looking at the empress’s feet. She held her temper.

“I said, look at me,” the empress ordered once again.

Out of reflex, Morgan looked at the woman who through marriage was her ruler, her father’s new wife, but never her mother. The sight turned her stomach. The girl who stood before her was at most her age, Morgan thought a year or two younger. The empress was barely old enough to give birth. She remained a child, yet her belly had grown huge in her seclusion. She looked ready to deliver at any moment.

If the emperor had produced a male heir to the throne, Morgan would have been forcibly married off long ago, to seal some deal with a neighboring island. As it was, she’d been forced into a life—more of a limbo of nonexistence—until her fate was sealed by the birth of a younger brother and heir to the throne.

The empress rested her hands on her pregnant belly. “Do you hate me so much? I find it difficult to walk this short distance. Do you hate your unborn brother so much you risk our health over your silly theatrics? Your father is not well. Your actions are not helping his health.”

Morgan studied the woman’s eyes while she spoke. They remained lifeless, like a serpent’s before it lashed out and delivered a fatal bite. The words caused Morgan to hate the child all the more.

The empress continued to speak. “You ungrateful child, your selfish actions are causing your father untold pain… Go to your quarters and stay there. He will call for you if he wants you.”

The princess blurted out, “But as his daughter, I should be by his side… To care for him.” Morgan pressed her argument.

Surprisingly Maa knelt down to her level. “He is with the best doctors in the land. What do you think you can do? You stupid girl. What can you do that the best healers and magicians in the empire can’t?”

“But?” Morgan’s argument fell apart.

The woman hissed, “If… as the only heir, you were to get sick as well, the motherland might be threatened… think of the people. Now, do not argue, go to your quarters, and remain there until you are called.” The young girl stood back up. “I will send two of my best men to see you safely… in your room.”

The empress turned. The hem of her long white gown fluttered before Morgan’s hands. The princess was certain if she remained, the ruler would have her forcibly removed. Possibly even arrested. Better to leave on her own accord. The empress called her bluff, and unfortunately, Morgan didn’t win this hand. However, the game wasn’t over. Time to change tactics. That girl playing empress would never understand the duty a child held to a parent.

With her options effectively removed, Morgan stood in a single fluid motion. As the crown princess, the young girl was placed in a most difficult position. Follow the rule of law as set down by Empress Maa or follow the rule of her family commitments as set down by the customs of her clan. The empress placed her in an impossible position, wrong no matter what she did. Dishonor waited for her next action.

Morgan felt for the pendant around her neck. The weight of it and the obligations it carried grew heavy. A simple piece of enchanted jewelry identified her and the station she held.

That woman Maa would never understand. She wasn’t of the Wu… She was an outsider from the inward Genke clan. Not long ago, the empress’s clan was the enemy, at war with the Wu. The girl from inward would never follow the ways of the outward. Actions always spoke louder than words.

<=OO=>

The sound of hooves approaching behind the cart drew Kai’s attention. Too late for a patrol, the horses might be a sign of impending doom. Fear ran deep in his soul. He glanced behind and only found shadows to the rear. His eyes turned to the doctor, unsure what to do.

The old man took the reins and pushed his journal into Kai’s arms. “Take this and hide off the road. It might be your only chance. Take it home if you survive.” In a shocking move, the old doctor pushed Kai from the moving cart.

Hitting the road with a roll, the impact knocked the wind from his lungs. The momentum of the tumble took him off the road and into the higher grass. The roll carried him to an embankment, where the downhill slope increased his uncontrolled somersaults.

With no time to fear for his life, Kai instinctually reached out for something to stop his fall. The tall grass did little to slow him. The water of the rice field, however, did stop his descent with a splash.

Flat on his back. Stunned from the trip down the slant, his bearings slowly returned to him. He lay still, the soreness in his body convincing him he remained alive. If his body had broken, his best chance at a full recovery sat in the cart, the man who just pushed him over the edge.

He sucked his breath in though his teeth, doing his best to remain silent and not smell the stench of stagnant water he lay in. What he thought a rice field was instead a swamp. The horse and cart had carried them far enough away from the city. Kai had landed in the unclaimed wetlands between cities.

The sound of galloping horses passed on the hard-packed earth of the trail above Kai. They never slowed. The doctor must have shoved him to safety before…

Kai tried to free himself. That was when he learned the shallow water he lay in was not nearly as deep as the layer of mud hidden just under the surface. The sticky glop clung to him like a mother refusing to release a child.

Each movement he made caused him to sink farther into the mire. His left hand clawed at the solid bank next to him. Near the water, the waist-high grass had been replaced by more woody brush. With roots growing deep in the muddy earth, they gave Kai something to grip and pull himself slowly to safety. The doctor’s waterlogged journal was still clutched in his right hand. The night sounds had fallen silent, in anticipation of the worse.

Now he needed to find the doctor. In near-total darkness, he worked one foot in front of the other, taking his time to check every step before adding his full weight. This was going to take forever, but he didn’t dare return to the path. There was no telling what horrors waited for him atop the hill. Now he needed to move as silently as possible to not draw unwanted attention to himself. His home lay two days’ travel to the outside… But he needed to find Doctor Seeme first.

<=OO=>

The empress’s guards stopped at the bridge over the canal that separated Morgan’s quarters from the rest of the palace complex. Placed either side sat the protective totems, carved representations of her ancestors’ heads. Morgan feared, soon, her father would top the pile.

The emperor’s compound was laid out according to Wu clan traditions. The clan ruler held the position of authority in the most inward location of the walled compound. Inside the walls of her father’s abode lay shrines holding the bones of her father’s ancestors plus the empress’s quarters. The entrance to the various buildings outside the leader’s compound was protected by the carved representations of long-dead ancestors rather than the real thing.

When a male heir came about, Morgan would leave her apartments and move to the women’s quarters across the courtyard from her. Her demotion would be complete. Such was the ways of her people, her clan… and it chafed her greatly to be considered a second-class child.

In frustration, she wanted to lash out. To hurt someone or break something. Passing through her audience hall, she moved to the training area behind. Tsu, her personal guard and fight trainer, had taken leave to visit the clan and his mother.

Morgan told him to go. She needed him absent when she tried to force the empress to relent. Unfortunately, Morgan’s plan failed, and now, when she needed to blow off anger, she found herself alone.

Long ago, a staff from the wall became her dearest friend and playmate. She spun the rod of ironwood three times as she strolled to the enchanted training dummy.

The hunk of wood sat motionless. Arms and weapons protruded from the slam-man, waiting for action.

Morgan bent her body into an en garde stance within striking distance. The slam-man sprang to life, spinning until Morgan blocked the first attack with her staff. She counterattacked with a thrust of the tip of the weapon into what would be a human’s solar plexus then quickly whipped the attack into what would be a jaw.

A quick leap backward took her out of range from the dummy’s attack from the left. She spun and brought the full force of weapon alongside a headshot.

The slam-man stopped to signify she won.

The sound of clapping hands drew her attention.

She spun around, ready to attack the intruder. Rather she found the dark eyes of Tsu watching her. In the candlelight, he proved easy to spot in his dark brown uniform. She knew the baggy fit of the clothing camouflaged a body of muscle. He had used those muscles to beat her many times during combat training.

“Your skills are sharp as ever.” He bowed before adding, “My lady.”

“You’re back… I thought you would be gone for several days.” Morgan relaxed and moved to the weapons rack. Replacing her staff in the holder.

“That was the plan until your maid rushed to inform me of your vigil outside the emperor’s compound.”

“That snitching little…” Morgan didn’t finish the sentence, the words that sprang to mind were considered unladylike.

“I believe you owe her an apology… You put her in an impossible situation. Follow your orders or the emperor’s… There was no way she could win with the choice you gave her. Be angry with yourself.”

Morgan didn’t think about the hard place she put the woman in. Right now, she only thought about seeing her father. “She will get over it. I must see my father. I fear the empress is… I must see my father.” Morgan wasn’t sure if she could trust her guard or not. Tsu had been her trainer as long as she could remember, but he was technically still her father’s loyal servant.

“I understand your dilemma, but a great leader always considers the people who follow them and how the leader’s actions will affect them.”

“And who do you follow, Tsu? If I gave you a command that conflicted with my father’s orders… who would you follow?”

The guard never flinched. “As your trainer and bodyguard, I am sworn to protect you.”

“I noticed you didn’t answer my question.”

“On the contrary, I think I answered it perfectly.”

In the darkness, Morgan couldn’t be certain, but she swore the man just winked at her. “In that case, I need you to run an errand.”

“Anything, lady.”

“Yesterday, Doctor Seeme’Ur-Moon was escorted into the emperor’s compound. I want you to find him and inquire about my father’s health.”

The color drained from Tsu’s cheeks. “Inside the emperor’s compound? You ask too much…”

“If you fail to do this, then I will need to take the risk myself. I need to learn what this man knows. It is of the utmost importance.”

“Princess… Mai… if I am captured, it will mean my death.”

“Then I suggest you don’t get captured. Don’t take too long. I fear the country is in terrible danger.” Rather than wait for an answer to the command, Morgan marched past her trainer. She would soon learn where his loyalties lay.

“I will see what I can learn then, only to keep you safe. If I wait until the darkest hour… just before daylight returns, I might be able to slip into the palace, if I still need to.”

His task would also keep the trainer occupied while she attended a meeting outside the walls of the royal compound, in the city proper. Better Tsu didn’t attend. It would only place him in an untenable position. She needed to change into proper clothing to go slumming about the city streets. Dressed as a princess, she would be too easy to spot.

Lucky for her, she had gathered a large cache of commoners’ clothing over the years of sneaking about the city after dark. She dismissed her ladies. No need to involve them in her clandestine activities.

Chapter Two:

Empress Maa’Ca-Genke sat on her throne, the weight of her position weighing heavy on her soul, the weight of the child on her body. Small oil lamps filled the room with the scent of burnt oil. No matter how much perfumed incense burned, it could never cover the stink of animal fat.

The dark wood paneling and screens soaked up what little light there was. The red carpet covering the floor reminded her of a pool of blood, the flickering light created ripples on the surface. The darkness made it hard for the woman to stay awake. It had been a long day, made longer by the challenge presented to her authority by that fool of a girl, Morgan.

Too early to retire for the evening, Maa needed to present a strong appearance to the court. The only thing that held her position in this den of serpents was her ability to play the men against one another. If her Wu guards ever decided to break tradition, her life would be forfeit in an instant. Loyalty to her and the emperor were the two things that kept her alive.

Her husband lay gravely ill. She needed to produce a male heir before he died and left her at the mercy of the royal princess… Being of the inward Genke clan, her position would be lost without a son to strengthen her claim to the throne. Many things needed to fall into place before the death of her husband, Emperor Daa.

To keep the emperor alive, the best sorcerers and doctors of the island had been called. All manner of healing magic was cast to keep the old man breathing. As long as the emperor drew breath, her place in the empire remained secure. An heir was needed now more than ever.

Tradition dictated that once born, her son would be of the Wu clan. For tradition to be broken, some pretense would be needed to declare her son of Genke. With luck, time would reveal the best course of action. If she moved too soon, her life would be forfeit, if she waited too long, her plotting might be uncovered. She didn’t even dare think of her plans. A skilled mage could read a person’s mind if they were strong enough.

A voice from outside the wooden screen broke her deep thoughts. “The general of the army wishes an audience.”

It was one of the heralds, a eunuch interchangeable with the others who served the role. Maa never took the time to learn their names. Besides, they all dressed alike in plain gray robes emblazoned with the three crimson interlocking diamonds of the Wu clan, and the uniformed shaved heads made them all look alike.

Maa swallowed before speaking to ensure a clear, commanding voice. She could afford to show no weakness. “I will see him,” she commanded.

General Ed’Io-Genke pushed past the rotund servant and strutted around the screen. A sword of sky metal still clung to his side. Besides the guards, he was one of the few members of the court allowed to keep a weapon within this inner sanctum of the royal family. His metal breastplate polished to a glossy shine. His arms and armor worth a small fortune.

“Empress, it is good to see you are well.” The older gray-haired man took his position, kneeling on a cushion placed directly before Maa. His hands placed in his lap.

“General, I am happy to see fortune is treating you well,” Maa said in a steady voice.

“Ma’am, I have a report that would be better delivered in private.” The General bowed his head after the request.

With a wave of her hand, Maa dismissed the guards who stood next to her throne. “As you wish, General.”

The general waited until the room cleared before he spoke. “I have men investigating a sensitive matter.” While he spoke, his hands moved in a flurry of motion that said something completely different in sign language. The rumors are true. There is a conspiracy to overthrow your position. I’m still working out everyone involved.

Maa ignored the words and focused on the sign language with great interest. Maa replied with words, “When it comes to the empire, all things are sensitive.” No matter the efforts taken to be alone, Maa understood the very walls of the palace had ears. Even speaking of sensitive matters in sign language held risk, but it always proved harder to secretly watch than listen. Given the fact the two used a little-known variation of sign language specific to the Genke clan, the chances of anyone translating the nonverbal portion of the conversation remained extremely low. Maa signed, It is imperative to find the conspirators and act.

The general said, “I understand,” while he signed, I will take care of it. You need to produce a son.

The empress nodded agreement. “May your ancestors watch over you.” And signed, I am doing everything I can. Some things can’t be rushed.

The general stood. “By your leave, Empress.” And signed, Time grows short.

“You are dismissed.” Maa waved the general away. Her scowl did nothing to hide her mood concerning the general’s final warning. Men just didn’t understand how some things couldn’t be rushed. It was as if the ancestors themselves lined up to thwart her plans. If the general proved correct and there was a conspiracy to overthrow her place, she might need to act sooner rather than later. Everything now hinged on a son. No manner of magical castings had helped her gain the power she needed. She needed better magicians.

She was certain the general, as a member of her clan, remained loyal to himself. Most of her guards had been replaced with men she was confident were loyal… to him. If an assassin was to strike, it might come from anywhere, even within her inner circle.

One of the bald eunuchs stepped up to the screen that separated her from the outside world. “Your Highness, it is nearing time for your bath.” He bowed before the screen. “There are no more meetings left on your schedule. If you are ready, that is.”

Maa watched the man’s shadow glide over the intricately carved wood. If someone was to reach these ball-less wonders and convince them to take matters into their own hands, Maa’s life might truly be in danger. Soon she would need to replace the group of heralds with those wearing the blue and black symbol of the Genke clan. Men she could trust to be at arm’s length to her body and responsible for her safety.

Until her plans came full circle, her place, her very life, remained in danger… with the emperor ill, it was only a matter of time now. Soon her choices would be removed. She needed the world to fall into place. There had to be a way to find better magic users.

<=OO=>

Two walls separated the two living areas. Beautiful gardens and ponds filled the area between. The outer walls covered in smooth white plaster, scaling them became all the more difficult. The inner walls were covered in intricate reliefs depicting scenes from history or pastoral landscapes. All a testament to the wealth of the empire.

Tsu strolled out of the princess’s compound without the guards questioning his motives. Long ago, he had taken to walking the gardens at night. The habit gave him a ready-made excuse when he needed some time away from his duties and a wonderful pretext to sneak across the courtyard to the women’s compound and the lovely ladies-in-waiting, whose sole purpose in life was waiting. He considered it his duty to help them pass the time in less boring endeavors.

The night birds sang. They always sang. The ones trapped in cages sang loudly, drawing in the females searching for a mate. Tsu believed the birds were destined to be disappointed. The golden cages provided too effective an obstacle for the mating. The frustration only caused the birds to sing louder.

Eventually, one of the women would be called upon to be Tsu’s wife if he lived long enough to settle down. The way things were going, it did not look like his life expectancy would increase into the realm for the choice to matter. If events kept unfolding the direction they headed, he might soon suffer from a terminal case of death.

Not one of the Wu clan, Tsu’s place always remained particularly precarious. He wore the badge of the Moon clan: half white, half black. His clan were the oldest supporters of the Wu. His father’s service to the Wu earned him this station of trust. Now he went against the empress’s orders and would climb over the wall to find Doctor Seeme.

If it was true and the emperor had taken ill, his place in the court had become precarious indeed. As the princess’s trainer and confidant, even if the emperor placed him in the position and the man died… Tsu was certain he would share Morgan’s fate, for good or ill. No manner of machinations would protect him if the princess was cast out from the compound. At best, Tsu might be banished alongside her or, worse, put to death.

Better to enjoy life and everything it had to offer him in the meantime. The world offered a multitude of pleasures for the body and soul if a person only looked for them. One of Tsu’s special qualities was knowing where to look.

Perhaps the decision to climb the wall was hastily made. Better to find whether Doctor Seeme was even in the city first before tempting certain death. After all, his mandate from the princess was to find the doctor and discover what he knew, not necessarily climb over the wall to find the answer. What if the doctor had left the city? It would be better to venture to more familiar territory then. With eager anticipation, he strutted across the courtyard toward the women’s compound and a friend of his that introduced him to all the new ladies who came under her control.

Time to visit Madam Nico’Saad-Toyo, Mistress of the Robes, and Tsu’s sometimes-lover. The night was about to become all the more interesting.

<=OO=>

General Genke left the empress in a foul mood. The thought of an open rebellion forming in the capital wore heavy on him. He didn’t need a child in the form of a leader getting in the way of his plans. Too much was at stake for the clan and country. If he could carry out his plans without Maa, he would. The empress remained a means to an end, no more.

A few of the conspirators had been identified. The guards could move at any time and put a huge dent into the plot. However, he believed it would be more advantageous to wait. His suspicions ran high concerning who was behind the planned coup, but with no proof, moving too quickly might prove disastrous.

There was a time for swift action and a time for patience… now was the latter. Given the positions of the accused, it would be less disruptive if he had airtight evidence once he moved. The families involved were some of the most influential in the capital. Once they were taken care of, their wealth would be used to silence any outcry, that and the fear of the others being accused… the streets would flow with blood from executed families soon enough.

Stepping outside, he glanced skyward. This place proved too… dark and depressing at night. In the land of the Genke, night was more of a twilight, the glow from the inward deserts reflected the sun enough to allow a person to walk about with no lantern at night.

This land of Wu remained too dark. Evil festered in the darkness. It was only a matter of time before the wound of treason would need to be opened and drained of pus.

When the Genke clan took control of the empire, the first act would be to move the capital from this hell hole and back inward, toward the deserts and the central column of stone where the magic proved stronger. Away from this accursed city of Haven, back to Ed’s home city Io.

Now the child-bride of the emperor only needed to do one thing. Give birth to a male child. Then the Genke would take their rightful place as leaders of the empire.

He approached the walls of the inner compound and the massive wooden gate that protected the entrance. At night, only a small side gate remained open, with two guards either side of the wall, ensuring no one entered or departed the area. These were the general’s men, loyal to the Genke. It had taken several months, but by a concerted effort, he had managed to replace most of the Wu guards with men from Genke.

It seemed the only resource the empire had an unending stream of was flesh. Everything else remained in short supply. Soon, to feed the population, the empire would need to expand to the surrounding islands. When the Genke ruled, this home island would become the center of a true world-changing empire. Ed was certain the surrounding islands would be no match for his modern armies. The battles would be swift and decisive.

These guards were wise. They recognized their general and let him pass unchallenged. Soon, the only Wu guards who remained would be those of Princess Morgan’s entourage. They would stand greatly outnumbered when the time came to act.

General Ed stopped just outside the gate. There, strolling across the compound, was one of the men he needed to deal with. It was Tsu, the trainer of Princess Morgan. By the gait of his step and the direction he headed, the man was going to visit the women’s compound.