Part One: What They've Sown
As Above, so Below
The catacombs under Duren Palace were not a pleasant place to be. The Kingdom of Duren was ancient, and life had changed immensely over the centuries. In the ancient past, Duren Hill, upon which Duren Palace now aptly rested, was the site of an ancient temple where sacrifices were a daily occurrence. Below the ancient temple were a series of passages and chambers, some of which the use eluded the current generations. Cattle, lambs, and the occasional human were slain there in offerings of prayer to the gods, and over the years, the scent of blood had seeped into the earth. Some of the rooms closer to the surface were used for storage, garrison, or holding prisoners, but the deepest corridors remained unexplored. As a result, the people of Duren were convinced that the catacombs were haunted, and even the bravest refused to go down to the lowest levels, fearing they could find an ancient beast or long forgotten magics.
Naturally, it was the safest place to go in all of Duren, and so it was where the Queen often was taken during emergencies.
The high vaulted chamber Manu stood in now was lovingly referred to as the Bonehold by the Palace Guard. There were no bones anywhere to be seen - they had been cleared out generations ago - but the name had stuck. It was practically tradition for the ruler of Duren to have to hide in the Bonehold at least once during their reign. Queen Aanya had hidden from assassins and coups in the chamber so many times over the past year that she had a second set of bedroom furniture brought in. The privy council had a permanent table in the center of the room, where they now sat.
Manu stood at the far end of the table, opposite the Queen. He kept from looking her in the eyes while he spoke, uncomfortable making direct eye contact given how their last conversation had ended. Regardless of his feelings, though, he had a duty to answer her questions as well as the rest of the privy council's.
"If the elves are sending magical assassins into the Palace, then an attack cannot be too far behind." Lord Ankar claimed, placing a flat hand on the table. He was the eldest son of Lady Ankar, and would be the head of House Ankar once she died. He was often the Queen's loudest supported on the council, but today he seemed eager to speak his mind first.
A dark man from further down the table, closer to the Queen, leaned forward so he could be seen. He wore the colors of one of the lesser houses, House Talika. "Our scouts have not reported any movement at the border, however, nor has the Kingdom of Katolis sent any warnings of an elven advance.: Manu tried to remember the man's name, but he could not. The hit to the back of his head was keeping him from thinking straight.
"I agree with you, Lord Talika," the Captain of the Guard said from where he stood by Manu. "However, Katolis had only a few hours warning in advance when Moonshadow Elves came to assassinate their king, and even then it was only due to luck. If the elves were plotting anything, I am not sure we would know."
Lady Sher, matriarch of House Sher and the mother of Lord Chanda Sher who had spoken in court the previous day, pointed an aged finger at the Talika from where she sat by Lord Ankar. Her sari was striped in a tigress' pattern. "Our scouts are Talika and Lakshita, so perhaps that is why they see nothing!"
Manu felt the Captain of the Guard next to him tense up. He was a distant member of House Lakshita, but even though he was sworn in service to the Queen, he clearly had some feelings of loyalty towards his House. Before he could open his mouth, Lord Talika had clenched his fist in rage.
"House Talika and Lakshita use magic to search for foreign threats in our lands, rather than send our levies out on foolish war parties into Xadia." Lord Talika sputtered in anger. "We are not wasteful with our people like the Sher, my Lady."
"Do we have any idea if there are more assassins, Captain?" The Queen asked, making a point of neither looking or asking Manu, who would be the obvious choice to answer the question.
The Captain looked at Manu, clearly aware of this, and now aware that there was tension between the Court Magister and the Queen. "I am…" he started, likely reaching these conclusions while he spoke. "Unsure, your Majesty.
"Is there any way to track where the creature came from?" A noble woman asked from the far end of the table.
Manu considered it for a moment. "I do not think so, my Lady." He replied, bowing his head to avoid the eyes of the Queen. "If the shade had been kept in captivity, perhaps it would be possible; but, without knowing it's origin or having ever seen anything like it, the danger of keeping it here, in the Palace, was too great."
Lady Sher looked at Manu. "Are we sure the dagger was of elven make?" She asked, pointing to the curved blade that now lay in the center of the large table.
Manu nodded. "Yes, Lady Sher. I have compared it to other such weapons in our possession, and the make is the same. It is most certainly a Moonshadow blade."
"Was it not Moonshadow elves who recently attacked Katolis?" An inquisitive voice asked.
Manu kept his head bowed. "Yes, your Majesty." He responded.
There was silence for a moment. "Then could it be possible that this is an attempt to scare us, with dark magic and a captured weapon, to join Katolis in their strike against the elves?"
Manu thought about it for a few moments. After a year of foiled plots against her, the Queen was wise beyond her years - but he also knew she was beginning to grow paranoid. Trust was in short supply around the Palace, and he had lost hers himself.
"It is possible, your Majesty." He said finally. "If that is the case, then this was likely done before Lord Viren's imprisonment. I can think of no other mage in Katolis who would have the knowledge to command a mastery of dark magic that would be needed."
Manu looked up and made a glimpse of eye contact with the Queen before he was distracted by Lord Ankar starting to speak. Was it pain he saw, in those eyes? He could not tell, because once she noticed him looking, her face became a regal mask behind which his sister hid.
"Could this be the work of the College?" Lord Ankar suggested.
Lord Talika glared at Lord Ankar. The history of House Talika was closely intertwined with the Magisterial College - Talika might have been a lesser house, but they had been the owners of the lands surrounding the College for the last five centuries. The patronage House Talika gave to the College was the only thing that kept the College running, and was ironically the largest weight keeping the Talikas from ascending into higher political power.
"The College would never attempt to attack her royal Majesty!" Lord Talika countered.
"Not without the approval of the Talikas, at least." A sly voice said. Manu could not tell who it was.
"Outrageous!" Lord Talika roared. "House Talika is a loyal ally to House Amin, and has been since before…"
Manu stopped paying attention at that point. Lord Talika's words made him think. House Talika was an ally of House Amin - he did not say that they were allies of the Queen, but instead with her royal House. Manu thought back to his conversation with the Queen just hours ago. The noble Houses did not care about people, and that was the difference between them and the common people. The Queen was right, earlier, when she said that only the noble Houses cared who sat on the Satin throne; however, it was less of who the person was, but what House they belonged to. The upper echelons of Duren society had a longer view of history than everyone else. They planned out alliances and marriages generations in advance, making their plays for political power openly for everyone else to see.
The result was a series of connections between all of the noble Houses that meant that it would always be a tug of war for power between them. The reason why the nobility hated the Queen was because she was an outsider who had no interest in playing their game. She represented a new way of life to them, and to the noble Houses who had spent centuries working their way to their current positions, it could be devastating. The Queen's youth was of no bother to the Houses - it was her blatant refusal of their way of life.
Manu realized his minor success as Crown Regent was from his willingness to play the game. He was political - that was how he thought. He could see the intricate lines between people and relationships, tell what it was they wanted, and determine who should be trusted and who should be watched. It came naturally to him. It was all one large illusion, because none of it mattered. It was magic of a different flavor.
He was not confident in the Queen's ability to secure the position of House Amin. It was a concerning thought, and in Manu's mind it was on the border of treasonous; but he convinced himself that it was alright because he still believed that she would be a good Queen. He was certain, though, that it would be up to him to protect the legacy of House Amin. It was a daunting task, and one he was certain the Queen would not approve of.