Sorcerer's Sleep by CityCam
For Reaya, who requested a fic about Duke Roger during his Sorcerer's Sleep
~*~*~*~
Duke Roger of Conte lay in the crypt, cold
and unmoving, but all the while, he was smiling to himself smugly. People
actually thought he was dead. In reality, he had cast a spell over
himself to appear dead while he was actually sleeping. The sleep was all
a part of his great plot to take over the throne of Tortall. Well
actually, it was his second plot. A puny redheaded knight otherwise known
as Alanna had ruined his first plan. His first plan was to collect image
dolls of the Royal family. He would strategically place the dolls in such
an order that they would waste away or be killed depending on how he treated
them. Then he went on to manipulate the minds of the people of the court,
presenting himself as a trustworthy man.
One by one, he trapped the people into his
web and managed to trick them into believing his loyalty to the Crown.
King Roald and Queen Lianne were easy to fool; they were gullible enough to
trust him because he was their relative. Prince Jonathon was not hard
either; he looked up to the Duke. The Duke was jealous of Jon. For years,
he rejoiced of the fact that the couple was barren only to be let down when the
queen gave birth to a whiny brat. He didn't want to wait for the throne;
he began plans to kill the royal couple and Jon. That way he would gain
the crown as soon as possible.
He gathered up a group of allies,
consisted of disgruntled or power hungry people, and had been close to
attaining his goal when Alanna exposed everything. Years of hard work
destroyed by one woman who claimed to be chosen by the Great Mother
Goddess! Alanna had "killed" him in a duel but she could not
simply kill him by poking him with a silly stick. The royal family was
alive but he had succeeded in draining the Queen's health at least. She
would eventually die, then the King would probably be so grief stricken that he
would kill himself. Jon would be left and ascend the throne. All
Roger really had left to do was to kill Jon but he had to figure out a new plan
before he could do so.
Since Alanna had destroyed his first plan,
he intended to use his time to think of a second plot. He knew his allies
would either be captured for treason or pledge loyalty to the king and be
pardoned. The King would believe that his allies were no longer a threat
since their leader was apparently dead. That was not true, of
course. He had worked up their trust over the years and they certainly
would not be stopped because he had suddenly died! They wanted power just
as much as he did and they would always be truly loyal to him, not the King of
Tortall. They would be disheartened at first, but they would eventually
begin conspiring against the King once again. He would call them all
together and rally them once again when he woke up.
He had successfully seduced Alanna's
brother, Thom, who was possibly the most powerful mage in the world. Thom
played an extremely part in his plan. Alanna had been Roger's enemy but
Thom was smitten with his power. Her twin had fallen easily into his
trap. He had manipulated his mind so that he would not listen to his
sister. Thom had the power to make him rise from the dead if he
wished. He was always showing off his power and would gladly do a
great feat such as raising a dead person cold in the grave. He knew
what Thom would possibly do, and he would probably end up wasting his magic in
the process.
Roger would begin to drain away Thom's
power for himself to make his own Gift more powerful than it had been before
his sleep. He would fake being powerless while rebuilding his resources
for the conspiracy. No one would suspect him of anything if people
believed he was powerless. At the right moment, when his conspirators and
strength were all strong once again, he would strike against the Crown.
No one would stop him this time. All he had to do now was wait while he
plotted and slept.
~~~
Months later, a dark haired woman and a
lanky red headed male both walked into the crypt in which the Duke of Conte
rested. He could clearly hear a door close and footsteps advancing towards
him. Roger could hear their voices and sense them inside the chamber.
His senses tuned into their conversation and listened to what they said.
A taunting female voice rang in,
"What? Master Thom of Trebond
is balking now? One of the most powerful mages in the world? Of
course, I knew you weren't that good anyway. You couldn't even lift a
feather with your power! You're just a little child." A
haughty voice retorted,
"And you could do it, Delia of
Eldorne? I'm not balking as you put it; I just need to collect myself
before I do a task like this. Now please, stop talking and let me
concentrate."
"Fine, go for it. I'll be sure
to tell everyone about your failure afterwards."
"Be quiet!" Roger
internally smirked at himself. He was correct, Thom had arrived in an
attempt to raise him from the dead. He was not surprised at Delia's
dare. He admired her boldness and persistence. She was one of his
favorite accomplices. He felt a force surge through his veins and it
enclosed his body in fire. He pulled onto the fire and entwined it with
his Gift before Thom finished with the spell. The spell also woke him
from the Sorcerer's Sleep so he could now wake up. He opened his eyes to
see two young adults standing over him, their faces in shock. His second plan
was now in action.