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An Overlady's Audiences Part 18

The fiery flash placed a woman before her now; a slender young creature, with warm brown curls falling to her shoulders. Jinx still backed away on the throne, however. The woman was covered head to heel in a dark blue robe, the hood hanging loose on her back. Jinx knew that colour, though it was usually worn by misshapen creatures with overlarge, all-seeing eyes.

"You're with Rose," she spoke. "Why are you here?"

The woman bowed lightly. "Greetings, Lady Jinx. Indeed, I am Regina Octavia, one of Rose's protégées. I didn't come as her envoy, however."

Jinx blinked. Something about those words made her heart beat a little faster. She leant forward. "Whose message did you bring?"

"That of Emperor Sayron himself, Milady."

Jinx smiled. Her brother… her Master, for such a long time. The one who'd showed her the world. He'd done more than that, but she knew how she wanted to remember him, in any case until she had the chance to make him pay.

Regina brought out a copper case and came closer to the throne. Jinx took the message, still smiling incredulously. Rose's protégé walked away bowing, and Jinx nodded in gratitude.

She unfurled the letter and started reading. She could almost hear his voice as her eyes passed over the words.

"Jinx… I hope this message finds you in good health. I hope all is well with the Netherworld, as well. It was my home for years, after all."

Jinx smiled. Sayron had lived in the Tower for thirteen years, and she hadn't forgotten he'd grown attached to it as well… which made it all the more shocking as he turned against the Minions, but she knew now that hadn't entirely been what it had seemed to be.

"I'm doing very well. I have to thank you for taking away the amber gem from me – that made sure I could truly focus on the Empire, and improved matters for both me and my new home. You wouldn't recognize it if you were to return now."
She huffed. The people who'd visited her didn't testify for much change. Though… governess Claudia of Evernight had said the Emperor didn't have enough respect for the right people… the nobility did seem to have it a bit harder.

"I also have to thank you for the Empire itself. Without you, it'd have been harder to get here… and it wouldn't have been as much fun. I often think of our travels together." And I miss those days. The words weren't there, but Jinx could almost see them. She knew she felt the same way. And I miss you, brother. I miss who you were, in that huge suit of armour of yours. I miss my old Lord and Master.

"I look forward to testing myself against you, Jinx. I'm curious to see how the hordes are faring – you always had more of an eye for the Minions than I did. I was always more concerned with the goal than the means. I've reached the goal, but the means always had a certain charm as well." Jinx cast a glance at Kniff, full of curiosity, trying to read along – not that he could read. Oh yes. So much charm. Grinning, she read on.

"I'm sorry I didn't write you earlier. I didn't know what to say after you stole the gauntlet from me; I didn't even know whose hands the message would have reached, to be honest. But now I think you're not truly a different Jinx than the horde leader who was by my side for all that time, even after all that happened that night."

Jinx frowned. She had changed quite a bit… hadn't she? Or was she indeed still that horde leader?

If she had changed, why did she miss him?

"That was also the reason why I did what I did, I'm afraid. I feared Velvet's revelation had changed who you were, and I feared to lose you, as a horde leader, as a companion. I wasn't thinking straight. And because I did what I did, I sealed our fate. You were always Vessperion's daughter, but after that night you were no longer my horde leader. I turned you into my own enemy, and I'm sorry for that."

Now the words blurred before her eyes, and she stared down on the letter. She wiped across her face, afraid the words would actually blur if a tear were to fall on them.

Sayron. I don't know if I would have ended up on the throne if you hadn't given me a reason for vengeance. But where had I been then? With you, in the Empire? That's not my place…

"It happened as it should have happened," she murmured, and finally allowed herself to realize that. She read on.

"In any case we've both found our place, and I will fulfil my role with fitting pleasure. I hope our conflict doesn't end for some time. I truly enjoyed seeing you in action at my side, and that hasn't changed now you're my enemy."

Jinx grinned wider than she'd done all day. "The feeling's mutual," she whispered. Sayron's control of any battlefield had always filled her with admiration, and she still didn't know whether or not she was a match for him in any way. She'd better start training for the occasion… She clenched her free hand into a fist, filled with new vigour.

"Until the next battle, Jinx. With all the respect you once showed an Overlord, and an Imperial greeting, Sayron."

Jinx wiped her eyes again and furled up the letter. She looked up at Regina, still smiling widely. "Thank you. Bring him my salutations… and tell him we did both find our place, and that I thought I couldn't be happier, but it's true only now."

Regina nodded with a small smile. "Certainly, Milady. With pleasure."

Jinx sent her up again. Gnarl and Kniff both approached. "Are you telling us what was in there?"

"Maybe, sometime." She put the letter back in its copper case. "For now… let's say I won't need John to tell me what's going on in the Imperial Palace."