The Emperor was raging. The attack on the Last Sanctuary had not gone as planned. Queen Fay had escaped, and, more importantly, so had the barbarian.
Marius could hear things shattering from down the hall. He hurried to Solarius' chambers, caught the arm of a pretty slave boy as he tried to scurry out the gilded doors.
"Trying to run, slave? Why aren't you with your Emperor?"
"Please, my lord, he's in a fury!" the young man cried. Up close, Marius could see his face was bruised and bleeding. "I'm afraid he'll kill me, sir!"
"You'd prefer to take your chances in the Arena, then?"
"I..." The slave shuddered. "No, sir."
"Good. Open the door."
The slave peered warily into the darkened chambers.
"Emperor Solarius?" he said uncertainly.
A vase hit the wall, just missing his head. He pulled back with a squeak.
"Master, Lord Marius is here to see you!" The slave risked another peek into the chambers. "May- may we come in, sire?"
Candles bloomed, sparking to life, and the Emperor beckoned to him, imperious, lounging on a couch. The slave crept nervously to his side, crouched beside him, looked ready to bolt. The Emperor reached out, tangled long fingers in his hair, and the slave started, held himself still with an effort of will.
"The Emperor regrets his previous wrath with you, slave," Marius said. "You have served him well."
The Glorious Emperor inclined his head, golden mask gleaming. The slave shivered. His ruler was a god among men, and no ordinary man could hear his voice and live. Sometimes, he almost wished that the Emperor would speak to him.
"Go, now," Marius commanded him.
The Emperor released him abruptly, shoved him away with a force that sent him sprawling. He struggled to his feet and fled from the chambers as quickly as he dared, the door slamming closed behind him.
Marius watched him go, frowning.
"Good help is hard to find these days, my Lord" he admonished. "I'd rather not have to clean up after another dead slave boy. It seems to upset the others."
"That was one time," Florian snapped, annoyed, slipping off the mask. "It was an accident, anyways. How was I to know the slave was that allergic to grapes?"
"He was screaming and writhing a bit, my Lord, as I recall."
"I just thought he was particularly...enthusiastic."
"He was also turning blue, sire."
"Oh, well, mistakes were made," Florian said idly, fiddling with the mask. "What did you come up here to bother me about this time?"
"Well, my Lord..."Marius hesitated, looking at the broken crockery.
"Spit it out, Marius, I haven't got all day!"
"Ah...well...the good news, my Lord, is that we've recaptured several of our escaped slaves."
"And the bad news?"
"We captured them while they were in the process of looting one of the armories, Sire, and, well...most of them managed to get away."
"Damn it," Florian hissed.
"It...it gets worse, my Lord. The armory they hit...well...it was where we stored most of our ballistas, and it was where we've been sending our catapults for repairs. They managed to burn them all before we drove them back. We only have a few catapults left, now."
"Build more, then," Florian snapped.
"There may not be enough time, Sire." Marius hesitated again. "Our sources indicate that the barbarian horde is consolidating, in the north. The Demon Lord's army is growing. I believe he means to move against us soon."
"Shit," Florian snapped, reached for a pitcher of wine. "I should have killed that little bastard years ago, when I had the chance."
He tipped the pitcher back, not even bothering with a glass, and Marius winced.
"I'm afraid I have more bad news, my Lord." He hesitated, fearing the Emperor's wrath. "It seems that somebody snuck poison into the Gargantuans' feed. We've lost half of them, and many more of them are still quite sick. They're at a quarter strength."
"Poison...then Rose is behind this, for sure. She's behind that attack on the armory, too, I'll bet." Florian wiped his mouth, scowling. "She wants to give her bastard my throne. I'll see her dead before I let that happen. I'll tear down the whole city, rather than let him have it."
"Ah...Hopefully it won't come to that, my lord."
"What about our magic reserves?"
"Even with what we've taken from the Last Sanctuary, my Lord...I'm afraid it isn't enough."
"Shit," Florian said again, flung the pitcher away, irritable. Marius flinched as it shattered. "Well, you're supposed to be my adviser, damn you, so advise me!"
"I would call all our forces back to Empire City, my Lord. The anti-magic shield is strong, and I'm certain the barbarian can't break through. But we must defend the farmlands around the City, or else he'll be able to lay siege to us and starve us out."
"Fine, fine," Florian said absently. "Do that. And, more importantly, find Rose. You're her fucking husband, you're supposed to keep her in line. Don't fail me again."
Marius swallowed.
" My agents are extracting information from the captured slaves as we speak. I can assure you, I won't disappoint you, my Lord."
"Good." Florian gave him an icy smile, slipped the mask over his narrow-featured face. "You'd better not, Marius. After all, the Emperor can always find another Voice."
-x-
"Lady Rose!"
She was deep in conference with the leaders of the rebel slaves-Mara, a tough, one-eyed woman, and Janus, a scrawny little man with a surprisingly good grasp of tactics. She looked up at the sound of her name, frowning at the interruption.
"Yes?" she asked.
A pair of burly rebels hurled a slender boy at her feet.
"Palace slave," one of them snapped. "Claims he wants to join us. What do you think we should do with him?"
"He's a spy," the one-eyed woman snapped. "Marius must have sent him."
"No, please!" the boy cried. "I heard there were escaped slaves out fighting the Empire. I want to join you."
"Huh." Mara prodded him with the butt of her spear. "All you palace slaves are soft and pampered. You can't fight. You're no good to us."
"I can learn!" the young man cried, sounding as if he was on the verge of tears.
Rose and Janus exchanged a glance.
"Hold on," she said softly.
She came closer, inspecting the boy. His face was bruised and bleeding, and she could see some ugly-looking marks beneath the thin fabric of his toga. His neck, she realized with surprise, bore the personal brand of Emperor Solarius.
"Did you hurt him?" she demanded, glaring up at one of the rebel soldiers.
"Hey, no, ma'am," the soldier said defensively. "He was like that when we found him."
"Hmm." Rose gave the one-eyed woman a scornful look. "Really, Mara, does he look all that pampered to you?" She offered the boy a hand. "A palace slave would be very useful. He can go places the rest of us can't."
Mara shrugged.
"It's on your head, Lady Rose."
"I have a job in mind for him already," Rose said. "What's your name?"
"Tibus, my lady."
"Does the palace know you've run away?"
"No, my lady. I didn't tell anyone. I just..." he shuddered. "I had to get out of there. I think the Emperor's gone a little mad, my lady. He flies into furious rages, and I...I was frightened. I thought he was going to kill me."
"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to go back," Rose told him. "Just for a little while."
"Do I have to, ma'am?"
"If you really want to help us, then, yes, I'm sorry."
"What do you want me to do?" he asked her, sounding frightened.
"Solarius and Marius will be drawing up battle plans for their defense against the barbarian hordes," she said. "Tell me, can you read?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Good. I want you to stay close to Solarius until you find those plans. Memorize them, and come back here. We'll have someone find you to bring you to me."
"Okay," he said at last. "Alright. If it will hurt the Emperor, then yes, I'll do it."
"Very good." Rose nodded to the soldiers. "Take him away and give him something to eat before he goes. Good luck, Tibus."
She turned back to the rebel leaders.
"Now," she said. "Where were we?"
"Lady Rose, are you sure it's wise, sending the boy in like that?" Janus asked her. "What if he's captured?"
She shrugged.
"Then Marius will have him tortured and sent to the Arena. If he succeeds, he'll bring us invaluable information. What does it matter? We'll be leaving this safe house for another in just a few days."
"You're..." Janus hesitated. "You're rather cold, my lady, if you don't mind me saying so."
"In this business, you have to be," she snapped. "Mara. How did the attack on the armory go?"
"It was smashing success," Mara said proudly. "We burned most of the Empire's siege weapons, we managed to seize weapons of our own, and only lost a few of our men."
"Dead, or captured?" Rose asked her.
Mara shrugged.
"What does it matter?"
"If they've been captured, then Marius will have them tortured."
"My men won't break!" she protested.
Rose smiled, grim.
"Oh, no, my dear. I promise you, they always break. We'll move our base tonight, just in case."
"My girl managed to sneak the poison into the Gargantuan pens, just like you told her to," Janus said proudly. "Nobody saw her. She's sure of it."
"Excellent." Rose looked down at a map, moving a pin. "My agents tell me that the barbarians are gathering their forces in the North. And, surprisingly, it looks like the elves have joined them. I don't think it will be long before they move against the Emperor."
"Against the Emperor, or against the Empire?" Janus asked her dubiously. "I've heard some awful things about this Demon Lord, my lady."
"I can handle him," Rose said, with more assurance than she felt.
The pair stared at her.
"If you say so," Mara said uncertainly.
"I know I can." Rose hesitated. "I...I used to know him. Quite well, I think."
The pair exchanged a knowing glance.
"Ah," Mara said sagely. "You were lovers, were you?"
Rose almost choked.
"What?" she gasped, and coughed, laughing. "Oh, oh no. Most definitely not. If you must know, I'm...well. I'm his mother."
She'd played her cards so close to her chest for so long, it was difficult for her to say. The other two gaped at her, shocked.
"So that would make Marius-" Janus began.
Rose laughed again.
"Oh, please. Do you really think Marius could have a son like that? No, his father was..."
She trailed off, her heart aching. The old grief never got any lighter, and every morning she woke missing the warmth of his body beside her. Poor, scrawny, ridiculous Marius could never have measured up. She shook herself, forcing herself to return to the matter at hand.
"Regardless. Don't concern yourselves with the barbarian lord. He'll listen to me. I know he will."
"I hope you're right, my lady."
-x-
Juno heard the peasant girl's squeal from all the way across the private quarters. She winced, arranging her hair.
"What is it now?" she wondered aloud.
"Witch boy!" she heard the peasant shout, and then there was the sound of a body hitting armor and some rather sloppy kissing. Juno made a face. The girl was so bloody uncouth, she thought.
She picked up the spider stone and surveyed herself in the mirror. She tweaked her toga minutely lower and smiled at herself, tucking a curl back into place.
Perfect.
She glided into the main chambers, knew that every step pulled her toga taut against her hips. The peasant girl was clinging to the Master as if she meant to claim him.
"Welcome home, my Lord," Juno purred, arranged herself artfully next to the fountain.
He unbuckled his helmet and tossed it to a minion. His dark hair was damp with sweat, and Juno made a face. The peasant didn't seem to care, twining her arms up around his neck and pressing herself against him. Juno smirked. She'd never seen such a transparent display, she thought, and she'd grown up in a brothel.
"Gods, I need a bath," he said. "I'm covered in elf bits."
Fay, drifting into the room, stopped short. Juno saw their eyes meet, and for an instant she wondered if there would be some sort of confrontation. Then the elf woman smiled, hard.
"Good," she said. "I hope you've stamped out that silly 'free love' nonsense once and for all. I must apologize, my Lord. I would have thought that all of the elves would have obeyed my decree when I made you their ruler, but it seems that was not the case."
"Guess you weren't as good a Queen as you thought," Kelda sniped.
"I found out I'm not a very good Queen at all," Fay said, gave the Overlord a wicked little smile.
The peasant girl made an irritated noise, tugged at his arm.
"Come on, witch boy, let's get you cleaned up."
"Hold on." Juno rose, holding the stone. "Master, I have a...proposition for you."
He watched her as she walked closer, enjoying the way her body moved beneath the toga.
"Kelda doesn't deserve you," she purred. "And you deserve much better than her. I can give it to you, if you make me First Mistress...and let me share your bed. You know what I can do." She looked around, smirking. "I can redecorate, too. Bring a little class into the Netherworld."
"Juno, we've been over this," he said, sounding weary.
"There's something else, my Lord." She held the stone up as it pulsed and beat like a living heart. "I picked up a little something in Everlight. Make me First Mistress, and I'll make sure you have those little spidery greens for your attack on Empire City."
She saw him hesitate, saw the way his eyes settled on the stone, and she smiled, triumphant. Kelda snarled.
"Oh, you want to play rough, Empire?"
Massive spiders crept down the walls, hissing, crouched at Juno's feet. She arced a brow.
"I think they quite fit the decor, Master. What do you think?"
She heard a low growl, and suddenly grey bodies boiled up the stairs as the wolves formed a phalanx around Kelda. She bared her teeth.
"If it's a fight you want, Empire, then we can give it to you!"
Juno's eyes widened, flicking over the wolves. She recovered quickly, laid a hand on her breast.
"Oh, please, sweetheart. My spiders could wrap your little puppies up in a heartbeat. Don't make this hard on yourself."
Fay yawned and pulled herself up to sit on the fountain. They turned to look at her, wary.
"I could offer you Salamanders, Dark One, if you make me your First Mistress," she said, examining her nails. "They're far more powerful than wolves or spiders."
"Then go ahead, call them up here," Kelda snapped. "I could use a good fight!"
"Enough."
The Overlord said the word quietly, with a low, deadly intensity. They fell silent, looking at him. He reached out and plucked the stone from Juno's hands.
"Hey!"
"I like my quarters the way they are," he said calmly. "I don't want them redecorated, and I also don't want them burned down in some kind of stupid pissing contest, Kelda, is that clear?"
She huffed, folding her arms, but she nodded.
"Juno." He turned the stone over in his hands, curious. "Where did you find this?"
"In Everlight. With some kind of creepy spider cult." She pouted. "Can I have it back?"
"Once Gnarl takes a look at it. Magic artifacts tend to come with a price, and I want to be sure this one's not doing something nasty to you."
"T'would be a real shame," Kelda said, straight-faced.
"Kelda," he growled.
"Sorry," she said, looking anything but.
"It's been a very long day," he said. "I've been shot at, and all sorts of people have tried to stick me with pointy things. I'm not in the mood for petty squabbles."
Juno pouted.
"My apologies, Master. I only wanted to better serve you."
Kelda rolled her eyes at that. He gave her a sharp look, and she scowled, looking away.
"Sorry, oh Dark One," she said sarcastically.
He glanced at Fay. The elf woman merely shrugged, content to let the commoners fight among themselves.
"And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go wash the blood off."
He strode away, looking thunderous. Kelda started after him, hesitated. Instead, she knelt by a wolf, burying her face in its fur. Juno made a speculative noise.
"Don't even think about it, Empire." Kelda snapped, her voice muffled by the fur. "He doesn't want us around right now."
Juno pouted.
"You never let me have any fun," she muttered, stalking off to her quarters. She had a pedicure that was long overdue.
Kelda heard the rustle of fabric, a warning growl from her wolves. She glared up at the elf woman.
"What do you want now, fairy?"
Fay stared down at her, curious, pale eyes flicking over the wolves.
"How are you...doing that?" she asked. "The Imperial woman had an artifact. You don't."
"I just...call them." Kelda shrugged. "They listen to me. They come to me when I need them."
"But...how?"
"I don't know."
"Hmm." The elf woman tilted her head, birdlike. "Who were your parents, peasant girl?"
"My dad was a hunter, back in Nordberg," Kelda said warily. "I never knew my mother. She died when I was born."
"Hmm," the elf woman said again, drifted away.
Kelda looked at the wolf. Yellow eyes stared back at her.
"That was...strange," she said.
The wolf bumped her shoulder with its muzzle, whining. She rubbed its ears absent-mindedly.
"Yes, you're right," she said. "I can't sit around like this all day. Let's go explore those dwarven ruins, why don't we?"