New Rome

62. The Foolish Spy

Talindra was in her splendidly furnished rooms in the palace. But rather then dipping her toes in a pool or sighing in boredom, the beautiful woman was instead frantically searching through her drawers and cabinets.

"My lady?" A maid asked, confused by her mistress' behaviour.

"Get out!" Talindra shrieked. "GET OUT! GET OUT!"

The poor maid fled, confused. But not long after she was gone, there was a click – the sound of a door opening and what had looked like a bookshelf, swung forward on a hinge. It was the door of a secret passage that connected Talindra's room with the Emperor's. Talindra didn't hear her lover's entrance. She was pouring out the contents of a small jewellery chest, allowing necklaces and bangles to spill out across her duvet.

"Looking for something?" Emperor Agost asked, his tone light. Talindra flinched and spun around. The Emperor was dressed casually in a long dressing gown that was open rakishly low.

"Err..."

As Talindra foundered for a reply, the Emperor dropped his hand into his dressing gown pocket and pulled out a USB.

Talindra stared at the device. The device that should have been secreted away with her jewellery and which she'd been frantically searching for. Her mouth went dry. Agost crossed his arms.

"It seems that your employer has finally pulled the plug."

Talindra licked her lips nervously.

"I don't know what you've heard-"

"That you're a spy."

Talindra's heart was beating rapidly. He knew the truth. He'd found out her secret. But why did he look so relaxed about it? Why wasn't he yelling at her accusingly? She shook her head.

"No," she lied. "I swear-"

The Emperor put up a hand, gesturing for her to be quiet.

"Oh, but I know that you are." He countered calmly. "You came to my father's court as a spy. I knew about it even back then. And I realised the potential.  Why else would I disrespect his memory, by bringing you back to court after he'd banished you? Keeping you around has been very useful over the years."

Talindra stared at her lover, icy dread clinging in her stomach. Agost stepped lightly forward and circled her. "I could feed you all sorts of false information and you'd scurry off to your master. Telling him the lies that I wanted you too." He smiled, though no warmth was in his eyes. Talindra's face drained of colour.

"You... you..."

"Fooling you was incredibly easy. Much easier than listening to your vapid conversation. You have no idea how much I hated having to act like I loved you." The emperor shrugged. "But it served a purpose and I knew that this day would come. There was only so long you could feed false information before your employer cut you off. Making you useless to me."

The secret passage door clicked open and this time, the one called the Wise Frog stepped out. Quickly followed by two men in uniform. Talindra recognised the uniform, the sight of it filled Amen's citizens with dread. These were the secret police. Talindra dropped to her knees.

"My love-" She croaked.

"Arrest her." Agost ordered, without a shred of sympathy on his face.

The guards dragged Talindra to her feet.

"But you love me!" She cried, writhing in her attempts to grab hold of the emperor.

"It is relief to me, to end this charade." Agost retorted. "Now, I can forget all about you."

"No!" Talindra shook her head, unable to accept the truth. It couldn't have all been an act. She refused to believe it. "You love me, I know it! Please, no!" 

The secret police gagged her mouth before placing a bag over her head and bundling her out through the secret passage. Their movements were methodical and unrushed. Making courtiers disappear was their job. The Wise Frog bowed to the Emperor as he departed, the two men sharing a knowing look.

After years, this game had finally ended. But a new one was about to begin.

**

                Arly was staring languidly out of the window. Her thoughts were tied up on Kaze, her boyfriend who she'd now been apart from for nearly four months. She missed him. She wanted to kiss him, flirt with him, watch him study. She felt like she was being eaten up with anxiety. How many girls were hanging around him? Arly knew how easily Kaze gained admirers – he was brilliant and beautiful. What if he'd fallen for somebody else?

Gloomily, Arly lost confidence. It had never made sense for Kaze to be interested in her anyway...

Where they still together? They hadn't been able to say goodbye so she'd never gotten the chance to ask him to wait for her.

How long was she going to be in Amen? Until she graduated?

She'd been so excited to come to Amen, it was the city she'd been obsessed with since childhood. But the reality of this visit was boring. She wasn't allowed to leave the palace. And court life was dull. What she'd thought would be an adventure, had become a sort of prison sentence.

"Oh, Kaze..." She murmured sadly. Was he thinking about her?

"Arly!" Rube called out, spotting her and setting a brisk march down the corridor to reach her.

"Has something happened?" Arly asked.

"The Lady Talindra has gone from court. She's vanished." Rube's eyes were alight with excitement and she tugged on Arly's sleeve to make her follow. "All sorts of rumours are circulating the palace." She added.

"That's ridiculous." Arly countered, frowning. "The Emperor and Talindra are in love. They'd never separate." Their love for each other was blindingly obvious, to Arly. It was the one truth she could rely on in a palace where little else was true. The emperor worshiped Talindra, he spoiled her to excess. Arly couldn't believe that he'd let her go. 

                 But as day's past – Arly couldn't be so breezily dismissive. Talindra really had vanished from court and rumours were flapping about. The most prominent was that Talindra had been caught having an affair. But that wasn't the only thing being whispered.

"The Emperor had to remove his mistress – to make room for his new wife!" Hissed a noble lady at dinner. Arly listened in, keeping her face resolutely blank.

"He needs a legitimate heir..."

Rumours that very soon the Emperor would announce his engagement to a foreign bride circled the court. Arly even heard herself mentioned as a possible candidate.

It was ridiculous. There was no way, Arly reassured herself. This couldn't be the reason she'd been sent here... 

Absolutely not.