Epilogue
Foundations
"My Lord, another missive from King Dycoz has arrived! He and the child Queen request an answer to their last letter! About the summit regarding our surrender!" the whiny aide to King Zarahas called out loudly, his voice reverberating off the stone walls of the King's private chamber.
From his unseen spot standing in the shadows of a corner at the far end of the room, Garish could see and hear everything that was said and done; yet no one could see him. He preferred it this way. He made his living by hiding in the shadows and staying out of sight, and he was very good at it. Hell, if he wasn't good at it he wouldn't be where he was in that moment, in the private room of the King of Zygog in the middle of the night.
The fools he had once worked for had prided themselves on staying out of the light, but they weren't there now, were they? Those imbeciles and their secret organization, the Copper Focus. What a load of crap! They pulled off one job, badly, and were suddenly standing in front of the world with their pants caught around their ankles. That hadn't been a good thing at all, and those that managed to make it to the border and into Zygog were quickly rounded up and executed by the very people who had hired them to do the job. All of them were now dead, including powerful ministers and nobleman; all of them save Garish.
He alone was spared because he, unlike the others, was still useful. Not to mention cheap. He wasn't out to make a pile of gold or get his own castle like most people who get into this line of work. Instead he worked for enough coin to keep a roof over his head and food in his belly, with some to spare for mead and big women.
It also didn't hurt that he liked his work, and if he was able he would probably do most of it for free. Take tonight for example. Garish had been spending a lot of his time within the royal citadel at King Zarahas' command, keeping an eye on those who came and went and what people were saying. It was a pretty easy job, and all he really had to do was make sure no one was trying to go behind the King's back or gather information for their enemy. If he did come across someone who didn't have the kingdom's best interest at heart Garish had the authority to detain, torture, and even kill that person if he felt it necessary.
This week alone he had dispatched three people, and it looked like tonight he would get his fourth mark. At least he would if it all went well that is.
"My Lord, did you hear me? King Dycoz is expecting an answ—"
"Shut up! I heard you the first time, you wretch!" Zarahas yelled angrily, cutting off his aide.
Zarahas sat hunched over in a chair at a long and ornate wooden desk, scraps of parchment strewn about and empty ink vials tipped over or smashed on the ground around him. He was an absolute mess, with his long brown hair frayed at the edges and hanging over his haggard face, large black bags under his eyes, and a permanent scowl painted across his face. He looked every bit as much a Mad King as some of his subjects were beginning to call him.
