Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage

Alliance - The Palace | February of the Third Year

"So, you were masquerading as Guildenhart's son the whole time," Esmond stated and poured tea, his hands trembling and the china rattling. "That's impressive, and a damn good disguise, too."

Terran watched the swirling steam rise from the cup, and when he grabbed the warm porcelain, he looked absentmindedly at The Magician's symbol on the back of his hand. He had removed his gloves to prove to Esmond further still his identity. "It's all in the cards. I'm merely a vessel."

"You grew up."

"I hardly remember you."

"After your parents got suspicious, they locked you up. They didn't want you harmed. They didn't trust anyone – hell, they hardly trusted me, and it's understandable. I don't do well against force."

"You did pretty well against me."

"I'm getting better about it. To tell you the truth, I've just been praying for peace. When this whole mess started, I knew which side I would be on... and it was the side that offered the most protection."

"So, you just let my parents die?"

Esmond shook his head and sipped his tea. "Talbot hoped I would kill them. He figured he could scare me into doing it, some easy method like poison, my weapon of choice, but I upheld my beliefs and remained loyal. I didn't touch your parents. I loved your mother, she was the greatest woman I ever knew, and in times like these, times where the people are crying out for some sort of reform, she was just what we needed. Talbot tortured me for months to try to get me to kill them so his hands would be clean, and if anything went wrong, I could take the fall for him."

"He makes me sick."

"I know, but now that you're here, things will be better. I know they will. You'll start a revolution."

Terran sipped his tea, but the liquid was too hot for him to consume just yet. Esmond had taken him to his study, and the place seemed to yell every single one of Esmond's secrets.

"I understand what you're going through."

"You do?" Terran raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"He killed my wife, Elsa. Told me if I didn't kill your parents, he'd slit her throat in front of me, and he did. It was like part of my soul died, so I understand. You and Lexus and I, we're all very much alike. We've all lost someone."

Terran blew on his tea, and asked, "Who did Lexus lose?"

Esmond's eyes shifted to the floor, and he gripped his teacup. "You need to be careful."

"Careful?"

"Now Talbot's on his guard. He's like a snake, and he'll strike if he's even a little bit suspicious."

Terran put down his tea without drinking a drop. He was too nervous. "Thank you, but I need to get some sleep," he said. "I have to figure out what exactly I'm going to do to get everyone out of this mess."

"Good luck. You're going to need it, and it was good meeting you. It's nice to know that there's a card user within these walls."

Terran was about to leave, but then he stopped and asked, "Can you use?"

"No. I think only a select few can, and I've never tried, but I never had the courage. Lexus told me that hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, the people of this place would use the cards to tell fortunes and had no idea the power locked within them. Use it wisely. It's a force of the universe I don't believe we fully understand. Take... take care of her, will you? Parisa? I can't keep my eyes on her always."

"Thank you, and don't worry. I'll keep Parisa safe."

"I appreciate it. We just need to... remove Talbot from the equation. That's all there is to it."