The Darkness Within

Chapter One

                                    Esme

The doors to my map room bangs open, breaking my focus on the map with the current spread of military troops as my faithful servant Sedric enters the room.
"Milady, the Salcruse envoy has arrived."
"Thank you Sedric," I glance back down at the map in front of me, "I'll be out shortly to greet them. Take them to the throne room." I wave him away.
"Of course Milady." Sedric dips a quick bow and exits the room closing the large doors behind him.
"What do you think they want Esme?" Roland, one of my personal guards asks.
"The missive they sent ahead of their party said they wished to discuss terms of a peace treaty." I shake my head, stupid King Godrik. I have half a mind to just slice his throat and put an end to the bloody war that way. "Well whatever they're here for we should probably go and find out. These will keep till later." I push the maps aside and brush my hand down my fine black tunic and tight leather pants. I check the belt hanging from my waist to verify my blades are still within quick drawing distance.
Satisfied I'm still armed and halfway presentable, I sigh and leave the maps room. As I leave the rest of my personal guards, Connor, Sebastian, and Dominic known around the empire as the Four, surround me. Not for my protection, as I'm probably more deadly than the four of them combined, but for their own peace of mind. They insist a strong guard will deter anyone from even thinking of attacking me, much less in my own palace. It seems to work so I leave them to their mothering. The Four are my most deadly warriors, my top generals and my most loyal protectors. They crave bloodshed with a lust that reflects my own.
Roland is my strategist, my thinker, he is the best at anticipating an enemy's mind and move. His mind is a brilliant mix of strategy and ingenuity that makes him a weapon unto himself. He can see a battle and the ripples of choices made to deduce the best course of action.
Dominic is my weapons expert. He knows his way around every weapon I have in my arsenal and is just as deadly with any of it. He is in charge of training my soldiers to become the unstoppable and deadly force they have become.
Connor is my quiet assassin and spy master. He is shadows and darkness personified. He moves with lightning speed and utter calmness, without a hint of hesitation. He is in charge of my dark darlings, my secret sect of female assassins and spies. Their cover being that of the best whores in the empire. Their training, as well as the ever evolving web of intelligence that they're gathering is handled by Connor and the Madam Prudence, who teaches the girls the art of the bedroom.
Sebastian, the charmer is the politician. He keeps the nobles happy so I can run my empire however I please. He is a master manipulator, alwaysy nudging and guiding the council to where I want them to be. He employs suggestion, bribes and even seduction when it calls for it.
The Four are my top advisors and generals in the entire empire, though nobody knows it. They pose as mere guards, deadly, well known guards but just guards. The secret is kept in order to keep the line of succession safe. They are my heirs if something were to befall me. Which with all their mothering, isn't likely to happen.
We near the doors to the throne room and the herald pushes open the doors.
"May I present, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Esmeralda Cecilia Remington  Rothburn of the Voltierian Empire." He thumps his staff against the stone floor and everyone  bows. I make my way down the aisle and the Four fan out behind me.
I ignore the foreign dignitaries bowing and tittering quietly on the sides and make my way to my throne. I take a seat perched like the ruler I am and the Four take up their places around the dias. I wave my hand and the audience relaxes from their bows and curtsies. Sedric approaches the dias and dips into another short bow, "Your Imperial Majesty, may I present King Godrik of Salcruse" he bows again and backs away. I'm already getting tired of the bowing and scraping that's required whenever foreign delegations come to my palace . I rarely stand on all the formalities. My staff and citizens know to respect me, and they know the consequences if they do not. I hate all the pomp and circumstance and truly my title is a mouthful. I prefer Milady any day, it is short but still shows the respect without all the nonsense.
"Your Imperial Majesty," King Godrik steps forward with a slight dip of his head,"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, and granting safe passage within your lands." He smiles warily at me and clasps his shaking hands behind his back, clearly trying to get a grip on his fear of me. What a weak king. I wonder how he's managed to keep his country from falling into my hands with such a disappointment of a man at it's helm, maybe he has a half decent general.
"King Godrik," I sit back in my chair relaxing, "you stated in your missive that you wanted to create a treaty with me. Tell me what have you to offer me that I don't already have? And what's to stop me from just taking your head now?" I arch an eyebrow at him.
His face pales, "Y-y-you granted safe passage." He stutters out taking a fearful step back.
I chuckle, "I granted you safe passage to the castle, I said nothing about when you got here. Or that'd you'd ever leave."
"Killing me would cause war" he tries.
"We're already at war King Godrik, that's the point of this meeting, so tell me what do you have that I don't already. Your defense against me will collapse within the month, you have presented yourself before me like a pig to the slaughter. What can you offer that I can't just take? Hmm?"
"My son." He blurts.
"What?" I sit up straight on my throne disbelieving that this man is about to throw his son at me.
"My son." He repeats, "Sure you can forcefully take over the country but the people will follow my son. They love him. They will never accept your rule without him. Sure you can kill me, but you kill him you'll have a huge uprising on your hands, but not if we merge the countries by treaty. By marrying Lucien you gain the support of the people and the military, which I  know is what you're after." He licks his lips nervously. "Lucien will get to rule his country as is his birth right and you'll be able to sire legitimate heirs for your empire."
I lean back on my throne thinking. "And where is your son now?  Where is this boy you're so eager to sell off to me like a stallion for a broodmare?"
He shifts nervously darting his eyes to glance at me, "He had to finish taking care of some things at court, he should be here later tomorrow." He dips his head.
" Well then," I sigh tired of this conversation, "we'll continue this discussion in my council room when he arrives." With that I stand from my throne, the audience bows again as I make my way out of the room.

***

"You can't seriously be entertaining the idea of agreeing with King Godrik's treaty!" Roland whisper shouts at me as we walk back to my maps room.
"Of course not," I scoff, "I just want to wait till they're both here to kill them. Two birds, one peace negotiation." I switch my attention to the quite assassin. "Connor, send one of the Darlings to King Godrik, see if he let's anything slip in the heat of passion."
"Milady," he nods his head in acknowledgement, "I'll send Katerina, she's an exotic beauty that I'm sure our guest will quite enjoy."
"And she's good?" I ask
"Of course, she graduated last cycle, top of her class and has successfully completed all of her missions with flying colors."
"Good, send her to me after she gives her report tomorrow, I could use a secret weapon like her under my belt." I say, contemplating the ways I can use such an apt pupil, if she is as good as Connor says she is, and Connor is rarely wrong.
"Of course I'll send her around lunch to meet with you."
"Alright," I say as we get to the doors of my map room. "Roland you're with me the rest of you, go keep an eye on the foreigners. Make sure they don't break anything."
They smirk and a chorus of "Milady's" go around and they're off to babysit the King and his retinue.