When Angels Sin

19. The Conspiracy

Mikal

The late morning sun seeped through the sheer chiffon curtains, illuminating the gilded furniture and adding warmth to the pale stone walls.

"Must you always take that long?" Vilfred complained as he helped Mikal fasten the hooks at the back of his coat. "We're going to be late for council again."

"It doesn't matter," Mikal said absently. He had far more important things to worry about now. Vilfred must have sensed his distress for he turned around to face him, looking at him in concern.

"What's wrong Mikal?"

Mikal was silent for a long moment. For the first time in his life, he felt hesitant. He had been thinking it over and over in his head for the past couple of days. He knew he could trust Vilfred. He knew Vilfred was the only one who could help him. But he was scared. Not because of what had happened, but because of what he intended to do about it. Mikal looked up towards the terrace, making sure that no one was spying on them, although no one could spy on them from there anyway.

"Daria was sent to kill me," Mikal finally said, finding no point in hiding it any longer. And as he expected, Vilfred froze in his place, his green eyes widening in shock. "She came to my room at midnight with a knife hidden beneath her clothes," Mikal continued as Vilfred remained silent, apparently unable to utter a word.

"Do you... do you have any idea... who could have sent her?" Vilfred finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper, and his face as pale as snow.

"Who else could it be?" Mikal whispered. "It's Bernard of course."

"Bernard..." Vilfred sighed, appearing to have slightly overcome his initial shock.

"Yes Bernard. Remember when he tried to strangle me to death that night after high council? Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't appeared on time."

"I've brushed that off as a mere threat..." Vilfred said.

"It was not a fucking threat. He was trying to kill me! He had wanted me dead ever since that night," Mikal continued with narrowed eyes. "He knows well I am the most powerful person in Nordenland, far stronger and smarter than he ever dreams to be. A few words I spoke in high council turned half the North against him. He fears I am going to take his place, which I would indeed very fucking much love to! So the fucking coward is trying to kill me."

A long pause of silence followed and Vilfred shook his head. "The bastard... It's happening all over again," he sighed. "He is trying to get rid of you, just like he did with father."

Mikal tensed at the unexpected mention of his father and he turned his face away.

"I must find a way to kill him before he kills me," Mikal said quickly, trying to block out his father's image from his head. He did not want to go back to that dark memory...

"Kill Bernard..." Vilfred said almost whispering.

"Will you help me?" Mikal asked as he turned back to look at Vilfred.

"Are you... are you asking me to help you kill Bernard?"

"Yes. Hire an assassin like he did and kill him."

"Wait, wait, just hold on," Vilfred interrupted. "We can't just go and hire an assassin like he did. Just think of it. How do you think it would look like when he's discovered dead a few days after he replaced you with Hilda? This will raise many suspicions. Now if you want to kill him we must make it appear natural."

"And how the fuck are we going to do that?" Mikal scowled. He was angry now all of a sudden. All he wanted was to get Bernard killed. As soon as possible. Vilfred sighed and paced the room a few times, thinking.