Death can easily be administered to anyone regardless of how successful they were in life.
A god agrees with the nihilist in this story.
There are many tragedies in this story. Many fortunes arising, too.
But the god and the antichrist don't car...
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A Grain of Deception
Varbridge Palace, Ember's Rock, Saprea
It was quiet, save the distant sound of many voices from the Wing of Affairs where an impromptu itinerant council was being held. Leaning from the balustrade, Lucius watched the council members scatter into small groups as they left the adjourned meeting. Some stayed for conversations and others had their own business to take care of.
Sisseno was quick on his feet to match Rolerio's stride, Lucius noticed. To anyone else's eye, this looked normal. Lord Pierre conducted the King's foreign affairs, but Lucius saw the entire counter for what it truly was. A plot against the King.
Sisseno was acutely aware of Lucius's eyes on him. He turned upward, smirked like a badly written villain. In a lousy effort, he pretended not to acknowledge the prince and looked straight ahead again, triumphant. Sisseno wasn't known for his welcoming looks. He had a menacing chilly gaze that could cut into one's skin. Lucius wasn't even sure if he'd seen the man smile at a joke, even if it was to be polite.
Lucius was also acutely aware of the girl sitting behind him. The princess of Naparios was composed, better than he'd last seen her.
"Arsinomé," he started after some time. "Would you like to accompany me?" He turned to Arsinomé, his eyes holding question. It was not a question so much as it was a grant of permission.
She sat primly on the marble bench, very still, with her hands folded in her lap, as if she was sitting for a portrait. If Lucius tried to sit like that, he would fidget, or yawn, or try to catch the eye of anyone he could see, or he would go too far and make faces, and it would look assumed and artificial, like he was contriving to appear something he was not.
Their eyes met; a collect sigh, a smile.
Hesitantly, Arsinomé stepped forward as if she was unsure of her own feet, as if she stood on a precipice, feet edging against a thousand feet drop.
Arsinomé stood beside him, unsure of what to say as Lucius kept his eyes trained on Rolerio and Sisseno.
"How's our patient?"
"I'm alright now. Thank you." The waver in the girl's voice was barely audible. Luckily, body language and speech patterns were Lucius's field of expertise. "I should apologize again," Arsinomé added.
"My mother asked where you were at the dinner ball last night since your family arrived at the palace. I told her you and Montez were hitting it off. He was in his room retching his guts on the floor too, so now according to my mother, I'm now troubled with the task of introducing you to more of my friends as your potential suitors," Lucius blatantly stated, like a bitter wife who had been disturbed in her sleep by her husband's friend. Arms crossed, hip propped to the side.
"How can I make it all up to you?" she spoke, pausing after each word for half a second, biting her cheek. "Your friends, they're not going to say anything about the other night, are they? Because I would get in a lot—"
"No, they're not. What happens in Sandro's parties stays between him and his guests. And I won't say anything if you do me a favor." The wheels were being set in motion.
"What kind of favor?"
"I need you to answer a question." Arsinomé glanced once in Lucius's direction. "What reason would Lord Pierre have for going out of his way to sneak information from Prince Rolerio whilst keeping it from my father?"
She looked paler than normal. At least Arsinomé was only breathing heavily. "Betrayal?"
Lucius nodded with the appropriate thoughtfulness and vigor. "Just as I was thinking. Sisseno is quite the fool."
Arsinomé gave him a simpering smile. "Quite the fool wouldn't mean that he is any less flattering, and flattery can get a fool very far."
Lucius let out a long bone-dead sigh. "He's not flattering. I just spent a two hour long carriage ride with him and Rolerio and he prompted a very awkward discussion in which Rolerio began justifying rebellion against my family. He's made his impression quite clear."
Arsinomé raised a delicately plucked brow. "Treat Rolerio kindly. Maybe he'll forget his ambitions and will have no use for Sisseno."
Lucius almost scoffed but stayed silent. His nails dug, hard and red into his palm, and he said nothing. He felt as if he was looking down on himself from a great height as if he is altogether removed. "And when Rolerio demands the justice he's come for?"
"I don't know," she said, her eyes downcast.
Lucius looked down the balustrade, drumming his fingers against it absently. "Rolerio preached about how a god can only stand above the High King. He said that my family tried to supersede the power of man, so order should be restored or some bullshit. It's all rubbish."
Arsinomé leaned over, zeroing in on the letters in Lord Sisseno's hands. She gently tapped Lucius on the shoulder and pointed to the sealed letters tucked inside his books.
"Do you think he gave it to the King?" she asked in a rather conspiratorial voice as she smiled archly.
"No, and I swear that man in Absidy held the same one in his hands," he said, considerably less formal and more provoked.
"Tell your father about your speculations," she whispered.
"With what proof? The truth is not what I make it without evidence, and we're going to get it."
Arsinomé sighed. "You want me to help you steal from a high lord on the High King's council?"
Almost, like a glimpse of lightning, Lucius's mouth allowed a smirk. "I won't tell my mother."
"I wouldn't hope so!"
"Will you help me?"
Arsinomé chuckled, as bitter a sound as citrus fruit. "But isn't his business quite protected?"
"And aren't we the two most clever people in the palace? If anyone can get it it, it's us," Lucius said confidently. Like it was a dare.
No other words were exchanged for a few minutes until Arsinomé spoke again.
"It's smudged pieces of paper with words that tell different tales. There could be a million ways to interpret what is written there. I doubt they're not smart enough to use ciphers and change them regularly between letters. Let's tell your brother, Prince Cassius. He could—"
"Cassius has enough to worry about. To drag him into this would be inconsiderate."
"Well, how will we know where to look? Do we break into his study?" she said quietly.
"Frankly, I couldn't possibly begin to guess how we'd father the opportunity to steal from this man. He doesn't reside in the palace and I simply cannot command guards to swarm his house without proof of liable cause," Lucius said.
"Well, if we cannot steal from him, we at least need to confirm our suspicions. We can follow him," Arsinomé said thoughtfully.
"He's a shapeshifter, remember. If he wasn't standing below us right now I would've guessed he was disguised as that fly on the wall. When would we come across the chance to follow him?"
"At tonight's dinner ball," Arsinomé whispered with obvious delight. "It will be crowded with even more guests. No one would notice our absences if we follow them with discretion."
"We'd have to watch them the entire night," Lucius gulped. "It's a fool's task, admittedly."
"But?"
The two teenagers looked to each other, eyes bright with curiosity, bodies tense with anticipation that talking always beckoned.
Lucius sighed with a smug smile aimed at the princess. "But it is an interesting theory."
Arsinomé smiled contently. "Yes, it is. Isn't it?"
Lucius nodded. "We'll have to put it to test. I think you're right."
