Book 5 Conclave (The Kid Emperor of Occultoria

Chapter 3 - Politicking, Bribes and Blackmail

A little while later, Pecaminosa was chatting with Cardinal Robert Wong in the corner. She just needed one more vote, so she was doing her best to schmooze as many of the cardinals as possible.

As she watched him squirm uncomfortably in his oversized cardinal's robe, an idea popped into her head.

"Say, Robert," she began. "Looks like you're ill at ease here."

"I'll say," said Robert, his eyes darting about. "I can't even breathe here." He tugged at his tight collar.

"I assume you're not here voluntarily? Did your parents force you into the Church?"

At the sound of a sympathetic voice, Robert's eyes brightened. "Yes. How did you know?"

"I can just tell," Pecaminosa said. "As the second son of the Wong family, I assumed your parents forced you into the Church while your older brother is being groomed for the family mining business. But your passion isn't in the Church, isn't it?"

He shook his head. "I wanna be the best air-hunter in all the Supernatural World!"

Pecaminosa smiled understandingly. "That's a great goal. If elected Matriarch, I would relieve you of your clerical vows and you will be free to live as a layman."

The cardinal's face lit up. "That'd be great. You got my vote."

Pecaminosa nodded, a smile on her lips. The plan was working perfectly.

"Excellent," she said.

She exited the conversation graciously. All that was left was the lecherous Cardinal Borgia.

She found him flirting with a female scullery maid by the table.

She began to approach him.

Seeing Cardinal Pecaminosa coming, the scullery maid showed proper respect and deference to the cardinal by bowing and then leaving hastily.

Cardinal Borgia reached out a hand toward the exiting maid. "Wait, my sweet. Where are you going?"

Seeing Pecaminosa coming and then realizing his indiscretion, he held a hand to his mouth.

Pecaminosa decided to tailor her approach differently to each person. Cardinal Borgia was unsuccessfully trying to conceal his own flagrant violation of the rule of clerical celibacy. She had found his weakness and would use that against him.

Noticing the beautiful woman standing in front of him, Cardinal Borgia smiled and kissed Pecaminosa's hand.

"Ciao bella," he purred out.

Pecaminosa rolled her eyes. She had him pegged as a typical Don Juan/Casanova type. He liked all pretty girls and as soon as one left and another came along, he would forget about the former and focus on the latter. Out of sight, out of mind.

She decided to use a firm hand with him.

"The jig's up, Borgia," she said. "I have evidence of your lechery. It goes back for years."

Fear flashed in the cardinal's pretty eyes. "What do you mean?"

She took out piece of parchment with writing on it. "I have here in my hand a list of all the women you have bedded and even the names of the illegitimate children you have fathered."

Of course, she didn't really have evidence, but she assumed that, due to the cardinal's own romantic indiscretions, any fake list would scare him enough for him to succumb to her forthcoming blackmail attempt.

Cardinal Borgia scoffed. "You don't have anything. How do I even know that list is real?"

"You want me to show this list to everyone in this room?" she threatened. "It will ruin you, get you kicked out of the College of Cardinals and perhaps lead to criminal charges."