The Hundred Reigns 79: The Elf Conspiracy (6)

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“A wedding?” Elaine’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Our wedding?”

“If I ask Lauriane to be my witness, I don’t think she would deny me for the world,” Simon promised. “She wouldn’t miss such a big milestone in my life. This would let us lure her out of the Goetia Research Facility for a day, maybe two.”

“She cares for you that much?” Lady Justine mused, her mischievous gaze turning to her own brother. “Doesn’t that remind you of better times, Patriate?”

“I never missed your weddings,” her brother replied sharply, his hands clasping. “Assuming that Lord Simon is correct, we indeed have a unique opportunity. We could capture Princess Lauriane and hold her hostage—temporarily,” he quickly added when Simon glared at him, “until we deal with Prince Louis.”

“The Goetia Research Facility would be left leaderless and in shambles, easy prey for a surprise attack,” Duke Flauros said. “We may not even need an army. A small sabotage team could cripple Crestone production and achieve the same result if they manage to slip in.”

“You said your sister invited you to visit her at the Goetia Research Facility,” Elaine reminded Simon. “Do you think you could invite us as your future in-laws?”

“I think so, but…” Simon pretended to think this through. “She won’t let a large group in.”

“Yes, she will likely grow suspicious if the entire family shows up on her doorstep,” Lady Justine mused. “You are not that charming, Simon.”

“My daughter and I should be enough,” Patriate Malphas suggested. “I would not look out of place in my capacity as her father, doubly so if I voiced my interest in aligning with the War Party now that my daughter and her future husband would live inside their territory.”

And here I thought I would have to suggest it myself, Simon thought. He briefly glanced at Belzemine, who had been waiting for any signal from him. 

“I will come as well,” Belzemine said. “For your safety.”

“Milady, you’ve just escaped the Magnos’ captivity!” Lady Anselma protested. “You should board the first ship to Illusea and return to your homeland.”

“There’s a risk Lady Lauriane won’t let you leave the Goetia Research Facility,” Patriate added, “And if she notices your lack of brand…”

“I will cover my missing slave brands with false ones,” Belzemine replied. “It would be strange if His Highness didn’t show up with me at his side, and Lady Lauriane will not dare to try anything in my presence. I cannot abandon you at such a critical time.”

Simon noticed Lady Justine narrow her eyes at Belzemine from behind her fan. Did she sense deceit, or did her sudden display of confidence arouse her suspicion? Whatever the case, she kept her thoughts to herself while the rest of the conspirators extended their misplaced trust to Belzemine. The White Unicorn movement wanted to believe she was a martyr who couldn’t wait to fight back after regaining her freedom, rather than a slave so thoroughly broken she would rather live with her chains than without. 

“Very well,” Lord Patriate said. “When can a visit be arranged, Lord Simon?”

“As soon as I send Lauriane a message,” he replied. “It’s up to you.”

“We shouldn’t wait too long,” Lord Robert said. “The Goddess’ Judgement will strike within weeks, and Princess Lauriane will be on her guard afterwards.” 

“I concur,” Lord Patriate agreed. “We will announce my daughter’s betrothal to Lord Simon tonight once the ball concludes. The news would reach Princess Lauriane within days and justify our delegation.”

“Are you okay with this, Elaine?” Simon inquired. “We’ll have to play the part of betrothed.”

“We shall,” she replied without hesitation, a thin smile on her lips, “I have prepared for such a role for a very long time.”

So did Simon. His thoughts turned towards another, to spring a trap long in the making. 

“Shabram, I need you to contact someone for me.” Simon took a deep breath. “And send in the clown.”

—-------

The ball petered out at seven in the morning, with the mystery of the Overlord impostor remaining on everyone’s lips by then. It would remain a secret for most and a source of gossip for weeks to come. Heralds publicly announced Simon and Elaine’s engagement during the party’s closing hour, which should ensure that Lauriane heard about it in the coming days. Leonard and Meredith had apparently spent the entire ball together, which made Simon wonder if they would end growing closer than usual during this reign…  

All was more or less going according to Simon’s plan, with one worrying exception.

“You wish to return to Telluria?” Simon couldn’t believe what he heard. “While Vouivre is still active?”

“One of Lord Patriate’s allies in Valendre, Lord Albert, suggested that I go there undercover with an escort to introduce the White Unicorn to shifter tribes sympathetic to their cause,” Eole replied, a frown forming on her face. “You said the Rider would keep Vouivre occupied and expel her from Telluria.”

“Eventually.” Not to mention that he remembered Dassein being forced back south to help the War Party confront the Church of Light in reigns where the Goddess’ Judgment struck Frightwall, which allowed Vouivre to conquer Telluria. “This is too risky, Eole, for you and everyone else.”

Eole bit her lip, then switched from Elvish to Kish. “Why didn’t you tell them?”

She doesn’t want us to be overheard, Simon thought as he switched to her birth language. “About the archfiend?”

“About your prophecies,” Eole clarified. “These people believe in the Oracle; they will believe in you, too.”

Would they? Lady Justine at least expressed doubts about the Oracle, though she did trust in Simon’s visions. His issue was that the elves probably knew more about foresight and predictions than anyone in the world and might poke holes in Simon’s foreknowledge. His entire plan revolved around them underestimating him, and new prophets were always treated carefully. 

“I fear some events may not happen if I tell them about them,” Simon half-lied. “I do not understand how my foresight will interact with the Oracle. If our visions clash, which one will come true?”

Eole bit her lip. “There is something else you’re not telling me. A burden that weighs heavily on your mind.”

Simon took a deep breath. “Don’t go to Telluria, Eole,” he implored her. “Believe me, it won’t end well for you or your people. I have seen it in my dreams, and I don’t want to see it in reality.”

Eole hesitated a moment, but the sincerity in his gaze seemed to convince her. “I… very well,” she decided, albeit reluctantly. “I will stick to advising Lord Albert on whom to contact and how. I will argue that a kish’s presence might be wrongly interpreted, especially since shifter tribes surrendered me to the empire already.”

“I’m sorry, Eole,” Simon apologized. “I know you want to help the shifter tribes, but I wouldn’t be so insistent if the risk wasn’t real.”

“No, no, I understand.” She beamed with joy and affection. “So many at this gathering were quick to advocate for war and conflict, but you were one of the few to advocate for a more peaceful solution that would avoid shedding innocent blood. You truly do care.”

She meant it as a compliment, but it still felt like a stab to the heart. “I do,” he replied, his voice a little weaker than before. “I seek a path that will preserve the most lives, but it’s… it’s hard, Eole. So few of us would rather talk than fight.”

“Yes, I have learned this to my detriment… but it makes our struggle all the more important.” Eole plucked a feather from her wing. “Here, I would like you to have this.”

“So we may find each other again?” Simon mused upon taking the feather, to her surprise. “Sorry, it’s getting harder and harder to surprise me.”

“I do not know whether that is a blessing or a curse.” Eole smiled sweetly at him. “Did you see my people’s Sanctuary in your dreams? Its waterfalls and flying temples?”

“No, I did not,” Simon confessed. “I only foresaw the archfiend bringing destruction to your home.”

“So you have only seen the ugliness of my homeland, but not its beauty.” She nodded to herself. “Good. This gives you something to look forward to.”

“I hope to visit it one day.” And I will. “Take good care of yourself, Eole.”

Eole bowed to him, then left his quarters to join Lord Albert and prepare for the shifter revolution. Simon wished her well, even though he knew this would likely end in disaster once he brought down the hammer on the conspiracy. 

I am going to disappoint her so much. Simon could feel it in his bones, and that alone briefly made him doubt his path… but that moment of guilt passed swiftly. I’ll make everything right one day. 

Now alone in his bedroom, Simon was about to go to sleep when he heard a knock on his door. “Enter,” he said, with Elaine stepping in. “Did you forget something?”

“No, but you did forget me,” she replied, sitting at his bed’s edge. “If we are to convince your sister and the world of this betrothal, then we will need to start sharing a bedroom.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for the wedding first?”

“I don’t think that has ever stopped most nobles. We don’t need to make love or anything, if that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Are you?” Simon inquired, his arms crossed. “Your father is not here anymore. You can tell me the truth if you want.”

“The truth about what? This engagement?” Elaine shrugged. “I have done far worse for much less for the sake of our goals.”

Simon scowled. “Like what, killing people?”

“Sometimes. I lied to people who trusted me, stole from those who didn’t deserve it, and slept with nobles I hated for their secrets and support.” She spoke of those acts with such detachment too, like chores she had to do to clean her house. “I would even marry Thalas if I had to.”

Her words hit Simon like a slap to the face. He was still too fresh off running a demon cult, killing heroes, and ravaging towns in the name of the greater good to not notice the obvious similarities. 

This woman thought the same way he did, and that made her incredibly dangerous. 

“Such dedication would border on madness,” Simon replied, which earned him a chuckle from his fiancée. In a way, knowing she didn’t care about this engagement beyond her mission eased his conscience. “Why are you doing this?”

“The same reason you joined us, I think: for a good cause.” Elaine crossed her legs. “But if you want to know… I’m doing this for my mother’s sake.” 

I knew it. “You weren’t lying earlier,” Simon guessed. “She was slain in a tribe-related pogrom.”

“Yes… yes, that is the truth.” She avoided his gaze. “Many elves fled Mardok’s genocide centuries past and took refuge in Bujan. My mother was close to one of these exiled communities.” Elaine marked a short pause, as if hesitating to reveal some secret, before deciding against it. “When Endymion conquered the island, elves were blamed for bringing the Overlord’s wrath to their doorstep. The people started pogroms towards anyone suspected of associating with the ‘long-ears,’ and imperial troops encouraged their persecution.”

And your human mother was guilty of sleeping with your elven father, Simon thought. It didn’t take a genius to guess that the woman was slain for giving birth to a half-elf daughter, a murder which no doubt hardened her father’s stance. Another set of victims of my own sire’s cruelty. 

“I heard of those events,” Simon admitted. They took place during the Reformation nearly twenty years ago. “Many elves were burned at the stake.”

“Yes… and humans whose only fault was to find love and friendship among them. My mother was murdered on a pyre to thunderous applause.” A dark scowl passed over Elaine’s expression. “Since that day, all I have felt for this empire is hatred and loathing.”

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Simon apologized sincerely. Both for your loss, and what I am about to do.

Elaine studied his gaze. “Did you feel the same way too, when you learned about your mother’s fate?”

Simon hesitated about whether to answer honestly or not, before deciding she at least deserved his sincerity on this case. “I already hated my father long ago,” he admitted. “That only solidified my resentment.”

“Same,” Elaine confessed. “I always loathed what this empire represented long before it came to our shores. Its imperialism, its cruelty, its insatiable greed for slaves and tribute… but it was only when I lost my mother that this loathing became personal for my father and I.”

And you will only know peace when my homeland and House Magnos have crumbled to ruin. As much as he was her avowed enemy, Simon couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Elaine Malphas. I would probably feel the same if it were my mother who had perished in Bujan. 

Revenge was something Simon Magnos understood very well.

“Whatever happens from now on, Elaine, I want to apologize on behalf of House Magnos for what your family endured,” Simon declared; partly to assuage his conscience for what he was about to do, and partly because he meant it. “I know words from one such as me mean little to you, or your loss… but they are sincere.”

Elaine listened in silence, and then shook her head. “I cannot accept that apology.”

Simon expected as much. “Because it sounds hollow to you?”

“Because you are no Magnos,” Elaine clarified. “The Oracle once told my father that the only thing standing between House Magnos and world domination… was House Magnos itself. Your father and siblings represent the worst humanity has to offer in its myriad awfulness, your sister Lauriane included.”

“Lauriane–”

“Wants power,” Elaine cut in. “I have no doubt she loves her family, but she is willing to help Louis burn the world to cinders so they can rule over the ashes. Her kindness to you does not extend to outsiders.”

Yet she held her hand where Louis would have bombed you all, to her detriment, Simon thought. “She is a better person than you think, Elaine. I can convince her to come around once Louis is out of the picture.”

“I pray you are right, but I fear your hopes are misplaced.” Elaine changed the subject. “Either way, you are no poisonous spawn of the manticore. You alone among your family chose to fight for a righteous cause, Simon. People will look at you with admiration rather than the fear they reserved for your father one day, I can promise you that.”

“Thank you, Elaine.” Even if your hopes are equally misplaced. “So… now that we can finally be truthful with each other, are we to become friends?”

“For a start,” Elaine said, a thin smile on her lips. “I haven't had a real friend since I left Bujan years ago. Did you like my aunt’s spectacles?”

“I admit I’m growing fond of operas, yes,” Simon admitted as he joined her on the bed. “Between us, I’m wondering if I should open up a theater once this is all over. Start again, invite Eole to sing, maybe raise a troupe. It’s a silly dream.”

“It’s not,” Elaine reassured him. “Between us, I had hoped to dance on a ballet stage like the one my aunt built in this palace. Bujan has quite the strong tradition, owing to our viceroys holding the Bard Crestone…”

The discussion moved on to the arts, to hints of her life in Bujan—which apparently had a sizable mermaid population that held the Bard Crestone for centuries—and other mundane things. A dam had collapsed with tonight’s meeting, and Elaine was finally willing to confide in him and show him her true self behind the Spy mask, that of a refined, determined woman with whom he shared a few interests with. Simon could have easily fallen for her charm once, if Balzam Magnos had agreed to betroth them like Lauriane once suggested.  

But in the end, Elaine Malphas was wrong about one thing: Simon was a Magnos through and through. 

This girl had no future that did not derive from his goodwill. 

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Simon and Elaine spent the night in the same bed, though they didn’t make love or even touch each other, but that proved enough to sell the seriousness of the betrothal to outsiders. Simon caught Meredith blushing when she saw them leaving the room, and he heard a few chuckles from other nobles in the corridors. 

“You find me most saddened by your departure,” Lady Justine told Simon once he prepared to board the Malphas family’s airship. “Have you considered my generous proposition, Lord Simon?”

“Yes, I did,” he replied. “I will come back to you once we’ve met with my sister. I’ll see to it that you may access the Darkwood as you see fit once I take over Whispermire at the very least.”

“I look forward to our association. I have no doubt we will learn great truths together.” She raised her fan until only her eyes peeked through. “We are friends, aren’t we, Lord Simon?”

She asked it innocently enough, but Simon could immediately sense that there was a hidden message in it; a hint that she had detected something that eluded the rest of her conspiracy, and that she alone argued towards preserving Endymion. 

Simon didn’t think she knew… but she had her suspicions. 

“We are,” he replied, smiling. “I will remember the help you provided and where you stood when it mattered most.”

“You warm my heart,” Lady Justine replied, slightly reassured. “Take good care of my niece, my dear. I do like her in spite of everything. I would be loath to hear you mistreat her.”

A courtesy she didn’t extend to her brother. “I will treat her kindly, don’t worry,” he said before kissing her hand. “I shall see you soon.”

Whether in this reign or another. 

Afterwards, Simon climbed the stairs to the airship deck. Eole’s absence weighed on his heart, but it might be a blessing in disguise. It would pain him to involve her in the treacheries to come. 

“I think your aunt likes me, Elaine,” Simon told his fiancée once he rejoined his retainers and ‘allies.’ 

“She has a fetish for young men, especially the sensitive, artistic type. She would have put you in her bed already were we not betrothed.” Elaine scoffed. “Don’t tell me you’re disappointed.”

“Not at all.” But it was good to know. “Let us not make my sister wait.”

And so they left for the Goetia Research Facility without further ado, like pigs to the slaughterhouse. 

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