Inhuman - Chapter 5

Inside Hajoon Palace, Erdem stood by the window that looked over the gardens where well-dressed slaves meticulously maintained the plants. However, the son of Emperor Nazalath paid no attention to the activity. Instead, his mind focused on the letter he had just received from Dennel Veil.

So, Jupus’s widow is taking the bait? She carries more ambition than her husband did.

Erdem’s carnivorous face lit up with a thin smile.

Still, she wants to play a game with me. Interesting!

His spies warned the prince about Dennel Veil’s suspicious past. But nothing would stop his pursuit. His mind remained on her true assets: the face and the figure of a goddess. Someone he could use to bear children without a chance at the throne. A commoner to add to his harem. Her marriage to Jupus Veil showed him she carried ambition. His spies told him that she had intelligence. Erdem wondered how Jupus found such an intriguing wife. He remembered the tall, lean man with no sense of humor and little social grace. Yet, he retained his prominent position since the emperor found him useful. Erdem heard rumors concerning Jupus and his research in science and magic. It appeared his interests coincided with the empire’s needs. Yet, the prince knew little of the work.

Dennel stunned Erdem the first time they met in the reception hall of the emperor. She arrived with her husband nearly two years before. Even as a commoner, Dennel showed herself to be socially skilled at court politics. The prince instantly decided that she would one day become one of his wives. In fact, Erdem planned to eliminate her husband at some point. Fortunately, his mysterious disappearance and assumed death made his work easier. The prince waited a suitable time for the grieving widow before he made his move.

Fate is strange sometimes.

Erdem stuffed the letter into his red silk robe, which he wore over black silk sleeping garments. He turned and walked across the hall. A servant dressed in a plaid red and tan uniform opened the doors.

“I wish to be alone,” the prince announced as he passed into the vaulted room.

A huge, dark walnut desk sat on the blue tile floor in the middle of the chamber. The royal crest, along with the emperor’s portrait, covered the tile in front of the desk. Erdem scowled as he glanced down while walking around the image of his father. Even a prince knew better than to step on the image. It led to his execution. The official portraits of his father covered so many areas that they became an unconscious element of the architecture and style of the palace.

As the prince sat in the comfortable leather chair, his thoughts remained incoherent. He leaned back in the chair, looking up at the mosaics on the ceiling. The gods of light, with lightning and golden spears, displayed their might in subjugating the forces of darkness who cowered in the shadows. Erdem smiled, reminiscing about the first time he recalled looking up at the scene. The room soon became the prince’s quiet spot to organize and plan. He sighed as his thoughts went back to Dennel.

Her beauty was not the only reason he wanted her in his control. Reports indicated Dennel worked closely with Jupus. Her husband’s unexpected death created both an opportunity and a dilemma for the prince. Erdem knew about some of the work of Jupus. His dark magic projects involved condemned prisoners. A spy learned Jupus was close to making a blend of dark magic and technology to override the individual’s self-preservation. In the court, everyone knew that Jupus possessed a brilliant mind for magic. He was additionally talented in the study of monster biology and aether. If the reports were true, Erdem connected the implications for the future. He already envisioned the creation of superior assassins and fantastically loyal soldiers. It was an excellent opportunity to gain the upper hand within the empire’s power structure.

Still, the work came with pitfalls. Using forbidden magic clearly went beyond the empire’s laws governing mages. If the Council of Eternal Knowledge found out about the work, those involved could face execution. Even the heir to the throne might find himself at the end of a hangman’s rope. Worse, Erdem remained unsure of the entire work. He surmised that his father, Nazalath, had some knowledge about the program. The emperor’s advisor and grand mage, Rulli Uula, might know of the work as well. However, the prince understood that taking control of Dennel and her experiments gave him leverage. Erdem’s ability to spy on her remained limited. He needed her in the capital.

As for Rulli, unlike many in the palace, she held an independent streak. Also, she distrusted Erdem and despised Dennel for some reason. Originally, he intended to bring Dennel into the palace to counter Rulli’s influence. His father’s lecherous ways would help him in this manner.

However, Erdem’s spies gave him an additional reason for adding Dennel to his harem. It created a risk, since the prince knew Rulli had support within the court. Rulli could upset his plans if she somehow obtained control of Dennel’s work. Nazalath might be Erdem’s father, but he valued Rulli’s loyalty to his empire.

As he considered his options, Erdem thoughtfully tapped his finger on the end of the armrest. Eventually, he decided he could use Rulli’s occupation against her. Mages seldom agreed with the direction of science and discoveries. Rulli hated the advancement in science which conflicted with traditional mage roles. She was one of the few people who urged Nazalath to keep the Infinites alive. Rulli warned that the future conflict between magic and science might plunge the world into another time of chaos like before the New Age.

Of course, the emperor dismissed his advisor’s concerns. He recognized that whoever held the power of both magic and science would rule the world. It was a belief that Erdem held as well.

The prince smiled to himself. As he pulled a sheet of paper emblazoned with his personal seal and began writing a reply to his new love.

Ah, the challenges to overcome the old man’s grip!

A few moments later, a knock at the door interrupted him. With an annoyed grimace, he looked up at the person entering the room. Filko Noos, his father’s hand-picked spy and head of the Inquisitor group, bowed after closing the door. Dressed in a red vestment with a simple black cape, the man stood at the pinnacle of handpicked killers and spies loyal to the emperor.

“Prince Erdem, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but Emperor Nazalath tasked me with escorting you on the trip to Makla tomorrow.”

“Since when does my father’s personal spy become my escort?” Erdem forced himself to remain passive. People were aware of Filko’s skills as a marksman, even though he lacked armor and carried a single Rudia revolver in his belt.

“It’s a necessary inconvenience, I assure you. The Inquisitor Agency discovered a plot against the royal family. I’m afraid that the Anarchist Conference dispatched several groups to infiltrate the empire. The emperor decided that you’ll take a separate train with me and a few of my friends,” the spy’s toothy grin further annoyed the prince.

So, I have no choice!

“Your agency finds more excuses to annoy the family,” Erdem stated with a sigh. “Well, find a book. I’ll be here a while.”

Filko nodded as the prince went back to his letter. Erdem immediately wondered about the true purpose of the escort. Filko had his people stationed throughout the palace. His sudden presence might be a pretext to learn more about Dennel’s work.

When Erdem looked up from his finished letter, he noticed the spy standing by the door with a book in his hand. The prince sealed the letter with wax and string, placing it inside his robe. He stepped from behind the desk as Filko replaced the book on the shelf.

“Did the book suit you?” Erdem asked sarcastically.

“I’m not sure if I agree with the author, but it made an interesting argument. Still, the ancients were mostly drunks who sent thousands to their deaths on false premises.”

Erdem was not sure if he heard disdain in the man’s lighthearted tone, but he let it go. Filko always remained an enigma in his conversations with the nobles.

“Do you see an actual plot in this latest threat? I recall this happening several times this year.”

“Well, I cannot discount it,” the spy stated. “As they say, there’s no smoke without fire. Still, it should be a pleasant trip. I’ve arranged for the best provincial wines for your family. Plus, the accommodations on the train will be ready as well. Oh, that reminds me, how many wives are planning on taking with you?”

Erdem glanced over at the fair-haired man, then made a quick calculation. “Since it’s a five-day trip, better prepare for five, since I always have a spare one along. I like my wives occupied in bed with a different rival each night. It keeps them from becoming dangerous.”

“Of course,” Filko replied absently.

You’re just like your father!

The spy kept his thought to himself. Filko knew the prince held no real power within the court. But the spymaster avoided conflict when needed. He silently followed the prince as they walked along the wide corridor towards the main courtyard. The hallway had twisted, spiraling columns of blue marble supporting the vaulted ceiling. Along the walls were mosaics telling the story of the royal family's history.

Filko had already expected resistance from Erdem. However, his mind focused on the letter in the prince’s robe. He knew about Erdem’s latest quest to fill another spot in his harem of wives. The emperor maintained his grip over groups in the royal family through marriages and concubines. Loyalty and betrayal were never far away when one wife’s family opposed another. It took skill to keep them all happy, or at least, in control.

However, for a man who came to power through sheer force of will, Filko considered the harem useless. Authority and control came from the ruthless drive of the individual. Nazalath had a merciless temperament. Still, he lacked the iron discipline to run the empire. To Filko, the emperor failed like many who gave themselves over to their vices. Lasciviousness became Nazalath’s focus while he let the emperor’s subordinates take over the reins of governing. Erdem followed his father’s beliefs. It was another reason for the spy’s natural distaste for the prince. In his mind, Filko saw the court nobles as nothing more than vain, ineffectual puppets to a system that was beyond corrupt. Still, he carried his own reasons for helping the emperor.

“What is the latest on this conference? My father remains quiet about his goals. I assume this trip to Makla is to get financial support from the Dyst family.” Erdem’s voice brought Filko out of his thoughts.

He wasn’t expecting a straight answer from the spymaster, so the response surprised him.

“No doubt the cultural parasites who infest the Dyst family are keeping a close watch on us from Iyrus. I can’t speak for your father, but my suspicion is the emperor is looking for a reason to take over Iyrus quietly. The Dyst and their clannish greed behavior continues to hurt the empire. A great amount of gold would come from removing those bankers as a thorn in the empire’s side.”

“That can’t be true,” the prince stopped suddenly. “Wait, it could mean members of those clans are betraying the others. I know they're deceitful to our race, but I’ve never heard of them betraying their own.”

“With the right planning and a little luck, good fortune can come to anyone.” Filko grinned mysteriously for a moment, then grew serious while looking around the quiet hallway. “I’m not part of the War Council’s planning, but your guess seems to follow your father’s thinking.”

He turned to the prince.

“I always believed that the heirs to a throne must be heavily involved in the strategy of an empire over the whimsical endeavors of mating,” the spy said with a shrug. “But that’s just my poor ability to serve the royal family.”

Filko started walking again, then glanced back as Erdem’s face grew red at the slight. The prince caught up with the spy, then passed him.

“A servant of the royal family must always remember their place!” Erdem hissed.

Filko smiled and nodded his head.

“But of course, Your Majesty!”

Please share or find me at the following sites!

​​​​​​