“It doesn’t matter what I say! You’re not listening to me so what good does it do to tell you anything?” Celeste screamed in Agnar’s face with her anger being fueled by her disgust as he sat at the small table in their private room abutting their royal apartments.
“Damn your soul Celeste! You’ve probably damned everyone else’s with your stupidity!” Agnar slammed his fist down hard on the table which caused its legs to quiver with the force of the blow. “I pray you have a plan should the Magus, the demon we do know, shows back up here angry!”
Celeste’s face contorted with disgust. “That’s just like you, always ready to roll over like a beat dog!”
“But not a dead one,” sneered Agnar.
“Malark will be here- and we’re going to get our Kingdom back and that’s because of me! She was only inches from Agnar’s face and yelling with such ferocity that flecks of spit were landing on him.
“This is the beginning of our reign coming to an end Celeste! And, it’s all being done by your hand not mine!” Agnar was about to continue when he heard a loud knock on the chamber door accompanied by Orson’s voice requesting an audience. “Well, Celeste, your pet is here, you’d better talk to him.” It was a well-deserved scathing barb meant to mock her. He left Celeste and flung the chamber door open. “Orson, the Queen will see you.” Orson’s mouth opened to speak, but Agnar’s back was already to him as he left to return to the King’s apartment.
Celeste paced the floor angrily. “I take it the Magus’s mutt is caged and the rotting garbage of Danthamore has been taken outside of the city gates?”
“Yes, your majesty.” Orson was beaming ear to ear with pride. “That lowly knave’s feet were bleeding, according to the guards who tossed him out hard enough to land him on his face.”
Celeste chuckled. “Good,” hearing that cheered her spirits after her fight with Agnar. “We still have another matter to handle. The Magus Malark needs those ugly old prison manacles, the ones that are part of the wall in the throne room. He insisted that they be delivered tonight when the moon is at its highest point in the slave square. Some man of his will collect the nasty chains from you.” She crossed her arms. “I have the mason as we speak working to cut them off from above the throne.”
“I’ll see to it your Grace.” Orson intended to bring it himself to ensure nothing went wrong given the gamble his Queen had made.
“Thank you Orson, your loyalty means a great deal to me.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
“Always my Queen,” Orson bowed departing the chamber.
It was late by the time the mason’s worker finished chiseling the manacles from the obsidian wall that held them above the throne of Danthamore and the Upper and Lower Kingdoms. Orson took the chiseled block of stone with the encased manacles and put them into a thick bag. His walk to the slave square was quiet and uninterrupted, at this hour the city’s streets were devoid of activity except for the occasional city guard making their rounds. His snow white cloak with the Royal coat of arms marked him from a distance as guard of the palace. He was confident none of the city’s guards would dare approach him after what he done with their Captain. The memory brought a smile to his face. He would have to find a replacement for Elian in quick order since they were rabble in need of a firm hand. The night air was warm against Orson’s face as his eyes darted upward to the moon at its highest point. At this late hour, the slave square was mostly devoid of people. Orson passed many of the empty stalls while awaiting this man of the other Magus to show himself. He passed the raised platform making up the slave block, and his eyes once again darted upward to the moon in the nighttime sky. He was wary of the other Magus, and prayed that his Queen was making the right decision with this new Magus calling itself Malark. He heard a sharp snap from one of the hanging cloths of a nearby empty stall which had been caught by an off gust of the wind. He did not think that either Magus could be trusted, but the present one had become beyond unbearable with his armored slave pet. In another round, he passed the empty block with the moon high above with still no sign of this other Magus’s man. Perhaps the man would not show and it was a possible ruse from the Magus Ru’ark. Sweat touched his forehead, his Queen had no choice but to stay her course. After passing the empty slave block another handful of times he was greeted by a voice from behind and a man appearing out of the darkness.
“Do you have the Senentia?” It was more of a demand than question as he stood in equal height to Orson.
Orson was caught off guard by the man who appeared out of the darkness. The armor the man was wearing was difficult for him to see. It was obvious that it allowed the man to move with an alarming silence. The gray tabard the stranger was wearing fell at the knee, and his gray cloak kept him far too concealed. “If you mean the manacles, then yes I do.”
“I’ll take them,” Orson did not move to hand it to him.
The man’s hand shot out at an unnatural speed. “Now,”
Orson’s attempt at distracting this man to get a better view of him was in vain. However, when he handed it to him, he was startled by the stranger’s weaponry. “Who are you?” Blades of varying lengths adorned his waist. How this man got into Danthamore armed to the teeth past the city guards had to be figured out when he returned to the palace.
“It is of no consequence and time is of the essence.” Taking the sack from Orson, it quickly disappeared beneath his cloak.
“Please tell your Master my Queen needs him before his brother returns.” He felt uneasy letting the man walk away, but his Queen was right, they needed this other Magus to rid them of the current one.
With a single nod to Orson, he faded into the shadows, preventing Orson from getting a good look at him.
His hand rested on the hilt of his blade while he watched the Outlander disappear into the shadow of a nearby empty stall. He gave a quick, silent prayer to the God of All, that this would work to Celeste’s benefit.