Magni
Franklin caught up to me when I walked into the mansion. “I should warn you, Commander, Khan knows that you picked up Pearl at the border and he’s not happy about it.”
I grunted. “How does he know?”
“I’m not sure but I have a theory. I think he is having both of you tracked and he’s getting alerts when you two are in close proximity. He knows you can be hard on Pearl and he doesn’t like it. Khan wants to see you right away.”
I didn’t look at Franklin when I threw a few things into a bag. “Yeah, well, I’m not in the mood for a fucking lecture. You can tell Lord Khan that I’ll be on the East Coast.”
“For how long, Commander?”
“I don’t know.”
Franklin frowned. “What about the situation at the border?”
“What about it?”
“Should we continue to patrol?”
“Yes, those are my orders and you’ll make sure they are carried out until Khan or I tell you otherwise.”
“Understood, sir.”
Franklin stood in the doorway when I passed him and smacked his shoulder. “I’ll be in touch, Lieutenant.”
For a moment I considered swinging by the school to say goodbye to Mila, but the black cloud above my head was weighing me down too much.
Laura didn’t want me, Khan didn’t appreciate me, and I didn’t have much to offer anyone anyway.
There was nothing for me here, and nowhere to go. If we hadn’t been so fucking isolated up here in the Northlands, I would’ve found some desert island with a warm beach to get away from it all.
My sleek red drone took me to the East Coast in a few hours. Erika, my mom, currently lived in a grand mansion with my father’s best friend Mr. Zobel. They had both lost their spouses and it seemed natural that they would marry, but Khan and I didn’t like him much. Mr. Zobel had always been a harmless snob who sucked up to our dad when he was still alive. With our mom being a beautiful woman, Khan and I both felt she could do better. As her protectors, we had allowed her to live with him in the hope that she would grow tired of him.
It didn’t surprise me that my mother and Mr. Zobel were both home when I arrived unannounced. They lived in a golden cage and almost never went anywhere.
“What a lovely surprise,” my mother chirped with a happy smile. “You should’ve told me you were coming, I would’ve had the kitchen bake that pumpkin bread you love so much.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How long are you staying? Are you well? You don’t look too well. Did something happen?” My mother was fussing over me, stroking my chin and shoulder.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“And Khan? How is he?”
“Yeah, Mom, everyone is fine. I’m here to see you, not talk about me.”
“Oh, darling, that’s so kind of you.” She lit up. “I could show you the green room. I got one of the rose bushes to bloom, which is very rare this time of year. I’m really quite proud of it, and it has the prettiest pink color you can imagine.”
“Sure, Mom, I would love to see it.”
Erika hooked her arm under my elbow and looked up at me with a bright smile. It was nice to see how happy my presence made her, and at the same time it made me feel bad that I visited so seldom.
“Zobel will be delighted that you are here. You are staying for dinner, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful.”
We walked through the mansion, one room more opulent than the other.
“Don’t you just love this house?” My mother pointed to the vaulted ceiling. “It’s a replica of ancient paintings from the Renaissance. Zobel has a rare antique art book that he bought for a high price. I can show it to you if you want to see.”
“Maybe later.”
For the next forty minutes, my mother small-talked about flowers, sun exposure, greenhouse temperatures, quality of soil. I nodded, listened, and leaned in to smell the rose that she was so proud of.
“It’s beautiful.”
She smiled with pride. “Thank you.”
“Mom, can I ask a question?”
“Of course, darling.”
“Why do you say Zobel and not his first name?”
She looked thoughtful. “I suppose it’s because I’ve known him for thirty-five years as Mr. Zobel.”
“Didn’t he tell you to use his first name?”
“If he did, I don’t recall it.”
“Are you still thinking about marrying him?”
A flash of sadness disappeared behind a façade of false bravado, as Erika took a seat. “He’s a nice man, and marrying the richest man in the country isn’t the worst that could happen to a woman.”
I sat down beside her. “Mom, you make it sound like you want Zobel for his money. It’s not like the alternative is living in a shack. Khan and I would take care of you. You know that, right?”
She patted my cheek just like she had when I was a small boy. “I know. But I don’t want to be a burden to you two.”
I wanted to tell her that she was going to be a grandmother soon, and that Khan could probably use her help to make sure his child wasn’t indoctrinated by Pearl. But if the situation had been reversed, and it was Laura who was pregnant, I would’ve wanted to share the good news myself. I also couldn’t risk that my mother might call Khan to congratulate him before Pearl got around to telling him herself.
Just then Zobel walked in, greeting me with his loud voice and open arms. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
The man lived on the biggest estate in the country, and there was nothing humble about him or his golden palace.
I stood up to shake his hand and on purpose I avoided asking him how he was. The last time I’d asked, he had gone on and on about his painful arthritis, his lazy workers in the factories he owned, and his mistrust of his tailor.
“I was just telling my mother that we miss her, and that we wished she would visit us more often,” I said.
He gave a fake smile. “It’s such a long journey, and Erika prefers it here.”
I ignored his comment and looked straight at my mother. “So many things are happening at home. You’re missing out on a lot.”
My mother looked down.
“What do you say we go get a brandy?” Mr. Zobel suggested and patted my shoulder in a jovial manner. “We know all about what is going on at the Gray Mansion. Your mother and I have watched all the news about the situation with the Motherlands.” While we walked Mr. Zobel shook his head. “I can’t say that we are happy about it.”
My mother was behind us and I turned my head to look at her. “You saw Khan’s plea for people to stay calm and stay out of the Motherlands?”
“Yes, we did,” she confirmed with a serious expression.
Mr. Zobel placed his hand on my shoulder. “Your father would be rolling in his grave, Magni. All this talk about being good neighbors to the Motlanders…” He paused when we entered one of the many rooms in his house, gesturing for me to take a seat in what had to be the ugliest couch I had ever seen. While he poured brandy into crystal glasses, I looked at the yellow fabric with the little birds and couldn’t decide what I disliked the most: the yellow couch or the mint-green cushions with prints of candy on them. If Finn were here, he would have been pointing out the obvious: the chocolate print had the color and shape of turds.
“What was Khan thinking, missing an opportunity like this?” Zobel came closer, handing me one of the glasses. “There’s no better time to attack your enemy than when they are weak.”
I shrugged. “That’s what I said, but Khan wouldn’t listen, and with a Motlander as his wife it was a tough choice for him.”
Zobel gave a sideways glance to my mother. “Erika, dear, would you mind getting that book on medicine I bought at the latest auction? I want to show it to Magni. It’s in the library.”
“Of course.” My mother nodded her head and smiled at me. “I’ll also see if I can find the book on art that I told you about.”
As soon as she had left, Mr. Zobel drew me closer with a hand on my arm. “She’s going to be searching for a while. That book isn’t in the library. It was a ploy to get you alone so you can tell me the truth, what is going on? We hear rumors of Khan being controlled by his wife.”
“Pearl is a strong woman with a lot of influence over him,” I admitted.
Being almost a head shorter than me, Mr. Zobel was looking up with a speculative expression on his face. “Can’t you reason with him?”
“I tried.”
“And he thinks our people are just going to stand by and watch him take our enemy’s side?”
I shrugged with a sigh. “You know Khan, he’s strategic and never does anything without a plan. He has managed to get things through that no one before him has ever done. Within the next ten years, there will be males on the Motlander Council. Finn is now living in the Motherlands with his wife, Athena. None of that would’ve been possible if Khan hadn’t negotiated it.”
Mr. Zobel didn’t look impressed. “Why take crumbs when you could eat the whole cake?” he asked in a low voice. “Your father wouldn’t have hesitated, and neither would you if you had been the ruler.”
I frowned.
Mr. Zobel looked down, rocking back and forth on his heels. “I never told you this, but your father once said that he wished you had been his firstborn.”
“I know, he said the same thing to Khan and me when he was in a bad mood.” It wasn’t something I liked to think about.
“Magni, I’ve known you since you were a baby and I’m soon going to marry your mother. I feel like that puts me in a close position to you and I would like for us to be honest with each other.”
“I’m always honest.”
“That you are, but the subject I’d like to discuss with you is sensitive in nature. Can I trust you?” He rubbed the long narrow beard that went to his chest.
“Is this about my mom?”
“No, it’s about you.”
His serious demeanor made me fire my next question at him. “You’ve heard rumors, haven’t you?” Of course they would be talking about Laura leaving me.
“More like speculations and whispers.”
“About me?”
“Yes. Are you happy with Khan?”
“Fuck no.” My answer was honest. “He won’t listen to reason and most days I want to punch him back to the way he was before he met Pearl.”
Mr. Zobel’s lips pursed. “Have you considered what good you could do for our country if you were to take your brother’s place?”
I stiffened. “What are you talking about?
Mr. Zobel looked to the door, making sure no one was near. “I’m a wealthy and influential man,” he said in a low and conspiratorial voice. “Your father always praised you for your strength and loyalty to our country. People are questioning where Khan’s loyalty lies, and whispers are growing louder. Many agree that things would be better with you as the ruler.”
“I doubt that our people want me as their ruler.”
“Of course they do. Not even that stunt your wife pulled on you can take away that you are by far the most natural-born leader we have. Men have taken a few jabs at you, but can you blame them? For years you’ve been untouchable and superior to everyone else. It’s no secret that the only reason Khan is still in power is because he has you to fight his battles. I’m not the first one to question why he is the ruler and not you.”
My mind was trying to understand the ramifications of what he was saying.
“I’m sure you can depend on your wife coming back to you as soon as you take the throne.” He smirked. “Women are drawn to men with power and money. They always have been.”
An hour ago I had felt lost. Now Mr. Zobel was offering me a chance to redeem myself and show that I still had purpose.
“The question is, Magni, are you ready to do what it takes?”
“Are you asking me if I’m ready to kill Khan?”
Mr. Zobel’s eyes shone with excitement. “Well, are you?”
Folding my hands behind my back, I asked, “You really think that the people would rather have me as a ruler than Khan?”
Mr. Zobel nodded. “I’m sure of it.”
“How do you know?”
He took a long sip of his brandy, and took his time before he spoke in a confidential whisper. “People are concerned about the integration process with the Motherlands. What happens to our freedom if we become part of the Motherlands? No one is complaining about all the women that have moved here, of course, but we want to make sure that we influence them and not the other way around.”
“I see.”
“With you being married to a Northlander, you wouldn’t be as easily swayed as Khan has been.”
“Right.”
“It’s a delicate matter, of course, but I consider myself close enough to you to bring it up. I am to be your new father, after all.”
“Have you spoken to anyone else about this?”
Again he looked to the door, which told me that he hadn’t spoken to my mother about it.
“It has come up in conversation.”
“Who can we count on for support if we do this?”
In a whisper he gave me names of rich and influential people.
“And if I don’t do it? Do you have someone else in mind to take Khan’s place?”
Keeping his eyes on the golden liquid, Mr. Zobel swung the brandy around in his glass. “We would prefer it to be you.”
“And what is it that you want of me?”
“There are still holes in the border wall. We should invade.”
“The Motherlands are not defenseless.”
“No, but with the destruction from the earthquake they are weaker now than ever before.” Mr. Zobel grasped my shoulder and looked into my eyes. “Now is the time to strike and bring those bitches down.”
I gave a loud exhalation. “I hear what you’re saying.”
The old man nodded with enthusiasm. “We'll need to act fast before that damn wall is rebuilt. I say we should invite some friends over for a game of cards tonight.”
“Can we trust these card players to keep quiet?” I asked.
Mr. Zobel expressed a small scoff and whispered. “With a subject of treason, I guarantee that they won’t be talking. But you have to give me your word that we can count on you to deal with your brother.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I’ll set up a meeting with him and get him one on one.”
“Maybe you could make it look like an accident.” Mr. Zobel looked out the window with a thoughtful expression. “A fight between brothers gone wrong. We could make sure the news spread it as a tragedy and not a coup.” He looked back at me. “Yes, that’s a good plan, and once you’re in power, you’ll run the country with an iron fist just like your father did.”
“Before I do anything, I think it’s only fair that the card players who want me in power should express their loyalty to me.”
He patted my shoulder. “Consider it done, my son.”
My body felt light and I smiled a little. This morning I had felt lost and sad. Now Mr. Zobel had shown me that there was a need for me after all. I had a purpose again.