The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (91 page)

Josephine’s brow furrowed. “But… you are
already
married
,” she commented. Her heart was pounding nervously in her
chest.

Chalize nodded. “For many years. But… our
relationship is
not
what it once was. My own father was not as
considerate
as your own.
He
insisted
I marry to ally Aslemer with a powerful faction in the
northern provinces. It bound them to Aslemer, but with it, it
imprisoned myself as well, to a woman I
do
not
love.”

“
None of which has any bearing on the
status
of your marriage,”
Josephine responded.

“
Our laws are
different
from your own. There
is
precedent for my union to be…
dissolved
, should I choose it to be. It has not happened for
many
generations, but
that does not mean it could
not
be so.”

“
Emperor,” Josephine began. “I am
flattered
,
truly
I am. But I barely
know
you. I have been here for only a few days! Your
customs are
very
different to my own, as is your way of
life.”

“
Neither of those are things that cannot be
remedied
. You ask me to commit my forces to stop this creature?
Well, perhaps you could make a commitment to
me
as well.”

She sipped at her wine and tried to hide how
disgusted she felt at the offer. An offer of
marriage
in exchange for his help? It
was
bribery
. But perhaps this
was
the chance she needed to broach other matters.
Perhaps she could turn the situation back to her advantage. Events
were slipping away from her control quickly.

“
Such a commitment would require a great deal
of
thought
, emperor,” she advised him.

He nodded. “I can understand that. But forgive me
for my
bluntness
when I say that if you
want
my help soon, you may have to
forgo
such
considerations.”

She
smiled. “You waste no time, do you?” she commented.

“
Why waste time where there is so
little
to spare?” he
rebutted. “And when one knows what one wants, it is better to come
out and say so rather than disguise your intentions, isn't
it?”

Josephine sat and considered for a moment. Then
she nodded. “Since you favour such bluntness, I will respond in
kind. There is something
else
that is troubling me.”

“
What is it?” he asked.

“
Your guards have refused to let my guardsman pass freely
around the palace. Specifically, to go outside.”

Chalize sniffed. “That is all?” He waved her away.
“You
know
how I must protect my palace from prying eyes,
princess!”

She leaned forward. “But it is
more
than that, isn’t it?” she said. His
smile faded. “Something is happening here that you don’t want me to
know about.
How
can I even consider your offer of marriage, when you
keep
such
secrets?”

He nodded. “I can assure you, it is nothing that
you should
concern
yourself with.”

“
But it
does
concern me,” she said. “A
great
deal.”

Chalize sat back in his chair. “You know that there are some
matters that a leader must keep to himself.”

She nodded. “But I mean you no
harm
emperor.
All
I want is to
help
people,
yours
included, from the threat this dragon
poses! The
greatest
threat we have experienced for
centuries
. We must
trust
one another and break through the
prejudices of the past! If we
are
to work together, then I would
have
that trust amongst
all
other
considerations.”

The man studied her carefully. “You are incredibly
astute,” he complimented. “Beauty
and
brains is not a combination I am used to.” He
leaned forward and grasped her hand and turned it around to look at
her palm. “Such
soft
skin,” he whispered. “So white like snow.” He compared it
to his own, darker complexion. “You are an exotic treasure to be
won, Princess Josephine and I
will
win you over.”

This isn’t working
, she thought.
He is too implacable. I wonder
though… Perhaps it is time to take a risk whilst he is so enamoured
by me.

Josephine seized her power, the first time she had
done so in weeks. She felt the sickly sweet sensation of it
coursing through her veins and her skin flushed. She guided it
through her body, down her arm and through her hand, and touched
the emperor’s own with it. Instantly she could see the reaction on
his face as she calmed him as she had done with the man in
Tanavern. But instinctually she twisted the energy further, into a
way she had not considered before. As she had influenced the man
before,
calmed
his soul, she tried to
excite
the emperor’s. Perhaps if she could
release his inhibitions further, he would tell her more. It
was
risky
, but she was
done
playing games with this man at a snail’s
pace.

She leaned forward. “My
Lord
,” she whispered. “I
know
you do not fully trust me still. That
to tell me would be a step further than you are willing to go.” She
could see his breathing quicken, and she turned the screw further,
guided her energy around his mind. In truth, she wasn’t fully
sure
what
she was doing, but it felt almost natural to her now. “But
perhaps I can convince you
somehow
that you can trust me with your secrets.” She
looked at him with her doe eyes. The man exhaled heavily, and his
lips tightened. His eyes had grown dilated and looked at her more
lustfully than she had seen before. She knew what kind of man he
was, what kind of desires sat beneath the veiled surface. If she
could just trigger them a little more, maybe she could loosen his
tongue enough to reveal his hand, and with it, perhaps to commit to
helping her.

“
How?” he breathed, and she smiled.

“
A woman has
needs
just as much as
any
man,” she said. “I would be
so
grateful to you for trusting
me.
Ever
so grateful.” She drew on her power further and teased his
mind.

Gods I hope I know what I am doing here,
she thought. She
wanted to turn and flee. His mind was racing, she could see and
every time she stroked it with the power she felt his pulse
quicken, his breathing grow lustful. She pressed
on.

“
If you
tell
me
and
agree to help, perhaps I
could
show you some of that
gratitude?”

What was she saying?
Gods, Matthias, I wish you were
here!
She
embraced the power further and flooded his mind with waves of the
power, until she could do no more. The man’s lip wavered and he
looked at her as if drugged.

“
I would have you in my bed this night,” he
slathered. “I
must
have you!”

“
Then tell me the
truth
, emperor.
Tell
me what I need to know.” How would she get out of
this? She was wading deeper than she could swim now. But she had
stared down this path and she would have to finish it. Perhaps she
could send him to sleep somehow and he would forget this entire
discussion? Somehow she doubted it. She leaned forward and caressed
his cheek with a hand. He breathed heavily and then the truth
spilled out of his mouth like a broken dam.

“
War
,” he whispered. She looked at him.

“
War?” she repeated.

“
With Olindia,” he said. “I am
invading
Olindia. I would not let your
man outside because I have troops readying for battle. Hundreds
of
thousands
of men preparing themselves.”

Josephine kept her voice level. “Why?” she asked.
“Why would you
do
this?”

“
Because it is the
perfect
time. Because…” he shuddered. “Because
my
enemy
is weakened.”

“
You
are using the dragon to your advantage?” she asked. She felt
sick.

“
Yes
,” he whispered. “Does that excite you?” he
panted.

“
When are you planning to invade?” she asked him, ignoring the
question.

“
We march in
days
,” he answered.

Josephine swallowed. “Then… you will not help me defeat the
dragon?”

“
I
will
,” he said. “But
only
after I succeed in conquering
Olindia.”

“
But the
creature
… what if it
attacks
you in the meantime? If you are making war, then
who will defend your lands?”

“
It
won’t,” he said.

“
How
can you be sure?”

“
Because he has
me
,” came a voice from behind her. She spun and
Silar emerged silently from the shadows.

“
Silar!
” she breathed. “I… I did not
see
you there.”

He smiled. “No. No, I imagine you
didn’t
.” He held up a hand and Josephine felt a barrier slam
between her and the emperor. The energy dissolved between them. The
man blinked, awakening from the trance.

“
What… what just
happened?
” he asked.

“
She
bewitched
you, My Lord,” Silar replied and walked to his
side, placing a hand comfortingly on Chalize’s
back.

“
B-
bewitched
?” he said groggily, and rubbed his eyes.
“
How?
”

“
Tell
him, my
dear
,” Silar said. “Tell him the
truth
.”

Josephine’s breath caught in her throat as she
tried to reply. “I don’t know what you are
talking
about.”

“
Tell him that you are a
witch
. A rogue, Mahalian woman,
impersonating
the Princess of Aralia in order to gain entrance
to this palace. Tell him how you intended to seize
control
of this empire from
within his bedchambers!”

Josephine was taken aback. “That’s not
true!
” she exclaimed.

“
Then you
deny
you just enchanted the emperor into telling you
his secrets?”

Josephine stopped. “No. No I do not deny that. But
I
am
the Princess of
Aralia.”

Silar scoffed. “Your lies are falling apart at
the
seams
, my dear. I
knew
I recognised you. You
are
from Mahalia. My Lord, she is a
notorious
con - artist. We
have been trying to catch her for
years
.” He nodded. “I’m impressed at your
disguise
though.
Very
convincing!”

“
I do not know why you are making up this
ludicrous
story Silar!”
Josephine turned to the emperor. “It is true, I
did
just try to loosen your tongue with
an enchantment. But it was to find out what was happening! To find
out
why
you were so resistant to helping stop the dragon.
Not
to take over your
empire! I
am
Princess Josephine Arwell!”