Secrets in the Shadows

Everyone’s breath caught. Tension climbed sharply for one second, then two—

Then a fireball exploded against the door frame above Aldan’s head, causing him to duck.

“Aldan, you ass!” Ophia shouted, already conjuring a second fireball. “Are you dense? You cannot spend your entire life being all aloof and mysterious with your siblings and then joke like that and expect them to get it!”

Rakkan let out a slightly shaky breath. “Gotta admit, I was hung up on what a stupid betrayal that would be if he was serious. If you’re gonna betray people, you don’t tell them so first! Especially when you’re just standing there with your back to a corridor of death traps. We coulda just pushed him in.”

“Right,” Aldan said, hunching his shoulders. “You’re right, I’m sorry, that was—I was just trying to… Ugh, well, that was poor judgment. I apologize, everyone, that was rather tasteless.”

“It wasn’t tasteless, brother, it was dumb,” Vanerra said. “Ophia’s right, most of them don’t even know your sense of humor. They barely know you.”

“Okay, I get it,” he said weakly. “No clever transitions, that…didn’t work. So, here’s the truth: I am not going to betray you. But…I was sent here specifically to do that. I’m betraying…someone else, by telling you this.”

They tensed again, glancing at each other.

“Oh, let me guess,” Rakkan sighed. “That was Father’s real plan.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Espa whispered.

“No,” said Aldan, “not Father. It was… Zaurgan.”

Once more, they hesitated.

“Is this…less surprising, or more?” Uthien finally asked.

“It’s good news,” Morenna stated. “It’s simpler. That is someone we can just kill.”

“You can’t kill Zaurgan,” Aldan said quickly. “Please, I know this is…this has to be a lot to take in. Let me explain.”

Morenna folded her arms and stared expectantly.

And yet, instead of explaining, Aldan hesitated. He opened his mouth as if to speak, drew in a breath, and then looked away from them, clenching and unclenching his hands.

“Brother, are you…nervous?” Espa asked. “Aldan, it’s okay. It’s us.”

“What do you mean, it’s us?” Rakkan snorted. “You make it sound like we’re close or something.”

“Please don’t fight,” Aldan said quickly. “Even if the rest of this goes wrong…we need to come together, the seven of us. That is what this is all about. Zaurgan prepared me with detailed knowledge of the catacombs, the machines that are down here, the dangers we’ll face, and made me memorize the layout. He had instructions for specific hazards that would best counter each of your specific strengths… Strategies to get rid of each of you. Except Morenna—he told me I couldn’t take her and not to try it.”

“Probably accurate,” Morenna agreed. “Get to the part where we’re not killing him, because I am this close to going back up there and doing it right now.”

“Morenna, don’t rush off and make things worse,” Aldan pleaded. “There’s a lot to fill you all in on…”

“Starting with the fact that our father’s closest advisor wants us all dead!” Ophia exclaimed.

“Okay, that’s another misconception,” said Aldan. “He doesn’t want you dead. Well…except Morenna. He really wants her dead, but warned me against challenging her. Zaurgan wants…in his way…what’s best for the Empire. It’s just that his vision of that is… I don’t think it’s a good one, and not just because he doesn’t care how many of you die to achieve it. What he arranged all this for was to give me opportunities to prove myself—to our father, to all of you, to the world. Those hazards I talked about? His plans were for me to feel each of you out, try to manipulate you—and yeah, he gave me strategies to work on each of you—try to get you to support me as Father’s heir, and get rid of any who wouldn’t go for it.”

“Support you?” Uthien asked, frowning. “You’re already the heir. I didn’t think there was any contest?”

“Ophia and Espa are the only ones who’d even be in the running and I’ve never heard either imply they wanted it,” Rakkan agreed.

“There’s a difference between supporting and not contesting,” said Ophia. “Aldan being the heir has always been a given, but… None of us have tried to be involved in the succession before. He would be a stronger Emperor with his siblings backing him fully.”

“And the recalcitrant ones out of the way,” Morenna said quietly. “But that isn’t what you want, Aldan?”

“It isn’t,” Aldan agreed, meeting her gaze and nodding firmly.

“What do you want, brother?” Uthien asked.

Aldan inhaled again, steeling himself. “I want… All of you to support me. Or if not me…to support each other. Listen: my whole life, Zaurgan has been very carefully grooming me.”

Ophia and Espa stiffened.

“When you say ‘grooming,’” Morenna began, pulling her sword a few inches from the sheath.

“Not like that,” Aldan said hastily. “It’s a combination of coaching me in strategy and manipulation, and cutting me off from any other sources of support. What he wants is for the next Emperor to be competent…”

“And under his control,” Ophia whispered.

Aldan nodded.

“Like I said, Zaurgan wants what’s best for the Empire. He’s loyal to Father…in his way. He is the source of almost every Imperial policy that works, and Mother is the source of the rest. Zaurgan is a strategist and a very effective administrator; Mother is a skilled diplomat. They’re both good at manipulation and spycraft. Khellvain…”

“Is an idiot,” Morenna finished.

Aldan frowned thoughtfully. “I understand your contempt, sister, but…don’t underestimate our father. Khellvain is at best a middling king, but he is the greatest warlord of a generation. He seems stupider than he is because his specific skills aren’t suited for the task he’s been saddled with, and he’s surrounded by advisors who know how to pull his strings.”

“So Zaurgan wants what’s best for the Empire?” Uthien prompted. “What’s your objection to that?”

“His idea of what’s best,” Aldan said grimly. “Zaurgan’s mind is a ledger; he’s far too willing to let people die, or suffer, if it means the overall success of the Empire. I think he’s wrong—not just morally, but strategically! Happy, well-fed people who feel safe and trust their Emperor are what makes for a stable Empire. People aren’t numbers. He wants what’s best, but I don’t think he understands what that is!”

“He also doesn’t respect other cultures enough,” Morenna added. “If you end up as Emperor with only Zaurgan for your support, everyone will be able to tell immediately. He’ll alienate the Rahabin and split the Empire into another war.”

“I…am afraid you’re right about that, too, sister,” Aldan agreed.

“This is just me playing a hunch,” said Rakkan, “but…is Zaurgan behind the recent rash of assassinations?”

“Attempted assassinations,” Morenna said smugly.

“Most of them,” Aldan said gravely. “Not the first one—killing Mother would only harm his interests, at this time. Eventually he’ll need to remove her as a source of support for me, but not while Father’s still in the picture. Zaurgan and Mother agree on a lot of policy points and often work together. But it was that one which resulted in him ordering the others.”

“Because that’s when Morenna rejoined the world,” Ophia said softly.

Aldan nodded again. “I don’t think Zaurgan fears much, but something about Morenna has him acting…well, cornered. The clockwork soldiers, the tribesmen in the city… All of it was aimed at her. He wasn’t trying to kill Ophia, Espa, or Uthien, but he would have accepted that cost for killing Morenna.”

“What the hell did I ever do to him?” Morenna demanded. “Fuck it, I’m killing him.”

“No, you’re not,” Vanerra said suddenly. “Sister, this isn’t just about strategy, though Aldan is right about that, too. Don’t attack Zaurgan. You can’t take him.”

The five of them stared in disbelief at their youngest sister; Aldan just looked resigned.

“Excuse me?” Morenna finally said. “Watch me.”

“He has decades of experience more than you,” Vanerra insisted.

“That’s less of an advantage than you think,” Morenna said cryptically, “and it doesn’t even matter, little sister. If you haven’t noticed, I am a shadow mage.”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” said Vanerra. “Morenna… Zaurgan is a shadow mage.”