City of Lithere

Spymaster Emil

When I was just a boy I'd had to walk these streets, alone, without family or true friends to lead me. That had been a horridly brutal life, but I'd learned things, so many things. First was to use anything that worked. What use was honor or pride to the dead after all? I'd also learned the paths and ways of the city. Certainly they'd changed since those days, old alleys had been cut off and new ones build, old tunnels that led here and there were dug or filled, but the base organization hadn't changed. Of course I'd kept up with a great many of those changes, my previous employment had only encouraged such things.

I sighed a bit as I stopped by a stall to eat, watching the crowd. There was no getting by it, the people were happy. Sure there were places here and there where those who'd lost loved ones still sulked a bit, but all in all, everyone seemed well off. The merchants were out and about hawking their wares, others bringing in goods from across the lands. The people were adjusting well under their new emperor.

It grated on me how happy they seemed. King Erik had been a good and noble man, and had done so much for the common folk that they didn't even know, and here they were, no rebellion, no real push-back against this new Emperor of Shadows, it was downright ungrateful.

Then again, I had to admit that while his Majesty had been kind and noble a huge number of the subordinate nobles hadn't. Perhaps that was the big change, those who'd been the real abusers had been removed. Didn't they understand though? If the king had tried to take them out he would have fallen to the Ermathi. Well, what was done was done, and there was no point in being sore about it.

Fir the time being I had a job to do, if I was to put the rightful king back in his place there were things that only I could accomplish. First and foremost, I needed to know if my old paths into the palace were still viable, and that would take some time to figure out. There were a number of secret entrances and exits, some guarded by magic, some more mundane means, that could get me near, and only a few that could get me truly in, and each needed to be checked.

I also needed to learn the truth about the princess Sophia, if I could. Sadly there was little that could be done there, and while she appeared happy and hale in public, there were few ways to know how she was behind closed doors. Prince Lief had insisted we try there, try to see if his sibling had either betrayed us, or was being forced into her current position by Durin, kept prisoner in some way or another.

There was thankfully one group who might be able to answer that question for me, and I was on my way to see them now. The streets seemed to move past easily as I trudged down to the temple district, the sound of my leather shoes on the cobbles keeping an even pace like a song.

The Temple of Lovers was easy to find, well, all of the temples were easy to find, they'd been designed that way. The gates before it seemed always open, always welcoming to those who needed their embrace. The priests and priestesses were all politically neutral, which was at least some help as I made my way to the entrance.

"Can I help you kind sir?" The young man working the entry asked as I approached.

"Yes, I would like to see the head priestess if possible." I passed over a small envelope. "Please give her that."

The envelope contained a completely mundane note, nothing more than a simple inquiry on having a priest of Lovers go to one of the outlying villages. Normal people wouldn't understand, but that wasn't the important part. The important part was the wax seal keeping it closed. It was marked by the prince's own signet ring, not something commonly seen, but the head priestess would doubtless recognize it.

I had to wait for a rather extended period of time, but that wasn't unusual. The leaders of the various temples in any city of this size would certainly be busy people. After an hour or two though an attendant came to gather me and take me to meet the elder of this Order.

Her office was austere. Certainly there were a number of books and tools along the walls, along with a few pieces of her own personal work, but none of the gold and fancy decorations that a noble would have had in their meeting rooms. The seat I was offered was simple but comfortable, and the tea poured a plain but well made mix. Those done the attendant left us to our discussion, the door clicking closed behind him.

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The head priestess looked out over her teacup, eyes settling on me with a hard gaze. "Well lad, I must say I wasn't expecting you to come and see me. To what do I owe this visit."

I was used to a bit of cold treatment, even from the orders, and I couldn't say that I didn't deserve at least some of it, so I simply gave her a slight smile. "I've business in the city of course, but... is this room secure?"

"Would I not take pains to make sure it was?" The woman raised an eyebrow questioningly as she spoke.

"Apologies, but I have to ask, sensitive subjects." I nodded in apology, it was rude to ask her, but I needed to know.

"We will not be aiding you if you plan to oppose Emperor Durin," she said flatly.

"While that's not why I'm here, why not? Has he been keeping the edicts of the Orders well?"

"To the letter, even against those who he replaced your nobles with. I know that King Erik wasn't a terrible man, but we both know that he let his men get away with too damn much. How many girls passed through my doors who'd suffered at the hands of some piss-ant baron who we all knew would never be properly punished?" I could see her frustration, and grit my teeth.

"We both know it comes down to what can be proven, one testimony..."

"He hardly even investigated, and when he did, it was only ever a slap on their wrists to tell them not to do it again."

"And does Durin?" I asked questioningly.

"Emperor Durin lad, and he enforces our rules with a sort of harshness I've seldom seen outside of our own priests."

I sighed, it was clear that while the various orders might not actively oppose us, the Order of Lovers at least had a strong preference. That was no good, as trying to take back over and return the proper prince to power would only be harder without ruffling their feathers.

"Well, at least the people are being well taken care of, though that's not why I'm here."

"Then why?" The priestess asked.

"I'm trying to find out the truth about Princess Sophia... If she's a willing participant, held hostage, or... whatever the truth of the matter may be. Her brother is concerned as you might well understand, surely you can share how she is with me?"

The old woman rested her eyes on me with a calculating look. She let the silence stretch on for a few moments before sighing herself. I didn't know what she knew, but her order had officiated their wedding surely, so she must have at least some information.

"Queen Sophia," she corrected me with another glare, propriety was important apparently. "Stayed with us for some months before her wedding. In that time she seemed both happy and well disposed to her future husband, and while it was offered that we might protect her, or spirit her away to another place to prevent any forced marriage, she declined repeatedly, often while laughing."

"She joined him willingly? Before he took over or afterwards?" I asked. I knew that they would have offered something, but it seemed they'd been rebuffed by the princess on all of those.

She shrugged. "Who knows, who knows that he didn't have something on her, but I didn't get that feeling. Goodness it was even Emperor Durin who'd pushed so hard for us to do whatever we wished to make sure there were no accusations after their joining."

I sat back, rubbing my face tiredly. After the girl Gwenna had gone on her little rampage I suspected that Sophia might have betrayed us, several nobles there near the end certainly had, but there was always the chance that the now queen had been cornered by some machination from Durin. This seemed to contradict that idea though. If she'd gone to him willingly... My liege would be heartbroken, but at the same time it did explain a number of things.

"Thank you for telling me," I said, and began to rise.

"Well, letting a family member know that a marriage wasn't forced isn't beyond reason, though it does push the line of neutrality." The head priestess rose with me, seeing me to the door. "Good day lad, I hope you find peace however things end."

I nodded to her in thanks and moved out. Once I returned to our lands I'd have to give a full accounting to the prince, but for now I could just process. I'd need time, but thankfully it would take no small amount to check my hidden ways, and to finally test them out.

If I could get back into the palace I would, just to pop my head in and check for traps, but it would be enough. That way when the time was right and everything was in place we could go and put things back in their rightful order.