Corrinus was once again sitting in the darkened banqueting hall of the castle with his aides at the long dining table. Only six of the candles along the walls were alight and another two were starting to gutter out on the table. Corrinus liked the space and grandeur of the room, even in the low light. It made him feel kingly.

He flicked through his book as the aides discussed the happenings in the towns amongst themselves, and drummed his fingers on the table.

He heaved a sigh before looking at his aides disdainfully. "You really are a boring lot, aren't you?" he said. "Have we reports from the people? Are they happy with their new Elani slaves?"

Millicent wasn't afraid to talk to him like the other aides. She nodded and said, "Very happy, my lord. The Lamya people are praising you as the greatest ruler they've had. This morning in South–Town I saw a family out with their slave in tow and they looked very happy indeed."

"Good," he said, eyeing his new aide. "Very good. Millicent, you are a fine aide. I'm glad I employed your help." He studied the other aides, who avoided his gaze hurriedly, then turned back to Millicent again. He stared at her and she held his gaze. "I have slept much better," he said. "Continue to watch over the healer, get her to make more of her medicines."

He waved his hand and dismissed the aides. Millicent was the last to leave the room and as she neared the door, he threw one of his blades. The dagger quivered in the door, inches from Millicent's hand.

She looked at the dagger and then at him, the expression of shock on her face quickly masked by one of questioning. "My lord?"

Corrinus narrowed his pink eyes and smiled, he didn't trust this new aide one bit. She was sly and he had never liked sly.

A draft from the open door blew into the room making the candlelight flicker. "I will be paying a visit to the Old Woman," he said. "Bring my robe and prepare a horse."

Millicent shivered. The Old Woman was a wizened old Lamya who lived alone on the streets of East–Town. The other Lamya mostly ignored her or taunted her and chased her away. She was almost as feared as Corrinus himself and had a hand in raising him. She was a fortune–teller and Corrinus had relied on her for information before.

Millicent nodded, keeping her face a mask of trained obedience. "Yes, my lord."

Corrinus studied her for a reaction as he spoke again. "Oh and Millicent, you'll be coming with me."

Millicent looked back at him in surprise. Then she calmed herself and forced a thin smile. "Of course, my lord," she said. "Yes."

His lips twisted and he closed his book.

#

Of the four towns of the Lamya, East–Town was the smallest. It was also the dreariest, nastiest little place in the whole of the Kingdom. The streets were dirty and the buildings were falling apart. It was dark and wet, and smelled of rotten vegetables and excrement.

The past rulers of the Kingdom of Malinas would never have even visited the town but Corrinus had been born there and he knew the place well enough, though he liked it less.

He rode one of the black horses that a servant had prepared for him while Millicent rode slightly behind, as befit her position as aide.

People stopped what they were doing and stared as they rode past. Millicent had dressed in all her finest clothes and looked down on the people in distaste while Corrinus was virtually invisible, cloaked beneath his black hooded robe which trailed out over his horse's rump.

He pulled his horse to a stop as an old man begging at the side of the road caught his attention. "Have you seen the Old Woman?" he hissed. He knew she didn't stay in one place for long.

The old man seemed half-blind, his teeth were rotten and his hair had fallen out leaving behind a scabbed and flaking scalp. He peered up at Corrinus. "Heh? The Old Woman? No, I haven't. An' I don't care where she is either. Could find out for you for a piece of silver though."

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The old man held out his hands and sucked eagerly at the inside of his mouth.

Corrinus raised his eyebrows and looked back at Millicent. She smiled evilly, sure of the fate of the old beggar.

The old man shook his hands. "Did y' hear me? Silver in exchange for information!"

Corrinus leaned over the side of his horse and beckoned the old man closer to him. People in the streets watched on in silent horror as the old man stepped nearer, oblivious to the danger he was in. Millicent grinned and Corrinus shot out a hand and grabbed the man roughly under the chin.

"Do you know who I am?" he whispered. He tightened his grip as the old man struggled vainly. "Answer me, old fool!"

It seemed to dawn on the old man who the cloaked figure was and he tried desperately to talk himself out of trouble. "My lord! It's you! Forgive me, sir. I'm just a poor humble old man, my sight's failing me. I couldn't see you at first. Lord Corrinus, I..."

Corrinus squeezed harder and harder until the man stopped struggling. He pushed the strangled body away and sat up straight on his horse. He looked into the crowd of stunned spectators and said, "It is a kindness I do for beggars." He spat the word and puckered his mouth in distaste. "Now," he continued, "you will help me, yes?"

"Speak out," cried Millicent. "Who here knows where we can find the Old Woman?"

There was fearful silence. A child of about eight came and poked the old man's corpse, checking if he really was dead before retreating back to the others. Then a young man broke from the crowd and approached Corrinus's horse. He bowed respectfully before addressing his master. "My lord, I can take you to the Old Woman. She's not far from where we stand."

Corrinus nodded, took one last bored look at the body of the old man and then kicked his horse to follow the guide.

#

A cackled song came floating out from one of the dark back streets. The guide stopped and indicated down the alley, his eyes darting in fear. "There, my lord. Forgive me but I'll have to leave you here."

Millicent jumped down from her horse and handed the reins to the man. "Then you stay and hold our horses if you're frightened," she said, handing him Corrinus's horse as he too dismounted. "Make sure you're still here when we return."

The man nodded quickly, relieved at being let off so lightly and stood and waited as Corrinus and Millicent disappeared into the dark. Millicent heard him blow a sigh of relief and it made her smile.

The Old Woman was sitting on a stool under a corrugated iron lean–to. She threw stones onto a small table and watched them intently as they landed. As Corrinus approached her, she didn't even turn to address him.

"You've come again, milord. Hmm, I was wondering how long it would be." The Old Woman turned and smiled a toothless smile, the many gold hoops in her ears jangling together as she moved her head.

Millicent screwed up her nose and took a step back. The Old Woman laughed. "Smell, do I? Not like you, my pretty! Still, that's what happens when you live a poor hard life like I do."

Corrinus glared at Millicent, warning her not to offend the Old Woman. To Millicent's surprise the Lamya leader leaned forward and kissed the Old Woman on the cheek before crouching down opposite her at the table. He turned his head to one side slightly to avoid the smell. "Tell me, Old Woman, what do you see?"

The Old Woman smiled before peering at the stones she had just cast. She furrowed her brow, glanced up at Millicent, who folded her arms, unimpressed, and then back at the stones again. "I see Elani," she said. "Working. Elani working for the mighty Corrinus."

Millicent scoffed. "Anyone with half a brain knows we have Elani slaves now in the Kingdom."

A look from Corrinus silenced her and he nodded for the Old Woman to continue.

"I see a return of some sort. Someone you know is coming home, Lord."

Corrinus looked at the stones. "Who is it, Old Woman?" he asked. "Is it Zev?"

The Old Woman shrugged. "The stones give me no names, milord." She shuffled the stones about a bit before picking one of them up with shaky hands and showing it to Corrinus. "This one represents an enemy, milord. But see, see the distance between your enemy and your castle. Far, far away." She put the stone down. "But wait! There is another here... closer!" The Old Woman indicated a similar stone nearer to where Corrinus sat. "Watch for the enemy here."

"I am always surrounded by enemies," Corrinus said. "I don't fear them."

The Old Woman remained silent, staring at the stones. Corrinus looked at her expectantly. "Any good news, Old Woman? Tell me some good news."

Millicent gave the Old Woman a nudge when she seemed slow to answer. The Old Woman pushed at the stones again. "Sweet boy, always needing reassurance," she said, half to herself. "Your work out on the fields will be successful, my sweet Lord, you will have good crops for the harvest. I see... I see more here. Something else..."

The Old Woman leapt up and flung the stones to the floor, she screamed and cowered to the back of the lean–to. "Death!" she cried. "I see death!"

Corrinus stood up, his lips puckered in distaste. Then he placed some gold coins on her stool and left. Millicent waited a moment, smirking at the Old Woman huddled in the corner. "You probably see your own death, you old fool, you've been around far too long." She grabbed an old carving knife that was lying untouched on a shelf and lunged at the Old Woman, thrusting the blade between her ribs.

She stared into the Old Woman's eyes as they clouded over and whispered in her ear as she died, "You may speak a load of old mumbo jumbo but you were right when you told Corrinus he has an enemy closer to home. Sleep now, Old Woman, sleep and may your stench die with you."

She threw the blade on the floor and checked her hands and clothes for blood. She smiled in satisfaction and hurried after Corrinus.