The Land Where Dragons Rule
by Alice Montrose
PrologueHired help can be very useful. Certain people would do anything for the right sum of money.- Esthera Aidan
Lady Esthera had been looking for the best man to suit her interest for a few months when luck had brought Shayan Miren to her.
A Glacaen woman of 30 years, beautiful by any country's standards and with a mind for intrigue, she had retained the attention of Ardae's former Emperor, and had bore him a son. Unfortunately, after the Emperor's death it had been his older son, Bryenn, who had inherited the Dragon Throne. A fact she, a member of the Glacaen nobility, was most unhappy with.
But also a fact she was about to change.
It had been most fortunate that she had managed to sway Lord Hyden Sidanous, Commander of the Knights of Aidan, her way. The man, her late husband's most trusted aid, had never been oblivious to her charms and had been easily persuaded that Bryenn Aidan was unfit to rule, true heir or no true heir. And Hyden had quickly understood the advantages of having the country ruled by someone who was not raving mad.
Esthera's initial plan had, however, developed a minor flaw - the Aquilaen slave they had brought at the palace to serve as the Emperor's Leviathan. Naturally, very few knew that the boy hadn't even been a Llyr, let alone the real Leviathan... but still, he had helped Esthera persuade her stepson that his 'condition' was not the result of the dragon's power that coursed through his veins. And then, unexpectedly, the little whore had had the nerve to attempt to blackmail her.
Needless to say, he had found himself at the pointed end of a sword the following morning.
With no one to bring Bryenn into submission until her plans were unstoppable, she had come up with a new strategy: a potent Silvaen medicine that kept the Emperor to his bed, trapped in his own madness... and in the mean time, Esthera's son ruled Ardae as Regent, just as planned. Thankfully, Quinn Aidan was a dense 14 year-old boy who obeyed his mother in everything.
But Esthera needed one more key element in her play: a man she could trust, who would watch over the now comatose Bryenn and make sure nothing happened to him while he slowly wasted away in his bed. Someone with no connection to Ardae and the Imperial Family, and who would lose nothing by helping her.
Shayan Miren had turned out to be the perfect candidate.
Born in Ventae from the local gentry, the man had worked most of his life as a mercenary. The people that had brought him to Esthera's attention had assured her that his only interest lay in money, and that he had few scruples when it came to doing a job. He cared nothing for politics or fame, and even for his personal pleasure. He sported a very simple logic: if he was paid well, his loyalty was guaranteed.
And Esthera had little qualms about spending Ardae's money to ensure the completion of her goals.
She turned her eyes to the man still kneeling at in front of the chair she currently occupied. She had to admit, given the description she had been given she had expected a brute of a man, all muscles and little brain. She had been pleasantly surprised when her servant had introduced to her a seemingly refined young man who had looked her daringly in the eye before performing the protocol required in her presence without even a minor slip.
"You may rise, Shayan Miren," she addressed him confidently and he obeyed, cold violet eyes meeting ice-blue ones. His face held a stony expression, as if the man had never smiled in his life. He wore black clothing that accentuated his height and carriage; but the amazing thing about him was his hair - though worn in a proper Ventaen style, it was a pitch black colour that hinted at Aquilaen blood.
They spent a few moments assessing each other in silence; for the first time in long years, it was she that broke eye contact first. Then, in a voice both very proper and as emotionless as his appearance, he asked why he had been summoned.
Testing the terrain before giving up any information was a task Esthera took most serious, for it had always told her if the person she was speaking with could be trusted or not. And it was also a means of finding out the best method to persuade the said person into doing her biding.
She smiled coolly at his formality. "Naturally, I wish to commission your services. I have been told you are a loyal, honourable man, as well as an exquisite warrior."
"The people who told you this might have also mentioned my services are expensive. Milady," he added almost as an afterthought.
So flattery didn't work, and he was quite straightforward. But perhaps something else...
"I can assure you, the pay is in accordance to the quality of your services. Still, I must be certain you are the right person for the job." She stood up and approached him with flowing grace. "I need to know you are..." she ran a hand up his chest and rested it lightly on his shoulder, "not easily distracted from your..."
Her other hand's advance down his toned stomach was halted by an iron grip that made her squeak in surprise. He had moved so fast she hadn't even noticed.
"... duty," she finished the sentence, voice close to a purr.
The mercenary didn't even blink at her attempt to seduction. "My interest lies only in doing my work properly, Lady Esthera."
"Mmm. A man of steel, then." Unlike Lord Hyden, who had easily fallen into her trap. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on for a moment longer before releasing her wrist.
"Tell me, Shayan, how loyal are you to the Emperor of Ardae?" she asked business-like, sitting back down.
"As loyal as he pays me to be," was his answer - an answer not at all surprising and fitting his personality.
"I see." She pointed at another chair in front of her, but he shook his head - a proud and minimal gesture - and remained standing. "Still, the matter I wish to employ you in is... problematic, and it would require you to spend most of your time alone, here in the palace. It would also demand great secrecy, and may turn out to be long-termed."
Dark-clad shoulders shrugged. "I am my own man, milady. My connections in Aidus are strictly business-related, and I have no family or other current obligations. How much are you willing to offer me in order to take this 'problematic matter' off your hands?"
"100 gold per month, food, lodging, clothing and whatever entertainment you might require, as long as it doesn't interfere with your duty. A weekly report of your activity delivered to me personally, or to Lord Hyden if I am away. You will be given the job's specifics after you agree to it. While I am willing to be flexible on most of the conditions, these are not negotiable."
He nodded. "One free hour each day, in which I may do as I please, with the possibility to cumulate weekly hours in one day. The opportunity for me to practice my battle skills whenever my duty allows it. Books, writing material, the possibility to send personal letters whenever I please - without mentioning anything about my current duty, of course. Being allowed to deny any form of sexual advances - from anyone." He glared at her and continued. "A written contract stipulating all of the above, signed by both of us and a witness on each side, valid for as long as I remain in your employment."
Esthera was impressed by the long speech coming from someone as taciturn as he had been before, as well as by fact that the man knew how to protect his interests. And the conditions he had laid down seemed more than acceptable, considering the task he would perform for an indefinite period of time.
"Agreed. You would make a fine businessman, Shayan Miren - and are worthy of your reputation."
"And my task?"
"Your task is to make sure that my beloved stepson, Emperor Aidan, stays out of my way. It will be easy, considering his current condition - but I need someone I can trust, someone who can deal with any unexpected problem that might appear."
For the first time, a sly smile crept on the mercenary's lips, and his eyes shone dangerously. "It shall be my personal pleasure, milady."
~ To Be Continued ~
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