Just a small one, I wonder if you can tell I'm building up for something here
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Betrayal
Morteros shook her, but only very gently, afraid that his touch would somehow break her.
''Alexis, Alexis wake up.'' He whispered, hurriedly
''Father?'' Her voice was groggy and weak as she began to stir. Finally she opened her eyes, blinking in the light of the candle Morteros held close to her face.
''What are you doing, filth! How dare you wake the Queen!'' Immediately she was fully awake, and furious that a lowly human servant had dared awake her from her dream. It was still dark outside.
''I am most sorry, My Queen.'' Morteros withdrew from her quickly, ignoring the casual insult, ''But I had no other choice, I have dire news.''
Alexis growled angrily at him, ''Turn around, and be silent.''
The man turned, shaking in fear. What would she do to him? He kept his mouth firmly shut to prevent her hearing his whimpering, and tried to picture the birth of his new-born baby, determined to die with a happy thought in his mind.
Finally, Alexis spoke again. ''You may face me.'' Her tone of voice was implacable, and worrying. He turned slowly, not knowing what to expect.
She stood before him in a long gown of deep red silk, with her hair brushed perfectly into place, and her face washed. Morteros let out a sigh of relief, not bothering to hide it from her, and she smiled to see his discomfort. ''What is it you have to tell me, Morteros?'' Morteros was one of her main servants, and was charged with cleaning many of the rooms in the Upper Palace, for this reason he made a useful spy, and often brought her valuable information based on what he found in the rooms of the members of the Ruling Seat, her chief advisors, and any Nobles who needed to stay in Prespur.
He took a deep breath, hoping she would acknowledge him as the bearer of bad new and not its cause. ''Lord Agron plans to kill you! I found these papers in his desk, and under his pillow he keeps a long, silver knife.'' Little did the Nobility know that privileged servants like Morteros had the keys to every draw and cupboard of the Upper Palace rooms.
''Many of the nobility keep knives at hand, a man like Agron should always be weary of betrayal.'' Aware of how ironic this would sound to the servant.
''But Mistress, on the dagger he has carved 'Ka Ypeigna sor ka Heim Nroghe', which means 'The Bringer of the New Age', in the Old Tongue.''
''I am perfectly aware of the meaning.'' She said coolly. She knew Morteros was correct, yet continued to play Agares' Advocate, ''And it does not necessarily suggest...'' She let it hang.
''No, but this does.'' He placed document after document onto her desk, which she began to skim through, Morteros drawing her attention to the most damning areas of each. Included was a detailed discussion of Agron's grand scheme, a sketch of the dagger and it's carving, and numerous references to the ''New Age''. Finally, feeling he could no longer hold on, he desperately tried to pull her away from the documents by her arm, saying, ''Mistress, we must leave! You must escape!''
The Queen slapped hard the hand that had so callously grabbed hold of her, and continued to flick through the documents. Sometimes, servants like Morteros forgot their place. At last, she spoke. ''Interesting'' her voice was steady and calm.
''Interesting? He is going to kill you!''
''Yes, it is interesting. Some of this had escaped even my notice.'' she told him.
He gasped in horror. ''You knew his plans? Then why in this world did you give him such power?''
''Silence! You will not speak to me using such a tone, worm!'' Her expression was clouded with anger. ''You will never doubt my actions! Understand?''
''I... I'm sorry Mistress, I don't know what I was thinking, I was just so afraid you would walk into his trap.''
She ignored him, and turned to the long mirror that hung on her wall, meticulously inspecting her appearance.
''I am tired of Ruling.'' she finally spoke,''I am tired of dealing with the Council. I am tired of constantly having to thwart the plots of ambitious Noblemen. Please leave me now, Morteros.''
Morteros scrambled to his feet and walked to the doorway, blinking back tears with all his strength. Alexis really was depressed, and she wanted to die. A fact Agron would surely make good use of...
