Page 12 of The Barbarian King's Assassin (Magic and Kings 1)
Jrijori offered a rare and sly grin. “Word is being passed around as the dignitaries arrive.”
I pointed out a flaw in his plan. “What if that leads the authorities back to us?”
“Insults now?” Jrijori was never sloppy, meaning he’d thought this through and we were covered.
“Tell me more about this barbarian and his bride,” I asked, kicking up my feet, expecting his glare, as my boots marred the polish of his wooden antique prize.
“Hasn’t your rumor mill of a news source already informed you?” he mocked.
“I know he’s a savage. They say he’s seven feet tall and eats out of the skulls of his enemies. Bathes in their blood. Oh, and speaks in grunts.”
Jrijori smirked. “And what do they say about his bride-to-be?”
“That she has the voice of an angel and is the favorite of the emperor. Seems odd he’d marry her to his biggest enemy.”
“What makes you think they’re enemies? It’s been more than a century since they’ve been officially at war.”
“But where the tips of their countries touch, and even across the ravine, there have been skirmishes. The Barbarian King has been shifting some of his army to the border towns, not quite crossing any boundaries but close enough to make those living there nervous.”
“None of that is an act of war.”
I waved a hand. “Fine. On the other side it’s been known for years the emperor wants to expand his borders. The drought and plague of a decade ago is the only thing that slowed his expansion plans.”
“Mostly correct. But what your rumor mill doesn’t know is that the emperor is not the one pushing for broader borders.”
“Is it one of his children? He has three daughters, so which is it?” I teased him, knowing the answer but also waiting for his exasperation.
Instead, he took a sip of his drink before replying. “I hate it when you pretend to be stupid. You know exactly who is pulling the strings.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve discussed the emperor and his puppet master, the grand vizier.” In my youth, I thought of the emperor all the time. Hated him for ordering my parents’ deaths. For trying to kill me.
Later on, as I grew older and listened more, I learned the emperor’s grand vizier exerted undue control. That led to me wonder, was it the emperor? Or did the grand vizier order my mother and me killed? Most of all, why?
“It is said the grand vizier is desirous of this pairing.”
“Which seems contrary to past actions.”
“You forget, the Barbarian King was originally supposed to marry the eldest, Zariina Majya.”
“Didn’t she join a cloister?” Each country had some type of religion worshipping Gaya, the nurturer of women. Cloisters dedicated to Gaya provided a place to females who had nowhere else to go or didn’t fit in.
“She did, supposedly to avoid marriage to the Barbarian. The emperor’s second daughter, Galina, is already married, part of an alliance with the Eastern Island Federation. By all accounts she’s quite happy and has already birthed three heirs for her husband. Leaving only the youngest to marry the Westerner.”
“Won’t stopping the wedding cause a war?”
“Exactly. Meaning plenty of coin to be made.”
“And more dead people. Civilians for the most part.”
Jrijori grimaced. “Morality doesn’t suit you.”
“Perhaps I am getting old.”
“Thinking of retiring? To do what? Perhaps manage the shop for real?”
I grimaced. “Never said I wanted to stop.”
“You are concerned about starting a war, and yet, it doesn’t matter if the wedding happens or not. If those two countries merge, they will inevitably look to the north and south. If they don’t, they will escalate the fight with each other. But with the latter, we make money.”