Of Blood & Power

TRUCE I

"WHY DO WE HAVE TO DESTROY EACH OTHER? WE COULD HELP ONE ANOTHER."

Adrian refused to look at Erienne. She didn't stop speaking. "We should figure out the next step forward together-"

Adrian abruptly stood. Reythe joined him. "I'll send nurses to attend to you." Then he left the room, with Reythe in stride next to him. Royce was quick to follow. Erienne sank, once again, to the floor. Alone, hurting, and plotting her next move.

***

"I need to destroy her. The fact that that woman is still breathing-" Adrian cut himself off by throwing something at the wall. He and mistress were alone in his chambers.

"Adrian, its no use to throw things," Reythe said.

"Oh, shut up," he roared. Adrian had been so delighted the night before, so merry. Now he was a monster.

Adrian continued to pace. "Her every breath is a humiliation to me. And yet, I can't end her life." He banged his fists on the table.

"There is one way you could end her. For sure," Reythe offered.

"What do you propose?"

"Get her pregnant." She raised a hand to try and curb the anger that would explode from his anger. It did nothing to stop.

"Reythe, that woman is a creature. I could never, ever, ever lie with her. Not even if my life depended on it."

"Your life does depend on it Adrian. She may be beast, but she's a cunning one. You cannot allow an insult like that to rule alongside you. It will undermine you. This is the best way to solve your problem. Do you when a woman is most vulnerable in her life?"

Adrian impatiently nodded in the negative.

"When she's in labor. When the only thing she's focused on is pain and bringing her new child into the world. She won't be busy scheming or plotting. Erienne will be weak. That will be your perfect opportunity. You could make sure the midwife slices her inside and bleeds her to death. Someone could smother baby. The whole thing will be dubbed as a complication in childbirth, a tragedy. No one would ever be the wiser." Reythe brought his hand to her lips, kissing each fingertip. "Then you'll be free to marry me. Free to make me empress."

Adrian tilted his head, smiling in agreement. "That's brilliant."

"She wants a truce, my love. She's desperate to stop looking over her shoulder. Give in to what she wants. Seek her counsel on how to solve the dilemma of the other kingdoms."

"I don't need her help. I have plenty of advisers," Adrian said grudgingly.

"I know you don't need her. Of course you don't. But you need to put her at ease," Reythe insisted. She removed his hand from her lips and guided it lower. She lowered her voice a pitch. "Just think of the end game. In less than a year, she'll be gone."

Adrian traced his thumb down her neck. He loosened the laces that wound around her breasts. "Gone," he echoed.

"But Adrian?"

"Mmm?" His lips were grazing her neck.

"Tell no one of your plans."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Not even....not even those closest to you." Adrian removed his lips from her neck.

"You think Royce would betray me?"

"You never know."

"His dealings with Erienne are done anyway. Besides, he has no love for her. If he did, he would've exposed the plot I had for her father."