“Tell me where it is!” Jin yelled. He stood with a single candle-torch in hand, looking into a dark cell where a lone occupant stayed hidden from the small amount of light. They were at the very end of a long corridor of cells, sparsely lit and filled with refuse of both the literal and personified kind.
“As before, it won’t help asking me,” said a quiet, slow male voice from the darkness of the cell.
“Tell me, and this’ll be done and over. You know that. Be reasonable,” Jin said, his voice suddenly smooth and calm.
“There’s nothing to say,” the man in the cell replied. He coughed a few times; horrendous, hacking coughs.
“Fine! Well, your constant refusal won’t matter soon enough,” Jin said.
“I’ll be gone. Soon,” the man said.
“Maybe. But you may provide use alive still. I’ll keep you around as long as possible. Or, well, maybe at least until the week is over. There’ll be something you’ll want to hear the good news about soon,” Jin said.
“Good news? I’d laugh,” the man said.
“Oh but it is. Sure, you won’t divulge its whereabouts. Then again, it’s possible you really don’t know, though I won’t concede that just yet. And it’s also conceivable you really don’t have knowledge of him, though that’s far less believable. Though the former is just a matter of search, really. And I’ll have all the time necessary with the second, soon enough. Though I suppose it’ll have to do even if we can’t find it. We’ll just do without it at that point. You should tell me anyways, so the knowledge isn’t lost forever,” Jin said.
“Enough games. I’m tired.”
“Yes, I suppose you always are. Has it been all that long since our last session, hmm? Well, suppose you won’t tell all that you should. You should hear the wonderful news, at least,” Jin said. It was hard to tell in the light, but he had a half-smile.
“It’s not like it matters to me anymore. Stop teasing this old man. What is it?” the man in the cell asked.
“Most wonderful news. As you know, a certain child had been missing for quite a while. Well, wonderful as it is, she’s been found! Oh, but maybe I had told you that much last time. Well, this time, the Queen of Hallum met the girl, and has sent message indicating when the girl shall arrive home. Oh how wonderful, for the lost child to return to her home, her city, her mother, her country,” Jin said, gesturing all the while.
“Don’t you dare harm Ruby!” the man in the cell suddenly shouted out.
“I wouldn’t think of it! Perish the thought! In fact, knowing that she’s coming back, Madam Melonscone and I have decided to work out some arrangements. You see, I happened to notify her of another wonderful development. I had to tell her we kept the information from her for a while since the discovery due to security concerns, but that with the return of her daughter, we should move ahead with securing the future of the country, and reveal that most precious secret to the populace in a grand, dignified gesture,” Jin said.
“What are you getting at?” the man asked.
“Why it’s simple, old friend. The heir, of course. The heir has been safe and sound for a while now, though that’s a closely guarded secret, of course. And though he should happen to be a youth, it must be felt that the young king should both reveal himself, and secure the hearts, and pockets, of the nation. And the nobility, of course. And such a grand gesture, available to those of the royal line, would be the tying of two households,” Jin said.
“You! You!”
“Don’t strain yourself, old friend,” Jin said.
“An impostor, marrying an impostor to her!” the man said, and then wheezed. His breathing had become heavier, and each word required a significant amount of effort to match his anger.
“Ah ha, so you finally drop the pretense, you do know! However, I suppose if you’ve held out to this point, it doesn’t matter any longer. But impostor is such a terrible word. I prefer replacement. And isn’t it fine? After all, the girl was promised to the heir by the prior king. Whether it’s the real one or not doesn’t matter, now does it?” Jin asked.
“My dear Ruby, I’ve failed you,” the man said. He sniffed a bit. In the dark, tears started to make their way down his cheeks.
“Oh, you care too much. I’d invite you to the grand hall for it in three days, but I fear I cannot provide you with a seat. Though I do hope you’ll be around after that, so I can share the good news with you afterwards! Have a good day, old friend. Do send word when you wish to speak on more important matters. After all, you’re the only one I’ve been able to confide in,” Jin said.
Jin then turned and walked away down the long corridor, leaving the sobbing man to his cell. As Jin neared the exit there was a rattle of several chains in a cell next to him.
“Oh don’t get up. Or have you decided to pledge your allegiance? He’s already fading, and it’d be a shame to lose you as well, after all the time and money spent on your training. A waste. Well, maybe there will be a suitable job for you again soon. Once the rest of these matters are taken care of, the new queen will need your services again. Shouldn’t that make you, of all people, happy? Though it’ll be your choice if you want to keep your tongue at that time,” Jin said.
The figure in the cell moved back, and sat with the large sound of several clanking chains. The figure only sighed, and Jin smiled while continuing on his way. Jin left the prison, and entered a waiting carriage. Inside another person waited.
“Well?” Gardos asked.
“Still obstinate. He hasn’t told after all this time, no matter what we put him through. It doesn’t seem like he’ll tell, not even in his dying breath,” Jin said.
“You should have let us take care of it,” Gardos said.
“Please, as tempting as it is, there are still actions you cannot take, even if the only person who’d end up knowing is a condemned man. A man who’ll be gone soon anyways, and yet even I have held back from telling him too much,” Jin said.
“A careless word, it’s true. Fine. Is it possible he doesn’t know?” Gardos asked.
“Yes. It may also be possible that Fidel had something to do with it, before he expired,” Jin said.
“Hasty moves always have a downside,” Gardos said, lamenting.
“Hasty? The planning was fine, the scope of the search was just unexpected! Who would’ve known a king could truly keep something confidential? Not just one king, but the entire line of them! Surely they had some planning on how to pass it down should something happen to them! It’s only a matter of time,” Jin said.
“Proceed ahead as normal, anyways. I’m still not fully convinced it actually exists, but if it does that’d only be an additional benefit. Though this upcoming farce with the nobility and that boy should prove interesting,” Gardos said.
“Yes it should. Fortunate, isn’t it?” Jin asked.
“Yes, surprisingly. She’ll prove more useful alive, probably. But be careful. Who knows what other thoughts she’s had since we first tried to dispose of her. What a mistake that would’ve been, though, and how fortunate she lived. Though I’ve heard that she was able to both harm and escape from my men when they tried to acquire her in Sounderthound. And now she just comes strolling in, with a full escort! Jin, people like that are dangerous,” Gardos said.
“She’s still only a noble girl. Once back in her place, she’ll behave, and it’s not like the knowledge she had before is useful anymore. And please, blaming incompetence on the person they were supposed to escort? This is why it’s a difficult matter to work with your people. Until things are all set, they must work as if they have no affiliation. Besides, are you sure that report was accurate? Wasn’t there a mention of an associate she had helping out?” Jin asked.
“The reports vary, it was probably just a random local in the first report, and they weren’t mentioned again. Even those bearans tried making an excuse regarding someone for their incompetence, but I hadn’t the time to deal with it. It’s unfortunate I arrived here without running into them, but it looks like the result is satisfactory. And with how things have gone since, she’s no longer a threat. An asset even. Anyways, it is always possible something else happened and they blamed the girl. Or they got drunk and lost her. I’m not too pleased with relying on that level of operative anyways. My men would’ve done better. The Head Lord will not be pleased, but that’s a matter for them, not us. For us, he’ll have the highest regard for the current scheme. Secure the trust, nailing in the final pin to coerce the nobility; it’s all quite good. A rare word of praise, even. It’s been a while since I’ve been this pleased, Regent Jin,” Gardos said, wearing a smug smile.
“Oh you honor me, most Holy Representative of the Head Lord Welnic,” Jin said, wearing another wicked smile.
“Now, I suppose you have a play, I mean, wedding, to prepare for,” Gardos said.
“Indeed I do.”
