Marquee Jonnep absent-mindedly stroked his pet cat, Czar, as he studied the tax forms spread out before him. Across from him, his captive struggled against her bonds. "Rest easy, little princess," he cooed to his captive. "You will be set free soon enough."
The princess briefly paused in her struggles, but then resumed once she realized that "soon enough" was akin to "once it suits me", which meant after her father was dead. Marquee Jonnep threw his head back and cackled with the laughter of victory, then continued to pore over the strenuous tax forms. "Soon, money will be the least of my concerns," he whispered, and then continued in his daydreams, neglecting his paperwork as usual.
After several minutes, the Marquee shoved his paperwork to the side and pulled out a stack of envelopes several inches high. He rifled through the different colors until he found the one he was searching for- a rose-colored envelope with a red seal that had been carefully broken and re-sealed countless times. He gently extracted a fragile cream-colored paper from the envelope, his eyes skimming over the neat handwriting. He made a careful note of one small detail that had escaped prior notice and replaced the letter.
"It's almost complete, Czar," he whispered to the Persian cat. "Just a few more pieces to fall into place, and then my grand plan will be complete and we will have won."
The cat meowed in response, and the Marquee stroked his fur gently as he pondered, for the millionth time, what he would do with the great wealth soon to befall him.
***
Across rivers and mountains, hills and valleys, farms and villages, there was a particularly green and grassy hill, fairly tall but not steep. A castle was situated on top, nestled comfortably above the rest of the kingdom but tucked away near the corner of the kingdom. The castle seemed regal and important, but not suited for a king. Possibly a high duke, or maybe a popular earl or wealthy baron. At the top of the castle ran a cobblestone walkway, stocked with bows and arrows and the occasional archers' tower. Several towers spiraled up into the brilliant blue sky, penetrating the blue bliss above. Compared to the massive beauty but strong fortifications of the castle, each visitor that appeared at the gate seemed small and insignificant. But that didn't deter any tourists eager to explore the beauty, or caravans determined to sell exotic goods for unrealistic prices, or even local peasantry attempting to settle a squabble.
The castle was full of marvelous rooms serving all sorts of functions,m from regal bedrooms to elaborate kitchens. Servants bustled around the palace, dusting portraits of old and proper kings and tidying fine linen sheets. tucked inside the castle, nestled in the perfect place, was a neat but spacious office. Currently, a well-dressed man and an apparent servant or possibly adviser sat at a table in the office.
"King Poleing, I petition you to restrain from sending out another search party," Reginald pleaded, his brown eyes practically shining.
King Poleing leaned back in his chair. "Reginald, I don't think you understand the situation. My daughter has been kidnapped. I intend to find her. If we do not find her, it could spell out disaster for the entire kingdom!"
"I completely understand the necessity of finding the princess, my liege, but you must understand that another search party will require us to send more capable soldiers away from the castle, thus compromising our security. There are already an ample amount of people searching for the princess, and once they return, you can send more out. But we cannot continue to lose soldiers, especially when we are already low on them because of the previous battles."
"Reginald, finding my daughter takes priority over additional security measures. We are perfectly safe here, seeing as I have avoided all conflict for the past several months and still have insisted on keeping my most trusted and capable men remaining here." King Poleing slammed his hand down on the desk, showing that he was firmly decided on this position.
"Your feelings are completely justified, my lord, but I don't believe I need to remind you that there are still people out there who want to get their hands on you and could be waiting for this very opportunity. Sending out search parties will not benefit the search enough to justify the risk you are taking by leaving the palace undefended."
"Reginald, I believe I have given you my answer. I understand the risks, but I don't think they are serious enough to warrant allowing my daughter's safety to be compromised to the point where every second she is out of my sight is another second her captor has to abuse her or even kill her. You are dismissed," King Poleing sighed with a wave of his hand.
Reginald stood and bowed respectfully, then exited promptly to continue his duties. King Poleing pulled his jacket back on over his dress shirt, adjusted his belt, and stepped back into his room to spruce up before the meeting. He had learned that looking fresh and sharp made a good impression at these slightly informal meetings and ended up only benefiting him for the small price of attention to detail.
King Poleing scooped up the gold-handled comb and ran it through his dark hair, parting it neatly to the left. He brushed off his shoulder pads, running his fingers through the long golden tassels and wiping flecks of dust off. Squinting at his reflection in the mirror, he grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed at his face till it was almost sparkling. After another quick glance, he dried his face off and marched out of his washroom and into his private office.
King Poleing slid into his chair and cleared off his desk, transferring the military strategy books he had been reading before his short meeting with Reginald to the shelf. He pulled the map of the five main countries out of his drawer and made sure his ink and quills was restocked. Content with his preparations, he leaned back in his chair and admired his office.
It was fairly spacious, but it still felt nice and cozy. He had his war trophies on shelves across from him, and the office was surrounded with bookshelves containing all kinds of books. He had a map spread across the table, showing both political borders but major geographical features. Two quills and ink wells sat on the table, and parchment was easily accessible in the first two desk drawers. King Poleing reclined in his padded oak chair, in front of the toasty fireplace. Some embers still smoldered, warming the room to a comfortable temperature. The size of the room allowed the heat to spread evenly and reach to the farthest corners of the study.
King Poleing's stomach grumbled, and his mind drifted to the kitchen. He knew that the cooks were currently preparing a delicious chicken and potato dinner, with a side of broccoli and a small loaf of buttered bread for the first course. He could almost smell the tender chicken on the silver platter and taste the leafy green of the broccoli, tasting the very moisture of the stems. The second course would also be delicious, a juicy watermelon and some berries, all different colors and textures. And for dessert, Lorrie had promised to make her famous apple cranberry pie with the extras from the second course. It would be a fairly modestly sized luncheon but certainly delicious and sure to impress his guest.
It would be more important than ever to impress this guest. He had enough influence to tilt the current playing table and reveal some cards. King Poleing had no doubt that this particular guest had some secrets of his own and some dirt he could dig up on some other political figures. It was also nerve-wracking, because King Poleing had little doubt that this special guest knew some of his personal secrets. That was why this guest was so dangerous but also such a valuable resource. King Poleing stroked his chin in thought as he pondered the current situation and his best bet at getting the most out of this dangerous visit.
A knuckle rapped on the thick wooden door separating King Poleing's study from the hubbub of the castle. "Come in," Duke Poleing called.
The door creaked open and his butler, Cejun, leaned in. "I've just sent Errud to give your guest directions to your study. He should be arriving momentarily. Lorrie just informed me that lunch will arrive in moments as well."
"Thank you, Cejun. Tell Lorrie to attempt to have the lunch in as soon as possible. I want to be able to eat that before we look at the maps," King Poleing instructed, brushing off his suit jacket and straightening in his chair, running his fingers through his hair in a last-minute attempt to look as dapper as possible.
A new servant, a young man freshly out of schooling, stepped into the room. He was carrying a heavily loaded tray and set it down gently on the table. "Your first course, sir. The second course will be ready at the ring of a bell."
"Thank you, young man. Now both of you, back to your duties and please close the door after you," King Poleing instructed. The two servants nodded and slipped out silently, pushing the door shut behind them.
King Poleing relaxed, but mentally prepared himself to receive this prestigious guest. After just a few moments, he heard footsteps down the hall and knew that this next hour would either go very well or very bad. He would change the history of the entire Five Kingdoms, for better or for worse.
The door opened. King Poleing opened his mouth to offer a greeting, but his breath was stolen by the general darkness that accompanied this guest. And Marquee Jonnep sat down in the chair and extended his hand.
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