do?'
'See to the estate. And to some other business in Lebec that I haven't had time to attend to until now.'
'You mean your precious little deposed duchess, don't you?' Lyna asked with a sly smile. 'The one I brought back from Senestra. She's a feisty little thing. Do you think the wait has softened her up at all?'
Jaxyn turned to the large map, detailing his invasion plans that was laid out on the table and began to roll it up. 'She's probably thought of nothing else but what I might be planning to do to her since she was confined in Lebec Prison. The wait may not have softened her ...' He smiled wistfully for a moment, it might well have driven her mad.'
'You're such an evil little prick, Jaxyn.'
He smiled even more broadly. Coming from Lyna, that was probably a compliment, 'I have my moments.'
'And what are you planning to do to her, now you've got her in your clutches? I can't believe you're going to take to her with a lash and a red-hot poker. You're long past getting a kick out of watching something suffer mere physical torment. Your tastes are much more sophisticated these days.'
'I'm going to use her to bring Stellan to heel,' he said.
Lyna smiled at him in a way he didn't much care for. 'Ah, yes ... It all gets back to the boyfriend, doesn't it?'
'The boyfriend, as you insist on referring to the traitor Stellan Desean, is currently residing in the palace of a foreign queen, urging her to invade us, so he can take the crown of Glaeba from its legally appointed heir.'
'Unlike you,' she said, trailing her finger along the table as she approached him, 'who's currently planning
to invade a foreign power so he can take the thrones of both Caelum and Glaeba from their legally appointed heirs and then appoint himself king of the whole blessed continent.'
Jaxyn wasn't fooled by her scolding tone. 'And the only reason you're striding the halls of this palace in all that finery and a snow-bear fur cloak, my dear, is because you're quite happy to go along with it,' he pointed out, securing the map with a length of red ribbon.
'I didn't say I disapproved, darling,' she said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. 'I just think I'm going to be bored witless in Lebec'
'Deal with it, Lyna. You're coming with me.'
'Can I watch you interrogate the duchess?'
'No.'
'Afraid I might be jealous?'
'More afraid you'll get in the way, actually.'
'Will you tell me about it? All about it. I'll want every tiny little detail.'
He sighed. 'If that's what it takes to keep you hosting tea parties for the landed gentry, Lyna, then yes. I'll tell you every tiny little detail.'
She took a step back from him. 'Well, I'd better get packing then. When do we leave?'
'Tomorrow at first light.'
'I'll be there,' she promised. 'And if you promise me at least one visit to watch you working on your little duchess, I'll even try to pretend I'm thrilled to be there.'
Jaxyn wasn't amused by her attempts to manipulate him, but there probably wasn't any harm to be done by letting Lyna visit Arkady once. 'We'll see,' he told her, not quite prepared to commit to anything just yet.
'We will indeed,' she agreed, before turning on her heel and flouncing out of the council chamber, stopping only long enough to retrieve her white snow-
bear cloak on the way out. Jaxyn watched her leave and then turned to Chikita. Like the well-trained Crasii she was, the feline hadn't moved a muscle during the whole conversation, although noticing where she was now standing, Jaxyn did wonder if she'd been inching her way closer to the fire.
'Take this map to my office,' he ordered, pulling a chain from around his neck from which a small key dangled. 'Make sure it's locked in the cabinet, and then return the key to me. I'll be in the king's parlour.'
Chikita took the map and the key and bowed low to her master. 'To serve you is the reason I breathe,' she said.
Damn right it is, Jaxyn thought. And the world would be a much happier place if everyone on Amyrantha
'See to the estate. And to some other business in Lebec that I haven't had time to attend to until now.'
'You mean your precious little deposed duchess, don't you?' Lyna asked with a sly smile. 'The one I brought back from Senestra. She's a feisty little thing. Do you think the wait has softened her up at all?'
Jaxyn turned to the large map, detailing his invasion plans that was laid out on the table and began to roll it up. 'She's probably thought of nothing else but what I might be planning to do to her since she was confined in Lebec Prison. The wait may not have softened her ...' He smiled wistfully for a moment, it might well have driven her mad.'
'You're such an evil little prick, Jaxyn.'
He smiled even more broadly. Coming from Lyna, that was probably a compliment, 'I have my moments.'
'And what are you planning to do to her, now you've got her in your clutches? I can't believe you're going to take to her with a lash and a red-hot poker. You're long past getting a kick out of watching something suffer mere physical torment. Your tastes are much more sophisticated these days.'
'I'm going to use her to bring Stellan to heel,' he said.
Lyna smiled at him in a way he didn't much care for. 'Ah, yes ... It all gets back to the boyfriend, doesn't it?'
'The boyfriend, as you insist on referring to the traitor Stellan Desean, is currently residing in the palace of a foreign queen, urging her to invade us, so he can take the crown of Glaeba from its legally appointed heir.'
'Unlike you,' she said, trailing her finger along the table as she approached him, 'who's currently planning
to invade a foreign power so he can take the thrones of both Caelum and Glaeba from their legally appointed heirs and then appoint himself king of the whole blessed continent.'
Jaxyn wasn't fooled by her scolding tone. 'And the only reason you're striding the halls of this palace in all that finery and a snow-bear fur cloak, my dear, is because you're quite happy to go along with it,' he pointed out, securing the map with a length of red ribbon.
'I didn't say I disapproved, darling,' she said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. 'I just think I'm going to be bored witless in Lebec'
'Deal with it, Lyna. You're coming with me.'
'Can I watch you interrogate the duchess?'
'No.'
'Afraid I might be jealous?'
'More afraid you'll get in the way, actually.'
'Will you tell me about it? All about it. I'll want every tiny little detail.'
He sighed. 'If that's what it takes to keep you hosting tea parties for the landed gentry, Lyna, then yes. I'll tell you every tiny little detail.'
She took a step back from him. 'Well, I'd better get packing then. When do we leave?'
'Tomorrow at first light.'
'I'll be there,' she promised. 'And if you promise me at least one visit to watch you working on your little duchess, I'll even try to pretend I'm thrilled to be there.'
Jaxyn wasn't amused by her attempts to manipulate him, but there probably wasn't any harm to be done by letting Lyna visit Arkady once. 'We'll see,' he told her, not quite prepared to commit to anything just yet.
'We will indeed,' she agreed, before turning on her heel and flouncing out of the council chamber, stopping only long enough to retrieve her white snow-
bear cloak on the way out. Jaxyn watched her leave and then turned to Chikita. Like the well-trained Crasii she was, the feline hadn't moved a muscle during the whole conversation, although noticing where she was now standing, Jaxyn did wonder if she'd been inching her way closer to the fire.
'Take this map to my office,' he ordered, pulling a chain from around his neck from which a small key dangled. 'Make sure it's locked in the cabinet, and then return the key to me. I'll be in the king's parlour.'
Chikita took the map and the key and bowed low to her master. 'To serve you is the reason I breathe,' she said.
Damn right it is, Jaxyn thought. And the world would be a much happier place if everyone on Amyrantha
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