Chapter I
Rule #1: Your allegiance is owed, above all else, to the Crooked King
“You’re very ambitious.” The words, though spoken softly, carried much more weight then the speaker’s expression would betray.
The Crooked King surveyed the young man sitting across from him. Everything about him was understated, just like his words. The King supposed women would find him attractive, though not exceptionally so, and he had a face that almost always had a quiet, disarming smile on it. The mild interest of the woman sitting next to him told him that the young man’s attractiveness lay mostly in his quiet charm, the type of man who would be able to gain a person’s confidence with a smile and a word. A useful ability, in his line of work.
“So, can I count on your help?” The King carefully watched the young man’s face for any hint of a lie, or half-truth.
There was nothing of the sort; the young man’s face was blank. “Of course. May I?” The King nodded, and the young man stood to leave.
Once he was gone, the King turned to the tiny woman sitting next to him. “Well? How about you?”
The woman nodded with a grin. “Sounds fun. Of course I’ll help,” She paused, then asked, “Are you going to tell everyone else?”
“Oh, eventually,” Came the easy reply. With another quick grin, the woman took her leave.
The King stretched and leaned back in his chair, smiling. “Well, looks like I might actually be able to pull this off.”
~*~
Susan pushed open the door to the Crooked Cat tavern. Inside, the din was almost deafening. Not a surprise, really, that was how it normally was. Everyone inside was talking and shouting and—in the case of those men in the back who’d had too much ale—singing off-key. The clatter of dishes and the scrape of chair legs on the wooden floor just added to the overwhelming amount of noise. A couple serving girls sashayed around the room, delivering food, taking empty plates, and flirting with the men, giggling whenever one of the men gave them a bit more attention then usual.
To Susan, this chaotic tavern was as good as home.
She shoved her way through the people, trading a greeting or an insult with those she passed. When she finally made it to her target table, she collapsed into a chair.
“I swear, every time I come in here it’s noisier and more crowded,” She muttered to the table’s occupants, a dark-skinned young woman—who was as much a part of the noise as anyone else—and a rather quiet young man. The young woman broke off her loud conversation with a woman across the room to grin at Susan.
“Oh lighten up, it’s not like it’s a bad thing,” The girl reminded Susan.
“To you,” Susan grumbled, “I just find it more annoying every time I come in here.”
The girl’s grin widened, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. “You say annoying, I say interesting.”
“You would,” The young man drawled, his tone dry, almost bored. “But you, Ati, have a different idea of interesting then most people.”
Ati shrugged. “And? So what if I like a little excitement. Besides, it’s not like all these people will be sticking around too long. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Yuh-huh,” Susan snorted. “But why is everyone here anyway? I mean, half these people don’t even live in Magyin.”
“I believe that they’re Bry’s underlings,” The young man offered, “From the other cities. And, of course, their entourages.”
“Soooo… Bry’s hosting a meeting or something?” Susan guessed, watching a nearby man who was showing a bit too much interest out of the corner of her eye. When he noticed she was watching him, he winked at her.
“I suppose so,” The young man murmured, sending a warning glare the man. “Though some are getting annoying.”
Ati laughed. “So you’ll just have to play the part of the jealous lover, Lan, and protect Susan from all these out of town boys.”
“Oh, and what about you?” Lan wondered, raising one eyebrow.
"I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Ati informed him.
“And I’m not?” Susan asked, sounding indignant.
“Of course you are,” Lan told her, his tone soothing. “Ati’s just not thinking.”
Ati opened her mouth to reply when a man at the back of the room cleared his throat. The sound—one that should have been lost in the commotion of the tavern—caught everyone’s attention and silence fell immediately. An outsider would have been confused as to why this unimposing man would attain that kind of respect. He couldn’t even be considered very good-looking, with eyes that were too small and a large nose that had been broken many times and hadn’t healed straight. He was unimpressive, to say the least.
The man surveyed the tavern for a minute before he broke into a grin.
“Well,” He clasped his hands together. “It looks like I’ve got everyone here. Now if you all could come into my meeting room…” People started to trickle upstairs, undoubtedly having been informed of this ahead of time. Everyone else seemed to know better then to presume the man had been talking to them.
“Now this is interesting,” Ati murmured. “Bry’s never called a meeting before.”
“Wonder what he’s planning.” Susan mused, watching the chosen people file up the stairs.
“You’re very ambitious.” The words, though spoken softly, carried much more weight then the speaker’s expression would betray.
The Crooked King surveyed the young man sitting across from him. Everything about him was understated, just like his words. The King supposed women would find him attractive, though not exceptionally so, and he had a face that almost always had a quiet, disarming smile on it. The mild interest of the woman sitting next to him told him that the young man’s attractiveness lay mostly in his quiet charm, the type of man who would be able to gain a person’s confidence with a smile and a word. A useful ability, in his line of work.
“So, can I count on your help?” The King carefully watched the young man’s face for any hint of a lie, or half-truth.
There was nothing of the sort; the young man’s face was blank. “Of course. May I?” The King nodded, and the young man stood to leave.
Once he was gone, the King turned to the tiny woman sitting next to him. “Well? How about you?”
The woman nodded with a grin. “Sounds fun. Of course I’ll help,” She paused, then asked, “Are you going to tell everyone else?”
“Oh, eventually,” Came the easy reply. With another quick grin, the woman took her leave.
The King stretched and leaned back in his chair, smiling. “Well, looks like I might actually be able to pull this off.”
~*~
Susan pushed open the door to the Crooked Cat tavern. Inside, the din was almost deafening. Not a surprise, really, that was how it normally was. Everyone inside was talking and shouting and—in the case of those men in the back who’d had too much ale—singing off-key. The clatter of dishes and the scrape of chair legs on the wooden floor just added to the overwhelming amount of noise. A couple serving girls sashayed around the room, delivering food, taking empty plates, and flirting with the men, giggling whenever one of the men gave them a bit more attention then usual.
To Susan, this chaotic tavern was as good as home.
She shoved her way through the people, trading a greeting or an insult with those she passed. When she finally made it to her target table, she collapsed into a chair.
“I swear, every time I come in here it’s noisier and more crowded,” She muttered to the table’s occupants, a dark-skinned young woman—who was as much a part of the noise as anyone else—and a rather quiet young man. The young woman broke off her loud conversation with a woman across the room to grin at Susan.
“Oh lighten up, it’s not like it’s a bad thing,” The girl reminded Susan.
“To you,” Susan grumbled, “I just find it more annoying every time I come in here.”
The girl’s grin widened, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. “You say annoying, I say interesting.”
“You would,” The young man drawled, his tone dry, almost bored. “But you, Ati, have a different idea of interesting then most people.”
Ati shrugged. “And? So what if I like a little excitement. Besides, it’s not like all these people will be sticking around too long. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Yuh-huh,” Susan snorted. “But why is everyone here anyway? I mean, half these people don’t even live in Magyin.”
“I believe that they’re Bry’s underlings,” The young man offered, “From the other cities. And, of course, their entourages.”
“Soooo… Bry’s hosting a meeting or something?” Susan guessed, watching a nearby man who was showing a bit too much interest out of the corner of her eye. When he noticed she was watching him, he winked at her.
“I suppose so,” The young man murmured, sending a warning glare the man. “Though some are getting annoying.”
Ati laughed. “So you’ll just have to play the part of the jealous lover, Lan, and protect Susan from all these out of town boys.”
“Oh, and what about you?” Lan wondered, raising one eyebrow.
"I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Ati informed him.
“And I’m not?” Susan asked, sounding indignant.
“Of course you are,” Lan told her, his tone soothing. “Ati’s just not thinking.”
Ati opened her mouth to reply when a man at the back of the room cleared his throat. The sound—one that should have been lost in the commotion of the tavern—caught everyone’s attention and silence fell immediately. An outsider would have been confused as to why this unimposing man would attain that kind of respect. He couldn’t even be considered very good-looking, with eyes that were too small and a large nose that had been broken many times and hadn’t healed straight. He was unimpressive, to say the least.
The man surveyed the tavern for a minute before he broke into a grin.
“Well,” He clasped his hands together. “It looks like I’ve got everyone here. Now if you all could come into my meeting room…” People started to trickle upstairs, undoubtedly having been informed of this ahead of time. Everyone else seemed to know better then to presume the man had been talking to them.
“Now this is interesting,” Ati murmured. “Bry’s never called a meeting before.”
“Wonder what he’s planning.” Susan mused, watching the chosen people file up the stairs.