Queens of the Night

He was intrigued by the little play between the new queen and the ambassador. It was going to make things a lot more interesting. "Why don't we have a private session eh Shaun? I'm...intrigued by wha' the man has tae say." He pretended to look at the time, knowing exactly what it was. "Perhaps ye shall join us again tomorrow ev'nin' before the court is in session? We should like tae discuss more." Xander stood up and bowed to the man. Anyone who knew him would know it was purely for mockery. He did not show respect to anyone but Senga, Shaun, Elizabeth, Eli, and Ajax. They were the only ones who even deserved his respect.

He turned away and walked behind his throne grabbing the last of Eli's guard, the eight men loyal to her who had fought with her on the battlefield. "You, come with me now, I've instructions for you. We'll talk later Shaun," he called behind him. His friend was going to hate him for leaving him, but that was the way of things. Xander had some business to take care of. Shaun was going to have to understand and pretend to forgive his friend for that. Shaun was no more the forgiving type that Xander was jolly. It was why they worked well as kings. Everything in their twisted personalities called for such greatness. No one could question that. At least, no one that they could think of would dare to question that. The young knight was nearly running to keep up with Xander’s quick and precise strides. He didn’t pause for a moment as he swept through the halls and into his study, slamming the door behind the young knight.

“So tell me. I want a full report on wha’ ye’ve heard,” Xander ordered striding around his desk and sitting down, staring coolly at the younger man. Each of the knights in the queen’s guard had known that they could be called forward at any time to give a report. They were to always be ready for that moment. This moment was now for this young man. While it was a well-known fact that Xander had saved the lives of the knights who had fought with Eli by making them into the Queens’ Guard, it was a less, or rather, almost unknown fact that he had had his own reasoning in doing so. Xander was no fool after all. What he did, he always did with a purpose.

“Well sir, the man is still hiding in the badlands to the north. It doesn’t look like he has made a move yet or plans to for some time. The agent on that side has been unable to confirm any plans for the last week though,” the young knight stood tall and erect managing just barely to hide the typical knightly disdain for spies.

Xander nodded curtly. “Ye hae passed this time. Tha’ information was delivered tae me this morning by Senga herself. Weel done, now go.” The knight bowed and scrambled out of the room. That was the highest form of praise anyone could get from Xander and well they all knew it. He wasn’t a man for shows of exaltation. He believed it was a weakness best overcome in other ways. Besides, he had what he wanted from the man: a show that he could be competent. With his lack of faith in most everyone, Xander had his network of spies that checked and counter-checked each other. No one spy knew who another spy was. He kept it that way so that he knew that some of the information he could trust and what contradicted itself could be looked into more easily. He hadn’t survived all his centuries for nothing after all.

Ajax would be with Elizabeth, Eli, and their knights which pleased him, while Senga would be manipulating the network of spies. All the better for it. He needed his fingers in as many places as possible at the moment, and in specific the bastard in the badlands. He wondered if Elizabeth even remembered the art that cowardly snake played in the night of her turning; probably not and all the better for it. He wished now that he taken his first course of thought and killed the fucker instead of tending to Elizabeth. Then again, Elizabeth might have died had he hesitated. He couldn’t have allowed that for any reason. All he needed now was one excuse. The man had only to touch even a spot of Xander’s land and he could have him executed. He just had to bid his time and wait. Something Shaun would probably do best in learning but likely never would.

Then again, he could always ask Shaun what he would think of taking a trip to the Bad Lands.