The Crown of the Conqueror

I

Moving up the wide stairs to the upper storey of the governor's house, Furlthia felt his skin crawl. Marble busts of Anglhan stood on pedestals flanking the stairwell, and as Furlthia turned onto the narrow landing, he saw a mural of his former master on the far wall. It depicted Anglhan standing at the gates of Magilnada, an Askhan army behind him. Anybody who had ever suffered dealings with the governor would see the lie for what it was; Anglhan had come to the city amongst an army of ragtag rebels and Hillmen, and not entered until several hours after the fighting had been concluded. He had not even raised a finger to stop the Askhans when Ullsaard had revealed his full intent and Askhan legionnaires had scoured the city of the last remaining Salphorian nobility and warrior-chieftains.

Coming to a set of double-doors, ornately carved with a view down upon the city from the great mountain on whose shoulder it was built, Furlthia took a breath. He fought down his irritation at being kept waiting for three days since making his presence in Magilnada known to Lenorin, the governor's chief aide. Eventually, a runner had come with a message demanding that Furlthia attended Anglhan at his home as soon as possible.

Furlthia knocked three times and waited, rehearsing what he would say to the governor. He wanted to deliver Aegenuis's agreement and then leave with as little fuss as possible. The more time Furlthia spent in Magilnada, the deeper his distaste for what Anglhan had done to the city.

"Come in!" came a strained call from within.

Furlthia opened the door and stepped inside. He halted with just one foot over the threshold on seeing what was within; the sight made him almost physically sick.

Anglhan bent over a large desk, kilt pulled up around his evergrowing waist, his voluminous body pinning a naked youth face down amongst the scrolls, wax tablets and official stamps of office. Sweat rolled from the governor's face in streams, his thinning hair plastered to his face as he thrust and grunted. Anglhan had the lad's face pressed against the wood with one hand; in the other he held a red candle held so that wax slowly dripped onto the youth's back.

Anglhan's face was a grimace of deviant pleasure, eyes wide, mouth snarling. Worst of all was the expression on the young man suffering such grotesque attention; Furlthia saw neither pleasure nor pain, just a bored look of indifference as Anglhan huffed and heaved his bulk against the youth.

"Spirits take my eyes," cursed Furlthia. He backed out and slammed the door closed. He had taken two steps towards the stairs when Lenorin reached the landing at a run. The chancellor stopped as he saw the expression on Furlthia's face.

"I'm sorry," said Lenorin with a knowing, weary look. "I meant to catch you before you came up here, but something distracted me."

"I should just stick a knife in the pig right now," said Furlthia, feeling his loathing for Anglhan reaching a new low.

"I would help, but for the bigger picture," said Lenorin, ushering Furlthia into a small study on the far side of the stairs.

One wall was covered with a canvas map of Magilnada, every building coloured to indicate the type of dwelling or business. Wooden shelves heaped with yellowing parchment scrolls lined the rest of the room, save for a small window through which the noon sun shone weakly. Pots of inks and brushes stood on a small stand beneath the window, a half-finished painting of a gate tower on an easel beside it.

"This is where you work?" asked Furlthia, allowing himself to be guided to a wooden stool by the flustered chancellor. Lenorin looked around as if seeing the chamber for the first time, but nodded.

"Yes, this is my office," he said. He closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head slightly. "It serves me better than sharing a chamber with… that man. I'm within shouting distance when he needs me."

"Why do you even stay here?"

Lenorin smiled sadly and sat behind his small desk. He busied himself arranging wax tablets into a neat pile as he replied.

"It's the same as with him. Better the dark spirit that you know. Where I am, what I do, I can temper some of his worst excesses."

"You call what I just saw an excess?" said Furlthia. "No chieftain would behave like that to his men."

"That? That's small enough sacrifice to keep him content. A few serving boys now and then. I pay them off; send them out of the city if they want. There's a couple, like Amarin there, who don't seem to mind, so I make sure they're on hand when it looks like Anglhan is getting frustrated and frisky. Believe me, it's better that way. When he can't get his cock into some poor boy, he gets vindictive."

Lenorin cleared his throat, turned on his stool to put the tablets on a shelf behind him and directed his attention back to Furlthia.

"I'm worried," said the chancellor. "Ullsaard is coming back here soon from his winter camp. There's still snow in the air and he's getting ready for the next stage of the invasion. Anglhan has come up with reasons to keep his legions close to the city for the moment, but in his last letter, Ullsaard made it clear that he would be taking them duskwards on the next campaign. Without them, Anglhan has got no way to secure the border with Ersua."

"Like I told you when I arrived, Aegenuis is agreed to the plan. He's spent the winter regaining as much favour with his warlords as he can get. Kubridias and Serbicuis have done as we wanted and pulled in every chief and warrior they can from their peoples. As soon as Anglhan makes his move, Aegenuis can persuade the rest of the chieftains to follow him again. Half the tribes have already agreed to send warriors against the legions to coldwards. Caught between the counter-attack and being cut off from Askhor, Ullsaard will have no choice but to fall back to a stronger position."

"And that's when Leraates does his thing, is it?" said Lenorin.

"I hope so," said Furlthia. "I can't figure that one out, not properly. I know Ullsaard disbanded the Brotherhood, but I don't see what Leraates and his allies have got against their new king that makes them so determined to topple him."

"Who cares? As long as Ullsaard's worried about his rule back in Askhor, he'll be too busy to be invading anywhere else. Knowing that the Free Country agreement with Askh is now worth less than dog shit, Aegenuis and his chieftains aren't going to let anyone just wander in and take over again."

There was a muffled ring of a bell from outside. Lenorin looked up sharply, looking like a guilty man.

"Anglhan's finished his rutting," said the chancellor. "You can see him now. Just tell him about the agreement with Aegenuis and get out; I'll deal with the details."

"Thank you," said Furlthia, standing up and offering his hand. Lenorin shook it limply. "Don't worry, friend. Once Ullsaard is seen to, that fat boy-fucker is next on our list."

"Hurry up, don't keep him waiting."

Furlthia headed straight for Anglhan's chambers and found the doors already open. Cautiously peering within, he found the governor sat on a low couch beneath the window, a plate of food propped up on his belly.

"Sorry about that," Anglhan said with a smile, waving for Furlthia to enter. "Lenorin was meant to tell me when you had arrived. Close the doors would you, wouldn't want any passing stranger to hear us."

Furlthia did he was asked and sat down on a padded seat indicated by Anglhan. The governor moved the plate to a side table and sat forward, hands on knees.

"So, my friend, what news?"

Trying to forget the image of Anglhan's ruddy, sweat-soaked face, Furlthia sat straight, arms folded tight across his chest. A draught from the window brought a waft of sickly-sweet perfume from Anglhan, but it failed to wholly mask the underlying smell of stale sweat and sex. Suppressing a wave of distaste, unclenching his fists, Furlthia looked Anglhan straight in the eye.

"The king says yes."

"Good, good," said Anglhan, chins and cheeks wobbling as he bobbed up and down enthusiastically. "That's just what I wanted to hear, my friend."

Furlthia squirmed at being called 'friend' by this loathsome pig of a man. He said nothing, fearing that if he were to open his mouth he might say something ill-advised.

"You don't look so happy," said Anglhan. "Don't worry, I've been thinking about this all winter and it's the best course of action for everybody.

"Everyone keeps telling me not to worry," said Furlthia. "I like to worry. Worrying has kept me alive."

"So keep worrying. I didn't mean anything by it. You spend your time worrying and I'll spend my time actually getting things done."

"I will," said Furlthia, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Furlthia couldn't tell if Anglhan's shocked expression was genuine or not. "You're not leaving yet, are you?"

"You've got Aegenuis's answer and I've got other people to see."

"But I need you to do a few things for me," said Anglhan.

"Get Lenorin to do them," Furlthia replied, taking a step towards the doors. "That's why you have him, governor."

"But I don't trust him like I trust you, Furlthia." Anglhan rose quickly and hurried over to his desk. "You know, this is a very delicate situation. I'm not totally sure where Lenorin's loyalties lie. But you and me, we have history together. We have a mutual interest."

Furlthia sighed and sat down again at Anglhan's insistence.

"What do you want?" he said, knowing that he was likely to regret asking.

"At some point, Ullsaard is going to come for me," said the governor, fishing though a stack of letters on his desk. Watching him, Furlthia had a momentary recollection of the youth who had been bent over the same desk less than half an hour earlier. He suppressed a shudder.

"Perhaps you want me to stand at the gates and welcome him in?" Furlthia said before he could stop himself.

Anglhan looked up sharply, but then grinned. He held up a folded piece of parchment, sealed with a blob of blue wax.

"Something like that, my friend. You know that as soon as I make my move, Ullsaard is going to fall on Magilnada like a cartfull of abada shit. This," he waved the letter, "is a better defence against that than all of the warriors in Salphoria."

Anglhan held the letter out to Furlthia, who folded his arms and refused to take it.

"What is it?" Furlthia demanded. "What are you offering him to stay his hand?"

"Better that nobody else knows, especially you," said Anglhan.

Furlthia looked at the letter. To his mind, it was a dagger aimed at Aegenuis's back; there was nothing else it could be. Furlthia had seen how Anglhan was a master at positioning himself between sides, just keeping to the edge of the abyss of everybody's disfavour whilst playing them against each other. The letter had to be an offer to Ullsaard that would give him some advantage over his Salphorian rival, back-tracking on Anglhan's commitment of support.

"I know what you're thinking," said the governor. "But you're wrong about me. Long before this letter reaches Ullsaard, I will be committed to the cause of Aegenuis and Salphoria. My legions are going to attack Askh's. That's not something even I could wriggle out of, especially as Ullsaard has made it clear to me in the past that any hint of disloyalty will end with my death. In fact, I remember what he said very well: 'If you fuck around with me, I will come back and not only kill you, I'll burn this whole place to the ground.' Strong words, and we both know that Ullsaard does not make idle threats. This letter is the only thing that can stop that happening."

Furlthia shook his head.

"I'm not touching it," he said. "It's just a letter. Get someone else to take it to Ullsaard."

Anglhan crossed the room and laid a hand heavy with rings on the shoulder of his former first mate. Furlthia shrank away from the touch, causing Anglhan to sigh.

"I know that you do not approve of what I've done, my friend," said the governor. "I know I've got us both into some trouble, but have I ever done anything to wrong you personally? I've always looked after you, Furlthia, you know that. I need you to help me."

Earnestness was etched into Anglhan's face but Furlthia remained unconvinced.

"How can anybody trust you?" he said. "How can I trust you, when you won't tell me what you are up to? You are always looking to get ahead of everybody else, and I'll not have you do that at my expense."

"And I never would," said Anglhan, appearing aggrieved. "I know I play a dangerous game, but I always weigh up the risks before I do anything, and I always back a winner. There was an advantage in allying with Ullsaard, but it was only while something better came along."

Anglhan went back to the window seat and flopped down, dropping his letter on the side table. He linked his pudgy fingers together on his gut and looked at Furlthia for some time before speaking again.

"Have you ever considered what would have happened if Aroisius had been allowed to take Magilnada? Aroisius would be a thorn in the side of Aegenuis, and the matter of Magilnada would have divided the peoples just as much as this Askhan attack. He had no love of Salphoria and might have aided Ullsaard anyway. Chances are, the Askhans would have taken the city one way or the other and one of their own would be running it now. I am sympathetic to Aegenuis, and the only one that can help him now. Ullsaard will have to reply to what is in that letter, and you are the only man I trust to bring that answer to me unvarnished and untainted."

Listening to what Anglhan said Furlthia knew that it was true, as far as it went. He had no doubt the governor had much in mind that he was not saying, and had sidestepped the issue of what was in the letter. Every instinct in Furlthia told him to get up and walk out, but a nagging doubt remained. When all was done, someone would take that letter to Ullsaard and it would serve Furlthia's interests if it was he that delivered it. He could not bring himself to leave Anglhan alone, to plot and scheme without scrutiny, and Furlthia enjoyed a privileged position with the governor in comparison to Lenorin.

With a growl of irritation, Furlthia pushed himself up, strode across the room and snatched up the letter. He glared at Anglhan, who simply smiled.

"When do I deliver this?" said Furlthia.

"Ullsaard is coming here soon. You must wait until he returns to his main camp and is about to launch his next offensive. I don't know what his plan of attack is, but this letter will stop him in his tracks. He must receive it before he finds out what is happening back here."

"And what will be happening back here?"

"Just what you asked; my legions will seal the border to Greater Askhor and cut off Ullsaard's supplies. It's up to Aegenuis to make the most of that in whatever way he can."

Furlthia nodded his agreement and tucked the letter inside his shirt. Anglhan jabbed a finger at Furlthia.

"You must deliver that letter," said the governor. "If you don't, Ullsaard will destroy my legions, take Magilnada and sweep away any army Aegenuis can muster. Keep it safe."