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feredarStory: The Plan
Year: 986 FY
Characters: Queen Nida, Lady Rema
Warnings: References to attempted suicide and botched regicide, references to enslavement and murder, capitalizing on said murder to start/escalate a war.
Notes: This takes place in the Incest AU
Rema glided into the courtyard without a breath of hesitation. For all it had been decades since she'd last spoken with her sister, for all that her one attempt to restore contact had blown up in her face rather spectacularly, for all that she was likely to be refused entirely, she couldn't afford to think about that. Every precious moment counted, and Rema would be much more careful playing this, to avoid offending the ridiculous scruples Nida had developed in her years with the King.
The marriage had been their mother's idea--all three of them had tried, and Nida had been the one to win the King's hand. It had been their hope that a properly-schooled agent in the King's inner circle might finally start to change things for the better, even if only by the same glacial progress that things had gotten worse over the last millennium. But then Nida had refused to play her part--gods alone knew why, she'd never given Rema or their mother a clear answer on that--and the King had lived, and the Crown Prince was, if possible, worse. There were even rumors that he'd staged the attack on the palace six years ago, that had killed his wife and led to the law requiring all mages be collared. Rema didn't give those much credit--the Crown Prince would never sully himself by dealing with mages, even to increase the restrictions imposed on them.
But now something very significant had changed.
"Good morning, little sister."
Nida didn't turn to look at her. "I do not recall allowing you to address me so familiarly, Lady Rema."
Well, she hasn't called for the guards yet, Rema thought philosophically, and approached closer, with a token curtsey. More for the benefit of any witnesses, since Nida still wasn't looking. "I apologize, Majesty. I forgot myself."
"Indeed." Nida stood there in cold silence for another few seconds, then spoke again. "You have one minute to tell me what you want."
"A boy was arrested in the market yesterday. A mage."
Nida stiffened a little--good. For all her bizarre scruples, at least her principles hadn't changed. But her voice was even when she replied. "These things happen. It is the law."
"Of course," Rema replied. "But I have a description of the boy, and I think there may be...problems."
"Oh?"
Rema moved closer, so she was standing at her sister's side. She pulled her agent's description of the boy from her sleeve and handed it over.
Nida still refused to look at her, but she took the paper. "...how certain...?"
"The surname he used when entering the city lines up. And he is...distinctive, beyond the usual from Glass."
Nida was silent for a long moment. "What do you want me to do?" she finally asked, sounding inexpressibly weary.
We have her again! Rema thought, delighted. "Mostly make sure we don't lose track of him for now. We have our agents, of course, but you have resources we don't, and especially for a fire-mage..."
"You'll be extracting him?" Now Nida was looking at her, though rather guardedly and a little sideways.
Rema smiled. "We have no intention of losing him."
Fortunately, Nida took that at face value, and nodded. "I'll pass along whatever I learn about him to you. And I'll help however you need, when you're ready for the extraction."
Rema curtseyed again. "Thank you, Majesty."
She backed away from her sister, more than pleased with how well that had gone.
The boy coming into Feredar and getting himself arrested had been quite the stroke of luck. Given how temperamental fire-mages were, it was only a matter of time before he pushed his handlers too far.
With Nida to help us get the body out, the boy's death will bring all the might of the City of Glass down on the King.
And Feredar will finally be free.
Year: 986 FY
Characters: Queen Nida, Lady Rema
Warnings: References to attempted suicide and botched regicide, references to enslavement and murder, capitalizing on said murder to start/escalate a war.
Notes: This takes place in the Incest AU
Rema glided into the courtyard without a breath of hesitation. For all it had been decades since she'd last spoken with her sister, for all that her one attempt to restore contact had blown up in her face rather spectacularly, for all that she was likely to be refused entirely, she couldn't afford to think about that. Every precious moment counted, and Rema would be much more careful playing this, to avoid offending the ridiculous scruples Nida had developed in her years with the King.
The marriage had been their mother's idea--all three of them had tried, and Nida had been the one to win the King's hand. It had been their hope that a properly-schooled agent in the King's inner circle might finally start to change things for the better, even if only by the same glacial progress that things had gotten worse over the last millennium. But then Nida had refused to play her part--gods alone knew why, she'd never given Rema or their mother a clear answer on that--and the King had lived, and the Crown Prince was, if possible, worse. There were even rumors that he'd staged the attack on the palace six years ago, that had killed his wife and led to the law requiring all mages be collared. Rema didn't give those much credit--the Crown Prince would never sully himself by dealing with mages, even to increase the restrictions imposed on them.
But now something very significant had changed.
"Good morning, little sister."
Nida didn't turn to look at her. "I do not recall allowing you to address me so familiarly, Lady Rema."
Well, she hasn't called for the guards yet, Rema thought philosophically, and approached closer, with a token curtsey. More for the benefit of any witnesses, since Nida still wasn't looking. "I apologize, Majesty. I forgot myself."
"Indeed." Nida stood there in cold silence for another few seconds, then spoke again. "You have one minute to tell me what you want."
"A boy was arrested in the market yesterday. A mage."
Nida stiffened a little--good. For all her bizarre scruples, at least her principles hadn't changed. But her voice was even when she replied. "These things happen. It is the law."
"Of course," Rema replied. "But I have a description of the boy, and I think there may be...problems."
"Oh?"
Rema moved closer, so she was standing at her sister's side. She pulled her agent's description of the boy from her sleeve and handed it over.
Nida still refused to look at her, but she took the paper. "...how certain...?"
"The surname he used when entering the city lines up. And he is...distinctive, beyond the usual from Glass."
Nida was silent for a long moment. "What do you want me to do?" she finally asked, sounding inexpressibly weary.
We have her again! Rema thought, delighted. "Mostly make sure we don't lose track of him for now. We have our agents, of course, but you have resources we don't, and especially for a fire-mage..."
"You'll be extracting him?" Now Nida was looking at her, though rather guardedly and a little sideways.
Rema smiled. "We have no intention of losing him."
Fortunately, Nida took that at face value, and nodded. "I'll pass along whatever I learn about him to you. And I'll help however you need, when you're ready for the extraction."
Rema curtseyed again. "Thank you, Majesty."
She backed away from her sister, more than pleased with how well that had gone.
The boy coming into Feredar and getting himself arrested had been quite the stroke of luck. Given how temperamental fire-mages were, it was only a matter of time before he pushed his handlers too far.
With Nida to help us get the body out, the boy's death will bring all the might of the City of Glass down on the King.
And Feredar will finally be free.