Kalmor nodded absently, his eyes fixed on the bank of vid-monitors before us. Because Jendrish had not yet restored the biosystems to everybody, we had to rely on antiquated technology to track the progress of the mission.
“Our agents inside the palace have placed monitoring devices in key locations,” Kalmor said. “We should be able to see and hear everything.”
“Good,” I replied.
Kalmor turned to me. “Does your father know of this plan?”
I looked over at him in near disbelief that Kalmor would question me. Especially on this night – the night of our triumph. I knew my father cast a long shadow and despite his many faults and flaws, he still had the respect from many people. Or perhaps they feared him. He was a temperamental man, given to fits of rage and violence. He had been known to thrash people for disagreeing with him.
But I never suspected that Kalmor was one of those people who quaked at the mere mention of his name. Still, once our plan came together, once we had claimed victory, I knew that Kalmor would see where the power truly resided and would fall into line. Or perhaps I would need to re-think my command structure. I needed strong men. Men of iron and steel. Men who would not cower in the face of adversaries. And most of all, I needed men who would follow me without question or hesitation.
But for now, I needed Kalmor. I would decide what to ultimately do with him later.
I snorted. “Of course not,” I said. “He thinks small. His grand idea was to take control of the palace, arrest Jendrish, and lock him up for the rest of his life.”
Kalmor looked at me evenly. “There is still time to pull the plug on this plan and go that way,” he said. “If that was your desire.”
I felt my anger rising, but as always, did my best to rein it in. “My desire is to see this plan through to the end and see the usurper dead,” I said. “My desire is to restore order and bring Optorio back to the way it should be. The only way to do that is to kill Jendrish and place our man upon the throne.”
Kalmor nodded and looked away. “As you wish.”
“If you are having doubts about what we're doing,” I snapped. “Now is the time to voice your concerns.”
He still refused to meet my eyes, remaining focused on the monitors. “Not doubts,” he said. “You know I am with you to the end. My – concern – is your father. Should he ever get out – ”
“He will never see the outside of that prison complex,” I said. “That much I can guarantee. Once our work here is done and we've secured the throne, I will deal with my father. You need not fear him.”
He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest, seeming to be considering his words. “The one thing about your plan that I don't understand is, if we're going through all of the trouble to assassinate Jendrish, why do you not take that opportunity to take the throne for yourself? Why put somebody else there?”
I nodded, understanding. Perhaps, that was why he did not seem entirely sold on my plan – he didn't fully grasp it. I supposed that maybe I had kept some bits of information too closely guarded. It was necessary when planning something as risky as an assassination. I did not trust people to begin with – especially when I deemed those people to be inferior.
Still, if I was going to trust Kalmor to be my second in command when this was over, I needed to trust him with a little more information than I was currently doling out.
“The reason we're doing all of this to put somebody else on the throne, is because when I ascend to the throne, I want it to be permanent,” I said. “I refuse to be seen as a usurper. We saw what happened when Bazarok's brother tried to seize the throne through violence.”
Kalmor nodded. “Many viewed him as an illegitimate king.”
“Correct,” I replied. “But by putting somebody on the throne who is – sympathetic – to our views and is willing to bend to our will, we have a layer of insulation. Many will view him as illegitimate, of course. There will be some resistance. But that will allow me the time necessary to build up my political power and support behind the scenes. I will be the voice of reason within the Congress, and when the time comes, I will seek to depose our puppet on the throne. And when that happens, the people will naturally turn to me. That way, when I take the throne, it will be with the full support of the people and the Congress. No bloodshed. No violence. And no opposition. Just a smooth and seamless transition of power.”
A broad smile spread across Kalmor's face. He finally understood my intentions and saw the complete picture of my plan.
“That is very smart. Very strategic,” he said.
“Sometimes, it's necessary to play the long game,” I said. “Coups may bring immediate relief, but they also create tension and distrust. That breeds resentment and eventually, chaos – which ultimately leads to another coup. If I can peacefully transfer power, with the backing of the people, Congress, and the Guard, we stand a much better chance of succeeding in the long term.”
Kalmor looked at me as if he had a newfound respect. Part of me wanted to shake my head and roll my eyes. The other part of me simply wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. All of this was going to be much easier with Kalmor on the same page with me.
“Now,” I said. “Are our assets in place? Is everything ready?”
Clearing his throat, Kalmor nodded. “Everything is in position.”
“And you trust the men you tasked with this job?”
He nodded again. “These are good men,” he said. “Willing to give their lives for the cause.”
“That's good,” I replied. “I hope not, simply because we need good men on our side, but they may have to.”
“They're ready.”
I looked at the monitors and waited. Everything was in motion and if everything went according to plan, it wouldn't be too long before Optorio had a new ruler. It was but one step in the plan. I was a patient man and was willing to bide my time as I let the long game play out.
Mostly because, I knew that in the end, it would be worth it.
Chapter Eight
Jendrish
“It's almost time,” Vink said.
I sighed. “Don't remind me.”
Riley squeezed my hand and gave me a smile. “I know you're not crazy about all of this pomp and circumstance – ”
“That's a bit of an understatement,” I said and gave her a rueful grin.
“But sometimes you have to let the people have their traditions,” she continued. “They need those things that are familiar and comfortable.”
“And Optorio has been in such upheaval for so long now,” Vink added, “that the stabilizing influence of a king everybody is behind, and the – tradition – of his coronation, will be a welcome relief.”
I sighed again. “I feel like an idiot.”
We were standing in a room off of the main throne room, where the coronation ceremony would take place. I shifted in the uncomfortable outfit I was being forced to wear. If I'd had my way, there would be no ceremony. I certainly didn't need one. But it was something that was out of my hands – which, if I was to be king, didn't seem quite right. As the ruler of this world, I should have some say in things – or so I'd thought. A thousand different people had planned this event, and all of them stressed the importance of it – an importance I still failed to see.
I looked at myself in the mirror, at the fancy white cloak draped over my red and black ceremonial armor. I looked like somebody who pretended to be a soldier – without actually being one. Somebody who was playing at being something they were not. As I looked at myself, I realized that maybe, I really was that. That maybe, I was simply an imposter. A pretender to the throne. Somebody who was neither qualified, nor cut out to rule an entire world.
“I know that look,” Vink said. “And don't you dare even begin thinking that.”
“You don't know what I'm thinking,” I grumbled.
“I think he does,” Riley added. “And he's right. Stop thinking you're not worthy of this. Stop thinking that you're not the right
man for this job. Because you are.”
Vink nodded. “You absolutely are,” he said as a wide smile crossed his face. “Your Majesty.”
I turned on him and growled. “Don't you dare start with that garbage,” I said. “I've told you a hundred times already – ”
Vink's laughter was as loud as it was long. Riley, of course, joined in. And I stood there, feeling the heat blooming in my face.
“He really makes it too easy,” Riley said between fits of laughter.
“Indeed he does,” Vink said.
“Keep this up,” I said. “And my first act as king will be to have you two loaded up into a ship and shot into the nearest black hole.”
That only made them laugh all the harder. All I could do was shake my head, though I had to admit that I may have cracked a smile. Eventually, the laughter tapered off and they stood before me, both giving me warm smiles, expressions on their faces I couldn't quite make out.
“What is it?” I asked.
Vink reached out and clapped me on the shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I just want to say that I'm proud of you. Proud of serving you,” he said. “And I will be proud to serve you until my dying day.”
Riley nodded and then stood on her tip toes and planted a soft kiss on my cheeks. “I'm proud of you too,” she said. “I know you're going to do great things.”
What I felt in that moment was indescribable. I feared that I would let them both down. But I also felt a fiery determination not to. I honestly had no idea what sort of king I was going to make. I was a soldier. I'd never been anything more, nor anything less. All I could hope for in that moment was to be up to the task before me.
I gave them both a grateful smile. “Thank you both for being here,” he said. “There is nobody I would rather have by my side than the both of you.”
We stood there in an awkward silence for a moment when the bells in the bell tower outside began to chime.
“It's time,” Vink said.
“I'll see you after,” Riley added.
It was strange. I'd never gotten butterflies before going into battle – and yet, as I prepared to walk through a room where I wasn't facing certain death, my stomach was churning and my heart was thundering within my chest.
“Let's get this over with,” I said.
~ooo000ooo~
The throne room was packed with people. And yet, the murmured conversations were so low, I could barely hear them. It was so quiet within the throne room that I could clearly hear the music being played by the group of musicians positioned near the rear of the hall.
As I strode down the aisle that cut through the middle of the room – Vink on one side of me, his right hand man, Turneh on the other – I discretely scanned the faces in the crowd. Part of me was searching out threats – it was the trained soldier in me – and the other part of me was simply looking at the faces of the people. Some of them I knew, most I didn't. And all of them looked back at me with a sort of curiosity on their faces.
As I looked at the crowd, I couldn't help but again wonder what sort of king I was going to make. Would I be good? Would I be just? Would I be incompetent? And would I do more harm than good for the people of Optorio? Would I leave this world worse off than when I found it?
I had no answers to the questions. Only time would tell. And as I strode down the aisle, I vowed to myself at that moment, that I would leave Optorio a better place. I would give it back to the people. And I would do everything within my power to make them proud – to justify the pride Riley and Vink already had in me.
The music swelled to a crescendo and then faded away as I mounted the steps to the throne. Our Chief Magister stood there waiting. His robes were purple, trimmed with black – much like his hair – and he was a portly but good natured man. He'd been a friend of my father's, so I'd known him since I was a kid. He was a good man and I was glad that it would be him overseeing the coronation.
The Magister gave me a small smile and a wink as I stood before him. A child with the same shade of hair – likely, the Magister's son – stood off to the side with the crown of my new office resting upon a plush, black velvet pillow.
Nobody in the room spoke and the air was absent the buzz of conversation one would expect of such a large gathering. In Earth parlance, you could hear a pin drop. I shot a quick look up at the seats in the gallery and spotted Riley sitting alone. A couple of Vink's men guarded the entrance to the area where she sat, but other than that, she was alone. It really drove home the point she'd been trying to make the other day – that she had no friends here. That she really was – alone. I vowed that was something I would change. I never wanted Riley to feel like she had nobody.
“Optorions,” the Magister intoned. “We gather today to crown our new king. A man I've known for most of his life. A good man. A man who will return Optorio to its former greatness.”
Polite applause rippled through the crowd. These people didn't know me. I wasn't from one of our world's leading families. My father had been a diplomat and I was a soldier. We weren't one of Optorio's most well-connected or glamorous families.
As the Magister spoke, I stole another glance out at the crowd. I wanted to believe that most were willing to give me a chance. Most wanted me to succeed. Most believed I was the right man to help turn Optorio around? I had to believe that. Otherwise, what was I doing there in the first place? Why had I agreed to take the throne?
Insecurity and uncertainty weren't things I allowed myself to feel very often. But in that moment, both were rampaging through my body in equal measures. Vink looked at me, giving me a small smile and a nod of the head. As if he could read my thoughts. He probably could.
“And so, it is with great confidence in the man he is and the king he will be – ” the Magister intoned.
It was then that I heard gasps and muffled shrieks coming from the people behind me. I turned to see four men wearing masks, all well armed and armored emerge from the crowd. Vink and Turneh were already moving, putting themselves between me and the gunmen.
“Jendrish, down!” Vink screamed. “Now!”
The gunmen opened fire and that seemed to break the stunned paralysis of the crowd. Pandemonium erupted as the crowd screamed as one, their voices echoing around the hall. I saw them turning and running, pushing past one another as everybody scrambled for the exits.
It seemed that everything was in slow motion as I watched blue lasers burst from the barrel of their guns and headed straight toward me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and it pressed me down, buckling me at the knees. I hit the hard steps of the dais and felt a thick, heavy body land on top of me, driving the breath from my lungs. Craning my neck, I saw Vink and Turneh return fire, their green lasers lancing out toward the gunmen.
All around me was sheer chaos as the crowd pushed and jostled each other, desperately trying to get away from the gunfire. It was as loud as any battlefield I'd ever been on. I watched as Vink's fire hit their targets, the bodies two of the gunmen jerking before falling to the ground. Turneh took a shot to his leg and dropped, screaming in pain as his blue blood spilled out onto the stairs.
Vink calmly turned and opened fire on the other two gunmen. His shots went high and wide, but he kept on firing. I saw other soldiers – Vink's men – struggling to get through the thick crush of bodies fighting to get free of the throne room. In that moment, I was kicking myself. Vink had wanted to station additional guards near the dais, but I'd said no. I refused to believe that anything like this could happen.
I'd been stupid. So, so, stupid. And now, people were dying because of my naivete.
Vink kept firing as the gunmen turned on him. My breathing was labored and ragged and there was a searing pain in my body, but I remained focused on the battle playing out in front of me. Vink's men finally managed to free themselves and were rushing toward the gunmen, opening fire as they did so. I watched as green lasers cut through them, their screams of pain audible above the shouting of the panicked crowd.
And then I saw Vink's body spasm as he took a shot. I couldn't see where he'd been hit, but I watched in horror as he fell to the ground. I tried to free myself from the weight on top of me. Craning my neck, I saw that it was the Magister. I looked at the wound in his neck, saw the blue blood pouring out of him, and knew that he was dead.
“Vink!” I called.
I watched as some of the other Guardsmen stood over the bodies of the gunmen, while others rushed over to us. They tended to Turneh, another dropping to a knee beside Vink, his expression grim, while another pair of men helped pull me out from under the body of the Magister.
“Are you okay, Your Majesty?” one of them asked me, his expression one of concern.
I looked at him and opened my mouth to speak, but then closed it again. I surveyed the room, looked at all of the bodies, and shook my head. I looked down at Vink, saw his eyes flutter and felt an immediate surge of gratefulness. He was alive.
“Vink,” I said, my voice thick. “Is he okay?”
“I don't know, Majesty,” the soldier said. “He took a bad wound. We need to get him to the hospital.”
“We need to get you there as well, Your Majesty,” said the Guardsman on the other side of me.
“I – I'm okay,” I protested. “I need to – ”
“You're not okay, Majesty,” he insisted. “You are wounded. You need to get to the hospital as well.”
I looked down and saw the hole in the armor I'd been wearing. I saw blue blood – my blood – pouring from the hole. I was puzzled, not realizing I'd even been shot. I hadn't felt it.
“So, that's the pain I felt,” I said lamely. “I don't even recall being hit.”
As if acknowledging it gave it permission to hurt, a searing bolt of pain tore through my entire body. I gritted my teeth, but couldn't completely contain the growl of pain that escaped me.
“We'll get you to a doctor, Majesty.”
I barely heard him and was dimly aware of the two Guardsmen carrying me out of the hall. As the sunlight of the day hit my face, I felt a wave of dizziness accompanying the pain.
And then my whole world went black.
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