by Zoey Ellis
A number of emerald-robed record keepers nervously greeted him and his traveling party, all gathered at the entrance of the Keep at his arrival.
“Greetings, your Imperial Majesty,” each of them murmured as they bowed low. They all seemed to look the same with pale skin and blond hair, and all were Betas.
One of them rose first, an older man with slanted eyes and a neat, gray beard. “I am Head Keeper Galan,” he said. “We are honored to have you visit, Emperor. Would you like a tour of the Keep?”
“No,” Drocco said. “I want a guide.”
“I would be happy to assist you with anything you need, your Imperial Majesty,” the keeper said, bowing again.
“I want the records on the population count of the Eastern Lands over the last four hundred years.”
The keeper nodded. He led them through the quiet building, up a few flights of stairs, and along a number of slim corridors. Bookshelves and filing cabinets made up most of the interior with a number of windows punctuated throughout to let in natural light. They passed a number of gray-robed clerks filing large piles of parchment or scribbling intensely on desks tucked away in slightly obscured corners. A peaceful silence swamped the building that made even their muffled footsteps on the carpet seem too loud. Finally, the keeper arrived at a long room with windows along one wall and floor-to-ceiling shelves on the other.
“All population count results are kept here,” the keeper said. “We knew that you might soon be interested in information about Omegas, so we cataloged some information specifically for you, your Imperial Majesty.”
“Information like what?” Drocco asked, his interest peaked.
“Mainly information about birth rates of different dynamics, jobs Omegas tended to thrive in, the number of bonded partners, rare dynamic variants, that kind of thing.”
“Do you have that information readily available?”
The head keeper nodded. “Of course, follow me.”
“I’ll stay and look at these documents, if that’s all right, Emperor?” Cailyn interjected.
He nodded. “Compare them to my data.” He signaled to his guards to stay with Cailyn and followed the head keeper.
As they climbed the stairs a few floors, the head keeper explained how the Records Keep worked. The previous four Kings of Ashens hired clerks who spread far and wide into the Eastern Lands and, over the years, recorded their observations in an objective, methodical manner. Sometimes they were given specific information to collect, other times they were told to explore or investigate, while others recorded things by chance, but all were sent back to the Records Keep for filing and recording. The recently deceased King of Ashens made a point of always keeping up-to-date with all of the records, and that was how he became the most powerful ruler in the Eastern Lands—he simply knew more than most of the other territories combined and could choose to interfere in ways they didn’t understand.
Drocco found it illuminating. He listened carefully, interjecting questions where necessary to form a complete picture of the value of the Records Keep. He had been keeping his records in a muddled mess of information, but the King of Ashens had turned it into a weapon. And without spilling blood. For the first time, he felt a glimmer of admiration toward the Beta king. Even though the man had made many unwise choices, his use of this facility was not one of them.
As he spoke, the head keeper led Drocco upstairs until he became out of breath and then walked across an entire floor to regain his strength. When they reached the stairs on the other side, the keeper continued his ascent. This pattern repeated until they arrived on the top floor.
“This is the floor we have been arranging just for you, your Imperial Majesty,” the head keeper said, wheezing a little. “It has every piece of information that pertains to Omegas since the first disappearance. We are still copying files but within the next month or so it should be complete. You are welcome to visit anytime to peruse at your leisure or with the guidance of a keeper.” The keeper’s hands twitched and he glanced around the room. “Of course, if you prefer to dismantle the Records Keep we can assist with storage or—”
“I will not be dismantling this facility,” Drocco confirmed. This was one of the most impressive things he had ever seen in the Eastern Lands so far, and he finally understood why many held it in such high esteem. He would definitely not be getting rid of it.
The keeper seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, your Imperial Majesty. We wondered what may become of everything here; it would be a shame for such information to be lost.” He paused, looking around the room. “Would you like to browse anything while you’re here?”
For the next hour, Drocco looked at the factual data around birth rates. It was as bad as he had imagined. Over the decades, Alphas birth rates were in steady decline since the Omegas disappearance. This trend was true in every territory and there was even data from the Western Lands showing the same.
Drocco left the floor in a somber mood but was impressed by the quality of data collected about the Western Lands. Clearly, the King of Ashens had sent clerks over there too. He questioned the head keeper about this at length and resolved to talk to Torin about it. If Malloron had the gall to send spies to Drocco, it wouldn’t hurt to send a fleet to pressure him in his own territory.
He headed back down to the population room, and as he crossed the floor he froze at the sight that greeted him. Cailyn stood laughing and talking to a clerk just outside the room—a Beta male clerk who stood too close to her and looked at her in a way that suggested he was very familiar with her.
A rush of darkness embraced Drocco, and he was moving toward them before he could even register it.
As he neared, Cailyn’s brown eyes widened, the smile dropping from her face, while the Beta shrank back.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Drocco bellowed. “Is this your job? Standing around socializing like you haven’t a thought in your head?” His voice rose to almost a roar and seemed to bound off every surface in the quiet building.
Cailyn opened her mouth but nothing came out.
He turned to advance on the Beta, his body moving almost without control. “Run” was all the warning he could get out.
As the Beta escaped, Cailyn found her voice. Although it shook, it stopped him in his tracks. “I finished looking at the population data. I was waiting for you to—”
“Do not test me, Cailyn Lefroy,” Drocco said in a hoarse, low voice, stalking toward her. “I leave you for five minutes and you’re talking in a very friendly manner to a member of staff who is no doubt still loyal to the King of Ashens.”
Cailyn backed away into the room, her eyes fiery as she looked up at him. “You have been gone close to two hours, Emperor.”
“That does not explain your behavior!” Drocco barked, forcing her back until she reached the wall. “When we are out of the Palace, I expect you to behave as though you are—”
He bit off the word about to come out of his mouth, a sudden shock dampening his rage.
Mine.
No. That’s not what he had intended to say… was it?
He floundered, searching for words. “…capable of common sense,” he finished. “If you cannot do that, you are inappropriately skilled to do anything on this investigation that is of use to me.”
Cailyn was silent for a long moment. “I would like to resign my post, Emperor.”
Drocco’s jaw slacked. “What?”
“I don’t think I’m right for your investigation. I think you could find a more suitable historian for your needs.”
Drocco laughed, low and hard. “Do you think you are still in Vamore?” He planted his wide hands on either side of her head and leaned down. “Or Neka, or Grence? Do you think you’re even in Ashens? You are in the Lox Empire, kitten. And your employment doesn’t end until I fucking end it.”
Cailyn stared at him steadily, her eyes hard, no fear or shock present, and something fierce bloomed in Drocco’s chest. He glanced at her perfec
t mouth, a raw desperation rising to take it—fuck waiting.
“The Omegas were dying,” she said, bitterly.
Drocco frowned at the sudden change in topic. “What?”
“The Omegas were dying at unnatural rates before their disappearance.” She ducked under his arm and headed to a pile she had collated on the floor. Drocco exhaled harshly, pushing away the anger that had almost risen to an acute peak. Or was that desire? He approached Cailyn’s pile stack wearily. This woman loved her piles of parchment.
“The data in these files match the data we have,” she said, shoving a stack into Drocco’s hands. “There was a serious decline in Omegas from the first count to the last. There were too many deaths for it to be a natural occurrence.”
Drocco stood gripping the files, for a long moment. This, he had never heard before. Omegas had been dying? That couldn’t be possible. It hadn’t ever been reported.
“Head Keeper!” he called.
Within seconds the head keeper appeared at the door of the room. “How can I help you, Emperor?”
“Explain why Omegas were dying.”
The man clasped his hands in front of him as he headed into the room. “I’m afraid that is something we do not have data on.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“No one reported or recorded any information on it, your Imperial Majesty,” he responded, his voice trembling. “Please remember, the data gathered is most comprehensive from when the late king’s family came into power. Before that, there was no culture of recording events or occurrences. We have noticed the declining numbers of Omegas but we cannot explain it with factual information.”
“What theory would you surmise based on the information you do have?” Cailyn asked.
The head keeper hesitated. “We don’t like to theorize—”
“Answer,” Drocco ordered.
The head keeper swallowed. “It’s possible the Omegas were under some kind of attack,” he said, carefully. “But we cannot guess what kind of attack and we do not recommend you take that theory seriously, your Imperial Majesty.”
A short moment of silence expanded in the room as Drocco digested the information. If Omegas were under attack, it had to be by Betas. They were the most numerous dynamic and had much to gain by killing Omegas and thereby reducing the birth rates of Alphas. Before he could think it through properly, Cailyn headed to the door.
“Where are you going?” Drocco said sharply.
“We’re finished here, aren’t we?” she snapped, her eyes flashing at him.
The head keeper blanched as she stormed past him while Drocco watched her. Her anger was causing her to be carelessly willful and surprisingly entertaining, despite the rudeness.
He inclined his head at his guards at the door and they blocked her path. She tried to push past them and they grabbed her, holding onto her arms until she stilled. A dust of rage skimmed over Drocco at the sight of their hands on her, but he forced himself to ignore it. She was causing the restraint to be necessary.
“I’ll be back to look into the documents you have selected for me in more detail, Head Keeper,” he told the man as he turned to go. “I will also consider how your facility may be of full use to the Lox Empire. In the meantime, notify the Palace if you or your keepers or clerks find anything that you think would be of use to me.”
The head keeper bowed deeply. “I shall, your Imperial Majesty. We look forward to your next visit.”
As he passed the guards, Drocco served Cailyn with a fierce look, heavy with all the rage rocketing within him. She immediately relaxed into a submissive pose, and a gleam of satisfaction pierced through him at her reaction. Yes, he would enjoy training this one.
“You will walk, unaided, to my carriage,” he said, harshly. “And you will get yourself under control. It is your choice whether you continue working on this investigation with all of your limbs intact. Understood?”
Cailyn nodded, her head low, in the correct position, yet Drocco was momentarily annoyed he couldn’t see her face.
“Good. Let her go.”
On the return journey, Cailyn kept quiet. She sat with her head down and her hands in her lap, as she should. Drocco still couldn’t keep his eyes off her and found himself thinking back to the smile she had given the clerk. He had initially thought that nothing about her pleasing features stood out as being remarkable, but he had been wrong—her smile was. It had enhanced her petite features so beautifully and even in the short glimpse he had witnessed of it, it was mesmerizing. It infuriated him that he hadn’t received anything close to a smile from her in all this time—over a month of watching her—yet he was the only one who deserved it. He was the fucking Emperor. He brooded in his seat, considering if he should take her to bed that very night, but one thought of the Omegas threw that notion away. He had to figure out why the Omegas had been dying, and why his father and grandfather failed to mention it. Cailyn was the route to that knowledge.
He stared at her, a dark mood crawling over him at the restrictions on him. He would fuck her raw as soon as the investigation ended. The minute they found the Omegas he would drag Cailyn into his— His thoughts shuddered to a stop. When they found the Omegas he would need to prioritize selecting the one that belonged him. He wouldn’t have time for Cailyn. Fuck! He ground his teeth, his eyes boring into her. He wanted that smile on him, that body underneath him, that bouncy hair in his fist.
He descended into deep thought while the carriage swayed, jostling them about as it entered the cobbled Palace grounds. Maybe he could keep her around and fuck her just before he bonded with his Omega. There wouldn’t be much time though; he would need to complete the bond as soon as possible.
When the carriage arrived at the Palace, his frustrations were even stronger than when they had started the journey, and he retreated to the training grounds to work off his agitation. Later that night, he tried again to find relief in the throat of a Beta female, but once again, he had to send her away without even undoing his pants. He could think of nothing but the smile that had not been for him.
***
“Greetings, King Malloron.”
“Greetings, Emperor Drocco.”
The portal hovered in front of Drocco, a transparent slash of vibrant energy through which he finally saw his only real adversary. King Malloron. The man certainly seemed to be a formidable looking Alpha. Wide and muscled, he seemed similar in stature to Drocco only with slightly browner skin and a more relaxed look in his dark eyes, but when dealing with a man who specialized in tricks, looks meant nothing. Drocco stood firm, broad arms crossed, staring at the richly dressed man through the portal. At least he wasn’t wearing a ridiculous crown, like the King of Ashens had.
“May Eiros thrive and be wealthy,” Drocco said, reciting the mantra of Eiros.
“And may the mighty Lox Empire remain eternally dominant and just,” King Malloron returned.
Around the edges of the room, behind the portal, three black-robed Talent-crafters gathered. They clasped hands with each other, linking them together as they watched the portal. Torin stood with them observing.
“I’m pleased we finally have a chance to talk,” King Malloron added.
“As am I,” Drocco replied, fully aware he did not sound pleased at all. “I want no misunderstandings developing about the Lox Empire and what its existence means for everyone else.”
“I’m sure you don’t,” King Malloron said, inclining his head. “I just want to make it clear that I speak as ruler of Eiros, the largest and most developed territory in the Western Lands. I do not speak on behalf of any of the other territories here.”
“Understood.”
King Malloron dipped his head sharply. “Firstly, will you still allow trade across the White Ocean?”
“As long as traders are willing to be more open to declaring their wares, yes.”
King Malloron lifted his head a touch. “Many of the old territories that are now under Lox ruling did not appreciate some
of the more… unique wares the Western Lands had to offer. I wonder how lenient the Lox Empire will be?”
“You need not wonder, just ask,” Drocco said, forcing himself to remain calm. Why didn’t kings ever just speak plainly?
“Intoxicants like mutated wine, rare spirits, tobacco enhancers, recreational and medicinal substances including hallucinogens and Haze recreators,” the king reeled off quickly.
“Fine as long as they are declared,” Drocco said.
“Voluntary manual and sexual labor workers of any age?”
“Fine.”
“Involuntary manual and sexual labor workers of any age?”
“Only criminals.”
The king’s eyebrows shot up and a slow smile spread across his face. “Agreed. What about goods that make use of the Talent?”
Drocco had to force himself not to flinch. “I’ll need more time to consider that. Send a list of the kind of goods you’re referring to and I’ll think about it.” He uncrossed his arms. “Regarding the proposal you made in your last letter, I fail to see how it would be of benefit to me.”
The king sobered, his jaw becoming tight. “You don’t see the value in acquiring the Talent?”
“What would I possibly need it for?” Drocco countered, dryly. “I don’t spy—that activity has no honor. I’m also not interested in being an entertainer.”
The king’s nostrils flared and his whole body seemed to expand. “You think that is all the Talent is good for?”
Drocco remained silent, watching him with care. Much could be gleaned about a man when he burned in anger.
“I will assume you are unaware of whom you are speaking to, since my ancestors discovered and developed the Talent.” The king’s voice deepened and became harsher. “They were the first Talent-crafters to exist. The art has been honed and refined throughout the decades into something more powerful than anything any other Land could create. You may have experienced it through semi-skilled hacks and entertainers looking for quick coin, but I assure you, the Talent can do wondrous and incredible things, especially by an accomplished crafter.” He leaned forward. “It could instantly unify your Empire without the need for Lox warriors in every city. It could aid you in finding the Omegas. It could seek out the perfect Omega for each Alpha. Imagine that,” he said, his eyes narrowing with his intense expression. “Imagine if every Alpha could instantly locate their true mate?” He shook his head and leaned back. “You cannot say you truly understand the Talent if, as the ruler of such a powerful nation, you’re telling me you don’t want or need it.”