Chapter 16 - Plots and Schemes
The Empress Lilith slapped Lord Chancellor Sir Walter Grandebouche across the face. “You are an incompetent idiot! I send you to do one simple task and you can’t even do that!”
Sir Walter whimpered.
The two of them were on a beach in a remote island in the Caribbean.
The sun was baking their skin and anybody else would have enjoyed it, but the Empress was in no mood to sunbathe.
She was furious. She was normally an unpleasant and dour woman, and her anger made her look even more unpleasant still. Her face was frowning, her nose was scrunched up as though she smelled a putrid stench, her mouth was in a straight line, her eyes were scowling, her huge floppy ears were drooping.
The Empress advanced on the Lord Chancellor, who cowered in fear.
“As long as my worthless nephew Max is alive, people would continue to question the legitimacy of my rule,” she said, raising her hand. “And I can’t rule like that. That’s why I need him dead. That’s why I disappeared, so I could lure him back to the Supernatural World. His stupid parents placed that protective spell on him so I couldn’t kill him while he was in the Natural World.”
Recalling her ingenious plan, a big smile broke out on her wart-filled face. “Yes, I did what I had to do. I disappeared so that the leaders of the ten provinces could rebel. The realm would descend into chaos and everyone would realize they need a strong ruler. I allowed the archbishop go to the Natural World to retrieve Max. Once Max was back in the Supernatural World, I could kill him, but not directly. No one could suspect me. I had to be innocent and blameless. I had to borrow someone else’s sword to kill him. Heck, I thought the leaders of the realm would kill him for me. Who would have thought the little runt would reconquer Purgatorio?”
The Lord Chancellor nodded vigorously, glad her anger was being replaced by self-admiration.
She went on, “Then, the plan was that, after his death, I would be the only legitimate successor, and my rule would be legitimized. And the best part is that no one would link me to his murder.”
“What about the people, Ma’am?” said the Lord Chancellor. “Didn’t the anarchy cause them to suffer? Isn’t this whole plan far-fetched?”
“It’s a small price to pay to hold on to power,” replied the Empress.
She pointed an accusatory finger at him. “But now, you have failed to kill him, you useless fool! The longer we wait, the more time he has to find an heir. If he dies today, then I’d be the natural heir and then, no one would question my rule.”
“Don’t worry,” said Sir Walter. “I already have someone on it. I bribed a member of Max’s imperial household to poison his beverage.”
The Empress glared at him. “This better work. Or I’ll feed you to my griffin for dinner.”
She pointed at her griffin, who was of a magnificent black.
The griffin roared and clawed the air.
The Lord Chancellor swallowed.
He prayed the assassination attempt would work this time.
Book 1: The Crown Prince (The Kid Emperor of Occultoria) Page 37