Part 4
Now that the initial problems had been dealt with, Rebecca could return to the task at hand, the resumption of control over the county of Lichfield. Having heard from Heather that the Duchy was being managed by the Royal Family directly, she decided it best to pay a visit to Stonekeep in person, as letters can be forged but her skills as a mage would leave them with no doubt. Picking who to go with her was slightly tricky, though.
"Hamlin, I need your thoughts." Rebecca said, as they ate breakfast in the dining hall of the Ashe Manor. "I need a show of force but I also can't look to be intimidating the useless King quite yet."
"I take it you will wish for me to remain here." Hamlin said, smiling broadly.
"That would be best, yes. You, Victoria, and Serge are a bit much to be bringing. But I also can't bring just Heather, Jacob, and Marvin." Rebecca answered, before taking another bite of the sausage on her plate.
"There is a... local rusalka." Heather ventured, after chewing his food. "She's an odd sort, prefers warm climates."
"A pet rusalka on a leash seems a bit gauche even for you." Hamlin said, offering his opinion.
"Unfortunately I agree." Rebecca said, as she tapped her fork on her plate, thinking. "Keep her in mind for later uses. I can't expect Victoria and Serge to eat everyone."
"We'll put her on a list. Rusalki are always picky eaters." Heather said, nodding.
"Why do you need more than just us, Boss?" Marv asked, his mouth full of food.
"Marvin, I'll forgive you for now, but if you can't learn to not talk while eating once I start entertaining nobility, you will not be allowed to eat with the guests. Do I make myself clear?" Rebecca stated, putting down her utensils and staring at Marv until he nodded. "Good. Because I am a Duchess, Marvin. A husband and two retainers is enough for Baroness and maybe even a Countess. A Duchess shouldn't be seen making a formal visit with any less than 10 people, ideally 20."
"Duchess, where are we going to find 10 more people?" Jacob asked as he refilled Rebecca's coffee cup, before returning to his seat.
"Jacob you're catching on much quicker than Marvin. Thank you." Rebecca said, gesturing to the cup before taking a sip. "I have an idea. Jacob, go to the library, 4th bookshelf on the left when you enter, 2nd shelf from the bottom, 17th book from the right."
Jacob nodded and left the room, and Rebecca resumed eating.
"You have a very specific book in mind." Hamlin stated, to which Rebecca nodded, but said nothing.
They dined in silence as the rain continued to pour down outside, punctuated by the sound of thunder. A lightning bolt outside lit up the room brilliantly, including the skulls hung on the far wall. An old Ashe family tradition was to display the skulls of your enemies in your dining hall, to remind you of your triumphs, and Rebecca decided to revive the practice. She knew what it would make people think of her, and frankly she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Boss, I gotta ask... are we the bad guys?" Marv asked as he looked at the skulls.
"Oh absolutely." Rebecca said without hesitation. "I am going to seize the throne, move the capital to Lichfield, and create an Empire founded on the concept of order instead of justice. We're not just bad, we're evil. Probably going to have to fight Sirene at least once, too." Rebecca wiped her mouth and took a sip of coffee. "I know you don't have a problem with that Marvin, so why did you ask?"
"Because I'm wondering why we need so many people for an assassination." Marv answered.
"This isn't an assassination." Rebecca stated. "I need to do this legally up until the final moment. As much as I would love to go to Stonekeep and gut that worthless King like a fish right now, it would make legally resolving my claims to County Lichfield much more annoying."
"What's taking Jack so long?" Heather asked, realizing he's been gone for several minutes by now.
"He probably got curious when he saw the title of the book. It's quite literally forbidden knowledge after all, that I obtained from Emperor Lazarus." Rebecca said, as she finished the last of the food on her plate.
"When did you of all people talk to the Mad Emperor? He died thousands of years before you were born." Hamlin asked, giving a large smile.
"What if I told you I once found Zimmil Ma?" Rebecca asked, as she finished her cup of coffee. "And that a certain someone was quite alive and well inside?"
"Don't bullshit me, Rebecca." Hamlin shot back, scoffing. "Why did you never tell anyone? Want those secrets that badly?"
"Hold on." Rebecca said, putting up her hand and turning to look over at Marvin and Heather. "I'm sorry, but this is actual forbidden knowledge and I'd ask you both leave and wait outside until one of us comes to get you. Ask Jacob to wait with you when he returns."
Marvin simply nodded and rose, walking out of the room at a leisurely pace. Heather came over and whispered to Rebecca, who nodded and whispered back.
"Court intrigue already?" Hamlin asked with a smile, but Heather only responded with a wink before leaving, shutting the door behind him.
"Now that we're alone, I can reveal to you what's in that book. It's in Imperial Orcish so fortunately Jacob won't be able to read it. It's soul magic." Rebecca said, standing up. Hamlin's eyes grew wide but he didn't say anything. "You understand the problem. I spoke with Lazarus at length, Zimmil Ma was buried and he was chained under the rock simply for discovering soul magic. What do you think will happen when I cast the spell I have in mind inside that book?"
Hamlin sat and thought, while Rebecca slowly made her way around the table, but he had no answer, so he simply shook his head.
"Neither do I, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?" Rebecca asked, reaching Hamlin and sitting on his lap.
"Bit early in the day for this kind of play isn't it?" Hamlin chuckled, placing an arm around her to keep her from falling off. "So, where did you find Zimmil Ma? In all my years it escaped my grasp."
"Shush you." Rebecca admonished with a playful smile, feeling up his forearms. "Right in plain sight. You know the Maw, in Southern Itari?"
"Fuck's sake." Hamlin said.
"You do."
"I was there a thousand years ago. I never entered it because it just looked like a cave."
"A week straight down. Granted it does look like a normal cave until the seventh day, when you start seeing Imperial Orcish construction buried in the rock, inscriptions barely visible."
"Inscriptions?"
"Funny thing. You know how Orcish Emperors would always have their name inscribed on any building constructed during their reign?" Rebecca asked, to which Hamlin nodded. "Well, for Lazarus his is inscribed in the La'Rozan alphabet. Thousands of years before it was invented."
Hamlin had a brief look of confusion on his face, before nodding. "His clairvoyance. Of course. So what did you speak to Lazarus the Insane about?"
"I didn't." Rebecca stated, quite flatly. "His... prison cell is quite dangerous. We merely exchanged a glance from a distance, and he nodded at me. We both knew why I was there."
"Hang on, you just said you spoke with him at length." Hamlin said, starting to protest but Rebecca placed a single finger over his lips.
"If you don't let me finish the story you're bottoming tonight." Rebecca said in a quite annoyed tone. "I spoke with him indirectly. There was an enormous book written in Rozen outside the library. The author was listed as the Emperor, and it was tens of thousands of pages long."
"What was the book about?" Hamlin asked.
"It was him, speaking to each person who comes to visit him in Zimmil Ma." Rebecca answered.
Hamlin was astonished for once, and didn't know what to say. He knew the stories of the absolute clairvoyance of Mad Emperor Lazarus were all over ancient history, but to think they weren't fanciful but entirely accurate. He nodded at Rebecca to continue, while he started to brush her hair.
"He wrote of why I came seeking answers in Zimmil Ma. Of a spell I might need one day, and he admitted even he could not tell which path I would take, so distorted it was. You know, he called me a good person, even in spite of knowing all the things I would do." Rebecca said, turning her head so Hamlin could brush the other side. He was always so much better at this than Heather.
"Miss Ashe." Hamlin said. Rebecca giggled at Hamlin being so formal with her, and decided to entertain it. "You are harsh, strict, and during the period you were a thief, quite vicious. But you have never been unfair."
"Give me an example."
"You compromised with Xilro, and in return you got the Sunless Carriage, a solution to Saffron, and closure for the old lizard." Hamlin said, giving one example.
"That was a mere business transaction." Rebecca insisted.
"And yet you didn't even consider double crossing him. You are an exceptionally fair person, Rebecca. That is why you will be a good ruler." Hamlin said, his voice still calm and even.
"Flirting with me this brashly so early in the morning." Rebecca said, unbuttoning Hamlin's shirt. "Keep going loverboy."
"In all of our extremely illegal dealings with all sorts of nobles, especially the Gilnan Royal Family, you always pretended not to see things, or not to understand things, in order to prevent them from embarrassing themselves." Hamlin said, as Rebecca rubbed his chest hair, a hungry look in his eyes.
"Yes yes tell me more." Rebecca said, practically panting.
"You're practically obsessed with order, you know." Hamlin said, smiling as he cupped her breasts. "A morning session?"
Rebecca replied by kissing him passionately.