73 Rif

It was still the day of the ancestral assembly. After the surprise appearance of his ancient great-grandfather, Corco had retreated back into his outer city mansion. He had been stuck in his study, in an attempt to quell his rage and adjust his plans, when a surprise guest had paid a visit.

"Prince Corco, I am deeply ashamed that matters turned out this way. Unfortunately, an old servant like myself is incapable of halting the plans of those of greater stature. My actions have betrayed my master and I will always live with this shame. I am willing to pay whatever price is needed to repent."

Corco looked to his guest, Prime Minister Chaupic, who had put on his best saddened look for the day. Truly a politician.

"That sounds nice and all, but as far as I remember, Caelestis was your master as well, wasn't he?"

Corco immediately poked holes in the man's facade.

"...while I have served two emperors, neither were ever my true masters. Before any man, I have always been a servant of the great, glorious house of Pluritac. As has your father."

The old politician not only spoke in a much less formal tone Corco preferred, he also managed to frame his motives in the right light. Still, Corco wouldn't be convinced. Not with the man's track record.

"So did the house force you to work with my good Uncle Pacha? Didn't know the country was that opinionated. Or how about when you organized that assassination on me. Since you feel so sorry, why not confess?"

"Very well. It was I."

"Huh?"

Dumbfounded, Corco stared at Chaupic's determined face. Without even flinching, the politician had admitted to his crimes.

"I knew about Prince Pacha's true identity as well. It has been very much an open secret within the palace, at least over the past few months. I pieced the puzzle together myself once Elder Caelestis approached me, his old prime minister, to support succession of the third prince over second prince Amautu."

"Wait, you knew? What about father?"

"I am unsure. However, there might have been good reason for the emperor to avoid his father and keep him away from administration all these years. That is, a reason besides the elder's obvious incompetence."

A shallow smile painted the politician's face as he allowed himself a joke.

"To me, the truth did not matter. In the end, Prince Pacha is still a Pluritac, a member of the imperial family. He is only one stage removed from the main line as well. To me, which Prince would sit the throne would not matter so long as the house was in good stead. However, the house is not in good stead. Far from it. You have seen it yourself, and boldly spoken out. The empire is in grave danger and with it, House Pluritac will suffer. The threat will only get worse so long as we do not elect a new ruler to unite the estates."

Corco thought about the prime minister's speech for a second, but recovered soon, annoyed by the clever excuses of the man. Like a true politician, he had managed to mangle the truth into a story to make himself look sympathetic.

"If the ruler doesn't matter, why try to kill the crown prince, the one with the best chance for succession? You best be careful with your next words, just as a heads up. You know that I can have you killed right now for your confession alone, right?"

"Of course, Prince. It is within your right to do as you please. However, when you arrived in Arguna, what support did you have? What did I know of your goals and aspirations? To me, you were a second Amautu: A former prince of the empire who had been off in foreign lands for years. One who had been corrupted by their thoughts. The capital was chaotic even before, but a third suitor for the silver crown would only have made succession more complex.

"When the empress mother approached me with her plan, it made complete sense. Make sure Prince Pacha has left the city while the crown prince arrives, to avoid suspicion. Make sure the crown prince meets his second brother upon his re-entry into Pluritac Castle. Kill the crown prince with the help of an arcavian assassin. It would eliminate a competitor for the throne, harm Amautu's prestige by making him the prime suspect and make the Arcavians the actual culprits for the murder. Like this, we could weaken their position in the empire, their influence around Pacha. End the war for succession early and reduce the foreign influence within the palace."

"And then he's only controlled by Ichilia, no one else," Corco sneered.

"At least House Ichilia is a part of Medala. The Ichilias would gain greatly, but with an emperor on the throne and myself back in charge, we could regain our footing and reestablish the dominant standing of House Pluritac. Not to mention, Prince Pacha has inherited his true father's talents, or lack thereof. He would not have the ability, nor the leisure to take care of politics. It would be more than enough room for me to fix his mistakes. Sometimes, incompetence is more useful than mediocrity."

"...so why confess at all? Why now? Aren't things still the same? The succession is a worse mess than ever after today's assembly and Pacha is still the favorite."

"...much has changed. First was the time down in the family crypt. While I knew that there had been much animosity towards Emperor Titu, I had never expected them to be this... vicious. They trampled our traditions, without remorse. These beasts do not deserve to uphold the noble name of Pluritac."

Of course that would only be part of the reason. Corco could guess that Spuria's betrayal the morning after the botched assassination played a much bigger role. The politician had chosen to diversify, to look for new allies after his old ones had proven unreliable. Still, he let the politician speak. Gaining more information was never the wrong move.

"However, what truly changed my mind was the banquet. After the debate with Lord Betucio, it became apparent which of the princes truly cared about the house and the empire. I also saw that ability to unite the Lords, exactly like the one Emperor Titu had possessed. I realized that day who make the best emperor among the princes. I realized I should support the eldest son, rather than the forces of Ichilia."

"So why didn't you? You didn't exactly make my search for my father's killer easy, for example."

"...matters are not within my hands. They have rarely been over the decades, but now my position is weaker than ever. Even more so since the return of Grand Ancestor Viribus. According to Emperor Titu, the ancestor had decided to travel the world before his end. At some point within the last few years, he seems to have quietly returned, without my knowledge... and he was much changed."

"How so?"

"After the banquet and the shift in public opinion, the ancestor invited a group of officials and elders for a visit, myself chief among them. He asked about the views the newly arrived prince had on various issues. More than anything, he wished to hear opinions on religion and tradition. The ancestor seemed very unhappy with your alliance with the traditional forces from the east and with your stance against the outside forces."

"Wait, why would the old man be unhappy about that?"

"...this I do not know."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a while as either man was stuck in his own head. In the end, Corco broke the silence. He had much more to do after all, and the funeral would already be tomorrow.

"So why are you here then? Just to apologize? Or are you wasting my time on purpose?"

Chaupic's answer sidestepped the sharp tone of provocation in Corco's voice.

"The ancestor seems adamant in breaking tradition to make the third prince emperor. Nothing can be done to reverse this decision. However, there is another way. Compromise. If a triumvirate of the princes were put in charge of the empire, the status of all princes would be preserved. Splitting land between the sons is a complete break with traditions, so the ancestor will like it as well. At that point, we only need to wait until his demise. With solid support from the estates, reuniting the power would be easy. The ancient beast cannot live forever... I hope."

"...you're not serious."

"I am. Compromise is the only op-"

"Compromise and let those assholes get away with murder, literally? Are you fucking kidding me?! I won't stand for this shit. Kill the emperor and you get a third of the country as reward? Fuck you, I'm not playing. When I first came back you thought I couldn't take on anyone and now I've fucked up both Amautu and my piece of shit uncle. I'm gonna fuck up that ancestor as well if I have to."

"Prince-"

"I don't need your help, or anyone's. I'll do this by myself, just like before. And I have my own plans. Unlike you, I have a very good idea just what the old beast wants. Now all I have to do is tell the right people."

__________________________

Corco was still focused on Chaupic's back when Fadelio closed the door on the prime minister. The warrior had been quietly sitting by the entrance and listened in on the conversation, as he often did. For Corco, Fadelio was more than a simple bodyguard. Just as much, he had always been an advisor. Now that the outsiders were gone, it was finally time to make plans.

"What are your orders, Master Corco?" his friend asked as he took a seat where the politician had sat before.

"Okay, first: I get that you're trying to stay in character, but it's creepy. At least when no other people are around, we should talk normally. I don't need yes-men. This isn't the palace after all."

Fadelio's stiff face transformed into a grin before he answered.

"Got it Boss. So, what's the plan."

"We need to talk to the priests. The Pachayawna, if possible. If I'm not wrong, Viribus plans to harm the Pacha-faith itself."

"Getting the priests on our side would be easy then... and useful. They'll decide the next emperor after all," Fadelio said, sunk into thought.

"Exactly. So that's all we need. A talk with the priests, to convince them of their impending doom. You'll have to do some shopping too. I might be able to prepare a nice prop for the priests to use in their divination." Corco could feel the grin expand across his face. He had been thinking about this particular trick for a while now. This would be the perfect moment to make use of it.

Fadelio nodded his head, but made no attempt to stand up, though he seemed hesitant to speak.

"Anything else?" Corco asked, "You know that I always value your opinion, no matter what it is. Worst case, I'll just disagree."

"Okay." His friend righted himself on his chair, before he continued. "Why not consider Chaupic's proposal?"

The prince looked at his friend for a second, lost in confusion, before his eyes began to narrow in anger. He wouldn't even humor the thought. "No."

"Listen, Laqhis. Even if we only end up with Sachay, nothing changes in our plans, right? We can still-"

A heavy fist landed on the table, ending Fadelio's attempts at persuasion.

"I said no! You really want me to leave the country to my bastard brothers? Leave the capital, the ziggurat, the family tomb to them? Their crimes weigh heavy. I'll make sure they get the punishment they deserve! That means NO compromise! Understood!?"

Throughout his speech, he had leaned forward and gotten louder and louder, an expression of the anger he felt towards his amoral brothers. The last thing he would do was pardon the bastards, or start his reign with a compromise.

"But-"

"No more discussions! We've prepared for five years. Our start will be perfect, and I'll accept nothing less than that! The bastards will fry for what they've done. We will not contribute to their games by splitting the country apart. Now go out and do your fucking job!"

Fadelio looked at him for a few seconds, with saddened eyes. Corco knew himself that his anger targeted the wrong man, but he wouldn't apologize. Not now, and not for this.

"Understood, master Corco," his servant said as he got up and left the room. This time, the prince made no attempt to correct his form of address.