Chapter 11

Aris wasn’t looking forward to running into Edrian Wolls anytime soon. If he was lucky he wouldn’t have to, but Aris knew better than to count on luck. Luck was a god that the unprepared paid homage to in an attempt to cover for their foolishness.

Despite that, Aris wished to avoid the assured backlash from the Minister of Defense. The last thing he wanted was a run in with the hawkish man.

After Aris’ report to Emperor Evrain he knew that the Minister would be called into the offices to report next and it wouldn’t be good. Wolls would most likely keep his head, but the same couldn’t be said for his position.

Edrian Wolls was a vindictive man and Aris knew that the Minister of Defense would blame any repercussions of his failure to report the assassination attempt on him. He was making an enemy of a very dangerous man.

He needed to be prepared. The Minister of Defense was like a viper in human form.

Why hadn’t the man reported the news of the attack already? Aris had learned through Dumas of Edrian Wolls’ involvement, and had hated the news. The Minister was assuredly trying to milk the upcoming assassination attempt for political standing, but in doing so he risked the life of the Emperor.

It was utter foolishness and he couldn’t allow the risk that The Minister of Defense want to court in order to gain favor with their beloved Emperor.

Aris had to inform the Emperor, but in doing so, he was painting a target on his back. He needed to be ready for whatever might happen.

Edrian was the worst kind of enemy to have. He would toast you while poisoning your drink. His cleverness was his greatest weapon and it pained Aris to say it, but Edrian Wolls truly was a brilliant man.

He was brilliant, convinced of his own smartness, and extremely ambitious. A very dangerous combination.

Aris knew from this day forward, he had have to constantly keep guard around the hawkish man. More-so than he ever had before.

It left a sour taste in Aris Ravenscroft’s mouth having to work with the man daily, but he knew that Edrian’s intellect was too important of a knife to waste. If not kept close and used, it would surely be turned on you and used to gut you.

No, it was much better to keep Edrian Wolls close and keep him appeased than castigate him and make him an enemy.

Aris hated the political game, but he would play it if it meant keeping him and his own safe. And when it came to Edrian, Aris would knew the only way to survive the man was to play that game at the highest levels.

*****

“And you’re sure that it will happen two days from now?” Aris double-checked with the Minister of Defense, who had reacted to the Emperor’s reprimand just as he had predicted; with indignance and fury.

He had been stripped of most of his holdings over his failure. He was nearly foaming with rage.

“We’ve already gone over this four times! Yes I’m sure! I’ve got a man on the inside! There’s nothing you can do to help, you’ve already mucked things up enough as it is!” He growled at Aris. “Are you sure that you aren’t really just hunting for a higher position in the cabinet? The others may think you stupid and unambitious, but I know better than to underestimate you!”

Aris caught a glimmer of hate and suspicion in the minister’s eyes and it terrified him.

“I’m gonna have to do something about this, I know that he blames me for his loss of lands,” Aris thought.

Nothing was worse than the vengeance of a once rich and powerful man brought to his knees.

“He will do whatever he can to hurt me after this.”

Aris walked on thin ice working with the man. What had the Emperor been thinking? He should have handed command of the operation to Aris but he hadn’t. Emperor Evrain must have had a reason for leaving the operation to the Minister of Defense, but it was beyond Aris.

“As I’ve already said; they will attack in two days! They will enter through the kitchen —one of their inside men works there—  as the Emperor prepares for his nightly bath then they will strike when he’s unguarded as he relieves himself before he bathes,” Edrian huffed in annoyance.

How many times did he have to repeat himself to the self righteous fool?

“I know it pains you to repeat it over and over, but we must make sure we’ve gone over every detail and have extracted every piece of information possible. There’s no telling the harm that can come from one little oversight,” Aris danced around his words, trying his best to appease the proud man.

“This whelp thinks that I haven’t gone over it a thousand times already. I need to see this rat removed.” Wolls thought with a slight curling of his lip. “He’s already cost me far too much. I WILL see him gone."

The Minister could not trust someone who had morals. They would stab you in the back for what they thought to be right.

Aris had proved that right mere hours ago.

“He’s smart, but his heart makes him dangerous in these little games. Someone with a conscience isn’t to be easily trusted.” Edrian thought.

He still seethed at General Ravenscroft. That fool had nearly cost him everything in his zeal to do his job well.

“He must lose more than his land. He’s deprived me of my right and he’s far too moral to be trusted with any real power. He won’t be able to make the decisions that really matter.”

By the time the meeting was over and they had parted ways, Edrian had came to a decision.

Aris Ravenscroft needed to be eliminated for the good of the kingdom.

But how?