“So you’ve narrowed down where that spike of Mana came from?” A young man with dirty blond hair and piercing blue eyes sits in a luxurious chair as he stares at his reflection in the window. “We’re close to show time and I’d rather make sure this neighbor of ours is rooted out and taken care of immediately.”

A woman with long blond hair stands at his side with her eyes closed, unmoving. At the front of the room, a man in black outfit bows with wounds all over his body.

            “I’m sorry, Young Lord. But the Shadows they….”

            “The Shadows this, The Shadows that. Those pesky judges are getting in my way.” He says.

The woman nods. “Their purpose is to keep the game in order. They are just making sure none of the Candidates gains the advantage over the other.”

The man shoots up from his chair and smacks her across the face. She doesn’t move, taking the blow but remaining still.

            “Oh Pepper. We discussed this. My Queen has to have absolute loyalty.”

            “I do Young Lord. But they also instructed me to guide you away from foolish misconceptions.”

He plops down back in his seat. “You are correct. Please do a better job of speaking up before it comes to this from here on.”

            “Yes, Young Lord.”

He nods and returns to his position, checking his image. “Now tell me, how goes production?”

            “Sir. The gunpowder is being produced according to schedule. As for the other weapons, there was an accident in one lab, but….”

He sighs. “I see. I heard a pop last night. Were any of my pawns involved?”

            “None sir. All the pieces are in their place and prepared as you ordered.”

            “Good. The rest of you are expendable. Oh, and the Elf?”

            “Still on the island, Sir. We’ve attempted to remove them, but they’ve retreated into the forest.”

            “Oh well, it’s a shame. I liked those woods. Burn them down and capture that, Elf. It’s a shame should he have been a woman; I might’ve invited him for a personal meeting.” He stares up at Pepper and licks his lips. “Speaking of Pepper, prepare a woman for me tonight. I believe one from the village will do.”

She shakes and bows to him. “Yes, Young Lord. I will have one brought to your chambers this evening.”

            “I have to make sure the Fenwick bloodline stays strong. Besides, what’s a few bastards here and there? As long as I get a suitable heir in the end, Father will forgive a few transgressions.”

As the three stand, another man in black enters the room. “Sir, please, you have to stop this!”

            “Oh, which one is this one?” He says, turning around.

            “Jacob, calm down.”

            “No, I won’t. We welcome him believing in the goodness of the nobles and look at what he’s done. Our island is polluted, the people are suffering, and we’re sacrificing our wives and daughters to this monster to satisfy his wants.” The man pulls out a sword and aims it at the Young Lord. “Well, no more!”

He charges ahead, screaming as he swings his blade. However, before it can make contact, a pair of women appear from the shadows. They throw out their hands and a force of wind knocks him down to the ground. He struggles to stand, but the pressure of their attack keeps him pinned.

            “That was quite foolish. I do you the honor of coming and bringing civilization to your fools, and this is how you betray me?” He asks, walking forward. “Well, I forgive you.”

            “What?”

            “You there? Does this one have family?”

The man grits his teeth. “He….”

            “Oh, do be careful. I’ll know if you’re lying.”

He lowers his head. “He has a wife and son. And a surviving sister.”

            “What? What do you plan to do to them?”

            “Take the son to the mines. We can put him to work for his father’s crimes. As for the wife, bring her to my chambers and take the sister to my men. I’m sure they could use some entertainment.” He says with a smile.

The man on the ground screams out, trying to force himself to stand but cannot move. “Oh, and don’t kill him. I want him to know what happened before we execute him.”

            “Yes, Young Lord,” Pepper says, bowing. “I will get on that right away.”

As she leaves, he stares out of the window and smiles. “Soon I won’t be known as the Young Lord. I will simply be the new Lord, not the new King, to rule over these lands. And when my rule is law, then everyone will see just how strong the Fenwick bloodline is within me.”

He stares, checking his reflection in the window. “I will prove I am my father’s son above all others!”