Justar chewed on a wad of dried gamgee leaves outside the grand chambers of the Conclave of Chara. The calming effect of the juices slogged their way through his body while he gathered his thoughts. All of his meticulous planning and clandestine meetings with the profane Guryo came to nothing. The power of the Nalith disk remained on the island, an open invitation to Grymr to invade. Leave it to one of the doomed ones to foul up his perfect planning.

He spat into a shiny brass spittoon sitting next to his oversized chair and scratched his head before sliding both hands across his tight, curly black hair. Interlocking his fingers behind his head out of habit, the man focused his attention across the massive table made of dark highland wood. He stared at the closed doors leading to the king’s chambers.

As the confidante and advisor to King Gaur, Justar knew his master remained in bed that morning. No doubt, the man was having intercourse with one of many Amryno maidens who worked for the queen. Gaur considered it his duty to impregnate as many lower-class women as possible. The king regarded his actions as a method to give such women the benefit of his superior breeding. The king also enjoyed the added benefit that it annoyed his queen when she lost a dutiful servant.

Justar was grateful his master avoided Chara women. Unlike his father, King Gaur avoided potential rivals. Since the law never allowed bastard children of lower classes to lay a claim to the Conclave or the throne, Gaur’s conquests did little harm to the Chara.

Queen Chital had given the island only one son as heir. The sickly child remained nearly cloistered with the priests. Justar believed the situation to achieve more sons came from a lack of effort by Guar. Even the advisor admitted the queen’s looks did not meet the king’s desires; however, she held a lineage back from the time of Mawd the Confessor. Guar dismissed the idea that he would mate again with a woman who had a face reminiscent of a horse.

The queen carried no love for her husband. Chitel’s blue eyes rightly regarded the king as an imbecile, and her strategic thinking worried Justar. While he tried to avoid the forced marriage, the untimely death of Gaur’s father required the inconvenient partnership.

With a sigh, the advisor stiffened when he noticed the dandruff speck on his red velvet jacket, and he quickly brushed it away. The man wore a linen shirt with a large wired, whisk collar around his thin neck underneath his coat. It was uncomfortable, but the style of their class.

One must look their best for the king, who was a stickler about fashion.

The man’s gray eyes focused on a nearby mirror to ensure his attire while his mind returned to working out the details of his adjusting plan.

It’s almost like the Fates want those wretched Guryos goading Grymr and his Gravers to reach Charax.

After the thief escaped, followed by the collapse of the shaft, Justar took back his hamar as he threatened Regaar with swift retribution. Unfortunately, Justar held little leverage on that night with the loss of the Nalith, forcing himself to enjoy beating of the woman as a minor diversion. Regaar immediately offered her as a scapegoat when Justar finished. Impressively, the underworld leader also worked up an alternative solution during his abuse of the woman for her betrayal.

Regaar suggested creating a fake of the Nalith, sending it off the island as initially intended. The woman would replace the thief on the dock to die of starvation and exposure. While there were flaws in the idea, the thin man recognized Regaar’s devious mind. It surprised him to know that a Guryo nearly matched his intellectual capacity.

The click of the metal lever sent Justar to his feet as two guards swung open the twin doors from the other side. King Guar carried a smug look as he strode into the chamber. His long black hair, tied in a single braid resembling a fish’s tail, flowed down his right shoulder and in front of his thin chest. Dressed in a snug-fitting buttoned blue velvet jacket and matching thigh-length pants, the king carried the style with pride. The man considered himself the creator of fashionable dress upon Charax. He was correct, since those in the court immediately followed his style of dress.

“Another fine morning, is it not, Justar?” The king smiled with perfect white teeth. His piercing brown eyes and high cheekbones complemented a delicate copper face. 

“It is indeed another fine day.” His aide agreed as he obediently bowed before his master.

“You’re not going to spoil my day, are you?”

The vain man in blue sat in the oversized chair at the end of the table, kicking up his stocking-covered feet over the table’s edge.

“I have several more maidens who await my attention.”

Justar quickly took a silver pitcher filled with highland wine to his king, filling the large silver goblet in his hand.

“No, my lord,” he replied as he poured the blood-red liquid. “I come with an update on our progress, if you will.”

“Good. What has happened?” Guar asked, while taking the goblet.

“We have the Guryo thief who stole the Disk of the Nalith. Shortly, you will condemn and execute her,” the advisor stated.

The king heard a slight hesitation in the man’s voice, and he stopped swirling his cup.

“I would expect this, since you’re using the doomed ones as our patsies. As I suggested, we will inform Grymr that the disk is no longer on this island. He will want proof of this. I assume you have made the arrangements with the sea bandits?”

Justar suppressed his reaction to the king taking ownership of his planning.

“Yes, my master. Aprem, leader of the pirates, will receive a small chest of hamar as a down payment. I’ve received word from those traders who work with him he agrees to the terms.” The man replied. “His ship will arrive before long.”

“You mean this island’s smugglers,” King Guar gave a low humph, taking a drink.

“As I’ve stated, once we appease Grymr, we can deal with the pirates and smugglers who bleed us. The necromancer is no friend of the sea bandits; he only uses them to pressure us.”

“Which has worked despite your assurances and advice,” Gaur reminded him, his face going sour.

“Despite our vast buried treasure, I’m the ruler of an island that cannot defend itself from a few ships.”

His advisor shook his head.

“King Gaur is a wise ruler who realizes we can be a great ally to Grymr with our crystals. What do we care about the mainland if we can restart the trade between his highlands and our island? He will no longer seek to overrun our island with his Gravers. Once you destroy the pirates, you will rebuild your kingdom into the glorious land of Chara.”

The king smiled at the thought.

“Yes, we can finally remove those doomed ones and the lepers. They are nothing but leeches upon our heritage.” The man took another drink after toasting himself.

“This is good news. Let Grymr know we no longer have the disk.” The king rose, already looking forward to returning to his chambers. He found the duties of running the island quite distracting.

“I advise we delay this communication temporarily,” Justar felt butterflies in his stomach. He hoped the king remained distracted by leaving now. Unfortunately, on this day, King Gaur turned back to his advisor.

“What are you not telling me, Justar?”

 “I’m trying to spare you the minute details of everything that occurs within your kingdom.” The advisor played his cards quickly. “I mean, the doomed ones are nothing but a nuisance, anyway.”

The king’s glare made Justar continue.

“The shaft used by the Guryo collapsed. That means we cannot get to the Nalith now,” the advisor’s face remained calm. “A doomed one took off with the disk to make it his own and nearly thwarted your excellent plan. But we have already worked on a solution.”

“Nothing will hinder your will,” he hastily added when he saw Gaur’s reaction.

“Are you telling me we cannot get the Disk of the Nalith away from my kingdom?” Gaur’s face grew dark.

“Not immediately. But I assure you, this will not hinder us. I’ve already ordered the construction of a copy. It will go to the pirate leader. That fool cares only about treasure, so he’ll never know it’s a copy of the Nalith.”

Justar nervously ran his hand through his hair.

“The people who create the copy and their families will know of this deceit,” Gaur reminded him. “I know this island. Word spreads quickly.”

“Not this time,” Justar shook his head. “I’ve already placed the blacksmith in an isolated Amryno tower. He traded his wares along the dock. His people only know that we arrested him for smuggling. The man must finish this piece for you to spare his life. Once finished, the blacksmith must have an accident, and his body will disappear. The guards who watch over him only know that he works for the king on a special item. They have no reason to suspect. We can remove them quietly if they ask the wrong questions.”

“What then?” the king asked.

Justar went to a map of the world hanging on the wall. He pointed to an island far from Charax on the map.

“The original plan stays intact. We give the copy to Aprem, who will sail far away and deposit the disk on a remote island. It serves us well. As we expect, he’ll betray us and sell the information.”

He paused, then grinned.

“Since there is no need to record the disk’s location to recover it, we have several fake charts showing this treasure’s location. Even if Grymr catches Aprem, he’ll only find a copy. Our notorious necromancer can hunt until the gods return, but he will never find it. Only you, the King of Charax, will know where the disk of souls remains. Then, upon your command, we’ll dig it up.”

The advisor’s confidence grew when he saw Gaur warming to his ideas.

“Indeed, that is a devious plan.” King Gaur nodded. “It appears my trust in you remains warranted. I assume you have a plan in store for this sea bandit should he not betray us.”

Justar’s face brightened.

“Of course, once Aprem returns for the rest of his reward, we’ll hang him and his crew for piracy. This ensures that his ship becomes the first vessel of Charax’s new navy. We’ll rename the ship in your honor. No evidence will remain of Aprem’s path since multiple charts are in the hands of other captains. I foresee this as the opportunity to re-open the trade routes back to the highland. Your decisive action will reinforce your alliance with Grymr. The people of the island will rejoice at your plan.”

The king took in the plan. While his mind wasn’t as quick as his advisor’s, Gaur understood how the plot benefitted him in the end.

He walked back to his chambers.

“Keep me informed of your progress. Don’t surprise me again,” Guar removed his luxurious robe on the way back to bed.

“I would hate for my best advisor to end up inside a gibbet hanging next to the pirates and smugglers.”