Page 47 of Shadow Throne King
I had thought this to be a mercy, a way of avoiding unnecessary pain. But now, I realized that this was perhaps crueler. As we moved slowly through the dishes, the servants each wondering if they were going to suffer the same fate as the corpse on the floor, the tension in the room increased, even Topi Bemishu watching the decreasing number of dishes with horror. Some servants had to try multiple dishes if they had prepared ingredients for each or stirred multiple ones on the stove.
There were still a handful left when one of the cooks screamed out, “No!”
The room stilled. He was backing away from the table, his eyes fixed on the next dish: a plate of fried vegetables, covered in a dark sauce. Having eaten a similar dish before, I knew that the sauce was salty and spicy, the soft vegetables covered in a crispy fried shell.
Yes, something with such strong flavors would cover any subtle poison.
Tallu had remained silent during the entire ordeal, his presence an additional pressure on the already nervous servants.
Now, he spoke.
“You won’t try this dish?” Tallu asked quietly.
“I won’t. I won’t!” The servant backed away, holding up both hands, his eyes turning to one of the Dogs that approached.
“Is there something wrong with it?” Tallu asked, his tone just slightly intrigued. “Perhaps it is not up to your standards.”
“You cannot make me!” the man screamed.
“I’m afraid you’re going to find out that we can make you do a great many things,” Kennelmaster said. “Bring him here.”
Two Dogs pounced, each grabbing one of the servant’s arms, pressing the other hand to his shoulder, forcing him to the table. He dug his heels into the ground but stumbled forward at the pressure against his back.
“There are a great many questions I have,” Tallu said mildly. “But the first is the most important, so I require your full attention.Trulythink on your answer.Whowas your victim?”
The question was so surprising that the servant turned to look at Tallu, his mouth falling open.
“There were three of us who might eat the dish, more if it was returned to the kitchen and servants given permission to eat what remained. Not to forget the Dogs who might taste my food.” Tallu picked up his wineglass again, swirling the red liquid. Droplets of it dripped down the side of the glass when the wine settled, and he examined the servant through the traces of wine. “So, who was your intended victim?”
The man panted, struggling again against the implacable arms of Tallu’s Dogs. Finally, he spat, “You.”
“I am not sure I can believe you,” Tallu said quietly. “What is his name?”
Tallu’s eyes didn’t leave the man, but the chef answered anyway. “Susipo.”
Tallu nodded. “Susipo.”
The name sounded like a threat, and Susipo thrashed again in the Dogs’ arms. “You will get nothing from me!”
“That, I doubt,” Tallu said. “I think you greatly underestimate my Dogs. I think you greatly underestimatemydesire to understand who would put my beloved husband in danger.”
Tallu didn’t look at me, his rage palpable. He was outwardly calm, as though that could hide the anger simmering under his skin.
“It must have been a very great weight to carry with you,” I said quietly. “The murder of an emperor is heavy.”
Susipo’s eyes fixed on me, and I saw the burn of hatred in them. “He is no emperor.”
“No, he is more than that, isn’t he? He is the first Dragon Chosen Emperor. With such credentials, he should sit at the head of the Animalia Court. With that title, he will make history.” I let my words go soft, let the patter of them become rhythmic. It was an old storytelling technique, one my mother employed on dark nights in the winter. It calmed the room, soothed racing hearts, made everyone breathe in synchronicity with my words. “His Imperial Majesty, Dragon Chosen Emperor Tallu.”
“No,” Susipo said, but his voice was weaker, and he swallowed. “No. He is no rightful emperor of the Imperium. He is the destruction of our empire. He will end us all by fracturing our nation.”
“Will he?” I let my voice go even quieter.
Susipo’s eyes went wide. “Already, he has torn apart the work of his father and grandfather. He let a northerner into his bed. He trusts an old man whose mind was warped by the blood mages to lead his military.”
“So your master believes. So do many traitors. But Dragon Chosen Emperor Tallu is generous. He is kind to those who betray him. That is why he will not let you suffer. He will not require it of you as long as you give him the answers he needs.” I waited a long beat. “Who sent you?”
But Susipo was stronger than I gave him credit for. “I sent myself. Your reign will end in your death.”