"Ah, right, gods, look at me, I talk so much and yet nothing answers the question. What a shame indeed that I'm excluded from political gatherings. I would fit right in," Meeka sighed, realizing he couldn't ignore the glaring issue any longer. He had tiptoed around the important part of this conversation for long enough.
"What's your name?", the prince asked his deputy.
She creased her forehead. Apparently, she didn't get the connection between her question and her name, but still, she told the prince her name was Frederika.
„Well, Frederika, I have bad news for you. Looks like your job is in danger, since the prince you're serving is about to become a criminal."
Frederika raised an eyebrow, and her expression turned sour. "A Criminal? Forgive me, my prince. Out of all your siblings, I think you are the least likely to become one."
"That's why I auditioned to become your deputy in the first place. I wanted to avoid trouble. And I didn't want to get dragged into anything controversial."
The way she formulated her statement made Meeka listen up. "You make it sound like someone dragged you into something controversial before?"
She didn't answer, but the way she looked at Meeka told the prince everything.
"Your husband?" He probed further. So his sudden death wasn't a coincidence, he added in thought, noting to look further into the incident once he got the chance.
Again, Frederika chose to stay quiet, so Meeka decided to drop the topic and return to the original problem.
"Einar wants me to kill Arian's unborn child. And I agreed."
There it was. He said it. Short and simple.
By now, Meeka thought he would have processed his conversation with Einar, so he would be able to speak very reflectively about it. Instead, as soon as he talked about their conversation again, he felt dirty.
Meeka couldn't even look his deputy in the eyes. He had lowered his head, staring at his feet instead.
There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Meeka wasn't sure how his deputy would react to the news. Would she agree with his decision, would she think it wasn't a problem at all, or would she be disgusted?
Instead of providing the prince with a clear statement about how his decision made her feel, she answered with a question.
"How did he get you to agree with him?"
"He told me if I don't fight for the throne myself, I have to pick a side, a faction, and support one of my siblings. Or rather, one faction. Otherwise, I will die. They will see to it if I don't choose them. Einar promised me that much."
"They threatened you with death. So they basically forced you."
Meeka nodded his head in agreement to Frederika's conclusion.
"If I don't do it, they will get rid of me. If I do it, however, and get caught, I'm pretty sure Einar won't support me. I'm only the scapegoat, even though he promises me his faction's support. Since I don't have my own political power, they see me as an easy tool."
The prince shook his head, dejected, and finally managed to look up, into the troubled face of his deputy.
"This is not good", she mumbled as she stepped from one foot to the other. She had crossed her arms infront of her chest, as if she wanted to protect herself from the bleak reality.
"I know I'm your deputy and I should advise you, my prince, so you can make the best decisions. But- but I really don't know what you should do right now. I don't think there is a way out for you."
"So you think I should kill my brother's unborn child?"
"I mean-no! It's horrible. But if you don't do it..." she trailed off. It seemed talking about this sensitive topic was just as uncomfortable for her as it was for the prince.
"It's a heavy blow to your conscience." She stated firmly. "You first kill- even if it's just a fetus- it changes you. Even though I wasn't directly responsible for any deaths yet, a lot of people close to me were. They all became colder and more distant after they killed. It's weird, but you don't feel so safe around them anymore. You always ask yourself if there wouldn't have been a different way..."
Frederika looked Meeka deep in the eyes, her gaze full of pity.
Meeka bit his lip as he thought about her words deeply. She was right, his biggest problem was his conscience. He knew he could never forgive himself for killing an innocent child.
"Whatever the choice, it will be ugly. I will have to dirty my hands. If I get caught, I will be in trouble, and as a result, as my servant and closest advisor, you will be in much more trouble. So I won't force you to stay at my side."
"So I ask you this: Do I have your support? If you want to resign, you can do it now. You've only served me for a week, and this was your first time officially serving me, while I was on my royal duties. No one would find it suspicious if I fired you now."
"If you stay, however, there is no turning back. This is your only chance."
Meeka expected silence to follow up on his announcement. After all, his deputy had a lot of things to think about. This whole situation concerned her life. Such a drastic decision was hard to make.
I believe she will recline. Especially since we don't really know each other...
"I will stay by your side," Frederika interrupted Meeka's thoughts.
The prince looked at her with surprise, wondering if he had heard correctly.
"You seem shaken by Einar's demand. Rightfully so. It shows me you have humanity left in you- more than your siblings. And while you seem shocked, there is also some-", she narrowed her eyes, as if she was trying to see through Meeka,"- determination in you. Alone from the way you structured this conversation. You don't let your emotions rule you- throughout this whole conversation, you give the impression that you have a plan."
Meeka tried to smile. He liked this new deputy. She seemed to understand him. Even though he was surprised by her decision, he was glad she chose so. With her at his side, he felt like everything would work out well.
Look at me, I don't even know her well, and I already feel safer with her, Meeka thought. She's really the right type for being my deputy.
"You aren't wrong. While I don't have a detailed plan yet, I know for a fact I won't kill that child. I will only do so, as if I'm following Einar's will. I know this is dangerous, but I have an advantage. I have knowledge I shouldn't have."
Now Meeka smiled truly. He remembered how Einar had told him he should pay more attention to his surroundings when he greeted Meeka in his private reception hall. But unlike Einar, who ignored his own advice, Meeka had always done so.
"First of all: Einar is not the mastermind behind this plan", the prince explained. "He works with someone. Or should I say for someone?"
Frederika seemed surprised by this revelation, but also pleased. Meeka suspected she was quite happy in having accessed the prince, she was serving, correctly.
"Of course, he wouldn't have told me if I asked him. He would never admit to serving someone. Which is a pity. I couldn't confirm if he works for my eldest brother, my older sister, or my younger sister. But hey, at least I can narrow it down to these three."
His deputy raised one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Couldn't you have proper further? I mean, not asked directly, but some other questions that could give you hints?"
"Of course. I'm pretty sure Einar wouldn't have seen through my intentions, since he's actually really bad at reading the room. But I didn't want to. For the same reason why I only speak with you now."
"Why?" Fredercia was both confused and curious.
Meeka shrugged his shoulders, a smug smile playing on his lips. "We were overheard. Einar didn't notice since he wouldn't have said the things he did- but I did."
Now his deputy seemed truly intrigued. "By whom?", she asked.
"A barghest."
The answer startled her. "A- a baghest?", she stammered. "But apart from the royal family ones, and the beasts who stand guard, no other mystical creatures are allowed in the palace."
"Obviously. So it sneaked in. Isn't that the specialty of a baghest?"
Frederka didn't answer. Her voice grew more serious with each sentence. She realized the situation was more complex than it originally looked.
"Who does it belong to?"
"Arian's maid, Marie. It listened to our conversation. Then followed us until we passed the throneroom, before it followed someone else. An advisor of my father, if I'm not mistaken. Seems like the beast is bold enough to spy on my father directly. Or at least try."
It looked like Meeka's older brother was playing the game as well. It seemed like his accident and the following falling from grace hadn't changed Arian too much. He still plays the game. He tries to stay informed, Meeka thought. That's good. If he knows Einar wants to kill his child, he will surely intervene, thus making my situation a lot easier.
"But my prince, how can you know the beast of Prince Arian's maid spied on you? A barghest can literally turn invisible and thus escape all our senses. How could you detect she was there?"
Meeka only smiled.