Book 5, Chaper 20

Going to visit her great-grandfather was usually a nerve-racking experience. He was the emperor, and one of the most powerful people in the empire, after all. Still, it wasn't enough to deter her from activating the array hidden in the black token.

With a ripple of spatial energy, she vanished from her mansion, appearing in Farsaic's hidden gardens. 

It was late in the day, after all of her classes were over, and the light was fading from the sky, with the first stars appearing. Zee took a seat on the bench underneath the towering fruit tree at the center of the garden. The place was as vibrant as ever, without a trace of the damage she left a few months ago. Considering she was stopping by unexpectedly, she expected a long wait. 

Much to her surprise, he entered the garden after only a few minutes.

"Ahh, great-granddaughter, what a pleasant surprise," Farsaic said, walking from a side alcove with a smile on his face.

He looked genuinely happy to see her, though that was hard to tell for sure. Zee stood but as an act of rebellion didn't give him a formal bow. 

"Grandpa, it is good to see you," Zee replied.

"What brings you here? Is everything alright?" He asked with a hint of concern on his wrinkly face..

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Zee folded her arms and gave him her best unhappy glare.

"I know you are trying to make me your successor," Zee accused. Better to just come right out and say it.

"What brought you to that conclusion?" He asked, neither confirming nor denying her accusation. 

"First off, you agreed far too easily to my demands five months ago. Secondly, that's the whole reason you are sending your descendants on this expedition. You are looking for a successor. That's why you were so insistent that I go. You want to inflict the throne on me?" Zee stated.

A smile tugged at the old man's lips. "You know, most people would jump at the opportunity to be in charge of an empire," Farsaic replied, avoiding the question yet again. 

Zee shook her head. "Well, not me. Being an empress sounds like a lot of work. Plus I have no desire to be confined to a gaudy chair for the next hundred years," Zee said.

His grin widened. The emperor snapped his fingers, and a table appeared between them. He placed a small intricately etched box on the table.

"Let's make a wager. In this box is the bloodline treasure I promised. It has a very low chance of awakening the third and final piece of your bloodline. Up until now, every one of my descendants has failed to awaken the final talent. First my children, then my grandchildren, and now my great-grandchildren. None have awakened the Mantle, and therefore none can assume the throne. If you do not want to inherit, simply eat the treasure inside and prove yourself inadequate," The emperor said. 

Zee bit her lower lip, eying the intricately carved box on the table hesitantly. When he put it that way, it sounded like she had pretty good odds. Still, did she dare take that risk? 

Noting her hesitation, he spoke again "How about this? You eat the natural treasure, and in return, the authorities will not discover that the little auction house Bastion is running. Tax evasion, selling illicit goods, and operating a business without a license are serious crimes punishable by decades in prison," Farsaic said. He paused for a moment, noticing her tense up. With a devious smile, he continued.

"Perhaps I might even be willing to grant him the proper license and ignore his tax evasion if you do as I ask," Farsaic said.

Zee scowled. She hadn't been expecting a threat from her great-grandfather. Still, judging by his expression, he was deadly serious. Well, shit! Now she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She had come here to yell at him, and now he had expertly backed her into a corner. It was infuriating, to be coerced into eating the bloodline treasure. 

Well, that's what she got for thinking she could come here and yell at the emperor. Without responding, Zee angrily opened the intricately designed box and picked up the fist-sized fruit. Her mother had warned her to stay away from the scheming of nobility, and she hadn't listened. She only had herself to blame. 

With some regret, she stuffed the rich-smelling fruit into her mouth and bit down. It was sweet and savory, with an explosion of juice in her mouth. The flavor was absolutely delicious, prompting her to eat the rest in three quick bites. It was like a bomb went off as the energy-rich fruit settled in her stomach.

Almost immediately, the Heart of Fire beat in her chest, and the Avatar of Dominion heated up in her neck. They both released waves of fiery energy that resonated through her body. It seemed like they were looking for something. With each pulse, her body shuddered, and the waves of energy gradually grew more powerful.

The resonance grew for several long seconds, each pulse sending jolts of pain through her. And yet, nothing came back. It looked like the energy from the natural treasure hadn't found anything. 

Excitement welled in her chest as the pulses started to dim in strength. Her excitement quickly faded as she felt a weak resonance in her forehead.

It beat to the same tune as the Heart of Fire and even hummed as the energy of the Avatar of Dominion washed over it. Drawn to the resonance, the energy coursing through her body rushed upward, and disappeared into the hidden spot in her forehead. 

There was a sharp crack in her mind, but Zee was left confused, as nothing else happened. Unlike the first two times, there was no vision, just an odd sense of connection. It felt like the Heart of Fire, and the Avatar of Dominion were one, connected. Zee didn't know what to think about that. Had the bloodline treasure failed to awaken the Mantle? 

Zee turned her attention back to Farsaic who was watching her closely. She was hoping he knew what was going on. Zee's mouth went dry as she noticed the shit-eating grin on his face. With a sense of dread, she pulled up her status and looked. There it was, written just under her first two bloodline talents. It was just a single line on her status, and yet it felt like a death sentence. 

(Bloodline Talent, Mantle E.)

Zee wanted to scream at someone for the unfairness of it all. Why did she have to be cursed with this kind of rotten luck? She turned her angry glare onto the man responsible. 

"I am not becoming the empress," Zee stated firmly.

Farsiac's grin only widened further. "Come now, granddaughter. You should be honored. I will personally train you to be my replacement," Farsaic said with a friendly smile.

"I refuse... There is nothing you can say or do that will convince me to become your successor," Zee said.

Farsaic laughed, his mirth evident. "I have been stuck on this throne since my father forced it upon me, and that was before Julian was born. If you think you can avoid your fate, you are mistaken. You will become my successor and ascend the throne whether you like it or not," Farsaic said.

Zee firmly shook her head. Her defiance only seemed to brighten his mood further. 

"Very well, granddaughter. Since you want to do this the hard way, that is how we will do it. Thank you for stopping by. It has been an eventful evening. Anyways, I best get going, do have a pleasant evening, I have much to do," The emperor said, striding out of the garden, with a spring in his step. 

Zee watched the old man go. She had no idea what he meant by the hard way, but she wouldn't be convinced. Zee was going to do everything in her power to avoid the outcome he wanted. 

She didn't want the throne, not even a little. Frustrated, Zee punched the nearby tree hard enough to crack the bark. It did nothing to lessen her frustration, only shaking the tree, and splitting her knuckles. Why was she such an idiot? Coming here was a stupid decision, achieving the opposite of what she wanted.

What's worse, the emperor seemed amused by her refusal, as if it was a challenge. Zee was more than a bit worried by that. His confidence probably meant he had a plan to force her to comply. The emperor was an old schemer. What was he planning, and how could she ruin those plans? 

Zee activated the array inside her token again, returning to her mansion in a foul mood. She really needed to get some fresh air and clear her mind.

Bastion found her on the roof of the mansion they were staying in several hours later. 

"I take it that things didn't go well?" He asked, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I fell right into his trap hook line and sinker. Now, the emperor is going to try to make me his successor," Zee said. 

He hummed softly. "You, an empress? Would that make me the emperor?" He asked in a teasing tone. 

"Not in the mood for jokes right now, Bass. But no, you would be the consort," Zee replied. 

"That doesn't sound so bad. I wouldn't mind being the consort to an empress, that's a lofty position for a thief," Bastion mused.

Zee couldn't help but crack a smile at his words. 

"How do you do it?" Zee asked. 

"Do what?" He asked, pulling her tightly against him. He was so warm, his heat a comfort in the chilly night air.

"How do you just accept things so easily? It doesn't seem like anything can phase you," Zee said.

He shrugged. "I like to approach life with a healthy amount of skepticism. That way, when something unexpected happens, I am not all that bothered.," Bastion explained. 

"Did you steal from a book?" Zee asked.

"Borrowed," he corrected. "And it's not a bad philosophy."

"I guess not," Zee laughed. They sat atop the roof in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's warmth and watching the dim stars overhead. The stars were a backdrop to dozens of blinking lights in orbit, the lights of a shipyard passing by overhead. 

"Do you think the other descendants are going to be pissed?" Bastion asked, breaking the silence.

She cracked a smile. "I hadn't thought of that. I imagine more than a few of them will be upset," Zee mused. 

Bastion grinned.

"Just think of the looks on their faces when they find out that a farm girl is chosen as the successor instead of them," Bastion said.

Zee burst out laughing. "Alright, that would be priceless…" Zee sat back on her hands, looking up, her expression concerned. 

"He threatened me, Bas," Zee said softly.

"The emperor?" Bastion asked.

"Ya, he threatened to have you arrested for tax evasion, and operating a business without a license," Zee said angrily.

"I'm sorry Zee, I didn't know, this is my fault," Bastion said apologetically.

Zee scowled. "No, it's not your fault. Without that, I suspect he would have used other blackmail to get what he wanted," Zee said. 

Bastion thought for a moment before responding. "Why does he want you to be his successor so badly? There are a bunch of others who actually want the throne," Bastion said.

Zee sighed. "It's the imperial bloodline talents. Apparently, you need all three to inherit. That's why the emperor has ruled for so long. It's not because he wants to, but because none of his descendants have awakened all three," Zee said. 

"Until you?" Bastion asked. 

"Ya.. He blackmailed me to force me to eat the bloodline treasure, and it awakened the Mantle. I told him I would never be the empress, and he laughed in my face. That rotten, no-good, two-timing lizard lover actually had the gall to laugh. Can you believe it? He took my refusal as a challenge," Zee said, with a scowl. 

Bastion's expression turned thoughtful. "I'm not privy to most of the things that happen in noble society, but I know this much. Others will not like the emperor's decision. They will work to get you removed from being the successor. All we have to do is help them. If we help make you look like a terrible candidate, the emperor may be forced to change his decision," Bastion said.

"You want to ruin my reputation?" Zee asked curiously. 

He nodded. "Exactly! It shouldn't be too hard to ruin your reputation. Especially since you are not all the popular as it is. I have a few contacts who I can pay off to leak sensitive information about you. They can say they saw you kicking a puppy, or that you hate the music of the great bard Danolaises," Bastion said.

"You want to spread a rumor that I kick puppies? What kind of horrible person kicks puppies?" Zee asked, mortified. 

"You don't have to actually do it. We just pay independent sources to say you did and spread the misinformation. Something like that will spread like wildfire," Bastion said.

"Sounds like you have done this before?" Zee asked incredulously. 

He cracked a devious smile. "Sometimes a guy needs to think outside the box if he wants to get revenge on an upstart noble," Bastion said. 

Zee laughed. "Your idea has merit, but I don't know if ruining my reputation is the right solution. I'm already infamous for the blood gorger incident. Plus, I don't know if I can handle the rumors getting worse," Zee said. 

Bastion nodded. "I'm sure we can think of something else. In the meantime, let's go to bed, you look exhausted," Bastion said.