***
The Adder spent his time sticking to the hall’s outskirts to observe. A stint in the special forces and a few years of work in private security overseas had taught him how to stay hidden. The Adder had returned home just in time to see his former country dissolve. Once, he thought maybe he should’ve stayed overseas but discounted the idea.
A man walked over to the newlywed couple and The Adder observed him until he realized the man was the mayor of nearby Dundalk. He was harmless. The Adder looked at the balcony above and saw his fellow soldiers positioned overhead. One of the soldiers saw him and nodded. He nodded back, thanking him and his companions for their diligence before continuing his rounds.
While making another round he saw The Bride walking towards him. He bowed when she was close. “Ma’am.”
She said his name. “You mind escorting my husband and me?”
He heard something in her voice. “Is there a problem, ma’am?”
She licked her lips. “We have to greet our guests.” Were it not for a certain table near the entrance, they wouldn’t have needed him.
The Adder nodded. “Of course, I’d be honored.” And just like that her mood changed and she smiled sweetly. Patting him on his arm she led the way.
The three of them spent the next hour greeting their guests. It was the couple’s duty to make pleasantries and his to accompany them and serve in any capacity. The attendees were cut from many cloths - important men and women from all over the territory: politicians, officers, even several businessmen. The Groom and The Bride didn’t have much in the way of family left save for the three on the former’s side. The Bride had no one.
At last they reached where The Prince and The Raven sat and The Adder had positioned himself in front of the group. Sitting side by side they seemed to be enjoying themselves. It would’ve been normal had it not been for the tragic family circumstances. The Adder tensed when The Prince looked up at him. He could feel the man’s eyes bore deep into him. He was younger than The Adder but had the eyes of one who had lived dozens of lifetimes before. The smile The Prince offered surprised him as much as it unnerved him. He didn’t know why. The Prince nodded before standing and walking past him to meet his cousin. The Adder turned around and saw them hug each other. Releasing one another The Prince bowed to The Bride and took her hand and kissed it. Finishing his greeting he released her.
Putting a hand on The Groom’s shoulder The Prince said, "Congrats, man. I'm happy for you both."
The Groom smiled. "I'm glad you could make it. Wasn't sure you would..."
He squeezed his cousin's shoulder. He said, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
The Groom smiled. But the smile vanished and he said, "We were disappointed when you decided not to stay with us before the ceremony. What a fucking waste of your time." His voice carried.
The Adder saw no change in The Prince's demeanor but from behind him he felt unfathomable anger. He glanced at The Raven who was making a visible effort to ignore the goings-on. From the corner of his eye he saw The Groom motion for him to come forward. He walked up and The Groom introduced him by name. He bowed.
The Prince turned to him. “I’ve heard of you. He’s a brother to me, so thank you for looking after him.”
“It’s been my honor and a pleasure, sir.”
The Prince nodded and motioned towards The Bride. “And now you have his lovely wife to protect as well.”
“I’ve always protected her, sir.”
“Of course, I meant no disrespect.” Again The Prince smiled, and it became clear there was something about it he didn’t like.
Before he could give it much thought he noticed movement to his right as the woman moved to stand close to The Prince. He noticed his boss stiffen at the sight of her. The Adder moved in to stand between the two warring siblings.
The Raven said, “Congrats,” Her words held no emotion.
“Yeah, thanks,” said The Groom. He gave her as much as she gave him.
The Raven looked at the man’s wife and said, “I love the necklace.”
The Bride smiled easily enough. “Aw, thank you!” She kissed her husband on the cheek and hugged the arm closest to her. “It was a gift.”
“That’s nice. Where can I get one like it?”
“In hell,” said The Groom. The Adder felt lightning in the air. He peered at The Raven and saw she was smiling but it wasn’t pretty. The Groom saw it too and didn’t hide how upset he was. “What the fuck’s so funny?”
“Nuthin’.” The Raven’s grin was unsettling.
The Adder glanced at The Prince who betrayed no emotion.
The Bride gripped her husband’s sleeve. “Honey, please...”
The Adder turned to see his boss flexing his jaw. He knew that look, and if the situation kept deteriorating there’d be consequences.
“Hey, what’s going on here?” asked a loud voice from behind the group. They all turned to see The Knave and his small retinue advancing towards them. There was no mistaking the master of the south, whose towering figure dwarfed most in the room save for The Adder himself and a few others. Accompanying him was his wife as well as three soldiers who trailed the pair. Approaching the group with open arms, The Knave gave his younger brother a hug that lifted him off the floor. The Groom laughed and returned the brotherly affection as best he could.
The Knave released his brother and smiled down at him. “Hey little bro, congratulations!”
“Thank you.” His belligerence had disappeared.
The Knave looked over and embraced The Bride. She looked like a small doll in his arms. Finishing he held her out to get a better look at his new sister-in-law. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”
She smiled. “Thank you!” Seeing The Knave’s wife The Bride embraced her as well. “Thanks for coming, it’s good to see you! You look great!”
The Knave’s wife chuckled. “Me? Hun, look at you. You’re stunning!” She took The Bride’s hand and twirled her around causing the sunlight to refract and reflect from the crystals sown into her dress. The Bride laughed as she spun. When she stopped The Knave’s wife held both her hands. “This dress is to die for. We need to talk about where you got it.” The Bride winked and they both laughed.
The Knave looked at his brother with fond pride. He said, “I’m really happy for you. You deserve today.”
The Groom smiled. “Thank you, that means a lot. We saw you at the ceremony but you disappeared until now. Where’d you go?”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I received a message from down south that needed my immediate attention.” His army was laying siege to North Carolina and many refugees had found their way into the Marylands. The Adder thought, with war reverting back to pre-WWII tactics it’ll be a long and bloody affair.
The Groom nodded. “I see.”
The Knave patted his brother on the shoulder and then turned to look at his cousin. The Adder noticed something in that look, something guarded. The Knave walked over to The Prince and embraced him. He said, “It’s good to see you again, cousin. It’s been way too long.”
“I agree.” He smiled.
“Congratulations on your victory.”
The Prince raised an eyebrow. “You heard about that?”
It was The Knave’s turn to give an inquisitive look. “Who hasn’t?”
The Prince nodded. “Fair enough. Though I have to say, it was the army more than it was ever me.”
“As modest as ever.” The Knave smirked.
The Knave looked at his sister who was standing just outside of the group. He came close and embraced her with the affection of one who missed his family. She returned the embrace, but only both knew how genuine her own feelings were during the exchange. Releasing her The Knave brushed long hair behind one ear. “How are you, baby sister?”
“I’m good.”
“Taking care of the East?”
“Yes. It does belong to me.”
The Knave looked at her. He said, ?
??Make sure it stays that way.” There was something in the way The Knave said that that made The Adder take note of it.
She said nothing.
The lull in the conversation gave The Knave’s wife the opportunity to join her husband with The Bride in tow. While it was plain The Groom didn’t want be so close to his sister, he placated himself by standing beside his wife. Again The Adder took a protective position in front of the young couple.
Breaking the uncomfortable silence that followed The Knave said, “Let’s toast to the newlyweds.”
“Agreed,” said The Prince. The two men looked around for the porters carrying wineglasses but despite their constant presence throughout the gathering they seemed to have just up and vanished. The others were about to join in on the search until The Bride snapped her fingers in a direction behind her. Out of nowhere two waiters with trays of glasses topped with red wine advanced towards them. Upon reaching the group one of the men, a tall black man held out a tray of four glasses to The Prince, The Raven, The Knave and his wife. The Knave moved to lift a glass from the tray until he was interrupted by a loud voice.
“I’ve been looking all over for these,” said a squat fat man strutting towards them. The Adder winced at the sight of him. The Groom groaned and it took his wife’s firm hold of his arm to prevent him from bolting. The fat man moved in close to The Raven who was clearly not pleased. She skirted past the man to stand between her eldest brother and cousin. Without ceremony, the man took a glass from the closest tray and downed it in two impressive gulps. Finishing the glass he took another and smiled. He looked at the waiter holding the tray and said, “Where did all the drinks go, son? The other servants were here moments ago and now there’s only the two of you?” He gestured to him and the second waiter. Both men looked at one another and were visibly nervous, one was even sweating, a sheen of perspiration clear on his forehead. The Adder thought this odd. The man didn’t wait for an answer as he downed the wine in his glass. He placed it back on the tray and took a third.
The black porter swallowed hard and was very much at a loss for what to do next. The Adder caught his eye and signaled for him to leave. The porter looked to his companion who also looked perplexed but neither had time to respond as The Adder snapped his fingers a second time. Not waiting for a third warning the waiters bowed their heads and left. The fat man frowned at their departure.
Taking up hosting duties, The Bride said, “Governor, thank you for coming.”
“But of course, dear lady. You look ravishing: the very picture of what a bride should look like before she is swept off her feet and into her husband’s bed.”
The Groom quirked his mouth in annoyance. The Bride, however, took it in stride and smiled pleasantly. “Oh, you’re sweet.”
The man winked. “My ex-wives thought as much.”
“Governor, let me introduce you to my family.” She introduced her brother-in-law and his wife first. They each offered a hand and the governor shook them.
To The Knave he said, “How goes the unification of the south?”
“As well as could be expected,” said The Knave.
He nodded. “Bet you didn’t expect those bastards from North Carolina to whip your boys, huh?”
The Knave’s eye twitched. “No...”
The governor smiled and patted him on the arm with his free hand. He turned to The Prince. “And you, sir, need no introduction.”
The Prince bowed his head. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, governor.”
“I’ve always been curious: is it true your army has never lost a battle?”
“That’s correct.”
“Yes, yes, quite the accomplishment. But Camden, what a terrible thing, what happened to that city.”
The Prince showed no emotion save something The Adder saw flash across the man’s eye. Such was the intensity of it that instinct made him reach for his gun but he stopped short of it. However, he confessed, if The Prince had reached out to choke the life out of this piece of shit he probably wouldn’t have stopped him. Camden was in ruins, and, it’s been said that many parts of the city still burned despite the years that had since passed.
With a smile that belied his true feelings The Prince said, “Yes, it was a terrible battle. And I will have to carry the burden of its costs for the rest of my life.” He meant it, and The Adder liked the man better for that.
The governor’s patronizing laugh resounded throughout the hall and his belly pulsated with every breath. He patted The Prince on the arm and said, “A very diplomatic answer, sir, you’ll make a good politician yet.”
Breaking his silence at last The Groom said, “Governor, I’m sure there are others here more deserving of your time.” The Adder was quite surprised at his restraint.
The governor stuck his nose high into the air. He said, “Of course, but to meet such august personages such as these, how could I resist?” He waved a vainglorious hand towards the men almost hitting the taller of the two. The Knave dodged it with ease and returned with an annoyed look the governor didn’t notice.
“And what about me?” said a voice both sultry and deadly.
The governor swallowed hard and licked his lips. His confidence turned into nervousness as he looked at The Raven. She smiled, and the color the wine gave him left his pudgy face. He cleared his throat. “Ah, yes, I, um, didn’t expect to see you here, madam...”
“Well, I am here.”
“Yes...”
Not wanting an incident to arise The Adder stepped forward and said to the governor, “Sir, I believe there may be others who are seeking your attention.”
Both seeking an opportunity to escape The Raven’s claws and offended for being addressed by someone of a lower station he rounded on The Adder. “How dare you speak to me in such a fashion?”
The Adder spoke with no emotion. “I meant no disrespect, sir.”
“You do disrespect me! You’re a glorified bodyguard, a civil servant. I’m governor of your master’s southern territories.”
The Adder raised an eyebrow. “Sir, please, calm down.”
The governor’s face turned a violent shade of red. “You little sh—” He gulped, as if trying to hold back a hiccup and everyone looked at him.
“Governor?” asked The Bride.
Without warning he dropped his glass and grabbed his throat. He started gasping for air. The Adder sprung into action and began administering the Heimlich maneuver. Seconds passed as The Adder kept repeating the move until he heard The Knave’s wife scream. He looked at the governor’s face and saw his eyes bulging and a reddish purple liquid oozing from his mouth. Realizing his efforts weren’t working The Adder laid the governor on the floor and kneeled over him.
The Groom said, “What’s happening to him?”
“I don’t know, sir.” A gurgling sound came from the man as reddish purple foam started pouring from his mouth. He was shaking and The Adder held his head to prevent him from trashing about. The Adder saw the look in the man’s eyes and knew there was nothing that could be done. He was dying.
The commotion had attracted a crowd and The Bride looked to see if there were any doctors among the familiar faces. She looked at her husband and shook her head. The Groom licked his lips and looked up at the balcony overhead. One of the soldiers above acknowledged him. In a loud voice he said, “Go get a medic, now!” The soldier nodded and ran off in search of one.
“Sir...,” said The Adder. The Groom looked at him. “He’s dead.”
The Groom looked at the still man’s bloated face. His eyes were bloodshot and the ooze from his mouth had already begun to crust over. It was the face of a man who died in agony. Seeing the man’s terrifying visage his wife buried her face in his chest hoping to find shelter there. By this time several of The Groom’s soldiers had moved in to form a protective barrier around the group, realizing a potential threat to their commander had surfaced. The men who had accompanied The Knave created a second layer of protection around him and his wife.
The Adder, still kneeling at the dead man’s side, took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the man’s face. He examined the handkerchief: the wine he threw up was stained a deep shade of violet dotted with spots of blood. He brought it up to his nose and took a whiff and found that besides the stench of vomit was something else. He closed his eyes and took a longer pull. There it was: a metallic smell that was dull but detectable.
The Groom took a step and looked over The Adder’s shoulder. He said, “What is it?”
“I’m not sure, sir, but...”
“But what?”
The Adder thought for a moment and then looked up. “We need to stop people from drinking the wine.”
“Why?”
“I believe it’s been poisoned, sir.”
The Groom’s mouth was agape but it only took a second for him to shout orders at the nearby soldiers to stop the wine from being distributed. He ordered a few of the men to collect the bottles already in the hall. People tried to leave but The Groom’s soldiers prevented it. Except for their lord and lady everyone was a suspect.
The Adder stood up with the stained handkerchief still in his hand. He looked at The Groom and said, “Sir.” The Groom turned and approached him. He lifted the handkerchief. “We need to have this tested. The wine as well.”
“I’ll have one of the men telegraph Johns Hopkins and have them send someone.”
Both men turned as The Knave approached. His three guards moved to join him but he bade them stay with a flick of the hand and they obeyed. The Knave said his brother’s name. “I may be overstepping with all this shit happening right now, but could I borrow one of the conference rooms here?”
The Adder said nothing but The Groom scrunched his eyebrows. “What, why?”
“I need to speak with our cousin. Alone.”
“Why the hell do you need to do this now?” He was livid.
“It’s important.”
The Adder couldn’t help feel suspicious of this odd request. The Groom leaned in. In a low voice only the three of them could hear he said, “You think he had something to do with this?”
The Knave pulled back in disgust. “No, I don’t think he did this. The fuck is wrong with you? It’s like asking me if I was responsible.”
“Then why do you need a goddamn room?” His voice was getting louder and people were staring at them. The Adder suggested he keep his voice down. The Groom took a deep breath. He said, “When do you need it?”
“Now.”
The Groom’s stared daggers at his brother for a time. He might’ve said more but he sighed and shook his head. He said, “Fine, give me a second.” The Knave nodded and said his thanks. The two men watched him walk over to The Prince to confer with him. The Groom looked at The Adder and said, “You go. Take them to room 1F West.”
The Adder looked at him. “Sir?”
“You heard me. Escort them and then go to the security room on the fourth floor and turn on the surveillance. I want to listen in on their conversation.”
The Adder’s thought was that his boss was overreacting to the governor’s death, but he deferred to his judgment. He said, “Are you sure about this, sir?”
“I’m positive.”
“Understood. But sir, that security system is old so I can’t guarantee how much will be recorded. Or even if it’ll work at all.”
“I understand.”
“Also, it’ll stress the power grid in this area.”
“It doesn’t matter. When you leave I’ll send soldiers to cut down power from the surrounding area.”
“Yes, sir.”
Both men turned as The Knave whistled in their direction. Nodding The Groom turned to his man and said, “Go on, I’ll send people out to cut back on the grid now.”
“Yes, sir.” He was about to take his leave but The Groom put a hand on his arm. The Adder looked at him.
“Be careful,” said The Groom. The Adder tipped his head and moved off.
Walking towards them he noticed The Prince whisper something into The Raven’s ear. She looked up and paused as if contemplating asking a question. But thinking better of it she nodded.
Both The Knave and The Prince stepped forward to meet him and he bowed his head. He said, “Please follow me.” They nodded and he led them out of the hall and through the corridors of the convention center. He took his time, trying to ensure his boss had time to enact his plan. When they finally come upon the room The Adder opened the door and held it open. When both men were inside he said, “I’ll lock the door so no one disturbs you.”
The Prince said, “Thank you.”
The Adder nodded and locked the door as he pulled it shut. When he was a few yards from the door he began running towards the security room. Having already studied the layout of the entire building leading up to the ceremony he knew he could make it there in three minutes.
The door banged against the wall as The Adder opened it. He ignored the ceiling lights and walked up to the equipment in the center of the room. He pressed some switches and hoped it would turn on. A few long seconds passed until he heard the machine come to life. Checking the tape deck in the recording machine he saw a tape inside. He pressed the eject button and inspected the small four-by-four inch tape and noticed the spool was full on the left side. Be kind, rewind, he thought. He pulled up a chair close to the console and studied its array of monitors. He found the dial for the main volume and turned it to the right until the notch lined up with the number “3.” One by one the screens lit up to reveal blurry but visible images of empty rooms. He searched the console again and turned a dial for the main monitor in front of him. The Adder turned the switch until the white numbers on the top left read “1F West.”
And there they were: The Knave and The Prince. They were sitting at opposite ends of a large table.
...food...pretty good...
Yeah...haven’t...seafood...a while...
The volume was low so he could only make out a few words. He turned the main volume dial up until the voices of both men came in loud and clear.
So, what did you need to talk to me about? It was The Prince.
Cutting right to the chase? You never used to do that. The Knave.
The Prince crossed his arms.
The Knave sighed. Fine. Let’s talk then...
The two men spoke for an hour, and as the conversation went on The Adder felt something enter the pit of his stomach and it was heavy, for what was spoken would chart a terrible path for the territories and change the future course of the old country for all time.