As Ghrol carried Damor to the queen's chambers, Damor tired of being in the oaf's arms. He much preferred his palanquin with the two orc slaves. They rarely had to touch him. Now, Ghrol's huge hands fumbled over Damor's delicate body, and the drool from his mouth occasionally landed on Damor's head. It was humiliating.
But it was the only way.
Without Ghrol and Maysant, he would have perished in the forest. They had kept him alive, and good fortune had brought him here, to the elf queen herself. And he had come to realize Queen Ambrielle was far more powerful than his own Queen Lissa.
During a successful dinner discussing the situation in Agitar, he had learned how his queen had died and what had transpired after. The humans, upon losing their queen to the xarlug, had tucked their tails between their legs and run back to their home in the south of Doros. It was just as well. Damor didn't need anyone recognizing him. The only humans left in Agitar now were Ademar and Brax. But Kazrack had assured Damor that they were leaving Agitar, too.
Now all Damor needed was to convince Queen Ambrielle that she required his service. And once she felt comfortable with him, he could use her power as his own. Damor would be the most powerful mage in existence, with influence over the most powerful queen.
Ghrol shifted Damor in his arms as he knocked loudly on the door. It opened onto a richly adorned room. Golden sheaths of silk covered the walls, and inlaid gems surrounded framed paintings of the elven homeland. Two elven servants flanked the entryway.
"Welcome, Benin," Queen Ambrielle said, a grand smile on her smooth face.
Damor was tired of being called Benin, but he was stuck with it for now. It was the name he had given Maysant in the forest while he lay dying. He had known then that it was wise to give a false name, as it was possible the elves had heard his true name, whether via whispers from spies or someone from the Library of Filamir. Besides, he'd nearly crossed over death's door more than once, so it had seemed fitting he take on a new name.
Still, Damor had been his chosen alias for decades. He wasn't fully prepared to give it up.
"Set him down there." Queen Ambrielle pointed to a chaise near the window. "Eryn, draw the curtains. Benin doesn't tolerate the sun well."
Damor couldn't help but smile. Queen Lissa had never cared about his sensitivities. Queen Ambrielle was a much more considerate hostess.
"Thank you," he said, grunting as Ghrol dumped him on the chaise. He attempted to rearrange himself into a position that didn't cause quite so much pain.
"You may wait outside, Ghrol." Queen Ambrielle waved a hand in the air.
Ghrol bowed awkwardly, then stomped out of the room. The two servants followed him, closing the doors behind them.
"We can speak plainly now." Queen Ambrielle's long blond hair trailed over her shoulder in a tight braid. Her blue eyes sparkled with knowledge, and her eyebrows were comfortably relaxed. Damor had to admit, Maysant looked very much like her mother.
"Tell me," the queen said. "Why have you lied to my daughter?"
Damor was taken aback. He'd told so many lies, he couldn't even begin to guess which lie the queen was referring to. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"I know who you are, Damor of Soleth. Don't even begin to think you can fool me. My daughter is a simple girl; she takes everything at face value. It is why she will never inherit my throne." The queen sighed and sank into the back of her plush chair. "Neither will Kazrack. They are both fools. I'm embarrassed to call them my own. Luckily I have one more child out there who will properly fulfill her duties some day."
For once, Damor was completely taken aback. This wasn't at all what he'd expected to hear.
"I know you are a very powerful mage. I had it all put together before dinner was over the other day. I only needed time to decide how to proceed." Queen Ambrielle sat forward, staring intently at Damor.
"I think—" he started.
"It's not your turn to think, mage. I am already ten steps ahead. I know you style yourself a clever human. I know you have used your cunning to get where you are. I know you are powerful beyond imagination." Queen Ambrielle tapped her long fingernails on the end table next to her. "I want to use your power to strengthen my position further. We have to agree on how that will happen."
Damor cleared his throat, then let his fingers trail down the damask drapes. "If you know how powerful I am, then you know I am capable of killing you before you could make a sound."
The queen rolled her eyes. "Without me, you might as well be back in the forest, half dead. My children would take the throne, and then where would you be? They are easily fooled, yes, and they will be terrible rulers. They would lose the kingdom to a more powerful elf before my body had gone cold. You would go into disgrace with them. No, I am your only chance at attaining the type of stature I know you crave."
Damor was frustrated. She'd already seen past all of his plans to the core of truth. "Then what have you to offer me?"
Queen Ambrielle smiled. "I knew you would see sense in cooperating, Damor. Oh, and don't worry, I won't call you that in front of anyone else. We don't want them to know our little secret, do we?"
Damor bit back a bitter response and said instead, "And how may I serve you?" He swallowed his anger, burying it deep in his gut where it would fester. He knew this feeling. He'd often had it with Lissa. She'd held power over him, and she knew it. He didn't want to end up in a similar situation with Queen Ambrielle.
"I think we can effectively serve each other," Queen Ambrielle said. "Don't think of this as blackmail, think of this as a mutually beneficial partnership. I believe it's important for us to reach a goal together. How does dominion over all of Doros appeal to you?"
"We would share?" Damor asked, already knowing her answer.
Queen Ambrielle laughed. "Of course not. I would rule, but you would sit next to me as my most trusted advisor."
"I want to rule Soleth." Damor saw no sense in hiding his intentions. Not now.
"The human lands?" Queen Ambrielle's nose wrinkled. "It's so hot there and such an insignificant part of Doros. Why on earth would you want to rule them? Just to get back at your people? I did not think you so petty. Have I overestimated you?"
"I want to show the humans what happens when they treat someone poorly for being different. I want them to know they are nothing, that I am better than all of them combined. I want them to fear me." Damor paused, then added, "It is a small boon to ask, my queen. The humans of Soleth are insignificant. The orc lands are overflowing with natural resources and strong orcs. You can do with them as you please. I simply want this one tiny thing."
Queen Ambrielle folded her hands in her lap. "I will consider it. If you do a good job as my advisor, then perhaps, one day, I will give you what you ask."
Damor nodded once, his eyes downcast. What she didn't know, what no one knew, was that he'd left something very powerful behind in Soleth before leaving for orc country. Something that could only be wielded by him. A secret he would give his very life to protect.
But if Queen Ambrielle wanted to believe him petty, he would let her. It would be a small sacrifice to once again lay hands on the secret he'd left in Soleth.