A Tale Of Shadows (Wattys 2023) - REPLACED BY DIVINE ASCENSION

Chapter 9 - Clandestine Plots

The following day, Maria found herself in the woods again. She tended to go there more often than she used to in the past because of all the meetings she felt she had to have with Patrick. A part of her found it annoying, but she gladly paid that small price due to what she believed to be a stellar opportunity to outsmart her opponent. She imagined her victory often. She'd pretend to be a spy and ask him to be his second-in-command when he got the Obscurian throne, he'd give it to her, she'd kill him in his sleep, and then everyone would rejoice as she ruled the land benignly. 

After all, why wouldn't it be so? She saw none more deserving to reign than her, given that she was the general's wife and also the leading mentor in the Obscurian Field For Magic, which she obviously liked to remind people of all the time. She also didn't see any flaws in her seemingly perfect plan, so she simply plotted blithely behind everyone else's back.

The sun was slowly setting while she was waiting for Patrick. Its orange and red rays coloured the sky unevenly and lovingly adorned the branches of the tall pine trees that could be found at every turn. The winds of cold gently caressed her hair, messing ever so slightly with her chestnut locks. The minuscule traces of snow trailed along her black boots, their perfect whiteness allowing for a stark contrast. Every now and then, a bird would fly high in the sky and sing its innocently beautiful song, bringing warmth to her heart. However, none of these details couldn't distract from her impatience - which was crucial to her character, as could be evidenced by everyone who knew her - for long.

She remained angry for a couple of seconds before smiling when she saw a purple portal in the distance. Slowly but surely, Patrick made his way towards her, his face showing nothing but professional coldness, pleasing her nonetheless simply because he was there at last. Smiling like she owned the world, she shook his hand the moment he stood in front of her, and he accepted it reluctantly. 

"Good evening, Madam Thorne," he spoke like he was reading these words off of a piece of paper. "How can I help You today?"

She faked a giggle. "Oh, don't be silly, Mister Hemingway. You know exactly what I need help with. I've realised the insufficiency of my position, which I've expressed to you on numerous occasions beforehand, and because of this, I've come to believe that we should work together. I know that you're going to obtain the throne soon, and when you do, I'd love it if you could position me as your second-in-command. I think I could be really useful to your operation. Please consider this. I'm sure that it would be great for both of us."

He snorted. "And what proof do you have to back up your claim?"

She stroked her chin. "Oh, it's simply the fact that no one, no matter how smart or powerful they may seem, can never fully work alone, and also the fact that we could do so much together combined. We've both got really high positions in the magic world, and in different areas at that, so we could fill up gaps in experience when it comes to each other's assets. Doesn't that sound good to you?"

"Oh, come on!" he said, rolling his eyes. "I know that you don't believe a word you're saying. I'm sorry, but what you're asking of me is so demanding that I'd have to do a lot of thinking to even consider it. If you could stop bothering me for a few months, that would be incredible, for I know in advance that you couldn't do that even at the threat of your head being cut off."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that I'm lying," she said, proceeding to stare him down for an irritating amount of time.

Aside from that mild feeling of irritation, he wasn't affected by her stare at all. They'd known each other for decades, and this was a brilliant example of the classic behaviour expressed by her current self. She said a lot of intimidating words and stared at people unflinchingly and overall attempted to appear dangerous in an effort to make others realise how superior to them she apparently was, which in this case was completely in vain. No matter what someone else did, they couldn't burst her bubble of hubris, for she'd simply claim that they don't understand her inner workings. It made her look infinitely ridiculous to him.