Second Time's a Charm (MxM)✔

Chapter 49 - Goals

"So why not settle for New Ashbury then? It was custom-built to your image, wasn't it?"

Cain shook his head. "It's not that simple. I don't want the territory just because it's rightfully mine. I want it because I don't want it to belong to a certain person."

Maddox tilted his head, suddenly intrigued by Cain's words. "May I ask, who this person is?"

"If you could tell me why you're after the throne, then yes," Cain replied. "Last I checked, the Queen of Chalot would take over the empire if she won the war. So how were you going to take the throne without killing the Queen? You may have many demons under your command, but Sonnet's armies have dwindled, and Chalot has many more men willing to overthrow you at the first sign of betrayal."

"Simple. She was going to give me the throne in exchange for my help in winning the war."

Cain blinked. Then blinked again. Did he hear that right? But...Why? "I don't...Why would she be willing to fight this war if she wasn't going to take over the Emperor's throne?"

"She's the queen of a much smaller kingdom and has not been in power long. While she is strong, her primary concern is to protect her people. If she were to suddenly become Empress, she'd have many more people, territories, and domains to worry about. She also has very little knowledge of how Sonnet works. Ultimately, taking over the Emperor's throne would be too much for her. She didn't even want to go to war in the first place, but because Sonnet attacked first she had no choice. That's why we struck a deal. I have all the connections and knowledge to take over, and a signed agreement to open trade and offer military assistance after the war should Chalot need assistance in the future. But all of that won't matter if she can't defeat their armies first."

"So that's why you two always seemed so familiar with one another," Cain commented, half to himself as he recalled the way the two of them would dismiss each other as though they were equals. He'd always found it odd for a Queen and a General to behave that way, but with that sort of deal to be struck, it made much more sense.

"Your turn. Who is it you're playing 'keep away' with?" Maddox asked.

Hearing the joking tone, Cain half grinned. "My half-brother."

He could see the gears turning in Maddox's head as he went over the list of nobles who were known to either have siblings or older children. "So it's a squabble over inheritance."

"It's a bit more than that." Cain replied. "My father was a supporter of the Emperor, while my stepmother and half-brother supported the Crown Prince. In the end, my half-brother murdered my father and framed me for it so that he could inherit everything. Now I want to take back what was rightfully mine."

"Cain Duclair." Maddox blurted, eyes glittering with realization. "I remember that incident. How...Interesting."

The ex-marquess sucked in a breath, waiting for the man to mention the other unsavory rumors.

"I read in a pamphlet that you had been locked away by your own family. It's no wonder I didn't recognize you, I never got the chance to see your face before now, even in high society, did I?"

Cain frowned. Everything the man said was based on the pamphlets he had created years ago. Did Maddox not know the other rumors? Had Cain written his own reputation for Maddox to interpret? He didn't know if that was better.

"No. No, you wouldn't have." Cain had another question burning on the tip of his tongue. The man's hip scales and glowing green eyes were another mystery he wished to unlock, but didn't know how to approach that topic yet. So he chose another. "But seeing as you now know my name, why not tell me yours?"