Ghost Wounds, Episode 1

You are Caina Amalas, once a Ghost nightfighter, one of the Emperor of Nighmar’s elite spies and agents. Now you are the Ghost circlemaster of Malarae, and the Ghosts of the Imperial capital report to you. The commoners call you the “Ghost Countess”, and according to the stories, you’ve defeated mighty sorcerers, thrown down proud lords, and outwitted master assassins. Some of that is true, and you have saved the Emperor, and the Empire itself, on a few occasions, and…

And for the first time since your father was murdered eighteen years ago, you are happy.

You knew it couldn’t last.

You rescued and met Lucan Maraeus, and then went through hell with him, and he asked to marry you. Except Lucan is the youngest of Lord Corbould Maraeus’s six sons, and cannot marry without his permission. But as an Imperial Countess with no living relatives, you are technically head of your own noble House, which means you can negotiate the terms of your own marriage.

You had a meeting with Lord Corbould, one of the most powerful men in the Empire. Still vigorous and strong for a man in his late sixties, Corbould is the very image of the cold, stern Imperial lord. If the Emperor died today, Lord Corbould might well sit on the Imperial Throne tomorrow.

“So,” said Lord Corbould, “Lucan wants to marry you. I should not be surprised. Lucan was always a wastrel and fool. Little wonder he should become besotted with a murderous whore.”

Lord Corbould does not like you – you ruined some of his plans while you were still a Ghost nightfighter. But you’ve seen far scarier things than him.

“You do yourself a disservice,” you told him. “Lucan has spent the last ten years hunting rogue magi and creatures of the dark. Countless men, women, and children owe their lives to him.”

“Yes, how terribly noble to run about playing hero instead of doing the hard work of maintaining the Imperial peace,” said Corbould. “Countess, I shall be blunt with you. I support the Emperor, and the Emperor finds you useful, so I tolerate you. And I concede that you are necessary to him – politics is a dirty business, after all. But I will not permit a creature like you to wed one of my blood.”

“Why so squeamish?” you said, fighting to keep your temper under control. “You don’t care about Lucan. You said so yourself.”

“I don’t,” said Corbould. “But he has one value to me. He can have children, as soon as I force the little fool to take another wife. For the good of the Empire, House Maraeus must remain strong, must continue through the generations. I have my own spies, Countess. I know a few things about you. I know, for instance, that the magi murdered your father, and that the attack left you unable to bear children. So if you were to wed Lucan, you would take away the one value he has to me. I suppose Lucan might be besotted enough with you to renounce House Maraeus and wed you anyway? If he does that, I will have him killed. I do not tolerate traitors. Let me be perfectly clear, Countess. The day you can present me with a living grandchild, you can wed Lucan. Not before. Now get out of my sight.”

And that was that.

Now you stand in the Black Cuirass Inn, looking at the door to Lucan’s rooms, and wonder if Corbould is right. You cannot have children. Lucan claims that doesn’t bother him – but you’re not sure if you believe him. And what kind of life would he have, married to a woman like you, hunting outlaw sorcerers and slavers, lurking in the shadows? He could have a different kind of life, one with children…and one with a wife who didn’t have enemies lurking in every corner.

Maybe you should break it off with him.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.