moonshadows

The five men in the hallway stare awkwardly at each other, an uncomfortable silence stretching between them. They’d given up arguing when the Warlord’s demon vanished into thin air, and now wait to see whether any of them will survive their Lord's wrath over this mishap. The door slams open, making Joshua and the guards jump, but the Warlord does not stop to rage at his servants. He strides through with all the deadly grace of a tiger in the jungle, demon in tow, and the guards hesitate only a second before falling into step behind him as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Joshua scrambles to catch up.

“Joshua!”

“Yes, my Lord!”

The bigger man glances back at Joshua, who swallows at the unnerving way his Lord is smiling. “Excellent work, remembering to bring my demon to me. Now return her to her chambers and then report to the meeting room. You-“ he turns to one of his guards. “Ensure that my ministers report to the meeting room, as well. Use whatever force you need to, but remember that their lives are mine to take as I please.”

The guard is too well-trained to show any reaction to the order. “Yes, my Lord.”

Joshua glances at Tessa, ready to ‘command’ her, but she’s fallen into step behind him already. They say nothing while their lord and his guards are in earshot, but once the echoes of other boots have faded away, he turns to his niece with a curious look.

“What did you do?” he asks in an awed whisper.

She smiles beatifically at him. “My job.”

There's nothing he can think of to say to that, so he says nothing. When the door to her suite closes behind him, she retrieves the package of cloth and thread she'd requested and curls up on the couch for a quiet night of embroidery.

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Joshua is the first one back to the meeting room. Well, first aside from the Warlord. The table has been righted, all the scattered paperwork sorted and stacked neatly, and he dares not ask who did it. He just takes his seat to the right of his Lord quietly and tries not to be unnerved by the feeling that he is sitting next to a large predator who has eaten his fill, but will still play with his food.

"Your fears are groundless," the Warlord says quietly, not looking at Joshua as though denying that the words came from his mouth. "Even at my...least stable...I would never harm her."

"You were listening." Joshua swallows hard. Tessa may be safe, but he has no such illusions for himself.

The look he gives Joshua isn't so much angry as it is amused by an insignificant opponent. "She's my demon. I'm always listening." He pauses to let that sink in. "And as long as you have the wisdom to never utter the name you heard from her lips, you need not fear that I will destroy as useful a servant as you have proven yourself to be."

The arrival of the Minister of War prevents any response. She nods briskly to Joshua and gives her Lord a half-bow before calmly taking her seat. Finance is not so reserved; strictly non-accusatory complaints follow him as he takes his place at the table. The other ministers trickle in one by one, looking as though they were interrupted in various stages of relaxation, until the only one missing is State. There is a nervous silence in the room, everyone wondering how long they were going to have to wait but unwilling to voice the question while the Warlord sits like a cat surrounded by wounded canaries.

After several minutes, State hurries in and flashes a greasy sort of smile around the room. "Sorry, sorry," the pudgy man pants. "Took me a few to get presentable. You know how it is when you're deep into something."

"I hope that something was the task I last set you," the Warlord says with lazy menace. "In fact, why don't you appraise me of your progress on that front? We got...distracted...before we could address your department."

State pales; Joshua smothers a grin. The pudgy man didn't expect to be held accountable after the meeting's chaotic dissolution; no doubt this has been going on for some time. Well, they're in for a shock, Joshua thinks. With Tessa to calm him down, they'll actually have to do their jobs now.

One by one, the rest of the ministers are called upon to give their reports and answer to their lord. The reactions range from guilt and fear to annoyance and, in one case, relief. The only one who appears as relaxed as Joshua is War, but even that has more in common with a soldier's neutral expression than true comfort in the face of this unexpected meeting.

As the second meeting wears on and Joshua can see his Lord's 'good mood' fading, Transportation and State exchange a look and start the same sort of bickering that led to the first enraged dismissal. War notices this, as does Industry, and the two women eye their Lord warily. The last bit of amusement flickers out, replaced with irritation.

"Donald." The name cracks like a whip, and State jumps at being addressed. "Minister of State Donald," the Warlord continues in something between a hiss and a purr, "did you so enjoy having my hand around your throat that you are eager for a repetition?"

State swallows, one hand going to his throat reflexively before he forces it back down. "No, my Lord."

Transportation wisely shuts up. The rest of the meeting is carried out in a more or less orderly fashion, and the ministers have a slightly dazed look about them as they file out at the end.