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palace of ash

CHAPTER FIVE

Jinx Mortaery hadn’t had a pleasant evening. The meal had been spoiled by the general presence of the emperor, the way he spoke about her as if she hadn’t been there or how he flaunted those ridiculous whores around as if she were not a woman herself. Jinx had always thought the emperor was a fool, but naming her commander when her own skills with the sword were rather lacking? Yet when Emperor Aradax Jhorou had summoned her to his jewelled palace, she had had to fly to his feet without a word of doubt about his calling. Summoned? Jinx felt the manhunt he had sent her on was far from summoning anyone anywhere. Captured? That sounded more accurate.

     He will make me his whore, just like the other women. Jinx thought to herself. I know it. She slipped out of her silk dress and into a simple white nightgown, made of fine cotton. Brushing her hair out with a beautiful silver brush, which had been a gift from the emperor himself upon her arrival, she stared hard at herself in the looking mirror for a moment. Sighing, she placed the brush down, slung her heavy hair over one shoulder and rose from her vanity stool.

     The emperor had been kind and extremely generous to her so far, allocating her a large bedroom with its own bathroom—to avoid her the shame of other men glancing upon her nakedness—gowns, tunics and breeches of exquisite design had also been sent to her, along with the finest sandals, slippers and boots. Aradax had even sent jewels for her to wear, not that they interested her much. She didn’t want to accept anything from the man she was certain was her captor. Jinx knew his ‘kindness’ wasn’t here to stay; as soon as she started screwing up somehow, that would be the end of her.

     I know my fate now, Jinx thought to herself once more. She had hated every second of her arrival, bending her knee to the greedy emperor and swearing her loyalty to him. He had captured her! Jinx thought bitterly to herself. The emperor doesn’t deserve my loyalty. First Baba, now this. Jinx wondered if perhaps she had been born to play prisoner to men. It seemed that was all she was good for, her freedom stripped, and her talents exploited. She sneered at the thought. Talents? Alchemy is not a talent, it’s a curse. Jinx gripped the edges of the velvet stool, ignoring the cold jewels indented into the cushion biting against her fingers. The mirror on her vanity looked so beautiful and pristine – she wanted to break it. First the vase. Now she wanted to destroy the mirror; perhaps then the marble statue of a beautiful young woman pouring water. It was a shame she was naked; just another decoration to mock Jinx as a woman, to remind her of the only thing women appeared to be good for in this damned city. Jinx wasn’t too surprised, rather annoyed, in fact, when minutes later she was being escorted to the emperor’s private chambers late at night. She felt her thighs quiver the nearer she came, yet she held her head high with as much dignity as she could muster. She worked hard to memorise the corridors she was led down, despite knowing she would just be escorted back by the same guard once her business with Aradax was done. The least she could do was try to learn to make her own way around.

     Yet the corridors in which the guard took her down were like a labyrinth, twisting and turning harshly. Doors behind doors, a series of steps. Perhaps the guard was only trying to confuse her, a tactic to make it impossible to remember her way to the emperor’s private chambers. That seemed wise. Jinx hadn’t yet earned the emperor’s trust and, for all the guards knew, she could try to kill him. They overestimated her abilities.

     Once there, Jinx found Aradax waiting for her.

     The emperor lay in his bed, covered with silk throws and cotton blankets. His fat arms were wrapped around two young women, both as naked as he. He woke them with a rough shake and ordered them to be gone.

     Jinx averted her gaze as the brash young women giggled and left the room, blowing kisses to the emperor and promising to visit him again soon. Once they were gone, Jinx dropped to her knees and pressed her forehead against the cold floor of his chambers. The gesture alone made her stomach ache. “You summoned me, Emperor Jhorou?” she began. She noted the sliver of fear in her voice and attempted to keep it at bay.

     Aradax sat up in his bed and stared down at the young girl before him, her head bowed to him in obedience. He explored the curves of her neck and back, the way her hands rested gracefully against her lap and how she refused to meet his gaze. “Do you know why I named you as one of my commanders?” he asked her, laying back down onto the bed as he did.

     Jinx didn’t reply.

     “Rise, girl, and speak.” The emperor commanded.

     Jinx did as instructed and straightened her nightgown out before replying. “No. I admit my skill on the battlefield is no match to the other commanders, who are clearly better choices for such a position.” she began.

     Aradax cut her off with a bark of a laugh. “Woman, I didn’t choose you because of your ability to fight. I know what you are! As a talented young Alchemist, I care more about your skills with such a craft than your ability to wield a sword.” he explained.

     Jinx felt her muscles relax. He mentioned nothing else, surely that meant she was safe from the emperor's bed.

     Aradax thought carefully to himself, his gaze on Jinx the entire time. “Your title as a commander is just a cover up, a protection shall we say, from the eyes of other men whilst you work for me. I am giving you two options, Jinx Mortaery—create an elixir for me, ‘The Elixir of Athanasia’. Or die. I need to guarantee that my name and reputation lives on forever.” he paused at the sight of Jinx’s face dropping in disbelief.

     The young woman shook her head. “Forgive me, Emperor, the elixir is nothing more than a myth; a story told to children before bed. I cannot conjure up such an elixir. You are asking me to,”

     Aradax cut her off with a raised fist and a feral growl. “I know what I am asking you to do. You make me the Elixir of Athanasia, to prolong my life to immortality or be stripped of your title and executed in a dishonourable way. You have five months, Mortaery, five months is all I will give you. I suggest you get to work on it as soon as possible. A task as mighty as this,”

     “It’s an impossible task. I’m an Alchemist, not a sorcerer.” Jinx cut in.

     Aradax frowned at her. “Alchemy is the closest thing to magic there is. Now do not argue with me any further, you abuse your new authority too much already. Careful girl, for the power I give you, I can easily take away.” he pointed at the door of his chamber.

     With great hesitation, Jinx dropped to the floor, touched her forehead against the tiles and then rose. Walking back towards the door, she kept her gaze on the emperor until she felt the cool kiss of a cold handle against her fingers. She left the room without another word, but inside, her mind was throbbing with terrifying thoughts about the immense task she had just been assigned.

     The emperor was a fool to believe such an elixir existed; it wasn’t possible to recreate such a potion.

     Jinx had dabbled in all forms of alchemy, of course. She could transform lead into gold by changing the alchemic number of such a material, causing the transmutation of lead into beautiful nuggets of real, solid gold. She could do the same with bronze, copper and other base metals such as those. She couldn’t last recall the time she had even considered making the one thing that no alchemist had ever done before—create a universal elixir by the name of the Elixir of Athanasia. It was a terribly complex process; near impossible. It went against the laws of nature, defied the rules of ageing. No, it’s impossible. Jinx thought to herself. The greedy emperor has gone too far.

     He had given her five months. The emperor had given her five months to discover and create the existence of life and meddle with what only nature could decide.

     Jinx felt faint as she walked back to her room, knowing any minute now her knees would give in, and she would collapse with shock. She kept her strength up until she had hidden herself away behind the safety of her bedroom doors. She understood it all now as she looked around the beautifully decorated room of gold and red and fuchsia. This room was no bed chamber. It was her prison, for the next five months at least—until she failed to give the emperor what he wanted the most and he stripped her of her title, then killed her. The large room seemed to shrink in on her and she couldn’t help but groan at the position she now found herself in. She was an alchemist whom the emperor expected to become a magician, a sorcerer.

     There would be no time to waste on sleeping now.

Jinx pushed herself off the door and walked over to her desk. She would have to visit the library and soon, judging by the lack of books on her table. Not that she would have had the books she now needed anyhow; she hadn’t expected the emperor to be as ambitious as this. She felt the pressure of his words on her even now and it made her want to cry; her eyes already stinging with tears yet to come. She wouldn’t allow the emperor to break her, not like this. Not in any way. Knowing that the task would be impossible, Jinx decided she would play Aradax like the fool he was. She would pretend to know what she was doing, busying herself in tasks before countless books and potions. She would continue on with her lead and gold and bronze to avert any suspicious attention from prying eyes. But she wouldn’t allow herself to become his pet, feeding him an elixir that would only extend his wretched reign.

     It was late already; the palace itself was asleep; save for the guards on duty and the prisoners moaning underground. Jinx was certain that their voices sang her to sleep, a haunting lullaby composed just for her. Soon enough, she thought to herself, my voice will join that sad chorus and together, the prisoners and I will give a performance to remember. She hoped that her inevitable death would be swift, only Aradax promised her it would be anything but. And Jinx was clever enough to know the emperor meant it.

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