SWNOVELS Chapter 44: The Traitor Revealed
An hour later, Ahriaman entered the throne room with a huge smile on his face. Nemesis watched from the shadows behind the throne as Ahriaman approached the Emperor and bowed to the floor. “My liege, you have asked for the one responsible for the escape of Beowulf. I now know who it was that has done this treasonous act,” the wizard declared proudly.
The Emperor leaned forward with a very interested look, saying, “Rise and speak, snake.”
Ahriaman rose with a most hideous smile and said, “This traitor is very, very close to you, sire. He foments rebellion in your very house. He even frequents the Harem without your permission.”
The Emperor’s face darkened considerably as he asked venomously, “Speak snake! Who is this traitor that defies me in my very house?”
Ahriaman removed his hood and said, “He’s your most trusted enforcer, sire. He’s the one who told you not to let me touch the cat again.”
The Emperor jumped off his throne in a rage. “What?” he bellowed. “You mean the Nemesis is the traitor? Where is your proof? He has faithfully served me all the days of his life. Show me the treason!”
Ahriaman pulled out a device, saying, “We set up surveillance of the Harem at your order, sire, and this is what we found not more than an hour ago.” He keyed the device and a hologram flashed out of the device, showing Nemesis in the Harem. “We recorded every word and action,” Ahriaman stated triumphantly. The Emperor watched in disbelief as Nemesis spoke to Myra and Trinity about Hanna returning to free them. He even heard Myra warning him to flee because the Harem was being monitored. The Emperor’s face turned beet red with rage and the Black Prince began to manifest physically in his features. Ahriaman watched the Emperor’s response with the utmost gratification. “You see, your majesty, it wasn’t the outlander that found the traitorous Nemesis, but your own Cadre,” he crowed.
“Silence!” the Emperor roared in fury. “Bring Nemesis before my wrath now! How dare he betray me like this! I treated him as a son and this is what he does to me? Bring the traitorous bear to me now that I may destroy him! Go and don’t return without him!”
Ahriaman’s smug, triumphant expression suddenly turned to one of great concern for he had never seen the Emperor that angry. “Yes, my Lord Emperor, at once,” he said with a quick bow.
As Ahriaman fled the throne room, the Emperor roared, “Double the guard around the Harem and triple it around the Tower. Remember my words about the cat, snake. Don’t you dare touch her. I will win her myself.”
Ahriaman bowed, saying, “As you command, your majesty.” Ahriaman fled the rage of the Emperor with the thought, I have you now, Nemesis. Too long have you coddled up to the Emperor, impeding my rise to greatness. Now, you will answer to the Emperor for your treason.
Nemesis saw the explosion of the Emperor’s rage upon the news of his traitorous acts and swore under his breath for he knew he’d been caught. He slipped away and vanished into the bowels of the fortress. He had one last stop to make before going to the place where Hanna instructed him to wait: Josephine’s core.