Optimizing Royalty: A More Efficient Fantasy, #7

By N E Riggs

Mika is going to make his brother king of Demonia, no matter what it takes and no matter who might object. Keeping his family safe at the same time might be the difficult part.

 

Also includes the side story: Optimizing Loss

• Language: English
• Publisher: N E Riggs
• Release date: Mar 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201532567

Book preview

Optimizing Royalty

A More Efficient Fantasy

Book 7

N E Riggs

Copyright © 2022 N E Riggs

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

N E Riggs

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NERiggs.com

Brutal Planet Press | NERiggs.com/BrutalPlanet

Illustrator: Rebekah Smelser

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Editor: Leanore Elliott

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Mika watched as the orcs escorted Paka away from the ballroom. Beside him, Yadis clutched at his arm, quivering. Not afraid, he thought, or at least not much afraid. She would be furious, desperate to protect Paka.

Noise filled the air as the demons speculated. They watched Vekana and Mika closely and shivered too hard when they saw Tokima’s corpse. No demon could actually be that surprised by a dead body, but acting horrified was part of court. At the base of the dais, Darema sawed at his teeth and glared at everyone but stayed silent.

Of all the things that had happened tonight, only Paka’s actions surprised Mika. He had known that someone would try something against him, something that also affected Vekana. Picking something that also involved his grandfather wasn’t much of a surprise. Anyone who wanted to be king instead of Vekana, also wouldn’t want to wait until the old bastard died of natural causes.

Of all the demons who hungered for the throne, Darema wanted it most and was in the best position to win it from Vekana. He was so obvious that everyone knew it; he had been the first person Vekana mentioned in his list of enemies. Tokima and Darema were friends and allies, and Tokima didn’t mind doing Darema’s dirty work. Since Mika had no magic and couldn’t defend against it, that was the perfect way to execute the plan.

Paka, though. Paka was still just a child, new to Demonia, politics, and pretty much everything except hunting and farming. Mika wondered what else Paka might be capable of, and how much of the boy’s growth he had missed.

Take the king’s body, Vekana told some of the orcs. We will have the funeral in two days.

Carefully, as if the old man still cared, the orcs lifted Tektana’s body up and carried him slowly from the ballroom. People made way for them, not wanting to get too close. Though the party had just ended – even demons didn’t revel after murder, especially not the murder of one of their own – the guests would linger for hours, talking about what had happened and how best to take advantage of the events.

I am king now. Vekana’s voice carried through the room, silencing everyone. He stood straight, his hands clasped behind his back. Like that, only Mika and the others on the dais could see how he shook.

The demons began to bow, murmuring Your Majesty. It caught like fire, and soon everyone in the room had bowed except for Darema.

Vekana fixed him with a look.

Slowly, not looking away from Vekana, Darema bowed. Your Majesty. What is your desire? He would pretend loyalty for now. Mika didn’t think the act would last for more than a few days.

Enjoy the food for now. I will investigate my grandfather’s death and determine who is and who is not at fault. Be assured, general, that I will question that orc closely.

And what of your brother, Majesty? Darema’s tone was oh-so bland, nothing in it that suggested he had been accusing Mika of murder moments ago.

The king is dead, and I am now king. My brother will stay here in the palace but not in the dungeons. If he is at fault, he will be punished, I promise you.

Darema nodded. My army stands ready for you to command, Majesty. I will see to my troops now, so that we know Demonia is secure. He meant of course that he wanted to be with his army, where he would be safe, and where he could find willing followers to help him consolidate power.

No one stopped him from leaving.

Quietly, so only those around him could hear, Vekana said, Let’s get out of here. He headed to the small door near the back of the dais.

Mika took Yadis’s arm and followed. If Yadis leaned heavily against him, he didn’t mind. He supposed he’d be just as much of a mess, were their positions reversed. A handful of demon guards accompanied them, as well as Javama.

No one spoke until they reached an intersection. Vekana paused there, his face twisted. Mika pressed a hand to his back, directing him to the right. He was king now, and so he had to use the king’s suite rather than his own. Sometimes appearance counted for just as much as anything else, especially when surrounded by traitors and conspirators.

With a scowl, Vekana marched in that direction.

The royal suite was dark, heavy drapes over the windows, a line layer of dust over everything. Even Tektana hadn’t used it much recently, staying in a smaller, warmer room instead. In Mika’s youth, Tektana had stayed here. He wondered if Tektana had only switched rooms after Mika’s mother died and Mika left.

Impossible. That would be giving the old man too much credit.

When Javama glared, the guards stayed outside. Javama closed the door, started opening drapes and windows, then lighting torches and candles. He didn’t use magic, though he was one of the finest wizards in Demonia. While he worked, Mika helped Yadis to sit on the couch, staying beside her because she wouldn’t let him go.

Did you kill Grandfather? Vekana slumped on the opposite couch, staring at Mika, looking tired.

Technically I did. Too bad, it was an accident. I would have liked to kill him on purpose. When he closed his eyes, he could still see Tektana’s face, twisted in pain and bloated. That image would stay with him for some time and help him sleep on dark nights.

Mikana! Vekana slammed a fist into his thigh. You can’t talk like that! Darema wants to get rid of you!

Mika leaned back. I know. It was a good plan. Too bad Paka killed Tokima. Not that Tokima was any loss; Mika hated him too. Still, he was dead, which meant he couldn’t be questioned. Now they would never know for sure if he had placed a spell on Mika or the glass of wine.

"Stop being so casual! We have a serious problem! If Darema keeps calling you a murderer