Pax Pacis: A Dystopian Shortstory

Protidorem

Ch. 5

"E wait up!" I was trying to duck out of the meeting before Payce remembered that we had a private meeting together. Just my luck, he remembered, and I was still in the meeting chamber. I sighed and turned around. 

"Ethne, you don't have to stay with him." Zane quiet voice spoke beside me.

"I need to know my responsibility after the Desumo." 

"I have an idea for you. You can use my plan. Forget about Payce."

"I don't want anything to do with you right now Zane Desandrew, or should I call you Zane Lesterium?" I scoff at that last part trying to show him that I was mad that he lied to me about his identity. 

"It's Desandrew," Zane mutters quietly. I can tell that my anger upsets him. We really need to talk tonight, before the ceremony. 

"Look, can we talk later? Let me see what Payce has to say for himself and then I will come and talk to you. Meet me in my favorite clearing in an hour, okay?" He nods but says nothing and joins Tarrance and Eavan on the way out the door. I unwillingly head toward the middle of the chamber to meet with Payce. 

"Decide to give me the time of day?"

"I decided to figure out what in the world you have planned for me, all mighty Princeps of Insurgo." I make a large sweeping bow at Payces feet.

"Please don't," He puts his soft cold fingers under my chin and pulls my back up to standing, "I have no desire to rule." 

"You sure do have a knack for it though." Payce shrugs and takes a seat on the wire bench behind him patting the empty spot next to him as a gesture for me to sit. I obliged and sat on the uncomfortable metal structure. "So whats the plan boss?" I change tactics and decide to be a little nicer to him. During his battle plans I weighed the options of Payce and Zane and decided that I did not know Payce well enough to make a decision. Although I did not have time to get to know him as well as the boy I have known most of my life, I might as well make an attempt to get to know him now. 

"Well, Zane has other plans for you..." 

"Zane isn't in charge here, is he?"

"well, no, E, he isn't but if he gets to choose you before I do, then your position when the attack starts will be different, and therefor so will your strategy."

"Why do I matter so much?"

Payce laughs at my confusion. "Don't you get it? Ethne, I care about you, Zane cares about you, therefor, Kevan cares about you. You matter because you are the only one of the three of us who can get close to him without him noticing or being too suspicious. If either one of us chooses you, you will have to be welcomed into the family-"

"By Kevan Lesterium." I nod as I cut him off. Things are slowly making more sense. 

"Yes, and with that you will be in an ideal position to cut his throat in front of all of Mundus."

"And get shot!" I jump up from the bench and try to storm away but Payce is faster than me. He grabs my wrist and pulls me back down, onto his lap. For a moment neither of us says a word. We sit like that staring into each others eyes, something about this mysterious boy is so mesmerizing. Payce clears his throat and I avert my gaze sliding off of him and back onto the cold metal bench. 

"You won't get shot. Listen to me, I have a plan." We spend almost an hour talking about his plan and what I must do in order to execute it. He also explains to me what I should do if I get chosen by Zane and what the alternate plan  is. I nod occasionally so that he knows I am listening, but I am also watching his mannerisms.