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The lupine incubus sidestepped the knife that had been thrown at his back, catching it and flicking it back at his assailant. His aim was better than he expected. He'd only intended to force his opponent into cover, but, as he pivoted on his toes and reached for his arming sword, he glimpsed the returned knife buried in the pole cat assassin's knee joint.

Daet had been expecting an attack. He'd expected it sooner, truth be told. So he'd worked out every scenario his thousand years of experience could suggest and had his senses alert for the last week that the negotiations had dragged on. He just wished they'd hired an ugly assassin instead of the mephit bishonen he was confronting.

As he closed with the diminutive death dealer, he focused a paralysis spell through his blade. This would allow the hex to penetrate even a fairly powerful anti-magic shield, should the skunk have one. He didn't. The spell hit, full force, shutting down every muscle not directly involved with circulation and breathing. This added insult and humiliation to the knife wound for the young hit man as he soiled himself.

Daet bound him and sheathed his blade after a thorough check that there were no witnesses nor backup for the skunk. Carefully withdrawing the knife from the knee he sealed the veins and arteries but left the rest of the wound alone as he disarmed the skunk. As he settled back on his heels he spoke, easing the paralysis slightly. "Whoever put you up to this obviously didn't tell you what I am."

The skunk groaned softly and blushed until the insides of his ears were red "He did, but I really didn't want to succeed. I was fostered in your homeland for most of my life. Here I'm a curse bound slave and I'd rather die at your hands than be coerced into causing more death and destruction to both of my peoples."

The wolf's ears twitched as he invoked truthfinding. No change, only truth had been uttered. *He's being honest, he does consider the populations of both kingdoms to be his people and... Ahh, yes* the wolf notice something as he probed the skunk's being with his mind... *that's definitely a magic induced compulsion... Where's it linked to?... Yep that's a freewill override. Done with blood magic too. I can remove it but it'll be delicate work. Should I though?* He pondered a moment, checking to be absolutely sure it wasn't merely an excessive punishment for a legitimate crime... *I think I should. Being late with your taxes doesn't warrant this kind of thing. No wonder we've had so many refugees fleeing across our border*

The skunk flinched as the wolf's hands and eyes glowed, thinking the envoy had accepted the offer of his life in exchange for peace. But then he felt the snap in his mind and realized his thoughts and body were completely under his control again. He began to weep uncontrollably, trying to kiss the wolf's hind paws as his leg was healed and the paralysis dispelled.

Daet lifted the former assassin and held him gently until he regained his composure. "So who was your master, and why did he want war with my people?" The wolf asked as the skunk's breathing steadied.

"The king," was the whispered reply. "He wants to have the excuse of a war to barricade his populace from fleeing to sanctuary in your homeland." The wolf snorted, this was a tired ploy. One he'd seen a dozen times in his long life.

Fine then. He'd call the king on his false negotiations and see if he had the wherewithal to follow through now instead of at his leisure. He already knew that he was more than capable of eliminating the entire council, if it came to that, before they could even declare war.

The wolven demon turned, carrying the skunk toward the council chambers. The poor mephit was shivering violently with the fear of having his coercions restored, despite his bearer's insistence that this would not, could not, be the case.

The doors to the council chamber were barred but that was no impediment as the hinges exploded, the doors dropping from their frame as if they were a drawbridge. The king and his council started up in total shock as the envoy barged in and glared at them all.

"And just what, might I ask, did you hope to accomplish by forcing this poor boy to try to assassinate me? You're even stupider than my lord thought if you thought he had a snowball's chance in the inferno of succeeding."

The council turned as one to glare at the king, who'd been pale as a sheet since the doors fell. Now he began gasping and clutching his chest and the council's regard turned from accusation to alarm.

"Get a heart tonic!" One of the councillors shouted to a page who immediately dashed from the room. She returned a within a minute clutching a small green flask. The councillor that had sent her off yanking it from her hands and attempting to administer it to the stricken ruler. Too late. The king gave one last shudder and died.

Daet cocked his head as the councillor carefully removed the crown and walked toward him. "I wasn't aware that the king had heart trouble..." He commented in an apologetic tone. The councillor stopped in front of the incubus.

"He didn't, until recently. The crown is cursed to prevent misrule. Unfortunately it only works quickly if one who was wronged openly accuses the king of a crime he's truly guilty of. Equally unfortunate, it can't explain its reasoning so we weren't sure that the crown was at fault for his condition until now. It also prevents the ruler from abandoning his duties."

Despite his centuries of experience the wolf could never have anticipated what happened next as the councillor slapped the crown on the former envoys head proclaiming loudly "Long live the king!"

While Daet stood there, dumbstruck, the skunk in his arms looked him up and down and shrugged, commenting to the councillor, "At least now I'll be concubine to someone good looking."

Looking first at the concubine then at the head of the council the usurped wolf could only think of one question... "What the fuck?!"