"You need to consummate your marriage, Durin." Mycon said, sitting down.
"What if I told you that I regretted marrying someone who doesn't belong to our people and that I met a young woman from Mahagah, whom the people will love?"
"I hope you're speaking hypothetically, my Pharaoh."
"Why?"
"Because that would mean that you could not sit on the throne that was your father's, since it would indicate a failure to comply with one of the clauses."
"I'm going to divorce Yuki in less than two weeks, but I can hasten that and still remarry."
"You can do that, Your Majesty. You can get divorced. But it's not that easy. In order to secure your throne, the marriage needs to be consummated, although there is no requirement for the duration of the marriage, there is a requirement for the period for the marriage to take place, and that of course involves consummation, as I've already explained to you."
"I'm getting divorced today."
"And how do you intend to do that?"
"As everyone does. I'll go to the registry office and sign the separation..."
"No registry office will agree to undo a marriage in less than three months, my Pharaoh, that's our law."
Durin frowned.
"I'm the Pharaoh. They will do as I say."
"As long as Your Majesty hasn't consummated this marriage, you won't be Pharaoh. And yet, our people don't like levity, Durin. I hope you remember that. They won't look kindly on the new Pharaoh if he begins his reign by breaking their sacred laws."
"Fuck the people."
"A hated Pharaoh leaves no roots on the throne, my Pharaoh."
"Can I annul this marriage?"
"For that, they require you to stay married to your wife for at least a month."
Durin slammed his hand down on the table and poured himself some wine.
"I'll consummate the marriage." He decided.
"I'm glad you've understood the need to do this, but there's another problem."
"Speak up."
"Honestly, I don't know how you didn't realize. Yuki is an ice queen."
Durin spat the wine back into his glass and laughed in front of Mycon, who stared at him as if he had gone mad.
When Durin had calmed down, he put down the glass of wine and poured himself a brandy.
"I'm not an idiot, Mycon. I always knew who she was, from the first time I saw her working in my office."
"Weren't you the one who hired her?"
"No. I have people who are responsible for hiring."
"And why didn't you ask for her to be fired? God, Durin! You made her your assistant!"
"Yes. That was on purpose."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Do you know how hard it is for a man to resist the charms of young secretaries? Yuki represents women who are beyond my reach."
"It's not like that anymore."
Durin was thoughtful.
"And I still don't understand why she agreed to marry me. Yuki has always looked down on me..."
"There's no point in speculating about her reasons. What are you going to do? You need to consummate your marriage, and when you touch Yuki more intimately..."
"Will my magic be gone for good? We'll need to find out if this is legend or reality, won't we?"
"I don't think she knows what it is. I overheard a conversation. Yuki was taken to Ice Island as a child to wait for the Pharaoh's son. She doesn't even know who her parents are."
"Does it matter?"
"Yes. If she doesn't know what she is, she won't mind drinking the currant tea."
"What happens if she drinks it?"
"Well... It would take two days to convince her to drink a few liters of tea. That would make her magic weak and when you were... in bed, you would be the dominant force and perhaps, your fire would consume the ice inside her forever."
"Can't you put that in water? I doubt she'd want to drink that much tea."
"You'll need to convince her. What was the argument you used when you proposed to her? Didn't she ask for anything in return for coming here and pretending to be your wife?"
"She asked me for a specific amount of dollars."
"Offer twice as much so she'll agree to drink that tea. I can arrange visits, from other places that belong to Pharaoh and she won't realize that everything is being done just to get her to drink the tea."
"You've thought of everything, right?"
"I need to be useful, my Pharaoh."
"You are useful, Mycon. You can help me convince her..." Durin interrupted himself and looked at Mycon with a puzzled look and a frown. "Yuki took part in the Pharaoh's ritual on Ice Island?"
"Yes. Your Majesty."
"Isn't she a bit... Too alive to be an offering?"
"She fled the island before the cycle was completed." Mycon said, unmoved by the accusation in Durin's voice.
"But how can that be, if I was there when the volcano swallowed the offering?"
"Perhaps, my Pharaoh doesn't remember, but you weren't the only one with the right of Pharaoh on that island, which means, there were two offerings."
"Tykar..."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Yuki was Tykar's offering... That's why he's so strong! Ice with ice! She accentuated his power!"
"No, my Pharaoh. Neither you nor he could manifest any power before the great Pharaoh was no longer with us. Tykar is stronger than you because he eats like a warrior, fights and trains with responsibility, discipline and dedication."
"You admire Tykar too much and that makes you someone I can't trust."
"Durin, don't insult me. Do I have to pretend that I don't admire Tykar in order to be loyal to my king? Lying would be a betrayal."
"Yes. I'm sorry." Durin said and looked out of the window. "I don't know how I'm going to ask Yuki for this."
"Offer twice as many dollars..."
"I don't know. That might sound like an insult."
Mycon stood up.
"I think your long years of experience in the Michigan brothels will help you resolve this issue. Have you thought about the possibility of winning her over?"
"I can't do that. She won't want to sign the divorce form if I consummate this marriage and she believes I'm doing it out of love."
"You don't have to get a divorce."
Durin looked at Mycon as if he had just said something so obvious that he hadn't thought of it.
"Conquer Yuki in less than four days?"
"Think flowers, chocolates and diamonds." Mycon said with an amused smile and bowed. "Excuse me, Your Majesty." He asked and left.