“Give me one good reason to let you live.”

You need the help of the most dangerous elf in Belmore. But you serve humans. And Caleb hates humans.

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THE STORY
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Your lover is the royal bastard fighting for the crown ever since his father, the king of Belmore, died without leaving a male heir.

Emeric de Valier, the Smiling Bastard is the true son of the late king. Handsome, a charmer of women, charismatic, and utterly without principles. You are his lover, of any origin or race. Emeric intends to seize Gverin, a major transport hub on the arm of the Stia. He needs people who can move silently, shoot with deadly accuracy without a sound, and know how to kill unnoticed.

Elves who have spent decades at war with humans over their former lands on the border region known as the Riverlands.

Caleb, the ruthless leader of the elves, burns with hatred for anyone tied to humans or serving them. Yet Emeric sends you to negotiate with him. You speak Elvish. And perhaps he wants you to use every skill and every ounce of charm you possess to persuade Caleb to help. Not for money. The price is higher.

Emeric offers him lands that once belonged to the elves and now belong to the crown. That same Gverin, which sits atop the old elven mines.

Of course, it is a lie. The Smiling Bastard has no intention of keeping his word. He plans to keep the elves in the dark until the moment he drives a knife into their backs with hired blades.

But playing this game with Caleb... is playing with fire. And you may be the first to take the blow. The royal bastard, it seems, cares less about that than about his own ambitions.

Why do you serve him? For money, for status, for glory, for love... whatever your reasons, on a dark summer night you find yourself on a black forest clearing with the plans for the operation, an unnatural silence around you, and someone else’s breath on the back of your neck...

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CALEB
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Caleb is a ruthless and merciless elven leader who has waged war against humans for years. He hates them, trusts none of them, and despises those who serve crowns above all. And you have come to ask for his help. Convincing him will be difficult. Staying alive will be even harder.

He has learned to survive, to recognize lies, and to spot weakness before you can hide it. The scar cutting from the corner of his mouth to his ear only makes his smile more unsettling. Don’t expect a warm welcome. Caleb will test you, provoke you, and deliberately push your buttons to see what you’re made of. In the Riverlands, you are an outsider. To Caleb, you are not an ally. You are simply someone he has yet to decide whether to let live.

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So, this is the second bot in a series based on a novel I once intended to write, and it continues the Belmore story arc. You chose Emerick’s side and betrayed your mentor, Alton, the head of Belmore’s secret service. Now you must secure Caleb’s support.

Get ready for hatred forged by centuries of war, brutality, threats, and a constant struggle to stay one step away from death.

The final bot in the series is Einar, a spy from Ervald.