Cardinal Sin VII: Saint Khidon Watched, Amused
The Fifteenth Day of the Seventh Moon, 873 AD.
Aegos, Aegan Hills, Western Dathan.
His eyes shot open as he bolted upright in bed. He was alive. His little gambit had paid off, for he was alive and now had a casus-belli to find Admeta and have her arrested, maybe even executed if all was good with the world. He swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood on his feet, gladdened that the action didn't result in any aches or weakness. He must have only been out a day or two, thank the Saints, and so the initiative was now in his hands. He didn't know what had happened in the days since his poisoning, nor did he particularly care to know. By his reckoning almost everyone in the outside world could fuck off and die while he dealt with this shitstorm, but with his clarity quickly returning he also realised that the events of the last day or two were vitally important for him to know before he acted rashly.
"Father! I mean, your Holiness, your Cardinalship, I-"
The servant stepped backwards and stopped stumbling over their words at the level stare he gave them. It wasn't quite a glare, it didn't have enough malice for that, but it was certainly a dark expression nonetheless.
"My cane and my clothes, boy. A pail of water, a rag, and some soap as well."
The servant swallowed, clearly uncomfortable whilst speaking to him.
"Your Holiness, I- I should really go and inform the other cardinals that you have-"
"You will do no such thing!" Sin snapped out, vitriol oozing from his words. "Do as I ask, boy! Do not displease me!"
The servant made a squeaking noise and nodded his assent fervently before scampering off as fast as his legs would take him. He didn't particularly like raising his voice like that, but now wasn't the time for pleasantries and niceties. Now was the time for readying himself and then for acting, as fast as he was able and not a moment later.
He washed quickly and dressed quicker, flexing his muscles to try and warm himself up for what he was now going to do. He thought for a brief moment about calling for Spyridon, but stopped himself. Better not to involve his friend in this next course of action.
When he was ready he picked up his cane and strode with purpose out of the medical chamber he'd been lain in, ignoring the exclamations from those he stalked past in the corridors. His destination was known to him, his purpose singular, and as he made his way to the men who would enact his plan for him he forced down a grim smile. He was Cardinal Sin, and in circumstances such as this Cardinal Sin had a face that dared those who gazed upon him not to turn away in fear.
After ten minutes of stalking through corridors he reached the internal barracks of the senate building and, ignoring the protests from the guards at the doors, he burst into the room. Guardsmen who had been stood around in small groups or sat at tables stared at him with a mixture of surprise and fear, and as he gazed around he sniffed at the air as if he were a hound searching for its prey.
"Who is in command of this barracks?"
There was silence for a few seconds, but before he made to continue speaking a voice spoke up in heavily accented, though perfectly fluent, Dathanian.
"I am, your Holiness. Captain Dessano, at your service."
The man knelt before him. Dessano, huh? Given his name and accent it seemed as though he was more likely to hail from one of the Tildan principalities rather than any of the Dathanian statelets, not that Sin particularly cared where the man had come from. At the end of the day he just needed the captain to do as he was ordered by him, and not to crumble under pressure when faced with a second cardinal.
"I was nearly killed, Captain."
The captain nodded in a manner that suggested he was uncomfortable with what was being said.
"I was informed, Cardinal. When I heard of what had happened I prayed for your recovery, as did my men. It is good to see you have recovered."
"Captain Dessano, this is the second time someone has attempted to kill me since I left Athio. I will not wait for a third such occasion before acting. I know who wants me dead, I know who tried to have me killed, and if you are interested in restoring the honour of yourself and your men then you will do as commanded and apprehend these criminals."
Captain Dessano swallowed hard again, though there was a hint of relief in his eyes; there was a clear path forwards for him to take, a method that would ensure he was not seen as incompetent or, more dangerously, complicit in the attempt on Sin's life. His face worked for a moment as he realised something, a confused aspect to his voice as he questioned Sin.
"Twice, your Holiness?"
Sin nodded, a bitter and grim smile on his face.
"I was accosted on the road by a man professing to be sent by Cardinal Trios, who attempted to kill me. The arrogant blackguard was not sufficient to see me dead, though I spared him his life. Only very recently myself and Cardinal Spyridon were given a beaker of wine by Cardinal Admeta which was poisoned, though Cardinal Spyridon did not drink it and the poison failed to kill me. I am a Cardinal of the church, child, and as such my word is as good as theirs. Under my authority, you will arrest Cardinal Admeta of the Most Devout Church of Aegos. I command it."
The captain of the guard swallowed hard.
"Your Holiness, I- such an order is-"
Sin slammed a fist down onto a standing table next to him, a few half-empty cups of drink rattling around and falling over as a result of the action.
"I command it! She wanted me dead to place the inquisition in charge of your organisation, Captain. She doesn't have the support at the moment to make it so, but if I were dead and the guard turned out to be incapable of apprehending my killer she would have the case she needed. Do you want to be under the command of the inquisition, Captain?"
Captain Dessano swallowed hard again, shaking his head whilst his men looked on in fearful silence. There must have been two-score men in the room, perhaps more, but all remained silent as their captain spoke with him.
"I- It will be as you command, your Holiness. We are at your disposal. I ask only that you remain by our side as we apprehend the criminal, for only the word of a Cardinal may speak against another Cardinal. In that same vein I do not believe we will be able to apprehend both of them. If you insist then we will, but that would certainly overstretch the watch."
Sin nodded gravely, maintaining eye contact with Captain Dessano the whole time.
"You will have my support in this matter, Captain. I will walk alongside you."
"We will ride, if it will please your Holiness. The men will walk behind and alongside us, but we will ride."
Sin made a noise of acquiescence and stowed his cane in the holder across his back. There was no need for it if he wasn't going to be walking at the moment.
"Men of the Aegan Watch, under the authority granted to me by his Holiness, the Cardinal Sin of Athio, I order you to apprehend and arrest the criminal Cardinal Admeta of Thermanthus for the crime of treason against the Most Devout Church of Aegos. Soldiers, ready yourselves!"
The captain's words, though with an undertone of shock, were so full of conviction and fervour that Sin realised the man must have known the inquisition was soon to be breathing down his neck and as such he was acting to ensure such oversight would never come to pass. He was not exactly desperate, but there was certainly an amount of relief on the captain's face as his soldiers donned their armour, hefted their shields and spears, and readied themselves to march on the location of Cardinal Admeta.
A horse was procured for the captain, a second for Sin himself, and as the two men mounted side by side a runner came up to them, panting for breath.
"She's in the Cathedral of Saint Aurea, Ser! She's not looking like she's moving out anytime soon, and there are no other guards with her!"
The captain nodded with a satisfied smile on his face before turning to face him once more, the action very clearly a wordless request for permission to act. Sin nodded once, unaware that the man had sent out runners to find Admeta but still glad that the captain had thought to do so, and then spoke.
"Now seems a good time in that case, Captain Dessano. You will have my gratitude for this. I need good men under my command. Good men. Honourable men. Men who stand by their words. I will not forget your assistance on this day."
Captain Dessano smiled shakily at him.
"I am glad to be of service, your Holiness. Now, soldiers of the Aegan Watch, move out!"
At those words and a gesture from the captain, the sounds of forty sets of feet marching in time rang out through the streets of Aegos. It was not the first time such patrols were sent out, far from it, but it was far larger than normal. That alone gave bystanders pause, not to mention the fact that he was leading the procession on horseback alongside the Captain of the Watch. There was little way he was going to be able to keep this quiet, he realised, and if he couldn't keep it quiet then he was certain to be in for a rather awkward meeting with the Archcardinal later.
That didn't matter at the moment. He could deal with whatever penance Adikos laid out for him later, but right now he needed to make sure Admeta was out of the picture, if not permanently then at least for a few moons. Saints only knew he'd been in Aegos longer than expected already, and it wasn't looking like he'd be able to go back to Athio anytime soon.
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He wouldn't have been surprised if Adikos wanted to try and keep his Cardinals in the capital alongside him permanently, to be honest. The man would be able to keep an eye on them far better if they were in arms reach, after all.
The ride, or march for the majority of the men, to the Cathedral of Saint Aurea continued in silence. Well, as silent as a march could be. The men of the watch were all dressed in the classical standard, each man wearing a muscle cuirass, spaulders, and pteryges as a part of his uniform, not to mention the array of helmets. Most helmets were simply iron recreations of the ancient Doronan type-helmets, though there were a few in the style of the similarly ancient Dionassian and Kallitrian helmets. None of that was important at the moment, but Sin enjoyed looking at them a little all the same. Surely he was entitled to a little amusement before he took part in the arrest of his equal within the church? He had only woken up from an assassination attempt an hour ago, after all.
The cathedral was easy to reach, for it towered above the skyline of the city in a way that only three other buildings did; the senate building was far too large and distinctive to be mistaken for the Cathedral of Saint Aurea, and the other two cathedrals were built in rather different architectural styles, and so even if he'd been completely new to this city and wasn't being accompanied by people who knew it like the back of their hand he felt confident that he'd be able to find it himself. Within half an hour they were there, a smattering of people being moved aside by the body of guards as he rode up the steps alongside Captain Dessano. The captain waved four of his men towards the cathedral doors, and with a little force the mighty oaken doors were rapidly opened. Forty men of the Aegan Watch marched into the room, spears and shields in hand, and quickly moved to secure the exit and entry points to the main chamber of the cathedral.
Stood in the middle of all this with a surprised and bemused expression on her face was Cardinal Admeta, and though he loathed to say it he had to give credit where it was due; Admeta didn't look worried in the slightest to see him moving around at the head of a column of armoured men having just survived being poisoned.
"Cardinal Sin, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I get no pleasure from this visit, harpy!"
A figure to Admeta's left caught his eye, and Sin recognised him at once. He stared down at the Chief Inquisitor, who was stood next to Admeta apparently having been in conversation with her. The vile, though in fairness disgustingly competent, man smirked up at Sin and nodded, seemingly knowing which way the chips were falling. He waved a hand back at his personal retinue of guards, ordering them to be at ease.
"The Inquisitors of the Most Devout Church have no stake in this fight. Do what you will, and do not seek to involve us."
Sin nodded at the man in acknowledgement, then signalled to Captain Dessano that now was the time to say what needed to be said.
"Captain Dessano, the charges if you would?"
The captain gave him an acknowledging glance before he trotted his horse forwards a few steps, speaking in a strained and yet determined voice to the target of the watch.
"Cardinal Admeta, you are under arrest on the charges of treason and two counts of attempted murder, in that you did poison Cardinal Sin and did attempt to poison Cardinal Spyridon. Have you anything to say in your defence?"
"I never attempted to poison Cardinal Spyridon. The wine was far too sour for his taste."
Sin had to stop himself from laughing and breaking the mood, for he had to admit that he did genuinely find that statement pretty funny, especially given the deadpan way she'd said it.
Admeta turned to Sin, a calm smile on her face that told him she still felt herself in control of the situation. Mad bitch. Probably read my amusement somehow.
"Besides, I am your friend, Sin. I am your sister in the faith. Why would I wish to see you dead when your work has been so effective?"
Saints, with friends like these maybe dying's not the worst of outcomes. If she's ever able to truly be called my friend again then I really have fucked up.
"You fear me, Admeta. Not in the way most do, but you fear me for what I represent. You fear me for the challenge I pose to your ascension. Well let me tell you this, Cardinal Admeta. I always end up on top. I always end up the victor. From the slums of Aegos to the back alleys of every city in Dathan I've had to claw and scrape and fight just to survive, so if you think that your pitiful attempt at an assassination attempt was good enough then I'm happy to inform you that you're mad. I've been surviving for a very long time Admeta, and now I'm one step from the top. I'm not going to let you beat me, old friend. Cardinal Sin always wins."
Admeta stepped forwards, an expression that fell somewhere between a snarl and a smirk on her face.
"We'll see about that, Sin. We'll see about that. Captain Dessano, I will come quietly. I do hope you understand what you're doing, Sin. My friends won't simply allow this slight to go unanswered."
Sin snarled down at her from atop his horse as two of the guards moved forwards to shackle Admeta, who held her hands out and didn't so much as try to step out of the way. She was shackled, and he was tired. They were done here.
"I hope they don't, Admeta. I'll take great pleasure in rooting out the corruption that surrounds you. Root and stem, I'll cut out the rot from around you. Believe me when I say I have no intention of brooking disobedience from your self-serving ilk."
He turned to face Captain Dessano, who had stood by almost enraptured by the conversation between Adikos' two favoured heirs.
"Captain, we're done here. See her to her new chambers. I'll be with you shortly."
The captain of the guard nodded, signalling for his men to form back up and escort Admeta back to the barracks. The men of the watch did as he commanded without even a whisper of discontent at their task, a telling sign of just how well they'd been trained. Or how much they fear the inquisition having oversight privileges over them.
As Admeta was led out the Chief Inquisitor clapped his hands slowly, Sin having forgot the man was stood there for the entire event. He turned to face the ruthless man, stony-faced and grim.
"Well played, your Holiness. Tell me, were any of those charges real, or were they clever fabrications of your own?"
Sin chuckled a little.
"Real. I haven't the imagination for such things, Chief Inquisitor."
The man smiled widely at him, the face making him look like a particularly dangerous mountain lion who'd just scented blood. Strangely enough Sin got the idea that it wasn't him that the man was dreaming of offing at that particular moment, but Admeta, which was odd by itself since Admeta was the one proposing that the inquisition's powerbase should be increased by a not insubstantial amount with military oversight privileges. No, the man has a different game of his own, Sin thought to himself. Whatever it is I'm unsure, but it's something else nonetheless.
"No, I don't believe you do, your Holiness. That's why I respect you. Not many men could do what you've done."
"There are many who could cow a city and its surrounding lands into submission, Chief Inquisitor. I have done no more than perform my duties to the best of my abilities."
"But you and I both know that isn't what you've done, don't we Cardinal?"
For a brief moment Sin feared that the inquisition, hell, the Chief Inquisitor, knew about his treachery, but luckily he was proved wrong almost as quickly as the thought had come to him.
"And what is it that I've done, Chief Inquisitor?"
"Why, you've become a one-man inquisition! Had it been anyone else who'd ordered my agents from their city I would have thought them a treasonous fool, but when you ordered it I acquiesced at once. You know why? Because I knew that when you asked for something it was never for your own benefit. No, you ordered the Athian Branch of the Inquisition disbanded and its agents reassigned because you knew it was a waste of resources. You already ensured that the dissidents have disappeared, that the populous is too frightened to do anything about it, and that the taint of corruption can never take root in Athio. Despite your corner of Aegos being the one place that the Inquisition has no agents, it is the perfect example of what Aegos could achieve if under harsher leadership. Hells, you've even been able to centralise most of the monasteries in your lands into the Monastic Order of Saint Khidon. Good work on that one by the way, love the imposing uniforms and vows of silence, that sort of thing really helps them to shine as an example of what the brothers and sisters of the faith can become if guided properly."
Sin nodded, an artificial grin of his own forming across his face to mask his distaste for the other man. It was interesting, however, that at no point had the Chief Inquisitor mentioned dissidents being killed. 'Disappearing', yes, but not killed. Perhaps the man was a little cannier than he was letting on?
"I am glad you think so, Chief Inquisitor. Out of all the corrupt and the greedy here in Aegos, I am glad that there are at least a few men whom I can trust to act in the best interests of the Most Devout. Your pardon, but I must be going now. I have been away from my duties for too long already as a result of the attempt on my life, and I will not shirk my work any longer."
The Chief Inquisitor nodded at him, a look of satisfaction on the thin man's face.
"By your leave, your Holiness. Please feel free to coordinate with me at any time. Assistance with our line of work is always heaven-sent, wouldn't you agree?"
"I do, Inquisitor. Good day."
He turned to walk out of the cathedral, his horse having been led back with the guards to the barracks some time ago. Ah well, he had his cane for a reason, didn't he?
It seemed like it was time for a leisurely stroll through Aegos.
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"Sin, what the hell have you done?"
His welcoming party back at his quarters was a little less enthused than he'd been expecting, but then it seemed that the news of the day had travelled faster than he had. It was unsurprising of course, given how slowly he'd meandered his way back into the senate building and then his quarters, but he'd still hoped that Spyridon would seem a little more happy to see him up and about.
"I've done what I had to do. Needs must, Spy. I drank the poison she gave me because I knew it would give me the reasoning I needed to have her put behind bars. I forged a few connections with the guard, and the Chief Inquisitor wished to speak with me. Our conversation was really rather enlightening; I think in a twisted way he wouldn't even care that I've been doing the things I've done, since it still lowers the power of the non-New Church followers in Aegos."
Spyridon looked at him, concern and anger across their face. To be honest, seeing anger on Spyridon's almost permanently demure features did give him a little bit of pause, but only for a short moment. He wasn't liable to be cowed by anyone save perhaps the Archcardinal himself.
"Alone? What if it was a trap?"
Sin scoffed.
"The Chief Inquisitor hasn't risen to his post by lacking a working brain, Spy. He'll know that if anything happened to me while I was alone with him then Adikos would be furious, and none of the Inquisitors that work for the Chief Inquisitor bear him any personal loyalty. They'd be happy to sell him out and watch him crackle on the pyre if it meant they got a shot at his job. Besides, I got the impression that he was more amused at seeing a Cardinal who wasn't afraid to bare their teeth for once when faced with their equal. No offence."
Spyridon lightened up a little at that, rolling his eyes at the last comment.
"None taken. Just... be careful, Sin. Adikos will hit the roof when he finds out what's been done. He won't particularly care for the details, only that this was done very, very publicly. Don't try and play the hero. You've done enough of that recently."
Sin raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And me acting like a creature of darkness that hides in shadow for two years is your idea of dashing and heroic, is it?"
"I'm being serious, Sin! If anything happens to you in there, if something goes wrong and you die, this plan of yours will take a blow that it can't recover from!"
That made him laugh. Not bitterly or acerbically, just a full-bodied hearty laugh.
"Oh Spy, you couldn't be more wrong! You can't defeat a hero by killing them, Spy. That's what the stories all forget. The evil tyrant kills the hero and everything falls into darkness once more, is that what you think will happen? Is that what you think the world is, Spy?"
He took a deep breath, smiling a kind and genuine smile at his friend.
"The true strength of the heroes of old wasn't in the deeds they performed in life, but by what they left behind when they died. When the villain strikes down the hero all they do is inspire another to take up the hero's mantle, to pick up where their predecessor left off. And if the hero should be defeated in battle, and the people crushed underneath the tyrant's heel once more?"
Silence hung in the air for a moment as he searched for the right words to end out his little tirade. It was a comfortable silence, a welcome silence, and he was almost sad to break it when he found his words. Almost.
"Well, maybe their children will have better luck. Goodnight, Spy."
His friend smiled back at him warmly.
"Yeah. Maybe. That doesn't sound so bad, I guess. Goodnight, Sin."