David began to stir in bed as light peeked through the window and onto his face. He did not want to get up, but he was already stretching the time that he had been given for sleep. The longer he stayed, the more trouble he would have to face later in the day. He slowly shifted his way out of the blankets and sat up. The room was cold, a sign that the chills of winter would soon be setting in.
Taking off his nightwear and placing it aside, he went into his bathroom and began to prepare himself for the morning. It was a similarly extravagant room to the bedroom, the sink made out of fine marble. Turning on the faucet, he rinsed his golden blond hair and face to prepare for the morning. His eyes met themselves in the mirror, and he realized just how tired he looked. The previous day had been a drain from the amount of people he had been forced to meet and talk with. His role in society was not one that allowed for him to be languid and relaxed while others simply did the work for him. He rinsed and doused himself with the cold water again and again until he finally looked like he could be functional. He’d have makeup and other adornments placed on him after he ate, but he desired to be presentable to his servants.
After giving his hair a comb, he left the bathroom and returned to get dressed for the morning, putting on a blue buttoned up shirt and long sleeved brown trousers. If it weren’t for the insignias that had been carefully placed on each and every piece of his clothing, he’d probably look like a normal Arlinian citizen. Giving another quick look in the mirror to make sure he was presentable, he walked out of the door to his room and into the halls. A servant who had patiently been waiting for him to leave his room gave a courteous bow, to which he greeted.
“Good morning, Sarah.”
The servant looked up and smiled.
“Good morning, Emperor.”
***
Emperor David Arlin was 28, and had been Emperor of the entirety of Arlin for 10 years. In truth, there was a good chance he would have started being emperor earlier if not for the fact that they wanted him to be of adult age to replace the third emperor. His ascension to the throne was an informal coup, where the court finally mustered enough confidence and backroom deals to oust the failed Emperor and replace him with one who was believed to be worthy of the title. David was that person, as he held claim to the blood of the first ever Emperor of Arlin. The royal bloodline had initially disconnected with the position of Emperor after his grandfather stepped down and ceded the position to one of the original fiefdom heads who supported his rebellion. Afterwards, he sat in the background and watched the Empire grow from afar. They had held ceremonial powers and great sway over public opinion, but this all changed when the third came to power.
The third emperor was, to put it mildly, incompetent. A man who was easily led by others into pits of corruption and bad policy. The Empire had expanded under his reign, but it had also become infested with corruption throughout every single seat of government. After the people in his court realized that they could gain favor by sucking up to him and telling him the words he wanted to hear, the man became inundated with sycophants. The only information he was ever given was that which would please him, and the only negative news came from those greedy to utilize the power his seat held. After the brutality of the 5th campaign, a victory in name alone, and the introduction of Pluma as a formal member Arlin, powers within the court began to scheme a person to replace him. Once he hit 18, David would take that title.
He could still vividly remember the day of the third’s execution. He had watched it from the sidelines. Even with his accumulated hatred and distaste from the public, there were many spectators who wept during the proceedings. It was a noble death- poison. He watched quietly as the man took a sip from a finely adorned chalice then peacefully drifted into eternal slumber. He left with honor and dignity, two things which he lacked in his life as a ruler. At the time, David believed that it was the correct action and was necessary to make the transition of power as smooth as possible. He did not believe that now, as much of David’s waking hours were spent untangling the unfathomable mess of corruption, nepotism, sycophants and horrid policy that his predecessor had so kindly left for him. In hindsight he would have preferred the man suffer a much more painful death, but David was very aware that he couldn’t change the past.
The only thing he could do was move forward.
***
“Monica did a fine job with the eggs this morning. Please, give her my thanks again when you have the chance.” David commented, taking another bite off of his plate. He had an easy time memorizing the name of the chef from the simple amount of times that he’d felt the need to compliment her cooking. Her eggs were always stellar, but something about these felt a bit different.
“Of course, my Emperor.” Sarah gave another bow before exiting his private dining room, leaving David completely alone with his retinue of guards. He’d have to get moving soon for the rest of the day, which meant being dressed up and carefully groomed to look as proper and as befitting of the title as possible. He continued to eat while the guards in the room silently watched. Even with their helmets on, he could probably guess all of their names just from their other demeanor.
David had spent meticulous time learning and memorizing the names of almost every single person he worked with, especially all of his servants and guards. It was one of many strategies he was using to keep himself in good favor with those around him and delay his death for as long as possible. Positioning yourself against the corrupt parts of your own empire put yourself at odds with many who wanted to hold onto the engorged power they had gotten accustomed to. This also included having all of his food checked by a rather unlucky servant before it ever entered his mouth and being extremely careful with his chefs.
David had to be as perfect as possible if he didn’t want to die in a much more brutal manner than the man that came before him. David Arlin would live with more dignity and honor than his predecessor had when he placed that poison filled chalice to his lips.
I should probably avoid thinking about that man. It ruins the food.
***
David exited the dressing room now adorned with his more formal clothing, including the red imperial mantle. It hung off of his shoulders and swayed as he entered the halls of the palace. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he was greeted by the singular person in the empire who he completely trusted- Erin.
“Morning, David.” She spoke candidly with him, not even giving him a bow. He smiled softly, comforted by the informal treatment.
“And good morning to you as well. Could you remind me what we have going on today?”
Erin chuckled as they both walked through the extravagant halls of the palace and towards the entrance. “What would you do without me?”
She had known David since the very beginning. They were raised together, Erin being his personal servant since he was a child. When he rose to the throne, she followed him and took on her role as his personal advisor. She was brutally honest and very willing to call him out, which made her excellent at her job.
After a small reprieve, she finally pulled out a large notebook in front of her and began to read from it.
“Well, we have our scheduled meeting with the magore researchers and their project. They say they have made some progress, although they have been rather vague in describing it.”
“As per usual.” He said, taking a quick moment to dust off the shoulders of the mantle. “I’m presuming they want me there as a morale boost?”
To David’s surprise, Erin shook her head. “No, it appears they have made some actual discoveries rather than simply wanting another pat on the back and confirmation of future funding. I have their names and general descriptions in the carriage, in case you forgot them. Do try not to mix them up. We can’t have another situation like that tea party last week.” She glared at David for a second before turning back to the notebook.
Yeah, I don’t think the Uril governor is going to forgive me for using his servant’s name for his wife.
“It’s not my fault they had the same general features like the ones you listed out for me.” David remarked before quickly regaining his composure to greet another servant.
“It is your fault, because you could have noticed the governor tapping on the table for the first 15 minutes of the party.”
“I just thought it was a nervous tick.”
Erin sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. “Anyways, you have lunch with a Mylian ambassador who is hoping to open up further trade routes and most likely prevent a future annexation.”
“Did he actually say that last part?”
“Does he need to?”
Fair enough.
Erin saddled slightly closer to David to show him some short transcripts of messages that had been recorded over the soundline with the ambassador. At a simple glance, they all screamed “I am trying to avoid being murdered by my boss by getting a good deal”, which meant that he probably wouldn’t have to converse with the man for too long. It didn’t hurt that Mylians were also rather fast talkers. The fact that she had written them down in the notebook meant that she had predicted David’s line of inquiry.
“Then, it looks like a few court members want to talk with you. Probably about territory, as per usual.” Erin’s voice gave light to the amount of times they had to regularly deal with members of the court attempting to squeeze greater swathes of territory out of him. “After that, you have your favorite…”
“The weekly reports. Have we received and prepared them all yet?”
Erin shook her head, snapping the notebook closed.
“We’re currently getting them ready, but they should all be compiled once the rest of this is done. I also made sure to make your time sitting on the throne as short as possible.”
And this is why you are the best.
David hated the throne. It was a beautiful sight, adorned with metals, jewels, and even the national treasures of all the many nations that Arlin had conquered. It was an impressive seat of power which was finished under the second emperor, who saw it as a way to express the strength that Arlin held. However, it was insufferable to sit in for long periods of time. He had tried to change it and have it be made more comfortable, but the court had shut down his efforts at every turn in the name of the tradition. Out of all of the many policies he’d pushed through his court, the one they absolutely wouldn’t budge on was a fucking chair. He’d find it comedic if he wasn’t the one forced to suffer the back pain.
All in the name of tradition. The throne and the corruption were the same in that way. Tethered to the tradition and glorious past of Arlin, even as it festered like an infected wound. He hated it. Holding onto the past meant death for the nation he loved, the nation which he shared the name of. Emperor David Arlin promised to himself from the day he first claimed that title that he would tear all of it down, every disgusting bit that held the empire back. Eventually that would even include that chair. But that was for a later day, when he didn’t have to memorize so many names.
“Thank you Erin. Let’s get moving.”
***
As soon as David walked through the door of the building, every researcher inside bowed to him. He politely greeted all of them until the head researcher came to greet him.
“Welcome, Emperor Arlin.” He said, giving his bow.
“Thank you, Jonathan. I’m glad to be invited back to check on your work.”
The man named Jonathan dropped his guard, allowing for his shock to peek through. “You remembered my name?”
I didn’t. I just memorized what Erin wrote for me on the ride here.
“Of course I did. How could I forget the name of one of the men helping to protect the future of our beautiful nation. Now, would you mind showing me your latest work?” David took a moment to turn to Erin who had a prideful grin on her face.
“Thank you, your highness. Allow me to lead the way.” Jonathan started walking towards the back where there were two large metal doors which he swung open. Another researcher who looked young quickly ran over to hold one of the doors while Jonathan held onto the other, allowing for David and Erin to pass inside. The entire room they entered was covered with metal to stop the mana from radiating outwards. All of the researchers were covered from head to toe in protective gear to stop themselves from getting poisoned with the notable exception of Jonathan. Although it went unspoken, David certainly noticed it.
He’s got an aptitude…
When he turned to his left, he saw a glass window into a room which held a lot of complex and extremely finicky equipment, all being handled by researchers covered in full gear. In fact, the gear they were wearing looked even more dense and cumbersome.
“We’ve cleaned out all the rooms of magore except for that one, so you and your advisor should be completely fine. If you wish, I could provide some protective gear.” Jonathan gestured towards the back of the room where a set of protection clothes were laid out for them, looking as though they had been meticulously cleaned. It wouldn’t surprise David if they were new and created just for this visit.
“No thank you, head researcher. Now, would you mind telling us the most recent updates in your work? You did call me here for that, after all.” David took a step closer to the window as he spoke to inspect all of the movement inside. Some of the researchers clearly noticed his presence but attempted to act as though nothing was amiss.
“Of course. The project to make refined magore more stable has been steadily progressing since you last visited. The empire’s current process is very helpful in making magore stable enough for usage in tools and weapons, but the radiation is a considerable danger that we’ve not yet been able to get rid of. However, our most recent attempts have created a form of refined magore that is 3 times more stable than what we are using currently. Once we get it down to at least 5 or 6 times more stable, we think we could start to use them in civilian appliances.” Jonathan gave a prideful monologue of all of the potential usages that the higher refinement magore could have, but David only half listened. He remembered hearing these exact same points when he had last visited 6 months ago when they hadn’t made any progress. He only snapped back to full reality when Erin jabbed him lightly in the stomach.
“We’re currently looking to try them out in the engines used for iron chariots to see if they hold more power for sustained periods, but we’re still only testing it. However, it is my current belief that we are on a steady path towards a revolution in magore tech with these advancements. That is, of course, as long as you continue to provide us with the necessary funds.”
There it is. I knew those words were coming. Lin truly does make the world go around.
David turned away from the window and towards Jonathan with a noble smile. “Of course I will. If you could, do you have a sample of this more stable magore that you could show me? I’d love to see the fruits of your labor rather than have you simply tell me about it.”
It was a soft threat. David was going to provide the funding, but he wanted proof that the advancements the researchers had so proudly claimed were factual instead of all being theoretical talk. Even if he didn’t show it, Jonathan very clearly understood the meaning behind the Emperor’s words and turned to an assistant who bolted inside of the room. After a few minutes of patience, the researcher walked out with a small brick refined magore carefully wrapped in a metal sheet.
“Here it is, your highness. Stabilized magore.” Jonathan slowly unwrapped the piece, holding it upwards to show it. Erin backed away from it, her skin turning a slight bit more pale. David took a step closer to the researcher to study it before suddenly placing forth his hand.
“May I see it?”
The head researcher stared at the emperor with a deep sense of worry. Refusing a request from the man could be punished. Jonathan nodded before slightly wrapping the magore as to create a grip and then extending it out to him.
“Emperor, would you like some gloves?” He tepidly asked.
David shook his head in response, giving another beaming smile. “It’s quite alright.” The Emperor reached out his hand and grabbed directly onto the magore, pulling it out of its metal sheet. Almost immediately, Jonathan began to panic.
“Sir, I would highly recommend against that! It might be more stable but it still… gives off… radiation?” His words began to slow as he watched the emperor study the object while holding it in his bare hands. He looked completely unphased, even bringing the piece closer to his face to better inspect it.
“It’s a tad paler than the normal refined magore, no? Does it get more white the more stabilized it is?” He asked the befuddled researcher. Jonathan had to take several seconds for his brain to comprehend the Emperor’s words.
“Uh- yes it does from what we can tell. Your highness, are you ok?”
David casually extended the magore brick out towards the head researcher. “Of course I am. You may have this back.”
The brick was quickly snatched out of his hands and back into the metal paper, the head researcher still shocked by the sudden development. David took a moment to turn to Erin, who looked slightly uneasy. She mouthed the words ‘showoff’ under her breath, to which he responded with a shrug.
“That is all of our progress in that area. Do you have any other questions, your highness?” Jonathan tried to regain some balance after the chaos that David had just caused. This was an opening that David had actually been waiting for.
“I actually do. I was wondering about your progress with the cuffs.”
Upon hearing those words, Jonathan’s prideful demeanor quickly shifted to one of shame. The cuffs had been a point of contention for a while.
As expected…
“We’ve made marginal progress, but we’re still nowhere near cracking the process. Grayson’s formula and methods were so ahead of their time that it could take another year of advancements in technology before we can even begin to start decoding them. We’re getting closer to cracking how the keys were made and produced, but the actual cuffs could take much longer.”
The cuffs were one of the many inventions of Elm Grayson that he’d left as complete mysteries. It still baffled David that a man he’d met and thought so fondly of could cause so much suffering and trouble for the empire. If there was one part of the past he wished he could change, it would be to improve his relationship with the man so he could better keep him under his thumb.
“I want you to continue to update me on the progress you make on the magore and cuffs. If that’s all, I think it’d be best to take my leave.”
My advisor looks like she’s on the verge of throwing up.
Resistance to mana radiation was one of Erin’s few pitfalls as an advisor. Even acknowledging the fact that she had no attunement, being in the presence of magore of any type could easily leave her feeling sick for days. The stabilized magore didn’t appear to hurt her as much, which was a good sign.
“Of course your highness. I’d be glad to see you on your way.”
After walking through the building and towards the exit, David couldn’t help but sigh as he took his seat in the carriage.
One trip down. Now, let’s meet this ambassador.
***
The two men sat across from each other at a small table. The restaurant they were at was empty except for the two of them and their respective guard.
“I’m so glad you gave me the opportunity to visit your beautiful nation. You truly do embody all of the things I was told about you before I came here.” the ambassador said. He shifted slightly in his seat, uncomfortable with the relative silence of the room. The Mylian ambassador was a portly man, with a body that looked reminiscent of a barrel. His steel colored hair and mixed complexion suggested a storied family history, likely with an ancestor originating from Irebor. Dressed in clothes that would cost a decade of salary for a lower class Arlinian, he was the perfect embodiment of an over-indulgent noble.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
David finished his sip of tea and placed down the cup. His mantle had been removed, taking a literal weight off of his shoulders.
“The pleasure is all mine, Ambassador Simmons. I chose this restaurant specifically because I believe it shows the best of what Arlinian cuisine has to offer.” He lied. Erin had chosen this restaurant, and he’d just said yes to it.
“The tea is certainly nice. I don’t believe this tea is from any of central Arlin, if my memory serves me correctly.” The ambassador peaked his eyebrows, goading the emperor. David simply responded with a smile.
Why can't you be one of the faster talkers…
“You are correct. This specific leaf is from Asarn, although we have been growing it in Arlin. It’s become a favorite of mine ever since I was introduced to it.”
“I see.” Simmons took another sip from his own tea, taking a moment to survey the restaurant. On a normal day, it would be fairly well populated, but it had been rented for this meeting specifically. Outside, a few people who passed by took a moment to peer inside, but were quickly shuffled away by the Emperor’s guard.
“I do hope the long journey here was uneventful. I pray our port in Pluma acted as a strong welcome.” The Emperor was about to continue until he spotted the food.
And now, the true discussion begins.
On one hand, the reason the emperor hadn’t discussed any actual politics yet was because he believed that the food would act as a good opener for discussions of trade. On the other hand, he really wanted to eat before having to do any grand critical thinking.
“Our food has arrived. I ordered some fragen meat of the finest cuts. This is a breed specifically made in Arlin and should be as good as you can get.”
Both men began cutting into the steak, which had been carefully seasoned. Each steak had a small cut taken out of it which had been tested for poison. As they began to eat, Simmons spoke up.
“It’s actually my first time in Arlin acting as an ambassador. I appreciate the amount of hospitality you’re showing me.” He said, taking another bite out of the steak. He spent a moment enjoying the flavor. Just from his facial expressions, David could tell this was probably the best fragen he’d ever eaten.
Leave it to Erin to find the best damn restaurant for a newcomer.
“I see. You must be new to this ambassador business as a whole. I believe the last time I talked with Mylia, they sent a different man? He looked quite similar to you.”
The ambassador paused for a moment, his fork stuck in between the plate and his mouth.
“Ah yes, the previous ambassador was actually my uncle. I took over the role rather recently after the man died. I hope I’m not disappointing?”
No, you are not disappointing. Just amusing.
David laughed a bit, taking another bite of the steak before placing down his utensil. “You’re doing a fine job. If you wouldn’t mind, I think it’s best we get to business. I find talking over food helpful, if you’d indulge me.”
“Thank you, your highness. I believed I mentioned in my letters that I was hoping to further open up trade between our two nations, specifically the territories of Pluma. I’ve listed out some of the details in a report which your advisor should have.”
That, Erin did tell me. According to her, it was ‘cute’.
“We have. Is that all?”
The entire room went silent. The ambassador sat there, thinking up his next words carefully in his head. It was becoming more and more apparent as they continued to talk about how new to this he was.
“We’ve also got some proposals for trade in technology.” Simmons spoke in a quiet voice. He wanted as few people in the room to hear that as possible. “But I’d prefer that be discussed at a later date once we have codified our trade. Of course, if you’d allow for that.”
“I see. So all you came here to do was to discuss trade and potentially take some of our weapon designs?” David took his fork and pointed it directly at Simmons.
“What?”
“It was a simple question. Is this really all that you came here for? To ask for me to make arbitrary trade deals?”
“I believe that was what I had listed out in my letter. I’m sorry your highness, but why are you asking me this?” the ambassador inquired, having forgotten about his food.
David took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair. He needed to take matters into his own hands if he wanted to get his message across.
“Everyone except for my advisor, out.”
Ambassador Simmons nearly fell out of his chair, surprised at the sudden order.
“Emperor, what is the meaning of this?”
David simply arched his back and stretched. “Exactly what I said. I want everyone out, including your personal guard. I don’t plan on killing you. I just want some privacy.”
The ambassador gulped before turning to his guard stationed throughout the room and nodded.
“You heard the man. Out. And don’t you dare try and breach our privacy.”
The guard quickly exited the room side by side with the Emperor’s retinue until there were only 3 people left in the entire building. Even the kitchen staff were removed. As the silence began to settle in, Erin walked over to David and leaned to whisper in his ear.
“David, what are you doing?”
“Teaching him a lesson. It’ll be fine.”
Erin backed away to hang behind David. The ambassador seemed to squirm in his seat, confused by the sudden shift in tone and environment. Despite the tense atmosphere, David decided it was best to take a few more bites of the steak.
“Emperor, would you please tell me what this is about?”
“I wanted to talk with some privacy. Is that alright with you?”
The ambassador sat silently. David took that as his cue to continue.
“Simmons, do you know what I hate the most?”
“Uh… no your majesty.”
“I hate suckups. I truly despise them. They’re the absolute worst type of human being. They are people who believe that the only way to move forward in life is to kiss the ass of the most important person in the room, and they’ll do anything to hold themselves in the best graces possible of that person. They’ll lie and cheat as long as they get to keep their unearned power.”
Ambassador Simmons searched David's face for some kind of clue or information to work on or explain the current situation, but he was still utterly lost.
“I’m sorry, but why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want to tell you the truth, something which you clearly are not doing.” David took another sip of tea to rejuvenate his voice. “You don’t send an ambassador all the way to Arlin’s capital just to work out trade deals or exchange technology. You send a letter, or a low level noble as a messenger. Not a royal ambassador. No, you send an ambassador because you want what every other nation who tries to deal with us wants- survival.”
Simmons had his hands attached to the table, but David could now audibly hear the man tapping his foot.
“I just want you to tell me the truth and stop trying to suck up to me. What does Mylia really want from this visit?”
The man took another gulp before speaking again. “It’s exactly as you say. The king desires some form of assurance that our nation will not be annexed.”
There it is.
“See how easy that was? Now, I know what you want and we can have an actual discussion.”
The man took a deep breath. There were clear beads of sweat covering his entire forehead.
“And what is your response to that statement?”
Look, he’s even getting directly to the point. He’s learning quickly.
“For the moment, I can say that Mylia is safe. We will not invade or attempt to seize any territory and are willing to open up further trade delegations and possible exchanges of technology, which I presume is in the area of weaponry.” David leaned further back in his chair. He turned to see Erin looking concerned at the situation that was unfolding in front of her.
“What do you mean, for the moment?”
David wanted to laugh.
“Do you need me to reiterate everything I say or am I going to have to repeat myself every time I make a statement?” David remarked. The ambassador quickly silenced himself.
“We’re currently having a war in Hornel. It’s going at a fine pace, and we should probably lay full claim to the territory within a year. The members of the court and the governors all seem pretty confident that the next territory to annex would be Mylia.”
“Wha- Why would you tell me this?” Ambassador Simmons was still lost in the entire situation. His version of politics which he had been trained in was incompatible with the situation in front of him.
“Because I want to be honest with you. If I were to guess, I’d say that it’d happen in less than two years. We’re already getting troops positioned in Boralis who could invade, and our naval power in Pluma has been steadily growing. At our current rate, an invasion on Mylia might be reminiscent to that of Corith.”
Ambassador Simmons winced at the reference to Corith. Out of all the things that the Emperor had said to him, that one was probably the most direct insult.
“If Mylia does want to survive on its own and avoid annexation, there’s a few paths that your king can take. However, sucking up to me through trade deals is not one of those paths. I’m not so simple as to be appeased by confirmation that I can rely on you for goods or acquire new technology. If I did that, you’d continue to tell me over and over again how necessary Mylia is to my Empire’s survival, even when you know it’s a lie. I’d rather burn your nation to the ground than have it try to wrestle any and all power it can from Arlin by lulling me into some fantasy. I know what you want, and you know it too. So why are we lying about it?”
The room felt as though it was shrinking for the ambassador, getting smaller and smaller as the Emperor closed in on him.
“Can you keep a secret for me?” David spoke in an almost playful tone. The ambassador nodded.
“There's a half of my court which, if I was given the opportunity, I would kill on the spot. The people of that half are all sycophants. They’re disgusting pieces of shit who try and squeeze every single last bit of power out of me as they can. A bunch of parasites hoping to treat me exactly like my predecessor and feed me as much strig-crap as they can. They don’t love Arlin. They love themselves and the power that Arlin so graciously gave them in the past. Only reason I can’t get rid of them is because I’d get removed as a despot. I do not need any more people in my life who are like them.”
David gazed directly into the ambassador’s eyes. It felt as though he was staring into his soul.
“I want to work with people who love their nation in the same way that I love Arlin and its people. And from what I see right now, I think you love Mylia. So you have no reason to lie to my face. Because if I wanted to, I could invade Mylia at this very moment. It would barely affect Hornel. You don’t just come here and attempt to set the terms of an agreement that would do nothing for me other than create another piece of shit dependent on my benevolence. No, that’s not how this works. When you come to me, I set the terms. Do you understand? Now, I want you to tell me again, truthfully this time- What does Mylia want from Arlin?”
Ambassador Simmons had once heard the Emperor of Arlin compared to the sun. At the time, he had assumed this meant he was a radiant young man who shone brightly. In a way, this was still true. However, as the Emperor stared him in the face, Simmons realized that the comparison had another meaning.
David Arlin was a man willing to burn down anything that stood in his path with the fury of a celestial body.
“Mylia wants to live.” he said, his voice shaking.
David grinned. “And now, we can actually discuss foreign policy. Thank you, Simon.”
“Simmons.”
Fuck!
***
The door to his office took a wide swing open as David walked inside. He walked slowly, shifting the mantle around on his shoulders. His back was aching from being forced to sit on the throne. Erin, who was already in the room, smiled upon seeing his tired face.
“So, more discussion about territory?” Erin asked, straightening the large pile of papers she held in her hands.
“No, neither of them discussed territory.”
Recognizing that look on his face, the only thing Erin could do was sigh. “Marriage proposals.”
“Yup. Both of them.” David quickly plopped himself down on his chair and leaned back. It was another ingenious craft passed down from emperor to emperor, and was about as comfortable as his bed. He had fallen asleep in the chair more times than he could count and, if given the chance, would replace the throne with it in an instant.
“You will eventually need to actually find a suitor. If you wait too long, I’m going to end up picking one for you, you know.”
“And you’d probably do a damn fine job with it. It’d make my life easier, anyhow.” David met eyes with Erin. It was comfortable, being able to be in a room alone with her.
Erin scoffed. “What, are you planning to try and marry me instead?"
David simply shrugged in response, which caught Erin off guard. He didn’t get to see her blush too often and made sure he enjoyed every opportunity he got.
“You’re the only person in the empire who talks to me like a person. If I had the choice to marry a non-noble, I’d do so.” He spoke candidly while happily watching Erin blush and panic to think of a good response. This wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned this, but it was possibly the most blunt.
“You dick. You could actually try to be more approachable if you wanted to find a good suitor.”
“Both you and I know very well that they wouldn’t treat me any different. I can’t look weak. Not if I want to stay in power. If I married one of the current families in the court, they’d just use that poor girl to spy on me.” David wasn’t speaking from theory. It’d happened in the past when he was young. The fiance he’d been given soon after he came to the throne wasn’t even a bad person, but simply working off the orders of her family. He wished he could have punished that family, but the lack of concrete evidence at the time tied his hands. The girl got a slap on the wrist and was sent back to her family carrying a warning that if they ever tried something like that again, he’d come back at them whether he had proof or not.
“At this point, it sounds more like you’re just using it as an excuse. Plus, I don’t know if I could do my job if I ended up as your wife. I think there might be an issue if your betrothed ends up doing all of the paperwork, especially if you plan on continuing the bloodline.”
The only response David could give to that was a sigh. “Just give me the weekly reports so we can finish up for the day. After that, I promise I won’t tease you any further.”
After rounding the table to stand beside him, she placed down a few sheets in front of him, all of which were covered in wide blocks of text with bold titles listing out each of their specific topics.
“This is all of the current rebel activity we have gotten confirmed by our forces. Two of these happened in Irebor.”
As per usual. Irebor does love its rebellions.
“Anything unusual about them?”
Erin shrugged in response, pushing away the papers to the side. “The other main report we have is that the Uril governor is requesting more troops. He has also stated in the letter that his wife forgives you.”
“Did he say that he forgives me?”
“No.”
Yikes.
“That’s a problem I can deal with later. Get me the numbers tomorrow so I can judge the amount with our generals.”
Erin shuffled through the papers in her hands for a few more seconds and paused. The room was left in an eerie silence.
“In Boralis, a magore mining camp was completely destroyed.”
“What?”
“There was a camp which was discovered to have been completely destroyed. The entire guard was killed, the mine was found collapsed, all of the supplies were stolen and the slaves are nowhere to be found. It is believed to be the result of a revolt done by the slaves.” Erin forced herself to maintain as neutral a tone as possible. “We’ve received several reports from First Lieutenant Keagan and his investigative squad. They originally went there after the camp stopped sending transmissions over the soundline.”
“This is bad. How do we just lose a mining operation?” David took a moment to rub his temples. The day had just taken a massive shift. “Do we have any idea who was located at the camp?”
Erin nodded and placed out a sheet of paper in front of him which contained a long list of names. All of them were tied with a specific location of origin as well as the date they were taken into the camp.
“We have the confirmed number of slaves in the area. What Keagan has noted is that they are most likely being led by Major Elm Grayson, although he has multiple theories on their specific intentions.”
Time seemed to pause. A name that he had not wanted to hear passed off of Erin’s lips. David had made the decision to send Grayson to the camp in Boralis and hopefully coax him to work with the Empire again. He believed that he simply needed a bit of time and some unique incentive to get working on the cuffs. Knowing that the man was free and wandering the empire was an enormous headache. David spent a few seconds configuring the map of the empire in his head to think about the scale.
“They’d be heading to Mylia, right? That’s the closest port.” he asked. Erin shuffled through the papers a bit before stopping.
“Yes, that is what First Lieutenant Keagan suggested. However, he also noted that the way that they packed up materials and the specifics of the event might suggest that the slaves might plan to act as a rebel force within Boralis. Until we see another event, we cannot know for sure. Would you like me to contact the ambassador?”
“Please do. At least we have Keagan doing the investigative work, if there’s any upside.”
He might be hated by the military and all of the nobility, but he’s damn good at his job. Give him a good case and he’ll chase it to the ends of the continent.
“Should I inform the court about this and hold a meeting?” Erin moved again to his side to take a look at the document she had placed down for him.
“No, we keep this under the table for now and see if we can deal with it. If it starts to get out of hand, I’ll call upon the court. Give the lieutenant anything he asks for in the investigation. I also want as frequent updates as possible on this.”
“Of course. I’ll get all of that ready. I’m assuming you want me to clear tomorrow for you?”
David slumped backwards in the chair. He was extremely grateful he wasn’t hearing this on the throne.
“Please. Is that all for today?”
Erin nodded.
I can’t let this get out of hand. It could ruin everything.
***
Lying in bed, David stared at the ceiling as he was forced to ponder the implications of the slave revolt. The entire day had been chaotic. The progression of magore, breaking in an ambassador, and this. He was all the more glad how comfortable the bed was.
The mining camps were a sin of the empire that he didn’t relish. It was what he believed to be the Empire’s worst transgression necessary for growth. He didn’t want to sacrifice Arlin’s citizens, so he put instead the innocents of the many nations he conquered into the mines. Until he could find a better way to mine the substance that wasn’t so hazardous, they would exist. He understood Grayson’s snap in that way. He had assumed the man had the mental fortitude to understand the necessity of the Empire’s actions, but he was wrong. His mind was geared towards science and warfare which ended up being incompatible with the politics of the camps. That was a failure on his and the empire’s part, and David would pay for it in the years to come.
David slept fairly quickly due to how tiring the day had been. He rarely ever dreamt in his sleep, but when he did, he always remembered them. They were always extremely vivid. Many of the dreams he remembered were haunted by the presence of the third emperor.
David found himself floating in a liminal space. It felt as though he were suspended in a body of water. He turned in front of him and found a familiar setting. The same room where the third was executed. And most worrying of all, he could see himself.
All around David stood shadows of people, vague outlines of identities. Whenever he tried to focus on them, their qualities only became more unclear. There were only two people in front of him who he could really identify, and one of them was himself. They looked disheveled and out of place, the clothes he wore tattered and lacking their imperial seals. His body had been battered, yet the David in front of him was still smiling. It was an accurate representation of what he would do himself in this situation. Even in pain, even when torn down and injured, he couldn’t drop the mask. The Emperor in front of him was next to another man who held a burner in his hands.
Ah. That’s what this is.
His own execution. And what David believed to be his inevitable death. He was doing everything for the Empire, for the people he loved. Part of that meant control over the entire continent, where he could finally make everything as great as possible for his people. According to his estimates, by which he meant Erin’s estimates, he would likely conquer the entire continent within 20 years. That was how long he needed to live to fulfill his dream of making a perfect world for his people. However, his work put him against many others, some of which resided in his own court. His idealism and push against corruption would lead to them wishing for his removal from power. David was sure that if he could see the faces of the people watching this execution, he would see a wide array of prideful smiles.
His downfall would not come from natural causes, but from the many detestable sycophants that surrounded him. The role of emperor was almost paradoxical in that way. The most pertinent enemies in his life were often only an arm’s length away from him, yet he couldn’t get rid of them. His ambition was odious to them, something which they belligerently tolerated. Of course, he planned to slowly chip away at them. Take them down one after another until the court no longer worked for themselves, but for him. The status quo was a poison that rotted the mind, and indulging in it would be like drinking from the same cup the third emperor did in his final moments. The only changes the court wanted to make to the status quo were ones that would benefit them specifically.
There was one time when a member of the court admitted that directly to his face, and fitting for the current dream, it was before their execution. He’d called for their death after a lengthy investigation into their crimes by Lieutenant Keagan. The day of, he decided to visit their cell. As they sat in a room together, one man heavily restrained and the other about to die, they talked. It was a short conversation, but David found it rather enlightening. Near the end, the noble told David that his actions would inevitably lead to the downfall of Arlin, that trying to burn away the infliction of corruption would only destroy the nation he claimed to love. David laughed in the man’s face. In fact, he struggled not to laugh while the man had his own head carefully removed by an executioner’s blade. Nobles like him could never understand his conviction. All they saw was a child pretending to be the first emperor. In actuality, David hated that idea. He could admire the first’s ambition and recognize his accomplishments, but the first emperor had resigned himself rather than continue to move forward. Ceding power to one of the people who helped his rebellion was not an act of humility, but an act of weakness. As the nation he built grew, he could no longer handle its weight, so he gave it to another man.
David believed only he had the willpower and fortitude to do what his grandfather could not. He would be willing to bear the weight of not only the Empire, but the entirety of Sol if possible. He would destroy the corruption that shackled the Empire and allow it to move into a future where he could make the world a better place. David would do anything to make that dream a reality.
Yet, at the end of it all, his story would most likely end up right here. A burner pointed at his head, standing in front of a crowd of people with a smile on his face. He felt no rage or frustration at it. He just felt disappointed that his tale would end on such a dour note. The only thing he could do was to hope this inevitability would come after he had achieved his dream, and that the people who followed him would improve on what he created. If he could achieve that, then his death would have far more meaning than that of the third. He didn’t care if he was remembered. He only cared whether his dreams would live on.
As the executioner placed his other hand on the burner and began to pull back on the rod, his features came into focus for David.
More accurately, one feature in particular.
The executioner was wearing a slave cuff on their ankle.