David found the execution of a noble rather odd whenever he decided to truly think about the occasion. For one, himself and all the other nobles had to dress in their best attire possible. This was because an execution was treated with the same decorum as a funeral. One was supposed to be respectful of the dead, even though this event was for a person who was not yet deceased. David was very aware of the fact that Orven was basically a walking corpse, but he especially found the idea of giving him respect inane.
It was another layer of tradition that stifled progress, but at least this one didn’t cause him as much back pain.
The mantle he wore today was one of the most important ones. A long red cloak which covered down to his ankles. As it was winter attire, it had a fur trim to help keep him warm. Upon his back was the insignia of the empire, colored in red, black and brown. The colors of blood and earth- The two things Arlin had been founded upon.. Beneath he was wearing a white buttoned shirt with gold highlights on each button, and black trousers. On top of his head rested the crown, a piece rarely ever seen outside of the royal court. It was a simple golden circlet, lacking any adornments other than the royal seal placed at the front. To onlookers, it seemed as though a soft light like that of a distant candle permeated around his body at all times whenever he put on the full royal attire.
Next to him stood Erin, wearing a long dark red dress, the hem flowing down all the way to her ankles. On her back was the royal insignia, a symbol designating her as one of the emperor’s personal staff. Her bare arms shivered with every gust of winter air that passed them by. David knew that she hated this dress more than any other piece in her wardrobe, but as long as the two of them wanted to get rid of corruption, she was going to be forced to suffer in this attire.
The two of them stood side by side, staring at the stairs that led up to the royal court and the room of Orven’s execution. The sunless sky, covered in dark clouds felt fitting for the occasion.
“How bad do you think the retaliation is going to be?” Erin leaned forward to look at his stoic facade. In truth, he felt a range of emotions, the most prominent of which being rage.
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll beat them at every step.” He took a deep breath, and made his way up the stairs flanked by his retinue of guards.
“You still plan on seeing him?” She asked him, making sure to emphasize each and every word. David understood her trepidation. Orven was, even now, a dangerous man. His death was getting rid of a problem, but that would likely lead to another cascade of issues.
David nodded, still holding his mask of resolve. “I need to. I have a feeling the finality of the situation might give me a chance to learn something. I highly doubt their plans start and end with Roland.”
“Fine. Bring me with you.”
He’d heard this request a few times by now, albeit with different people. He’d turned her down, but this time felt different.
“Are you sure? He’s not the prettiest sight currently.” He briefly grimaced thinking about how disheveled the man looked after spending two days without sleep. The mind that he had cherished was dulled and easily molded. Orven would have confessed to those crimes whether they were true or not, just as long as they could allow him to sleep.
“Yes. I won’t allow you to screw this one up.” She patted him on the back, right on top of the royal seal.
David and his advisor finally reached the doors of the court and took a collective breath. They felt the cold winter air sting their lungs before entering the den of their closest enemies.
***
On a map of the capital, the court existed directly east of the royal palace where the Emperor lived and did most of his work. Its opulence was of similar scale to that of the palace, and it had grown more so over time. David saw the beauty of the palace as a necessary, albeit overemphasized, element to its function. The Empire needed to portray strength, skill, and sophistication, and the palace exuded that to any foreign visitor. On the other hand, the royal court’s opulence existed for purely selfish reasons.
No foreign dignitary or normal citizen would ever enter the court. Any policy proposed by them would go either directly to David, one of the governors, or the court to be decided upon. It existed purely for the nobles and policy makers of the Empire, and no one else. Thus, having the opulence of a location such as the palace was not necessary to its function.
A location made specifically for nobles would be expected to be pretty, but the court itself had thrown out the idea of pragmatism and gone with sheer and utter decadence. Gold was regularly used to highlight the marble walls, and the pillars that held up its high ceiling in the entrance were delicately engraved with what must have been years of craftwork for each individual pillar. Paintings and sculptures lined the walls, depicting members of the court alive and dead and several important moments in Arlinian history.
The building’s design was split up into four parts- The entrance, the northern rotunda, and two wings to the east and west. The entrance had almost as high of a ceiling as that of the throne room, and showed off much of the empire’s wealth in grand displays. Before normal court sessions, members would often converse with each other in the grand hall as they waited for all the necessary parties to arrive.
The wings each had a different purpose. The western one was made up of a wide selection of various meeting rooms where court members could discuss policy or make agreements in an enclosed location without the prying eyes of the entire court. Minor deals or compromises that were made between different lords or nobles happened there. David rarely entered that side, as very few of them saw it fit to invite the emperor to such a private setting rather than force him to deal with the entirety of the court.
The east was a massive lounge, made for court members to relax and interact casually. Chefs, servants, and any role necessary to please the nobles was filled and ready. After a session, most of the court would go there to relax, eat, drink, and converse with the others in a setting that removed much of the tension.
The rotunda was the actual court and was where sessions took place. Once entered, one would find themselves encircled by rows upon rows of seats on all sides surrounding the center stage. The ceiling was a mix of glass and murals depicting the final battle of the first campaign. At the end of it, across from the entrance way, sat the emperor. It had a small empty area around it where a few personal guards and any advisor would stand. The emperor was the sole person allowed to have personal guard inside of the court, with all of the other guards being hired and specifically managed under Vyris jurisdiction. Outside of the personal retinue for the Emperor, being a guard in the royal court was one of the most vetted positions in the Empire. David had to make sure that these guards were almost as incorruptible as his own, for fear that the court members may abuse them as leverage against another in the making of a decision.
All of these areas were heavily adorned with presentations of wealth, often donated by members of the court. The eastern wing held a trove of rare and expensive items that were displayed throughout to build the atmosphere. The only object he actually appreciated there was the oldest written form of poetry to be preserved to the modern day, written in the predecessor language for Morathin. He wished to one day take it and place it in a modern gallery for the people of Arlin to see, but the avarice of the court prevented such charity.
However, there existed one hidden location in the royal court. Through a passageway in the east wing, one could enter an area beneath the central rotunda. It was the only part of the building that lacked the same overwhelming opulence as the rest, for the nobles had little reason to do such a thing there. Rather, very few of them were even able to spend much time there. Without the permission of an emperor, no one was able to freely enter it. Those who guarded and maintained it were specifically chosen by Erin herself, and were some of the most well trained individuals in the entire empire.
Inside lay two features. The first, and most prominent, was the library of every single recorded session in the court. The scribes were rather scrupulous and made sure not a single detail was missed. If any of this information got out, it could hold heavy sway over events in the nation. Not only were regular policy decisions made in the court, but decisions about relevant wars.
The second, and the one that David was currently heading to, was a holding chamber for those who were about to be executed by the hands of the court.
***
David and his advisor stood side by side in front of a heavy iron door, followed closely by only a small handful of guards. Inside, he could hear Orven softly humming to himself. Whatever tune he was humming, he was terribly off key. After the door was unlocked, they stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
The room was made of stone cobble bricks, cracked and degraded by age. It was about the size of David’s bathroom. On the far end leaning up against the wall was Orven, dressed in his finest attire. He looked gaunt and completely ungroomed, his eyes sunken far back in his skull. His proud gut which once jutted outwards had shrunken from starvation. He truly looked like the last dying embers of what used to be a proud man.
“Come to mock me in my final hours, young emperor?” His dry voice echoed in the small chamber.
“Quite the contrary, Minister Orven. I’ve come here to help you complete some of your unfinished business.” David replied, forcing himself to maintain eye contact with the disheveled man.
Orven clicked his tongue in rebuttal, sending a small shiver down Erin’s spine.
“You’re desperate.”
If it weren’t for the fact the man was about to die, David would have punched him in the jaw.
“Young emperor, I see the path you are headed on. It is not one I relish for the empire.” He shifted his eyes over to Erin. “Although I doubt that you haven’t considered many of the issues I imagine arising from such a thing. Your advisor is quite good at her job, after all.”
“Don’t bring her into this. This is about you and me.”
Orven, rather infuriatingly, clicked his dry tongue once again. “Oh, we all know that’s not true. I’d say that this beautiful lady is very much part of the picture.”
In the way that you and your cohorts would love to kill her?
“Let’s not dance around the most important subject, no? You want information on anyone I might have been working with in relation to the death of Minister Roland, correct?” He said, crossing his arms. “I don’t have anyone to tell you about. After all, I admitted to these crimes under duress. Speaking of, I never understood why criminals were so loose lipped after spending time in that room until I experienced it myself. Lack of sleep does things to the mind that I wouldn’t dare wish upon others. You, on the other hand, seem willing to throw that punishment around without a care.”
Orven was, even in the worst situation possible, smug. It was an attitude that infuriated David to no end. As he prepared to make a more aggressive rebuttal, he felt Erin grab his hand. When he looked at her face, he could tell that she was worried. She turned back to Orven and cleared her throat.
“Our research into you proved that you were the only one with enough connections to potentially pull off a hit on Roland with as many degrees of separation that it required, and your faction would align with the motivations for such an action. Our claims are not baseless as you suggest. However, I believe I speak for Emperor Arlin when I say that we don’t want to incriminate innocents. Your actions here could either be the start of a better future for the rest of the court, or the beginning of easily preventable violence. For all of your crimes, you have the chance to do something good.”
Orven paused for a moment. The two thought he might be considering his options. Finally, he began to laugh. On and on, he laughed in their faces. Even though it looked like it hurt just from the simple action, he kept laughing anyway. When he finally stopped, he tried wiping non-existent tears from his eyes.
“You two are adorable. Still holding onto the stories of valor and progress you were told as children, never once thinking that the reason things are the way they are is because of efficiency and not out of willful stagnation. You run and fight against honored tradition like it is a poison in our veins, rather than something which holds the constitution of this empire together.”
“The policies set up during the third’s reign are setting us up for economic and political disaster. I’m trying to avert that.” He stepped forward to impose over the shriveled man. Despite this, it seemed to do nothing to Orven’s confidence.
“You act like we’re not aware of this? Young emperor, Arlin will survive through any hardship that buffoon’s actions might bring upon us. You do remember that I was one of the original supporters of your rise to the throne, correct?”
He nodded and felt the crown move slightly on his head. “I do. Which is why I think you should share any information that might be pertinent to the Empire’s survival.”
Orven sighed, his hand reaching to his pocket. David was about to raise his fists until he realized all he was pulling out was a timekeeper.
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How the hell did he get his hands on that here?
“My, how time flies. Shouldn’t be long before the event, it seems.”
“All the more reason to start talking.” By now, it felt like he was yelling at a wall to do the same thing.
Orven put away the timekeeper and gave the pair a disturbing grin. “Fine. I’ll humor you.”
“You’ll tell us who you worked with?” Erin asked, pulling out her notebook.
“No.” He stated matter of factly. “I’m giving you something better. Consider it advice from a dying man, or perhaps a warning of sorts.”
Orven moved away from the wall and walked forwards towards the two of them, standing directly in front of the emperor with his hands directly behind his back.
“I’d suggest you both be very careful from here on out. Miss Erin, I trust you already understand the dangers you place yourself in. Straying too far from your liege will put you at quite a risk. And to you, young Arlin.” His eyes narrowed, and the atmosphere in the room shifted. “The crown provides many protections, some of which you have grown very accustomed to. Take this as a warning when I say that you are far from untouchable. There are some dangers that not even the blood of the first can save you from, now more than ever.”
There was a deep chill to these words, and David felt for the first time in their entire conversation that Orven was speaking in complete truth.
“That is all. I do hope you will give me the honors of a good execution. I promise that my final words will be brief, and that I won’t deviate from the script. I’d hate to damage your reputation than you already have done so yourself. Please, take care.” He straightened himself out and patted down his body, trying to remove any stains or such that would damage his image. Even on the chopping block, he believed in being presentable.
“I’ll take those words to heart.” David said as he opened the metal door and started to walk out with Erin.
“I pray you do, David.”
***
The court was separated in a few different ways, most notably by factions. Closest to David’s seat was the Imperialos Faction, which were supporters of him and his decisions almost unanimously. They were his closest allies in the court and were those he tended to rely on the most when it came to court politics. Most of them were younger members who followed his progressive policy measures, although rarely to the same degree. On the far end sat the Eternos faction, the most radical group who emphasized putting more power into the courts and removing swathes of power from the emperor, along with giving more independence to local governments. There were even a few odd nobles in the faction which supported a system where the governors of different territories would be voted into power by the overall populace, rather than decided upon by the court and emperor. They were obviously laughed off as fools, but the Eternos faction humored them in exchange for their votes.
The rest of the court had a variety of major focuses in policy. The Lagios faction to his left pushed for more power to be allocated to the governors, but maintained that the current power structure in Arlin was fine. Their views were moderately progressive and were mostly on the side of David when it came to martial acts. Farther on the left side sat the Cordaos faction, which was also in support over more gubernatorial power, but were relatively moderate and focused more on economic policy than any sort of social reform. David had been able to wrangle them in the past, but they could easily end up siding with the more conservative factions if they saw an opportunity.
The factions on the right tended to be the most antagonistic. The Morathos faction to his right was, as the name suggested, mostly made up of Morathinian nobles and had policies based around that nation. They supported power being centered around the court and the emperor, but were advocating for policy that either took inspiration from old Morathin practices. Finally, there was the faction that Orven was tied to, and it was the largest faction in the court- The Arlios faction. They were conservatives who pushed against much of his progressive policy and preferred giving control to the court in much of their matters. Fiscally conservative felt like an understatement in many regards when it came to describing Arlios. The Eternos faction had, by this point, been made subservient to their whims whenever it came to pushing against the emperor. Out of all of the people in the court who he would love to get rid of, they were at the top of his list.
There existed some sub-factions in between these major groups, but these six factions held the majority of the power. In total, three hundred and forty eight ministers made up the court, with twenty eight of them being personal staff of David. The number had been diminished to three hundred and forty seven very recently, and it would temporarily drop down to three hundred and forty six this afternoon.
There was fervent discussion in the rotunda as the members of the court filed in and took their seats, with many of them giving small glances at the unwavering Emperor. No distinct emotion was on his face, and they were left only to guess what was going on inside his head.
Currently, David was stuck ruminating on Orven’s words and seething with frustration. Not only had he not gotten any info out of him, he’d been given an ominous warning that suggested there were others in his court who had malicious plans for him. A naive part of him hoped Orven was simply toying with him.
The murmur eventually died down to a whisper as everyone took their seats. The doors to the room closed, which were the sign that the meeting had finally begun. David stood up from his seat and cleared his throat for the speech Erin had prepared for him.
“Members of the court. Today I bring you news that is both good and bad. Not too long ago, we lost Minister Roland after a terrorist shot and killed him while upon the Iron Snake. I was there when he died, and on that day I swore to bring those who caused it to justice. As of today, I can proclaim that this resolve has come to fruition. After an extensive investigation, we found the culprit who called the hit on my friend’s life.” David took a pause for dramatic effect, as well as to take a breath. “Some of you may notice that there is currently a missing member of our court. That is because the individual who is responsible for the death of Transport Minister Roland is Orven Laurian.”
There was a collective murmur as the crowd reacted to the information. All of them had known that this was coming, but hearing it from the Emperor’s mouth held power.
“This action is not one that I relish. I am aware of Minister Orven’s importance to the Arlios faction, and I understand the effect this will have on his family. However, a crime such as this cannot go unpunished. An empire that allows for a criminal such as him to sit in the halls of its highest institution is one not deserving of respect. Today, we are here to see him face justice while giving him the chance to speak some final words to the members of the court. Please, open the doors.”
The two doors made of Corithian wood opened and Orven stepped inside. He held his head high and made sure to maintain composure with each and every step. On his sides were two men dressed in hooded black robes, one holding a basket and the other holding a chopping block. Behind him was the executioner, a man in red robes carrying a large sword at his hip. Under his hood, the executioner wore a mask which obscured his face. The executioner’s identity was hidden to protect him from retaliation by vengeful parties.
As he made his way to the center of the rotunda, Orven looked in every direction other than David.
Guess he’s done caring about me. This is his time to say goodbyes to the court, after all.
The chopping block was placed down in front of him along with the basket. Orven took another look around and cleared his throat before giving his final words.
“My fellow members of the court. I apologize for meeting you in such a sorry state, and that I must say goodbye. I do hope my passing will not put too much of a burden on others, especially my family.” He took a brief pause. David noticed something different in his voice in how much clearer it was, which suggested someone must have given him some water. “My actions are regrettable. Detestable, even. But in these tumultuous times, I would like to emphasize unity and stability over anything else.”
His eyes finally turned to David, and he could almost see a smile come across the decrepit man’s lips.
“I am sorry for your loss, and know how you must feel towards me. I hope that those feelings don't hurt your reign as Emperor in the future. May Arlin’s future be bright, and may all of us prosper.”
With those final words he leaned down and placed his head on the block, giving David a direct look at his balding head. David turned to the executioner who was awaiting his command and gave him a nod.
Now unsheathed, the executioner’s blade shone in the light of the sun as it was raised up high. There was little sound, as it seemed everyone was holding their breath.
The blade descended and landed directly onto Orven’s neck, slicing through it like butter. After only a second, the decapitated head of Orven Laurian toppled into the basket. One of the executioner’s assistants rushed to cover up the wound with a cloth to stop the bleeding, while another began to clean up the blood that had dripped onto the floor.
“May he rest in peace.” He said solemnly as more individuals came in to clean up the corpse and remove it from the stage.
May his torment be unending.
David was far from a spiritual man, yet this desire for the man’s afterlife to be eternal suffering lingered in his mind.
“That is all for today. Food will be served in the east wing if you wish to stay and mingle with your fellow court members. The next session will occur two weeks from now. Thank you for your time, and you are all dismissed.”
As the members of the court shuffled out of their seats, they continued to discuss the day’s events and other topics on their minds. Much of the melancholy dissipated along with Orven’s corpse, which was now in a casket and would be buried in the following days.
“You stuck to the script.” Erin said, leaning over to whisper to him.
“As did he, for the most part. I truly expected him to pull out one final slight.” He let out a small groan as he sat up from his seat, brushing off his mantle. “Now that he’s gone, I’m sure the others will begin to rear their heads.”
Erin looked deep into his eyes and, like usual, could tell something was wrong.
“You’re still thinking about what he said.” She sighed as she pulled out her notebook, upon which she had transcribed his words. “He was being vague. Probably just trying to scare you or something.”
David shook his head and once again felt the crown shift, causing him to correct it. “A man like Orven doesn’t do things like that. He’ll lie to my face but he’s also not one to mince words. I’d be a fool not to take his warning at face value.”
‘Some dangers that not even the blood of the first can protect me from’ can’t be a scare tactic. It’s too specific.
“Fine. We can ruminate on that later once we’ve headed back to the palace. Plus, I’ve got some good news about that slave revolt you’ve been losing sleep over.” She flipped over a few pages in her notebook and smiled, and David felt some of the tension melt away.
As the two of them began walking out of the rotunda and towards their carriage, David asked the question he’d asked himself so many times before.
“Where would I be without you?”
Erin looked at him with a devilish grin.
“Dead.”
***
Somewhere in the underbelly of Duskarna, Nadia was alone in a cage. It was narrow, and the most she could do was sit on her knees and listen to muffled conversations in the near distance. Her back itched. The scars always itched. Her bound hands and small cell didn’t allow her to scratch it.
He called it a tree. She didn’t think it looked like a tree, or anything at all. It wasn’t something that should be given any form or meaning other than years upon years of suffering. A simple brush against that web of scars brought back memories of each and every single lashing, all of them layered upon each other at the same time.
She was in a place she’d been in once before. An auction house. She’d never expected to end up here once again. He’d told her that she’d end up as part of the family’s retinue of personal attendants, even after his passing. He said that his kids loved her. They did not. Now she was being sold again, and she had no idea who it would be. Maybe they would be worse than that man. Maybe they would be better. She didn’t know what better would mean, but she hoped they would be better.
She didn’t know how long she waited, but eventually a man came in. He was big and had the same skin color as her, but he didn’t have her eyes. He spoke only one word to her as he unlocked the cage.
“Come.” His voice was gravelly and tired. A look at his neck told her that he was a lot like her. His mark looked a little different though, and a lot more faded.
She followed him onto the stage, where she had to readjust her eyes. It was a lot brighter than the room she was kept in. When she looked at the crowd, she saw them giving a wide variety of reactions to her. She was clothed this time in a few rags, which was better than the last auction. That didn’t matter. She stood side by side with the auctioneer, who looked very happy as he pulled out a sheet of paper.
“This is Nadine.”
It looked like they decided to use the name that the other auctioneer had given her again. She didn’t believe it sounded any better than her real name, but she didn’t have much of a choice.
“She is eighteen, and comes from the land of Uril.”
She was not eighteen. She was sixteen. Last time she’d been sold they were accurate about her age, but it appeared they wanted her to be older this time.
“And, most notably, she was previously owned by Minister Orven Laurian, a member of the Royal Court.”
A wave of surprise and intrigue swept through the crowd. Nadia didn’t like that her previous owner was one of the major selling points. The man went on to list a few other selling points, then had her turn around to show her entire body. She wasn’t listening, and she didn’t like looking at the crowd. Whenever possible, she stared at her feet.
Then the bidding happened. A lot of numbers flew by in various amounts of lin. She didn’t listen to the numbers, but she had the feeling they were bigger than last time. After only a minute, the yelling of numbers stopped and the man declared the winner. The large man came back and led her down to the crowd to meet the new person who would have her as property. The person, who was a woman, was wearing a veil. She was the same height as Nadia, who was considered small. The only detail she could make out was the woman’s dark blue hair, which fell past her shoulders and close to the middle of her back. After being handed the key, she unlocked the cuffs around Nadia’s hands.
“Come along now dear.” the lady said in a sickly sweet voice. She followed her until they made their way to the desk, where the woman put a number of pieces of paper in front of the clerk and then continued walking. When they made it outside, it was raining out. The woman grabbed onto Nadia’s hand and quickened her pace, running to a nearby carriage and hopping inside.
As they did, the lady took a big sigh of relief and removed her veil. She had a very young face fitting of her size, and was probably only a few years older than Nadia. Her porcelain white skin and softer features looked like that of a doll’s.
She was smiling, her green eyes wide with joy as she studied Nadia.
“What’s your name?” She asked, once again a sickly sweet voice. It made more sense now seeing how she looked.
“Nadine.”
The lady shook her head. “No, your real name.”
After a brief pause, she answered.
“Nadia.”
The young woman looked aghast. “Nadia? That’s a much better name than Nadine. From here on out, I demand you use your real name. Ok?”
She nodded, then meekly asked “What’s your name?” to the lady. A wide bubbly smile came across her face.
“My name is Ashley Garcia Pluma Allena, second heir of the Allena oligarchs. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”