“You look good.” Erin said smugly as she watched David have his new outfit put onto him. It was the most regal he’d worn so far, and also the most cumbersome. Those two tended to go hand in hand. The servants dressing him were dutifully ignoring any and all conversation.
“It’s nearing summer, and he asked me to wear this?” David bemoaned.
“Arend said it was based off of something the Second wore during ceremonies. He’s not wrong saying we should show a bit more respect to Arlinian traditions if we want to win people to our side.”
“He seems to be taking our deal for granted.” David grimaced. The less he had to do with that Arlios prick, the better.
“We can deal with him. Together.”
“We better. How’s the queen doing?”
“Last I checked, she was in her room, practicing her lines.”
David grinned as the mantle was fastened onto him. Queen Geben had been acting perfectly for her role, although she could barely hide the obvious frustration. She hated him, no doubt, but she understood her place.
He gently swaggered out of the dressing room. Erin gawked at him.
His royal mantle was absurdly long, draping behind him like he’d stolen a carpet and turned it into a cape. The royal insignia was embroidered in gold, shining brightly. His normal suit could barely be seen underneath this giant cloak, but she could make out the faint outlines of his more normal attire. His royal garb screamed an unnatural amount of opulence for David.
“You look good.”
“You say that regardless of what I’m wearing.”
Erin snickered and patted David on the back. “That’s because it is true.”
The duo walked out, leaving the staff in the dressing room likely befuddled by the conversation. They knew to keep their mouths shut at the least.
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David opened the door to Queen Geben’s chamber and found her awaiting his presence, seated on a bench. There were dark circles under her eyes.
Her light blue dress was beautiful and silky, layered in thick folds and decorated with small versions of the Hornel flag.
“I appreciate your patience.” David said casually. The queen rose up and patted down her hips, trying to straighten it. David noticed parts of the dress were thicker around her hips, where most of the flags were placed.
“It’s given me time to prepare.”
“You have it memorized?”
“Mentally, I meant.” the queen corrected him, “Today is the day I publicly declare myself a servant of the Empire. It is a drastic change.”
“You think too much of it. You will still remain on your throne with your title. All that changes is that you will be under Arlin’s supervision.”
Queen Geben let out a brief chuckle.
“A powerless monarch, beholden to the government voted upon by others. Who would imagine such a bizarre scheme of government?”
David sighed and shook his head. “You know your people. Regardless of who the governor is, I will make sure he listens to your proposals.”
Although knowing Arend, that will be a war of its own.
“I appreciate the comforting words.” She said as she walked past him and out into the hall, escorted by guards while David and Erin followed behind her.
The parade wasn’t actually what they were going to participate in, although there was going to be one that circled through Vyris.
There were stringent traditions built around the celebration of a victorious campaign. Starting after the third campaign, the one which created the foundation of true Arlin, the subsequent parade would circle Vyris the same number of times as the campaign. Every time they finished a rotation, they would move to a street closer to the center of the city, spiraling inwards until they eventually reached the capital where the commencement speech would be made.
Initially, the parade would just contain members of the military, usually the generals and commanders, as well as soldiers who received honors for performing specific deeds of heroism. As it grew closer, those who cheered the parade on from the sidelines were encouraged to join the parade once it reached their area and moved onto the next rotation. By the end, nearly all of Vyris would have joined the parade and coalesced at the center of the capital.
David would give his normal speech about Arlin superiority that he did at the end of any campaign. What was new to this celebration was the inclusion of the queen. Geben’s speech was to be about her joy at joining the Empire, the superiority of Arlinian troops, and how impressive of a leader David is.
She didn’t believe any of it, but it was necessary to show unity and strength. The people didn’t know about the conspiracy, and to David’s knowledge the queen only knew what he had told her in private, but it mattered. There would be a large contingent of Arlin’s nobility in Vyris.
Erin nudged him as the two walked and pulled his attention to her notebook, where a list of names were written out. There were ten, and David could immediately recognize all of them.
“These are the ones confirmed to be here. Are you sure this will work?” Erin asked him quietly
“I’m confident. It’s not like they can turn down a gift, least of all from me.”
Queen Geben seemed to perk up hearing the word gift, making David wish he’d spoken quieter.
“My apologies Emperor, but I forgot that I planned to give you a gift. Something to celebrate the occasion.” She said in a bizarrely chipper tone.
David’s eyes went wide, not in joy or surprise, but confusion.
“I wasn’t told of such a thing beforehand.” David responded. There was an implied ‘by your guards’ which was left unspoken.
“It was intended to be a surprise for the celebration. A token for the mercy you have shown myself and my nation.”
“I see…” David trailed off, checking Erin for any help. She shrugged and continued to rummage through her notes, flipping through guard reports related to Queen Geben to see anything particularly notable.
The two made their way to the carriage outside of the palace. They could hear growing cheers as the parade made its way closer to the center. The carriage was not necessary in the slightest to reach their location, but it was needed for protection.
“I apologize for eavesdropping, but may I ask what gift you are planning to give? I presume its to some of your nobility.”
David cracked a grin in frustration. “Slaves.”
That was a lie, but only a partial one.
“I’m hoping they’re not Hornel slaves?”
“Urilan.”
The Queen didn’t respond, as the carriage came to a stop. The door was open, revealing a line of guards leading towards a stage. It was wooden, crafted over the span of a week by local carpenters to be used for the commencement and then immediately taken down afterwards. The wood would be given back to the carpenters who built it for them to either keep or sell off for hefty sums.
Everywhere David looked, on every rooftop and in every window was a guard with a burner or igniter. After a long inspection process, the royal guard had been vetted to ensure no further subterfuge. Nothing came of it, which likely meant the assassination attempt on Erin using his guard was a one time thing.
As David made his way up the steps and onto the stage, around which hung dozen of Arlinian flags, he smiled.
If there’s anything they don’t want, they don’t want me to be a martyr. Attacking me now would be bad for their overall plan.
After a few more minutes, the parade drew near. The citizens could see David’s face and cheered. Some looked at him in zealous awe, while others cried tears of worship.
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The crowd coalesced and slowed down until everyone surrounded him. They were tightly packed, nearly shoulder to shoulder all looking up at him. David cleared his throat, made his way to the podium, and began to speak.
“People of Arlin, I am overjoyed to announce that we once again stand victorious as the strongest Empire that has ever blessed the face of Sol!”
A wide cry of “Long Live Arlin” filled the air in response, which he had planned for.
“Today we celebrate not only our strength, but the people behind it. I would like to commend our brave Arlinian soldiers. Without you, our nation wouldn’t be able to prosper. With the wise guidance of General Schmidt, who came to the front lines to fight alongside you, we wouldn’t be celebrating her today.”
Another round of cheers and claps made its way through the crowd. He could see the soldiers in their uniform be hugged and even kissed by those near them.
“However, not only do we celebrate the past today, I believe we should also look forward to the future. The monarchs who resist us are stagnating in the face of true progress. Only Arlin is pushing towards growth and change. It is today I am proud to say that Queen Geben has been willing to embrace that ideal. With her assistance, I will be able to help her nation become better than it ever was before.” David gestured to the Queen next to him. The crowd cheered, but he could see confusion on some of their faces.
David moved aside and allowed for the queen to step up to the podium. She cleared her throat and gave her dress another pat down.
“Thank you, Emperor Arlin. Both for the opportunity to speak to your people, but to see the beauty of your nation’s capital. Your infrastructure is a marvel in itself.” The queen smiled back at him before returning her gaze to the crowd. “Your mercy is appreciated. You were willing not only to allow me to remain in my nation, but to continue to act as a figure for my people.”
“But the Emperor is only a small part of this. Without the people before me, the eleventh campaign never could have succeeded in bringing Hornel into the Empire. In you, I see in you that Hornel and Arlin are not so different. Your love of expansion and growing knowledge that has led to your fruitful existence is not something unique to Arlin. I hope our alliance can foster this trait not only in Hornel, but in all of Sol.”
Queen Geben took a deep breath as the crowd gave her an uproarious applause.
Erin’s writing is as fine as ever.
David turned to look at Erin by his side and saw not happiness or pride, but confusion.
“Sol can sometimes feel quite big, but whenever I’m in Arlin, it feels… smaller. The interconnectivity of it all becomes so much clearer in the face of a power which has tied together so many disparate cultures under a single banner. I am sure Hornel will not struggle to integrate.”
Erin tugged at his mantle and pulled him close to whisper in his ear. He couldn’t hear her words over the applause at the Queen’s last remark, but judging from her concerned expression, it was important.
“I am also thankful to stand next to the enigmatic and, of course, handsome Fourth Emperor. I imagine in my younger years I would have swooned after him. He is truly unlike any other man I have ever met, yet he is just a man. Intelligent and powerful no doubt, but human. And that is what makes him so remarkable, doesn’t it?”
The crowd had gone silent, which allowed him to finally hear Erin’s words.
“She’s off script!” She whispered.
David’s eyes went wide as he now understood her expressions.
“Emperor Arlin, your ambitions are unparalleled even by your predecessor. Your belief and hubris is so strong that it is tantamount to the religion of Arlin. Any monarch would be envious of such an ability. With nothing but your words, you define progress and the future like a prophet. Yet know this, Emperor of Arlin. I do not believe you.” She stated coldly, seeming to chill the spring air itself.
There was uncomfortable silence. David felt enraged at himself for being so blind.
No. I cannot stand for this.
David stepped forward on the stage at its corner and gave his best smile.
“I admire your honesty, Queen Geben. If you cannot believe in my goal, I am more than happy to prove you wrong.” He loudly declared to the crowd. There was no cheer or mirth in response.
“Perhaps. But heed my words, David Arlin. Someday, Sol will wake up from this dream of yours and take its vengeance on you. I only regret that it is a day I will not come to see.”
The seconds lengthened as David watched the queen move her hands into the folds of her dress and unsheath a small ornate dagger. A scream of horror erupted around him.
David made a long step forward extending out his hand, but it was pointless. The queen had already raised the dagger up to her throat.
Just as she began to slice open her neck, she mouthed out a simple phrase only David could recognize.
“My gift to you.”
The blade cleanly cut her throat open in one quick slice, letting blood gush forth onto the stage and her dress. Her eyes tilted upwards as she collapsed onto her side.
David watched the life drain out of her as the crowd erupted into panic and disarray.
She was smiling the entire time.
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David sat in his room while Erin massaged his back, trying to calm him down. He’d been clenching his fists so tight they were about to bruise.
“I should have stopped it.”
“It’s not. There wasn’t a way we could have predicted this. I had told you she was working with us, but perhaps I could have seen the signs.” Erin tried to assuage David’s worries.
“No. I should have stopped her the second you told me she was going off script.”
Erin sighed and wrapped her arms around David’s waist, pulling herself close to his back.
“I had hoped she would have been a minor counterbalance to Arend. Or at the very least, someone who would give me unfettered opinions on his policy rather than licking his taint.”
“We got one win today. Let’s focus on that.”
David sighed and shook his head. The one win they did was getting each of the ten ministers to accept his gift of Urilan slaves. All of them were girls, ranging from sixteen to eighteen.
All of them had also been trained spies since birth.
The program was one of the three major secrets the Emperor had kept from the rest of the court alongside the AM project. The name, known to likely less than forty individuals within the entirety of Arlin, was the Eclipse Program.
The Third created it after defeating Uril, and it was one of the few good things to come from the man. Urilans made for surprisingly good spies, and the Third decided to create it as a method of spying on people he found of interest. Most would assume the type of slave one might use as a spy would be of Arlinian descent, possibly given as someone from a similar looking nationality such as Corithians.
Urilans were often seen as a commodity in the slave trade due to their acclaimed exotic look and bizarre culture. The Eclipse Program exploited that. There were less than twenty individual Urilan spies at a time, and David had used the majority of them for this single gambit.
Was it possible the nobles expected there was something the Urilans were being used for? Most likely. However, if they were to take action in investigating their new gifts, that likely meant there was something they were intent on keeping hidden.
The slaves were not only spies, they were also a political bomb.
The gift-giving had gone off without a hitch, although none of the nobles were keen on discussing the events of the parade. That might have been a positive, as less interaction gave the nobles time to stew in their anxiety.
Were they being given a gift as a sign of friendship, or as a sign of distrust? The longer they had to question the fact, the more likely they were to eventually show which of those they were.
David tried to think about that singular win, but his thoughts managed to drift back to the Queen.
Vengeance…
“What was his name again? The rebel leader?” David asked suddenly.
“Elm Grayson?” Erin answered with another question.
“No, the Corithian. The one Keagan was obsessed with.”
“North, Grayson’s protege? I told you to stop focusing on her words, David.” She scolded him.
David turned around to look at Erin and caressed her cheek.
“But she’s right. It is entirely possible a coalition could form to stop our advances. A light attuned such as him… it’s not something I can ignore.”
The few light attuned I have known have all been unique.
Light attuned were the most bizarre of all of the attunements. Not only rare, but they expressed their power in a spectrum of ways. Often that came in the form of healing, as some light attuned lack combat ability but took to healing unnaturally well, even without a complete understanding of anatomy.
Others had the ability of stealth and illusion, able to bend light to cover themselves or others. Solomon had done intensive studies on a light attuned who was able to control light so delicately they could create an almost perfect illusionary duplicate of themself.
David was a unique case among unique cases, able not only to control light, but pure energy. Although he was unable to heal others, his body had an uncanny ability to mend itself.
Keagan mentioned his ability to use magore like a burner without a primer, which was bizarre, but not unheard of. The ability to control small amounts of pure mana was shared among those who could heal, which likely meant North had this skill. However, using that ability as primer was unheard of, and suggested an unnatural amount of control over pure mana that surpassed a normal healer.
“If he was able to catch Grayson’s attention, it’s possible he’s on the upper level of light attuned.”
Erin paused for a moment and ran over to a table where she’d been placing a large number of her notebooks and binders. After a minute, she pulled out a packet of papers and handed it over to David.
The title at the top immediately caught David’s attention. It was the transcript of an interrogation done with Governor Bernard before his execution.
“Check page eleven.” She said calmly.
David did and flipped to it. It discussed North’s appearance at first, and how he was drenched in an absurd amount of blood, and his comrades mentioned blood loss. Yet his body lacked the amount of injuries fitting how much blood he was drenched in.
Shit.
“It looks like North and I have something in common.” David groaned.
“It didn’t come to mind until you mentioned it. I don’t mean to put any more stress onto you right now, but…”
“It’s fine. The conspiracy against me has taken up so much of my mind that I’ve forgotten so many other threats. Perhaps it's time I should deal with some of them.”
David smiled as he watched Erin begin to undress, her loving gaze soothing his weary soul.
“Although I suppose a distraction couldn’t hurt from time to time.”