A set of distraught Palladium armour gathered dust down from the glorious Dawn Throne, past the luxurious ball-rooms, through the intricately placed pearls that line the corridors, under the limitless rooms, kitchens, halls rested catacombs that the armour found itself lost in, these catacombs were nothing overly special, especially when compared to Emperor David’s radiant palace, the only uniqueness of the catacombs was how forgotten they were, though this was not a major surprise with the size of the Pearl Palace being so great that a host of a thousand would struggle to fill up the throne room.

Nonetheless The Old Advisor tottered deep under the earth, being supported by two of the old guard, Alejandra and Cassia, out of the scores that survived the war only a few still live, The Old Advisor thought sadly, as some of the new guard, mostly young nobles with very little guidance nor experience, sauntered down the dry stones, complaining about their guard rotations being switched by the Crown Princess, though they used much less flattering titles, complaining about how their customized stone silk armour no longer matched their factions arm sash, even complaining about the lack of debauchery now that messengers and representatives from the frontiers and sub-kingdoms arrived to the palace.

The Old Advisor could not disparage the new generation overly much, for it was partly his fault that they were so vainglorious, brought up on stories of last stands, heroics, and an everlasting peace that was forged from the fires of war, yet a diet of these glorified stories should not limit a generation as much as they did, these children should of faced small adversity and understood the world for what it was, this was just another regret that the Old Advisor would have the shoulder, they were all over zealous in their eradication of monstrous and non-compliant species, the Great War followed by the Curse decimated the population of the entire world, all they had to do is eradicate a few more males from certain species or people’s and the problem would solve itself. The Old Advisor was shaken out of his musings by the screech of metal, turning they saw that a pair of knights bumping into each other.

“You Truth-Bound cur.” Shouted one of the striplings at the back of the procession of guards.

“Do not besmirch my name you naïve fool.” Barked back a tall woman with a purple armband, signifying her allegiance to the Truth-Bound.

“Fool? Draw your bl- “

“Enough.” The Old Advisor spoke. “You are knights of the Dawn Empire, and you shall act like it.”

“That one is no knight, a whore dressed up by her whore queen.” Rumbled one of the few honest knights, Magda a woman from the Isle of Madan who formerly stayed neutral from the machinations of the court.

The flickering orange light could not hide the burning hatred in the eyes of the Dawn knights, eyes shifted around the room assessing threats as if the knights of Empire were sailors upon the Endless Ocean facing an infestation of Legarou.

Slowly the knights shuffled into four distinct groups, one with armbands of purple, the Truth-Bound, one with armbands of gold, the Loyalists, the third group were bedecked in pearly white sashes, the Righteous, while the final group were unadorned, and thus unaffiliated which meant they were following the emperor’ David’s decree about succession, unfortunately this was the smallest and oldest group.

Before violence could bloom, the Old Advisor used up what little power he had left, a cold wind stormed through the stairway and the light from the torches was extinguished.

“All of you return to the throne room immediately, Dame Alejandra ensure that the emperor hears the full truth.”

The Dame reignited her torch and led the knights back to the surface, their division visible in the way their very stances. A few years ago, the discussion about succession was that, merely a discussion, now it seemed this discussion was the avenue for all slights to build upon, a civil war in the palace was brewing and the Advisor did not understand why it was escalating at such speed.

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“Dame Magda.” The Old Advisor spoke into the ascending backs of the knights. “Please escort me down.”

The Dame stopped her ascent and returned to the Advisor’s side, she began to speak, but the Advisor held up their hand asking her to wait. They waited until the footsteps of the fractious knights left earshot.

They were in the oldest armoury in the deepest part of the catacombs; the Old Advisor walked to a dimly lit corner, and picked a broken copper tip spear and placed, it whistled as he handed it to Dame Magda, her calloused hands held the spear firmly.

“See that indent there, drive the spear into it.”

“Your Excellency, the wall is stone, and even if this spear was enchanted it would break.” Dame Magda responded hesitantly.

“Belief Dame. You must have belief.”

The Dame nodded slowly and thrust the spear with all her might. The rough stone parted like butter, and a passage opened up.

“Take of that armband Dame, your oaths were sworn to Dawn Empire, not the Righteous nor any of the other petty factions.” The Advisor spoke as the Dame clutched her gold armband, “The Empire comes first, if a duck must sit on the Dawn Throne too uphold the Empire, then a duck must sit on the Dawn Throne. The Empire comes first, do you understand Dame Magda of Madan?”

The golden armband fell to dusty stone floor.

“Lead us on then.” The Old Advisor spoke.

They walked through the dark passage, the smooth grey stone slowly transformed into a rough pale stone, stalagmites reach down from the roof as if the very walls were trying to skewer intruders, the walls close in slowly as they descend, the tap of the Advisors staff echoing through the cave.

“Your Excellency why did you send your honour guard away?” Dame Magda asked.

“You were not born in the palace correct.”

“No, your Excellency, I was not even born in the core.” She responded cautiously.

"Where then?" The Old Advisor questioned

"The Makrys archipelago." The dame's footsteps paused as she answered.

"Ah, how is Archon Lucinda?"

"Good." She answered curtly.

The Old Advisor remembered Archon Lucinda, the regional govenor of the Makrys islands, she was chosen as a compromise between the suvivors of the Great War. The woman was harsh in both manner and action, not a major issue if not for the rumours surrounding her habits off excess. Still she has crushed all insurgencies that occured upon the archipelago, and it would be more hassle than not, to remove her from her position especially with the Witches of Croagh regaining power.

The Old Advisor felt themeselves slipping away from the conversation, and quickly brought themselves back to reality. No matter how droll it is.

“So how did you find yourself involved with petty court games?” The Old Advisor said as the cave opened back up into a great cavern.

The cavern was lit by iridescent blue moss, though to The Advisors eyes the moss was not formed from natural growth; the blue moss was placed in a geometric pattern almost leading towards a sickly green plaque standing at the back of the cavern, that pulsated rhythmically alongside yellow writing writhing upon its face.

“Forgive me your Excellency, but the succession crisis is anything but petty.” The Dame said rubbing at where her armband once was, “Everyone has to choose a side, I tried to stay out of it Your Excellency, but all know that the Porphyrogenites has her… indiscretions, and I doubt you’d find an individual who has not, or been forced to, pick a side.” She began before quickly realising her words, “But I am loyal to the Empire first and foremost, and I will do all I can to hold it together.”

“You will not have to do much good Dame; you’ll see that this ‘succession crisis’ is nothing but a few children arguing.” The Old Advisor said flippantly as they reached the pulsating plaque.

A hand grasped the Old Advisors shoulder, turning they saw Dame Magda’s wide eyes reflecting the sickly green light, the Dame was the epitome of bravery and for a woman of her skill to show such fear, then the Cursed plaque must have been growing in potency in through the years, the day of reckoning approaches, if only I could decipher the entirety of the prophecy, the Old Advisor thought as they turned back towards the plaque.

“Good Dame, hold faith, this fear is purely a reaction to the unnatural and as we all know everything from the Old Enemy is un- “

“Your Excellency, you need to understand the danger, the Mantis controls everything within the kingdom.” Whispering as she glanced about the empty cave.

“Next you’ll tell me the donkey holds up the sky.” The Advisor laughed. “The court is like a bubble; all petty problems are magnified.” They offered as a type of consolation, “But this prophecy is the key to understanding this system.”

The Old Advisor could hear the grinding of the Dame's pearly white teeth.