Aela rose early in the morning, just before dawn, to pray. Just as the sun was rising, no more than ten minutes after Aela started praying, Lucullus woke up. Seeing that Aela was busy in prayer, he decided to silently recite the prayers he knew. Aela finished in time to hear the prayer Cicero instructed Lucullus to say as she walked over to him.
Lucullus stood up, and began to pack his things. “I guess we should make haste to the Queen.”
Aela nodded. “What was that prayer you ended with?”
“It was the one I learned from Cicero. Why?”
“Who cursed you?”
Lucullus turned around. “Curse?”
“Only the cursed use that prayer as you have done.”
“It was Cicero who put the spell on me.”
She took a step back. “Such a thing is only used on Chaodites or other reprobates as a final measure to convert them. I would never think to use it on an ally.”
“He told me to say the prayer to keep the symptoms down. It’s worked so far.”
“I’ll be keeping a closer eye on you. Such curses aren’t to be taken lightly, and are certainly not used as such, either.”
Aela led Lucullus through the city streets, which were crowded for Lucullus, but far from its peak traffic; by noon, it will be nearly impossible for the unfamiliar to make it through the main streets. As they drew closer to the palace, the streets opened up with great stretches of green, and eventually grew into a forum with great pillars of marble lining a large set of stairs. Each pillar had many scenes of Savra and mages carved into it. The scenes depicted great battles, betrayals, defeats, and glorious victories. The two chief pillars depicted a heavenly scene of people ascending up to the Savra.
At the center of the forum was a magnificent and ornate fountain, which featured a large statue of the first king of Emporikos; water sprung out from the statue’s hands, and continuously filled the basin as people occasionally came up to drink from it.
They went up the stairs, and entered a grand hall full of many important people and expensive decorations. When people saw Aela’s robes, and the symbols on it, they saluted her, and some moved from her path. Others moved out of the way as Lucullus came through, but only because they felt as if they would be knocked down if they didn’t.
As they neared the Queen’s throne, a guard stood before them, and put his palm out to them.
Aela spoke with him for a minute, and after flashing her necklace, the guard stood aside. Now stood before the Queen, Aela prostrated before her, and nudged Lucullus to do the same.
The Queen studied Lucullus for a moment, then lifted her hand, and ordered them to rise.
Aela began to speak with the Queen, and soon the conversation was in Lucullus’s native tongue.
“Tell me why I should listen to what this Altum has to say?”
“Because I bear witness to what he has to say, as does Mystic Cicero.”
At Cicero’s name, several court guests turned their attention to the conversation.
“And this Altum has helped Savronites in his country, despite their low standing with his people. If Mystic Cicero trusts him, then so do I; Cicero has sent him on a mission which affects us all, now.”
“Then I shall ask this Altum for his own testimony.” She turned her gaze to Lucullus. “So, Altum, tell me what this mission of yours is. I must know how it is that your mission from Cicero affects the whole of Emporikos.” She put her hands together, rested her chin on them, and leaned forward with anticipation.
Lucullus looked to Aela, who gave him an affirming nod. “Queen of Emporikos, a great darkness has engulfed Lucium, and it now threatens to engulf your realm, too. The Chaodites have begun to make their move; they no longer fear coming out of the shadows. They are sneaky, but have become more bold with each passing day. When I attempted to investigate their murder of an important nobleman of Lucium, who was a dear friend, they locked me away in prison. But it was by a miracle, or perhaps several, that I escaped through the frozen tundra. I learned from a faction within Lucium, the Dracones, of the truth. They told me of how the Chaodites held a tight grip over the courts of Lucium. I gained their alliance, and attempted to take back my village, but there was a vile woman, Archduchess Sabina, and her army waiting for me.
“But as if by another miracle, the King’s men seized me, and took me to the royal palace. There, Cicero and the King offered me a chance at freedom, and truly I say, they offered the whole world a chance at freedom. They sent me here to track down some Chaodites, and if I could, to put a stop to their sinister plans. With the help of Sister Aela, I have discovered things which predict trouble for Emporikos; it is this nation which shall be the next victim of the Chaodites, if we sit idly by.”
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The Queen’s face remained neutral. If she was at all troubled, or in any way affected by Lucullus’s speech, then she was a master at concealing it. “Do tell, what things did you discover.”
“We raided a Chaodite outpost.” He pulled a map from his scrip, and pointed to the location. “It was there that we found it beneath a pile of rocks in the forest, cleverly hidden. Within, we were met with fierce resistance. But our efforts were not in vain, because we discovered their trafficking operation, which runs through, and operates in, Emporikos.”
“But what are they trafficking?”
Lucullus’s face was grim. “People… many for sacrifices on their altars.”
The Queen remained neutral in her expression, though she flinched a little; it was the only sign that anything Lucullus said had an effect on her. “If this is true, then our nation is in danger. I must consult with my advisors; I certainly don’t want to believe this, but I will see if any other reports corroborate what you say.” She motioned for her guards. “For now, you two shall wait in a guest room while I deliberate. Certainly, if you are truthful, then standing in an open court unattended would be disastrous.”
Lucullus and Aela anxiously waited in the guest room. Lucullus paced around, unable to sit still for more than a few seconds.
Aela went over, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sit down, Lucullus, and relax. Your pacing is only making you more anxious; it’s making me anxious, too.”
“I just can’t stand that cold expression of hers. It’s like my words fell on deaf ears. Were it not for her questions, I would never have guessed that she even heard what I said.”
She sighed. “Eventually, you get used to it. It’s like that in any court in Emporikos. The Queen, especially, wouldn’t dare show any sign of panic in front of her people. Here, we value a cool head above all else in our leaders. I could see her flinch a little, so I know she was troubled by your words, but she was trying her hardest not to show it. And if you could get her to flinch, even slightly, then I know what you said was truly disturbing news for the Queen.”
“If you say so. I only hope she will help us. If Olivia is still in Emporikos, then only the Queen will have the power to keep her here. Without the Queen’s help, I’m unsure if we will ever find Olivia in time.”
At that time, two guards entered their chamber, and led them away. Instead of going back to the grand hall, they were escorted to the Queen’s private chamber.
“I’m glad you two were able to make it.” She motioned for her guards to leave the chamber. “Now that we’re in a more private setting, let us talk more openly.”
Lucullus stepped forward. “Why can’t the Queen speak openly in her own court?”
Aela looked down and shook her head. “Lucullus, it may not be the grand hall, but please mind your manners in front of the Queen.”
The Queen chuckled. “It’s quite alright, Sister Aela. He raises a valid point.”
Lucullus was taken aback by the Queen’s sudden shift in tone from their encounter in the grand hall. “You seemed far more formal in the grand hall.”
“Of course I did. It is not proper to speak as we are speaking if we were back out there. But in my private chamber, proper court etiquette is not required. I do find your reports to be troubling, and your words to be truthful, but a Queen mustn’t show any sign of panic in front of her people.”
He nodded. “Aela already informed me about that. But why couldn’t we openly discuss the matter out there?”
“You have a lot to learn about court etiquette and nobility. In Lucium, it may be different, but in the noble and royal courts, one does not simply prattle on about sensitive matters, especially ones that require the utmost secrecy.”
“Now what?”
“Now, my dear Altum friend, we may get straight to the point.” She adjusted her coronet. “I’ve had my suspicions that the Chaodites were operating within my realm, but I’ve never had any proof. A lot of people assumed that Chaodite kidnappings, and other such horrible things, were a thing of the past; but along you two came, and now evidence has been brought to the table.”
“Indeed,” Lucullus affirmed as he pulled out several scrolls and maps from his scrip. “We discovered these documents from the Chaodite hideout we raided.” He laid them out on a nearby desk.
The Queen went over to them, and began to peruse them. “This is the evidence I need to justify sending men to find and destroy these outposts; more importantly, it’s what I need to convince the Kyrios to send his Mystics my way.” She sighed.
“Is something wrong?” Aela asked.
“Indeed, there is something unfortunate… My house is divided against itself.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Lucullus added.
“There is a traitor in the midst of my court; I highly suspect that it is one of my kin, but I can’t say with absolute certainty.”
“If it means you’ll help us on our mission, we’ll investigate every chamber until we find the traitor,” Lucullus interjected.
“Before I give you free range to rummage through the chambers of those in my court, I must ask one thing of you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“When you said that King Titus and Cicero offered you a chance at freedom, what exactly was the arrangement?”
“That’s a lot to ask in one question.”
She shrugged. “If we are to trust each other, it is important to have full truth and transparency.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. If I did what they asked, then I would gain a full pardon; essentially, my entire record, what little is on it, would be wiped. My task was to locate Olivia, Titus’s daughter and only surviving child, and to safely bring her home. The Chaodites took her, and I had an axe to grind with the Chaodites, so it worked out well. Cicero knew that both goals could help lead to the end of the Chaodites, and trusted in my ability to do it. He knew that his name could help me access what I needed to uncover the conspiracy which Titus has been too afraid to do anything about.”
“I see.” She paused to take a deep breath. “In that case, I shall have you two splitting up to do the search. Lucullus, you will search my sister’s chamber. You seem to have the favor of Aeras, and I suspect her the most. Sister Aela, you will search her husband’s room; I know that, if one of them is conspiring, then the other will be as well. I will give you both the keys you need to get in.”
Lucullus breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad I don’t have to pick another lock.”
“I wouldn’t want you to be a wanted man in two countries,” the Queen joked.
There was a knock at the door. With every minute the knocks became more aggressive and impatient. As she opened the door, the color drained from her face. She went to take a defensive stance, but it was too late; she looked down to see a sword through her chest.
He smiled, and had a devious look in his eyes. “It was a mistake to make an enemy of House Avarus, Julia.”
As the sword withdrew from her chest, she dropped to the floor.