21th of Coldborn, second month of 984:
Valcra remained immobile. The arduous job that was sitting in her hard stone and cold throne always reminded her of her duties, a thing she appreciated heavily. ‘I should have forced Mother to do the same, those who rule should never fall prey to the false comforts of their positions.’ Absent-mindedly divagued, full knowing that that would not have prolonged the month of rule she had had before abdicating onto her.
Looking straight ahead, she listened to the kneeling Duchess of the East in the Empire’s Palace throne room, as big as the castle of the Blue Rose.
“Your Aflame Majesty, the Northern Duchess has refused your summoners again.” “She is a fool…. Karax be damned, clear you….”
“The reason?” Valcra had grown bored of the fear she always read in her vassals. And having proven her competence was another problem in and of itself. Some would always see it as a danger. A too skilled Empress would complicate their backroom dealings, after all, and a moronic one would be disastrous for the Empire. Gulping down the insignificance the humongous courtroom always made her feel, she slowed her psyche. She was starting to feel tired of always hearing the minds of others after her 15 years of rule. Dangerous, yes, but she was not the Empress for her looks alone.
“Unrest, she communicated.”
She held in her impulse to clench her hands, ‘Does she take me for a fool? This is an Imperial Court Calling, mere peasants are not an excuse!’. The chandeliers started to emit more light, as if the little fires in them had started to burn brighter, something that made the courtiers bow even more.
“I see, of no importance then.” Looking to her right, she overlooked both the Duchess of the West and the South and fixed her gaze on the Marquess.
“Is it true what your missive said? That the wolf men tribes had united at last under Moondrinker?”
“It is as you say, your Eternal Matriarch. It is a joyful occasion, the Marquisate may not even be needed for longer, for unsheathed swords and unbuckled shields are no longer necessary as there will be no more hordes left to guard against.”
“Only a proper nation, you say.” She corrected him.
Murmurs and whispers trailed behind his almost heretical declaration, paired together with veiled threats.
“If they have united, wouldn’t they be even more dangerous, Marquess? I had high hopes for the commander that burned down their Moon Mountain. You do remember that was the reason you were elected to oversee the territories of the Duchess of the East, right? Not to mingle with the beasts and other lessers.”
He kneeled and, bowing, answered, “That was the biggest mistake I have ever done, Empress. For I destroyed millennials of religious significance that shall never be recovered…”
“They are monsters, for the love of Elenia! Animals! Simple animals!” Interrupted the Duchess of the East, fearful of the reaction the Empress could have against her ‘willingly lended territories’.
“I will not debate scholarly matters in such a moment, Duchess Kiram of the Warmwaters Household. What I did was the reason for their continuous attacks against our lands, even if what I did was under Imperial order.”
“So, you are saying the Empress from two generations ago, my Grandmother, failed the Empire?” The mere act of her talking shut up the Duchess, who returned to her silently bowing position, even more fearful now for her Household old lands.
“The fault lies within me, your Aflame Majesty. Orders are not to be followed blindly, no matter the pressure one is oppressed with.” Said Trilus, a forty something year old nobleman, veteran soldier of a dozen campaigns both in republic ground and in the east. Lacking an eye and an arm, he wielded an enchanted steel arm as a prosthesis.
‘Followers of the Sun always have their rightness so far up their asses they always walk as upright as possible. If you did not have sixty thousand elite men at arms at your disposal I would have your head!.... Still, it is reassuring to find someone who does not lie, even in the inner workings of their mind. What he speaks is always the truth, and he thinks it so.’ Remembering the reason she had still not offered his corpse to her raptors, she did not mind the angry mutterings from her crowd of people pleaser opportunists. If she hated something in this Empire, it was the perpetual manoeuvring from one ‘ship’ to another. Alliances changed so easily the Empire had been able to preserve the power of the Empress in its divided state. Being proud as a leader of that foolishness was another thing, still.
After briefly looking at the ceiling of the courtroom, where a map of the whole known world had been painted, she asked.
“So, what long term solution would you present to me, Marquess? Your words speak of future prosperity, but I only see war.” Empress Valcra of the Fenix Household inquired.
“I would recommend giving up on our rivalry with the Theocracy, or just accepting a reduction of tensions. Our flanks are already insecure as they are and the navies of the Islands continue to destroy any major shipyard we try to build. The last thing we need is to be totally surrounded by enemies. Our differences are nil, no, we are both children from the barbaric Old Empire, and their vampires were the one who freed us. Our current stance makes no sense.”
“You would side with the undead over your living brothers of flesh? You are a traitor and they are cowards. They have not moved in half a millennium, not even when the orcs slaved the south of the continent away. Should I remind you whose people your Marquisate is made from?! Rest assured, they won’t start moving now. The only thing you want is for your barbaric religion to be finally accepted!” Accused the Duchess of the South.
“As a loyal human I must take this stance! Our current ways are not a reassurance forever, Duchess. One day they may very well officially join the conflict, if you consider sending arms as not picking a side! And they now have the border necessary to do so. For that last argument, I cannot swear that that is not an intention of mine. The Empire has been too fixed on tradition, and this matter in particular is a source of discontent easily resolvable. We have no need nor ability to quell more riots!”
Before the irritation of the clergy could flare up, the Empress raised a hand and, after silence had enveloped them all, asked, “Will you join the republic front if I grant you this wish?”
Raising his head and meeting her gaze, he answered, “The official stance of our Marquesate will be, as always, a no. We were made to protect, not to attack, and religion should never be an excuse for war.”
“Now you know the answer to your empty begs. Your loyalty is as lacking as your commitment to both your Lady and your Gods. I will grant nothing if you prove nothing.” Her voice now raising up, “We will maintain the current stance on both of these issues. What’s more, Marquiss, while your Household has been protecting the east for four generations, and impeccably at that, I think that, with your delightful news, your title is no longer needed. As per Imperial Decree, you are granted two options, Trilus of the Marquess Household. You will rescind your temporary oversight of the lands of the Easter Duchy, returning their direct management to the vassals of Duchess Kiram of the Warmwaters Household, once you either die or abdicate; or you rejoin the Imperial Army with the same rank you…..”
An older court mage interrupted the decrees by kneeling behind the Duchess. Once the Empress turned her gaze towards him, he pronounced,
“News from the North from the Ashen Household.”
“You may continue.” The irritation in her voice was palpable, but a swift mental read discovered news grave enough to prevent her from calling the guard and beheading the insolent fool.
“They have requested reinforcements. They fear separatist plotters have arranged a revolt with future help of an invasion from the Islands.”
Murmurs turning into open curses, the Empress appeared too surprised to reign in her palace.
“That traitor has gone and done it already? That cursed fay was never trustworthy, we should have called the Inquisition on that republican sympathiser!” Screamed the Duchess of the East.
“I bet the dwarves won’t stay silent either! I will muster my forces, if you say one word, your Aflame Majesty, our Everlasting Fire!” Vowed the Duchess of the West.
“Fools! This is a plot from the republican forces! If we divert resources the frontlines may very well start moving again! We could start losing the southern Hubs and lose the territory gained over two hundred years! This could be a plot from that vixen to ambush our army! And, even more, who are these Ashen ones?” Protested the Southern Duchess.
The room starting to descend into chaos, Valcra reopened her mind to the outside. Soon, thousands of minds were suddenly visible. Thousands of traits of thoughts, desires, secrets, invaded her mind. Focusing on the court mage’s mind, she extracted the truth. ‘So he is just a researcher? An old friend from High Mage Albestus, who was the one who sent the news, huh.’
“If I may, our Empress.” Asked the Marquess.
She returned her irritated gaze to him.
“One of the terms of the establishment of my Marquisate was to always act upon the protection of the territory of the Empire. This is an attack I can fight with honour in. If you doubted my loyalty, sending me to an ambush won’t damage our Empire in the least; if it’s a proven danger, my forces are elite enough to deal with it in small enough numbers to not reduce our forces in the south; if it was but tomfoolery I remit to the early point.”
“So you want to join the rebel forces?!” Tried to twist the Duchess of the East.
“Will you swear upon your fake God?” The cold words of the Empress calmed down the throne room again.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Now was the first time the Marquis flinched. But as soon as the clergy started to murmur again, he swallowed his pride and nodded.
“Do it.” The Empress extracted the fire from one of the chandeliers and brought it down. Once a small ball of fire stood in front of the Marquiss he started.
“I swear beneath the Light of the Sun, and with the very flames as witnesses of my resolution, that my words will speak only the truth.” As he chanted, he introduced his right hand in the fireball, the flames bathing it, hugging it, but not burning it, “I swear beneath the Light of the Sun, as my sword and shield will only be unsheathed per this oath. I swear my undying loyalty to the people of the Empire, to the Empress of the Empire, and to carry my new orders to their best end.” Once he finished, he retired the hand, which now presented a new mark in the form of a sun. ‘Smart bastard, he bought himself an out in the case I ordered something drastic or for something he could not allow to happen.’
“And how do you expect us to believe in the uncouth faith of a heathen? It is as senseless as letting an orc manage the economics of a city!!” Inquired a Cardinal of Elenia
A side gaze from the Empress was enough to make her recoil.
“Your orders, Marquiss Trilus of the Marquiss Household. You are to not return until you have pacified the whole North for the Empire if proven necessary, and or secured enough information about the situation as to be completely reassured for it to not happen again. Once you have returned, we will discuss your future and the future of the Marquisate.”
“It shall be done.”
“For the rest of the nobles, the time for a new offensive has commenced.”
“Wha…” Muttered before shutting her mouth the Duchess of the West.
“I command all of you to push to the Simar Line. We won’t give up an inch of land that had been captured by the Empire.”
“There was a reason that the offensive failed to begin w….” Trilus started
“The Calling is declared to be Ended! Return to your work.”
……………..
“Forgive me, my Lord, but this is going to burn.” Said Lantraz as it poured holy magic into Noct together with Sorak, not that it hoped he would hear the warning. As if reinforcing what it was saying, the old and new scars of Noct started to sizzle, reopening and being healed again until the grey mana was purged from those areas, making Lantraz flinch. Not daring to clean deeply for risk of organ failures, it secluded the healing zone to the guts and prayed to the Sun God for luck.
The ice being melted down, blood had little time to spill out before the tissue was regenerated and broken down by the partially defeated poison. Sweat dripping from Sorak’s forehead and the light of Lantraz’s eyes dimming, they doubled down in their task, fighting against both time and the leftover venom.
After half an hour, they relented, as they had no more faith left to express. Their work had not been pretty but it would make do. If something had saved Noct’s life it had been his armour, which had reinforced itself and stopped the external bleeding while he fought, giving them enough time to plug the holes inside.
Lantraz, caressing the right side of its helmet, eyed the humans of the room while it dressed its gauntlets again with discretion, as only Sorak and Andras had seen its bony hands and its followers were clad in full body armour.
“So, how have these last months treated you, High Commander Andras?” Tentatively asked, not sure of how to proceed.
Andras looked at it as if he was looking at an idiot. Ironically, Sorak was the one to try to escalate the situation eleven if she wanted nothing more than to burn the undeads. She was too mentally shaken to open another battle she knew they would lose. ‘At least they are Noct’s undead it seems. Undead always know when their necromancer nears death as they slavery weakens.’
“Noct is by no means in a healthy state. Andras, help me carry him to….”
“Now now, do not be so hasty. For what I have come to understand, he was poisoned in this very castle before this attack by the ‘Hands’ happened. He will be under our custody.” A dangerous glint came to the green light of Lantraz’s look.
“And that companion of yours almost killed your Lord’s sister,” Andras rose to his feet, “He is an Ashen, the most safe place for an Ashen is the Ashen’s Castle.”
“O, yes, nothing could even happen in this completely safewarded castle. O, no, I would be insulting Eclair by insinuating such a thing. For an enemy to infiltrate in it? It is preposterous, impossible even!” Bitted off Eve, as Lantraz paladins had let her move a bit as they were weighing the atmosphere, letting it enough space to start moving again.
Trying to settle this issue, Lantraz continued, “You are in no condition to oppose us nor have you proved to be worthy of the trust you ask us from….” It quickly extended its left hand towards its shield, which magically flowed to it, and raised it to protect itself from an ice cone that crashed and broke against it.
“Get away from my brother.” Those words only heated the atmosphere more, making both sides prepare for conflict. A voice nobody expected was the one who put an end to a possible war between the two sides of the same city.
“So, bunch of elderberry smelling morons, the thing you all do after noticing our, mine, castle had come under attack, is to start killing each other off? Please, the ‘Hands’ ought to be laughing their lungs off. They failed their job and you have taken upon yourselves to mend that wrong. Remarkable, stupidly so, but remarkable.” Said Noct from the ground, unable to move in any meaningful way. “Now, all of you, disarm yourselves, now.” ‘I never did remember to dispel the ‘waking’ enchantments of my rings, huh.’
Only the undead could see the beaming smile on Lantraz as it followed the other as the rest did, without a second wasted, throwing their weapons to their side of the room, near the broken window. Eve was too shocked to move but had no weapon to toss.
With more reluctance, maybe due to the surprise, the human side followed that order.
“Enchanted crampons, huh, no wonder they managed to climb so fast.” Started Noct, as his gaze focused on the climbing equipment of the bandits. An invention of the dwarven tribes, they weren’t that common outside of their race, not that that diminished their inherent value for climbing.
“Noct!” Eve rushed to his side, only to be stopped by a hand gesture from Noct.
“Why was I even worried?” Started Soral, holding in her tears and looking away.
“I do not think it is the proper time for such talk/moronery….” Started at the same time Lantraz and Andras, who looked at each other as they heard the other mimic them.
“If we can return to the true matter at hand…ugh!” A grunt interrupted Sorak, as she had to relocate her shoulder, “If you would be so kind as to explain who these gentlemen are and who that monster is…” Sorak’s last words started to dim, as Eve had returned to its beautiful visage of every day as soon as Noct awoke, conjuring the illusion of its early monstrous appearance being a fluke of the chaotic situation, for foolish of an illusion as it would have been.
“As they had proven to be, they are paladins of the Sun God. If you are not forgetting already, most of the old paladins that served my Household left during my rule. I called them here to pledge their loyalty to their new Lady and revert the situation, as Soral will prove to them to be what I wasn’t. And, what’s more, she still hasn’t taken her vows. For the, monster, she is my apprentice, and I will ask you to call her as such.” Explained Noct, anger bubbling under the surface.
The guards relaxed their grips on their swords and started to order themselves to secure the castle grounds and the city from the attack, dispersing from the hallway. Everybody knew Paladins were trustworthy.
‘He is not lying?! How?! Did my eyes play tricks on me? How can undeads be…. He is giving me, us, an out from this situation…. Fine, I’m tired of fighting for today too.’ Tried to excuse herself. Even when she had tried to kill him, even when her sister had tried to kill him, he had been willing to give up his life for her. She was not that much of a fool as to not link the dots. If that was how an heretic acted, they would have put her Order to shame.
Nodding, not willing to dwell more in her internal chaos, she accepted, “Fine. Glad to have you abroad, fellow Paladins. Always a pleasure to meet more of my kind.” She extended her hand, brimming with holy power. ‘How will I explain this to my superior….’
Lantraz, smirking behind its helmet at the cheap attempt of self-reassurance, accepted the handshake in an equal way. “May our encounter leave the world a better place.” It appreciated the slight twitch in Sorak’s face. After all, friendship was not required, and it could see the unprompted hate in her eyes.
“Now, if you could get a report from the guards, the guards, right. I want them all here. You let some rotten apples into the barrel.” Said Noct, who was on his feet thanks to Eve supporting, carrying, him.
Looking around, they realised half of the dead men were guards they had recently hired. Sorak paled, nodded, and quickly got out of the room with her paladins.
“Andras, escort Lady Soral to her room. It’s an order. Take a paladin of these to take a look at her too.” Andras hailed and supported Soral. She meekly resisted, as she had still not apologised, but exhaustion and injury were enough of a contender to overpower her.
Now alone with his summons, he turned towards Lantraz. “Finally decided to preach? Told you your words would be heard….”
“They have prepared a rebellion together with your sister, Noct.” Butted in Eve. “The Duchess has decided to bare her fangs against the Empire and the pirates will support them. Frozen Baia is the meeting point if I recall correctly.” Its speech getting more and more speedier, “You can cement your rule, Lord Noct! You can kick out your traitor of a sister, finally purge the rest of the churches here and end the military! We….”
“Eve.” His tone as frozen as the End, he glared at it. “I am the one who decides what to do. Not one word of what happened here gets out.”
“But….!”
“Eve!...Not, one, word. Understood?”
Not answering in words, it bit him hard in the shoulder, provoking a grunt of pain. Surprising things as its bites never hurt, it had now intended to hurt, and a hot sensation was starting to spread in the area. Not daring to go further it stopped and started to carry him to a readied guest room.
“You promised us a home, Noct!”
“And I cannot make it here!”
“Where, then?! Where and when will we be able to live on the surface?!”
Noct could but hold his words, as he had none to give nor excuse himself with.
“Fine. If you are so willing to do nothing and die doing so, do not expect me or my sisters to help you anymore. Your meatbag vassals will do the investigation just fine, won’t they? I am sure not one sword from them will threaten to kill you for the fifteenth time.” Opening the door to the guest room, it gently laid Noct on the bed and left after banging the door, even if its eyes did not miss the smallest intoxicated look in Noct’s eyes.
“Not a very smooth exit.” An empty space near the stone wall said mockingly.
“What do you want, Kal.” Eve almost lost its poker face. ‘It worked, the bit worked on him! Gods be thanked for that meatbag of Andras screaming he had been poisoned! And I had almost resorted to murdering that damned alchemist!’.
“A messenger came for Noct but was received by Soral. They have been called to war. Something about fighting thirty thousand pirates that will invade Frozen Bay. The High Commander is already recruiting the soldiers and will soon come to warn Noct. They have also called the High Mage Albestus to the castle.”
“I see. Thank you, Kal. Warn Lantraz too, he will have to receive orders from Noct I am sure,”
The hallway did not return its words. Nonetheless, Eve was sure that he would follow.
……………………..