Martin doubted he slept well in the dungeon. Honestly, he doubted he slept well in the past few weeks. At this point he was simply running on whatever energy he had.
Guards came and placed irons on his wrists, and he was escorted out of the dungeon. Martin was at least happy for the clean change of clothes.
He was led to the top of the stairs, blinking in the sunlight. Navir was already there, chains on his own wrists, two-day stubble on his chin, though he gave Martin a calming enough smile. “Good morning, Martin.”
“Is it?” Martin asked.
“It is, indeed,” Navir said.
Martin turned to Navir, frowning. Navir was calm and composed, not at all like Martin expected someone who just spent two days in a dungeon cell to be, which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. “What are you planning?”
Navir watched as Dalius and Fadrique joined them. “Don’t trouble your mind about it, Martin.”
He wanted to ask more, but the guards stood on either side of the four of them. He needed to stay aware and figure out what Navir was planning.
The guards ushered them forward. Martin did, playing with the chains dangling from his wrists. They’d most likely spend the rest of the day in the dungeon and be out right before the Sabbath day. Where they’d have to deal with the public, and their overall feelings of the High Elders. Begin healing the rift of their reputation.
The door opened, and Martin could hear the noises of the nobility inside, the anticipation, the surprise. Once Navir walked in, they were hushed, seeing for themselves the sight of a chained High Elder.
The four of them stood before the King, Queen, and Indenuel. Indenuel was on the other side of the King, folding his arms and looking nervous. Tolomon was against the wall, as always doing his best to blend in with it. Martin didn’t bother looking behind him in the crowd. He didn’t want to know which of his family members were here right now. Nathaniel said he would, but he had no desire to search him out.
“We shall begin with a prayer. Indenuel?” King Ramiro asked.
Indenuel did not look at the High Elder’s as he stood, holding a paper in front of him. “May God look down on the High Elders in love. May their tongues be loosed to give confession that is pleasing to Thee. May God grant the Monarchy and the Warrior the spirit of mercy and forgiveness as we work closer to bring their souls back to Thee.”
The crowd said amen. Martin was pretty sure he said it, even if he didn’t agree. He was quite certain his soul was lost a long time ago.
“Thank you, Indenuel,” King Ramiro said as the boy sat back down. Queen Lisabeth opened the meeting notes and dipped her quill in the ink, preparing to write. “High Elders, we are here to discuss the grievous sins which I, my wife, and Indenuel the Warrior have accused you of. Do you have anything to say before we begin?”
“Simply that as Acting Senior High Elder, I wish to speak for my unified brethren. Any questions or comments should only be addressed to me,” Navir said.
Martin glanced at him, frowning. Navir had something planned. Of that he was certain. What it could be, Martin didn’t know, but after years of being his colleague, he started to sweat.
“Of course, Navir,” King Ramiro said, picking up the paper. “I shall now read out loud the sins which we have collected.”
Martin stared ahead, not looking at anyone, not even Indenuel, as the list was read. It was a short list, but the sins were grievous indeed.
“Is there anything more you’d like to add to this confession?” King Ramiro asked.
Martin felt his eye twitch, but he still refused to look at anyone.
“There is nothing more, sir,” Navir said.
Martin swallowed, feeling more than just a pinprick. His heart was pounding in his chest, like he could feel his black soul screaming at him to wash the darkness away. To open his mouth to admit the light it desperately needed. But in order to do that, he would have to admit to the crowd, to Inessa, to Indenuel, how black the Warrior Project had become for the High Elders.
King Ramiro set down the paper. “So, you admit to the committing of these sins I’ve spoken of?”
“We do,” Navir said.
King Ramiro narrowed his eyes as though just picking up what Martin noticed when he first saw Navir. This was way too easy, and King Ramiro was finally preparing for the worst. “As you have burned the book which contained the names of the women which you slept with for twenty-five years-”
“Oh, no, Ramiro. It was destroyed in an accident,” Navir said.
King Ramiro hesitated long enough that Navir smiled. King Ramiro turned toward Indenuel. “Indenuel the Warrior has spoken of his father being Cristoval, Speaker of the Dead, and therefore embodies all those who have been abused by this heinous act. Is there any further punishment you would have these men placed under, Warrior?”
Martin pulled himself from his trance to focus on Indenuel. The boy stood, trying not to look nearly as nervous as Martin knew he was. “I’ve pondered long and hard, and the fact is there is nothing that can possibly make you four men understand the vileness of your own souls. That much has been made clear to me. I only ask the sympathy and mercy of those in the congregation now, and those who will read the notes of this trial, no doubt it will be passed far and wide.” Indenuel blinked, as though realizing for himself his words were going to be read by everyone. He cleared his throat. “Understand that I am the Warrior, but once, before, I was nothing more than a bastard child to a woman that was constantly called a witch.” The nobility was already reacting to the harsh language Indenuel used. Martin imagined they would have been far more shocked had Indenuel used the actual word his village called his mother. “So please, understand that there are thousands like me out there who secretly have High Elder fathers. Those like me who were abandoned because the men before you in chains were only thinking of saving themselves. It would have been better if we had the book to know, but I beg of you all to show the lower class more mercy and compassion.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Indenuel sat back down as the nobility discussed his words. Martin glanced at Navir, but the man seemed undeterred by what Indenuel said.
“With the crimes placed before you, I have little choice but to place you in the dungeons for another day,” King Ramiro said. Navir smiled, waiting patiently. “Once you are out of the dungeon, I implore you to begin taking the steps necessary to righting your wrongs.”
“Oh, I do not need to wait until I leave the dungeon, sir,” Navir said, giving a slight bow of his head. “I would like to start now. Have you, by any chance, read The Ancient Ways, volume three, by Erco the Philosopher?”
“My wife and I did not sit down to read the books in the library. We simply skimmed the beginnings of the books to make sure there weren’t any more secret laws you were hiding. But even after you four get out of the dungeon, we will still have access to the library, so don’t try and change anything,” King Ramiro asked.
“Oh, of course not,” Navir said, with another bow of his head. “I simply asked, because I hoped to help my people understand why we kept them in the dark.” Navir turned, smiling at the nobility, and Martin wracked his brain trying to remember what was in The Ancient Ways. He’d only read the first two volumes recently. Navir practically had the whole library memorized. “I am sorry, my dear people.” Navir raised his hands, chained as they were, to complete the look of supplication. “It was horrendous what we did. We apologize that we had to use the Graduates like this. But please, understand, we would not have done it unless we needed to.”
Martin frowned, which is when he noticed Inessa, Nathaniel, and Adosina on the front row. His two daughters, Rita and Maria, were right behind them with their husbands. All of them watched Navir like they would a snake about to bite.
“There are many wicked people out there that we have needed to take away. We did not want to alarm any of you of their sins and depravity, but with the recent developments, I must let you know the reason why.”
Martin studied Navir closer, realizing the man wasn’t going to wait until the Sabbath to give his sermon. But how was he going to convince everyone that it was completely fine to kill women and children?
“With the Graduates no longer allowed to take our assignments, we must call on you, the good people of the nobility, of this country, to root out those who have followed the devil. We did not tell you, because you were not ready. But now, understand that we had to hide this from you for your own protection. There is a group of people who were the reason the Great Flood happened. Their wickedness and sinful ways lead them to being marked. People like this live among you.”
The nobility began to whisper among each other, and Martin felt a cold dread. “Navir!” he said before he could stop himself. His hands trembled, the chains clinking against each other. Martin stood forward, pointing at him. “Don’t!” There was so much more Martin wanted to say but was afraid to. However, Navir was about to begin a campaign of fearmongering, and he couldn’t allow it.
“You do not speak for the High Elders as a whole, Martin. It would be wise to stay silent,” Navir said.
“You cannot bring such hatred toward a group of people. It’s not right,” Martin said.
Navir again looked at the nobility. “I am doing no such thing. The nobility has the right to know why we used Graduates to murder innocents. If I was in their position, I’d like to know too. They weren’t innocent, dear nobility. Their souls are of the blackest sort.”
“NO!” Martin screamed as a guard came toward him, holding him back. “I denounce everything this man will say. Nothing they did was dangerous!”
“They are people who listen to the devil so deeply that they believe their love lies with those of their same gender! We as High Elders of God’s Holy Church denounce it as a dangerous sin! It was five men who had such feelings that caused the Great Flood almost four hundred years ago, not God! He is loving and merciful and kind! It is the evilness of these five men that brought such chaos and corruption. That destroyed our world with so much water! And such people live among you!”
“They are not dangerous!” Martin shouted, though his voice was drowning in the uproar Navir had caused. “The five men are not here to answer for their crimes! We don’t know why they did it! It didn’t necessarily mean it was because they felt this way!” The crowd was now in a state of alarm, his words useless in the noise.
“I proclaim they are all dangerous! We must find them all and keep them away from the rest of us! Purify them, so they may stay on the righteous path of God again! If they cannot love in the way God intended, then we must kill them! Kill them before they bring about a second Great Flood!”
“We never let them live long enough to find out if they are dangerous!” Martin shouted. The nobility was on their feet, yelling to be heard, shouting questions. The fear in the crowd was palpable, and Nathaniel turned to Maria and Rita, whispering something and pointing toward the door.
“Now that King Ramiro will not let us use the Graduates for such purposes, we need your help! Tell us where they are hiding, and we will come collect them for a trial!”
“Navir, no! This will not bring the peace you seek!” Martin shouted.
“They have been the secret blight of the High Elders for too long, and you have the right to know about this.”
“Everyone, please!” King Ramiro shouted, even his own booming voice did little to get the crowd’s attention. “This is a new development, and we must study it out before-”
“Inessa is one of them!” Fadrique shouted, pointing at her with his manacled hands.
The crowd quieted at that, all turning to find her. Inessa’s eyes widened as she stared at Fadrique’s finger, before looking around at the nobility hungry for anyone to blame their troubles on. Inessa shook her head, her eyes wide. “No, no. I’m not. I… I never…”
“Of course that’s something you’d say,” Fadrique said with a sneer that looked far too gleeful. “Someone like you. Someone who’s never enjoyed the sex from a man.”
“Fadrique, stop,” Martin said.
But the damage was done. The nobility turned toward her, the fear evident in their eyes.
Tolomon appeared next to her before anyone else could react. He grabbed her elbow and hurried to the nearest door. One nobleman reached toward her, but Tolomon already anticipated it, moving Inessa in front of him so he was between her and the nobleman, setting her next to him with his hand around her waist, leaving through the nearest door. Indenuel practically leapt out of his chair to follow. The crowd, shocked at the sudden disappearance of the one person they could hate, began screaming their questions all the louder. Martin gasped, feeling sick to his stomach.
“The High Elders are to return to their dungeon cells as we sort out this new information!” King Ramiro said, his voice booming over the crowd. They each had a guard, one of them grabbing Martin’s elbow. They were being dragged toward the door, but there was currently a blockage, what with the nobility following after Inessa to ask her questions.
“What have you done, Navir?” Martin asked.
Navir shrugged. “I told them the truth.”
Nathaniel was at the door, trying to keep people from rushing after Inessa with questions. The people were getting loud, and they needed answers. More guards filtered in, helping Nathaniel contain the crowd. They started trickling out, then they exploded out the door. Nathaniel was thrown back, and Martin couldn’t see his son through the crowd. His throat tightened.
Navir, chained as he was, smiled as King Ramiro looked around the panicked nobility with dread.