Chapter 3
Arya sat up on the wooden cabinet she was lying on. Her bored countenance changed as the door opened and humans started filing into the room. The room itself is dominated by an extravagantly decorated mahogany table. There were 9 chairs all equally extravagant. All the rooms furniture from filing cabinet to table is burnished with gold and precious gems. The first to enter, looking like he had just crawled out of bed, was Lord Michael Brun Arundell.
Lord Michael, sponsored by Narkissa Daughter of Life and Lady of Dreams, is the governor to the sleepy province of Lihnidas. Lihnidas had benefited greatly through their trade with the wealthy province Ad Eberus. The people of Lihnidas were well known for their short working days and afternoon naps. Nothing had truly changed within the province in mortal memory. Arya remembered when Lihnidas was the home to an influential warrior people but that was several thousand years ago. Michael, as far as Arya could tell, was there simply to make up the numbers. As a placeholder he only contributed an occasional aye. He surprisingly always arrived first which seemed to go against his character. Then again, trapped in the imperial capital, Avignon, he couldn’t afford to insult the other ruling council members. Not that he would dare insult them outside Avignon.
Next to enter was the impeccably dressed High Lord Johan Grøn Somerwake. Johan, Admiral to the imperial navy and G0vernor to the coastal province Si Novas. High House Somerwake is sponsored by Laelia Daughter of Water and Lady of the Sea. Si Novas was filled with fishermen and shipwrights, a warrior people who originated from terrifying raiders before being subverted into the Empire. Influentially, other than Michael, he was perhaps the lowest on the Ruling councils pecking order. The governor of Si Novas had traditionally held the position of Admiral since the formation of the Empire. Arya supposed that the Regent hadn’t found sufficient reason to break tradition. Like Governor Arundell, High Lord Johan never spoke unless called upon. In the meetings Arya had attended he had only spoken twice.
There was a 10-minute gap where no other attendees entered. Arya watched as the two governors tried their best not to make eye contact. Which was quite a feat seeing how they were sitting opposite one another. Michael found something incredibly interesting in the table while Johan started to examine the room. Arya was thankful for the shroud of darkness surrounding her, without it the over analytical Admiral would have seen her.
In a group or more accurately a clique came Grand Duke Stiegler, City Lord Feucht and Viceroy Cadogan. Funnily enough aside from their skin tone all three were very similar in appearance. They all wore gaudy robes encrusted with precious metals and gems. On top of this they were roughly the same height and all three were slightly overweight. In total they looked like typical peacockesque nobility whom have not worked a day in their lives.
The Grand Duke Jens Brun Stiegler is the governor of the province of Si Mauvros. House Stiegler is patroned by Nero the Lord of Agriculture. As a result, the large Western province of Si Mauvros is renowned for its fields and farming communities. Si Mauvros had only 2 cities but many towns, it is made up of many small communities, the people finding no reason to live in cities. The province provides a significant proportion of the Empires food making Stiegler wealthy and the control of food makes him incredibly powerful. Nero unlike the Queen of Winter had yet to retake an interest in mortal affairs. So therefore, in Arya’s opinion the Child of Light had not yet seen how his patroned house was wielding the power granted by his blessing on the land with brutal efficiency. The Grand Duke had little regard for those that got in his way.
Stiegler’s companion the City Lord Albert Grå Feucht is the Empire’s Minister of Information. On top of this he is also the City Lord of the city of Nantes in Si Luvense. It is rumoured that he has strong connections within the criminal guilds. He had reached his position through political mechanisations and where this had failed his enemies had fallen to assassins. House Feucht is patroned by Cassius the Son of Life and the Lord of Retribution. While Stiegler uses produce as a form of power Feucht expertly wields information as a tool for the Empire and himself, manipulating nobles and commoners alike.
The last of the clique the Viceroy Randall Brun Cadogan governor of the province of Singidunum is relatively unique within the Ruling Council. Unlike the rest of the nobles his house had only been recently raised to nobility. He rose straight to the unique position of Viceroy of the province Singidunum. Therefore, his house is not sponsored by one of the Fae. Although, Arya mused with such an influential house it is possible an unaffiliated immortal may choose to gift House Cadogan with their patronage. House Cadogan’s wealth is unprecedented within the Empire. Unsurprisingly, Viceroy Randall had received the commission of Minister of Finance. While his children ran the family busnesses, he employed his successful business skills on behalf of the Empire. If a small proportion of the taxes found its way into his personal bank vault who was to begrudge him.
The three overdressed men took their places at the table. Their posture effectively ignored the two men already there. Their clothes contrasted highly with the simple garments worn by Somerwake and Arundell. The new entries made no effort to hide their distaste of the previous entrants. While Arundell and Somerwake held bland probably practiced expressions. Arya wasn’t sure why she attended the meetings. It was obvious that the ruling council was split into factions. These factions were obviously not going to discuss their plans while the others could overhear.
The last four members entered in pairs at the same time only a few minutes after the previous trio. High Lord Ashgrove entered talking with Grand Marshall Bankes followed a few steps behind by Lord Regent Saville and the Lord Justice Ryder. While all four men were middle aged they were all dressed differently. Ashgrove and Bankes were obviously military men with their height and muscles. In comparison the Lord Justice was frail and Saville slightly overweight, both a head shorter than the other two. All four exuded authority, men that were used to speaking and being obeyed. To Arya it was a wonder that their ego’s managed to fit in the same room as them.
High Lord Xavier Blå Ashgrove is the governor of the province Cannabacia. House Ashgrove is known to be incredibly power hungry and therefore deeply involved in imperial politics. The house is sponsored by the Queen of Winter Daemi. The province Cannabacia is at the North Eastern edge of the continent. While most of Cannabacia is normal with cities, towns and farms the most northern reaches are made up of Ice and Tundra. Very little life lives in those regions and very few of those that choose to travel the region return.
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Accompanying Ashgrove, Grand Marshall Garret Brun Bankes entered the meeting room. Like Ashgrove he was tall and burly. House Bankes are the city lords of Allianoi a minor city in Si Anisum. Although a family of minor nobility the house is most know for their privately established mercenary army. The army is dispersed into companies and these companies work separate from each other. On top of this the Grand Marshall was instituted as the Minister of War. Effectively House Bankes controlled 90 percent of the armies in the continent. This is mostly because the provinces don’t have a standing army just guardsman to patrol roads and apprehend criminals. While he may control most military forces within the continent. If he uses this force the provincial leaders would be forced into recruiting their own armies which would potentially collapse the millennia old peace within the Empire. Knowing this the mercenary companies work privately in disputes between nobles with strict limits. House Bankes has gained a massive amount of wealth and authority through their military efforts. Unsurprisingly the House was sponsored by Alexander, the Son of Fire and the Lord of War.
Walking beside the High Lord Regent the gaunt Lord Justice Pierce Brun Ryder. Although City Lord of Saepinum in Si Anisum Ryder rarely leaves the imperial capital. He was charged with directing magistrates for the entire Empire. His House is sponsored by Fulvius the Lord of Justice and Balance. Arya believed that Ryder was fortunate that Fulvius no longer watched mortal affairs. The Lord of Justice would not react well to the way his patroned house had corrupted the legal system. In recent times the rule of law had been destroyed by unethical greed within the magistrates. Crimes could disappear with money. In the last decade House Ryder had become rich indeed.
In outwards appearance an observer wouldn’t know that the High Lord Henry Brun Saville was the most powerful man in the Empire. Other than the robe bedecked in jewels he is a rather nondescript man. Short and Slightly overweight he didn’t look like the leader but all who saw him eyed him with awe and little bit of fear. He was known for his petty cruelties and his abuse of power. High House Saville itself had come to the exalted position almost a millennium before because they had been prepared to fight for it. Everyone else had just desired peace. It is assumed that the last Emperor came to an untimely end, it is not realised that the direct imperial line had simply died out. The last four heirs had been unable to sire children. The last Emperor had died in his 83rd year of life. Arya assumed that Aelius the God of Light had revoked his blessing upon the imperial family or had his own reasons for ending the line. High House Saville is sponsored by the greatly feared Luciaver Son of Earth, Titan of the Abyss.
With all in attendance, the monthly meeting of the Ruling Council began. Arya watched on as they discussed raising taxes and after 20 minutes of said discussion they decided to leave them the same. Bankes proposed raising the military budget and had it confirmed. It was all very boring. The leaders of the Empire droned on and on and if Arya didn’t know better Lord Arundell was asleep for most of it. “Nasty business that” was all Saville said when the Minister of Information, Feucht, mentioned the attack on Tusmørke Castle. Arya watched the faces of the council members closely. She saw sadness in the eyes of Somerwake while Arundell appeared to be watching the others as closely as she was. Saville and Feucht were eyeing Ashgrove with knowing looks. Bankes and Ashgrove were trying to hide smirks but their looks of feigned sadness were defeated by the tilting up of the corners of their mouths. The other three’s expressions were hidden from view. The shadows of the lamplight hiding their faces. Arya believed that the faces of the others had proven her lady’s suspicions. They spent another 20 minutes discussing troop movements in the Southern regions in the continent. It appeared that the Desert province Xanthus was moving away from the Empire or at the very least several of the tribal lords were actively supporting the separatist soldiers. Arya soon lost interest, mortals fought often and over confusing reasons and it hadn’t truly changed over time even with this seeming everlasting imperial peace. The meeting came to an abrupt end. There was no time limit on the meeting but it was apparent that they had run out of things to talk about with everybody present that is. There were several annoyed glances towards Arundell and Somerwake although they looked like they wanted to be there as much as everyone else wanted them gone. The Regent was the first to leave with the others standing in a respectful silence as he exited. With him gone the rest quickly filed out.
Arya stood on the cabinet and stretched her muscles she had been up there for far too long and she was looking forward to returning to the Astral Plane. She froze suddenly. A creeping feeling of being watched had come over her. Her eyes observed the room closely, her head tilted slightly hoping to hear something of her hidden watcher. If she hadn’t had subconscious warning she would have died. Diving off the cabinet a shuriken struck the wall where her head was. Fairies were known for their speed. At full speed she was just a tiny blur. Even with this speed, knives flew past millimetres from her small form and without swift shifts in directions she would have been struck. In her periphery she could see goblins materialising as the shadows surrounding them dissipated. The room was the filled with the sounds of metal striking stone or wood. Panic clutched her heart and she strained to fly faster. The mere seconds which it took to escape the room was filled with panic fuelled weaving and swerving. Between chair legs she flew as Winters chosen assassins threw their chosen weapons. Escaping out the door she searched in vain for a surface in which to escape the mortal realm. In the hallway fewer missiles came at her but those still gave heart wrenching moments as they whipped by a hairsbreadth away. At the opposite side of the corridor she came upon an open room. Taking a chance, she entered. Arya’s head swivelled frantically and in the corner of her eye she saw it. A mirror! It was a simple looking glass but fortunately it was just large enough for Arya to use. Speeding towards her new target Arya strained for increased speed.
The mirror shattered as a crossbow bolt struck it, a sinister green liquid dripped from the tip. The wielder grunted in disgust. Fortunately, Arya was gone.