Test The Awakened: Book Two, page 22
Cheers of approval went up from the rest of the council. Dacien stood and clapped as well, a deep satisfaction welling within him. At a time of such turmoil, he was confident that the council had chosen wisely.
Magnus spoke over the applause as it slowly quieted. “We will have to postpone the coronation as well as the funeral due to our urgent situation. However, I think a small celebration is in order. The gods know that we could all use a respite. Tomorrow evening, we will have a banquet, and all of the most influential citizens of the city will be invited. During the feast, I will announce my plans to bring this Empire together and make it strong once again. And I will proclaim the following day as a day of rest and play for the citizens of Orud. No work is to be done within the city until sunrise the next day.”
The young man from the council replied. “That’s only one day. Will you have enough time?”
“It will be enough,” Magnus answered. “Sleep will have to wait. My first order of business will be to appoint our new Naval Commanders.”
“Do you have any thoughts on who you will choose?” the older man asked.
“I will start by speaking with the second in command from each navy, although I will not necessarily choose them. I will be looking for strong leaders, regardless of age or seniority. Skilled men are what we need in times like these. I know this has been a point of contention in the past, but I expect your full support.”
“You have it. We are ready for change,” the man replied.
“Very well. I have a busy night ahead of me, but I will see you all at the banquet tomorrow evening.”
“Hail Emperor of Orud,” the council members shouted as Magnus walked down the aisle.
Dacien smiled. Now we’re getting somewhere!
* * * *
Kael chewed a piece of roasted chicken, while Dacien recounted the events of the past few days. He and the other soldiers from Leoran sat at the table and shared dinner as had become their tradition since arriving in Orud. It was amazing how quickly things could change. One day, Kael was riding back toward his home in Bastul, and now he sat with a General in the Empire’s capital city, discussing the appointing of a new Emperor.
He was doing his best to stay engaged in the conversation. And though it was all very interesting, especially the battle with the Korgs, Kael was deeply troubled. He hadn’t had a moment alone with Dacien since his return, and it looked like he wouldn’t get to speak with him anytime soon. He was burning inside with a vital piece of information, but he’d only shared his history with Dacien, so he couldn’t speak openly in front of the others.
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Narian leading the Syvaku was strange by itself. But after seeing the assassin… It must have been Ukiru. No else could move like that! And if that’s the case, then the logical conclusion is that they are all behind the attacks on the Empire. I need to discuss this with Dacien. I have to get him alone!
“…what do you think?”
“Sorry?” Kael questioned, shaking off his thoughts. “Were you talking to me?”
“Of course I was,” Dacien replied. “I said the new Emperor wants to meet you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Well, actually, he wasn’t Emperor at the time he asked about you. It was while we were returning from the north. He said he wanted to meet you, so I thought this banquet would be a good opportunity.”
“Sure,” Kael responded.
“Try not to sound so excited,” one of the soldiers said.
“Alright. I would be honored to accompany you to the banquet.”
“That’s better,” Dacien said, raising his glass.
Kael tried to make eye contact with Dacien, who was in good spirits this evening and clearly enjoying his wine. When he finally looked back, Kael tried to get his attention. “…could we…” he began, nodding his head away from the table.
“No,” Dacien announced. “No more serious discussion. This is a time for celebration. Eat your food and drink your wine.”
Kael shrank back in his chair.
* * * *
The sound of wheels against the dirt road brought Maeryn out of her seat. She ran to the edge of the porch and saw Magnus’ carriage coming down toward the house. She tried to wait patiently, but her wringing hands indicated otherwise. Putting them behind her back, she stared out to the road.
That’s strange! What are those soldiers doing with him?
A moment of panic seized her throat as she feared that their secret had been revealed. Trying to calm herself down, she thought of the possible explanations.
He is a general, so he does have soldiers. Perhaps with all that’s been happening, he is traveling with increased protection.
The carriage stopped and Magnus stepped out.
Maeryn walked briskly out to meet him. “I’ve been worried sick. They said that the Emperor was assassinated. Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” he dismissed.
Maeryn could see that he wasn’t fine. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with red lids. He looked as though he hadn’t slept at all. “Is something wrong?” she asked, looking to the soldiers who had come up beside Magnus.
“Please give us a minute,” he asked the guards.
“Yes, your majesty,” they replied, bowing low.
“…your majesty?” Maeryn questioned.
“I’ll explain. Let’s take a walk.”
Magnus led Maeryn toward the cliff overlooking the ocean. They were both silent until out of hearing from the soldiers.
“Alright. Tell me what is going on.”
“Maeryn. Something incredible has happened. It’s tragic, but amazing at the same time.”
“What?” Maeryn pleaded.
“You are looking at the newly appointed Emperor of the Orudan Empire.”
Maeryn stopped walking and turned to the man whom she had grown strangely attracted to. She put her hand over her mouth and stared at him for moment, taking in his words. Their relationship was strange enough as it was, but now this!
“Isn’t it amazing?”
Maeryn removed her hand from her mouth. “They appointed you after…”
“Yes,” he replied.
“And now you’re…”
“Yes.”
“That means…”
“Exactly!” he exclaimed. “Think of what we can do now.”
“But how will you explain to the council?”
Magnus smiled. “They don’t have to know. But I’m the Emperor now; I can change it all. I can put an end to the slave trade. In fact, that’s why I’m here. I’m having a banquet and I want you to come.”
“…as what?” Maeryn asked. “I’m flattered, but I won’t go back on what I said just because you’re an Emperor now.”
“I didn’t expect that you would,” Magnus replied with a gleam in his eye. “You can come as my guest, or anonymously if you wish. But I would like to share this moment with you. I will be presenting the new Naval Commanders and laying out my plan to unite this Empire against our enemies.”
Maeryn was silent.
“Will you come?”
“What about Aelia?”
“Of course she can come, as well. So what do you think?”
A slow smile spread across Maeryn’s face. “Your majesty,” she bowed. “It would be an honor.”
Chapter 22
The feast was being held on a rooftop terrace on the Palace grounds. Kael and Dacien arrived together, but Kael still hadn’t been able to inform the General of what he thought was happening. It was frustrating, but he tried to stay in the moment and enjoy the feast.
There will be time tomorrow, after the feast!
The building was surrounded by a double assignment of guards, who pulled their spears apart when they saw Dacien. Kael followed a half-step behind, enjoying the privileges of traveling with his friend.
A short flight of stairs led them to the rooftop, which was lavishly decorated for the occasion. Sconces burned along the short walls surrounding three sides of the building. It was already crowded with honored guests of every powerful family in the region. The members of the High Council were also present. At the far end, a canopy covered a wide table with five chairs facing back toward the rest of the terrace. Behind the center chair, and raised slightly, was an elaborately carved chair with a dark-haired man seated casually. He was leaning forward and speaking into the ear of the man seated in front of him.
“Is that him?” Kael asked.
“Yes,” he said, pointing. “In front of the Emperor is the newly appointed General of the Northern Territory. The men to the left are the Northern and Southern Naval Commanders, and to the right is the Eastern General.”
“And the empty seat is yours.”
“Precisely!”
“So you brought me to this feast so that I could make small talk with strangers?”
Dacien smiled. “But they are the wealthiest citizens in the Empire.”
“Well, in that case, I think I can manage.”
“You didn’t think you would get to sit with the Emperor, did you?”
“No. I don’t think that highly of myself.” Kael shot back with a grin.
“I must take my seat. Do try to stay out of trouble.”
“Certainly,” Kael replied.
As Dacien walked to the front of the terrace, Kael glanced around the rooftop. In the fading light of dusk, the extravagance was impressive. Everywhere he looked, there were servants, both male and female, walking briskly with platters of food and goblets of wine. Kael grabbed a goblet from the nearest tray and moved to the side of the building. Contented to watch the interesting people, he took a seat near the wall.
Dacien took his seat next to the General from the east and immediately struck up a conversation. Kael smiled and looked up to the darkening sky. Dacien was made for this sort of thing. The first time Kael met him in Bastul, he could tell that the man was a good leader.
“Are you hungry, my lord?”
Kael looked up to find an attractive young woman extending a platter of cheeses and olives. “Oh, I’m not a lord; I’m just here to watch all of you beautiful people.”
The woman giggled.
Perhaps this won’t be such a dull evening after all!
The evening proceeded more quickly than Kael expected it to. He avoided conversation with the elderly gentlemen who seemed to be professional conversationalists. He wondered if these men ever worked a day in their lives. Instead, he made it a point to talk briefly with the young servant woman each time she passed by. Sadly, she informed Kael that she couldn’t stop working and had to keep moving so that her master wouldn’t notice. And so the evening went, with spurts of conversation and moments of eye contact from across the room.
Two hours after sunset, the crowded rooftop grew silent, as if coordinated by some signal. Kael, distracted by his new acquaintance, didn’t notice what was happening until the very last second. He quickly took his seat as the Emperor rose from his throne. The blonde woman that had been at his side all evening took a seat near Dacien.
“Honored guests,” the Emperor began, loud enough for all to hear, without showing any extra effort. “I am pleased that you have joined me in this small celebration. And I hope that the food and drink are to your liking.”
This brought a cheer from the crowd. Kael clapped his hands to keep from standing out.
“Until sundown tomorrow, our time of celebration will continue. But amidst our joy, I cannot forget the tragedy that has befallen our Empire. Therefore, we come to the real purpose of this meeting. I have brought you all here so that you may be the first to hear of my plans to restore this Empire to the status that it has fought so hard to attain. There was a time when the name of the Orudan Empire would strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. There was even a time when our enemies had been so defeated, to the point that they were hardly of any consequence to the citizens of this great country. Sadly, those days are over.”
Kael caught the eyes of the servant girl and nodded for her to come over. She winked an acknowledgement then began to make her way slowly through the crowd. This time she carried wine and was stopped more often by the other guests.
“…these changes will be difficult for some,” the Emperor continued. “…but we have much work to do and it will take our united efforts to regain our former power. And so, over the next few weeks, the laws will be changed thusly—first, the structure of our military forces will be reorganized to eliminate the non-combatants. Soldiers will carry their own provisions and be more self-sufficient, not relying on costly and slow supply trains for food and provision. Secondly, we will create smaller, more efficient groups, able to cover more distance at a time. This will give us flexibility in dealing with the disorganized and often unmanageable way in which our enemies attack. And we will no longer be vulnerable to losing provisions for an entire army by one focused attack.”
The servant girl finally made it over to Kael. “Here I am. Would you care for some wine?”
Kael accepted. “I never asked you your name,” he whispered in her ear.
“And you still haven’t,” she wittily replied.
“Alright, what is your name?”
“Julia.”
Suddenly, several members of the crowd came to their feet amidst mixed sounds of disapproval and cheering.
Kael wondered what the Emperor had said. Evidently, it was something that had caused the guests to divide into two distinct groups.
“…it is on the backs of these people that our nation has been built. But they are treated as though they have no value.” Now the Emperor was shouting. “We, in Orud, are insulated from what is happening in the rest of the Empire. This night, we have an honored guest who has seen first-hand the treachery of the enemy.”
A feeling of panic shot through Kael’s body like a bolt of lightning. He knew the Emperor spoke of him, and knew that he was going to be publicly used to make a point. It was the worst feeling for someone who didn’t like attention.
Kael looked to Dacien who was waving at him to come to the front. Kael took a deep breath and began to make his way through the congested rooftop, his heart beating madly within his chest.
“After destroying ten cities along the western shore, the two barbarian armies turned inland and attacked the capital of Leoran. This man to my left,” he said, pointing to Dacien, “led the brave Leorans to victory. But the final blow was dealt by this man coming forward now. As the Syvak warlord escaped into the forests, this brave man gave chase, returning with the barbarian’s head.”
The crowd gasped at the description of war and things that they would rather not know.
“Kneel, servant of Orud. And receive my blessing, for you have shown courage beyond measure and have done what few in this Empire are willing to do, what few have the stomach for.”
Kael knelt and bowed his head to the floor as the Emperor neared him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Kael breathed heavily, trying to steady his heart as he did when exerting himself. Slowly, he felt himself calm, helped to a large degree by the sound of the Emperor’s voice. It was soothing, yet powerful, with a familiar tone. He was good at speaking and could see why Dacien said he commanded an audience.
Such a familiar sound….
Suddenly, fear gripped Kael’s heart and his body felt weak—a fear that went far beyond that of discomfort at being in front of a crowd. It was a primal fear that compelled him to either fight or run.
The High Priest!
The realization hit him like the impact of the ocean after falling from the cliffs of the monastery.
“There was a time when we, as a people, had the stomach to live in a world of barbarians, and carve out a piece of it. A piece that we determined would be our home. A piece of land that we would defend with our very lives. An Empire that could never be destroyed. We have grown weak. We have grown fat. We have grown lazy. We have others do our work so that we may live in luxury. No longer. It will not be tolerated!”
Kael began to sweat and his throat tightened.
{I can feel your fear, Kael…you traitor!}
The words came into Kael’s mind, uninvited.
{You have every reason to fear for your life.}
{You are surrounded by those you betrayed!}
The words in Kael’s mind came from the High Priest, even as he continued to speak audibly to the crowd.
“Rise, brave warrior.”
Kael pushed with wobbly knees until he stood in front of the only man he feared. He looked into piercing blue eyes and felt the same horrible presence emanating from the man that he experienced at the Temple so many years ago. He wasn’t just a man. There was something else there; something evil and powerful.
{Look around and see what you have forsaken,}
{for you will not live to see the sunrise!}
Kael focused his eyes on those that sat at table behind the Emperor. To the far left, he recognized Horace, the Southern Naval Commander. To Horace’s left, sat Arden, the Northern Naval Commander. Over the Emperor’s other shoulder was Berit, newly appointed to the position of Northern General in the place of the Emperor. Then there was the General of the Eastern Territory. Soren looked intensely into Kael’s eyes and another voice entered Kael’s mind.
{You will wish that you had died in that ocean!}
Finally, there was Dacien, beaming proudly at the audible words that the Emperor spoke of his friend.
Kael felt nauseous. He had run from his past for so many years. And now his past sat in front of him, with murder on their minds.
The Emperor released his grip on Kael’s shoulder and took a few steps back, motioning to his left. Kael looked over to Dacien who was now on his feet, indicating that Kael should take his seat. The Emperor continued to speak to the crowd and Kael moved slowly in Dacien’s direction.
A white-haired man sat against the wall. A servant girl passed by, but not the one Kael knew. These people were oblivious to what was happening. They were entranced by the High Priest and his poisonous tongue.
Instinctively, Kael burst into a run. Using a chair as leverage, he vaulted into the air and over the wall, tucking into a flip as he moved away from the building. Two seconds passed before he felt the fabric of the awning give way beneath him. The sound of tearing and rending of metal supports preceded his awkward landing to the ground.
