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Back to "Chapter 10 - An Old Friend (1st Pass)" As Lady Tyrnâs servant slowly led the way toward the southwest wing, he had some time to think. The more he thought back over all that had happened the past week, the more unanswered questions he found. Most of the questions regarded the recent attacks by the demons and their motives. He knew from past experience that everything had a motive, even if it wasnât human. Weather it be hunger, power, money, or any one of the primal needs, there was always something that made someone tick. Looking back on the first attack, the demons were organized and dedicated to their cause. John didnât know if he could think of the demons as humans, but, from what he had gathered so far, it was hard not to think of them otherwise. They knew whom to strike, and that meant intelligence. Not only that but coordinating the attacks on both Nicolas and the Head Mistress also meant there was a leader behind them. It still didnât add up to John. If demons just appeared out of the sky, how did they get from a farmerâs field to be part of an organized attack against a powerful enemy? He knew there was something missing, but he couldnât put his finger on it. Perhaps the demons could control where the hole would open up next. That thought mad him shutter. Their small group rounded the last corner of the Ring, and they came to the entrance of the southwest wing. Two Devotees were stationed at the mouth of the corridor, both looking bored. Upon seeing their guide, they stepped aside for them to pass. A few spans farther down, they came to a door guarded by two Bloods. Unlike the Devotees, they were dangerously alert. John could tell who they were by the red tear drop shaped tattoo on the back of one of the soldierâs hands. Seeing John, they gave a series of knocks to the door before stepping aside for the small group. He wasnât surprised that the two privates didnât salute him. In the Blood, chain of command was different. Even if General Briar had accompanied them, they still wouldnât have shown respect. He expected Mia to stay outside but she kept to his side, for which he was grateful. John thought his muscles had finally stopped changing, but he didnât want to risk falling on his face in front of the heir to the Ceâl Throne. Their guide led them through a small room just inside the entrance that housed four more Bloods. âSir, Iâll have to ask you to hand over your weapons,â said a man who had the golden stripe of a Lieutenant pinned to his shoulders. John removed his daâkka, his sword, and the two dart knives he had hidden on himself. The soldierâs eyebrows rose at the later in silent surprise. He knew they wouldnât have caught them even if they had patted him down, and he wanted to give the Blood a smirk but thought better of it. With a nod to the servant, they filed passed the guards. The Ceâlian servant asked them to wait there and walked off through another door. They waited patiently until a woman appeared in servant livery. âMy Lady will have you now, Sergeant.â she said with a low curtsey. They followed her into the next room, which was another waiting room, but bigger--much bigger. The Lady Tyrn came in just as they did from yet another room. She wasnât drop dead gorgeous like all the women he had seen lately, but she was pretty. Just a few inches shorter than Mia, Tyrn looked as tall as he. Something about her stance reminded him of Guinavev. âSergeant John Wyden, we finally meet,â the Lady Tyrn said. John released Mia and bowed deeply. He caught Mia from the corner of his eye follow his example. She gracefully made an impossibly deep curtsied before grabbing Johnâs unsteady body. âMy Lady, you honor me,â he said simply as he straitened. This is surreal. âWould you join me for some wine and dessert? These Slayers have surprisingly good taste.â âI would, thank you, my Lady.â As John followed her back into the room she had come from, Tyrn said, âWould you wife like some as well?â John stumbled and almost took Mia with him. âIâm sorry, a bad joke,â the Ceâlian woman mused as she rounded the corner of a large heavy oak table that stood in the very center of the room. It was a dinning room and two plates had already been laid out for them. She motioned him to sit down. âIâm sure you are wondering why Iâve called you here.â John nodded absently, âThe thought had crossed my mind.â Mia lowered him down into his seat before taking up her place along the wall. The moment they were both seated, two servants entered with trays laden with plates of dessert. As they were laying the trays out in front of them, Tyrn said, âWhen I asked General Briar Taâlee about the two Ceâlian men who had recently come under the care of Tekal, your name was mentioned frequently. He speaks very highly of you as a strategist as well as a friend. I was hoping to use both of those qualities.â She goes right to the point with underlying expectations--definitely Guinavev. John reached for a piece of cake and, taking his time cutting a piece off with his fork, popped it into his mouth. Tyrn took her own bite as well and waited patiently for him. âThe General gives me more credit then I deserve, My Lady.â he said cautiously. âBut my loyalties are to the Empire, if thatâs what you are asking.â For some reason, he felt as if there was a trap closing in around him that he couldnât quite see. âWhat are your thoughts on Tekal in general?â She asked, ignoring his bait. Setting the fork down, he took a sip of wine. As he set his glass down, he said, âA very powerful nation.â She blinked. âThatâs it?â He smiled and shrugged. âIt would be better if I knew what you are trying to do, but I donât think Iâll be hearing it even if you tell me. Now, if you want my thoughts from a military standpoint, I think Tekal has a very dangerous tool at its disposal and, if it wasnât for the demons, Iâd be worried.â She pursed her lips and took another sip. Slowly, the Lady said, âAt the Summit, Iâll be announcing that the trade embargo with the northern lands will be lifted.â He nodded. âI thought as much. But thatâs not what is worrying you, is it, my Lady?â Tyrnâs eyes narrowed. âHe was right about one thing,â she muttered to herself. John was enjoying his new eavesdropping super hearing. âYes, you are right,â she said finally. John waited expectantly but she didnât offer anything else. Tyrn eyeâs drifted to Mia, and John slowly grasped part of the problem. If she lifted the embargo and the doors to the Empire were opened, slavery would soon become an issue. While at first it may only be the black markets, sooner or later a few members of the Council of Thirteen would propose the idea of letting slaves be legal. It was a catalyst, but that was only one small problem. Where does Tekal fit in this? âMay I ask why you want to lift the embargo? I think the saying âif it isnât broken, donât fix itâ would apply to this.â Instead of answering, she asked, âWhat do you do when you want to pet a stray dog?â John hadnât expected the question, but the answer came to mind quickly, âYou make sure you have a stick in the other hand.â She smiled, returning, âThat pretty much sums up my problem.â She beats around the bush as much as Nina does. âSo you are worried that your stick isnât big enough?â John offered. She nodded. âIf the dog is TekalâŚwith all due respect, my Lady, I think youâre barking up the wrong tree. From a clearly tactical standpoint, there would be no sense in doing it.â Tyrn raised her hand to stop him, âYou are jumping to conclusions.â John stopped the growl that had been forming in his throat. How was he to help if she didnât tell him anything? He set his glass of wine down almost a little too heavily. Heir to Ceâl Throne or not, Iâm done jumping through hoops. The realization dawned on him that he most likely wasnât going back to the Empire and that he could care less about the woman sitting in front of him. Why was I nervous before? She is just another Celia. The Lady took a bite of her apple pastry and closed her eyes in bliss. When she swallowed the piece, she said, âLifting the embargo isnât the only thing that Iâll be announcing. Two other items are on my agenda that day, one of which will affect you.â She took another bite and sighed in delight. John patiently waited. âIâll be also lifting the ceiling to all the Guardsâ ranks for peasants, but that wonât happen until early next year, officially.â Johnâs eyes widened. âYou mean a peasant could become the Captain-General?â Tyrn nodded, âNow will you stop being agitated?â She was amused; much like Nina was with him at times. âMy other announcement will be that the seats to the Council of Thirteen and the High Council will be opened to anyone, no matter what family they were born into.â John leaned back heavily into his chair and made a low whistle. That. Is. Huge. The Council of Thirteen was the part of the lawmaking body of the Empireâs government. Each House voted for a representative for their House, and that person held a seat in the Council of Thirteen for three years. The High Council was the next step in the law making process; they approved the laws before they were finalized by the Empress herself. The High Council was limited to only three seats. One of the seats was given out by the Empress while the other two were decided by the Thirteen at the end of every election. A peasant could only go as far as Mayor of a town, similar to the ceiling of Sergeant in the military. If the seats to the law making part of the government were opened up to the peasants, John didnât know what would happen. The Thirteen Houses wouldnât be happy at all, for once. As if reading his thoughts, she said, âIâve already received support from five of the Houses. I plan on restructuring the entire lawmaking body of our government.â âWhy would they agree? It doesnât make sense.â Tyrn smiled. âThere will actually be twenty-six seats, thirteen for the peasants and thirteen for the nobles. Each party must agree with each other before a law can pass. There wonât be a High Council after this Summit.â It's smart. I think it would work. Perhaps a pay off here and there from the royals, but that could be easily fixed. âOnly problem might be that no laws would be passed,â John commented. She shrugged. âLess work for me, then. Once they figure out that they have to work with each other to get things doneâŚwho knows what will happen. Right now the government is too corrupt. Itâs time to bring them back down to earth.â John had a feeling that there had been an incident with one of the royals. His eyes suddenly narrowed. âWhy are you telling me all of this?â Tyrn stalled herself by taking a sip of her wine. Finally she said, âFor a few reasons, to be honest. When this hits the fan, I wonât have many allies. Your reputation as a man who gets things done and your popularity with the peasants would help me greatly. That may sound coldhearted, but it is the truth. Briar trusts you completely and told me I should do the same. Your affiliation to Tekal will also be a great help down the road. I need someone I can count on, and one who has had experience with the northern cultures from a nonpolitical viewpoint. The people are the ones who power the Empire, not the royals. The implications of the trade embargo alone will be a culture shock to everyone.â John slowly nodded. âThe fact that you will be alive when my daughterâs daughter has taken the throne also helps.â He hadnât thought on what he was going to be doing the next thousand years. It was one of the things heâd been trying to ignore lately. So many doors, so many opportunities. âAnd lastly, having a friend who doesnât bend over backwards to me would be a relief.â He blinked, realizing he hadnât said âmy Ladyâ as much as he should have been--or prostrating himself as he had planned. âUmmm,â John was speechless. Thatâs called being sideswiped there John, a little voice said almost with glee. âI know most people here stay on as Slayers, and I know that this is a lot to put on you so suddenly, but think it over.â And thereâs that bloody trap. John knew he was being used, somehow. Being handed over a promotion and the ear of the future Empress of the Ceâlian Empire, an Empire that was about to go through some vast changes in the next few years, was too good to be what it was at face value. The red flags were there; he just couldnât see what they meant. I might just have to trust that Briar knows what he is getting me into. âEnough serious talk. Have you heard of Mistress Guinavev of the Minstrel Guild?â she asked curiously. âI just heard her performance. Iâm thinking of offering her an estate if she comes to the Empire.â The change was subtle, but John saw it. Sheâd gone from the heir of the Ceâlian Empire to a simple woman. âYes, I have. You actually remind me of her.â It was her turn to be taken aback. âYou have met her before? Iâd love to meet her. Sheâs...sheâsâŚâ âAmazing?â John laughed. âOr demanding? I have yet to decide on which.â He pushed a plate of cherry filled pastries towards Miaâs direction. John wanted to test his new relationship with Tyrn. Most bluebloods scorned servants who werenât in their place. Mia hesitated only a moment before stepping forward for the offering. He kept his eyes on Tyrn. John didnât want to believe that Tyrn was putting on an act to manipulate him somehow, but heâd been burned too many times before by bluebloods. She could promise him Deshar, but it wouldnât be worth a penny till she signed it over in writing--which, in the case of most bluebloods, would never happen. Tyrn followed the plate and looked up to Mia. Gasping, she said, âI apologize. Please have a seat, I forgot my company. Iâm used to the stricter type of guests who donât allow their servants to eat.â Mia hesitated and looked to John, but he continued to watch the Ceâlian woman. âIâm not his servant, my Lady. Iâm his slave.â âWhat?â Tyrn demanded as she turned to John. I guess sheâs the real deal, or she is one helluva politician. Who would have thought it? âShe was given to me. I had no say in it; believe me.â John gave Mia a sly smile. âAll of the students are given a slave since no one is allowed to bring their own here.â Tyrn shook her head in wonder, and then suddenly raised an eyebrow at him. âDemanding you say?â John laughed at her delayed reaction and said, âIâd be glad to introduce her to you. She has more stories than the Book of Virtues.â He caught Mia smiling at the comment before she took a bite of the pastry. John shot to his feet when his ears caught a faint gurgle and the scruff of boots. There was no mistake about what he heard. As if to reinforce his guess, his sixth sense started tingling. âWhat is it?â Tyrn asked a bit alarmed. Mia look at him in shock, and then to the door that he was staring at, âAnother attack, Master?â âTake Lady Tyrn to the farthest room and lock yourselves in,â he said as he looked around the room. âBut I could--â âThatâs an order, Mia. Iâll hold them off as long as I can. Now go!â She stiffened at his tone. Tyrn looked wide-eyed from John to Mia. âWhatâs going on?â She demanded, now close to a panic. Mia grabbed her by the arm and almost dragged her through another doorway. John grabbed the heavy oak table and was surprised at how easily he could lift it up. One of these days Iâd like to know how much I can lift. That is, if I live through this one, John thought darkly to himself. "Chapter 12 - Third Times the Charm (1st Pass)" |