Ch1. Into the Gentle Night - SECTION A

SECTION A


====PART 1====


Lord Rono made his way down the main hall. The afternoon sun glistened through the arches, distorting the faces of the statues and busts. He went up a flight of long and wide stairs, greeting people as they walked by.

He ran his hand through his sun bleached hair, making sure each strand was perfectly in place. As he ascended the grand oak wood staircase, his sleeveless blue vest fluttered. His tan, chiseled arms flexed as he tapped on the stairwell as he made his way up. Well educated, Rono was battle tested and regarded as the most promising young general.

He held a thin stack of scrolls in his left hand, most likely concerning the events of the day. The Illyrian Senate was in session today. As one of its highest ranking and youngest members, he had expectations to fulfil. Fortunately, his reputation as a man of uncompromising convictions had allowed him to exceed those expectations.

"I look forward to seeing you in the Senate today, Lord Rono." A short, stocky man shuffled over to him. His round cheeks and thick nose flushed red and his short curls bounced around him as he quickened his pace, as he approached.

"As do I, Lord Orszag."

For now, Rono was on his way to one of the Senate's many dining rooms on the second floor. While the actual Senate chamber was, more often than not, a place for over-rehearsed dramatics, the many dining rooms on this floor played host to the actual politics. Yet, he was not here to negotiate, but rather to meet his wife, Aertenia, and the Illyrian Prince who happened to be his cousin.

"Aertenia is waiting for you ... rather impatiently!" A well groomed Senator huddled in a small group called out to Rono.

"I hope you provided her with the reprieve of your company!" Rono replied as he continued on, raising his hand to knowledge his colleague.

This was an intimate tradition that Aertenia had begun. Before most sessions of Senate, they would eat together in what was often an empty dining room. Other than the three, the group included her slightly older brother, Lord Rambis, and her childhood friend Bresia. Rambis and Bresia, for their part, had engaged in a pleasant relationship that had begun early in the summer and coincided with Rono's marriage. Though only recently wed, Rono and Aertenia had seemingly been together since they were children in the royal court.

He walked down the hall a bit more and turned left into the dining room. This was a square room, with about twelve medium sized round tables and presented a great view of the city of Illyria. The room was largely empty save for one table roughly in the middle. Aertenia and Prince Duncan were sitting and talking.

Duncan was the first to notice his cousin enter and met him half way. The two men hugged. Rono came to the table and kissed Aertenia who remained seated. He tossed the scrolls on the table and sat next to her.

"A little late." Her voice was a combination of honey and iron filings.

Aertenia was dressed in a shimmering silver gown, with a plunging neckline. An accordion pleated skirt fell gracefully from the gown's empire waist. She was part of the Thracians, a tribe ethnically the same as the Illyrians that had merged into the city before any of them had been born. Quick witted and sometimes outspoken she was practical and, in this regard, complemented Rono's nature quite well.

"There were a few things I needed to look over. Do I ask if Rambis is here?"

"Neither is Bresia." Duncan sat as he was met by Aertenia's unamused look.

"I would feel much better if you had courted Bresia, Duncan." Her dark, long hair fanned out in dark cascading waves as she turned to the prince

"If I know Rambis, Duncan will have the chance soon enough," Rono quipped as Aertenia hit him in the shoulder.

"By the gods, my eyes are deceiving me!" Duncan looked up toward the door as Rambis, dressed in a dark blue vest, walked in. He had a similar chiseled physic as Rono and long black hair that flowed freely as he walked to the table.

"Judging by the women you court, they often do." Rambis smiled greeting the table.

"Yet you gladly accept what I leave behind." Duncan responded.

"Enough!" Aertenia intruded, "Why is it that you walk in and the conversation turns to degrading women?"

"I'm Rambis."

"We feared your attendance would be blemished." Rono changed the conversation.

"We wouldn't want that." Rambis picked up the scrolls. He brushed his dark hair back, showing a prominent widow's peak that seemed to dig deeper into his forehead than Aertenia's did, and sat back flipping through the scrolls.

====PART 2====

Rambis came from the Thracian tribe. Ethnically the same, the Thracians had, until recently, lived independently. Rambis' father had been their king; and his before him, and so on until they joined with the Illyrians and ceded rule to Glaukius.

As a child, Rambis was endowed with superior physical attributes and the confidence that followed. Society had placed very few limitations on him. As he had grown, and excelled in battle, those few limits were erased, save for one: he could never be King.

Consequently, there was a clear feeling that he was not accountable; that the laws of the land did not apply to him. In the mornings he was often seen half-naked, with just a towel around him - chiseled abs and all shank. Completely unselfconscious in a display of tremendous self-assurance.

Publicly, he was known for his piquant wit and could be unsparing in his criticism of the Senate. He was known for pleasantly short affairs and could never remember women's names. They were simply 'conquests' to him. This was not to say Rambis was not affectionate, showering them with gifts during and, often, after the affair. Women, for their part, basked in the audacity, the intensity, and overall excitement that was him.

Bresia, however, was different. There was a name to the face. One that had always been there. He was intrigued by it. She was swept by the thrill.

"Where is Bresia?" Aertenia leaned in, her curls rested on the table.

"I thought she would be here. We do not spend that much time together," Rambis' voice was now a little over a whisper, "only night and morning." He smiled as Aertenia flung a grape at him.

They sat eating fruits when Bresia walked in. Her long red gown hung sensually by one shoulder strap, the empire waist perfectly accentuated her full bust where rows of beading glimmered in the soft light.

She was wearing a long, red, one shoulder gown with an empire waist. Under the bust of the gown, rows of subtle beading added terrific detail to the dress.

"Bresia!" Duncan called as the woman approached.

"Where were you?" Aertenia stood and hugged her friend.

"I was with Glaukius." She said.

"How is he?" Aertenia asked.

"Still bothered by the cough, so I gave him something warm to drink." Bresia sat next to Rambis. She was a warm and lively girl and laughed a great deal. Bresia had, everyone agreed, wonderful eyes and carried about her the easy flirtatious way of a girl sheltered by the royal court. No intellectual, she was ferociously loyal to her friends but lacked the tenacity that defined Aertenia. Some found her rather naive, destined to live on a man's arm.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked Rambis, smelling an odour on his breath.

"Of course not." Rambis rebuffed, still immersed in the scrolls.

"He can walk. Consider your duty done, Bresia." Duncan chimed in.

In the summer, the Senate convened only once every twenty days. But the extent of their true power, if any, was up for debate. The Senate was made up solely of men. And of the men only Noblemen and Lords were permitted to participate. The latter being only below the King, himself.

There were two types of state affairs - political policies and civil affairs. In regard to the first, the Senate only had the power to advice and recommend particular courses of action. Glaukius had the first and last say on all Illyrian policies.

On civil matters involving persons, the Senate could deliberate and decide with a simple majority. The practical reason behind this was that Glaukius did not want to be bothered with disputes over livestock. But when a civil issue peaked his interest, Glaukius would recommend a certain action. This always resulted in a complete Senate majority in favor of the King's recommendation. After all, what politician would go against their King in such a public way?

A uniformed man walked into the room and up to their table.

"My Lords, My Ladies, Pardon me for the interruption. The Senate is about to convene." He announced to the table.

"Thank you." Duncan replied.

The man bowed his head cordially and left the room.

"The den of wolves awaits." Duncan said solemnly.

"Half of them are bound to fall asleep in the Chamber, Duncan." Aertenia responded as the group rose.

"No one takes issue with those words? If they were my words..." Rambis commented.

"Because you would mention incest somewhere." Aertenia interrupted.

"The truth can be painful." He quipped under his breath as they left the dining room.

Bresia, the only one to hear his comment, struggled to keep herself from laughing.


====PART 3====


They parted ways once in the hall. Aertenia and Bresia walked down the hall and went into a balcony overlooking the Senate chamber. After all, what theater would be complete without balconies, allowing for families of statesmen to attend sessions. Even the occasional mistress.

The men went in the opposite direction. They made their way down the marble steps Rono had come up. The three entered the Chamber. For the most part they were thought of as a triumvirate. This was, at least, on the rare occasion that all three attended together.

The Chamber was a large round room. The floor gradually rose as it went back - giving the farthest corners of the chamber a clear view of the front, from where the King sat and administered. There was a stage in the front of the room and took up about a third of the length of the space. There were marble steps were accessible on either side of the stage. Two uniformed men stood on either side of the stage. They were scroll readers who read the agenda of the day and counted votes.

In the middle of the stage was a podium and a high-backed throne which Glaukius had occupied for what seemed like an eternity. To the far right of the stage was another, less intimidating, throne. Duncan had sat here ever since coming of age. To the left of Glaukius sat the Queen. This particular seat had been empty for years.

The high dome-like ceiling was decorated with square etchings and was just underneath the roof. The second floor balconies protruded prominently through the high chamber walls underneath the dome ceiling.

The Senate signified the biggest difference between the three. Rono was steadfast in his charge to develop the Senate into a truly productive instrument for the city. He strove to redefine its role as a legitimate organization that could aid the King.

Rambis, on his part, held an uncompromising resentment toward the entity. When his father had ceded day-to-day rule of the Thracians over to Glaukius, he had been presented with a permanent seat on the Senate for himself and all his future male heirs. This was one of the many gifts Glaukius had bestowed on him. But sensing the lack of true power and resolve, Rambis saw it as a poor excuse to hide the fact that he had been stripped of, what he thought to be, his rightful power to rule.

Duncan was well aware that, while the Senate rarely performed a worthwhile duty, many of Illyria's generals were also Senators as were a majority of the well-to-do merchants who provided the backbone to the city's overall prosperity. He understood the real need for the Senate wasn't in its sessions, but simply in bringing the city's elite together, under one roof at one time.


====PART 4====


The statesmen mingled as they waited for their King to enter. Momentarily, King Glaukius was announced and the room broke out into applause as he entered. Politicians would be politicians.

"Still believe in these people?" Rambis asked Rono only to be greeted by a cold stare as they parted ways, going to their seats in the front.

Not necessarily a handsome man, Glaukius had fine, straight features and a spare, upright frame. A deeply emotional man, he mistrusted emotion in others - especially when the others were statesmen standing in this same room. Emotion was good when it brought people to desire and strive for the best - as it did in Rono, whom he was earnestly fond of. But it was dangerous when it intoxicated men, and women, for that matter.

In public, as now, Glaukius was always formal and, even perhaps, somewhat stiff - which these days was easily explained by his old age. But with his intimates, which included both Bresia and Rambis, he was rather charming and even playful. He was particularly at ease with Aertenia.

Glaukius made his way to the podium and faced his statesmen. On the podium was a neat stack of scrolls and a steaming cup of primitive herbal tea to help him cope with what he referred to as a pesky cough he had been unable to shake. In truth, however, he was dying. He motioned for the Senators to sit and signalled for one of the scroll readers to read the first item of the day. The session was under way.

"He captivates that floor into himself." Bresia observed, turning her attention to Aertenia, who smiled slightly, as Rono spoke down on the floor.

"So when are you going to make him a father?" She continued.

"He wants to wait after this issue in the north with Azarkin ends. I, on the other hand, wanted a child yesterday." She smiled at Bresia.

"Whenever it is, I only ask that you let me spoil her first." Bresia seemed to whisper on the word "her", as if to let Aertenia in on a secret.

"I think we can oblige...on both fronts." Aertenia continued, "How are things with my brother?"

"Oh, he can be a child at times, I confess . . . but then he shows me things divine." She could not hide her smile.

"I want you to know that he is as obligated to you as you are to him - if not more."

"I know him. Come to think of it, I have known him as long as I have known you, Aertenia."

"There is a difference between knowing him and being with him." Aertenia's smile faded.

"So I hear. Aertenia, I know people talk about my relationship with him. And it's fine. But I expected the courtesy of your trust in me, at the least."

Aertenia looked down at the floor as another statesman spoke, before turning her attention back to her friend, "Darling you are a sister to me. It is my duty," she stressed duty as she put her hand on Bresia's lap, "to scrutinize all your relationships with men, especially the one with my brother." Her lost smile suddenly returned.

"He has so many talents." Bresia looked over the balcony as Rono rose to speak again, "With a little direction he can do so much. Can you Imagine?" Her eyes flared at the thought as she turned toward Aertenia.

"He has ignored direction from the day he was born."

"Sometimes all one needs is the right woman." She smirked.