The Rise of Chaos: Genesis

-Grief is the Price, Part 8-

Hikita and I visited the captured Renaultian nobles. I was looking for anyone that both recognized her and treated her with goodwill.

Any of them who displayed open hostility to her were immediately rejected for my purposes, and noted on a list by an accompanying Seeker.

While information gathering was my main goal, I was also trying to find some attendants for Hikita that didn't project a powerless 'nominal vassal' position.

Not all the Renaultians were guilty of colluding with the Void. Many civilians had nothing to do with their republic's terrible crimes, and some had even suffered as well. If there was a chance we could rally them under a shared banner instead of conquering them with force, I'd take it.

We were in need of manpower to rebuild Tolin.

My grudges could be held back if it meant my people could prosper.

"That makes it fourteen bad eggs in a row. We're not having great luck. Ha." I laughed to myself as the faces of the prison guards stiffened.

"Relax," I reassured them, "It's not your fault."

Hikita was looking distraught as well.

Things weren't going as planned. I expected some bite back but not to be completely let down by every noble we visited. Everyone we had seen thus far was dismissive of Hikita and only had some idealized version of the Kingdom in their heads. No one was aware of her status as Crown Princess.

"Round up the rest together," I ordered, "One-by-one visits are just wasting our time."

The acting warden saluted, then rushed off to gather more guards to assist with pooling the prisoners.

I placed a hand on Hikita's shoulder, "Sorry. I thought things would be smoother. Hanna verified their backgrounds, but I never considered how much hatred Renault fostered in his court."

"I was prepared for this, please don't mind me."

Gods, if they aren't foaming at the mouth when I enter, the way they look at her makes me wanna chop heads.

"That's not a valid reason to let these assholes treat you like this. I'm determined. With our best efforts, we should set things right. If there were no Void threat; no Great Apocalypse, you would be the Princess of Rena and my Empire would still be standing."

"Sounds greedy." Hikita smirked, "I'm not confident enough to think so big."

"All greed is met with malice. Those who act overly greedy are cursed at and their names dragged in the mud. So, if our names are already being drug down by this lot—if we're to be cussed at and called foul names—why wouldn't I be as greedy as can be?"

I imitated one of the egos' voices that leaked through the Ruin-filter.

Hikita pursed her lips, "I think if Hailey heard you just now, she'd hit you."

"Haha, you're probably right. But I mean it, you're allowed to dream big. Unless you tell me straight that you have no interest in it, the Empire will do what is needed to have your status recognized and realized."

I talked big, but deep down I knew more than half of my efforts were fueled by a desire to offload some of the work onto whoever could take it.

Hikita's unique position could cover for the Renaultians, just as Arklen's proposal would place a placating figurehead above the Maarins and make them easier to manage.

The difference between Hikita and Arklen was that I genuinely cared for Hikita. I'd use House Feniks as a handy tool and dispose of it if it became worn or broken.

I had proper plans for the new royal house, Renaire de la'Rena.

"We're ready for you, Your Majesty."

The warden returned and ushered us to a dank, poorly lit common area within the prison complex. All remaining Renaultian nobles had been gathered and were forced to kneel, neatly spaced in four rows of ten.

Formality and pride on both parties were set aside.

Nobody bothered to announce my entrance, and I spared these fools my bravado and false face. Likewise, the Renaultians remained kneeling and looked at me with wary gazes.

I gently prodded Hikita forward.

"Anyone who knows this person's true identity should stand."

Eight people stood. Two middle-aged men, four women, and a teenage boy and girl.

Why do we have kids in this prison…?

I glared at the warden by my side, "Explain the children."

"Yes, Your Majesty," He sweated, "They refused to leave their mother. We've followed all orders on the treatment of minors and provided much better accommodations, but they were refused."

"Names?"

"House Artois. The lady is Isabelle, a priestess. The daughter is the eldest child, Marie, and the youngest is her son, James."

I cross-checked the warden's information with the status windows I inspected.

"And the father?"

"A conspirator, Your Majesty."

And the Seekers didn't deem that an issue, huh?

I handed over some scrap paper and a coal-pencil to the warden. "Have them each write down the identity of Hikita along with their names, then return the answers to me."

He returned a minute later with eight slips.

Crown Princess. Princess. Princess. Renault daughter. Assassin. Princess. Princess. Crown Princess.

I singled out the moron who wrote 'Assassin' and had him return to the ground.

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"Take these seven to a separate room—somewhere cleaner. Return the rest to their cells."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

I joined the candidates along with Hikita.

One man, four ladies, and the two kids sat across from us.

"You can negotiate with me, or you can be returned to your cells. This may be your only chance to escape sedition or concealment charges."

The man—Arthur Léon, according to my inspection window—seemed wary. A woman I assumed to be his wife, as they shared a surname, was seated next to him.

She had a new sort of expression while looking at Hikita; the first to not outwardly show hostility.

Arthur was the first to reply, "If it's documents you're looking for—"

I held a hand up, cutting him off.

"I have all the documents I need for Hikita."

"Then…" He hesitated, "What are we negotiating for?"

"Your services." I replied flatly, "I'd like to bring some new faces into her retinue. Renaultian faces. As it stands, the only ones who haven't met Hikita with hostility have been commoners. The nobles of the Empire will laugh if the head attendants are without peerage, no matter my commands."

Discussions were fruitful. These seven treated Hikita with respect, and it didn't appear superficial.

While she spoke with them, I reviewed details that were dropped off by a Seeker.

House Artois and House Léon were both of equivalent standing to imperial mednobles.

The remaining two women, Chloé and Juliette, were unmarried daughters of noble families who were involved in the coup. Their houses would be stamped out, and unlike Isabelle, whose husband had married in, they wouldn't have a legitimate claim to the house under Renaultian law.

Nothing we couldn't fix on paper, however. Creating a new identity or two would be simple enough to distance them from controversy.

Provisionally, of course.

If they served Hikita well and showed no signs of being influenced by the actions of their parents, they could find fresh lives in the new Principality of Rena.

My breakaway hour was coming to an end, and I was urged by my guard captain to get back to my long list of meetings today.

I left Hikita and her tentative attendants under guard to work things out. It would be her choice to bring them in or not.

"Oh, by the way," I added, aimed at the pair of young ladies, "If you think you recognize somebody, you're mistaken. Move on from the dust of the past and join the present, lest you be buried under it."

Before formal salutations were exchanged, one of my temporary attendants was handed a wrapped bundle by Sviatogor—House Feniks' presumed guardian or keeper over their young master.

Judging from the poor guy's near fall, it appeared heavy.

"My gift?"

I glanced over Arklen's neat and courtly posture.

"Indeed, Your Majesty," he responded while remaining bowed forward, "All items are accounted for. There are itemization and reference documents at the top to assist with analysis."

I beckoned the man with the bundle over.

Flik took the burden with ease and started unpacking it for me. A trio of Seekers assisted her, given to me under Hanna's orders.

"You're dismissed for now." I told the attendant, then added, "When Hikita finishes her discussions, tell her I'd like to meet later. Pass the meeting details along to Hailey—actually, loop in some adjutants and have them tell all their top-level commanders to attend."

"Now then, Magister Arklen," I turned my attention back to the man who was serving up the Maarin conspirators with a smile, "Let us sit and discuss the future while these fine scholars review."

At my gesturing, Aeko handed copies of the amended Imperial Order draft to both ward and guardian. I allowed them time to read it in full and talk among themselves freely.

The room they'd been waiting in wasn't small, but with all of us now crammed in here, it bordered on uncomfortable.

An assortment of refreshments had been served, but the tea had long gone cold and flat.

We had more pressing matters going on today, and my mood for tea wasn't there, so I just sipped water while I waited.

When it appeared that both of them had finished talking it through, I sat up and minutely adjusted my posture.

"That will be the way of things, moving forward. The Maarin Republic will be a thing of the past, along with its commonwealth predecessor. The Empire will not fault the innocent, only the guilty, who should now be revealed in a clear, straightforward investigation thanks to the material you've provided—assuming it's all accurate."

The man across from me looked calm, meeting me with confidence.

"Provided that the guilty parties are removed expeditiously, House Feniks can oversee the transition from republic to imperial vassalage with little civil unrest."

"You have the people for an operation like that?" I asked.

Handling the nervous citizens of both falling republics wouldn't be easy, even my own people gave loose estimates of containment. We could give the Renaultians the stick, but I wanted to keep the Maarins in line with carrots if possible.

"I can have the ears of the masses in a day. While the other noble families focused on military might or monopolies in commerce, we grew on brokering information. I'm certain of our ability to turn things favorably by the time this goes to print."

"Then I'll leave it to you. This should go without saying, but from now on, conduct yourselves as subjects of the Empire. If things go as you say, the Commonwealth may live again—" I paused, then added teasingly, "Well, I guess that depends on what conclusion you want."

Arklen held his hands together and lowered his head.

"Your Eminence." Flik called my attention.

I turned my head, "Yes?"

A scrap of paper was in her hands, held out to me.

What could be so… Oh.

It appeared to be a torn page, written in Renault's mad, scribble-like writing.

Why do the Maarins have this bastard's journal entries?

I put the same to Arklen, showing him the page, "How did you come across this?"

He flashed a wry smile, "We hire people in all walks of life, including frightened Renaultian palace maids. I believe that comes as a pair with another piece, but it was written in a foreign script none of my agents could translate."

Flik returned to the Seekers, and they produced the sheet in question immediately—likely trying to study it themselves already.

» AUTO-TRANSLATION ENABLED: LANGUES D'REVAN TO ALTAERIAN

As I suspected, it was more of the same ancient Revan Natori language I had encountered before. This writing seemed more prophecy than advising caution to the divine—like the previous tablets.

"Send for Aullis when I have a break in my schedule," I tasked my guard captain, "We'll have to add this to the list of Revan Natori weirdness to dig into."

Arklen tilted his head, "You can read that, Your Majesty?"

I answered with a quiet smile.

"Ah, forget I asked."