\u201cRessa, how do you suppose an evil tyrant laughs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea, milady.\u201d<\/p>\n
Magnolia frowned mildly as she sat on her pink couch, nibbling at a jam tart.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just that I\u2019d like to be as authentic as possible. If I\u2019m truly a\u2014what did that girl call me? A \u2018cold-hearted tyrannical bitch\u2019, I might as well enjoy myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs opposed to how you loathe existence in general?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ressa stood behind Magnolia, hands calmly folded, watching her mistress snack. Magnolia smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, well, I imagine tyrants enjoy excess to the fullest. One would hope that a tyranny allows for such indulgences. But enough about the children from another world. If they\u2019re alive, they can stay that way. They may return to one of my holdings\u2014if they can conduct themselves properly around my servants, that is. Servants are not slaves, Ressa. They are not expected to fawn over adolescent children as if they were royalty. I would remind them of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI shall make a note. Putting aside children for now, Lady Reinhart\u2014we have received a quick response from all the nobles you have selected for Emperor Godart\u2019s gathering in a week\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, yes, that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Magnolia paused in eating her tarts, and a sour expression crossed her face. She half-turned in her seat to the second [Maid] standing behind her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSacra, tell me. Do you think Laken Godart will refuse the invitation outright or play along?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can only speculate, Lady Reinhart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sacra, clothed and looking like a perfect [Maid], bowed her head. She was not wearing her adventurer\u2019s guise, or holding the mace she preferred to use in combat, but Magnolia was quite sure she could use a vase or something similar to cause quite a bit of damage. Magnolia Reinhart smiled at her. \u2018The right [Maid] for the right job\u2019 was something her grandmother had always said. As Magnolia recalled, her grandmother used to employ Selphid [Assassins] and had at least one Minotaur [Butler].<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeculate away, Sacra. You have met the man in person. What was your impression?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sacra was silent for a moment. Magnolia saw her eyes flicker as Sacra recalled her time undercover, posing as the Silver-rank adventurer known as Odveig. She had many identities. It was a shame that Odveig had been outed as a spy, but such was the cost of her work. At last Sacra nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaken Godart. He is quite intelligent and cautious. He is aware of far more than his blindness would indicate, and he is willing to listen to others\u2019 opinions. If he has a flaw, it is his inexperience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs would befit someone coming from another world. If that is<\/em> his identity. Go on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe he would entertain the gathering simply to avoid offending so many noble families. However\u2026he might be swayed if one of his advisors objected strenuously.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd of those advisors he has\u2026a former [Farmer], a [Witch], and Lady Rie Valerund.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa grimaced lightly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be Lady Rie who would object. She was quite opposed to your presence when you two met, Lady Magnolia.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia raised her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cYou saw that too, Ressa? She hid it well, but she quite hates me, doesn\u2019t she? Hates and fears\u2014an unfortunate combination. However, she seems to have flocked to Emperor Godart\u2019s camp, so I doubt she would sabotage him quite so easily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt might be for the best. Her aiding him is a part of your plan, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa stared at her mistress. Magnolia nibbled another tart and nodded absently.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is. Lady Rie is at least adept enough to know that cancelling the gathering outright is a bad move. She will undoubtedly attempt to help Emperor Laken deal with the situation. And therein lies the test.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTest?\u201d<\/p>\n In some ways, Ressa knew Magnolia quite well, having grown up around her all her life. But where the two differed were their skillsets. Ressa was good at serving tea, managing a household full of servants, and cutting throats. Magnolia was, when you got down to it, a people person. She played political games like she ate tarts\u2014often and with quite a bit of expertise. She could see how events would play together where Ressa could not.<\/p>\n Magnolia smiled as she turned to look at her [Head Maid].<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. It\u2019s all a test. Lady Rie will help Laken to spite me\u2014or to curry herself favor. It doesn\u2019t matter. She will do her utmost to prepare carefully for my trap. She will be quite poisonous to our good [Emperor], I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow? Did you threaten her? Manipulate her with a Skill?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t have to. It\u2019s simple, Ressa. Lady Rie will cause more harm than good just by being as helpful as possible. The key is whether or not Laken Godart notices this, and how he represents himself at the party. That is why Sacra is going, and Lady Bethal and Thomast as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo evaluate him if he fails.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOr if he does too well. There is more than one way to fail a test. With that said\u2014Sacra.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, milady?\u201d<\/p>\n Sacra stepped forwards as Magnolia gently pried a ring off her middle finger. She handed it to Sacra, and Ressa eyed the ring with serious misgivings. Sacra, noticing, accepted the ring very gingerly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m giving you this ring in case all else fails. Twist it and aim, Sacra. It\u2019s not hard\u2014just aim at a target and, ah, don\u2019t stand too close.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMagnolia, that ring could destroy\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh! It\u2019s just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia raised a finger as Sacra held the ring away from herself and looked at Ressa. The older [Maid] made a note to tell Sacra exactly what it did. She prayed no one would recognize it\u2014Magnolia wearing it was an open display of power and a threat. Sacra wearing it would be a declaration of war.<\/p>\n Bringing a ring like that into another noble\u2019s home was tantamount to bringing an elite [Assassin] in with you\u2014worse, since all you had to do was point the ring and wait for it to destroy half the building you were standing in.<\/p>\n \u201cJust in case. Worse comes to worse and all that. Either Laken Godart proves himself, or\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia left it at that. Ressa nodded to Sacra, and the other [Maid] edged out the door. Magnolia sighed as she hunted for another cherry tart on the tray filled with snacks. She mumbled to herself as she did, a sign of stress. She\u2019d lost weight over the last few days with the Goblin Lord\u2019s army on the march, despite her stress snacking.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Goblin Lord is headed straight for the Great Chieftain of the Goblins. If he joins his forces with this\u2014this Tremborag, his army might grow strong enough to destroy major cities. You know this, Tyrion. Why are you hesitating to attack? This isn\u2019t like you. What is your plan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe might be building his army further, waiting for the opportune moment\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTyrion?<\/em> Nonsense! He has an army. Why grow it unless he intends to completely crush the Goblin Lord\u2019s army without a hint of a struggle? He could already win. And this [Emperor]\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia broke off, sighed, and shook her head. She looked up at Ressa.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired of dancing to other people\u2019s tunes, Ressa. Truly tired of it. Laken Godart has one chance to prove he\u2019s worthy of his class. If not, I\u2019ll destroy him and his empire where it stands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that wise?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia paused, a cherry tart halfway towards her mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to think so, Ressa. But we\u2019ll just wait and see, won\u2019t we? How long did I give him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Day 89<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIs it time yet?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re early. We\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Godart?\u201d<\/p>\n I wake up with a start. For a second, the voices keep going in my head, but they grow distant and I can\u2019t recall what was spoken as I open my eyes and look around. That dream. I know it was important, but I still can\u2019t recall what was said. And now I\u2019m not going to. I sit up a bit and realize I was slumped over in my throne, dozing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Wiskeria. What were you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n Wiskeria just chuckles and adjusts her pointed hat. It\u2019s late. I rub at my head and sit up straighter, although I\u2019m not in the public eye for the moment. The \u2018throne room\u2019 I\u2019m sitting in is empty save for Wiskeria, Prost, and Lady Rie. We\u2019ve been discussing Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s sudden invitation\u2014well, demands, really\u2014all day. For a little bit I\u2019d hoped this was just a threat or trick of some kind. But apparently, Magnolia Reinhart means everything she says. This gathering is going to happen, whether I like it or not.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many letters have we received today, Lady Rie? Seventeen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty three. That would account for almost all the nobles attending\u2014there are a few families\u2014and I believe the rest will arrive tomorrow via City Runner at the latest.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie\u2019s voice is strained from talking into the night, but she sounds far more elegant and composed than I feel. I turn my head towards where I sense Prost standing.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that\u2019s where we are. Mister Prost, we have a small army of the local nobility descending on Riverfarm in a week\u2019s time. They will be expecting a banquet and perhaps lodgings for the night. It\u2019s a social gathering, which means they\u2019re coming here to appraise me and my empire. All of this is taking place at Lady Magnolia\u2019s request. Lady Rie believes it\u2019s a trap, or a trick of some kind, meant to embarrass me. Your thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n I hear Prost gulp. It\u2019s an unfair question to ask him, really. He might be a [Steward] but he was a [Farmer] all his life. Still, he rises to the challenge with awkward pride in his rustic voice.<\/p>\n \u201cTrap or not, it seems you have little choice, Your Majesty. I\u2019m not an expert as to the games that nobles play, but Lady Reinhart is a powerful woman. If she wants a gathering, well, why not entertain them nobles and show them as much hospitality as they like?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem isn\u2019t the gathering. It\u2019s what Magnolia Reinhart has planned. She might be trying to embarrass Emperor Laken or force an incident at the banquet. It\u2019s risky, and I have no idea what she wants out of this!\u201d<\/p>\n Rie cuts in, her voice frustrated. She\u2019s been explaining this all night, ever since we got the letters. I sense Wiskeria shift and turn my head towards her.<\/p>\n \u201cWiskeria?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know what Magnolia Reinhart desires. But we\u2019ve debated for hours about the same thing. We can either accept the invitation\u2014not that we have a choice\u2014or cancel the gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich will<\/em> cause trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t bother to turn my head as I sense Lady Rie nodding. Wiskeria nods as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, what choice is there? As Mister Prost says, we must entertain the nobles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot as easily done as said.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie sighs. I nod, but Wiskeria\u2019s summed the matter up nicely. I clear my throat softly, and all heads turn towards me.<\/p>\n \u201cI agree, but we have no choice in the matter, Lady Rie. The nobles are coming in a week\u2019s time and I for one don\u2019t see the merits in debating why Magnolia Reinhart has done this any longer, or what she has planned. For now we must ready Riverfarm. Can it be done?\u201d<\/p>\n I have no idea. But Lady Rie nods decisively as all heads turn towards her. I wish I could make out all the details of her face with my not-sight. But I can hear the determination in her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can. It will be difficult, but I am a [Lady] of the realm, and I have hosted a few small gatherings at my estate, and have attended larger ones. I will begin advising Your Majesty on preparations for the gathering at once. I realize it will be an imposition, but there is much work to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, of course. Food to be prepared, entertainment, and so on. Not to mention\u2014houses for the nobles? I suppose we could move people out or try and build a few in the week we have left.\u201d<\/p>\n I grimace as I think of all that we\u2019ll have to do. Not for the first time, I find myself grateful that Lady Rie\u2019s helping. I sense the woman shift, and after a pause, she speaks.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Your Majesty. But not just that. I fear that Mister Prost will have to devote all of his workers to building a reception hall at the very least. This, ah, throne room is all very well for audiences with other towns and cities, but we will need a building four times as large to hold a proper banquet.\u201d<\/p>\n I hear Prost draw in a breath sharply, and I sit up on my throne. Wiskeria mutters what sounds like a curse word. I turn my head towards Lady Rie.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you serious?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Day 90<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re early. We shouldn\u2019t be here!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n She was serious. As soon as I rise with odd voices bouncing around my head, it\u2019s all business. I find Lady Rie already coordinating people in the center of Riverfarm by the time Durene, Gamel, and I reach the village square.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll need to clear a wide space for the banquet hall. It should be built out of the highest-quality lumber available. And furnishings\u2014I will put in an order to Invrisil as I doubt any of the local cities will have the quality required for such an order.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie is talking to Prost, and from the way his shoulders are tensed, I can already see that there\u2019s a lot to do and not enough time to do it in. Both turn and bow as I approach.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you truly believe we can build a banquet hall in seven days, Lady Rie? Let alone furnish it?\u201d<\/p>\n I sense her pursing her lips.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a question of \u2018if\u2019, but must, Your Majesty. Hosting a dinner outdoors would certainly be acceptable, but not if the implication is that it is due to lack of an appropriate facility to begin with. Not to mention, we must impress the nobles coming here. I am afraid an outdoor event with a village in view would not be\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cImpressive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie nods, and I sense Durene shift by my side. I haven\u2019t really asked Durene about Lady Rie\u2014they haven\u2019t talked that much as far as I know. Of course, Lady Rie is a [Lady] and Durene is often helping out around the village. Right now, Lady Rie is too busy to speak with anyone but me, and Prost hurries away to get her ambitious project underway.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeaking of decorations, Emperor Laken, I\u2019m afraid we must consider a large investment in goods from Invrisil. Ordering so much so quickly will be costly, but I am told you have connections in the Merchant\u2019s Guild that might be willing to offer you a discount?\u201d<\/p>\n How does she know that? I nod, trying to keep up. It\u2019s not an hour past dawn yet, and my head feels stuffed!<\/p>\n \u201cI do. But what will we be buying? Chairs? Cushions? Drapes? We have [Carpenters]\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Who make chairs adequate for sitting, but not dining<\/em>, Your Majesty. At the very least, we should add cushions. The necessary goods will be everything from decorations to silverware, I fear. I did not bring more than a few sets of silverware from my mansion before it was destroyed, and there is nothing worse than a mismatched set, so we shall have to order enough for all the guests\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSilverware?\u201d<\/p>\n I turn my head blankly towards Lady Rie. I sense her nodding.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Your Majesty. Have you\u2014have you not attended a banquet before in your homeland?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t. Obviously not. And while I know that Durene knows the truth, I don\u2019t feel like spreading the fact that I\u2019m from another world. So I lie.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid that my memory of dining and so on is limited, Lady Rie. What I experience is, ah, very little compared to others, owing to my blindness.\u201d<\/p>\n I gesture towards my face. Lady Rie starts.<\/p>\n \u201cOh! I most humbly beg your pardon, Your Majesty. I\u2014I hadn\u2019t considered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no. Please don\u2019t worry. But I lacked any sort of vision growing up, and my, ah, ability to sense my surroundings did not manifest itself until this year, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. Please excuse me, Your Majesty. Well, I will gratefully fill in any\u2014gaps in your understanding. You see, cutlery\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Flustered, Lady Rie stumbles over her words, and I breathe an internal sigh of relief. It\u2019s not good to lie, but people do get uncomfortable when I bring up being blind for fear they might offend me. Good to know I can use that as an excuse for not being up to date with all the conventions of my rank.<\/p>\n However, as Lady Rie goes on, I realize that there\u2019s a lot<\/em> I don\u2019t know. Not just about the social dictates of hosting nobility, but everything from how many forks someone needs to eat a salad to how many waiting staff we\u2019ll need to serve food\u2014and how they <\/em>should be dressed. I nod along desperately as Lady Rie goes on and on.<\/p>\n And now I find myself stuck. For the first time, I have no idea what to do. It\u2019s like I\u2019ve suddenly run up against a brick wall in my head. Because for all I\u2019m an [Emperor], for all I have Skills and come from another world and want the best for Riverfarm and my people and so on, I\u2019m lost. Because I have no idea how to host a party. Or a gathering. Or any kind of social event at all.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s be clear: hosting soirees is not<\/em> a skill most blind people acquire. Having a friend over? I can get snacks out, or make sure there\u2019s a meal ready. I could host someone for a day or two. But this?<\/p>\n \u201cForks, Lady Rie? What\u2019s wrong with the forks we have?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey are not what I would give a [Lord] to eat with, Your Majesty. We have a lack of good cutlery in general. I believe we\u2019ll be able to get by with some well-honed knives for serving, but we simply must<\/em> have appropriate utensils for our guests.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand it\u2019s not elegant, but what\u2019s the difference?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie pauses.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026I believe it would be easier to show you in person, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n She takes me to her home and brings out some of her silver cutlery while Durene gets some of the village\u2019s utensils. I find myself holding a wooden fork, which is made of two long prongs, a metal fork more like the ones back home, and a delicate silver one engraved with detail.<\/p>\n \u201cDammit. I had no idea\u2014I completely forgot about forks!\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not like I have a habit of touching forks, after all! And while the difference in quality might be obvious to someone with eyes, it\u2019s only the weight of the fork and the shaping of the metal that speaks to my fingertips. Lady Rie\u2019s fork does feel far more expensive, but again, I can\u2019t do anything but compare the metalwork of the forks with my fingers. I can\u2019t see<\/em> silver and appreciate how much better it is than pot metal!<\/p>\n Frustrated, I run my fingers along the fork, feeling the difference with my fingertips. And yet, when I compare the two in my mind with my [Emperor]\u2019s senses, they\u2019re almost indistinguishable. One works as well as the other, but it\u2019s this kind of detail that I lack.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems as though my lack of sight is a hindrance here, Lady Rie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly slightly, Your Majesty. But if you would advise me on your nation\u2019s culture of dining and etiquette, I might adjust the banquet to suit your tastes.\u201d<\/p>\n I pause and bite the inside of my lip. My<\/em> culture? Back home, I\u2019d rather just microwave something than eat expensively. I choose my words carefully as I reply, handing the silver fork to Durene who takes it gingerly in her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cThe nation that was my home\u2026honestly, Lady Rie, my nation was so different from this one that you would find it very alien. It is impossible to compare the things to which I was accustomed to here\u2014especially because I was blind. Riverfarm meets all of my needs quite well, and I am content with that. However, if you think more needs to be done, I am willing to listen, although my input will be shallow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. In that case, I would be delighted to go over my list of preparations with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie puts a soft hand on my arm. I sense Durene stirring and nod.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you. I hope we have the coin for all of this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe may have to borrow, Emperor Laken. Or perhaps not. It depends on how many things can be done without. Tables for instance\u2014I had a thought. If your [Carpenters] can design a long table and it can be engraved and polished in a week\u2019s time, it might well serve in place of a purchased one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo doubt. Can we do the same for chairs?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will make inquiries at once.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie rises and leaves her cottage. I ball my fists up in frustration. Lady Magnolia Reinhart. If there was ever a good way to frustrate me, planning an elegant banquet I can\u2019t see<\/em> would be a good start.<\/p>\n \u201cLaken.\u201d<\/p>\n I turn as Durene gently puts the fork on the table. My half-Troll lover looks at me. I try to put a smile on my face.<\/p>\n \u201cDurene? I\u2019m sorry. I know you probably want to help out around the village. I\u2019ll coordinate things with Lady Rie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026I could stay with you today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust for today. You know. While you\u2019re with her.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a possessive note in Durene\u2019s voice that reminds me of when she met Ryoka. I pause.<\/p>\n \u201cDurene, Lady Rie is\u2014a subject.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd a [Lady]. Laken, she\u2019s flirting <\/em>with you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs she?\u201d<\/p>\n I did wonder. It\u2019s hard to tell. Someone touching me on the arm isn\u2019t unusual, but Lady Rie did<\/em> act unusual around me. But then, I\u2019m not used to flirting in general. Back on Earth, the people I knew weren\u2019t exactly adept enough to flirt. It was more straightforward. But Durene clearly thinks Rie\u2019s flirting and isn\u2019t exactly keen to let me stay with her.<\/p>\n \u201cDurene, I\u2019ll be fine. I\u2019ll talk with Lady Rie, but it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I\u2019m with you<\/em>, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n Durene pauses.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSilly.\u201d<\/p>\n I hold her hand. Embarrassed, Durene squeezes my hand gently and flees. I stand up as Lady Rie comes back with a group of [Carpenters] only too willing to make however many tables I need. They just need, oh, instructions on what the tables should look like, how long they should be, how tall, what kind of wood they need to use, and so on. I sigh and get to work with Lady Rie. She doesn\u2019t flirt. But she does touch my arm twice more throughout the day.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Day 92<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get in trouble!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go, hurry!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Who\u2019s in trouble? Why are they hurrying? Away? I open my eyes, annoyed that I can\u2019t understand. I get out of bed with Durene, walk down into the village to see what\u2019s happening, and immediately sense a problem.<\/p>\n Over the last day, the giant banquet hall that Lady Rie envisioned has been going up. Quite quickly too\u2014they laid the foundations in one day and began dragging freshly-cut parts over to create a scaffold. That was how it was when I went to sleep, and there was a night team working on it. Only, during the night the scaffolding for the building has collapsed, and I can already hear shouting going on around Prost. He hurries over to me the instant he sees me.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s trouble, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn accident at the site. Two of the night workers\u2014a [Builder] and [Carpenter]\u2014were working on adding a section, and it collapsed. Neither one was hurt, but they both claim it was the other\u2019s fault.\u201d<\/p>\n I rub at my hair, groaning internally.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne says it was an unsteady section that wasn\u2019t checked properly. The other says that everything tore loose because the first fellow wasn\u2019t paying attention. They both blame each other and got into it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you tell who\u2019s right?\u201d<\/p>\n I hear Prost\u2019s grimace.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Your Majesty. I\u2019ve told both of the men to take a break and let tempers cool. They\u2019re both good workers, and they\u2019re both furious over the delay\u2014it\u2019s not so much the time lost as the fact that it could have been avoided. I\u2019ll get everyone back to work, unless you\u2019d like to judge the situation yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n And do what?<\/em> I have no idea who\u2019s right, and I\u2019m no building expert. I had no idea what the difference between screws and nails were until I was fifteen, because my parents were too afraid that I\u2019d hurt myself touching them! I shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cI trust your judgment, Mister Prost.\u201d<\/p>\n He nods and hurries off. I sigh. I\u2019ve been doing a lot of trusting of judgment recently. I don\u2019t have a choice, but it means that I can\u2019t do my one job\u2014namely, deciding things as [Emperor].<\/p>\n Case in point. Later that day I find Prost and Lady Rie coming up to me with another problem, this one directly related to the nobles attending the gathering.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the families are worried about having their daughters serve at the banquet, Your Majesty. They\u2019re afraid that they might be asked to bed the [Lords] attending or be carried off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n I turn to Lady Rie. Her tone is acerbic.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I told Mister Prost and the other families that was nonsense, Your Majesty. They need not fear for their daughters\u2019 chastity\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChastity\u2019s the least of it! What\u2019s to stop one of the young lordlings attending the ball from carrying a young girl off\u2014or a [Lady] doing the same to a young lad and having him murdered to hide the evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost! Those are rumors\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know a village not two miles from here that had that happen to the [Headman]\u2019s son\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The two begin arguing, and I have to raise my voice to get them to quiet down and explain what they\u2019re arguing about<\/em>. When they come out and say it at last, I get a bad feeling in my stomach.<\/p>\n [Lords] carrying off village girls who catch their eyes. [Ladies] finding young men to have an affair with and killing them to hide the evidence. Apparently it\u2019s happened in the past. I recall something similar from my world. Droit du seigneur <\/em>in French, or the medieval \u2018right to a first night\u2019 practiced among the nobility. Apparently that law doesn\u2019t exist in Izril, and Lady Rie is insistent that nothing else happens either.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty, I understand Mister Prost\u2019s worries, but they are groundless. Such events never happen\u2014and if they did, it was one or two truly depraved individuals from decades past\u2014and it would not occur on your<\/em> lands, not when these nobles are coming to visit you! They wouldn\u2019t dare offend you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo? And what about if they used their privilege and station to force a girl into saying yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Prost folds his arm as he glares at Lady Rie. For the first time he and she seem to be at odds, and Lady Rie seems exasperated by the argument.<\/p>\n \u201cAny girl may refuse, of course\u2014those rights are sacred, and these nobles live next to Lady Magnolia Reinhart herself! She does not stand for any coercion of the young or unwilling. That is one of the few things she does well.<\/em> The Reinharts have always maintained order among the aristocracy and meted out justice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo little too late. That won\u2019t save a broken-hearted girl and her love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe can say no\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo a [Lord]? Without bringing down wrath on her family?\u201d<\/p>\n I have to hold up my hands to stem the argument again. When Prost and Rie are quiet, I turn to Lady Rie.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rie, can you assure me that the things Mister Prost is describing would never take place?\u201d<\/p>\n She hesitates as Prost folds his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014I cannot pretend that some instances of this behavior never<\/em> occurred, but at this gathering, I am sure any young woman would be safe\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHah!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost. How often is it that this sort of thing occurs? Are there truly that many instances of it, or are all these rumors just that\u2014rumors of someone in a village being carried off by a noble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, sire\u2026I never did hear the village\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou see?\u201d<\/p>\n Rie sounds exasperated. Prost flares up again.<\/p>\n \u201cJust because it never happened in recent years doesn\u2019t mean it won\u2019t at this gathering! There are young men among the nobles attending, and the families here are worried, Your Majesty. And with good cause!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n What a mess. And again, I don\u2019t know <\/em>what the best solution is. I turn to Lady Rie.<\/p>\n \u201cCould we address the issue? Tell the nobles attending that the serving staff are off-limits for\u2026everything?\u201d<\/p>\n Rie inhales sharply.<\/p>\n \u201cSimply mentioning that would cause great offense, Your Majesty! I can assure you it will not occur, and I would stake my reputation on that fact.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut the people are worried. There\u2019ll be more than one family that hides their daughters on the day, and I\u2019ll stake my class on that fact, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Prost turns to glare at Lady Rie, and I try not to clutch at my head. What am I supposed to do? Both are looking towards me.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, your decision?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty? What should I tell the families?\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know<\/em>. I bite my tongue on the words again. In the end, I tell Prost that the serving women won\u2019t be touched, and Lady Rie agrees to have older people wait the tables. It\u2019s not a good compromise, and I worry that more than one family might try and hide their sons or daughters on the day. If only that were the least of my worries.<\/p>\n As night falls, I sense a fight breaking out between a group of men. I send Durene to break it up and sit up anxiously in the cottage, sensing Prost hurrying to the scene, Durene holding one man by the leg and gently slapping another man off his feet.<\/p>\n Trouble.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Day 93<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWait!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cShh! We\u2019re not supposed to be heard!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Wait? Why wait? Why aren\u2019t they supposed to be heard? Today I get up with a full migraine. It gets worse as I go about my day.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fight last night, Emperor Laken? It was between the two men who quarreled over the collapsed scaffolding yesterday. Never mind that we repaired the damage yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n Prost comes up to me with a sour tone in his voice. I shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was more than two men brawling, Prost. There were at least eight of them and more joining in before Durene got there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh. Those would be the friends and other workers. They\u2019ve started taking sides. You see, one fellow, Mister Horst, is a [Carpenter] from Windrest, and the other\u2019s a [Builder]. Mister Wellim comes from Tunslaven. Since they\u2019re quarrelling, folks have begun taking sides\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now it\u2019s a feud. I understand. Wonderful. Mister Prost, what do you suggest I do?\u201d<\/p>\n I rub at my head as the man thinks, chewing at his lip.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll separate the building teams today\u2014put Horst and his lot to building the tables and chairs with your permission. That\u2019ll keep arguments to a minimum, but I\u2019d better have some lads making sure there\u2019s no fighting after work\u2019s over. Or Durene. No one\u2019s likely to throw a punch with her watching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Do that. I have to talk to Lady Rie about\u2026everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Prost hurries away, and I find Lady Rie speaking with Durene of all people. They\u2019re arguing too. I draw closer, listening. For once the two women are so heated that they don\u2019t notice my presence. Durene\u2019s voice is loud as she snaps at Lady Rie.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see why I need to stand<\/em> during the banquet! Why can\u2019t I eat when everyone else is eating?\u201d<\/p>\n Her voice echoes off the houses nearby, and I sense heads turning. Lady Rie\u2019s voice is much quieter but waspish as she replies.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are neither nobility nor formally<\/em> engaged to Emperor Laken. It would be an indiscretion of the highest order to seat you at the head table, and nowhere less would do! You have no manners\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have plenty, thank you very much!\u201d<\/p>\n I sense Rie rolling her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014No manners suitable for formal<\/em> dining, and you are supposed to be a [Paladin], a defender of His Majesty, aren\u2019t you? You should stand in attendance! You wouldn\u2019t want to embarrass Emperor Laken, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n I open my mouth and hesitate. Durene would never embarrass me, but I can imagine her struggling if she were sitting with me and chatting with other nobles. And yet\u2014she is Durene<\/em>. But Lady Rie knows this social world best, and so I hesitate. Durene herself deflates at Rie\u2019s word. She gulps.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I wouldn\u2019t want to embarrass him. But\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Then it\u2019s settled. We\u2019ll see if Master Helm can put you in armor. Otherwise\u2026we might find a [Tailor] able to sew quickly. But armor would be more impressive, I think. A [Paladin] would be quite impressive to our guests.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie claps her hands and turns brusquely away from Durene. She and Durene both jump when they see me standing behind them. I cough.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure that would be the best fit, Lady Rie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken! I do believe so. I am not familiar with the [Paladin] class, but it is impressive\u2014as is Miss Durene herself. Having her stand at attendance at your side while a list of her achievements is read out would be most impressive. Don\u2019t you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm. Durene?\u201d<\/p>\n I turn my head towards her. Durene smiles\u2014she knows I can sense when she does it\u2014and only hesitates for a second.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014yeah. I could stand next to you, right Laken? I\u2019d be imposing and impress all those nobles. That\u2019s the best way to do it, right?\u201d<\/p>\n I pause. And perhaps it\u2019s just as well that another argument breaks out\u2014this time between a whole group of angry workers clustered around the banquet hall. Rie sighs distractedly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re far behind on the building without this sort of distraction! Emperor Laken, by your permission I\u2019ll sort it out.\u201d<\/p>\n She converged on the arguing workers at the same time Prost and Wiskeria do. I see Wiskeria break up the prelude to a fight with a burst of magic. Durene turns.<\/p>\n \u201cI should go over too. Just in case. I\u2019ll, uh, see if I can get Mister Helm to make me some armor. You said I should have some anyways, right Laken?\u201d<\/p>\n She hurries away. I stare at her back. The words in my mouth die unspoken. But I\u2019d like Durene to sit with me. She belongs there. But what if it causes trouble? What\u2019s the protocol? If I let her sit with me, what happens?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know. Wiskeria breaks up the fight and cools down everyone\u2014literally, by shooting sprays of water everywhere. She\u2019s declined to weigh in on all the preparations, claiming ignorance as a [Witch]. I wish I could do the same. I don\u2019t know what to do. And the words keep repeating themselves as I go to sleep, dreading the half-formed dreams, hating my indecision, my inability to figure this out!<\/em><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t know\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n I can feel my teeth grinding together as I toss and turn that night. I don\u2019t know! And I\u2019m afraid to tell Lady Rie she\u2019s wrong, but something\u2019s wrong! I can feel it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not right! This gathering is\u2014flawed, somehow! It\u2019s going to go wrong.<\/p>\n Damn Magnolia Reinhart. What did she do?<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Day 94<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShut up! Hey! Hey, remember to tell them to bring\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Blank words in my head. Missing pieces of a puzzle. I get up blearily, eat, walk into Riverfarm with Durene, and listen to the day\u2019s issues. Everything\u2019s behind. Lady Rie frets while Prost talks the situation over. Wiskeria listens quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe arguments over the building are costing us precious hours, Mister Prost!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. But I can\u2019t help that! We\u2019re already rushing as it is\u2014we\u2019ll try to get a roof up the day after tomorrow, but every mistake sets us back\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can hardly afford to wait until the day after tomorrow! The decorations are arriving, and we must set to work making the inside presentable quickly!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can sand and polish everything quick once it\u2019s up. The tables and chairs look good at least\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose are the least of my concerns. If another brawl breaks out, simply arrest everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll forty of them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf necessary! This petty feud between the two craftsmen must be resolved, Mister Prost.\u201d<\/p>\n Prost shakes his head.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps Emperor Laken could speak to the two men. They\u2019ve been clamoring for a ruling, and both sides want to hear his opinion\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn what?\u201d<\/p>\n I raise my voice. Both Rie and Prost fall silent. I look up, my head aching. I try to keep the annoyance out of my voice, but I can\u2019t. Not today.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve listened to the arguments, Mister Prost. Neither man can prove the other caused the problem, and it\u2019s far beyond that now. Both sides want me to punish someone, which I can\u2019t do without proof.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd truth spells don\u2019t work if both sides think they\u2019re right. Or if they don\u2019t know to begin with who\u2019s wrong. Not that anyone can cast [Detect Lies] here anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiskeria looks up as she fiddles with a pouch full of ingredients. She\u2019s been riding patrols with Beniar, escorting City Runners arriving here with bags of holding full of purchased goods. She stays calm in the face of Prost\u2019s and Rie\u2019s annoyance. Then she turns towards me.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, I\u2019ll watch the building today and stop arguments from breaking out. That will let Mister Prost handle the rest of the village.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat might work. We\u2019re baking and preparing as much food as we can, but it\u2019s not enough, according to Lady Rie.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie sighs.<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. There\u2019s a [Chef] I\u2019ve been speaking to who could prepare all of the finer dishes we need to present, but he lives thirty miles north of here and is reluctant to make the commute. And I don\u2019t wish to empty the treasury to purchase her services. But we must<\/em> have a suitable meal ready. And then there\u2019s the issue of gifts\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I raise my head.<\/p>\n \u201cGifts? Don\u2019t tell me we have to give<\/em> our guests\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh no! That\u2019s not the custom at all. Quite the reverse!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, then?\u201d<\/p>\n Rie smiles slightly, the first smile I\u2019ve sensed all day.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a custom for visitors to offer a present to those hosting such gatherings. Especially those of high-rank. I imagine an [Emperor] would merit quite a large present, but no one knows what might suit you, Emperor Laken. You recall the gift I gave to you? Well, we\u2019ve received a few tokens like that, but there have been a number of discreet inquiries as to what you might enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I<\/em> might enjoy? I get to ask for my gifts?\u201d<\/p>\n The notion sounds ridiculous to me, but Rie nods seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. I was rather hoping for this, actually. In fact, this is how Magnolia Reinhart can claim she\u2019s doing you a favor. If we approach the nobles the right way, we might come away with more than we spent to host the gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t follow. You mean\u2026ask them for money?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA\u2026monetary contribution. Or something similar. Minor artifacts, perhaps much-needed supplies\u2026it all comes down to the phrasing and way the invitations are couched. I would like to speak with you regarding some of the ideas I had in that regard later. If you are willing?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s wrong. <\/em>My head throbs.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n I lie to Rie and sense her pleased posture. Prost stands up wearily.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get back to work. There\u2019s a few of our [Mages] and [Hedge Mages] willing to try and put on a show\u2014that is, the first stage of entertainments. I\u2019ll see to them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I will see to the attire.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie sweeps off. I sit on my throne, massaging my head. I sense Wiskeria getting up.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty? Everything well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot really, Wiskeria. I\u2019m not sure how well this party\u2014gathering\u2014whatever, will go.\u201d<\/p>\n She nods.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rie\u2019s doing her best. But this was forced on her early.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was. By that damn\u2014do you think we\u2019ll make it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure. But I worry that making it or not making it isn\u2019t the problem, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n Wiskeria tilts her head, her voice thoughtful.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. But I don\u2019t think how we impress the nobility is the point. Otherwise, wouldn\u2019t Magnolia Reinhart have made the gathering a few days away and not given us enough time? No, I think it\u2019s something else she\u2019s after. I just don\u2019t know what.\u201d<\/p>\n I turn my head towards her. She\u2019s right. There is something else. But what? What? After a while, Wiskeria gets up. And I, lost and confused, go after Lady Rie. I find her with Durene, consulting with Master Helm.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis armor\u2019s too tight! And it\u2019s not real<\/em> armor, it\u2019s far too thin!\u201d<\/p>\n Durene complains as she models the new armor that Mister Helm, the [Blacksmith], has forged. It was a collaborative work given Durene\u2019s size, and several other [Blacksmiths] are standing around her and consulting with Lady Rie. The noblewoman sounds pleased and claps her hands together.<\/p>\n \u201cFunctional armor is not the point, Miss Durene. The armor looks quite good on you, although I see some parts that could be\u2014ah, well, it will do. It only remains for us to forge you a suitable shield to go with your sword. And polish the sword, I think. Could it be plated, Mister Helm? With something akin to gold leaf? Silver? And I think\u2026yes, I think we could add one more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n She regards Durene thoughtfully as the half-Troll girl catches sight of me. She tries to wave, but the stiff armor doesn\u2019t let her. Durene speaks distractedly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat else? I can barely move in this as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Rie\u2019s voice is soft and thoughtful as she speaks out loud.<\/p>\n \u201cA helmet, perhaps? Yes. That would be quite impressive. A helmet would be just the thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA helmet?\u201d<\/p>\n Durene half-turns to look at Lady Rie. The [Blacksmiths] around her fall silent. My heart sinks when I realize where she\u2019s going with this. Rie nods.<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026with a visor? Can such a thing be done, Master Helm? It would be a grand spectacle, to see Miss Durene armored like a [Knight].\u201d<\/p>\n She looks around brightly at the men and two women around her. Durene goes very quiet. I stand there, my heart suddenly beating very quietly. A helmet? A helmet with a visor. There\u2019s only one reason why Rie wants that.<\/p>\n To cover her face.<\/em> But no one says it. I sense Durene hesitate, her face grow angry\u2014and then twist into uncertainty. She hesitates, and I see her look at me, and then at Lady Rie. She\u2019s supposed to be quite beautiful. Lady Rie, that is. I\u2019ve never heard Durene talk about what she looks like. She\u2019s too afraid to tell me.<\/p>\n In the end, Durene\u2019s voice is very quiet.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026guess so. I could wear a helmet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWonderful! There are quite a number of designs that might work. Mister Helm, I\u2019ll sketch a few, shall I? You can tell me what would be easiest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh. Yes, Lady Rie. We\u2019ll do our best.\u201d<\/p>\n Mister Helm\u2019s voice is quiet as he turns towards Lady Rie. I sense him looking back at me. Durene\u2019s staring at her feet. I take a step forwards and feel a hand on my arm. Lady Rie\u2019s touch.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken? What do you think? I imagine Durene in full armor would be quite a sight to see\u2014ah, begging your pardon. Quite a spectacle, and certainly impressive, wouldn\u2019t you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n No. <\/em>I open my mouth. Hesitate. I can tell that Mister Helm is looking at me. So is Lady Rie. She\u2019s gripping my arm with her hand, trying to tell me not<\/em> to object. She\u2019s right. She knows how the other [Lords] and [Ladies] would react. I close my mouth.<\/p>\n To hide Durene behind a helmet. To not let her eat with me. To do things as they should be<\/em>. Because a half-Troll doesn\u2019t belong with Humans.<\/p>\n Things crystallize in that moment. I feel the same flash of heat I felt once before, listening to an angry [Farmer] shout the same thing. Not in the same way, not in the same words, but the same thing. And I think about a banquet, about entertaining nobles, about doing things just so.<\/em><\/p>\n And I realize what the trap is. I jerk my arm free of Lady Rie and open my mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n The word cuts through the air, blissfully free. Lady Rie pauses. I sense Durene look up as every head turns to me. Rie\u2019s voice is low as she speaks to me, too close to my ear.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, I don\u2019t mean to gainsay your opinions, but I truly think\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, no<\/em>, Lady Rie. No helmet. The armor can stay. But make it real armor. And Durene doesn\u2019t need the armor for the banquet. She\u2019ll be sitting with me at the head table. Give her a dress instead.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence. My heart is pounding, my head feels clearer. Lady Rie draws in her breath sharply.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken? I really don\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEnough.<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n I snap the word, and Rie\u2019s mouth closes in an instant. I look around. Durene is staring at me. The [Blacksmiths] are holding very still. I stand taller. When did I start hunching my shoulders? I point.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Helm?\u201d<\/p>\n He jumps.<\/p>\n \u201cYes? Your Majesty?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for Durene\u2019s armor. It\u2019s quite, well, I can tell it\u2019s quite impressive. A showman\u2019s piece, no doubt. But let\u2019s aim for functional armor when it comes to that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Emperor Laken. We\u2019ll get right to work\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I hold up my hand.<\/p>\n \u201cNot necessary. There are more important things that we need for now. Nails, for one. Hinges\u2014there\u2019s a lot of metal that goes into houses. Let\u2019s get our [Blacksmiths] back to work on those houses, shall we? Don\u2019t worry about the banquet. Durene? Follow me. Someone get me Prost. And Wiskeria.\u201d<\/p>\n I stride off and sense Durene shrugging out of her armor. Still muted, Rie follows. I can sense her eyes on my back and feel Prost and Wiskeria hurrying towards me.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Emperor Laken? I heard you had the [Blacksmiths] working on construction materials for the houses. Should I\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet your workers back to building houses. We\u2019ll keep a smaller team on the hall, but take it slower, Mister Prost. We won\u2019t be using it for the gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n I feel the electric shock go through the people around me. Durene exclaims.<\/p>\n \u201cWe won\u2019t? But I thought\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould we have gotten it ready in time? And would you trust the building not to collapse on us, Mister Prost?\u201d<\/p>\n I nod at the half-finished building. Prost grimaces.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019d be close and that\u2019s without furnishings, sire. But what did you have in mind if not that gathering hall?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEasy. Get the tables and chairs done. Then put them in a meadow. That one just past the new farmland sounds good. Clear us a wide space\u2014we have plenty of folk who can do that, and it won\u2019t take us a day. We\u2019ll serve our guests there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n This last bit is too much for Lady Rie, and she manages to speak despite my order. She turns to me, aghast.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, it\u2019s not proper. Your guests will be expecting the highest honors. They\u2019re nobility, and if Magnolia Reinhart was hosting\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s not. I am. Be silent, Lady Rie. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n I cut her off again. Lady Rie falls silent, and I can sense her fists clenching as I turn my head. I can sense them there. Durene, Wiskeria, Prost, and Lady Rie. I sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve made a mistake. Lady Magnolia Reinhart invited the nobility here, which forced my hand. But my error, the trick she forced me into was playing her game. I don\u2019t think she expected me to put on a formal display for the nobles. Nor should I.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2019s what they\u2019re expecting.\u201d<\/p>\n Durene sounds confused. I smile slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, they are. That\u2019s what\u2019s traditional. But I\u2019m an [Emperor], Durene. Why should I do things their way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n I nod, almost laughing as I sense Rie\u2019s dumbfounded look. I turn to Prost.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about [Chefs], Mister Prost. Tell our [Cooks] to make the kind of food they know everyone will enjoy. As much as they can get ready beforehand, and we\u2019ll do a lot of cooking the day of. Now, I want you to have our [Carpenters] make more tables as quick as they can and lay them out in the village square. We\u2019ll feed our people at the same time as the nobility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith chairs and so forth, Your Majesty? That would take a lot more work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo we need them? No\u2014in fact, have only a few chairs brought to the gathering place. We\u2019ll have people stand and eat. They can socialize while we put on a display. We\u2019ll have the trebuchets do some test firing\u2014maybe let the nobles try them themselves. As for the issue of young women and men serving\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I can sense Lady Rie shutting her eyes tightly. I look at Prost.<\/p>\n \u201cHave we parchment? Large sheets we can use as signs?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI could have some. Are you planning on making a declaration, sire?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust something posted on the main roads. Have it read as follows: \u2018I, Emperor Laken, declare that anyone taking advantage of another person upon my lands without consent will be summarily shot and executed, regardless of their rank or gender.\u2019 Or something to that effect.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiskeria draws in a sharp breath. I see Prost shoot a glance at Lady Rie. Funny, he seems uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a bold statement, sire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d think it would be the least of what you\u2019d expect from me. Have the posters put along the main roads\u2014on those handy totem poles Jelov keeps carving, for instance. Make sure all of my guests see them. Just in case. Oh, and Prost? Add some images.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Sire?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m enjoying myself now. I gesture.<\/p>\n \u201cImages. You know, illustrations! A bloody headsman\u2019s axe and a few heads lying on the ground, or a body feathered with arrows for emphasis. Be creative. You can have some of the children decorate them if you like. Now. Wiskeria.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor?\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s smiling at me, I can tell. Wiskeria tugs at her pointed hat as I point towards the meeting hall and my throne room.<\/p>\n \u201cThose two men who keep starting fights. Find them and put them in my throne room to wait for me. Tell them that if they start a fight before I arrive\u2026well, just warn them what might happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Emperor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow. Lady Rie.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s practically vibrating. When I speak her name, she waits a beat as if she didn\u2019t want to cut in and shout at me this entire time.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI take it you object to most of what I\u2019ve just said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, what gave you that idea, sire?\u201d<\/p>\n Her voice is sweet. Too sweet. I turn to face her.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t disagree with your choices, Lady Rie. By all means, decorate and find proper utensils to serve our guests. But if we serve them, it will be my<\/em> way. Riverfarm\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if the nobility take offense?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet them. This gathering wasn\u2019t my idea. It was Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s. If it doesn\u2019t have the amenities they\u2019re used to, they can take it up with her. Speaking of which, I\u2019ve decided what they should give me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie pauses.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would that be, Your Majesty?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFood. They can bring food. Tell them I would like for them to bring as many delicacies as they can carry\u2014not just for themselves, but for my people. They\u2019ll be feeding all of us, so advise them that a pack horse or wagon might be in order.\u201d<\/p>\n I grin at Lady Rie and wonder if her face has gone pale. Durene laughs out loud in delight.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, are you quite<\/em> sure? That would hardly be what they expect\u2014although I\u2019m beginning to realize that is quite the point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. I don\u2019t want money. I don\u2019t need their charity. That isn\u2019t what an [Emperor] needs. Perhaps a [Lord] might ask for such gifts, but all I need is something to amuse my people. Yes, food\u2014and entertainment. Do they have [Jugglers]? [Bards]? Are there such things as [Actors] in this world or\u2026or [Players]? Tell them to bring those too. And\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Memory flares. A bit of a dream. I stop.<\/p>\n \u201cPudding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPudding?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2014pudding. Tell them I\u2019m fond of sweet foods. Have them bring as much of those as possible. And while we\u2019re at it, Durene?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Laken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t we take a break for a bit? Let\u2019s go for a walk in the woods. I\u2019ll be back in an hour, Lady Rie. Let me know if the sky\u2019s fallen when I return.\u201d<\/p>\n I take Durene\u2019s arm and, smiling, walk away. Lady Rie just stares at my back. I walk off with Durene and laugh for the first time all week. She\u2019s smiling too.<\/p>\n \u201cWow. What happened to you, Laken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI stopped worrying about what other people might say, Durene. Remember? That\u2019s the point. Lady Rie had her heart in the right place, but she did what people wanted her to do. What Magnolia Reinhart wanted her to do. I\u2019m doing what I<\/em> want to do. Which is walking with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Right! Hey Laken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n She gives me a quick kiss as a reply.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It was a nice walk and we stretched it out to two hours. The two hours came from me sitting down to rest my aching feet while Durene offered to carry me. In the end we just sat and talked, which was wonderful. So wonderful that I forgot that the two men were waiting for me in the throne room. When I finally got back and walked in, they jumped. They hadn\u2019t been sitting but standing at opposite sides of the room. I felt slightly bad that I didn\u2019t think to give them chairs, but only slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Horst. Mister Wellim.\u201d<\/p>\n I face both of them. I hear them inhale, uncertain, and I walk past them to sit on my throne. I sit, and the two men shuffle forwards. They wait for me to speak.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t. The uncomfortable silence stretches out as the two men shift uneasily. Actually, I don\u2019t feel uncomfortable at all. I just sit, sensing them grow more and more nervous with each passing second. At last, one of them musters the courage to open his mouth. Quick as a snake, I raise a finger, and he freezes.<\/p>\n I wait until he closes his mouth and keep sitting there. The two men stand in place, sweating. I can practically hear their hearts pounding. And I just sit. When I finally open my mouth, I think both of them nearly have heart attacks.<\/p>\n \u201cGentlemen. Why are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n They stir. And look at each other. I sit there, a young man on a throne. Blind, probably half the age of either of the men in front of me. But it\u2019s they who can\u2019t meet my eyes, figuratively or literally. I am blind. And young. But I am an [Emperor].<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, about our, uh\u2014our\u2014our quarrel.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the men, Mister Horst, begins hoarsely. Again I cut him off.<\/p>\n \u201cQuarrel, is it? A quarrel is two men fighting. It gets broken up, and both men need a day to heal their bruises. The worst is a broken bone. This is a feud<\/em>, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence. I look from man to man, opening my eyes briefly for effect.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth of you claim the other made a mistake which caused the scaffolding to break. What was it, three days ago? Now there are brawls of thirty people or more. What, exactly, is the point?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n They don\u2019t have an answer. I go on, speaking calmly, shifting my attention to the man on the left.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Wellim, I know of you as a [Builder] who made or repaired half the homes in your village. You\u2019re a community figure, and a father of three.\u201d<\/p>\n He starts. Yes, I asked Prost about all that before walking in here. But it still works. I shift my attention to the man on the right.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you, Mister Horst, are a [Carpenter] respected by everyone I\u2019ve talked to. You\u2019ve been running your own business for twenty years.\u201d<\/p>\n He hangs his head at this detail, a representation of his hard work over the years. I turn my head to each man.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are we here? If you, Mister Wellim, were dealing with a fight between two of your apprentices, how would you handle it? By smacking a few heads together? Separating the two? What if they kept fighting? What about you, Mister Horst? Would doing any of that do any good? Why are two of your best workers fighting, anyways? What is the point?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I slap the armrest of my throne. Both men jump. After a moment, I sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one can rule who caused the problem. Both of you were there, and both of you claim the opposite thing happened. You come to me as if expecting me to know the truth. Well, I wasn\u2019t there, and I\u2019m no god. But again, I have to ask, why do I<\/em> need to be here? Correct me if I\u2019m wrong, but shouldn\u2019t we be building houses right now?\u201d<\/p>\n Neither man speaks, but I get the slightest nod from Horst. I go on.<\/p>\n \u201cConstruction is dangerous. Or so I\u2019ve heard. If there\u2019s an issue of one person not paying attention, that\u2019s a problem. If it happens again and there are witnesses, there may be need for punishment\u2014or maybe not. Accidents happen. But this feud has already seen violence. If someone dies from all this hatred and anger, who will be to blame? You, Mister Horst? Or you, Mister Wellim? If someone dies, I rather think it would be my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n They both look up sharply. I nod.<\/p>\n \u201cI am an [Emperor]. This is my domain. Shouldn\u2019t the blame fall to me? If things get worse\u2014only they won\u2019t get worse. Because we will sort this out. One of you made a mistake, or neither of you did. Either way, it\u2019s a matter between you two, not two villages. We are working together here, all of us. We are all part of this\u2014this nation. And I expect you to remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n A beat. For a second I open my eyes again and hold their gazes. Then I close my eyes. It\u2019s hard not to blink. I should probably exercise my eyelids, but what\u2019s the point?<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not children. If you want to hold a grudge, hold it. If you know you\u2019re right, watch the other man until he makes a mistake again and point it out for all to see. But the feuding ends now, as does the gossiping and sabotaging each other. You don\u2019t have to like one another. In fact, if you want to start a fight, now would be a good time. I\u2019ll turn my head if you don\u2019t want me to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n I smile at that and turn my head sideways. I can sense the two men looking at each other. Then one of them clears his throat.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Fifteen minutes later I walk out of the throne room as Horst and Wellim walk out. They\u2019re not holding hands, but they\u2019re talking to each other like people, even managing to smile. I find Prost waiting for me.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ve come to an understanding, Mister Prost.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, Emperor Laken. Whose fault was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRot in the timber, perhaps. A bad nail. Bad lighting. I think we\u2019ll stop building at night. It\u2019s efficient, but both Mister Horst and Wellim agree that night work leads to mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Prost eyes the two men walking off. He turns his head to me, and I sense a knowingness in his gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cDid they brawl?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot as such. They might throw a punch at each other while working, but I expect that will only be if one drops a piece of timber on the other man\u2019s toe. They\u2019re not friends, but they\u2019re quite reasonable people when they get down to it.\u201d<\/p>\n My [Steward] nods, and I nod too.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly, you knew that, didn\u2019t you Mister Prost? All of the times you broke the fights up and told them to work it out\u2014or hinted to me that I should intervene\u2014was to get me to do what I just did, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would you say that, Emperor Laken?\u201d<\/p>\n Prost bashfully looks the other way. I smile.<\/p>\n \u201cA [Farmer] probably learns more than one or two tricks over the course of his life. A father likewise. Tell me, why didn\u2019t you deal with it yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t do it, Your Majesty. Both men, well, they\u2019re proud men and not keen to listen to a new [Steward]. An [Emperor], on the other hand\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYoung as I am?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou saved their villages and drove the Goblins off. I don\u2019t think either of them thought of your age while you were sitting on that throne, sire.\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I did was ask them to settle things like adults, Mister Prost. It could have backfired or not worked at all. I didn\u2019t know if what I was doing was the right thing. I just guessed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it did work, Your Majesty?\u201d<\/p>\n I nod. Prost smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cThen it was the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but what if it\u2019s the wrong thing next time?\u201d<\/p>\n He just shrugs at me. Prost speculatively looks across the village as the sun begins to set in the sky.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it wouldn\u2019t work any other day, and maybe it won\u2019t work again. But it did work this time and that means what you did was the right thing, even if you didn\u2019t know it was the right thing you were doing. And most of all, because it was you, Emperor Laken who did it, it was the right thing to do. Because [Emperors] don\u2019t make mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they\u2019re [Emperors], sire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I made a mistake?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I\u2019d suppose you weren\u2019t acting much like an [Emperor] in that moment, sire. Or maybe it wasn\u2019t your fault because things went wrong for no reason. Maybe it couldn\u2019t be helped, and it would\u2019ve happened that way anyways. But [Emperors] don\u2019t make mistakes because they know what they\u2019re doing. Otherwise, why would they be [Emperors]?\u201d<\/p>\n I frown as I mull over his convoluted statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s circular logic, Mister Prost.\u201d<\/p>\n He pauses and then shrugs again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may be circular, but I rather like it, sire. And it works. \u201d<\/p>\n I laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cGood enough. Now, how\u2019s Lady Rie doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChomping at the bit, begging your pardon, sire. But she\u2019s doing a good job, and now that there\u2019s no need to worry about food\u2014or a building\u2014she\u2019s got us figuring out seating arrangements and the like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMuch more manageable?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMuch.\u201d<\/p>\n We walk together, and for the first time, I realize that Prost might not be in awe of Lady Rie as much as I was.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel rather foolish, Mister Prost.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you, Your Majesty? I think you did a good job today. It was a hard decision.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut one I should have made, not anyone else. We wasted a lot of coin and time dancing to Lady Magnolia\u2019s tune.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI expect the drapes and other things will make the great hall that much better anyways. And silverware\u2019s good for entertaining folk, sire. It\u2019s an investment for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWere you always so optimistic, Prost?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Your Majesty. Not as smart, either. But I\u2019ve changed a lot over the last few weeks. Done a lot of thinking ever since a young man pulled my son out of the snow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. Well, I hope I won\u2019t make this particular mistake again. Mister Prost?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sire.\u201d<\/p>\n We walk back to work. Work being whatever I care to focus on. Lady Rie has her ideas, and I\u2019m inclined to follow them. When I don\u2019t have anything better in mind.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a silly lesson I learned today. Relearned, rather. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing. I feel like that all the time. But I do know something more important: no one else<\/em> knows what they\u2019re doing, either. And so I\u2019ve got to make the decisions, even if I\u2019m wrong. Even if they\u2019re the wrong ones.<\/p>\n Because I\u2019m an [Emperor].<\/p>\n Hm. I feel like I finally understand. All the little pieces are coming together. If I add all the fragments up, that nonsense dream I\u2019ve been having, then\u2014I have an idea. Or rather, I had an idea. I\u2019m just a few days ahead of myself.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Day 95<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShut up! Hey! Hey, remember to tell them to bring lots of sweets!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd pudding!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Aha! I wake up with a smile. So that\u2019s<\/em> what it was all about! I stretch, walk out of my cottage after spending a leisurely breakfast with Durene and find Prost in good spirits.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor, we\u2019ve got two more houses built, and I reckon we can get another field sown today if we push it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent, Mister Prost! Any trouble from Mister Horst and Mister Wellim?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot that I know of, sire. They\u2019ve been working well. Not on the same team, but they go to each other\u2019s sites and shout insults at each other. In a good way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs opposed to a bad way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more like competition than it is anger, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take that, then. Lady Rie?\u201d<\/p>\n She bows her head, slightly\u2026sullenly? She\u2019s still not happy about my changes, but she\u2019s working within my design, and she\u2019s stopped touching my arm.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the clearing set up. I\u2019ve taken the liberty of setting a few braziers up. I think [Light] spells would be more appropriate given the warmer weather, though.\u201d<\/p>\n I nod.<\/p>\n \u201cGood, we might actually do this. Now, I know we\u2019re expecting the nobles to bring food, but have a few of our [Cooks] see me within the hour. I want some of Riverfarm\u2019s and the local dishes on display, and a lot of sweet foods.\u201d<\/p>\n I turn to Prost as Wiskeria rides into the village, her [Hunters] carrying a dead buck between them. I wonder if a [Witch] has any party tricks? What am I saying? I wonder if she\u2019ll agree to perform a few. I\u2019d rather like to see her turn someone into a frog.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll also need some dry corn for an experiment, Mister Prost\u2014we\u2019ll make popcorn and a few other dishes from home. How good are your sausages, by any chance? Do we have any fresh pork sausages, or could we make some?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSausages, sire? Let me find you a selection\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Back to work. Only this time it feels right. Uncertain, but right.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Day 96<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd pudding! Sweets and pudding, okay? Remember!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cQuick, let\u2019s go! Before\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Yes, yes. I rise and feel a hum of anticipation in the village. Lady Rie\u2019s pacing nervously before I have a chance to meet with her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just not sure we have enough entertainment, Emperor Laken, I don\u2019t know how long you expect us to be occupied with trebuchets, but at some point we will be out of diversions!\u201d<\/p>\n I smile at her, noticing for the first time how stressed she sounds. I wonder how much strain she\u2019s been feeling? I feel great, incidentally.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll make do, Lady Rie. Mingling and conversation will suffice if we have nothing else at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConversation? If you say so, Your Majesty. And will you tell me at last what the other seats are for? You aren\u2019t intending to seat more of the villagers with the nobility, are you? Your Mossbear, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n Apparently, Lady Rie also gets sarcastic when she\u2019s peeved. I like that\u2014it\u2019s more honest of her.<\/p>\n \u201cTrust, Lady Rie. We may have some unexpected guests. Or not. Now, let\u2019s go over my actual conversation topics one more time. Tell me about trade goods coming from the south. You say it\u2019s rare for Drakes to sell their goods past Liscor? What items are in high demand around here, and what role did Riverfarm and the local villages fulfill up till this point?\u201d<\/p>\n She sighs but proceeds to lecture me at length. I wish I could take notes, but my stupid phone is completely dead. I hope I can get it fixed soon. Didn\u2019t Ryoka say that a [Repair] spell charges it up? How come no one in my entire empire can cast the spell?<\/p>\n I wonder how you recruit mages? Reel them in with promises of free room and board? Spellbook on a fishing line? Maybe Wiskeria knows some people. Heck, maybe she\u2019s part of a coven.<\/p>\n One day left. And as I sleep, it all falls into place.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Day 97<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIs it time yet?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re early. We shouldn\u2019t be here!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get in trouble!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go, hurry!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWait!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cShh! We\u2019re not supposed to be heard!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cShut up! Hey! Hey, remember to tell them to bring lots of sweets!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd pudding!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd pudding! Sweets and pudding, okay? Remember!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cQuick, let\u2019s go! Before\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n This is what I dreamt, over a week ago. The voices stir and echo around me, not quite here, but not quite in my mind either. They\u2019re\u2026like real memories, if that makes sense. Memory that becomes reality as you remember it? There\u2019s just one thing missing from the conversation, one little clue.<\/p>\n Today as I wake up, I feel the village come alive. I eat breakfast with Durene, smiling at her as she paces around nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure it\u2019ll be okay, Laken? What if they get angry? Maybe I should<\/em> wear a helmet! Or a hat!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hate hats. Durene, it\u2019ll be fine. Besides, your suit looks quite nice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t know! You can\u2019t see!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I laugh. Durene\u2019s been dressed for today, against Lady Rie\u2019s objections. She decided a dress did not suit her and instead wore a suit\u2014at my suggestion. If women can wear pants and suits, why not Durene? And apparently she cuts a rather bold figure with the cloth my [Tailors] had labored over.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll go well with my clothing, Durene. I\u2019ve got enough cloth for a dress. We can say we switched roles for the banquet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLaken!\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m not wearing a dress but robes that are quite long and showy. All the better to give me some additional gravitas, according to Lady Rie. She tried to get me to wear lace, and I refused. This was the best compromise we could come up with. I\u2019d rather walk around naked than wear a suit with more lace than fabric.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like Lady Rie\u2019s already pacing outside of the cottage. Prost\u2019s here too. I thought the nobility were supposed to arrive this evening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe they\u2019re early?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot as far as I know. Pass me a fried potato, will you Durene? No, Frostwing, that\u2019s not for you. Stop pooping so loudly, please? I\u2019m trying to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n This is how it goes. I go outside, tell a joke, and only Durene giggles. Gamel\u2019s too uptight with his suit, Prost is distracted tugging at his, and Lady Rie\u2019s far too high strung. Wiskeria just doesn\u2019t like my sense of humor.<\/p>\n No one arrives in the morning, although we had prepared for a few early guests. Apparently I\u2019m so intimidating the entire group of nobles is arriving together. Or maybe that\u2019s due to the presence of Magnolia\u2019s servant, Sacra, and the famous Lady Bethal Walcha\u00eds. I sense a rather large caravan of people headed this way just after breakfast, and Beniar\u2019s riders report the nobles are coming in a train.<\/p>\n \u201cA rather large group. They may arrive an hour late. I don\u2019t think they were expecting to carry quite so much on the trip here.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie stares accusingly at me. I just smile.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd their escort?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLight for a group of nobles travelling. I counted sixty armed guards.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo two per noble? A bit less? That is<\/em> trusting. If they\u2019re staying the night, they can sleep in the houses for the nobles or outside. It shouldn\u2019t rain today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt they\u2019ll stay the night. And I\u2019m surprised Lady Bethal isn\u2019t travelling by magical carriage. Apparently Magnolia Reinhart lends it to all her closest friends. I wonder if it\u2019s broken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMagical carriages? Hold on, explain that to me? Someone?\u201d<\/p>\n The day wears on. I try not to let my nerves get the better of me. I have a plan. It\u2019s not a good one, and it\u2019s based on guesswork and a dream I had. But it\u2019s all I\u2019ve got. As evening wears into dusk, the first nobles ride into Riverfarm, a group of laughing young [Lords] and [Ladies] and their retainers. They freeze the instant they see me.<\/p>\n \u201cLord Andres, Lady Cimeca, Lord Pattin, welcome to Riverfarm!\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie calls out more names as the mounted nobility draw back, staring at me in alarm and awe. I smile and gently let Frostwing flap her wings. Beneath me, my mount shifts and growls, making the nobles\u2019 horses back away skittishly.<\/p>\n That\u2019s right, I\u2019m riding Bismarck, my Mossbear. If you\u2019ve got a Mossbear and you don\u2019t ride it to meet people, what kind of [Emperor] are you? Durene stands by my side, practically vibrating with nerves. I try not to show anyone that my legs are trembling as they hug Bismarck\u2019s sides.<\/p>\n A flurry. A torrent of bodies. Rich men and women dressed in finery, armored warriors\u2014I can only rely on Wiskeria and Durene\u2019s whispered explanations. Their voices sound like any other, perhaps a touch more refined and breathy\u2014the nobles ride up to me on their horses while I let Bismarck snuffle at them. And then I hear a voice I recognize.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, I bring you greetings on behalf of Lady Magnolia Reinhart, who apologizes for the inconvenience of this small gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOdveig. Or would you prefer to be called Sacra?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEither is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n I turn my head to the [Maid] standing and facing me without a trace of fear. I can sense Wiskeria tensing beside me, but Sacra pays her no notice as she bows and introduces the last of my guests. I smell a floral perfume and hear a light voice.<\/p>\n \u201cMy, is that a Mossbear? Thomast, look! How exciting!<\/em> Do you think I could ride it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, may I present Lady Bethal Walcha\u00eds and Sir Thomast?\u201d<\/p>\n The man and woman step forwards. I get nothing from my image of them in my head. Lady Bethal is wearing a dress and Thomast some kind of doublet. They\u2019re attired much like the others I suppose\u2014my [Emperor] senses don\u2019t extend to color or detail well. But the two do have a kind of\u2026presence in my mind.<\/p>\n Lady Bethal feels like a rose, or a bush covered in thorns. As if I could walk into her and be stung. It\u2019s an aura about her, and Sir Thomast\u2014just seems too poised. He stands as if he could leap into action at any moment, and there\u2019s a grace about his movements that makes me think he knows how to handle the rapier at his side. Both bow to me, and Lady Bethal\u2019s first words after her greeting are about Bismarck.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he tamed, Your Majesty? I had heard there was an [Emperor] who commanded the hearts of both beasts and men, but until Magnolia told me about you, I was quite under the impression that it was all rumor! Oh, but do forgive me\u2014I do forget myself. Thomast, why don\u2019t you ever stop me?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Chevalier] says nothing. I get the feeling he\u2019s staring at me, not at Durene, for all Bethal is now gushing over Durene\u2019s suit and greeting Lady Rie. From the way Rie goes stiff and quiet, I get the feeling that Lady Bethal\u2019s spiky aura isn\u2019t for show.<\/p>\n Big players. Large fish in small ponds, or however the saying goes. Bethal strikes me as a shark, though. The nobles wait for me as I finish greeting Lady Bethal. They\u2019ve already spotted the clearing filled with food that their servants are busily unloading, and I think their mood is\u2014intrigued. Some of them appear dismayed from the way they shift and lean closer to talk to each other, but I\u2019ve made an impression.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s how it ends. I raise my hand and make a small speech in the silence as every eye falls to me. As the light fades, I quell the butterflies in my chest. Is this the right thing to do? Is this the right thing to say? I\u2019m an [Emperor]. It better be.<\/p>\n \u201c[Lords] and [Ladies] of Izril, I greet you. I am Laken Godart.\u201d<\/p>\n They stir as I don\u2019t give myself any titles. I could have proclaimed myself ruler of the Unseen Empire, or any number of things, but I\u2019m here to make friends, not scare them. I go on.<\/p>\n \u201cI am aware that you are here at Lady Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s request. I was unaware of this gathering until she arranged it in my honor, and I am grateful for her aid in doing so. For your enjoyment, my people have created a small setting in which we may mingle and talk. I look forwards to meeting each one of you in person. But before that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n My heart skips a beat in my chest. Here it is.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014But before that, I believe there are a few more guests I have yet to invite.\u201d<\/p>\n Murmurs. I see heads turning and Thomast tense ever so slightly beside his wife. I ignore the confused nobility and tilt my head back.<\/p>\n \u201cI greet the nobility of this land before me. I offer them the warmth of my hearths and the bounty of my lands. I would be remiss if I did not extend the same invitation to my own vassals.\u201d<\/p>\n I look up towards the sky. Please be there. Please don\u2019t be a dream.<\/p>\n \u201cMy lords and ladies of the court? I invite you to share this banquet at your discretion. My lands are open to all those of my empire on this day. Come, if thou would.\u201d<\/p>\n I offer a hand up towards the heavens. And wait. There\u2019s only silence. After a moment, a long moment in which I curse and wonder what the hell I should do next, I lower my hand. The silence around me is broken by a low voice muttering out of the group of nobles.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I hear a titter and someone shushing the speaker. I turn, keeping my face calm, not letting blood rush to my cheeks. It was a long shot. A perhaps. And I am an [Emperor]. So I keep up the charade, as I turn to look at my [Steward].<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost? We may have visitors this night. Keep a place at the tables open should guests arrive. Now, I believe we are ready to be seated?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Prost breaks the silence by gesturing. The young men and women of my empire, dressed in fine clothing, step forwards and quite elegantly lead the nobles to the tables. I dismount Bismarck and do the same, pointedly standing. It\u2019s going to be a standing dinner, a time to chat. Less formal, which means less risk of me making a mistake. I turn my head to the buffet and try to remember my lines. Thank Magnolia for her hospitality again? No, wait, maybe I should talk about the Goblins\u2014<\/p>\n I freeze as I hear a giggle. It\u2019s a soft sound, but it cuts through the quiet murmuring like a bell ringing in a snowstorm. The sound is bright and cheerful and makes every head turn in confusion. I feel my heart beating faster.<\/p>\n The giggling stops abruptly. But the air is suddenly warmer, and the sky brighter. The clearing illuminated by braziers and mage light warms, and it feels as though everything is lit by a subtle glow. I feel the wind blow strong for a second and smell wet earth, flowers, the smell of nectar, growing grass\u2014<\/p>\n Spring.<\/span><\/p>\n Oh, that\u2019s what I was missing. I hear the voices overhead, crystal clear at last. Unearthly voices, voices that rustle and leap with life, the voices made of magic.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIs it time yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re early. We shouldn\u2019t be here!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get in trouble!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go, hurry!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWait!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShh! We\u2019re not supposed to be heard!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShut up! Hey! Hey, remember to tell them to bring lots of sweets!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd pudding!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd pudding! Sweets and pudding, okay? Remember!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cQuick, let\u2019s go! Before\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A clamor of quick voices, arguing, talking rapidly and urgently. And then an authoritative voice, singing out above them all.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cToo late! It\u2019s time!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I hear laughter. And I look up and smile. The skies open. The nobles gape. Durene looks up and gasps. Lady Rie nearly swallows her tongue. I just laugh as the wind blows, and they step downwards, step out of the forests, dance into the meadow. Of course, why would they be cold and frozen in the spring? I sense one of them as they wink and blow me a kiss. They bow, mockingly, and I shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cTook you long enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSame to you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n And then my banquet really<\/em> begins as they descend, bringing spring and chaos in their wake. The tricksters, the harbingers of spring and snow. The beings of myth and magic. The Fair Folk.<\/p>\n The fae.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cRessa, how do you suppose an evil tyrant laughs?\u201d \u201cI have no idea, milady.\u201d Magnolia frowned mildly as she sat on her pink couch, nibbling at a jam tart. \u201cIt\u2019s just that I\u2019d like to be as authentic as possible. If I\u2019m truly a\u2014what did that girl call me? A \u2018cold-hearted tyrannical bitch\u2019, I might […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693085,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693134],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-4708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-5","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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