“What the hell was that out there?!” Jonas screamed, spittle flying out of his mouth and eyes red.

He was beyond angry. Steam rose from his head and eyes burned with a bright red flame. He had been taught to act in accordance with the commandments his father and teachers had drilled into his mind. First one among them was that your lands are only as wealthy as your people. The better they were treated, the greater your holdings were.

It made him enraged just thinking of how little those people out there had. They barely had enough to clothe themselves, much less buy food, books, instructors, manuals on the Path, lesson in education and critical reasoning. Each just as important as the other.

How could they elevate themselves and society as a whole without anything for them to take hold of to climb this mountain?

Tedder jumped from his kneeling position. His skin glistening from sweat--from Jonas’s perspective and the sun hitting him from the massive windows to the side, he glistened like the armor he wore. “M-m-my L-L-Lord, I-I…”

“Tedder, I swear to the Father above you will be hanged if you do not give me a satisfactory answer! These are people of the kingdom! Citizens belonging to the Emperor! Our charges, the men and women we were placed to take care of! Why do I see them starved and emaciated, nothing more than skeletons and husks of real people?!”

Keda’s look alike almost mirrored him when he panicked. Their eyes would swivel back and forth and look for someone they could push the consequences on and get away unblemished. It was uncanny how much Tedder resembled his uncle.

Though at the moment, Jonas couldn’t care less. He only saw red and a burning desire to act on it.

On the other hand, Destrian and his men stood to the side next to the rest of Jonas’s honor guard and BlackGuard. The men he commanded had smiles across their faces, something Jonas did not expect.

He raised his hand to get Jonas’s attention. “Milord, if I may-”

Jonas jerked his head towards the offending voice manking the knight cringe. “Did I allow you to speak?!” His ire had been redirected towards him. For that, Tedder was beyond grateful.

Dastrian gulped. “No?”

“Then shut the hell up!” Jonas got up from the tiny throne--when compared to PennyHabor’s monstrosity--and began to stalk around Tedder like a predator. The man huddled into himself as much as possible.

Though it only irked Jonas more.“Speak, damn you!”

Tedder looked around like he was trying to find a way to escape, but only found Jonas’s guards everywhere he looked. Not seeing any opportunity to make it out, the man fell to his knees--long golden hair falling in waves--and began to speak incoherently. He said a hundred words a second trying to beg for mercy and how he did nothing.

“Stop!” Joans fell back onto the throne. He felt exhausted both mentally and physically.

“My Lord. Please, you have to believe me. We had no choice-”

“Yes you did,” Destrian chimed in.

“-but for this to happen. It was a decree from the capital. The Orcish horde had been raiding with large scouting parties and even some of their elite vanguards. Whenever we faced them, sword to sword, we were always routed and defeated. We had no choice but to hide behind our fortifications. They won’t attack them after they failed to take Kalbeen with their hundreds of thousands. It was a sacrifice we made for the greater good!”

Jonas’s eyes twitched. “Greater good?” he said in a low and menacing voice. “Sacrificing lives is considered greater good? I was at PennyHarbor and Petrous before that, I have seen that your massive cities had more than enough space to fit hundreds of thousands of more people, and you dare to tell me leaving them here without protection, food, water, and true sanitation was something that had to be done?”

Tedder gulped.

“Who was it that gave this decree?”

Tedder’s teeth chattered. “The council! My lord, it was the council! They were the rulers until the Emperor decided that you would rule this colony.”

Jonas slammed his fist on the thrones arm cracking the fine wood and metal. “Names! I want names!”

“Four of the seven voted for the bill, my lord. Cothelas of House William. Pald of House Fend. Gratian of House Bevlen. And the last one to vote for this bill was Thariul of House Petr.”

Jonas looked up in surprise. That name was far to familiar. Who was it again…?

Wait.

Thari? Wasn't that his full name?

Thari was part of the ruling branch of the colony? For the longest, he thought the man a fool with no prospects in moving up the chain, but instead he was of the highest tier? Both Ash and Frezar had bitter expressions on their faces. It was because of Thari they were here now instead of already within the halls of Aiden.

“Tell me more about this Thariul character.” Jonas said as he looked out the window.