Chapter 3 -Savior

Garshik, Chosen of the Gods, Ruler of the Western Peninsula, Surveyor of the Oceans to the north and south, Savior of Letalona, and Emperor of the Felia, stood atop the imposing stone terrace and gazed upon the masses below. He looked, seeing the innumerable faces as they looked back, expectant. Thousands upon thousands were gathered, but not a single sound could be heard. In that silence, the emperor began.

“Sixteen years have passed since this city lay under siege. Sixteen years of reparations. Sixteen years of prosperity. Sixteen years of blessings. I stand before you and find myself awestruck and hopeful. I find my eyes begin to water as they gaze upon your accomplishments, your resilience, and your mercy. Your devotion legendary in its passion, while your strength surpasses that of normal men, as is befitting of a subject of Felia.”

“Today I return from my visit of Katentin, our southern capital in what once was the Queendom of Tell, in what once was our southern neighbor but is now more than what it had been. I have looked upon the cities that are being rebuilt after the ravenous attack on our empire, and I tell you now that in this short span of sixteen years, we have grown far beyond what we once were. Cellars overflow with produce while our children walk further and further from the hunger that we had suffered. Our armies stand as the strongest and our borders bear no threats. Newly paved roads connect us with our families from far off provinces.”

“And although we find ourselves with full stomachs and with shoulders unburdened by hardship, although we are favored by the gods, we must remind ourselves -lest we grow complacent. We must teach our children so that they may learn of the late Emperor Sienel’s god-given mercy. We must teach them so that they learn of our strength. Not only of the armies, but of the people. The strength of you and your fathers.”

“Sixteen years ago, an army ravaged our southern border, villages razed to the ground, farmlands torn up and salted, innocents murdered. Under the order of the Queen, the Tyrant of Tell marched upon our city with promises of conquest, glory and riches whispered in the ears of his people. Like dogs he whipped them, spurring them forwards and killing those who could not meet the pace he dictated. Women were taken and used, then left behind to suffer through pregnancy, carrying children begotten by no choice of their own. Men were castrated then hung on trees to bleed out and fester in the sun’s heat. He marched on Letalona, leaving death in his wake, ordering such acts of horror that even his own men began to question his tyranny. All the while, the twisted Queen, Lidja the Swift, forced more of the poor men of Tell to march towards their death under the Tyrant. I was there as she stood and shouted her orders. I was there as The Tyrant rode with his armies. For the Tyrant was my uncle, and Lidja my Queen. They conspired and I saw their plans for the farce that they were, and Berlas, father of the gods, came to me and told me of how I may stop them their evil designs. Berlas commanded me north, to reach Letalona, the great City of Ocean Shells. Next to the Tyrant I rode, counting each of his sins so that one day Berlas may hold him accountable through me.”

“You may ask, under what pretense did they dare attack? For what reason did she target the men and leave none alive from the border to the city? Under a blatant lie. A false accusation, claiming her emissary was raped. But those who knew Sienel the Merciful can testify that he was a man of character most pure. Such an act was beyond what could be believed, but Lidja’s chains upon her people were tight, and so they had no choice. The Queen desired more. More land, more riches, more slaves. In her greed she attacked Felia. But when the armies came upon the walls of Letalona, what did they find? Did they find a people ready to give in to her Tyrant? Did the Tyrant find that the people of Letalona were weak? Did we cower when we faced the man with one ear?!”

“No! We stood tall and shouted defiance! We cursed the Tyrant of Tell three times! And we saw the lies of Lidja for what they were! Then, my predecessor, Emperor Sienel the Cunning, Emperor Sienel the Merciful saw the armies of the Tyrant. He saw them for the beaten and suffering people they had been transformed into. He saw the agony that the tyrant was inflicting upon them by ordering them to commit atrocities, and he saw that they were like his own people. He saw their pure hearts, and to them he opened his gates. One by one they came through, surrendering their weapons of their own volition. Seeking refuge under your mercy. It was then that I understood the orders of Berlas. The souls of Letalona stood out to me, shining, and I knew the Tyrant would be held accountable.”

“Among those who fled from his oppression, were his brother and his wife. When he found out, the Tyrant flew into a rage, ordering his armies to attack the soldiers and family that they had marched alongside. He slew his own wife in his bloodlust, carrying her head around the battlefield as a trophy while he hunted his brother. The Tyrant was a man, nay, a demon who sought only war. But you stood up to him! By the will of Berlas I gathered our armies so that the victims of the Queen and the citizens of Letalona could fight side by side. Together we corralled and fought the demon, wiping out his army, vanquishing his threat. Our armies moved and we retook the lands he had marched through, welcoming our southern neighbors into the fold while the Queen abdicated and was tried for her sins. The gods found her lacking.”

“Sixteen years later and we have come a long way from where we were. We have rebuilt cities and we have restored the empire, bringing it to the peak of its glory! And yet… there are still rats! RATS! WHO GLORIFY THE TRAITOR! … they are confused, believing him to be a glorious martyr. They have forgotten!”

“Cursed was the man with one ear. Cursed was the Tyrant of Tell. And if you younger ones have forgotten, remember this. It was he who betrayed his people with false promises of conquest! It was he who waged war on our great empire and led hundreds of thousands to their death! It was he who betrayed his sworn brother Garent, hunting him when he spoke out against his evils! Curse the traitor! Curse the man of no morality or love. Curse the man that marched upon your walls. Now… Now those rats that glorify his damned name must be reminded of his evil. They must be reminded by whatever means necessary, for they seek only to sow chaos and dissent among you.”

“But I do not worry, for you have proven yourselves once before. I have faith in you, just as you have faith in me. Together we will not let the rats surface and spread pestilence among us.”

“Our empire has grown, and it will continue to grow. Our people are safe and content, and that will not change. I have traveled across these lands and seen our progress, and I know, we are blessed by the gods.”

“So, let us show the demons of below that they were not, and will never be successful. Let us be thankful and show the gods above the extent of our gratitude. Let us feast and make merry. Let the sounds of our joy reach the heavens above and taunt the hells below, for Felia stands tall!”

A single shout emerged from the crowd below, breaking the spell of silence that had gripped them. A heartbeat later the rest of the crowd followed, erupting into a cheering roar that shook the stones as they stamped their feet. The entire city could hear the howling masses and feel the dull vibrations that caused houses to tremble. Garshik looked down into the courtyard before turning and nodding to the chief administrator that stood behind. On his command the message was spread, and within minutes, temples opened their doors. From within, barrels brought there two nights in advance were rolled out. Baskets of bread were distributed to the people that stood before the temple. The hungriest had been waiting there from before the emperor returned, not bothering to attend the emperor’s return speech, but grateful for his generosity nonetheless. The courtyard emptied as the people sought out free drink and food. The emperor watched for a moment longer before leaving. As he turned, he caught his sons eyes and saw the passion burning within. His speech had affected more than the people standing before him.

Mounting his horse, he rode through the palace gates with Gregor by his side. Garshik sighed. Someday, the boy would have to learn the truth if he wished to be an emperor worth anything at all. But not today. Today the emperor needed a bath and a hot meal.

--

Gregor finished washing up and dressed in the clothes set out for him by his steward before returning to his old room. Everything had been kept clean and dust free, but it seemed so… small to him now. He remembered the room being bigger. Perhaps it was only that he had been smaller. He shook his head in wonder. What two and a half years on the road does for a person. Gregor certainly felt bigger. While they were on their way back the imperial tailor had taken his measurements. Although Gregor had been skeptical as to when they would have the time, they had managed to complete several sets of clothing while on the road. Most likely worked on during the nights or when they had stopped, but even so, Gregor was impressed. Having had to take lessons while riding, the emperors son thought he understood how difficult it must have been.

After washing and stopping by his rooms, he walked to the dining hall and sat down, waiting for the rest of his family. His grandmother, Zana, walked in first and shame washed over Gregor as he kissed the back of her hand and brought it to his forehead. After the speech, he had completely forgotten about his grandparents. After he kissed her hand, she surprised him, pulling him into an uncomfortable hug.

“My grandson, I missed you Gregor, how was it?”

“I missed you too Grandma. It was great, we got to travel all over. It was disappointing that I had to attend to my lessons while riding, but I learned a great amount.” He trailed off awkwardly, hoping that the rest of his family would come by before she asked him any more questions. While he was close to his grandfather, his relationship with his grandmother was far from comfortable. She simply was not as warm or fun as Garent. Gregor felt like he had to be on his toes around her, lest he disappoint her. In that manner she was similar to his father, but after the time on the road with his father he felt less awkward around him. Sadly it wasn’t the case with her.

It did not take long for the rest of his family, and the five of them began to dig into the meal once his father had taken the first bite. They were all tired, feeling the weight of the journey settling on their shoulders now that they were finally home and had a chance to rest. Gregor’s sister Lania barely recognized her grandmother, let alone the surrounding dining hall, but she took her que from the rest of the family. Feeling right at home she spoke, asked questions, and complained, “It’s too dark, the meat is too hot, why is this spicy.” Although Gregor was usually frustrated by the endless talking, he was grateful for his sisters never ending string of things to say. For the first time, he recognized its worth. Without her, the dinner table would have been deathly quiet. Between his mother’s perfect manners and his father’s stern demeanor, as well as his awkwardness with his grandmother, the meal would have been one of discomfort, but with Lania around, he could relax. It even got others to speak, not so much his father, but his mother, Heilara, and grandmother answered her questions, or pointed out the obvious, “If it’s too hot, then drink the soup first.”

“I don’t want soup.”

Gregor smiled at his sister’s antics, then looked around the table once more. If only…

--

At the head of the table, Gregor’s father ate slowly. He wanted the meal to last longer. In truth, he enjoyed the time on the road more than he enjoyed the politics of running an empire. While the travels served many purposes: giving his people a chance to see their emperor care, getting to see the state of the empire with his own eyes, keeping the rulers of the many provinces on their toes, getting out of the royal palace, the best part of the journey was that he had gotten the chance to spend some time with his family while doing everything else. Garshik knew he was not the model parent. He had seen the way his son revered him, and that was not what he had wanted. The boy had been too afraid to ride next to him or be caught looking at him when they had first set out, but Garshik had no idea where he would start. During the octennial tour he had begun talking with him, but he knew none of the boy’s aspirations, but he quickly learned that his son was a good listener, inquisitive and clever.

The distance he had with his family was not limited to his son. He knew little of his wife Heilara’s personality, despite being together for almost sixteen years. It was the same with his daughter. In fact, with her it was worse. He did not even know what he would talk about, or even open a conversation with. At least with Gregor he was able to discuss matters of the empire and ruling, but with Lania, he was at a loss. Garshik sighed, wishing he knew how to bridge the gap between him and his family. Father, I judged you too harshly. Was this how you had felt? Watching everyone grow before your eyes, wanting to be a part of their life but unsure how? The emperor picked at his meal while reflecting on the poor state of his familial relations. If the problem is not knowing their interests or what they want to do, then the fix is simple. I just need to find out. He looked up, determined to strike a conversation, but saw that everyone else at the table had finished their food, they were only waiting on him. Lania seemed like she was going to fall asleep, and Gregor was fidgeting in his seat, while his grandmother and wife looked at him curiously. When he saw this, he spoke up, “Feel free to leave if you have other matters to attend to.” As if rehearsed, the four of them stood up in near synchrony and walked out, heading their own ways within the large palace. Well, maybe next time…