by W. C. Jasper
He spoke in a solemn voice, “What did Lord Beejin say?”
Lady Lemi: “He said that there is no way to prove that the Kraskos did anything wrong and hence the Tranks should withdraw their complaint.”
Emperor Thon: “And you don’t believe that it is fair for them to get away with slandering you, correct?”
The Tranks nodded.
After just a couple of seconds of thought, Emperor Thon said to the Kraskos, “I request you to please wait outside the hall for a moment.”
With only the Tranks, Lady Lemi, Satya, and the Emperor’s chief chef, Yuvan in the room; he asked the Tranks, “Do you trust your Emperor?”
The Tranks responded, “Of course, Your Highness!”
Emperor Thon: “How much is your business worth currently?”
The Tranks stared in confusion as the bald Trank spoke, “Your Highness?”
Emperor Thon repeated himself, “How much would all of it be worth? All the products, all of the business’ assets… How much is it all worth?”
The Tranks stared at each other in perplexity as he took a small sip of his wine, waiting for their answer.
After a while, the bald Trank spoke, “It might be worth— I mean— accounting for everything… It must be about 15,000 keoras.”
Emperor Thon spoke with compassion oozing from every orifice, “I despise strife in my country. That is what I am here to eradicate. If Lord Beejin has said that the guilt of the Kraskos cannot be proven, then he must be correct. But I also cannot disbelieve my subjects. So, I will believe you when you say that they have slandered you and have ruined your business. So, allow me to provide complete restitution by buying your business from you for 60,000 keoras.”
The only two people in the room whose jaws did not drop were Satya and Yuvan. Lady Lemi was at a complete loss, which Emperor Thon made a note of.
The bald Trank spoke, “Your Highness! That is… That would be… That is much too much!”
Satya interjected in his ever so detached and flat voice, “Four times its worth, to be precise.”
Emperor Thon: “Gessold is its people. Money can always be reacquired. The welfare of the people is what is important… Will you trust your Emperor and let me buy it from you?”
“Of course! Your Highness!” the Tranks responded unanimously.
Emperor Thon: “Please keep this transaction a secret. We wouldn’t want everyone to come in with made-up stories, would we? He-He-He!” The charm of his laugh captured everyone and put everyone in an agreeable state instantaneously like the aroma of a freshly-baked cake.
He continued as everyone joined in his laughter, “I also need you to trust me with the punishment of the Kraskos. Just as I need your restitution to be kept secret, their punishment will also need to be kept secret. Do I have it?”
“Of course! Your Highness!” responded the Tranks immediately.
“Thank you! I am glad to have been able to right this wrong. Happy Partings!” said Emperor Thon with a beautiful smile that convinced the Tranks without any doubt that this was the one man who cared about them the most.
As the Tranks exited the room, the Emperor asked Lady Lemi, “Is the Kraskos’ business a successful one?”
Lady Lemi stared in confusion and proceeded to sift through her notes, “Yes. It is.”
The Kraskos were brought into the courts next.
Emperor Thon: “Forgive me, but I have crucial matters to attend to. So please enlighten me with haste.”
The Kraskos, being anxious to present their side of the story, heeded to their Emperor’s request immediately. The ivory-skinned Krasko started spitting words in hurry, “Your Highness! We have done no such thing! These allegations are all false. We have never done such a thing in our lives!—”
He stopped as the Emperor raised his hand and spoke, “No need to be afraid. I will not punish my people for a crime that cannot be proven. However, I have heard quite a bit about your successful business. I believe you will be a great addition to the government’s business wing. Tell me, would you like to operate your business under your Emperor’s providence and protection?”
The Kraskos looked at each other in surprised delight.
The ivory-skinned Krasko answered, “Yes, of course! Your Highness! It would be a privilege to work with you!”
Emperor Thon flashed the most charming smile, “It is truly joyful to hear that. I will make sure that you earn four times what you are earning right now.”
The Kraskos’ faces lit up.
Emperor Thon: “However, the peace of the country is my utmost priority, so may I make a request?”
The ivory-skinned Krasko answered immediately, “Your Highness! Why would you speak in such manner? We are yours to command!”
Emperor Thon: “You see, this dispute of yours with the Tranks… it is a threat to the peace in the land… So, I request you to keep this matter a secret. Obviously, you will be living in the capital city with us, in order to operate your business under the government’s business wing. So, I request you to tolerate a little inconvenience and not return to your hometown. I request that you stay here while my men facilitate the complete relocation of all your families and all your possessions. No one from your hometown can know that you are now working for me. It’s important in order to keep the peace. Can I expect this from you?”
The Kraskos thought for a few seconds and replied, “As long as our families are with us, we are fine with all of it.”
“Great!” said the Emperor, “We are glad to have you. You may ask the soldier standing outside to show you to the waiting hall. Lady Lemi will join you soon and get everything started for you. Happy Partings!”
Once the Kraskos left the room, Lady Lemi asked in utter puzzlement, “My Lord, is not all of this a waste of too much money?”
Emperor Thon’s demeanour was now back to his eternally uninterested state. He spoke as he finished a small sip of his wine, “Why is it that even Lord Yuvan can understand my actions and reasoning despite him having nothing to do with politics, and you can’t?”
Lord Yuvan continued working on his wine-mixing as if he had not heard a single word of what was being spoken.
Sighing in exasperation, he added, relaxing back in his seat further, “Absolute control is how you maintain power. And simply creating fear, hatred, and conflict is not enough for absolute control. Which is why we also control information and do a lot of other things. And one of those other things is controlling providence. If the government is their only source for acquiring daily needs and supplies, then no one can even think of not complying with any rules and regulations we place… no matter how unreasonable.”
Lady Lemi: “Monopoly.”
“Finally,” sighed the Emperor with his lack of interest in full display, “Something at last.”
Lady Lemi: “But why did we need to pay 60,000 keoras? Even if we want to appear generous, 20,000 would have been an outrageous amount of money in itself.”
Emperor Thon: “Public imagery is everything, Lemi. How the people see you is what determines whether you will stay in power. Those 60,000 keoras will earn us unlimited advertisement. That man will go back to his hometown and sing praises about how incredibly generous and unmatched in goodness I am to everyone. The emotions born from 60,000 keoras received in exchange for something worth 15,000 keoras cannot be contained. 20,000 would have earned me a generous image in the eyes of a handful of people. 60,000 keoras will gain me a godly image in the eyes of an entire town because he himself will make sure that he sings about this to everyone he meets.” Lady Lemi once again flashed a face that expressed her understanding.
Lady Lemi: “But was it really necessary to get the three Kraskos to join us? They are not particularly exceptional businessmen.”
Emperor Thon’s face once again expressed his annoyance of Lady Lemi’s incompetence, “There was no way for us to know whether they actually committed that crime for a fact. But, with what I’ve done, the people of Koyara town will
now believe that I care about peace above everything else, thanks to the Tranks who will spread the word all around. With the accused simply removed from that setting, no one can know for a fact what became of these three and their families. The Tranks will believe that I have punished them. And the rest will also believe whatever suits their preconceived notions best. Nothing is explicit. It’s the safest route. And we have also managed to further propagate the notion that there is still oppression of the Tranks without earning enmity from the Kraskos. And not to mention, Koyara town will also believe that I am a hero who is standing with the oppressed and fighting for their upliftment. A situation which would have caused at least a decent amount of damage is now a situation which turned out with lots of benefits and barely any damage.”
Lady Lemi’s face once again displayed an expression of comprehension.
Emperor Thon: “You clearly have many more questions. But I do not have the time for it. Someone else will take care of it.”
“Satya”, said Emperor Thon as all the disinterest and annoyance vanished from his face in an instant and only the minimal amount of his usual indifference remained, “Any new information from Jerudia yet?”
“No, My Lord,” said Satya in his detached and flat voice, “Unfortunately, as you know, one of our contacts got caught. So, the only undetected spy we have now is my sister. Information is scarce with General Thayman and Jared being far more cautious with my sister. They have great affection for her and even trust her. However, General Thayman is still one of the greatest Generals this planet will ever see. And Jared is no slouch either. So, it has been extremely difficult for her to gain information.”
“Hmmm…” said Emperor Thon, nodding his head very slowly and gently, as his eyes filled with innumerable thoughts, “Well, then, it is decided. Set it in motion, Lemi. Send word to Sisuje and get it started. I need a moment alone with both of them. It seems my favourite chef is holding back his thoughts in your presence. Leave us please.” At once, Lady Lemi and the messenger left the room.
Satya was a slender, 32-year-old man, fair-skinned and sombre-faced, with straight and silky, dark hair that flowed three-quarters of the way down his back. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall with pitch-black eyes that were steadier and calmer than a mountain. Yet, for those who could see; behind those impenetrable eyes that never gave away any emotion, remained hidden, a sea of slumbering sorrow and pain. His hair was tied with a small black band just around the height of his neck, and he wore a navy-blue headband on his forehead that had an ancient Jerudian engraving on it. On the front, chunks of his extraordinarily dense hair hung out over his headband on both sides. Though he was a slender man with a rather loose physique for a warrior; his body housed far more strength than it made sense.
“My Lord,” said the chief chef with his incredibly large and powerful voice, “Do we have any information from him yet?” as he continued to pack up the wine utensils and wine-accompaniment food. Emperor Thon answered with little thought in his eyes, “Not yet. And it has been a while since I have heard from him. It seems Satya’s sister's information was correct and he has indeed been caught.”
“Master,” said Satya to the chief chef, “are we sure that my sister is safe?”
“Of course!” replied the chief chef, “My dear lad, has the legendary Yuvan Jidragin ever let you down? You followed me all the way to Gessold when Jerudia betrayed us, so trust me when I say that your sister will remain safe. If I ever doubt that, I, myself shall march back into Jerudia and get her back from that treacherous land.”
Lord Yuvan Jidragin was 77 years old and stood at 6 feet 3 inches tall, with a broad and majestic physique. His glorious, bushy, wild, white hair was styled almost the same as Satya’s without the strays on the front. His broad and intimidating visage coupled with his rocksteady assertiveness would remind one of a magnificent white lion. He wore a maroon headband that bore the same writing as Satya’s. His skin shade was ever so slightly darker and a little warmer than Satya’s. And his immensely handsome countenance, with a strong jaw, strong nose, and thick eyebrows was one that commanded respect.
Emperor Thon got up from his seat, walked towards Satya, and placing his hand on his shoulder, spoke, “You have sought asylum in my empire. I assure you, as long as you are under my protection, you and yours will remain protected by my power. And if Jerudia harms your sister, you and Lord Yuvan will march into Jerudia with the entire army of Gessold behind you to burn it down.” He patted the side of his face with tenderness, looking into his eyes, conveying his affection. He embraced him and proceeded to leave the room, offering a courtesy nod to Lord Yuvan.
Emperor Thon entered a study room and found one of his Generals enjoying a drink. General Reebin Darenss, 6 feet tall, with ivory skin and short blonde hair was in his physical prime at 68 years old, and also filled to the brim with experience. Sipping on his alcoholic drink, he turned to the Emperor, “You seem to be troubled by something, My Lord. Could I be of assistance?”
Emperor Thon spoke with his eyes filled with thought, “I believe I might have made a mistake,” as he proceeded to pour a drink for himself.
“Well, I wouldn’t dare judge my Emperor. Do share your thoughts with me,” said General Reebin with a gentle and cordial voice as he rested his hip on a table.
Emperor Thon took a deep breath and spoke in a slow pace with many pauses, “It seems, I have erred in imitating Jerudia’s tactics… I noticed that a huge amount of Jerudia’s power lies with its women. Not just the way their female warriors add to their military might… Even the way their high-ranking female officers and politicians have augmented their power has been incredible… So, I realised that we would be wasting a great deal of power if we did not capitalise on that demographic. But in trying to focus on using our women, it seems I forgot to choose the capable ones and settled for anyone who fit the demographic.”
General Reebin spoke with a rather neutral tone, “Well, I told you right when you hired that one that I could not understand what you see in her, My Lord.”
Emperor Thon nodded softly and replied, “Hmm… Yes… I will have to be careful about choosing capable people over the kind who fit the demographic. But, even so… I cannot understand why so many of my high-ranking men recommended her… It makes no sense… How could they recommend such an incompetent piece of garbage…?”
General Reebin stared at him with an expression that waited for him to come to a realisation. Emperor Thon slightly tilted his head in confusion and quickly realised, “Of course! I guess even I can have stupid moments…” General Reebin resumed drinking his wine with a smile as Emperor Thon continued, “But, we too need to understand how Jerudia has been able to produce so many powerful women, while I have to be stuck with inadequate garbage. I do not want to work at a disadvantage while the number of women we have is clearly more.”
“Well,” said the General immediately, but unhurriedly, “it is quite obvious that we can now trust Yuvan and also his pupil. So why not use these finest warriors of Jerudia to develop our female warriors?” Emperor Thon listened intently, “Think about it. Satya’s own sister is the second in command of the Women of War, right? Who better than him and one of the greatest Generals of Jerudia to make it happen?”
Emperor Thon smiled at him with delight, “There really is wisdom in counsel. I will be sure to reward you for that!”
Emperor Thon left the room without ever getting to his drink.
SHAR 3304
Emperor Thon sat on his throne in his leisurely posture, enjoying an erotic dance by one of the most attractive and sought-after women in Gessold when he was interrupted by an important message. His throne was made of platinum and black gold, and its appearance screamed of power and glory. “My Lord,” said the messenger, “the men that your contact from Jerudia sent to us have arrived.” Emperor Thon leaned forward at once and ordered everyone to leave the room. Only a few warriors stayed in the room and waited for the 15 of the Emperor’s Council of Advisors to arrive.
In a half hour, all 15 of his advisors had arrived and the men sent by Emperor Thon’s spy in Jerudia were beckoned into the room.
Lord Yuvan Jidragin, dubbed ‘The Legendary Son Of Thunder’ marched into the room with a slow and commanding gait like a mighty white lion with grave and heavy eyes. Satya walked behind him, sobbing uncontrollably with two bags in his hand and a broken and crumbling gait. His face was drowning in tears, and with every step he took, his tears flowed stronger and his sobbing intensified. With his shoulders drooping and his knees crumbling below him, one would have thought he was carrying mountains in those bags.
Emperor Thon spoke with a stern voice of authority, “State your busine—” and was interrupted immediately by Lord Yuvan’s gigantic and powerful voice, “Shut up!”
The sword that now dug into Lord Yuvan’s throat did not affect his eyes in the least as he stared into the Emperor’s eyes with the steadfastness of a mountain. One of Gessold’s Generals had decided to deal with the disrespect their Emperor was being shown. As the General’s sword gently dug into Lord Yuvan’s throat ever-so slowly like a burning knife almost touching a slab of ice, slipping in unwittingly; Lord Yuvan stood steady like a statue, as if not even a single nerve in his body was allowed to move without his explicit command.
Emperor Thon tilted his head to the left as if amused and curious and commanded with a completely relaxed voice as if he were lying down in a garden, “Stand down.” He continued as he tilted his head back, “Let him speak. I will let you know if and when you need to interfere.” Lord Yuvan did not even pay the General the dignity of a short glance. He did not deem the General to be threat enough for him to even spare a glance for him. He spoke with a slow pace and few pauses as the General stepped back, “Do not count us among that slithery-spy of yours. We are not here to sell you our loyalty. We have come here only on account of a righteous goal of our own. My pupil here…” His powerful voice had now become a little gentle, “Satya has been gravely wronged by Jerudia, and we wish to join forces with you so that we may help you defeat them while we exact our vengeance.”