Markus was ashamed to realize there were tears in his eyes. He turned away from Rik, who would make fun of him if he saw the tears.
"Guess we should tell Nadia I'm okay," Rik said.
"Yeah, she'll want to wake up for that."
* * * * *
A few hours later, Nadia sat with Markus and Rik, eating lunch in the kitchen. For the most part, Taren had left them alone, and after what Markus had told her about the man, she was glad to see little of him. She could force herself to forgive Markus's uncle, who'd given up his previous loyalties, but she couldn't forgive every Imperial Guard.
Taren came into the kitchen while they were eating and grabbed some food for himself. To Nadia's relief, he ate in the empty common room. Not much of an inn, she decided. Perhaps Taren made people nervous. After all, he had looked at the scroll, and that worried her.
A hard knock on the door disturbed her from her thoughts. She, Markus, and Rik turned toward the sound as Taren answered the door. A trio of Imperial Guards stepped through, talking quietly and scanning their surroundings.
Nadia's chest tightened. Were the Imperial Guards here to arrest them? She looked to Markus and Rik for reassurance, but they'd gone deathly pale.
The quiet conversation continued, and then the Imperial Guards left. Nadia didn't know what to make of it. She was about to go to Taren when the door opened again. Through the door stepped a tall man in the fine red robes of a noble. He had dark hair and eyes and carried himself like a powerful man. Stomach lurching, Nadia realized who he was.
Emperor Warrick.
Markus and Rik looked on with confusion.
"That's Warrick," she whispered, and their eyes widened. Then she gave them a look, and they controlled their expressions. Maybe this had nothing to do with them. Her heart continued pounding, however, as Warrick looked at her with a smile of recognition.
He turned to Taren. "I think your guests know who I am."
Nadia fought to maintain her composure. With a deep breath, she turned to face the emperor. There were niceties to be observed. As much as it pained her, she gave him a small bow, all she could force herself to do. Markus and Rik did the same, but awkwardly
"Not the greatest show of respect," Warrick said, "but I'll let it pass. After all, I am not dressed as emperor." He smiled again. "I can be a reasonable man, Lady Nadia."
"No offense, my emperor," Nadia said, "but I would not describe you as reasonable. You destroyed an entire city. There were children in that city, and you slaughtered them. Can you truly call that reasonable?"
Her heart pounded like a drum. Had she thrown away everything through this outburst?
To her surprise, Warrick smiled. "You know, it's actually quite refreshing to see someone willing to question me." He narrowed his eyes. "As long as you don't take that questioning too far."
"Of course not, my emperor," Nadia said, trying to disguise her true feelings. Warrick's dark gaze unnerved her. He had the ability to read and manipulate minds, so he might see her intentions. His face revealed nothing.
"You might not understand my reasons," he said, "but I do everything for a reason." He turned his gaze to Markus and Rik. "And who might you two be?"
"We're nobody," Rik said, too quickly.
Warrick's eyes narrowed again. "Now, that sounds suspicious. In my position, you learn to be wary of anyone keeping secrets. Tell me who you are. I'll know if you're lying."
Nadia felt like throwing up. Would Warrick know of Markus's situation and force him to become an Imperial Guard? This time, they might not give him the choice to live, and Nadia would be devastated if she lost him. No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise.
Markus cleared his throat. "I'm Markus, a friend of Nadia's."
Rik swayed on his feet. "And I'm Rik, Markus's friend."
"Now that wasn't so hard," Warrick said, a strange glint in his eyes, as though he were keeping his own secrets, which he probably was. "Believe it or not, I know who you are too."
Markus's face turned a ghostly white.
Warrick smiled, as though enjoying this. "It does seem like we might have a problem, then. After all, someone here was supposed to serve me. Yes, Markus, I knew of your uncle's agreement. In fact, it was my idea in the first place."
Markus glared at the emperor. "It doesn't matter. I will never serve you."
Warrick's gaze turned to ice. "I expect more respect than that. When you're facing someone who could kill you with a thought, you should show respect whether you respect them or not." His tone softened. "Just a little advice. Keep that in mind."
"Of course, my emperor," Markus said. "But that doesn't change the fact that I don't want to serve you. I was there in Crayden. You can't expect me to serve you faithfully after that. If you want to kill me, go ahead."
"You should be careful what you wish for."
Warrick pointed a finger at Markus, and a jet of darkness came from his fingertips. Nadia's heart leapt. She was sure the man was going to kill Markus. As soon as the spell struck Markus in the chest, he fell backward, screaming and twitching.
But then Warrick lowered his hand. Markus lay on the ground, slumped against some cabinets at the back of the kitchen. Groaning, he sat up.
"That is for your disrespect and disobedience," Warrick said. "Remember this. That was just a small taste of what I'm capable of doing. You don't want to anger me." His tone softened. "However, as I said, I can be a reasonable man if you treat me well. Though I would have liked to have your service, Markus, I will not force you to serve me. I can find others far more willing."
Despite Warrick's reassurances, Nadia couldn't relax. She kept thinking of the first scroll of White Fire, which lay in her leather sack upon the table.
Would Taren tell Warrick about the scroll?
After all, what had brought the emperor here? It seemed too odd to be a coincidence. Yes, Taren was an Imperial Guard, and Warrick might have visited the man before, but what were the chances that he'd visit while Nadia, Markus, and Rik were there?
Tense silence had fallen, and only Warrick seemed at ease. With his powers, there was no situation he couldn't handle. Nadia felt small and insignificant. How could she ever hope to defeat him? White Fire was a long shot. Could she die for that?
Then she thought of Crayden, of thousands dying in that inferno. No matter the risk, she had to take advantage of the opportunity. She could never live with herself if she didn't.
Taren's voice disturbed her from her thoughts. "The emperor and I need to speak alone."
"Should we go to our rooms, then?" she asked, fighting her nerves.
"No. You should go somewhere else. It shouldn't be long."
Markus and Rik looked eager to leave, and Nadia couldn't blame them. Still, a part of her wanted to hang around, to eavesdrop somehow on what Taren and Warrick were saying. However, that wouldn't be possible. Or safe.
"I'll know if you stick around," Warrick said, as if reading her mind.
She nodded to him, and they gathered their leather sacks. They might as well restock their supplies while they were out. As they marched out of the dusty inn, Nadia felt Warrick's cold gaze against her back, and hated the thought of how vulnerable she was.
But Warrick didn't attack them. It didn't make sense. He knew who she was, who her mother was, knew that she opposed him more vehemently than anyone else. Was he so confident in his powers that he felt no need to neutralize perhaps his greatest threat?
"Well, that was weird," Rik said as they strode away from the inn, across cobblestone streets in the bright sunlight.
Markus shook his head. "I thought he was going to kill us for sure."
"So did I," Nadia said. "I have no idea why he didn't."
Rik stroked his short, newly-grown red beard. "It seems like he knows a whole lot about us. I could tell there were things he was hiding. I'm really not sure what to make of him. He wasn't what I expected. He almost seems . . . human."
Nadia didn't know what
to say to that.
"At least the pain of that spell is gone," Markus said. "It stopped hurting shortly after he let me go. I think he was right, though. He was holding back."
Rik led the way toward Riverside's market district, for he knew his way the best. Too often, Nadia and her father had traveled by carriage, paying little attention to their surroundings.
"Even if he does seem human," Nadia said, "we still have to kill him."
"Of course," Rik said. "I wasn't saying we should change our minds."
"How could we?" Markus asked. "Nothing can change my mind after Crayden."
"I know." Nadia could still see the ruins of the city when she closed her eyes. Would those images ever fade? Images like that, those most horrible and tragic, had a way of hanging around.
They found most of what they needed at one store. Dilon, the merchant, asked them to place their bags at the front of the store, where he would watch them. He couldn't take the risk that the three of them were thieves.
As they finished their shopping, a trio of Imperial Guards burst through the shop's door. Nadia's heart climbed into her throat, and she watched them warily. It didn't matter that Warrick had let them leave. Maybe he wanted them dead now. How could she know his mind?
Beside her, Markus placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Don't do that," she whispered. "They might not be here for us."
He moved his hand, but not very far. Standing in the shadows, just out of view, they listened to the conversation between Dilon and the guardsmen.
"We're here for our share," one said.
"I gave you your share yesterday. Check your records."
"Our records indicate that you didn't."
"Then your records are wrong," Dilon said. "Look. I know how this works. You can't take too much from me, or I'll be out of business. And then where will you get your money?"
"Don't worry. We know when to stop. A little extra right now wouldn't hurt."
Nadia clenched her fists at her sides. Events like this showed why she had to kill Warrick. He had not created a better, more equal empire. He had created an empire of chains. And he was the master of those chains, pulling everyone the way he wanted. No one had the power to oppose him, to shed those chains.
As much as Nadia hated Tylen, he was right about one thing. Freedom was an antiquated idea. They were all prisoners, bound by the chains of power and economics, their cells barred by the ring of mountains surroundings the Empire. But she had the key.
"Fine," Dilon said. "Here's your damn money. Now leave me alone."
"Thank you," said one of the men. "We also came here to inform you that, in half an hour, the emperor will be speaking in the town square. Attendance is mandatory."
Well, that explained Warrick's presence in Riverside, but why had he come to Taren's inn?
Once the Imperial Guards marched out the door, Nadia led Markus and Rik to the counter, where Dilon eyed them curiously.
"It's just wrong that they can do that," Nadia said.
Dilon shrugged. "It's part of being a merchant. I'm used to it. Like they said, they won't take so much that I'd go out of business, just enough that I can't live as comfortably as I'd like." He sighed. "But there are worse lives. A little bribery can buy a lot of comfort."
"It's still wrong," Nadia said. "Warrick has us all in chains."
"Maybe. But what can we do about it?" Dilon surveyed their merchandise. "Hmm, this is an interesting assortment. Where, might I ask, are you going?"
"No offense," Rik said, "but that's none of your business."
"I understand. Can't afford to put too much trust in a stranger."
They completed their purchase, handing over a couple of gold coins, then left the store. Nadia retained quite a collection of gold coins, so she wasn't worried about money. Nor had they used any of the reward her father had given Markus.
"We should get to the town square," Nadia said. "We don't want to risk getting caught skipping Warrick's speech. We can't afford to look suspicious."
"I think we already looked pretty suspicious," Markus said. "Rik's right. You can't tell me Warrick doesn't suspect anything. I just wish I could understand what's in his head."
Nadia gave Markus a look. "I don't think anyone can understand that."
By the time they arrived at the town square, most of Riverside had already assembled. Nadia picked out a spot toward the back of the crowd, where they rested on a small wooden porch, their heavy sacks of supplies beside them, close enough they could watch them.
Warrick arrived right on time, dressed now in his extravagant red and black imperial robes. He strode up some steps to a wooden platform in the center of the town square, his posture more commanding than back at the inn. As soon as he faced the crowd, silence fell.
"Bow down to your emperor," he called out, his voice magically amplified. Everyone obeyed his command under the watchful eyes of Imperial Guards. Even Nadia, Markus, and Rik showed their fake respect.
After about twenty or thirty seconds, Warrick allowed them to stand up again.
"Crayden," he said. "It's the word on all of your minds."
He paused for a moment, the crowd focusing their attention on him.
"Why?" he said. "That's the other word on all of your minds. Why did I destroy Crayden? Why did I kill thousands of people?" He paused again, letting his words sink in. "And, finally, the third thing on your minds. Are we next?"
Despite her hatred, Nadia fixated on his every word. It wasn't often that she had a chance to observe Warrick in a situation like this. Perhaps she could find some insight into his mind, some secret that would give her an advantage when the time came.
"I will tell you this, loudly and clearly. No one else has to die. But it was necessary. Necessary because the Order had grown too strong, because it became a threat to the very peace I've worked so hard to maintain." He stopped, surveying the crowd. "Necessary because some within the city held the key to taking my throne from me."
Nadia didn't know what to think of his final statement. If he knew about her plans, then why hadn't he killed her? Was there something else at play here?
"Some might welcome this change," Warrick continued. "But you have not seen the world as I've seen it. Only through my tireless efforts can you go to bed knowing you'll be safe from monster attacks. Only because of my magic can you live without fear of the magic that warps the land. When we were trapped here inside the mountains, the magic of the Darkness Temple was trapped with us. That magic twists its surroundings, and because of that magic, I had to create the Plain of Storms, the Black Swamp, all these other places.
"It was never meant to torment the people. It was never meant to separate the different parts of the Empire, as some might have you believe. It was meant to protect you. That is all I've ever wanted, but sometimes I must protect you from yourselves.
"Sometimes that requires great sacrifice."
The crowd had fallen into stunned silence, their gazes set on Warrick. Even Nadia had to admit he was sending a powerful message today. Everything he said was surely a lie, but he delivered his words with passion, with a depth of emotion she hadn't expected.
"The world outside the mountains is no paradise," Warrick said. "It never has been. It is a place of monsters, a place of war, a place where sorcerers live in luxury while the rest of the people struggle to get by. I have created a different kind of world, a better world, and all I need is your cooperation. It is my hope that the destruction of Crayden has sent a powerful message. I am capable of destroying anyone who opposes me.
"But I am also capable of helping everyone, but first we need to come together. No more divisiveness. No more hatred. No more disobeying the law for selfish gains. If we all work together, if we all see the truth in my visions of a better world, we will not need to suffer another tragedy like Crayden." He wiped at his face as if getting rid of a tear. "For Crayden was a tragedy. But it was also a reminder, and we should never forget what happened there."
I won't forget it, Nadia pledged silently. And you will pay the price.
"Many innocent people died that day, and I regret every life I took. But I also know this. Their deaths will save the lives of countless others. For now you have all seen what happens when people seek to destroy the peace we've worked so hard to build. Destroying the Order would not have been enough. It would have formed again. But now those with such destructive ideologies have seen what happens when they pose a threat to peace.
"I do not want to do this ever again, but I will if I must. I have seen the future, with its many possibilities, and the only way I could bring about a peaceful and prosperous future was to destroy Crayden as I did. It was necessary. Horrible but necessary."
He leaned his elbows on the podium behind which he was speaking and rested his head in his hands, looking suddenly weary. Nadia had to admit he was a good actor.
After a long moment of silence, Warrick said, "Whatever happens, we cannot allow the destruction of the peace we've worked so hard to build. I will always seek to protect you. We are trapped here together, trapped by those who would rather see a violent and chaotic world. But one day soon, we will break free of this prison, and when we do, we must be one empire, strong and united."
He rose back to his full height, towering over those with whom he shared the platform. In a soft voice that still carried, he said, "One empire, strong and united."
The crowd, sensing the end of the speech, erupted into cheers and applause. Nadia had no idea how many of them truly supported the emperor and how many had been tricked by his words, or perhaps by some magical persuasion.
Even apart from the magical persuasion, Warrick had delivered a powerful, impassioned speech. Had she not known his true nature, she might have believed what he'd said. Had she not scoured her library for more accurate accounts of the Empire's history, she might have been swayed.
But she wasn't. Nothing could change the fact that Warrick was a tyrant and murderer. A powerful army might crush any opposition. A large government might provide services that, in reality, enslave its people. But words were a dictator's most powerful weapon. Like the chains of power and terror, they bound the people to Warrick's rule, trapped them in an empire of chains.
Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1) Page 31