“He has you wrapped around his little finger,” Ellen said. She shook her head in disdain of her son. “He spoiled you. He turned you from me with his power. He gave you anything you wanted. Now, look at you. You’re making calls for his son. He owns you, and you’re blind to it.”
“Why are you so proud that you can’t accept his generosity? You spit in his face over and over again. I can’t count the times I had to drop my head in shame because of how ungrateful you were to him.”
“We deserved to be given more.”
“You are not the Empress any more. I am not the Heir Caning. I never was.”
“You should have been.”
“Here we go, again,” said Nikali. “Save the routine, mother, I’ve heard it. I should be the Emperor. Everybody should be respecting me. Well, it’s not like that.”
“Just because your father died before we knew you were conceived should not mean banishment.”
“We were never banished,” said Nikali.
“I saw the way those people looked at you and I at the party. They couldn’t care one bit about us. We are nothing to them. That is banishment. You can squander your life away with the Emperor’s generosity and that whore of yours. Be my guest. I don’t wish to be forgotten.”
“My life is not meaningless,” said Nikali.
“You sure don’t show it. What have you done to make any of us proud of you? Your father would be ashamed to see you do nothing with your life.”
Nikali went silent. He didn’t know what to say back to her. His father was always on the grand pedestal that he would never be able to reach.
“Tell me about him,” Nikali whispered.
“What?” Ellen was shocked at the turn of events. Nikali couldn't believe he had said the words himself.
“Tell me about my father,” Nikali said again.
“He... he was a good man,” she said. “He could make people like him in an instant. That was his best gift. Even his enemies never saw him coming. He ruled-”
“No!” Nikali stopped her. “Is it always about power with you? I don’t care how he ruled. There are books upon books about that. I want to know about him. Would he have been a good father? A real friend?”
Ellen paused. Her mood had darkened once again. “He would have been fine.”
“That’s it. That’s all you have to offer me?” Nikali protested.
“You look like him more and more each day. It’s a pity you don’t have the fire inside you like he did.”
“That must have been burnt out by your cold heart,” Nikali replied.
“Is there anything else you want?” his mother asked. “I have plans with Francesco.”
“What are you doing with him? Your last boyfriend went very far way, as I understand. What makes you think this will be any different?”
“Because this is about love, Nikali. I’m not as heartless as you must think. Tell Heric, he need not worry. Francesco is a good little soldier.”
Nikali was once again left speechless. There were still some conversations he did not want to have with his mother.
“Please leave now, Nikali. Return to your home in the palace. That’s where you belong.” She turned away from him and left the room. He became a mere afterthought to her.
Before Nikali left he ventured to the room that used to be his. The door opened with ease. It had been turned into the servants’ quarters. There were five beds crammed into it. The floors and walls were destroyed with dirt, food, and scraps of past lives. The servants were so busy with the rest of the house they never had time to clean their own room. Nikali closed the door. There was no rush of memories coming from in there. That was no longer his room.
The doors to the Emperor’s quarters were closed. Two guards stood watch out in the hallway. It was unusual for Emperor Caning to have his quarters closed off during the day. People were welcome into his main room at their leisure. On some days, people would be coming and going, discussing matters with the Emperor then running into friends and colleagues. It was the best place to be seen for the royal class.
Heric approached the guards at the doorway. They opened their doors immediately. Heric did not have to slow down his pace. He kept his confusion to himself. The guards would not have known why they were present. They just had a duty to perform.
The main room was empty. None of the torches were lit. It looked like nobody had been in the room all day. Heric continued on to the Emperor’s personal chambers. He hesitated at the door, thinking of knocking. Deciding against it, Heric opened the door and barged right in.
There was his father, Cyrus Caning, still in bed. A maid servant was at his side. She was merely sitting in her seat, ready to be called for. Her eyes panicked when she saw Heric. The Emperor gestured weakly with his hand. He calmed her down, telling her the intrusion was okay.
Heric stood firmly at the foot of his father’s bed. They didn’t say a word to each other the first minute. The servant kept her head down, unwilling to acknowledge the situation.
“You came in here for something, Heric. What is it?” said his father. He adjusted himself in his bed. He was clearly not comfortable. The servant rushed to aid him. The Emperor brushed her back. Her presence began to agitate him.
“Just go,” he said. “I’ll be fine. I want to talk to my son alone.”
“Yes, sir,” said the maid. She bowed her head to both men, and then left the room.
Once the door was closed behind her, Emperor Caning spoke up again. “Pitiable girl, over-cautious as a mother and insecure as a virgin, but she takes care of me.”
“Feeling ill again?” asked Heric.
“Ill? No. In pain? Yes. My chest is on fire. My legs feel like the bones want to jump right out of my skin and walk away. I’m being betrayed by my own body, and I just have to lay here and take it. The doctors say it’ll pass. They tell me to get bed rest. The Council agrees with them. I have half a mind to walk it off, visit each one of them at their house, kick their asses, bed their wives, and then tell them to get some bed rest to get over it.”
“Is this why you let the servant go? You wouldn’t want her to hear you talk like that.”
“What is said behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors. I’m angry. I don’t want to be here anymore than you do. I have an empire to run. People rely on me.”
“I’m sure the Council can handle it. I’m sure they can handle a lot of things,” said Heric.
“They wouldn’t want to. That’s why they are the Council and not the Emperor. They want to hide behind the decision makers just in case something goes wrong. There will be only one person to blame, and that is me. I’m fine with that. I take responsibility for my actions.”
“Then do you care to tell me why I did not know about my apparent trip to the city across the canyon?”
“The city has a name, Heric. Treat it with respect. I am sending you to Louson because as I have said, my duties are here. It is only natural that you would go in my place.”
“Why did you not consult me? I should have known about this decision of yours before the dinner. I felt like a fool. I am the Heir Caning and I got second hand news in front of the entire royal class.”
“Yes, yes, I understand. It was unfortunate that I was unable to attend. Alexus had to make the announcement though. Rumor was already spreading. It was our news to tell, not theirs.”
“I do not wish to go,” Heric said out-right. He had enough of his father avoiding his questions.
“I do not care what you want to do,” said his father. “I am the Emperor. I make the final decisions. You are going as an ambassador of Eluan. There is no debate on it. The royal class already expects it from you. They heard the announcement.”
“That was your plan all along. You didn’t want me to know because I would have spoiled it somehow. Just because the royal class heard it does not make it fact.”
“What the public hears is fact. There is no truth behind closed doors for them. We can say whatever we want
alone, but when all is said and done, the truth is what happens out there for people to see.”
“Send a member of the Council. My place is here at the Capitol.”
“As you said, you are the Heir Caning. It is time you learned what that actually means. You have never truly left the Capitol before.”
“I have left the Capitol plenty of times,” defended Heric.
“As a soldier of the Capitol, as a man waging a war, forcing his lifestyle on to others. You were still given the comforts of the Capitol. This will be different.”
“Nobody expects you to be in battles anymore,” Emperor Cyrus continued. “The military already respects you. You were given a lot, but you earned the rank of general. Remember that. Now, it is time to get the people behind you. You need to show them you can lead in diplomacy. You will have to learn how to live with other culture’s customs. They live differently over there. You will have to adapt and be accepting of their laws. That is what a true leader does.”
“I don’t want any more surprises from you. Let me know what plans you have for me from now on. I should be given that much respect.”
“Heric, you’ll never know all the plans I have. Some things will come as a surprise to you no matter when I reveal them. You will have to deal with what I decide. I have what is best for you in mind. You’re just going to have to trust me on that.”
“What else do you have planned?” Heric asked him.
“I think it’s time for a walk around the gardens. I’d like to do it alone,” said Cyrus. He struggled to get his feet out from under his covers.
Heric went to his side. He put his hands against his father’s shoulders to force him back into bed. “You need to stay here,” he said.
“You may go now, Heric,” ordered the Emperor. He knocked his son’s hands off him. Heric stepped back. There was no winning with his father, so Heric left him.
He hurried out the doors back to the main room. The maid servant rushed back into the room as the doors closed behind her.
Heric returned to his own quarters. He would have to prepare his things for travel.
Near the living quarters for the Emperor and his son in the palace was another wing of rooms set aside for friends of the family. Nikali had been a resident at one point earlier in his life. His room remained open for him if he ever wished to stay there. Forman was living there at the moment always at the ready to help Heric. Two other people currently residing in the palace quarters were Alexus and Abigail.
The two of them were in Abigail’s room. It was decorated with souvenirs Alexus had gotten her over the years from all his travels. When she was younger she couldn’t go on his trips. This was always his way of telling her he was thinking of her.
She had memorized the names of each thing she was given. There were paintings, masks, books, and jewelry from every corner of the known world. She could even pronounce them in their native language. Alexus had taught her all that.
This would be the first time she was allowed to travel with Alexus. She was more excited than ever before. She could hardly contain herself, despite the uncomfortable dress she was trying on.
Abigail looked herself over in a mirror. The dress looked nice, but it cut too tightly into her shoulders. It allowed for very little movement in her arms.
“It needs to be let out at the top. I can’t expect to be greeting people with my arms stuck at my side,” she told Alexus. He was sitting behind her in a chair in the corner.
“I’ll have it fixed. That won’t be a problem,” he said. “Aside from the fit, do you like it?”
Abigail looked herself over in the mirror. The dress wasn’t her usual style. It was once again more upscale than what she was used to. The dress was also different than what would have been found at Eluan. The material wrapped tighter around her small figure becoming a second skin. Then another layer of fabric twirled around her leading from her hips to her shoulders. It sparkled in the light coming from the torches. She had only been wearing it for a few minutes. She still did not know quite what to make of it.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said.
“You will,” said Alexus. He got up from his chair. He went to stand behind Abigail in the mirror. “This is the style the royal class wears in Louson, and you look stunning in it.”
Abigail smiled. She was embarrassed by Alexus’ compliment. His hands messaged her shoulders. It felt good against the pain from the tightness of the dress.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked a bit under her breath. Alexus still heard it. He turned her around to talk to her directly.
“What do you mean?”
“This dress, the dress the other night, you’ve never gotten me anything like them before. What’s changed?”
Alexus smiled. “Nothing. Me. I suppose.”
“How so?”
“I’m getting older, Abigail. It’s gotten me thinking. I never had any children of my own, at least not that I know of. I travel so often. You’re the closest thing I have to a daughter. I want to spoil you like one. I love you.”
Abigail hugged him. She held him tight for several moments. She could barely remember her real family. She was so young when they died during the war. She couldn’t forget the feeling of terror and abandonment though. Alexus saved her from that. She never felt like an actual servant in his care. He had been like a father to her, and this was the first time he had acknowledged the same feelings.
“I love the dress,” she said softly.
Chapter 4
The second night of the festival had begun. Many of the shops kept their doors open for the rush of people enjoying the sights of the Night’s Flower. Nikali was in a tavern just off the main strip.
It was quieter over there. He needed the quiet. Five empty glasses covered his table. The sixth was in his hand, half empty. He could feel the effects of the Tamor Blood. It warmed his body as he drank it. His head was clear, only stopping to think about something for a brief moment before moving on to another thought.
Nikali would look at another customer in the tavern, consider a scenario to defeat them in a fight then, dismiss the idea and look at another person. It satisfied him knowing he could defeat anybody in the room. The bartender was his most frequent opponent. Nikali had noticed the bartender constantly and sternly looking in his direction. Nikali in turn stared at him several times. He had only broken one glass, not that it mattered. He was going to pay for it. There was no need to be rude to customers.
“Do you want to say something, or are you just awestruck at my charming good looks?” Nikali finally asked the bartender.
The bartender formed his hands into fists and put them down on the counter. He flexed his arms to show off his meager strength. “I want to see some money,” he said, glaring at Nikali.
“I’m not finished,” snickered Nikali. “I might sit here all night drinking from your fine tap, although your Tamor Blood is a bit irony. Did you mix it with a sword? Meak wood is the best way to go, really.”
The crowd hushed down. They wanted to watch the exchange. The bartender was growing angry. “Money. Now.”
Nikali mouthed what the bartender just said, adding in an over-exaggerated head shake. He sipped his drink, staring at the bartender the entire time.
Suddenly, the glass flew out of Nikali’s hand. It was sent soaring through the air to collide with the wall across the room. Nikali puckered and looked back at the bartender. Though the bartender was across the room, there was no doubt he was responsible. The rest of the crowd looked just as surprised as Nikali.
“Well, it looks like you’ve been holding out on some good stuff,” said Nikali. “Or have you been saving up just for me?”
“You’re done,” said the bartender. “Pay me my money, and get out of here.”
Nikali rushed toward the bartender. His chair crashed to the ground. In a moment the two of them were face-to-face. “How about you give me some of that good stuff?”
The bartender tensed u
p. The craving in Nikali’s eyes scared him. “Just get out of here,” he told Nikali.
“I am a rich man. You will be handsomely rewarded. I want a taste of something more. Just one glass, for the road, of course. You want me gone, after all.”
“I don’t want any trouble,” said the bartender.
“Then give me the drink,” said Nikali. “It’s really that simple. I demand; you supply.” Nikali began using his own powers. He was full of arcan because of his earlier drinks. He gave a brush against the bartender’s hair.
The man swatted at his head, as if to shoo away a bug. It did him no good. His hair tickled and danced on his scalp with nobody touching him. Nikali reveled in his opponent’s discomfort.
“I... I don’t have anything. I just haven’t expelled any arcan for a while... I’m trying to cut back. Please, stop it,” quivered the bartender.
Nikali reached out and grabbed the man by his hair. He pulled his head down to the counter. “Snakes release venom. Sport is for children.”
The man tried to fight him off, but Nikali’s grip was too much for him. Nobody came to his aid. Eventually, the bartender stopped struggling. He lay across his own bar, face up, looking at a towering Nikali.
“Your sudden cowardice has me believing you are telling the truth. But if I find out differently, I promise you I will drown your lungs in fire.”
Nikali let go of the bartender. He scurried away, not wanting to be anywhere near Nikali. Once alone, Nikali took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. There was still enough Tamor Blood in him to give him a feeling of comfort for the time being. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a pouch of coins.
The coins clinked against each other and the counter where Nikali dropped them. The bartender poked his eyes around the corner, curious at the noise.
“It’s the Emperor’s coin. Buy yourself a meak wood spoon,” said Nikali. Without waiting for a reply, he left the tavern. A giant sigh of relief came from the others inside.
Nikali walked through the crowded streets. This was the one thing he hated about the Night’s Flower Festival. He was usually up this late regardless of the day. He had the habit of staying awake for as long as possible, and then sleeping until refreshed. Walking through empty streets was relaxing for him. This week always took that enjoyment away from him.
Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World Page 3
