Nin-riku, general of the Empire of the Glorious Sun wiped his bloodied sword. Carnage lay all around him, many slain by his hand. His orders were to secure the palace, kill the royal family, and all their supporters, than the rest of his army would move in to take over the city. But first, Nin-riku had to find his allies, the traitorous Senators who lent a helping hand. They smuggled him and his soldiers in.
"Locate ambassador Aeron, bring him to the Senatorial chamber." Nin-riku ordered his men.
As he marched forward, there was still some fighting. Many palace guards were loyal, and fought hard for their king and country. Nin-riku respected that. They would still die, but it was better to die honorably than as a traitor. Scurrying servants and slaves they ignored, and it appeared many guards simply abandoned their post, paid off likely. Arriving at the Senatorial chamber, a pile of corpses stood in his way. With only a gesture, his soldiers quickly removed them, and he entered the room.
There were only a few men alive inside, bodies lay all across the circular room. Nin-riku gazed coldly over the bodies and finally laid eyes on the corpse of the previous king, he was covered in blood, but a knife still clutched in his hand. Surprisingly there was a woman near him, her hand outstretched as if to touch the king. His wife, he surmised. Nin-riku smiled. They fought to the very end. Very noble of them. And took down many traitors and assassins it seemed. He would bury them with honor.
Now for the traitorous Senators. The Emperor made it clear all those who assisted them to peacefully transition power to him would be rewarded justly. The Emperor was magnanimous.
"Does Hipponax still breath?" Nin-riku called out to the group of surviving Senators.
A hand was raised, "I am he." A man stepped out, he was wounded, holding a bloody arm. Nin-riku never met the man, only corresponding with the traitor through letters and ambassador Aeron.
"Than it is you who I should thank for bringing me and my men inside the palace. I must congratulate you on this victory." Nin-riku wondered if the man was injured because he fought or was a coward injured in the fray.
"This is no victory. I take no pleasure in what happened, but it had to be done. For the sake of Thyraza and her future." Hipponax said, it felt very rehearsed. As if he said those words in his mind over and over again, justifying his actions, and calming his guilt.
Nin-riku did not care at all what Hipponax told himself in order to sleep better. He'd always be the traitor who allowed the Empire to enter without a fight. Already he had a target on his head. If Zakiti was here, they'd make a bet on how long the bastard would live.
"Of course," Nin-riku smiled though it did not reach his eyes, "and these men with you all feel the same I assume?" He turned his gaze to the group. Some could not look Nin-riku in the eye, a few were bold, or felt they had nothing to be ashamed of. Most were old men, past their prime. Likely choosing to join Hipponax so they could retire with relative ease instead of preparing their nation for war. Cowards, Nin-riku thought grimly.
"They made the difficult decision to join me, yes." Hipponax answered for them all already assuming the role of leader.
"Very good. The easy part if over, now begins the real work! I'd surround myself with well paid guards if I were you." Nin-riku turned away to admire the architecture of the room. Such a high vaulted ceiling, pillars of marble, it was very grand.
Hipponax blanched over Nin-riku's words, and turned to look at this traitorous compatriots for support.
"Killing a king is simple, controlling a city full of angry citizens who just lost their leader, and facing an invading army is not so very simple." He sneered. Fools they never really thought about that did they? Only thinking about their own ambitions.
"I can calm the people, as their new king. As long as they know things will be the same, there will be little violence in the streets," Hipponax made assurances he knew were false.
"Ah yes that was what we agreed, you'd lend us help, and in turn we would crown you king." Nin-riku said in a flippant manner, "The Emperor will grant this, provided you continue to keep your end of the bargain." He hoped his hinted threat was taken to heart.
But the fool had the audacity to look actually pleased! Ha, what waited for him was a hollow crown, and a populace who despised him. They would despise Hipponax, and learn to love the Emperor. If not, the Empire had a reputation of ensuring rebellions and riots were swiftly dealt with a very firm and unforgiving hand. Force served a purpose, but the Emperor had another approach to aid his growing Empire blossom. His proud and faithful priests and priestesses would integrate themselves and spread their devotion of the Emperor. His personal cult. They were very persuasive by many means. Especially among the lower classes and slaves. After years of oppression, they could find a path out of their shit-holes, their misery, through the Emperor and following his path. The wealthy, aristocracy, and other upper classes of society only appeared to kowtow to the Emperor, and his will, so they could keep their stations, and fight over whatever scraps of power they could within the imperial regime. The Emperor did not care about them, it was the hearts of the people he wanted to convince, to inspire!
Nin-riku had been nothing when the Emperor who then was a mere man to him, had taken him under his wing. He transformed Nin-riku into a mighty warrior. Gave him purpose. These traitors, they had everything being in a position of high-status, and would do whatever to keep it. It sickened him. It was this exact system that subjugated Nin-riku in his past life. But under the Empire, men and women could rise up from the very bottom. The Emperor always cautioned his closest generals, and devotees, that it would take time to change society as many wanted to rid the Continent of status, or privileged power often held by a few now! It was not done over night, but soon all of the Continent would be free from poverty, caste, class, and war the Emperor promised. A world were all were truly equal! That was what spurred Nin-riku forward. Even if it meant killing those that opposed them. And many did oppose them, not realizing this was for the best.
"On the grave of my ancestors, you have my solemn oath I will never break our word to the Emperor." Hipponax stated. The other Senators nodded their heads like bobbing pigeons. Cowards the whole lot of them.
"Pray you keep that oath close to your heart. The Empire will not stand fools or traitors." Nin-riku hoped his threat was clear. But it was hard with men like this. They always thought they were somehow above consequences.
Before he could say more, someone entered, it looked to be a Thyrazan soldier and he immediately began to address Hipponax with a curt bow, "Sir, my lord, we could not find the boy. He has not been accounted for among the dead."
"Well he can't have gotten far!" Hipponax shrieked. Suddenly everything he was holding inside came gushing out. "FIND HIM!"
What boy? Nin-riku took a moment to realize they must mean the princeling. The son of King Vissarion and his wife.
"The bitch of a wife must have warned him before coming into the chamber!" Hipponax's face was redder than the setting sun.
"What does it matter? It's not like there is much he can do surely?" Nin-riku inquired looking between the guard and Hipponax.
"Sir, if I may speak." one of the elderly Senators spoke up.
Nin-riku gestured for him to continue.
"The boy is of little consequence as you say. He can pose no problem for the Empire. Forget about him."
"Your name?"
"It is Boethus."
"Well I have no objection--" Nin-riku began to say before being cut off.
"That boy is nearly a man, would be if he took the rites of manhood this year! He will be a problem, I assure you sir!" Hipponax interrupted casting a dark glare at Boethus, "That boy is the grandson of the Ruler of Finnros. If he gets there, he may spur them into action."
"Wouldn't the death of his daughter be motivation enough to cause the king of Finnros to act regardless of the status of his grandson?" Nin-riku pointed out the obvious.
There was nodding, Hipponax held his tongue.
"I believe Hipponax is blinded by his hatred of the former dead queen, as she was always vocal against him. Her son's death would the the final act of revenge against her," Boethus said. It seemed he disliked the man, even though he joined him in betraying their king, or merely stepped aside. Still he was culpable in the eyes of Nin-riku. A traitor even in inaction.
"I do NOT! I act on the good of Thyraza, and the boy is a threat I say! If not Finnros, it will be the colonies he will rally to him." Hipponax was not relenting his position.
"You say that because the governors despise you Hipponax, when they hear you are crowned king assisted by the Empire they will not join you meekly." another man spoke out.
Nin-riku smirked, they were already further dividing their loyalties. Still it would pose a problem if the colonies revolted, and if they were not fond of Hipponax as the elder Boethus said, that would only add more to his plate in subduing Thyraza. Still, it was all for the glory of the Empire and to bring a final peace to the Continent.
Finally, Ambassador Aeron arrived flanked by imperial soldiers.
"My lord Aeron, I beg you, it's imperative that we kill the boy of the dead king less he cause unrest in our hard won peace!" Hipponax implored the man he thought as is ally.
Ambassador Aeron smiled, "If it will please you than it shall be done. General Nin-riku, surely you can spare a few soldiers to hunt down a boy? It behooves us to ensure our new king receives support in his actions."
Nin-riku scowled but in the end, it meant nothing really for him whether or not the boy was dead or alive. He just didn't like seeing this Hipponax get his way, he disliked the man already enough.
"I suppose I can Ambassador, as a gift for the new king of Thyraza," Nin-riku said with displeasure, "I just hope he'll be alive to receive it!"
Aeron shot the impetuous general a scathing glare. His arrogance was growing ever more given his place by the Emperor's side. Aeron took his duty extremely serious, and to see Nin-riku flout his duty openly, mocking their ally with such hostility did not serve the Empire well.
"Come my liege, we have preparations to make for your coronation. Let us leave this place of death so it may be cleansed." Aeron spoke calmly in a manner that one does towards a spooked horse.
"What about the rest of us?" A senator spoke out. There was murmuring amongst them.
Ambassador Aeron smiled his sickening false smile, "I would return home and inform your family about their new king. Your efforts will be rewarded soon enough. I expect to see you all at the coronation in the next few days after all has been settled!"
It seemed to please a few senators, but Boethus and a few others did not look content. With worried expressions they filtered out, speaking with Hipponax briefly, many reiterating their full support for him. Boethus was the last to leave. Nin-riku left and looked back once more at the grandiose room. It seemed Boethus could be trouble for Hipponax. Good! Let the cowards destroy themselves! He chuckled as he gathered his men.
After some inquiring, he got his hand on a drawing of the son of Vissarion so his assassins would recognize their target. The boy was a young man in fact. Tiernan. Nin-riku looked at the image, a sketch by some artist who likely would used it as a reference for a sculpture. Along the one hall, Nin-riku admired the head sculptures of past kings. It was apparently common practice among the high class society of Thyraza to immortalize their faces in stone, and their families. Well it seemed Tiernan would not have that honor. He'd be losing his handsome head!
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