Ashtium: City of Sun

ENOCH

I know Greta didn’t want me to leave all day again, but I can’t stay in my room or people are going to start to notice. At first, I thought bringing her to the palace would be the worst place to take her.

However, many of the guards have left with the emperor, including all his advisors except Urdmin. Father had a change of heart and decided to fetch mother’s things for himself.

The only thing is it was supposed to be a day trip and he’s been gone for five.

It’s true that every now and then they leave to scout the desert for spies when tensions arise with other kingdoms. Since father decided to burn down the kingdom of our closest ally, talk of spies has grown around here.

Greta is in more danger now than ever and I want to keep her as close to me as I can. What better place than my room in the palace? No one goes in there, but me.

If someone does, there’s plenty of space for Greta to hide anyway. She almost looks like a normal citizen now. No one’s going to claim her a Krexbin, but Urdmin still is on the hunt for the “spy”.

A vendor, across the construction on the streets I’m supervising, starts yelling about war coming. He holds a chipped sign up, jumping up and down about the fall of our empire.

Of course, along with these warnings, he boasts a fifty percent discount on durable goods for preparation.

Thankfully, most street-goers ignore him and keep walking. There is already enough noise out here with the slaves hitting away at marble. The last thing we need right now is fear to stir the masses while our top ranking officials are away.

One of the slavemasters beside me departs from his position. Urdmin whispers something in his ear while watching me from the steps leading up to father’s temple.

I really am starting to hate having to come out here and watch progress. These marble boulders won’t cut themselves, but beating our workers is neither moral or logical.

Ready to leave early, I stalk off over to the old man after the other slavemaster leaves his side.

“Urdmin, what secrets have you learned just now?”

The advisor holsters his whip with a quirked brow. Sweat drips down his face as he rubs his chin watching me while he takes a seat on a step.

“No secrets,” he huffs. “The empress requests I lead an envoy to assist your father since they are so late. I’m looking for volunteers to aid me, do you wish to accompany me?”

“No,” is my flat answer. “They’ve only been gone for five days. Procedure is to wait seven. We will not risk more lives to watch the emperor trot through the gate the next day.”

Urdmin shakes his head.

“An empirical war horse, riderless, appeared at the gate this morning.”

This is news to me. “Was there a note or anything requesting extra assistance? It could have gotten seperated from its rider for any number of reasons. We should not jump to conclusions and terrify the people.”

Urdmin glances over at the crazed vendor I’ve been watching.

“I am an old man, Enoch. I am not a warmonger like the emperor. I will gladly stay behind to maintain civility here. However, my true role is to protect this empire and so is yours,” he explains in an even tone.

It’s not often he talks so casually to me. He must be afraid. My guess is they ran into desert bandits. It was a trade exchange after all. More often than not, they end up being ambushed.

A soft hand lands on my shoulder. Mother steps between us, handing Urdmin her used, bloody whip.

“Fetch me a new one before you depart tonight,” she tells Urdmin. Her brown eyes meet mine next. “Enoch, has Urdmin told you the news?” she asks in a light voice.

She always does this. She needs to stop worrying about things without evidence or facts. All we know is some empirical horse made it’s way here. This is clearly not war. If it was, our empire would have been ransacked by now. The exchange point is not that far away.

“Yes, but I cannot afford to go. All this worry over a horse is not worth wasting time and effort over. Why have you requested an envoy be sent out already? The citizens are already spreading rumors.”

Her features turn sharp as she narrows her eyes at me, raising her chin.

“You will go with Urdmin as the son of the emperor. I will not hear any argument as empress. My voice is law. Do not question my authority, Enoch,” she corrects me.

“Mother-”

Urdmin, for once, doesn’t immediately take her side.

“Empress, if the boy wishes to remain here that may be best. If an emergency were to arise you would be left to handle it alone.”

Mother tugs her whip back from Urdmin, lashing out at the nearest slave in spite.

“How dare you question my right to oversee this empire alongside my husband!”

“Femke, that was not my intent. I am only concerned for your safety. The mongrels get riled up during times like these. I do not wish to return and find one of them has murdered you.”

My patience desolves when the two embrace each other right in front of me. It’s disgusting really, but this just goes to show the damage Adler has done to mother. No woman in their right mind would find Urdmin attractive on any level.

“I will go with him mother,” I announce. “We leave tonight then, Urdmin?”

“Yes,” he says with new energy. “The emperor’s life may depend on it.”

After abandoning my post on the streets, I make my way back to the palace. I find Greta inside where I left her, my room.

“Do you know what a pearl is?” she asks me while watching me pack for my trip.

She taps the surface of my work desk, picking at the wood.

“Mother recently acquired a necklace of them. Why?”

“It is nothing,” she mumbles.

She probably saw the necklace. I hope she doesn’t plan on stealing it too. I still don’t know exactly how she got that tunic the other day.

It can’t be helped. She’s getting tired of me telling her where to stay and what to do. I don’t blame her for envying my freedom and the luxuries my mother enjoys.

For the first few days, I think she had fun looking through all my sketches and architecture tools. I can tell she’s getting antsy to leave already.

“Where are you going exactly?”

“The black desert,” I remind her. “Now, remember what I went through with you?”

“Enoch, you cannot expect me to stay in here.”

I’m tempted to stomp my foot and argue like a child, but the door handle squeaks and she dives for cover behind my desk.

“Prince Enoch, may I come in? Your mother asks me to deliver a message to you.”

“Come in, Urdmin. Make it quick.”

“So,” Urdmin begins. “Gracie and Tartun are already packed by the gate. They are leading our group out. I recommend you find some food in the kitchens for the rest of our company. We may be gone for a while and everyone knows desert bugs eat through your stomach lining.”

I heave my bag over my shoulder. “Enough fairy tales, let’s head out.”

It is annoying that he barged in here and now I can’t officially say goodbye to Greta. I don’t have a choice though, I should have expected he show up here to fetch me.

After some time of riding, we found father and his empirical soldiers about thirty miles west of our empire. My guess of course was correct.

They did get ambushed and we’ll have to return to mother empty handed.

It’s safe to say heads will fall when we return. I may be able to keep Greta safe, but not her ever-changing amount of courtwomen.

It truly is amazing how Greta survived out here for so long...alone. She’s more of a fighter than any of these lousy empirical sheep.

They gather around Adler, cooking their stewed desert rat in the flames of the fire pit. We won’t be back in Ashtium until well into tomorrow thanks to the sand storm outside our slate cave.

Turns out they didn’t need much help. No one was smart enough to realize the horse did not come to the gate riderless. It was one of the stablemen taking the stead on a run for fun around the city. It was tied up, but escaped its post and got found by the city guards.

Idiots, all of them.

Now, we all look like fools coming out here.

There was an ambush though, but they did not need our help. Father claimed they were bandits, but everyone else here is so intent on spewing more tales of spies. During the blood bath, the items of exchange got ruined of course.

Mother’s cloths have ended up as our firewood. A shame really to come all the way out here and risk their lives over things we do not necessarily need.

I can’t stop thinking about Greta. Without this fire, we’d be lost without the light of our kingdom. How did she survive out here alone?

“Enoch? Are you listening?” Lucas elbows me.

“No,” I grunt. “What is it?”

Father watches me with a particularly sly smile.

“Enoch, now that your head is out of the clouds, care tell us what you were day dreaming about?” he says.

His advisors snicker amongst themselves. I don’t see many of his personal guards here. That’s odd. Usually, he brings them all on any outing, especially one in the desert.

“Yes, emperor,” I begin while watching my cooked meat turn brown. “I was thinking about her, you know, I’ve met someone. I’m unsure when the introductions will be.”

Father smirks while sipping his drink. Always prepared as usual. He would be the one to save wine to bring of all things. All I want right now is water.

Shulor isn’t very close to father. He is an advisor though. He turns over his meat, watching Adler. “Emperor, if I may add, Urdmin has told me this street whore that assualted him is still on the loose. Has everyone forgotten she was seen with Enoch? I think we know already the status of his lady,” he teases.

Father stands up abruptly, spilling the rest of his drink in the fire. The flames die earning a silence in our company. The single torch on the wall gives us minimal light.

“That is enough gossip out of your mouth. Go watch the horses tonight,” Adler tells Shulor.

That’s a first. Normally, he finds Shulor quite funny.

The advisor obeys, but nobody utters a word seeing the shadow of the emperor move after him as he begins to uncoil his whip from around his waist.

Adler doesn’t normally strike people close to him down like this. I’ve never seen him use a whip on his own advisors. I’m not seeing it now either, but I am hearing it.

“He is not himself,” Urdmin states while standing up and brushing off his tunic. “To strike one of us without warning is unheard of-”

My blood goes cold seeing father suddenly return. Urdmin goes quiet, hastily moving out of his path.

“I am leaving tonight. Do not follow me if you cannot keep up.”

“There’s a sand storm outside!” I shout angrily.

He cannot abandon his people. Most are unfit for such a journey. Yet, half his advisors get up and follow him.

“There’s always a storm Enoch. There is not a day out here when the sand sits idle. I understand your fear,” he announces cockily. “Stay behind and wait for it to be safer.”

Why does it feel like every time I’m around him I’m reduced to a child?

He is so infuriating. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to argue back and stoop to his level.

“I will, emperor.”

They’ve already disappeared into the night leaving us behind without batting an eye.

Chatter amongst our remaining group resumes.

“Think of this as an opportunity, Enoch. You get to lead many officials remaining here back home. Our fellow Shelliv will be welcoming you with gifts and gratitude at your successful trip,” Urdmin boasts while waving his nimble limbs around.

Lucas scoffs beside me. “All I’m concerned about is who gets to carry Shulor back. Has anyone checked on him?”

“I will,” I announce while standing up. I trudge outside our refuge, wincing against the violent sand that lashes across my skin like knives. “Shulor? Oh, he really messed your back up. Come on tough guy, you know we never watch the horses in storms like these.”

He wheezes through a laugh. “Guess I learned my lesson. Real shitty mood he must have been in,” he finishes with a grumble clearly drunk on wine.

I’m beginning to think father might have been too.