“However,” Somerulf continued before Jadis could shout out her protest to his unfair pronouncement. “The claim has been laid before me that you are a defector and no longer serve Samleos. The evidence provided speaks in your favor. What say you, Alex?”
Jadis shut her mouths, feeling a bit of whiplash at the sudden turn of events. So this summoning wasn’t just for her own providence, but for Alex’s as well? And had the emperor actually just given a Demon a chance to speak?
All eyes turned towards Alex.
Now the center of attention, Alex glanced around; her expression was unchanged but her uncertainty was obvious to Jadis in the way she moved. After a moment, something changed in her demeanor as she came to some inner realization. Alex slid forward slightly on her large tentacles before gently setting her feet down on the floor. Taking the edges of her skirt in her monstrous hands while folding her human hands in front of her, Alex performed a perfect curtsey.
“I do not… Serve Samleos… I will never… Serve Samleos… Jadis is… My love… My life… My perfection… I stand… By Jadis… Always…”
Jadis could feel her cheeks heat up at Alex’s words. Looking around, she could also tell that others were shifting about in reaction to the Demon’s heartfelt declaration. What their thoughts were, Jadis wasn’t yet sure. The emperor, though, had not altered his expression in the slightest.
“I have heard you,” Somerulf said with a solemn nod of his head. “Now. Who here will stand in defense of Bonded Alex’s character and honor?”
“I will,” all three of Jadis called out in unison while staring intently at the emperor’s silver eyes. “She is—” Jadis almost said the mother of my child, but caught herself at the last second. “—my lover and a truly kind person. She has never harmed another soul except for those who have tried to harm her or those she loves first.”
“I will,” all of Jadis’ companions called out in a cacophony of voices as soon as Jadis finished speaking.
Before they could sort out who was going to explain their reasoning first, the emperor held up a gnarled hand, silencing them from saying anything further.
“I seek the council of those who are less biased,” the old elf said, his expression unchanged though his tone slightly softer. “Though know that your support is heard. Who else will stand in defense?”
“I will,” Aurea spoke in a clear voice. “For I have observed Alex and found no fault in her character nor sign of deception in her ways.”
“I will,” Wilhelm called out again. “For she offered her service in defense of the people freely and showed herself to be a woman of her word.”
“I will,” growled Noll, his yellow eyes glaring at the assembled as though he was daring them to gainsay him. “She’s a Demon in name only. There’s nothing to fear in her.”
“So spoken, thus heard,” Emperor Somerulf intoned just as he had before with Jadis. “Does anyone stand in opposition to Alex’s character and honor?”
“I do.”
Jadis whipped her heads around to see who had made the objection. The person she saw was a gray-skinned elf with black hair and blue eyes so dark they looked like a midnight sky. He bore a striking resemblance to Rein, the Hero’s companion, particularly with how calculating his expression appeared.
The man had to be General Jorvald, the distant relative of Rein that Vraekae had warned her about. The elf was solidly in Prince Hraustrekr’s camp and was definitely not her ally, at least politically.
“Your majesty,” the general said as he took one step forward. “I cannot in good conscience say nothing when my duty is to the safety of the empire. A demon is still a demon, even if it proclaims severance from Samleos. The Dark God will ever be on her shoulder, whispering his destructive persuasions in her ear. I would not offer trust to one such as this Bonded Alex so lightly.”
As much as Jadis hated to hear what the man was saying, when she took a step back from her emotional response, she couldn’t really blame the man. The people of Oros had been fighting against Samleos and demonic invasions for literal millennia. There had never been a friendly Demon before Alex; all had been hostile towards every other form of life. There was a mountain of history telling this Jorvald not to trust Alex.
Of course, that logic didn’t stop Jadis from wanting to twist the gray elf’s pointed ears off of his head, but she could at least understand his position.
“Does anyone stand by General Jorvald and his objection?” the emperor called out to the assembled.
Jadis looked towards Prince Hraustrekr, fully expecting him to back his lackey’s ploy.
Prince Hraustrekr said nothing. He simply sat on his throne, a passive expression on his face.
“Then General Jorvald’s objection is overruled.”
“Your majesty,” the elf said with a bow before taking a step back.
“Then it is done,” Emperor Somerulf intoned, once more striking the stone floor with his staff, causing a wave of magic to pass across the room. “Bonded Alex. You are hereby granted clemency. So long as you are within the empire, you shall be treated with the same respect and due process as any citizen would. Follow the law and follow the good guidance of The Nine. May your continued presence in my realm bring peace and prosperity.”
“Thank you…” Alex replied as she rose out of her curtsy. “I will… Be good…”
“Such are my expectations,” the old elf said with a slight incline of his head. “Know that I have use of you, Bonded Alex. We have captured several more Demons in these sad days. Your ability to translate and interrogate will be a boon to us all. We will speak of the particulars later. For now, stand aside, young woman.”
Alex moved, placing herself next to Jay as she obeyed the emperor’s command. Reaching out, Jay took Alex’s hand and tightly squeezed, receiving a squeeze back in response.
With the audience going so smoothly, Jadis felt like the floor was about to drop out from under her at any moment. She was getting everything she wanted. She had been given her personal freedom and her reputation had been cleared. Alex had received her own freedom as well. Neither Hraustrekr nor Kestil had tried to pull any tricks so far as Jadis could tell; just a perfunctory objection to Alex’s demonic status that might or might not have been on the first prince’s command. It was too easy and it was making Jadis nervous.
“Eir Aedraheill, step forward.”
To her credit, Eir didn’t flinch when the emperor’s aged voice called out to her. She calmly stepped to the front of the group and performed a low curtsey, presenting herself as the perfectly demure priestess that she was.
“You are an Oracle of Destarious,” Somerulf stated without question. “To have a second Oracle born within the empire in these times of strife is of great value to us all. We have need of your services. Oracle Jocelyn has performed her ritual recently and will not be able to perform it again for another six days. With the recent attack on Eldingholt, we do not feel it wise to delay for that long. I hereby exercise my right as Emperor to use one question for matters of state. I command you, Eir Aedraheill, to perform your ritual so that we may speak with Destarious and gain answer to the question of where to locate the cultists who led the attack on the city.”
There it was. Jadis had figured that the emperor would have to do at least one thing that would make their lives more difficult.
Of course, asking Eir to use one of her three questions to help find the cultists wasn’t that big of a deal. Jadis and her companions had planned on using all of those questions to learn more about the class options that she had available to her, but sacrificing one question for the greater good was reasonable. In all honesty, Jadis wanted to see those cultists caught as quickly as possible too. It wasn’t ideal, but the emperor’s command wasn’t the shoe drop that she had expected.
“Wilhelm of Crosswall, our mighty Hero, will perform the ritual with you with all due speed,” the aged elf continued, oblivious to Eir and Jadis’ sudden consternation. “He has been given the precise question to ask, as well as two additional questions that may be necessary depending on Destarious’ answer. If there are any other questions planned to be asked during your next ritual, discuss them with Wilhelm. He will ask them unless the need arises to use one or both of the clarifying questions.”
“She can’t do that,” Jay called out, drawing the intense gaze of Somerulf as well as the attention of everyone else in the room. Belatedly remembering to show at least a little respect, she added, “Your majesty. I’m sorry to interrupt, but she can’t do that, sir.”
“You are speaking out of turn,” Hraustrekr snapped, his tone harsh as he frowned down at Jay. “His Majesty is speaking to Eir Aedraheill, not you. Keep your teeth locked until you are called upon.”
“Hraustrekr,” Somerulf chided gently. “Be calm. We can show some lenience towards someone who has been wronged by our recent actions, and who has also been of such great service to the empire. Now, Jadis, explain to me why I should not exercise my imperial right to have Eir ask my question?”
“I… am not saying that you shouldn’t have her ask,” Jay spoke slowly as she tried to think of a way to explain the difficulty without embarrassing Eir in front of a large crowd of important people, as well as avoiding upsetting the stiff-backed old elf. “Just that Eir cannot perform the ritual with Wilhelm. If you need to have the question asked, I can do it.”
“Wilhelm is the Hero,” Somerulf pronounced in the same tone he might use to inform Jadis that the sky was blue. “He is leading the investigation on the cult activity as he and his party are most suited to the task. He is naturally the logical choice for who Eir should perform the ritual with. Is there some requirement in your ritual that necessitates Jadis’ involvement?”
The last was directed at Eir, who after a short pause shook her head.
“No, your majesty,” she said with some hesitation. “Not precisely. I could perform the ritual with Sir Wilhelm.”
“Then for what reason do you object?”
“I—I would rather not perform the ritual with Sir Wilhelm. Nor do I believe that he would enjoy performing the ritual with me.”
“This is not a matter of enjoyment,” the emperor frowned slightly. “This is a matter of duty. Unless there is some greater reason beyond matters of personal taste, then I see no legitimate objection.”
“Your majesty,” Aurea spoke up. “May I approach the throne?”
The room’s attention shifted to the high priestess. She had lowered herself in a proper bow, her curly blonde hair hanging around her face. Jadis couldn’t tell what the woman was thinking, but she knew that Aurea knew exactly why both she and Eir were so against the emperor’s command. The rest of the high priests knew of the reason as well, though perhaps not with as much detail as Aurea did. Eir hadn’t explained everything about the ritual, though Jadis was all but certain that her lover had gone into the specifics with the blonde. From the direction the conversation was going, Jadis got the impression that while Eir’s Oracle status had been explained, no one had told the emperor about the nature of her class or what went into her rituals.
“You may,” Somerulf allowed after a moment of consideration.
Quickly, but with measured and graceful steps, Aurea ascended the steps of the dais and approached the emperor. She leaned in close, almost pressing her lips to the emperor’s left ear as she whispered for a few seconds. Halfway through her whispered words, Prince Kestil let out a loud guffaw, one hand covering the side of his face as he tried to contain his laughter. Prince Hraustrekr stared sourly at his brother, his expression making it clear that he hadn’t been able to overhear Aurea’s explanation.
When the high priestess backed away from the emperor, Jadis could see that the old man’s stiff posture had somehow grown even more stiff. The corners of his lips were pulled down in a slight frown, though he looked like he was trying to keep his expression neutral. He nodded towards Aurea, granting her silent leave to step off the dais and return to where the rest of the high priests waited.
“With new details having been represented to me,” the emperor spoke solemnly, “I invest you, Jadis, with the responsibility of determining next steps as to how the question will be asked. Meet with Wilhelm and discuss. Determine whatever course of action will be most agreeable to all involved. However, regardless of method, I require the answer no later than sunset today. I will not tolerate any further delays.”
“Yes, your majesty,” both Eir and Wilhelm said. Jay nodded a second later, murmuring her own agreement.
The emperor’s face smoothed over in the next moment, regaining its stern yet impassive visage. When he next spoke, it was a return to his original tone.
“Step aside, Lady Aedraheill.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
From there, the emperor called upon several more people. First Tegwyn was beckoned forward. Emperor Somerulf asked the Dryad several questions about his father’s grove back in Weigrun, most of which Tegwyn answered easily. It quickly became apparent that Somerulf wanted to establish some kind of trade agreement as well as a defensive pact with the elder Dryad Yorath and was using Teg as a means to begin the process.
Once he had gotten all he could out of the somewhat bemused Dryad, the emperor called upon Noll. The exchange there was brief, as Somerulf simply commanded the extremely high-level mercenary to use his skills to hunt down the centipede-shaped Greater Demon. Apparently, that was the last observed Greater Demon unaccounted for. All the others had been found and slain, but this one Demon had yet to be seen since Jadis and Wilhelm had last spotted it disappearing into the tunnels below Trummelton’s Restaurant.
The last to be called up was Vraekae.
“With the grievous loss of Magistrate Holcomb,” Emperor Somerulf intoned, “Eldingholt now stands without a proper administrator. Vraekae Aedraheill, by my command I place you as the provisional magistrate of Eldingholt. Your appointment is temporary, pending further review of appropriate candidates. I expect you to perform your duties with the same level of excellence as your last post.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Vraekae bowed deeply. “If I may ask, sir. Who will take command of Weigrun in my absence?”
“General Egilhard is already performing that duty in your absence,” the emperor inclined his head towards the blue elf. “He will continue to operate in that capacity until your return. Should your appointment become permanent, I will review his position and potential replacement or confirmation at that time.”
Vraekae bowed again in acknowledgement before stepping back.
After the new Eldingholt Magistrate’s question was answered, no one else was called forward and the room was suffused with an expectant silence. It seemed there was no further business the emperor wanted addressed, nor did it seem he was open to anyone else bringing up business of their own as he purposefully closed his eyes for a long moment. Once he opened his silver eyes again, he achingly rose to his feet. The noble, gold-skinned elf swept a hand over those who had been assembled. The strength in his aged voice was great as he stared imperiously at the crowd.
“By my command, you are all dismissed,” the emperor ordered. “Go in peace and bring prosperity to the empire.”
Before anyone had taken more than two steps, Somerulf gestured with his free hand towards Jadis, motioning with two fingers.
“Jadis Ahlstrom. Walk with me.”
301