Tea and Exicutions

Prince Tora Irago squinted as he was led into the bright early morning sunlight by the servant to what he was told was called the Rose Courtyard, where the new Empress of Khande held court today. The Courtyard didn't sound like an throne room that he'd ever encountered before. He was right, it wasn't.

Once it had no doubt been a beautifully constructed roofed terrace hanging out over the side of the castle with a commanding view of the city. Now though it was a very different place. Sometime during the endless civil wars of Khande's recent history it had taken significant damage. The roof and the columns that had sported it were still there, however they now lay scattered and broken around the edge of the stone platform, stumps sticking up from the floor where their foundations held and next to them stretches of the pillars that remained where they fell. A single broken fountain it's basin cracked and the statue that formed the center of the water feature broken and worn until unrecognizable. The fountain had been repaired enough to flow with water again then left as it was to spill through the crack in it's bottom pool and fall off the edge of the high terrace to land somewhere far below. Over all of this were the roses that gave the courtyard its name. The climbing rose had obviously been left to grow unchecked for many years as it was now everywhere it's fragrant blossoms numbered in the thousands.

More remarkable than the Courtyard though were its inhabitants. There were enough people here to easily make a full court, though like no court he had seen before. There were a few of the expected ornaments of the court, both male and female, dressed in finery and bedecked in jewels. These stood off to one side of the Courtyard holding steaming mugs to ward off the morning chill. Most however were dressed in loose pants, flowing shirts, and soft boots, while holding or leaning on practice weapons of a truly remarkable variety as they talked among themselves. This group included many, again both male and female, that he would have expected to be among the ornaments from their own attractiveness. Those with practice weapons, which now that the Prince looked at them had also amongst their number many who were not noble but appeared to be servants or guards. There were even a few armed Duor mixed in among them. The guards and nobles spoke freely with each other the guards always respectful but never hesitating to offer their opinions.

They watched what occupied most of the large open center of the courtyard. Several practice bouts were underway ranging freely back and fourth where ever the flow of battle took them. In fact several times the observers had to, laughingly, scramble out of the way of the furious battles.

While all of the matches drew some attention most of the focus was on two combatants who fought with furious energy in a style that had nothing to do with the elegance or honor of dueling. The combatants were two men one a large soldier the other a younger noble, a head shorter, and it seemed at least half the soldiers weight. Also by far the soldiers junior in experience. As the prince watched the soldier launched a volley of lightning fast thrusts. With each thrust the soldier advanced closing the range making each one seem to come quicker and quicker making the noble boy more and more desperate and frantic as he rushed his sword to meet the soldiers. Finally the soldier seemed to get what he was after as the noble boys sword rotated just a bit to far in a block. The soldier surged forward hooking the noble boys blade with his own crosspiece dragging it up, with the same movement the soldiers elbow crashed into the underside of the noble's chin rocking his head back. The soldier reached up ceasing the boy's wrist with his off hand and wrenched the noble's sword arm at a painful angle, at the same time the soldiers back leg snapped up bringing his knee to his chest before stomping out into the noble boy's chest. The noble flew backwards several feet through the air leaving his sword behind in the soldiers hand before landing with a wheeze on his back trying to remember how to breath. The soldier was on him in seconds his sword scything down over his head in a whistling arc stopping just before it would have smashed into the noble boy's throat.

There was a moment of silence before the crowd erupted into applause and cheering. The soldier grinned down at the noble boy and pulled him to his feet. The boy was also smiling up at the soldier through his gasping. Or he was until the soldier slapped him on the back which caused a round of explosive coughing.

“Very good, Halloran, you've improved.” the woman's voice wasn't soft nor was it loud enough to be heard over the conversation and forceful congratulation of the crowd. This was confusing for a moment before the Prince realized that the everybody in the courtyard had gone silent as soon as the woman had started to speak.

The woman in question was beautiful and every eye in the courtyard was drawn to her once she had spoken, it seemed whether they wished to or not. She knelt on the far side of the courtyard where she listened to one of several children with grave attention before nodding thoughtfully and replying softly, sending them back to a strike and block exercise for unarmed combat she had apparently been teaching them. Heading over to the young man, arriving just as he was getting his breath back.

Her glossy black hair was pulled back into a single braid down her back, except for two strands that had pulled free of their confinement and now fell framing her face and her startlingly bright blue eyes. She dusted off the long split tunic that swirled about her legs, and adjusted the plane utilitarian sword belted at her waist, as she walked over to the two panting men. “Do you know what went wrong?” her face was impassive, her tone neutral expressing neither condemnation or praise.

The noble boy, Halloran grimaced, “I got so focused on not getting stabbed in the face that I got stuck. I should have retreated to keep the range open so I could block with out rushing, or attacked to give him something else to think about besides stabbing me in the face.”

The woman nodded with out changing her expression in the slightest, “So why didn't you?” her voice still even.

“I...” Halloran swallowed and coughed slightly, “I don't know. I could see what was happening. This was the third time he's used that trick on me. I just couldn't get my body to do anything differently.”

“But you saw, which is good. The rest comes with practice.” the woman's face and voice remained even and impassive. Halloran however seemed to almost glow as he blushed from the faint praise.

The servant who had led the Prince here coughed to attract attention. The woman gestured indicating two more from the waiting potential combatants before she turned to the servant and the Prince. The servant bowed low, “May I present the ambassador from Quienenas Prince Tora Irago. Your highness, Her Imperial Majesty Seleni Ariador, Empress of Khande.”

To say the Prince was caught by surprise would be an understatement. The woman before him had no crown, her clothes while undoubtedly well made from fine cloth in no way stood out from the rest of the nobles. Her sword was with out gilt, inlay, or even the simplest of jewels or ornament. He had heard rumors that she was a master of the sword but her walk was simple with out the flowing grace, dangerous airs, or any of the remarkable qualities that those skilled in such things seemed to inevitably acquire.

Suddenly the Prince blinked realizing that he hadn't moved, quickly he bowed murmuring, “Imperial Magesty.” though it felt odd to use those terms to refer to any but his own Emperor of Light, but he was an ambassador which meant he had to be diplomatic.

“Ambassador, be welcome.” the Empress' voice retained the calm neutrality it had had while talking to the two fighters, “It is early and you have had a long trip. Wold you care for refreshment? I find that tea is an excellent balance for the morning chill.”

The prince straightened with a smile, “Thank you majesty, that would be appreciated.”

The Empress gestured and servants quickly brought two chairs and a small table. A moment later a teapot and several fruits and other snacks were laid out. Seleni thanked both servants by name before taking a seat in one of the chairs and indicating that the Prince should take the other. The servant pored the tea for each of them before retreating to hover discreetly behind them just in case he was needed. They sat angled so that they could still watch the practice while they talked.

The necessary politeness’s flowed smoothly between them and they were just getting to the point where serious matters might be broached when there was a loud crash and angry voices from the entrance to the courtyard causing the Empress to pause though her expression did not so much as flicker. A moment later a servant rushed into the room and whispered to the one standing attendance on them, who then moved forward quickly to whisper in the Empress' ear.

“My apologies ambassador I fear that I must deal with this.” her voice was still, even and calm as an older nobleman leading several more all with fury plainly painted across their faces and trailing servants trying to make them stop burst into the courtyard.

The leaders eyes scanned the crowd that had gone silent and still at their entrance before he found the Empress who had stood to meet him, “What is the meaning of this?” the man bellowed waved a formal scroll over his head as he advanced on the young empress clearly intending to use the almost head and a half of height he had on her to cow and intimidate her.

The Empress hadn't so much as blinked, sounding almost indifferent to the raging noble, “I am afraid you will have to be more specific Lord Moran.” the Empress tilted her head to one side slightly, “I have sent out a number of proclamations. Which one have you chosen to take issue with?”

“Which one you you think?” Lord Moran almost screamed. The prince was slightly impressed that the ranting lord had not let the insult that everybody had heard attached to the end of that sentence past his lips. The Lord ripped the scroll open almost tearing it in half, “'As of this moment in time the practice of Slavery is banned and outlawed in the lands of Khande.'?” Lord Moran sounded like he couldn't believe what he was reading, “'You will have one season to free your slaves.'?” the lord was yelling constantly now.

“It seems perfectly clear to me. Was there something in the wording that...”

The Empress got no further before the nobleman exploded again, “I'll not have it! I'll not just give away my property at your whim!”

“And I'll not have an entire people live in chains when their only crime is being born different.”

“People?” The lord scoffed, “Their not people! Their beasts! Dangerous beasts if left uncontrolled.”

“It is my opinion,” The Empress commented mildly, her even, unchanging tone some how implying that her opinion was all that should really matter in the conversation, “any being I can hold a conversation with is a person.”

“Your opinion?” the lord's expression twisted with rage as he advanced on her, “Listen to me you child...!” Lord Moran stopped almost on top of the empress and trailed off as he finally seemed to notice where he was. Everybody in the courtyard was on their feet. Real weapons had appeared from somewhere and it seemed that everybody had one. The half dozen Duor had found their gigantic swords and were staring at Lord Moran with hate filled eyes, the children looked at him as though he was something slimy they had found on the bottom of their boots, the soldiers and courtiers looked like all they really wanted was an excuse, even the servants were fingering the handles of knives tucked into sashes while looking at the spot between the Lord's shoulder blades speculatively.

The Lord paled slightly as he looked around. Finally he turned back to the Empress, “You may have the advantage now. But you won't always be in your castle, surrounded by your lackeys. You like to travel, and one day you will be far away and out numbered by my people. We'll see how the meeting goes then.”

The Empress gazed up at him for a moment and then with out warning she moved. It happened so quickly that by the time that most had realized anything had happened Lord Moran's head was rolling across the courtyard, his body falling backwards while the Empress beckoned to one of the servants for a cloth to clean her sword.

There was a moment of stillness while everything registered, then the soldiers descended like a wave and dragged Lord Moran and his still living companions back into the castle none to gently. The Empress finished cleaning her sword and returned to the Prince, “Again my apologies your Highness. Now where were we? Trade routs I believe, yes?” she asked in her calm even voice as she pored more tea.

The prince had to swallow several times before he could speak. Through it all the Empress' expression had never changed.