Chapter Two

City of Vlallas

(Thane)

There came a pounding on the chamber doors, Thane Rysling opened his eyes taking in the darkness around him, the sun had not yet entered the sky. Why was someone pounding on his door in wee hours of the night? Everyone knew he needed his sleep, or he was notoriously known for being cranky throughout the day. Looking to either side of him he sighed, he had forgotten that he had a few of the harem girls in his bed, usually he sent them away after they were done. Untangling limbs from limbs, he slipped out of the bed quietly, moving to the door.

"This had better be good, waking me up at this hour." He rumbled, staring into the solemn face of his friend Jubal.

"I am afraid Thane, that this is not such good news I have." The man spoke, his accent thick with emotion. "The Emperor has taken a turn for the worse, your presence is requested in his chambers."

Thane nodded, turning he grabbed his eloquently sequenced robe, putting it on he got lost in his thoughts. His father, Emperor Rysling, was the fiercest warrior that had ruled over Vlallas for well over Fifty years now. Quite recently he had fallen ill, the doctors could not explain the reason for his sudden decrease in health, only that whatever the illness was seemed to be taking out his immune system quicker than any disease that they had ever seen. Thane had been clinging to the small hope that his father would make a miraculous recovery, that this was just a bad joke, it was hard seeing such a strong man look so weak. Up until now, Thane had been avoiding his father's chambers, he did not want to look at the man in his lowest moments, his father was too proud for that. Trying to respect him as much as possible, he stood a modest distance away, his mother always scolded him for not visiting his father.

"My mother?" he asked Jubal as they walked.

"She is already in there."

Thane nodded towards his friend. Honestly, Thane was a little scared, which he would never admit out loud, but he was not ready to take the throne. He was still young at his Twenty-Six years of age; he had not done nearly all he had wanted to. No, he had wasted his youth, thinking that there would be plenty of time to see the world. Now he had wished he would have taken the time, we he was crowned there would be no time for the small pleasures, his life would be dedicated to the people of Vlallas. He had been preparing for this day since he was born but that did not mean that the day would be an easier. It almost felt wrong to take over as soon as his father passed away, the ceremony would happen the next day, before his father was even cold in the ground. It almost seemed disrespectful to his memory, but the City could not be long without a ruler in place. That would leave them weak and vulnerable to enemy attack. Thane would do what he needed to do to keep his father's legacy intact, he would man up and leave all his childish fantasies behind, he had no choice.

As they approached the Emperor's chambers, he seen his Mother come out in the hall to greet them, he took her by the hands and kissed her cheek affectionately. "Mother, how is he?" he asked softly.

His mother, the Empress, looked tired. Her once youthful face was strained with marks of stress and worry. Natira Rysling had been a beautiful woman in her time, her long willowy figure, her dark glossy hair, and dark eyes. Now her hair had the faint color of silver streaking through it, and her eyes crinkled at the sides; she was still beautiful, just aged, like a fine wine. Now her beauty was more refined.

"Oh my dear boy, I wish I had better news," she whispered heart breaking, "He does not have much time left, he has been asking for you," tears coated her eyes but Thane knew she would not shed them in front of anyone.

"Alright." He stated and followed her back into the room.

The Emperors chambers were almost too much to look at. The finest fabrics from around the world were in that Chamber. From the tapestries to the rugs on the marble floor, the Emperor spared no expense in the finer things. Gold trimmed out most of the room, there was not one square foot that was not luxurious, it almost twinkled to the naked eye. In the center of the room was the Emperors bed, thick drapes were pulled back, in the middle was the frail form of his father. Taking a deep breath, Thane approached the side of the bed, cautiously.

"Father." He said quietly. For a moment Thane feared the man had already passed away, his eyes were closed, and his face as white as a sheet. Listening intensely, he heard the shallow breathing coming from his Father, and sighed. Touching his fathers' shoulder gently, the man's eyes opened slowly. "Father." He said again.

The Emperor's eyes were so like his own, it was almost eerie looking into them. The emerald green they used to be, so full of life, were now dull. The light was fading fast from them, Thane took his fathers hand, leaning in closer to hear the mans gargled whispers. "Thane promise me that you will be a fair ruler, that you will respect your new position. Too many Emperors before you have let power go to their heads, that is how you lose your Kingdom." He stated.

"I promise Father, I will do everything in my power to be a just Emperor just like you." He vowed fervently.

His Father looked at him for a moment, his mouth hitched at the sides, "You remind me so much of myself when I was younger, you will be okay Thane, just remember above all else to have patience. You will be the Emperor, your word will be law, you are responsible for the fate of everyone in this city, do not take that lightly." He gave a cough; blood droplets sprinkled the white gown he was wearing.

Reaching out he beckoned the Empress to him, when she moved to the bed opposite the side Thane was on, he took both their hands. "I love you both, you all have been the greatest gifts of my life. Watch out for each other, this world can be cruel, and remember that I will always be with you. We will meet again in the afterlife." He whispered brokenly.

Thane looked across the bed to his mother, they shared a look that spoke volumes, and there in the darkness of the night, ended the reign of Emperor Hurok Rysling.

After his father had taken his last breath, his mother stood, curtsying low in front of him, she stated, "Long live Emperor Thane Rysling." And with those simple words, Thane's new life as ruler of Vlallas began.