Glory to the Emperor

"I pledge my allegiance and devotion to the future Emperor Alaron. May he reign forever! Glory to the Emperor," the servant pressed his face to the floor, obviously trembling.

He was one in a long line of castle staff that wanted to protect his life. Cafer had given the captured humans an ultimatum: pledge their undying allegiance to the new Emperor and keep their job or be put into prison. Most chose option one.

At first Alaron liked the attention. He was able to look down from his throne and feel superior as each subject begged his favor. It was empowering. 'I could get used to this,' he chuckled inwardly. Over time, though, the task became tedious. Like any teenager, his mind began to drift to other things.

Alaron wondered how Mairwen was doing. Had he made the right call in letting her go? Brinn had not given him a lot of choice, but he hoped that the princess would return on her own when she realized what a great ruler he was. 'She cannot stay away forever,' he comforted himself.

A tall willowy servant bowed at the base of the ruler's throne. He looked up briefly before lowering his head, "I pledge my allegiance and devotion to the Emperor Devrim..." he mumbled. The servant stiffened as he realized that he misspoke. "I...I mean future Emperor Alaron."

It was too late. Two gnomic guards were on the servant in a moment and hauled him to his feet.

"How dare you disrespect Emperor Alaron in such a way!" Cafer, who had been sitting on a lower seat near the boy, bellowed.

One of the guards hit the servant in the back of his legs with a spear butt, sending the poor man to his knees.

"It was an accident! I-I mean no disrespect." The servant stuttered. "Glory to the Empress! Ah! Of course I mean the new Emperor!" The servant said as he received a rough punch in the gut. "Please, Sire…"

"Take him away," Cafer ordered before anything else could transpire. The man was dragged from the room screaming. Cafer shook his head sadly. "I am sorry, Your Majesty. Shall we continue?"

The future Emperor was surprisingly not angry. At least the servant had made something interesting happen. "Can we just do the rest of the servants all together. I am hungry." The boy twirled his finger in the air to indicate that things should finish quickly.

The advisor nodded eagerly, glad that the outburst had not upset Alaron. The line of servants in the hall were ushered in as a group. Bowing, they all pledged their allegiance.

"I will strive to be a leader who is worthy of your loyalty," Alaron told them with a regal wave.

Those listening were still uneasy, but they nodded as if they believed his words. The room emptied. Cafer praised the boy, "Excellent work, Your Majesty. I will see to it that your dinner is ready shortly."

Baak graciously joined Alaron and Cafer for a late dinner. With some coaxing from the gnomes, the servants who had been detained prepared a meal fit for two kings. Although the dining hall was in the demolished part of the castle, a small sitting room was prepared with a suitable table.

Taste testers were brought in to sample the food, and everything was enjoyed heartily by the two gnomes. "Human food is far more varied than our meals underground," King Baak observed. "It was worth it to spend all day in the blasted sun for this delicious meat." The king dug his teeth into the cooked leg as juice dropped down his chin.

Alaron also liked the meal, but his reaction was subdued. Cafer noticed the boy's quietness, but assumed that he was just tired. It had been a long day.

The advisor addressed the future Emperor. "Before you go to bed for the night, Your Majesty, we must go through the dungeon so you can personally free your supporters from their cells. And tomorrow we will invite any nobility that would like to stay in their position to pledge their loyalty."

"Another day of people bowing and scraping? Must we?" Alaron whined.

King Baak snorted. "Cafer, you sure know how to run things. It is fun to see you try to usher someone around who is not me."

Cafer hid his grimace. "Thank you, King Baak. It is nice to have my skills appreciated."

"Why haven't we already freed our allies?" Alaron demanded to know. His voice was more forceful this time and the advisor gave him an approving nod.

"You are very thoughtful, however you have been very busy, Sire. We want you to have your triumphant entry to set the prisoners free, but we also need to let them know that they still serve you and will therefore have to wait. It is a delicate balance." Cafer waited to see if the boy understood.

The boy's face darkened. "Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me. I am ready, Cafer." Alaron stood. "We shall go to the dungeons now. I will not allow my loyal subjects to rot any longer in those infernal cells."

Leaving Baak behind to continue to gorge himself, the future Emperor and his advisor made their way down to the dungeon. It just now occurred to Alaron as they picked their way through ruined parts of the palace that those in the dungeon could have easily died by the dragon's attack.

"How did you know that the dragons would not destroy the dungeon?" the boy asked with a hint of accusation.

"The dungeons are very deep. Even if the dragons destroyed the upper structure, the dungeon is far underground and likely would have stayed in tact." Cafer responded casually.

"Likely? But you were not positive, were you?" Alaron asked. His fists flexed in a flash of anger.

The gnome sighed, but the sound of his voice was not sympathetic. "It was a calculated risk. As a leader, you will have to take many of them."

A chill ran down the boy's spine. Alaron remembered that he had been on the sky bridge when the dragons came. Was his life also a calculated risk? Or did Cafer just have that much faith in the boy's ability to survive? The future Emperor mulled over these questions but decided not to ask.

They reached the dungeon, and Alaron was happy to see that the guards at the dungeon entrance were human. Having spent time around the gnomes in their catacombs, he could easily tell the difference between them and the humans. While the gnomes had attacked during the dragon's siege, the humans had only started arriving once the battle was over. Slowly the humans were taking their posts.

The guards swung the door wide. "Glory to the Emperor! All rise!" one of them yelled. The murmur of those in the cells was one of impatient excitement. It seemed many of them had been waiting for their leader.

Alaron released each of his allies with the promise of a bath and a position in his army or household. The prince tried to be gracious, but some of the rougher characters, especially the pirates, made his smile turn into a cringe.

Eventually, they came upon a barred cell with three men in it. They were the three assassins who tried to kill Mairwen. The men had been sentenced to hard labor for twenty years or until the princess was no longer living for them to attack: whichever was longer. But with everything that had happening, they had not been transported to the quarries to begin work.

"Leave them there to rot," Alaron commanded through gritted teeth.

"But Sire," Cafer countered. "They did this act in your name. Surely you can find some leniency."

"They tried to kill my sister. There is no leniency for that." The future Emperor was white with rage. There would be no reasoning with him now. The advisor simply nodded. They moved on.

Cell after cell of prisoners were released. Those there for other crimes were left behind, much to their dismay. Overall the dungeon was left virtually empty. "We will fill it with our prisoners soon enough," Cafer assured him. "They are in more comfortable accommodations, but not for long."

"More mind games?" Alaron asked, understanding the gnome more all the time.

The advisor gave a deprecating smile. "We want them to know that we can be gracious if they follow you, but that graciousness does not extend to our enemies. I think when we move them down here, many will change their tune."

They turned a corner and went through another wooden door into the higher security area of the dungeon. Alaron recognized these cells as the ones where he was kept. He cringed as he eyed the thick doors with only a few metal bars to peek through. Some doors had no peep hole. He did not want to think what went on there.

Cafer led him to the last door and ordered it opened. The accommodations inside were better than the room where he had stayed, but still not comfortable. On the small cot a frail woman looked cautiously at them. Her grey hair was thin and wispy, and her sharp features were only softened by the look of desperation in her eyes.

"It has been a while," she whispered. "Glory to the Emperor." The woman bowed her head as she knelt to the ground humbly.

"Duchess Ravenna?" Alaron hardly recognized her. He flew to her side and helped her sit back on the bed.

Ravenna gave a dry laugh. "Not a duchess anymore, as I believe you are no longer a prince. I congratulate you on your victory."

Alaron was used to a domineering woman who did not let anyone see her soft side. He had been excited when she joined his cause. The lady before him was not at all what he remembered. It was unnerving. "Thank you. If you would like to be restored to your role as duchess, I can do that. Or I have a different role I would like you to fulfill."

"What is that, Your Majesty?" A spark of light passed through Ravenna's eyes.

The future Emperor sat down next to the woman on the itchy cot. "I am looking for members of my Council. I will have a few openings, as you may have guessed."

Ravenna's face brightened and she quickly resumed her more noble air. She smoothed her tattered dress. "I would be honored, Your Majesty. I only have one request, if it pleases you."

Alaron cocked his head to one side. He had just restored her and already she was wanting more. "What do you require?" he queried.

"I need a wig. No one will recognize me without my glorious hair. And my head is so cold without it!" The woman was passionate about the accessory.

The boy suppressed his chuckle as he eyed the guard seriously. "You heard the woman," he bellowed dramatically. "Find her some hair!"