CHAPTER 131: AN EVENTFUL MORNING AND A RETURN TO ARDUOUS WORK

By the time the banquet came to a close, the sun was already starting to exchange shifts with the moon in the sky, but none really minded it, as we had fun all the way through. Though the children were obviously not included in this, specifically Va’lin, Alisar, the twins and Cyrus, as all of them were eventually beaten in their wrestling match against their drooping eyelids, crowning sleep as the victor of their match this evening many hours before, and hauled off to their beds by their parents.

Only Nizam remained standing till the end, though he was very clearly exhausted, and would have succumbed to his basic biological needs, if not for his stubborn will to not be counted amongst the children anymore, which brought a smile to my face.

Sadly my smile could not remain forever, since with the coming of the dawn, so too did the return of my duties that have been on hold for more than four months now. So despite having had no sleep, my uncle and I, immediately after the culmination of the feast, headed to the Council Room to deal with the empire’s many woes, much to my mother’s worry and displeasure, as she gently said with her slightly furrowed brows "You both have just returned from a long campaign, I’m certain the council would understand if you take a few days respite."

"I’m afraid not mother." I replied with a helpless tone. "I have been gone too long, and while much has happened, far more still needs to be done."

She stared at me a moment longer, before a resigned sigh escaped her lips, and then she strode a single step forward and embraced me gently, whispering lovingly in my ear "I didn’t have the chance to say this to you earlier, but I am so, incredibly proud of you my darling."

A happy smile graced my features at her words, as I hugged her back, saying "I’m glad."

Yet then she broke from my arms, and teasingly said, in faux anger "But don’t think that exempts you from my wrath young man. You stole my sons away and barely sent me any letters back during all those months I passed, consumed with endless worry. And then to make it worse on your poor mother’s heart, you spent nearly a month on your return journey escalading your way through various cities in the empire, completely ignoring that this old lady even exists, heartlessly keeping me waiting here in suspense." She finished with an angry snort, as she half turned her body from us and crossed her arms under her chest.

I could only stare at her speechlessly for a moment, finding myself completely flustered and utterly unprepared for the return of her usual love of teasing ’Stole your sons away? Weren’t you the one that was convincing me to take them with me?!’ I thought in disbelief.

Then a small, accepting smile found it’s way to my lips, understanding that she was after something, as I replied in resignation, jokingly asking for repentance "I understand mother. What must I do to earn forgiveness for my outrageous crimes? I will move heavens and earth if you so wish, merely speak the words."

"So you acknowledge and understand your faults?" She asked with a half smile. Always enjoying these moments with her children; whether it be I, who plays along with her antics, or the ever mature Nizam and confident Cyrus, who crumple into blushing balls of shame whenever she teases them, or even the innocent and meek Alisar, who jumps at her with little clenched fists, as she playfully rains punches down at her.

"Yes mother, I do." I replied with a lowered head, acting like a misbehaving child caught red handed by his parents, much to her amusement.

"Good." She nodded. "Since you understand, and have already admitted your mistakes, you’re punishment shall be light this time around, so you will only have to accompany me to lady Altin’s party two days from now."

"Ugh!" An unconscious disgruntled sound escaped my lips, as I knew that this ’party’ she spoke of would not only be a true party, but a place for her to introduce me to more marital candidates. "Mother, I thought we agreed to stop this."

"And whatever do you mean by that, my darling son?" She feigned innocence with a small smile.

Seeing this, I sighed; knowing full well that there was little more I could do by this hopeless point, as I defeatedly said "Fine mother, I’ll accompany you to lady Altin’s party."

A triumphant smile then bloomed across her beautiful features, an enchanting painting of elegance and warmth, that suddenly shattered when her peripheral vision caught the face of my smiling uncle, as she asked again in her returned false anger "And what are you so happy about?"

"My lady?" My uncle confusedly asked.

"Did you think yourself exempt from this fault?" She asked haughtily, looking him in the eyes. "You too did not return my messages during these past few months, so you will need to be punished as well."

"I offer no excuse." Unlike me, who took my mother’s words in good fun, my uncle as usual turned deathly serious, bowing his back ninety degrees, and speaking as if she were to ask him to cut his own head, he would do so with no hesitation.

"Always so uptight." My mother said after a moment, with a nostalgic smile. "Tonight, let’s talk." She said, stepping towards him and motioning for him to rise by touching his shoulder. "And I mean really talk, Haytham. No weaselling your way out of this one, understand?" She stressed. "That’s your punishment." She finished with a reassuring smile.

"...I understand." My uncle said after a moment, his tone as defeated and resigned as mine.

"Good." She replied, her smile widening. "It’s time for you two to get going then, you don’t want to keep the ministers waiting." She finished as she turned around and left.

My uncle and I stared at her retreating back for a long moment, before an exasperated sigh escaped the both of us at the same time. As we comically thought that here stood two of the most powerful and feared men in the empire, if not the world, and yet they were just played like a couple of lifeless marionettes to her every tune.

He and I looked at each other one last time, before sharing a smile and a shrug, as we again made our way to the Council Room, where we beheld the usual sight of all of them seated and ready; each with a dreadful stack of papers in their hands. Paper that clearly promised endless headaches for many days to come.

"Good morning, your imperial majesty." Headed by Darius, the others quickly saluted, bowing their backs as they did.

"Good morning, gentlemen." I replied, the earlier joking and carefree air about me, now purged; replaced with a pressuring authority to my every word and action, as I sat at the head of the table, with the usual Abraham and the now returned Horus to my flanks, while Isaac and Kira stood to the side.

"Grand Vizier, as is the norm, you may begin." I said, internally readying myself for the onslaught of hurdles and dilemmas that were about to be pelted at me.

"Sire." Darius acknowledged, as he stood up and then quickly began "With the failure of this rebellion, we have finally achieved complete political dominance not only over the eastern provinces, but over the whole of the empire. From now on, there will be no more voices second guessing us." The other ministers clapped their hands at his announcement, even if everyone already knew it. Darius then continued with a grave voice "But this comes with it’s own brand of problems. Ones we must tackle before they begin to fester into a second Noble Faction, and a second Zadkiel." He finished as he glanced at my uncle, who remained perfectly composed, lessening the worry of the Grand Vizier.

"The rise of unknown enemies and slackening vigilance among our own." I said, naming the two major problems we would face.

"Exactly!" Darius happily nodded. "With the fall of Zadkiel, there is now a power vacuum among those who wish to see the empire fall from within, and we can be certain that those from outside our borders will not wait the rise of the next one."

"They will nurture him." Rhett grimly completed. "Dragging and screaming they will force someone to take the fallen mantle of Zadkiel, but this time they will have far more control over this new faction."

Darius nodded, his tone just as ghastly as Rhett "The Noble Faction might have been powerful, like a pack of rabid dogs heckling and biting at us at every turn, with a long list of allies, both foreign and native alike; but they are still far easier of an opponent than one we don’t even know exists, let alone who leads it, and to what nefarious end; like a viper hidden in the brush."

"So what do you council, Grand Vizier?" I asked, knowing full well that he must have already thought of a clever ploy to safeguard the empire.

"Please have a read at this, sire." He said seriously, handing me a thick stack of parchment that has been almost dyed entirely black from all the ink that has been engraved upon it. "This is a plan to covertly build our own opposition, my liege. Where it’s head and main pillars are men entirely loyal to us. They will keep an eye on the movements of the remaining traitors, allowing us to once again gather them all in one place, where they can be easily disposed of if they prove to be too troublesome; additionally if our foreign enemies wish to move against us, they will most likely at least try to ally with them, giving us an early warning of our enemy’s movements."

The men all both nodded their heads in appreciation of Darius’ scheme, and clenched their hands to force them not to show tremble, as they were once again reminded of the terror of this Master Puppeteer.

"Perfect." I answered, a hint of sadistic madness slipping through my mask, after having skimmed through much of the plan. "You may begin immediately Grand Vizier."

A poisoned chuckle then seeped through his throat "Right away, sire."