"The King among the Kings, Ruler of Eight provinces, Bearer of the mythical seal, Overlord of the great Amber Empire, his majesty, the emperor, Ethan Amber has issued an edict, get onto your knees and receive the privilege, oh honorable Mage."
The little, isolated village in the Khan province was rocked by the sound of a man rising up on the stage centered around a bodhi tree and yelling at the top of his lungs.
The people observed the unexpected arrival of the Emperor's messenger in their isolated village as they gathered around the tree.
A middle-aged guy emerged from the crowd and bowed to the messenger with respect as they witnessed this strange sight.
"I am honored to receive the Privilege"
All he had on was a sacred thread over his chest and a spotless white robe.
The Mage nodded to the King's emissary that he was ready to accept the Royal edict, and shortly after that he kneeled down.
The Messenger gave the Brahman a serious look, broke the seal that was still on the Royal order, and began the sacred chant that proved his veracity.
"In the residence of the divine Phoenix tree and in the witness of great Amber subjects, henceforth I Shall relay the message of the one true ruler of the Amber Empire, Ethan Amber himself, may the Sun god examine my words and shall incinerate this body if I were to lie"
The Messenger concluded the devotional chant and unfolded the Royal Edict.
And the moment he unveiled the edict, every citizen in the vicinity bowed in respect for the royal decree, raising their right hand to their chest and lowering their heads.
In the empire, it was mandatory to honor the royal decree with the same reverence that the emperor himself was accorded. Any opposition or dispute to this was deemed treason against the throne, and the one found guilty would face instant execution.
Therefore, even though the people dislike kneeling, they complied because they were afraid of the icy blades that were hanging about the hips of the royal escorts that were accompanying the Emperor's messenger."I, the emperor of the eight provinces, have heard much of your intelligence and achievements from Ethan Amber, the emperor of the Great Amber Empire. As a true Mage, Archmage Henry, you are deserving of more than a remote province. As one of the seven Archmages of Amber, I am now calling you, Archmage Henry, the top priest of the Khan province, to serve me at the Royal Palace in honor of your accomplishment. Please accept this honor and come before me as soon as you can."After completing his perusal of the decree, the Messenger shut the scroll.
Along with the citizens surrounding him, Archmage Henry gets to his feet.
While many of them were delighted that one of them had received an invitation to serve at the royal palace, some of the wiser ones were upset that the Archmage who had been defending them up until this point would have to go.
However, they were at a loss for what to do.
The edict was written by the monarch himself, down to the last word. To oppose the monarch would be to invite certain death.
But again, Archmage Henry's choice was all that counted in this situation; everything else was unimportant.After serving as the Imperial messenger for over two decades, Dooth delivered the emperor's message, glanced at Archmage Henry, and made a courteous inquiry.
"May I know your decision, Honorable Archmage Henry?"
Dooth gave the Archmage standing in front of him his best bow.
There were two causes for it.
One was that he held the title of "Archmage," bestowed upon magicians who excelled beyond the seventh circle.
Since he was one of the strongest men in the empire, he had a duty to respect those in positions of authority.
It was obvious that he didn't want to arouse this person's wrath.
He was also the Emperor's Messenger, which was the second item.
Every move made by the King's messenger represented the Emperor's actions, therefore if the messenger treated the Archmage disrespectfully, the Emperor would also be degrading the Archmage.
Though it wouldn't endanger the emperor, Archmage Henry might turn against the throne if he misinterpreted something. This would be a nuisance.
He therefore carefully considered what to say in order to preserve the dignity of the Emperor's emissary without coming across as impolite to Archmage Henry.
In answer to Dooth, the Archmage slowly lifted his head, a small smile on his face.
"If it is the will of the emperor for me to be in the imperial palace, who am I to reject?"
Archmage Henry had the option to accept or reject the emperor's grace, but he knew that turning it down would spell disaster for him.
He determined that taking the job voluntarily would be much more advantageous for him because, despite being a "Archmage," there was only so much he could do to oppose the Emperor.
In addition, it was very desirable to hold the title of one of Amber's seven Archmages.
The reason for his excitement was not the opulence of the Royal Palace, but rather the opportunity to have a meeting with 'that' someone there.
The Archmage of Wisdom, the strongest of the Seven Archmages, served as prime minister of the Great Amber empire.
He was regarded as the smartest man in all of Amber, and he was also instrumental in the ascent to power of the previous emperor.
That Archmage Henry would get to meet such a man filled him with immense excitement.
Archmage Henry demanded, staring at the Messenger, "Give me some time to say goodbye to my child, and I will follow you back to the Royal palace."
He was a little reluctant to leave his family because the Royal palace was located in the province of Phoenix, which was fifteen days distant from the province of Khan by horse. It was also unknown when he would return there, but he had to go because the emperor himself had given the order.
So before leaving, he wanted to at least say goodbye to his family.
"There is no need for farewells, the emperor has ordered your whole family to be escorted to the capital, so be at ease, Archmage Henry."
Archmage Henry was a little reluctant to part from his daughter and wife, but the messenger saw his concern and let him know.
"All hail the Emperor, then this Old man has no objections, I shall follow you anytime"
Archmage Henry Hearing his remarks, Henry went thrilled because his one and only concern was now gone.
"Then we will depart by tomorrow's sunrise please be prepared by then"
"I shall do so". Dooth bowed to the Emperor's messenger, Archmage Henry, left the platform, and went back to the makeshift tent the royal escorts had erected outside the settlement for their stay.
As soon as they realized everything was over, the crowd began congratulating ArchmageHenry.
Grinning at their fondness, Archmage Henry humbled himself in response to each of them.
While everyone else was happy that one of their villages was visiting the royal palace, Archmage Henry muttered to himself while glancing at the bodhi tree."It seems like fate wants me in the Royal palace this time, I shall follow the will of the Heavens, may the gods look over this humble man"
Archmage Henry's soft whispers stopped when he was observed praising the Bodhi tree.