The silence in that dining hall was erie after the emperor's pronouncement. "It seems that someone among the noble peerage did something quite unforgivable."
A low murmuring buzz filled the room.
"A bright star of my empire has been tampered with. After a lengthy investigation I have discovered that there are those in this room who do not agree with...let's just say every part of my state policies." Now the room was quiet again and Aliya noticed that all the people present were riveted, their faces tense and pale they were hanging on the Emperor's every word. Some had even started to sweat. "In a clumsy attempt to challenge the strength of my authority, these people have done something heinous. Tate Delmont, my godson was kidnapped a few days ago."
Some people's mouths fell open while a few even spit out the water they'd been nervously drinking in the silence. Lady Kira couldn't hold it in anymore and a small audible sob came from her. Lord Delmont wrapped an arm around his wife and they both looked down at the table.
A voice spoke out of this shocked silence. "Your Majesty, I do not mean to question you, but you say one of us here kidnapped the Empire's great hero? Forgive me for my impertinence but could you please explain further, how could someone kidnap someone acknowledged as our finest warrior?" Aliya looked at the man who had spoken. He was thin and sort of handsome. He had dark hair and dark eyes. He had a charismatic air around him that made everyone listen.
Another noble spoke up, encouraged by this other lord's speech. "Yes, Your Majesty we are stunned by this news. I'm sure you know that everyone here is loyal to you. Could we please have some more explanation as to what you mean?"
The Emperor looked over the table with cold eyes. The only people he did not direct this glare at were herself, his sons, and the Delmonts. Everyone else was forced to feel his gaze in turn and she saw many of them flinch.
He held out his hand palm up and a nearby servant placed a neatly rolled piece of parchment into the Emperor's hands. "I have here a signed statement by one of the perpetrators of this crime. I will read it aloud for us all to enjoy." He looked up and smiled snakily, Aliya shivered, the Emperor who had been kind to her was nowhere to be found. This was a man she would be terrified to make an enemy of.
"Let's treat this like a game, shall we? After all, I invited you all over to dine with me as a form of communion and entertainment did I not? So let's be entertained!" The words coming out of his mouth were somehow forceful and mocking, the combination sounded deranged. "If your name is not read from this document I'd like you to remain seated, this means you win! Once I've finished reading this aloud if your family name is not heard then congratulations, you've been summoned here as a witness. However, if I do call your family name I'm very sorry but you have only to beg me for your life or if you have a shred of nobility you can beg for the lives of your family members."
Aliya was stunned, Cade gripped her hand under the table and she looked at his face. He also looked completely out of sorts. What in the realm was happening? She, and from the looks of it Cade, had been summoned to this dinner in a whirlwind of activity and with hardly any notice. Now they were told that Tate, her Tate, had been kidnapped. Tate was Cade's role model, he was Tate's biggest fan, and his father must know that. The crown prince also looked like a block of frozen ice and Aliya had to briefly wonder why he was here. As for Tate's parents, they were still clinging onto each other, every gilb word out of the emperor's mouth seemed to make them shake harder. Was it fear, sadness, or anger they were shaking from? Aliya assumed she would not be in this confession, but why else was she here? Why her?
The Emperor cleared his throat. "On the 5th of Durin Month the Lords Kiln, Wais, Junic, Talon, Emery, Sloan, and Uil met in secret at the Wais estate. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss ways to dethrone the current Emperor. However who the group would endorse as a replacement has not been settled to my knowledge. The main topic was the best ways to weaken public opinion of the Emperor in the coming months. Many things were discussed such as spreading false rumors, interfering with the allocation of treasury funds when possible, and alienating the Emperor's allies, etc. A plan was formed around the youngest of the Lords Delmont. Tate Delmont is a prominent public figure who is well known to share a close connection to the emperor. It was decided that removing him from the capitol quietly and then having him killed in the wild plains would be a great start to driving a wedge between the Emperor and his supporters. Not only would the Emperor lose faith in the Delmont household due to one of his main vassals and beloved stars of the Empire running away from his duties. The house Delmont would in turn resent the Emperor for their son's tragic fate. That fate was to be a disappearance in the wilds. An assassin was to meet the group that was taking him from the capitol and then dispose of the body. This would mean that the realm would never know why he disappeared or if he was alive or dead. Since he is such an integral part of our modern history the hope was that it would open speculation that he ran away because he knew too much or that the Emperor himself was going to assassinate him in due course. This kidnapping was to be carried out by mostly the younger sons of these lords and myself since we would not be noticed if absent from society for a few days. We were prepared to wait weeks or months for the perfect opportunity to lure him into position or buy off someone in his household to get him to take a sleeping drug. We could never have foreseen that he would walk straight into our plan in the very beginning. It was easy to buy him a drink. I got him drunk enough that he was convinced to go with me to another location even though we have never been close. I had already sent a servant ahead to gather the group responsible for his removal and they acted quickly. When we met up with them a few of them were waiting for us. The youngest sons of Lords Junic, Sloan, and Uil met us at a brothel and pretended to have been there for a long time. We easily slipped the drug into his drink and the rest was quite easy. The other noble sons took over once he was incapacitated and were able to escape the city with ease. From this point, I know no more since I have been detained and have not heard from them. They were supposed to drop his bound body, still drugged, near the misty veil where a hired assassin was supposed to arrive within the day to finish the job. This was to be the first step in weakening the Emperor's power. As to the rest, I do not know the details as those were planned by my father and the other lords. This is all I know, I swear. I beg for my life. Signed Lord Gillies Kiln."
The Emperor threw the long roll of parchment down and stared at those present. Seven men were either standing, fists clenched or crying, or they had fallen out of their chairs and were on their knees. The women who had been seated with them showed a range of emotions a couple had fainted, one looked resigned, and the others looked at their husbands with open shock. As for the lords still sitting, those that Aliya supposed were not the ones listed in the document, there were only three left.
Those three were looking at the other lords in turn with disgust and fear on their faces. If they were seated too close to one of these lords they leaned away as far as possible in case their doom was contagious.
"Lord West, Lord Quill, and Lord Mouldin thank you to you and your wives for bearing witness to this testimony. I apologize for springing this on you so suddenly. As for the rest of you, do you remember what I said? Go on plead for yourself or your family, pick one, and get on with it."
"You miserable curr!" One of the lords shouted the one who had spoken first. He'd lost his mind. He threw his chair back and began marching towards the Emperor his eyes mad. He didn't make it far before a knight threw him to the ground put a knee in his back and bound his hands. The man started screaming and almost foaming at the mouth. "Where is he? Where is my Gillies?"
The Emperor smirked. "Captian, it seems Lord Kiln would like to be reunited with his son. Please bring him in."
The man the emperor spoke to bowed and stepped outside the hall for only a moment before he dragged something in, or someone. The body was so covered in bruises and blood that he hardly looked human. Where his hair should have been were just open wounds. There was a dirty cloth covering his eyes and he was wearing nothing but a rag tied around his loins. Aliya felt bile rise in her throat criminal or not she'd never seen anyone in such bad condition. He was revolting and pitiable at the same time, but she reminded herself quickly that he was not worth her pity. If that letter the Emperor had read was to be believed he had done something horrible to someone she loved.
The lord on the ground thrashed at the awful sight of his son. Others in the hall gasped and a few more women passed out. One of the wives of the innocent lords threw up into her goblet at the horrendous sight.
"Captain, remove the blindfold."
The captain yanked off the filthy cloth covering his eyes only to reveal, that he had no eyes, not anymore at least. Aliya felt the bile rise more and was struggling not to vomit herself.
"Gillies!" Lord Kiln screamed. "What has he done to you, Gillies!"
The man, Gillies made a sound but not a human one.
"Oh," the emperor cut in casually, "have I not mentioned that he held out for quite a long time? He told me that he would never give you up, but he changed his mind once his tongue was removed. That's why the testimony is in writing rather than him giving it verbally, you see. As for his eyes, don't worry I only took them after he still had the nerve to look at me defiantly after all that. I suppose he learned that from you Kiln?" The Emperor tisked. "You taught your son a bad habit and it cost him in the end, what bad parenting."
Lord Kiln really was frothing at the mouth at this point. He looked at the emperor with absolute hatred in his eyes. "I hate you, I'm going to kill you. You've ruined this realm with your greed. I'm going to kill you."
The Emperor walked over to the raging man and got down on one knee in front of him. He propped his chin in one hand and considered Lord Kiln with something that was almost amusement. "Well, that definitely counts as treason. Captain!"
The captain drew his sword in a flash and as the lady that had been seated next to Lord Kiln, the one who had looked resigned earlier, screamed in terror, the lord's head was quickly removed from his body.
The mangled Lord Gillies couldn't see what had happened but his ear obviously worked. Moaning and grunting sounds came from him and he struggled against the guards holding him. The Lady of Kiln had finally passed out as many of her counterparts had.
The Emperor stood up and looked at the rest. "As you all know such obvious treachery needs no trial. I will not be threatened. The rest of you can plead for your lives tomorrow, I'm tired of this now. Captain, take the lords and ladies, no take these traitors, and put them in the South dungeon until I decide when I want to deal with them."
The ex-lords and ladies were hauled away roughly amidst screams and tears. When they had left silence reined. The emperor looked at those remaining and Aliya knew they all flinched when he looked them over, even the Delmont's.
"West, Quill, Mouldin, my apologies for dragging you and your lovely wives into this unpleasant affair but you seemed the most suitable witnesses.
He then looked at Aliya and Cade. "As for you two, you are probably wondering why you are here at all."