It was the twentieth year of his reign in the Kor Empire. He was called Emperor Julius of House Octavian. Peace was found for the first time in Kor since the dawn of the Elves. The Empire flourished in trade and the world was far more prosperous than it ever has been. Today the working man no longer feared when his next meal might be.

The capital of the Empire, Blacharnae, which was named after the Sacking of the City during the time of the Conquest, sat in the middle of the continent and was west of the great mountains. The mountains all towered above every citadel and watchtower created by man and proved a formidable climb to anyone daring to make the trip. The easiest way from the west to the east was through Eldria, but even then it was a challenge. And so, the cultures of the people that divided the peoples east and west of the mountains are noticeably distinct. In the east, the men found their own traditions, but in the west, the elves, who lived long ago, still hold a memory in their hearts. The only commonalities between the two peoples are the emperor they pay tribute to and the gods on their lips.

The region that holds the great city of Blacharnae, Ovtavion, holds many foothills due to its proximity to the mountains. As one moves north, one finds a great sprawling forest of Blackwood. And moving west, there are great grasslands and also beaches from the heavens, as foreigners say. Moving south, Kor’s second mountain chain can be found, but smaller than the great mountains and with more plateaus where some settlers reside. Moving east of Octavian, south to the great mountains resides a tropical paradise of lush jungles and hidden waterfalls. Moving further east, the earth moves downwards with monstrous cliffs and rock formations crafted by the gods. North of the cliffs, resides the last great region of the Empire, a land of misty moors, home to ancient ruins. Condor is the name and is the most ancient and prideful House where men first dwelled.

This is the Empire that Julius inherited twenty years ago, and he rules it with wisdom and peace. The men of the realm are pleased with the great kindness of the Emperor of Kor. The gods shine upon his reign with many blessings.

Julius awoke from his sleep. He was in his bed chambers, an ornate room filled with gold. The doorway and his bed frame were pure gold crafted by the finest smiths long ago. Where there was no gold there was red. The wall was painted red as requested by the Queen. When the Queen requested something, Julius always answered. 

The Queen herself was lying beside him, still sleeping. It was still dark outside Julius could see from the window which gave a view of the mountains, however, it was shrouded by fog this April morning. 

The Queen was much younger than the Emperor who was forty years old. The Emperor’s first wife, who bore all his children, died of sickness just after his only daughter was born (The Emperor has two children, a firstborn son and heir to the Throne and a younger daughter). The Queen was only two years older than the Crown Prince, who was twenty and was considered by all to be the Crown Beauty of the Empire. Her brown hair, which at some times was so dark it could be easily mistaken for black hair, together with her brown eyes made a powerful match. And her skin was as smooth as silk and clean as milk and her nose fitted her face perfectly. Even among the great Houses, who all had maids of their own to treat their skin which the common woman could not do, whispered that she was of the gods for her beauty.

The Emperor himself was far below the Queen in this regard. He was handsome when he needed to be, but the women of the realm would far be with him because of his status as Emperor than his handsome demeanor. Julius’ hair was more distinctly brown than the Queen’s and his green eyes, but his ears were slightly too big and his nose slightly to the left. But Julius did not care.

Julius got out of his bed and kissed the Queen on her lips, but she did not stir. He opened the window and let the breeze flow through the room. Julius took deep breaths and mumbled prayers. After a minute, he shaked slightly from the cold as he was wearing nothing but his nighttime gown which was white as snow and soft as a feather. 

Soon maids came into the room. There were three women, one old and two young, carrying clothes, a water jug, and cups. All three bowed and the older one said, “Your grace.” The maid with the water jug poured into it two cups of water: one for Julius and the other for the Queen. The other maids set on the bed two pairs of clothes: one was a green dress with gold stripes for the Queen and the second was a gray cloak with a White Tree, House Octavian’s emblem, for Julius.

“Ah thank you, Avery,” Julius said with a laugh, “you always know my favorite cloak to wear. But please leave us be, I have an important word to give to the Queen when she wakes.” The maids obeyed, giving a bow, and left the room to them. 

Julius reached over for his water and drank from his cup. Setting it down he came to the Queen while she was sleeping and he gently woke her up. The Queen stirred, resisting at first, but then her eyes opened and she got up from her resting position.

“My Lord,” she said, her voice despite only being awake for a second was clear as still water, “a very fine morning it is. But why have you awoken me? It is usually the maids that do it?”

“My Lady, there is an important matter to talk to you about,” Julius said, “and it must be said before either breakfast or the morning meeting with my council.”

“Alright Julius,” the queen said. She got out of bed and. like Julius. drank from her cup of water. Refreshed, she said, “What is the matter to discuss?”

“Lysandra,” and as he said the name the queen flinched slightly. “I know that she is not your daughter, but as queen and my wife you must treat her as your own,” he continued. The Queen was silent, so Julius continued to talk, “Gwen, the princess is going to turn eighteen in a week's time and she is not yet married. We must think of her future and the future of the realm.”

“So you mean to marry her off to a Lord’s son?” Gwen asked. She was upset at talking about Julius’ children, but she thought it best not to complain directly.

“Yes,” Julius responded, “and her birthday celebration is the perfect time to do it.” He grabbed a hold of her hand and rubbed them slowly with a slight smile. “Five-hundred years ago the great Conqueror, Octavius, completed his conquest. The Lords of the land are all coming together to this city to pay respect to their Emperor and honor their gods in the high temple.”

Julius paused for a minute, but Gwen did not speak, her mouth ajar. Julius continued, “This day happens to coincide with Lysandra’s birthday, and with every Lord and his children coming to the celebration there is no doubt that we can find a match.”

Gwen shuttered at we. She did not want to be a part of this, but she sighed. “I suppose that you want me to make a suggestion as to which house we should make a stronger alliance within marriage?” Gwen asked with her head tilted.

 “Indeed. I don’t want to be clueless as I make my decision for the marriage of my daughter in the hands of the Council, who are wise in their crafts and yet dull in marriage ” said Julius. He walked over to the gray cloak on the bed.

“But she does have a choice in the matter?” Gwen inquired. 

This question surprised Julius, but it made him happy that his wife was having more of an interest in his children. “Of course,” he said, “I make an offer and she accepts or denies that offer.” Julius turned back to his cloak. He pulled his white nightgown over his head making himself naked in the room. Julius was slightly muscular with only a little muscle showing in his arms, but his chest was flat with neither muscle nor fat. 

“That’s good,” Gwen said looking down at Julius, a bit distracted by her husband. She looked back to his eyes, with red coming to her cheeks, she added, “That you are giving her this choice.” Like Julius, Gwen took off her identical white nightgown, revealing her naked form. Her breasts were firm and stood upright, not drooping down, and their size could comfortably fit a grasping hand. The nipples were perked up, partly from the cold morning air, and a slight dark pink. Metal piercing went through each nipple. What was most curious of all, however, was the markings on her body, which were all black and gray. The first marking was off a flower under her left breast. Her other marking was on her right hip which was a multitude of various kinds of flowers. 

Julius smiled and made a quick glance at her, but continued the conversation, “As I was saying, I need your help, Gwen,” he took her hand again, “What suggestions for a match is Lys?”

“Many of the lords are either fools or people that I do not fully trust,” she began. Julius moved his hand up her arm to her shoulder as she said her words. “And their sons are worse. Even as children, you could tell their devilish behavior. Always picking on the boys who are slightly younger than them. Those sons of Lords will break Lsy before their first child.”

“And that, my dear wife, is why I need you,” Julius said in a soft voice. His hand moved from her shoulder to one of her breasts. He massaged her breast and said, “Surely there is not one good boy for my daughter?”

Gwen bit the side of her mouth from the touch of Julius. Her hand moved to his cock which like her husband's hand on her breast fit her hand well too. She stroked back and forth and said, “There is one boy. The son of Lord Blackthorne. A nobleman it has been said he is, even though he is only nineteen years of age.”

“Then it is him who I will propose to the council and her Lsy,” Julius said, slightly out of breath. 

“You know, Julius,” Gwen said. She stopped stroking, but her hand was still on his cock. “Every one of the council will recommend their own son, no matter how old. If you already made a decision. What use is the council? You are the emperor.” As she finished speaking, she continued to stroke, but slower.

“A good emperor does not act alone,” Julius responded, “he does not forsake the opinion of his closest advisor unless he is sure they have gone mad or have betrayed him. If I forsake to at least listen to the council, then I shall be on the path, not as an emperor but as a tyrant.”

“This talk of politics at the beginning of the day bores me. Come let us have breakfast. We can have our fun later,” she added the last part with a wink. They laughed, dressed with the clothes the maids left, and left the bed chambers.

Castle Blacharnae was a magnificent palace. No room was empty: either of people or of art. There was always some guard and some painting watching, making sure no one dared attack the emperor in his home. The palace was also always lit and had a homely feel with the light of big candles hung upon the stone walls between each painting of a King or battle long ago. The ground was covered by a red carpet made of wool from the ancient civilization south of the continent of Kor. The carpet warmed the otherwise cold stone floor.

But the most magnificent room, save the great throne room, was the dining hall. There in the back of the room, a great table was elevated above all the other tables. Chairs were only on the side facing the doorway and one chair, in the middle, stood out from the rest with an instructure design made fit for the Emperor. Most days the Emperor and the Queen would entertain different guests or knights at the great table. No two people sat at the table each day. But this day Julius did not want any knight to dine with him, nor were there any great guests. This day he wanted his own family to eat breakfast with, which they have not done, all together, in months which Julius regretted. 

“Marcus,” Julius said to a man of twenty who was talking with a group of men in a loud voice. “Lysandra,” he added to girls in another group talking together across the hall, “come here!.”

Marcus came first, the firstborn son of Julius, and heir to the throne of the Kor Empire. He was much like his father, except he was a tad shorter and a rough beard was on his face while Julius was clean-shaven (much to his agitation, but he respected the opinion of the Queen). Marcus’ hair was brown like his father's and had grown out to his shoulders. He had the look of a Prince. He had on a green cloak with the crescent symbol of House Octavion in silver color on his chest, with brown pants tucked in his cloak, and a gray belt.

Lsyandra came second. He resembled more of her mother which she had no memory of than that of her father. Her face was perfectly symmetrical with her blue eyes  Her hair flowed down her back completely straight, no signs of any curls. She had the same brown hair as her father with some strands of auburn visible (which was her mother’s hair). The dress she wore was a dark blue, with no other markings of them, and in her ears were earrings of a flower which were mostly blocked by her hair.

“What is it, Father?” Marcus said in a half-annoyed tone that his conversation was interrupted. 

“Today, we as a family will eat together, just for breakfast,” Julius responded, adding the last part as a compromise to the obvious frustration of both his children. “We are a family, and a family is supposed to eat with each other. It is a time to grow closer together, meals are.”

Reluctantly, Marcus followed his father and the queen to the great table. Lys made a glance towards her friends with a frown and followed suit. Julius sat on the Emperor’s chair and to the right sat Gwen. To the left of Julius sat Marcus and then Lys.

As soon as they sat down, servants brought plates of food for breakfast. There was a plate of fruit that was all local to the region. It was common for past Emperors to import in exotic fruits from Alak-Hir or in the far reaches of the Empire, but Julius did not have the same delight for food. Only for parties of special magnificence (such as the coming Festival) did Julius indulge in such foods. On another plate, there was bacon cooked to a crisp, and the third plate had various baked foods. Their cups were filled with tea from Alak-Hir (tea was recently discovered by the Emperor and is Julius’ second exception to not indulging in foreign, expensive foods). 

Julius thanked the servants kindly and both his children pounced to get food. Lys took some pumpkin bread and Marcus took as much bacon as he could. Julius slapped the hand of Marcus gently and said, “Don’t be in a hurry now, first we must say our prayers, and make sure you get some fruit, both of you.” Julius took up his glass of tea and stood up. The room fell silent for Julius. Most of the people eating, mainly knights and the council members and their children and wives were already eating.

“My dear friends, today is another good day for the Empire,” he began, getting some cheers. “I would like to begin this meal with prayer as I always do and it appears some of you seem to always seem to forget,” Julius said with jest. A great laugh grew throughout the room. Julius began the prayer by saying, “We beseech you, O God of Heaven, for you are the god of gods, and the creator of the whole of Drakor. Bless this food which is your gift to us and bless the empire which we rule so that we may do your will.” Julius ended the prayer and sat down. 

Julius’s prayers always puzzled many for he only ever prayed to the God of Heaven who sits as King among the gods. Most people only ever prayed to the God of Heaven during the New Year's Festival or the other great festivals and prayed to the other gods who were granted a specific domain. But no one ever questioned Julius. Soon talk filled the room again, and Julius together with his family ate.

After breakfast, Julius left his wife and children to the council room.  The council room was a cold room compared to the other rooms of the palace. Instead of paintings, there were great swords and shields used by Emperors and the Kings of little kingdoms before the Empire. In the middle of the room stood an ornate table around it with many chairs. A chair, like the one in the dining hall, was distinct, the seat for the Emperor. Julius was the first to arrive, besides some guards armored in steel with swords by their sides.

Second, came the Steward of the Emperor. Lord Edmund of Rosemount was his name. He was an older man than Julius, but he still had some black in his hair, and his bread had no sign of gray. He was taller than Julius but slightly skinnier. He wore a black and brown cloak with the sigil of House Octavion despite him being Lord of House Rosemount. As Steward of the Emperor, he rules in Julius' absence (although he has not had to fulfill this rule as Julius has never made war), so he bears the sigil of the supreme House. 

“You’re grace,” Edmund said in a slightly raspy voice, bowing down low. He came and sat to the seat right of Julius. 

“Ah Lord Edmund, wonderful to see you on this fine day,” Julius said, “I did not see you for breakfast, nor any of our lords of the Council.” 

“Aye, all of us ate early today. We were sure this would be a long day due to the coming festival,” Edmund responded. Edmund could be described as cold with no emotion, but he spoke like that for he treated his duty as a steward with the utmost importance and respect. 

“And I thought I woke early today,” Julius laughed. 

Suddenly the doors sprang open and in came the rest of the council members. To the left sat the Consul of State, Cedric. He was the Chief Diplomat of the Empire and was the go-between for the lesser Lords and the Empire. Although it was often said that it was not the royal Houses that he only visited, the lowly houses of whores too. He had red hair and a mustache, but no beard grew on his face. Then came the Consul of Coin, Augustus. He was the oldest of them all, but the most cunning for he played the game longer than any of them were born. Third, came the Consul of Arms, Tristan. He was the youngest of all of them, with bright blonde hair, and his athleticism with the sword already became a common legend. He advised the great army of the empire. Lastly came two of the most out-of-place members of the council: a priest and a scholar. The Empire always had a priest in the council (but never the great high priest), who functioned as a moral guide to the Emperor and gave permission to challenge the Emperor like no one ever could. The priest was named Maximos, he was a humble man of no noble birth, yet he was on the Council. He wore the priest’s cloak: all green with a sigil of the gods on the front and back. The scholar was the Consul of Law. The Consul of Law was the most accomplished lawyer and informed Julius often of the law’s precedent (although it can be broken) passed previously by past emperors and advised the passing of laws. The scholar was named Hadrian and was well-regarded. The only other scholar who was living that had the same, or perhaps more, notoriety than Hadrain was Master Willem of House Blackthorne. These were the members of the court and Julius regarded them well, at least in regards to their knowledge.

“Let us then get on with business,” Julius declared after some talk among the council. “As you all know we have the Feast of Lords coming up to celebrate the five hundred-year anniversary when Emperor Caius conquered all of Kor and established our great empire.”

“What will be the arrangement of events, your grace?” the Steward asked. As Steward, Edmund had special duties. Of course, what he was really asking is what did he have to do, but he dressed it in his dutiful ways.

“We will follow the tradition like how my grandfather and his grandfather did their hundred-year celebration,” Julius said. And Julius began to explain the tradition to the council members. As the lesser lords arrived, Julius would preside over a ceremony in which they would rekindle their allegiance to the Empire. Then, they would all proceed to the Grand Temple and pray to all the gods, particularly the God of Heaven, for a renewal of the Empire and prosperity. Only after all of that would the great feast begin. 

“But the Feast of Lords, my friends, is not the only special event that is going on, my lords,” Julius said. Augustus, the Consul of Coins, had a petrified look. “My daughter, Princess Lsyandra is turning eighteen the day after the great Festival. And so we will have another feast in her honor.”

“My Lord,” Augustus said, “how will we pay for this? Our treasury is not limitless. You are talking huge sums of money, and all just for two days.”

“Augustus, Augustus, do you not know the importance of the Feast of Lords,” Julius said. Augustus did not respond, so Julius continued, “The Feast of Lords is not about celebrating the brutal bloodshed of the Empire, nor about flaunting our power to the common man. It is about renewal.” Julius’s voice began to fade as if he did not want others to hear and he said, “If we don’t celebrate it, as tradition tells us, then the wrath of the gods is upon us.” He raised his voice and continued, “How much money would it take to rebuild cities, Augustus, from earthquakes or any other storms from the gods?”

Augustus was about to answer, but Julius cut him off before he could speak saying, “The amount of money we will spend on these days is nothing compared to the wrath of the gods.”

Augustus sighed and finally responded, “I suppose you are right, your grace, as always.”

Julius gave out a laugh and repeated, “As always.” After a detailed discussion of money and the cost of things, Julius turned to Cedric, the Consul of State, and asked, “You will send out the letters of invitation to the Houses?”

“Of course, your grace,” Cedric responded, “and I’ll make sure to give House Eldria a warm welcome.” 

“If your mailmen can find them in that bloody jungle,” jested Tristian, the Consul of Arms. 

“Enough of these jests Consuls,” Julius put forth, “Lord Seraphiel is a cold man, there is no doubt, but he is essential for all of this to work.”

“A trickster he really is, your grace, how could you trust him to walk upon these palace walls, getting into business that is… evil?” Edmund asked. He shuddered at the thought of Seraphiel.

“I don’t, Edmund, but what other choice do we have?” Julius responded with his eyes down as if he came into deep thought. 

“Beg your pardons, your lords, and your grace,” Maximos the priest asked, “but what do you have against Lord Seraphiel, is he not a fellow Lord?” Maximos was only newly on the council after the death of the old and pious priest that came before, so he did not know the ends and outs of the whispers and shadows of imperial life. 

“Unfortunately, Master Maximos, he is a lord,” Edmund responded when Julius did not speak. “When I met Lord Seraphiel, he had a lust for power. I have seen anyone be so contemptuous of the common people.”

“And, dear Maximos,” Julius put in finally, “when my current lady wife visited Eldria on her way to Blachernae, she spoke of how mean the whole Household of Seraphiel was to her and the men accompanying her.”

“Does Lord Seraphiel want the throne for himself,” Maximos asked not to anyone in particular.

“Oh no doubt about it,” Tristan said, “but he is not a fool to try to take it, especially with our great army while he only has a few archers.”

“But that does not mean that Seraphiel is up to no good while he is at the Festival,” Edmund put in. 

“Then what would you propose to stop him?” Augustus said, obviously thinking about how much coin it would cost.

“An intelligence network,” Edmund responded. Hush voices came across the table. It was well known that Seraphiel was a deceptive man and that he had his own intelligence, collecting information about the coming and going within the borders of Eldria. 

“So using fire to fight fire?” inquired Hadrian, the Consul of Law. He was a square-faced man, but his brain was as sharp as iron.

“Only with a spider web across the castle can we find out the schemes of Seraphiel, my lord Hadrian,” Edmund responded with satisfaction for his answer as he always quarreled with Hadrian and he thought he finally outdid him. And he did for Hadrian seemed content with this answer and put his support to Edmund’s idea.

“All in favor of Edmund’s spider web?” Julius asked and all members of the council raised their hands in agreement. “Very well, indeed. And who should conduct this highly secretive operation?”

“The spider has to be trusted,” Hadrian answered, he seemed to be fully convinced now of the schemes of the council.

“And who would that be?” Julius asked. He seemed to know the answer himself based on the expression on his face, but he wanted the answer of the council to decide if his judgment is correct.

“Well, who other than the great Riven, your humble servant?” Cedric put forth.

“Excellent idea,” Julius said as if he did not already think of Riven himself first. And Riven was the perfect choice for he was not of noble birth, but a common man. 

“I see now,” Maximos said, “the spy must be a common man, specifically a servant to Julius. Noble lords can be loyal, but only the common servant shows the most loyalty.” 

The council further discussed the plans of the spider web of Riven, the humble servant until Julius turned to the last discussion of the agenda which proceeded after a quick lunch. 

“The last topic of discussion, my lords,” Julius began, “is the marriage of my daughter.”

“Well, it is about time that this was brought up, your grace,” the steward of the king said. 

“Now I assume you all have your own opinions on who to marry, particularly your own sons,” Julius said the last part quietly, but all the members of the council heard him and gave a laugh.

“Do you think of us as all dull?” Edmund asked Julius. Julius gave out a confused look to all the members. “Princess Lsyandra shall marry Lord Aric of House Blackthorne, just as the request of the Queen.”

“The Queen?” Julius said shocked, “What are all of you on a conspiracy against me?” And the whole council laughed together.