It wasn’t the next day, nor the day after that, but three days later when our carriage arrived at Cantrium. Though I’d seen it many times in the past both Taryn and Kaina let out cries of surprise as we crested the hill near it. Outside the windows of the carriage lay the entirety of the city. It spread off so far in all directions that one couldn’t even see the end, and the main bulk of the buildings towered far higher than any they’d ever seen.

As the carriage passed through the stone pillars that marked the entrance to the city, the gates themselves were already wide open. It was a sign that no Plague had been reported nearby. The buildings nearest the gate stretched up high enough that they blocked out the morning sun, and the street lain out in front of us had only glowstones for illumination.

The buildings themselves were tight, shoved up against each other, with only narrow alleyways between every fifth one. The alleys led to the other main streets of the outer circle, but with no lighting only the brave or foolish dared to enter them.

We moved through an open plaza not long after that, a moment of light and activity, before we returned to the dark roads. A few minutes later and our carriage brought us through another gate, one that was far thicker than the first, and gone were the homes.

Instead what lay within the inner circle was a flat field of stone. Every so often a trench would break the horizon, spikes embedded in them. It was not a place for the living, instead it was the final line of defense before one reached the palace.

The palace itself was built not for looks but rather war. The towering outer walls were thick enough to withstand any trebuchet or catapult I knew of. The front gate was made of a stone that I’d never encountered elsewhere, a type that my mother said had been granted by Mathias as a present to the first emperor.

When the carriage came to a stop in front of the palace I grimaced at the grotesque building. Spikes littered the walls, there were no types of statues or anything else one might normally expect, and the front gate was guarded by a veritable wall of legionnaires. None of them wore the soul armor, but that was to be expected given how it wasn’t the easiest piece of equipment to use.

A single old man stepped up and opened our carriage, his hand extended out to me. He wore a white suit of armor with a golden sun emblazoned on the chestplate. “The Sunguard accepts the Rose family with open arms,” he intoned in his usual emotionless voice.

“Thank you, Michael,” I replied as I accepted his hand and exited the carriage.

I had opted to wear a simple dark blue wrap dress. The sash that went around was of a darker hue, and the overall design was modest. Rather than boots I wore shoes, and though it irritated me I had no weapons. On the upper left of my dress a single rose had been embroidered, a way to show to anyone who I was.

Once I was clear of the carriage Kaina climbed out next. I’d managed to talk her into wearing a little more clothing, so while she’d refused to give up on her bandeau she had agreed to put on a loose shirt. She’d also picked out some pants and chosen to wear a black cloak. When she emerged from the carriage the nearest legionnaires stirred, perhaps startled by the dark woman.

Taryn was the last of us to leave the carriage. I’d forced him into a white doublet and the fanciest set of pants I could find. He tugged at the unfamiliar clothing as he stepped down onto the ground, his displeasure at what he wore easy to see. At his waist was his sword, the one that held his father within it.

When Taryn exited the carriage the response was what I’d expected. Every legionnaire reached for their weapon while Michael calmly pulled his sword out and pointed it at Taryn, though he still had a face that betrayed none of his thoughts.

“I am concerned that the Rose family would bring a weapon to the palace,” Michael said, “though as per rules you are allotted a chance to defend yourself verbally.”

I had expected this turn of events and had been planning on what to say for quite a while. “Taryn Lucent is the bearer of a holy relic,” I told him, “and I pledge on my soul that he will not use that weapon on the innocent.”

There was no hesitation when Michael snapped his sword back into the holder at his hip. It snapped close around the blade, leaving only the hilt exposed at the top. Michael beckoned over one of the legionnaires and whispered to him before he turned his attention back to us. The legionnaire that he’d talked to ran off in a hurry.

Michael looked at the three of us, his face impossible to read, and his gaze came to rest on Taryn. “Mister Lucent, do you vow that you will harm none in this palace?”

Taryn went to speak, but for perhaps one of the few times in his life he stopped himself and thought for a moment. A worried glance was shot my way, one that I couldn’t respond to by law, and so he had to choose himself how to handle the question.

“I can only vow that I won’t harm anyone who doesn’t first try to harm me or Lily.”

“The right to self-defense is guaranteed,” Michael intoned, “though I will accept your vow. If you violate it I will use the powers granted to me in order to punish you.”

“Uh...alright.”

The sound of metal clattering on metal caught our attention and caused us to look at the newest entrant to the area. A man who wore a heavy suit of armor, one that covered him from head to toe, stomped through the gate area. The helmet was thick and curved on the top, with no type of decorations attached to it.

The rest of the armor was similar, while it had curves and was overall smooth in design there were no insignias, no spikes, nor anything else. It was an armor made for battle and so it had been designed entirely for that purpose. What made it more distinct than anything else in the Empire was that it was eight feet tall.

“What that?” Kaina asked as she took a step back.

“A Praetorian,” I told her as I gave a curtsy to the armored man, “good day, I am Liliana Rose and these are my friends Kaina and Taryn.”

The armored man didn’t respond to me and instead stood in silence in front of us. In all my life I’d never heard any of them speak. I wasn’t sure if it was because they chose not to or if the nature of the armor robbed them of that ability. In either case I knew what sacrifice they’d made in order to wear it.

“Lady Rose, you and your entourage may now grace the palace with your presence,” Michael said, “though due to the weapon the Praetorian shall watch over Mister Lucent.”

“Thank you, may I request an escort to my father?”

Michael pointed his finger at one of the legionnaires near us. “Aaron can guide you, though I must request he be allowed to return once that task is complete.”

A few minutes later and we found ourselves past the main entrance and inside the palace. The interior was as cold and simple as the exterior, the hallways themselves designed with a width and height of ten feet. There were no easy places to hide, nor were there any decorations on the walls. Only the doors that lead to side rooms broke up the monotony of the stone.

It was one of the many reasons that I didn’t care much for coming to the palace. Though I’d always gone when requested by my parents, I’d done so without a hint of happiness. The oppressive nature of the building weighed on me as we walked through the hall.

I was thankful when Aaron opened one door and stepped inside. He held the door open for all of us, though the Praetorian had to maneuver carefully and duck in order to fit through. Once we were all inside Aaron closed the door behind us, though he made no move to block our access to it.

While what we had seen so far of the palace had been for the most part boorish, the interior of the side room was lavish. Chairs with velvet cushions tucked into ornate wooden tables covered with fine tablecloths. A candelabra sat centermost on the main table of the room, the candles lit and barely melted.

The stone floor was soft to the touch thanks to the presence of a white rug, the material so gentle that I had to fight the temptation to bend over and touch it with my hand. In the corners of the room sat dressers, within which I had no idea what one might find.

The only other person in the room was my father. As we entered he stood up and walked over to us, his face as stoic as always. “Lily,” he said with a nod before he raised one eyebrow at my companions.

“Father, allow me to introduce Alise’s son, Taryn, and a friend from the western continent, Kaina,” i explained to him.

“You remembered to bring him,” my father said as he glanced at the sword, “is that the sword?”

Taryn’s eyes widened at the question. “Yes. How do you know about it?”

“I’m the Disciple of Matthias. Though the sword explains why the Praetorian is with you.”

At the mention of the armored man all of us glanced at him. The Praetorian remained silent, his presence thin even though he was far taller than any of us. It was almost as though there was something about him that made us forget he was there.

“Let’s discuss the real reason why you’re here though,” my father said, drawing our attention back to him, “the Emperor has formally requested you to disclose to him what happened on the western continent. You seem to have piqued his interest.”

“Not that I wanted to,” I told him, “do we need to wait?”

“Not this time.” Vandross motioned to the door. “Unless you need to rest due to the trip, or anything else, we should move on. I’d rather not keep Cantrium waiting.”

“Wait, I thought the city was Cantrium?” Taryn asked.

“You don’t even know the name of the Emperor?” I looked at Taryn in shock. I knew he’d grown up mostly alone, and that Alise had dragged him all over the Empire, but it was surreal to not know something I considered so basic.

“Why would I? It’s not like he matters.”

A statement that I couldn’t think of a response to. “Emperor Cantrium is always the name of the Emperor. It has to do with avoiding the need for recognition, or so I was told by Rocky. The Empire comes before the Emperor.”

“That’s weird.”

“Says the demigod,” I retorted with a small smile, “now when we appear before Emperor Cantrium remember to not say anything unless spoken to or signalled in some way. Do not speak. Do not pull out your sword, and no matter what do not speak.”

“Do we have to kneel or bow or something?”

“No. Alright, I believe we are as ready as we can be, father,” I said as I turned to Vandross, “would you be so kind as to escort me?”

Without another word he walked to the door and opened it, and then went through. As we all filed out of the small waiting chamber I slipped my left arm around my father’s right. Once more we began to walk down the bare stone hallway, heading deeper into the palace. Throughout our walk we encountered no guards nor servants. It was an absence that, thanks to my link with Taryn, I knew bothered him.

“Where is everyone?” he finally asked after we’d walked for a while.

“It is customary that the palace utilizes a meager quantity of servants,” my father told him, “as for every servant you need to realize there could be the potential for an enemy in disguise.”

After what felt like an eternity of walking we reached an intersection, the only one in the entire palace. I knew from my past experience with the place that to the left lay the barracks, and to the right one could find the royal chambers. The servants were housed outside of the palace in a special building for them.

What lay ahead was a large double door made of metal instead of wood. A single Praetorian stood at guard, and our arrival prompted him to open the two doors. What he revealed on the inside was a spacious room that could easily hold a hundred people.

The audience chamber had a white rug that ran across the floor, glowstone lamps embedded into the walls, and large pillars which ran straight up to support a domed roof. Paintings had been hung on the walls that showcased the different places of the Empire, but there were no statues or portraits.

In the center of the room sat the only thing that mattered, a crescent table with the inner curve aimed at the door we’d just passed through. Along the backside of the curve were chairs, each of them the exact same save for the centermost one. That chair was a bit larger, and a Praetorian stood directly behind it.

The chairs were for the most part occupied with men who wore flamboyantly colored outfits. Bright yellow, orange, green, blue, and red were all blindingly on display by a multitude of men. Only three out of the dozen wore dark colors, and they were all clustered on one side of the crescent table.

The man who mattered most of all was seated at the center chair. With gray in his hair and a bit of white in the trimmed beard, he was a man who wore his age on his sleeve. A tired expression was on his face as he rested his head in one hand, his forefinger touching against his left temple. Unlike the men closest to him he wore a simple black doublet with a silver trim, and the symbol of a sun had been embroidered onto the upper left.

There was a moment of awkward silence as we stood there and waited, while the nobles stared at all of us. Most of them had confused looks, though two of them grimaced with distaste at the sight of my father. I knew from my past experiences that they all represented a lord, one for each territory, and they were given permission to speak freely.

“Good day to you, Vandross,” Emperor Cantrium said, his voice deep, “and it has been a long time, Lady Liliana.”

“Perhaps too long, your imperial majesty,” I replied with a slight bow, “might I inquire as to why you’ve summoned me?”

The chair creaked as he adjusted himself, his hand lowered down to the armrest. “I’ve heard a few tales of your exploits of late,” Cantrium said, “and I felt the need to thank you in person. Is it true that you helped stop the dryad invasion of Mastille?”

“I was a part of the defense force there, yes.”

It was a reply that brought a murmur from the nobles at the table, a murmur that Cantrium ended with a single uplifted finger. “You also aided in rescuing citizens of the Empire at Vexxon’s Landing?”

“It was a task I couldn’t have done without my friends,” I said as I motioned to them, “Taryn and Kaina.”

At the mention of the both the nobles at the table all looked at them, though a few seemed far more interested in Taryn than what I’d expected. After a few seconds one draped in a brilliant green livery stood up, his chair loudly scraping against the floor, and he slammed his fist on the tabletop.

“I demand that man be seized immediately!” he shouted as he pointed at Taryn.

It was a demand that nobody moved to follow through on. The two Praetorians present had little interest in doing what had been asked of them, and as there were no other guards in the room that would’ve left the task to one of the other nobles. The Emperor turned and looked at the man in green, his displeasure at the disruption easy enough to see on his face.

With the weight of everyone’s attention on him the noble visibly shrank, but he refused to sit down. “That man is a criminal,” he declared, “he has assaulted many reputable merchants and taken their goods.”

It was a declaration that caused the Emperor to look at Taryn, his one eyebrow lifted up. “Well?”

“I don’t remember attacking any merchants,” Taryn said in response, “or stealing from anyone.”

“You know what you did, you attacked people like Andreas, Oliver, or even Mikael of Vicna,” the noble said, “and then you took the slaves from them! Hundreds of coins of value stolen in vicious attacks that left merchants critically injured.”

Once more Cantrium looked at Taryn. His response was an indifferent shrug before he said, “I don’t see what the big deal is. They’re just slavers.”

“You filth-” the noble started to yell before Cantrium glared him into silence.

“Mister Lucent, perhaps you’d like to explain yourself?” the Emperor asked.

For once in the entire time I’d ever known him Taryn gave one of the most perplexed looks ever as he tilted his head. “Am I supposed to just stand there when someone is beating a crying child? With a whip? Or worse?”

“That’s not your property to touch or worry about!” the noble declared.

Taryn’s eyes smoldered with rage at that comment, but as he went to open his mouth he paused and glanced at me. With a sigh he instead remained quiet and waited. It was a choice that made me smile.

“Well, Mister Lucent, what say you to that rebuttal?” Cantrium inquired with a hint of humor in his voice.

“Children aren’t property, they’re children.”

There was a moment of silence in the room as all of the nobles stared at Taryn. Most of them looked at him with contempt or amusement, though a couple nodded their heads as though they agreed with what he’d said. Yet while everyone else was responding to what Taryn had said my mind had seized on something else. I’d never told Cantrium Taryn’s family name.

“Slaves are slaves, and you had no right to attack someone nor take their slaves,” the noble said, “you should be taken out, beaten, thrown in shackles, and shoved into one of the pits until you die.”

“Hold yourself in check, Baron Gerald,” Cantrium said, “while it is true he committed criminal acts there was at the least good in his heart when he did. Even I do not care for harm to befall a child, no matter their status.”

“Good intentions? He clearly only wanted to harm innocent merchants and steal their goods,” Gerald retorted as he glared at Taryn, “at the least he deserves a beating if not also imprisonment.”

“A beating? Well, if you’re so insistent who am I to deny you a chance at justice.” Cantrium leaned back into his cushions. “Gerald, aren’t you an accomplished tournament fighter?”

The smile that was returned to the Emperor was a wicked one.