Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 29

The octagonal meeting chamber was carved from living rock, its walls alternating House Emberfell banners from different eras past with shelving on which exemplary work was on display. The table itself was of brown stone, polished to a high gloss so that its golden flecks glimmered bewitchingly in the scale-lantern light. Upholstered high backed chairs, an empty fireplace in one wall, and a great domed ceiling on which a fresco depicting the House Emberfell founder laboring at the forge was beautifully depicted, even if the paints had faded with time.

Harald sat, back straight, and stared fixedly at the wall across from him. Anna’s displeasure still radiated from her like heat from an open oven.

“I still can’t believe you let him keep the Crown,” she whispered, unable to contain herself.

Harald made a face but decided not to repeat his defense.

“That goes beyond a gesture of trust into lunacy.” Her expression remained placid, completely at odds with her tone. “He’s had the Twilight Crown for almost two Bells now. He could have alerted the Council, could have decided to make a play for power himself.”

“Yep.” Harald kept his tone level. “You’re absolutely right. Unfortunately, as I’ve clearly attempted to explain several times now, I didn’t have much choice. It’s a gamble.”

“A suicidal one. If he returns the Crown to us he’ll be complicit in our supposed crimes.”

Now Harald did turn to smile sweetly at her. “Which is why you’re going to do an incredible job in convincing him to side with us, right, Countess?”

Anna’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, but then to his relief she blew out a frustrated breath and shook her head. “What’s a little more madness on top of the lunacy our life has become? Sure. Let’s see if I can convince him to lend us a dozen scale golems while I’m at it.”

Harald winked. “I’d settle for enough scales to help us all Ascend to our fourth Thrones. No need to be greedy.”

Anna shook her head in mock despair. “The angels give me strength.”

The door opened abruptly and Lord Blaze swept into the chamber, Anita on his heels. Harald and Anna rose to their feet.

“Countess Sonora.” The lord’s tone was bluff. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I apologize that we never had occasion to speak before, but it seems I am to swear the fate of my entire House and stake my own life on your becoming the queen of Flutic?”

Anna’s cheeks dimpled as she chuckled, as if Lord Blaze had offered a light hearted jest. “I see we’re of one mind, my Lord Blaze. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get right down to business, shall we?”

“Indeed.” Blaze pulled out a chair and sat, prompting everyone else to do the same. “I’ll be honest. This is a ludicrous plan, and the only reason I’ve agreed to even discuss it is because the current situation is somehow even more absurd. You’ll not have heard, countess, being on the run and hiding in the dungeon as you’ve been, but the Mother Church has reared her righteous head and decided it’s time to take over Flutic and install a theocracy. The mind reels.”

“Oh, we know.” Anna leaned back, all polished poise. “We had to slay an Inquisitor who found us on the 28th Level.”

That gave Lord Blaze pause. He glanced to Harald, as if seeking some sign of this being a jest, then arched a craggy brow. “You… slew? An inquisitor?”

“Yes.” Anna canted her head to one side. “To be honest—between you and me, Lord Blaze—I’d hate to imagine Flutic under the control of such zealots. The man was a terrible bore, insisting as he did on punishing us for our sins, flaying the hides off our backs, and telling us all the while it was for our own good.”

“You.” Lord Blaze tested the words. “Slew? An inquisitor?”

“Of the Fourth Rank,” offered Harald, pretending to be helpful. “He kept mentioning that.”

Lord Blaze pulled a face. “Well. That’s… unexpected. The Church must be upset.”

“The Mother Church is always upset,” said Anna airily, “they love to be feel aggrieved and disrespected so that they can justify to themselves the horrors they wish to visit on us all. So yes, my lord. The prospect of theocratic rule is indeed a sight worse than whatever we’re planning here.”

“Not to mention the truth of our situation,” added Harald. “You are perhaps the only Lord who’d not immediately attempt to use the Twilight Crown to their own advantage. Can you imagine how events would go if Lady Melisende acquired the Crown, or Rowan Thorn?”

Lord Blaze tapped his fingers on the table, glance flitting back and forth between them, then abruptly laughed loudly. “Ah, but you’re quite good at this. First you beat me with a stick, then you offer me a carrot. But you’re right. I am in possession of the Crown. And have the ability to now influence events as I see fit. Why should I give it back to you on what seems a hopeless venture?”

“You have no chance of surviving the next few weeks if you make a direct play,” said Anna cooly. “House Emberfell has the smallest number of Gold-ranked raiders. You’ve invested too much of your wealth into research and not enough into bribes, corruption, and building a private army. Your House is esteemed but not respected, because the other five only respect one thing: might. If you attempt to dictate policy, you’ll be crushed within twelve Bells by an avalanche of raiders interested only in winning the Crown for their masters.”

Lord Blaze’s brows beetled out over his brow as his good humor fled. “Speak plainly, why don’t you.”

“Your best bet is to covertly wager on us. We are, to our detriment, driven by noble ideals. I acknowledge that it weakens us, but what can we do? It’s why we haven’t already sold the Crown via intermediaries to House Celestara for a wagon filled with scales. Instead, we actually wish to effect change that lie in accordance with your own principles. To improve the lot of Flutic’s poor, to restructure its political and judicial systems, to reform the absolute corruption that’s hollowed out our city and brought us to our knees.”

Anna leaned forward, eyes glittering. “Once Flutic was a power to be respected. Our scale trains rushed along elevated rails, our golems patrolled the streets and labored tirelessly in factories, while scale lanterns turned the night into day. Wealth was everywhere, and the rest of the Continent could only marvel at our power. Now?”

“Yes, yes,” said Lord Blaze, waving his hand tiredly. “I give this lecture myself once a week to new recruits. You don’t need to belabor the point.”

“Oh, but I do. Because for the first time in living memory there’s a chance of redressing those wrongs. Your lectures no doubt have come to sound empty. What hope have you of changing the city?”

“We are very close to some incredible breakthroughs,” cut in Anita. “Our past usage of scales was extremely inefficient—”

“It won’t help.” Anna’s voice was certain. “Whatever discoveries you make will be co-opted by the main Houses and used only to their advantage. You know this. Which is why you’re here, talking to us, and haven’t already sent messages by courier to the other Lords and Ladies.”

Harald restrained the urge to smile. Damn, but Anna was good at this.

“Hmm.” Again Lord Blaze tapped his thick, square-tipped fingers on the table. “Fine. You’ve brilliantly explained why I am here, something that should need no explanation, seeing as we can all see that I am currently sitting in this chair. Now what? You attempt to lure Lady Celestis’ best raiders away to capture Harald while you corner and coerce her into becoming a figurehead? She’ll never agree, and if she does it’ll only be to backstab you at the first opportunity.”

“Our quest isn’t easy, I’ll grant you that.” Anna crossed one leg over the other and smiled. “Which is why we’re here talking to you. For this to work, we both need to accept a certain amount of risk. Harald here will draw away Melisende’s best raiders. Namely, Yseult Khan.  I will infiltrate Melisende’s home with the aid of the rest of our team to coerce her into swearing her allegiance to the Crown.”

“Yes,” agreed Lord Blaze, leaning forward. “But that’s the part I don’t see. Melisende is as wily as she is proud. She’ll never accept being a figurehead.”

“She will if she thinks she’ll miss out altogether by refusing. We make the offer simple.” Anna’s smile was chilling. “If she refuses to swear, we’ll give you the Crown and kill her.”

“A formidable argument,” agreed Lord Blaze. “If you can get to her. She’s neither helpless nor will she be undefended.”

“Sure. Nor was the Inquisitor, and we were able to dispatch him just fine.”

“Just fine?” asked Anita, tone skeptical.

Harald laughed. “All right, it was a bit of a struggle. But here we are, while he’s probably still smoking in the corner we left him in.”

“A fair point.” Lord Blaze rubbed at his chin. “Fine. Say you corner her, coerce her, get her to swear. Then what?”

“The key is to ensure she gets enough real power to not think it worth challenging us outright.” Anna counted off the points on her fingers. “She’d get control of the City Watch and civic policing, allowing her to reorganize the watch, control deployments, and issue directives to maintain public order. She’d have full authority over the city treasury and commerce, setting tariff policy, controlling city-owned lands, and overseeing trade contracts and guild charters. She’d represent Flutic to the outside world, and conduct all negotiations, treaties, and envoys. Finally, she’d lead all state ceremonies, festivals, and public addresses. Her image would be immortalized in public square statues, her deeds canonized in public memory.”

Lord Blaze rubbed at his chin. “I can see the appeal in all that. But?”

“But.” Anna lowered her hand. “We would dissolve the City Council, and create an independent judicial council to investigate corruption and ensure that the law is equally applied to all of Flutic’s citizens. Judges would be appointed jointly by the Queen and Council, but she can’t remove them without unanimous consent. This would lead, possibly, to trial by panel, and not peers. The nobility would pay a graduated tax, with revenues allocated to infrastructure, health, and education in the Shambles and Lower Wards. Finally, we’d codify that a fixed percentage of the city budget—perhaps 15%—would be directed annually to the restoration and uplift of newly designated Sanctuary Districts, that would encompass the poorest sections of the city, and which could be revoked without full Council approval.”

“My my,” said Lord Blaze, exchanging a glance with Anita. “That will cause some outcry amongst the six Houses.”

“Indeed.” Anna’s smile was cold. “The Council of Oversight will be seven members strong. Three members to be appointed by the Queen, three by the Throne Hunters, and one by the Mother Church. The council won’t manage city affairs, merely ensure that the laws are correctly enforced.”

“I applaud your idealism,” said Lord Blaze. “And you think Melisende will agree to such… radical reforms?”

“I don’t know.” Anna shrugged. “But if she refuses, you shall be king and she’ll be killed.”

“Hmm.” Lord Blaze rubbed at his chin. “Well. I have a few stipulations of my own.”

Anna raised an eyebrow.

“For one, this is to be a peaceful transition of power. Your threat of killing Melisende must be removed from the table. Flutic may be in need of reform, but I won’t condone murder. You must convince Melisende without threatening her life.”

“That… makes things trickier,” said Harald. “And unfair, even. She won’t hesitate to have us killed.”

“You are the ones breaking and entering into her home,” said Lord Blaze. “The onus lies on you to take the higher ground. House Emberfell will not have its name tarnished by being associated with murderers, especially not of esteemed civic figures such as Lady Melisende. I appreciate your revolutionary fervor, but if we can’t agree on doing this in a civil manner, I won’t agree at all.”

Harald and Anna exchanged a worried glance.

“Accidents happen,” protested Harald. “We will be, as you said, breaking and entering. This won’t be a City Council meeting.”

“My word on this is final.” Lord Blaze glowered at them both. “If you spill blood, there’ll be no end to it. The streets of Flutic will descend into civil war. Either the strength of your argument must carry the day, or you’ll lose my support completely.”

Anna nodded pensively. “All right. What else?”

“Your justice system needs refinement. Yes, I agree that the corrupt system is corrupt, but you cannot expect peasants or trade professionals to understand the exigencies of what we nobles must deal with. If we give power to the uneducated, they shall make policy decisions based on their appetites and ignorance. There is value in education, wisdom, and cultural heritage. I will not agree to trial by panel for the noble caste; instead, let it be trial be peers, but an open affair, where public sentiment is allowed to induce justice on those taking part of the system.”

Harald laughed. “Since when does the nobility care for public sentiment?”

“This Council of Oversight shall appoint the judges, shall it not? Let that be the gesture toward equality that you desire. A neutral judge and a jury of peers.” Lord Blaze sat back. “I cannot imagine anybody who has not labored in our world to understand the pressures and demands that we work under.”

“Vic won’t be pleased,” murmured Anna. “This could be a serious point of contention.”

“You don’t have to agree,” said Lord Blaze genially. “You can leave at any time and attempt this ploy without me.”

“And the Crown?” asked Harald.

“I will hold onto it for safe keeping.” The older man’s eyes gleamed. “I can’t risk you dropping it into Lady Melisende’s hands if we can’t agree amongst ourselves here.”

Harald clenched his jaw, but Anna reached out to lightly touch his knee.

“You drive a hard bargain,” she smiled. “But we value your help so that I am sure we can reach an agreement. Very well. An open court, a jury of peers, and a Council assigned judge.”

“It’s a far sight better than what we currently have,” agreed Lord Blaze. “Also, I assume this Council will set the graduated taxation rates?”

“Yes,” said Anna.

“Then I would like assurances that I will be one of your chosen representatives.” Lord Blaze smiled again. “Seeing as I’m a key player in bringing about this new world, that seems only fair.”

Anna’s smile remained fixed on her face for perhaps a beat too long before she inclined her head. “I can see the logic of your thinking.”

“If those modifications are included in your platform, you’ll have my support.” Lord Blaze drew himself up. “I’ll play along with your ploy of drawing out Yseult Khan, and back your reforms openly once you declare them.”

“Very good,” said Anna. “Then I believe this is proving to be a historic moment.”

Harald forced a smile. “The Twilight Crown, then, if you please?”

Lord Blaze sat back with a self-satisfied smile. He held Harald’s gaze with complacent ease, and allowed the moment to draw out. Harald felt his heart begin to pound. If the man refused to hand it over, he’d not hesitate to draw the Scourge and hew the man’s head from his shoulders.

“Here,” said Lord Blaze, just before Harald could do so, and extended his hand, Crown appearing in his grasp. “Go forth and change the world, my friends.”

Anna took the Crown calmly and rose to her feet. “Then we shall get to work. Expect a missive to arrive tomorrow by way of the Platinum Rose Auction House, with a summons for a meeting at 8th Bell.”

“I shall be appropriately shocked and intrigued,” rumbled Lord Blaze. “You may count on me.”

Harald stood. “Then with your permission, we’ve much to see to.”

“I’m sure you do.” Lord Blaze and Anita rose to their feet.

“Thank you, Harald.” Anita’s voice rung with conviction. “This… I’ve dreamed of such changes being made. I’m ready and willing to help you and your people work out any amount of detail on the reforms. I’ve given these matters much thought over the years, and have… well.” She inhaled sharply and smiled. “I would love to help.”

Harald inclined his head. “Your help would be most appreciated. Just wait till you meet Vic. He’s developed an overnight passion for civic duty and egalitarian justice.”

“I’d love to meet him,” agreed Anita sincerely.

Anna and Harald took their voluminous robes from where they hung by the door and pulled the heavy hoods over their faces.

“Until we tomorrow, then.” Lord Blaze remained by the table, thumbs stuck in his belt. “Good luck.”

Harald inclined his head, then pulled open the door and led Anna out into the hall. A cadre of guards escorted them by secret means through Emberfell Hall to a side exit cunningly hidden in the stonework of the main wall, so that they eventually slipped out into the night, far from the main entrance.

The hidden door swung closed behind them, and despite his examinations Harald couldn’t even begin to spot the seams that had to be hidden amongst the cyclopean blocks.

“Damn it,” whispered Anna, shoulders slumping. “Vic’s going to kill us.”

“Vic isn’t in charge,” said Harald, though he knew she was right. “We can’t just unilaterally tell Blaze how to handle his House’s affairs. Compromise is… well.”

They both stood in silence, pondering.

“At least he returned the Crown,” said Anna at last, pulling it out from under her robe. “That in and of itself is a small miracle.”

“Agreed. And the amount of reform we’ll still be effecting is huge.” They began to walk back toward Flutic’s walls. “It’s not everything Vic wanted, but… it’s too much to ask the head of a House to undercut the power of the nobility altogether.”

“And he’s right, to a degree.” Anna sounded pensive. “As much as I love the idealism behind Vic’s arguments, we can’t just hand over the keys of the city to the masses. People who don’t know the history of our city, don’t understand how government works, the economy, the trade deals we have with everyone from Marheim to the elves and dwarves. Complex subjects need experts to handle them correctly.”

“And by experts you mean House retainers,” said Harald wryly.

“At first, yes.” Anna met his gaze with frank challenge. “In time perhaps we can educate a cohort of citizens to learn how the machinery of government works, but that’s impossible to do by next week. For better or worse, only the nobles understand how the city truly works. We need them to keep the systems running while we attend to the demonic war.”

“Uh huh.” Harald’s grunt was noncommittal.

“You don’t agree? You were minor nobility yourself.”

“I know. And…” He thought of the people he’d seen in the Shambles. Dirty, emaciated, desperate, almost feral. “I know you’re right. But the nobility are the ones who built the world we live in. My father wanted no part of their world out of sheer disdain, and I’ve followed suit. But asking them to change that which they built themselves… that sounds like folly.”

“That’s why we’ll have the Oversight Council,” said Anna firmly. “We’ll create new laws and then ensure they’re implemented.”

“The Council will need its own military force,” mused Harald. “Or Queen Melisende will just order her City Watch to arrest them.”

“You’re right.” Anna sighed. “This is going to be a nightmare. How are we supposed to create a fool-proof government in a matter of days?”

Harald laughed. “Badly. But anything will be a change for the better. And with everyone swearing to the Crown, you’ll have authority over them all. If we can but survive a few months I know I’ll make Gold rank, and then whomever defies you I’ll go cut off their head.”

“Lovely,” drawled Anna. “Exactly what Blaze was warning us against.”

Harald shrugged. “Blaze may have to make concessions of his own. Regardless. It’s not as if we have any choice in all this. Either we do our best, or we roll over and allow the Inquisitors or Houses to kill us and steal the Crown.”

“True,” sighed Anna. “All too true.”

“All right. Well, we need to figure out how best we’re going to present this all to Vic. The last thing we need is his exploding into a temper and running off into the night.”

They walked in silence for a short spell, rejoining the Forge Road that led back to the rising walls of Flutic with its towers, manors, and temples beyond.

“Harald, can I confess something?”

Oh shit, thought Harald, stomach clenching. “Yeah?”

“I’m terrified.” She reached out and took his hand, her grip cold. “We’re going to be unleashing terrible forces tomorrow. Blaze wasn’t wrong when he warned of civil war.”

Harald squeezed back, and to his amusement found himself relieved to be discussing civil war instead of… emotions. “I know.”

“The city, it’s like a giant caged beast. The inequality, the corruption, the anger, the fear. Only the might of the Houses has kept things in line this long. If we knock it all over, if we make some mistakes, we could throw open the door to that cage, and then…”

Harald studied the hunched mass of Flutic up ahead, a world unto itself, a complex tapestry of influence, corruption, striving, commerce, industry, and dungeon delving that defied his understand. “We can only do our best.”

“What if our best isn’t good enough?”

Her words lanced into his breast like a spear.

“Then we’ll have to settle for change. One way or another, the current order must go.”

“Let’s pray then that it’s replaced by something better.” Anna’s words were faint, and Harald could hear the palpable doubt in her tone.

“Let’s pray,” he agreed, and they walked the rest of the way back to the Forge Gate in silence.