The messenger began muttering his itinerary as he walked through the beautiful streets of Genoa in the middle of a night illuminated by bright moonlight. Whenever he mentioned the name of a kingdom he would pass through, he counted it on his fingers until his fourth finger represented his intended destination.
He leaned far to the left to remain safe in front of the shops and the walkway, where people were cautious of carriages.
He continued walking past many shops toward the beach, but soon collided with another person; his silver hair and violet eyes were always striking.
This person was so heavily intoxicated that he didn't care who he bumped into and continued on his way, barely able to stand, his mind... absent.
The messenger went toward the beach, wiping away the traces of whatever had been spilled on him from that man's flask, while the man headed in the exact opposite direction toward the city, walking until he reached a passageway that took him to the other side of it.
Upon his arrival, there was a road before him where few carriages traveled at that late hour of the night.
On the other side, he saw many taverns and suspicious shops, his vision blurred and unfocused on the signs. He immediately turned left, then after a bit of walking, took another left and descended some stairs heading downward, as if his mind and body memorized the place while unaware of their surroundings.
He stumbled on the stairs, and the flask shattered into small, scattered pieces. Before him was a tavern door made of brown wood; the man opened the door without focusing on the tavern's name and sat at his seat. His head fell heavily onto the bartender's table, and then he began raising his hand and tapping it slowly on the table, his upper eyelashes unable to rise, while he whispered a word that grew sharper with every tap: "Flask... flask... flask..."
The bartender looked at him with a pitiful gaze: "Scum! How often must you come here when you cannot even handle a single cup?"
A man sitting at a nearby table replied: "Don't be harsh on him, Bob; he is the spoiled Prince of the Fiore Kingdom after all, we cannot offend him."
Another man from the table behind them replied before the drunkard began drinking: "We cannot? Look at him, man, he doesn't even look alive."
While they were laughing, the tavern door was kicked open by a man in majestic attire with black hair, followed by soldiers behind him. He looked at everyone in the tavern with his distinctive hazel eyes.
Amidst everyone's silence, trying to comprehend the sudden change in the situation, the man entered and went toward the drunkard drowned in another dimension.
He picked him up with his hands and placed him over his shoulder as if he were carrying a large sack of rice.
He turned calmly toward the door again, but those sitting at the tables would not let his exit be like his entrance.
"Hey, handsome!" said the man who first spoke to the bartender, then added as he grabbed the person's luxurious cloak and drew his sword: "How wonderful! You make a grand entrance, take a drunk man from us, and then leave! How simple life is; things don't work that way here."
The man let out a bored sigh, then grabbed the hand holding his clothes while carrying the Prince of Fiore on his left shoulder. Then he kicked the man with his right leg until he fell to the ground, and said while looking down at him: "A man from you? The only Prince of Fiore and the Empress's brother; you laugh at him and rob him of his money by suggesting things that ruin his mind..."
The voices of the rest of the people stopped him with an uproar: "Hey!! You will regret this."
The man laughed, and his laughter was followed by a sharp word that suddenly calmed the atmosphere: "And are you capable of making him regret?"
"Ben," the tavern manager, was coming from his office, walking with slow steps, then continued: "Do not get excited, attendees in the Boss's tavern; the person standing before you is Elias the Skilled Sword, and you are no match for him..."
The place grew quiet, then he asked: "Prince Valir loves this place and comes of his own accord... can you do something like this? What brought you to this place, Elias? And who are these soldiers? Are...?"
Elias turned his body and then said in a loud voice as if delivering an official speech: "Emperor Kayden wants the Prince of the Fiore Kingdom, Valir Mars."
Everyone fell silent, while Elias's features transformed and his official tone changed to a sarcastic one, then he said as he approached Ben: "Shall I deliver your message? No, perhaps you are defying the new Emperor and refusing his decision? Perhaps we should close this tavern so you can think before you speak?"
Ben became tense in an instant, then knelt, his round glasses falling off, and said while stuttering: "N... N... No, no, I didn't mean... what is the reason for escalating things like this? I just didn't know you started working for someone, contrary to your habit."
Elias continued sarcastically, as if enjoying playing with the round-faced man, moving his right hand: "So you are questioning my decision to follow our great Emperor Kayden."
Then he approached Ben, asking him what he feared most: "Or perhaps you want us to close this tav—"
Ben interrupted him quickly and loudly in a state of tension: "Noooo! Noooo! Noooo! Why do you mention closing the tavern every time I speak?"
Elias laughed loudly at Ben's appearance and situation until his eyes teared up, then said as he turned toward the door, looking at the men: "Enjoy, men, the Emperor's forces will leave now."
Ben stood up straight, then went to the person lying on the ground and said to him sarcastically: "A man of our men? He is weaker than anyone here... even if he was skilled in the past... 'our men' he said, do you think he is your nephew?"
A voice from outside pierced through the closed door: "I heard you, Ben!"
Ben knelt again and said: "Sorry, sir!"
On a night that was cold at the port of the Kingdom of Andorra.
There was a small caravan that stopped at the sea gate, wagons filled with barrels labeled:
"Wheat – For the Imperial Army"
The officer in charge, a man in his thirties, stood looking quickly at the papers, then said: "Open one."
The merchant was unsettled but gave a forced smile and opened the barrel lid.
The brown barrel from the top... was indeed wheat.
The officer extended his hand, his fingers sinking into the grains, then struck something solid.
He ordered the soldiers to empty the barrel. The wheat rolled onto the ground, and beneath the first layer appeared short swords wrapped in oiled cloth, devoid of any imperial seal.
A heavy silence followed, before the officer raised one of the swords... its balance was excellent, its edge sharp, and its craftsmanship was not from the Emperor's workshops.
"Whom are these for?" the officer said threateningly.
The merchant did not respond, while one of the soldiers whispered: "This style... is used in the Valdra Empire."
And here the officer understood: it wasn't just black-market trade; this was a shipment to fund a rebellion.
And before the arrest order was issued, an arrow pierced his neck from the darkness, then a second arrow... and a third, from atop the roofs; the soldiers were falling.
In the chaos, masked men emerged from the mist, set fire to the wagons, and dragged the merchant away.
The last thing one of the soldiers saw before losing consciousness... was a small seal engraved inside one of the swords. An ancient seal... that was used during Joseph's era.
The next day, Kayden woke up to Fiona's sweet voice, then she called Margaret asking for food for her husband, and she entered the room with the food:
"Young master, it is time for breakfast."
These were the words of the maid, Margaret.
Kayden replied as he rose from his bed: "Place the food on the table, Margaret."
Margaret, while placing the food on the intended table: "As you wish, young master."
Kayden stood up and took a book from his private library, then opened the book; half of it was filled with his handwriting, and the other half was empty, waiting for someone to fill it, then Kayden began writing.
While he was sitting and writing, Fiona came from behind him, hugging him from his neck, then lowered her face to be at the same level as her husband's face, looking at the book as she whispered in his ear: "Are you recording what happened yesterday, dear?"
Kayden nodded in affirmation, while she extended her arm toward the book looking at his face with a gentle smile, then gave him a light kiss on his cheek.
Fiona left the Emperor's bedroom quietly, with steps that could barely be heard.
A dialogue was about to begin between Kayden and Margaret, until Kayden noticed Fiona returning with quick steps, holding part of her dress in a hurry so it wouldn't fall.
Fiona said, leaning on her husband's chair: "Kayden.. it is.... Elias."
Kayden put on his imperial attire, then went to the majestic throne room. He began ascending the stairs that end at his imperial throne, then sat while looking at Elias, asking in an uncomfortable tone: "So, what brings you, Elias, in this early morning?"
Elias replied with a slight bow: "I have brought Lord Valir, and he is sleeping in the other room."
Kayden placed two fingers on his eyes, rubbing them, then said in a heavy tone with a hint of reproach: "I do not think this is a reason for you to come in this early morning and require my presence."
Elias said while looking at the floor, then continued as he stood, looking at Kayden: "The port officer of the Kingdom of Andorra and his soldiers have been killed without a single piece of evidence. All we found were a few traces of wheat."
Kayden straightened up in his seat, annoyance showing on his face, as he thanked Elias for his effort: "Thank you, Elias; I will take the necessary measures for this matter."
Elias gave an envelope to the servant standing beside him to present to Kayden, then said as the servant climbed the throne steps: "This envelope was found in front of the palace gate, my lord."
Kayden received the envelope, surprised to see the letter sealed with an ancient emblem... his eyes widened and his features changed to shock as he opened the letter:
"Killing a man does not kill the system."