NationStates Jolt Archive

Early morning. The great gong sounded in the courtyard below the Empress' window, marking the start of the day for those who were already awake. Normally, it would also signify the start of the morning display- lines of young recruits, normally palace guards, assembling to recite a pledge of solidarity to their country. But today was different.

The Empress Hadriana drew back the velvet curtain. It was cold today, and condensation lined the inside of the window. She wiped it back with one pale slender hand, the bangles clinking on her wrist. Her brown eyes blinked impassively at the scene below.

There had not been any protests in Sthyxia for five years. This was not because her citizens were satisfied with the way Hadriana ran things, even though there was a portrait of her in every house. This was because the last time anyone had staged a large-scale demonstration, Hades had opened fire on them. And their families, when they came to collect the bodies. And the surrounding streets.

Today, though, the courtard was flooded with people, placards and banners towering above their heads. Some of them were screaming up at the window. One of them was even preparing to set himself on fire, by the looks of things (oh, original). How had they got through the barriers? Someone in the watch-towers would be paying a harsh penalty this afternoon.

But it could wait for now. The Empress had more pressing matters to attend to...

A bell rang; a teenage girl in an army uniform appeared at the door. She regarded the scene before her with apprehension. The doctor, sitting in a plush chair beside Hades, cleared his throat awkwardly, but he knew better than to speak for the empress.

"I know," Hades said, before the girl could speak. "I can see them. Tell them to leave the palace grounds. If they don't obey within ten minutes, open fire."

The girl nodded and scuttled away. Hadriana let the curtain drop, and returned to her son's side.

Seymour was lying on the bed, almost motionless. His hand was already limp when she took it. The redhead squeezed it half-heartedly. Even though she'd never loved her two-year-old son, he deserved to have her with him in his last moments.

"My poor boy," she said, and then his breathing faltered and stopped. The doctor waited a moment before closing his eyelids that last fraction, and drawing the sheet over his head. Hades let go of his hand. His skin had been surprisingly quick to turn cold.

"Take the body and prepare it for burial," she said, "Announce a national day of mourning. Make sure everybody knows of his death." It would form, she hoped, an adequate distraction from the mass murder she and her soldiers were about to commit.

Then, gesturing tiredly for the doctor to leave, she drew back the curtain again, and rested her elbows on the windowsill.

So he was finally dead. Hades would not grieve for him. All it meant to her was that she no longer had an heir. But that could be remedied; she was still a young woman, and her precious bloodline was not lost yet. And perhaps this time, she would get the daughter she wanted. All she needed to do was find a father.

That would not be too difficult...

Diego looked out the window of his apartments in the Palace. He pushed his long blond hair back from his eyes.

"Mathias? Prepare my uniform."

The crowd was not dispersing and Diego was actually quite intriged to see how Hades would handle it.

Hades... He thought back on her. An interesting woman.

He got dressed and made sure his pistol was loaded. He never went with out it.

He rose and stepped out into the hall.

"Where might I find her Majesty?" The Lt. Comdr. inquired of the nearest servant.

The servant, an attractive but rather skinny young woman with sandy-brown hair, looked down at her feet and blushed.

"She's, um, in her chambers. Would you like me to... send her a message, or...?"

Suddenly, a line of soldiers- all around seventeen or sixteen, and almost exclusively female- charged down the corridor past them, their footsteps echoing throughout the hall. The servant girl jumped back.

"The Empress Hadriana is... with her son at the moment, sire," she continued, in explanation.

Meanwhile, the Empress Hadriana, who was no longer with her son, pressed her forehead against the glass of her window and watched the protest escalate below.

Nine minutes...

A line of guards tried to usher the crowds back, but a surge of people blocked them. Hades wondered how much it would cost her to get the blood out of the paving-stones. No matter, it would probably be worth the entertainment.

Eight minutes...

Cheif Khan Rat Shuvit had intellegince reports from all over the world and on millions of people, but a particular one, a woman named Hades, was updated constantly at his request.

This seemingnly enigmatic warrior, made his mind race. Was he constantly over annalyzing her? And what of the recent events in Sthyxia, a sub-standered male heir dying. He was glued to the monitor as he had reports flooding in from informants as well as the Xeno-news source.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

The great gong was struck once more, to attract the attention of the crowd. On a balcony two floors below the Empress, a middle-aged man in black robes stepped out. Hades craned her neck to see him. Thanks to the tinted windows in her room, she didn't need to worry about any of the protestors spotting her. She could sit back and enjoy the view.

The steady beat of her soldiers' footfalls faded in as they passed her room, then out again. Guards were already assembling at the edge of the courtyard. Briefly, Hades remembered her time serving in her mother's army; she had been at that front line, once, pulling the trigger...

But one had to make these little sacrifices, for power.

Below her, the man's voice boomed out over the square.

"The Imperial Prince is dead. Go back to your homes. The Empress will address you tomorrow."

"No more excuses!" came a voice from the crowd. A bottle was flung at the balcony; Advisor Creon ducked. Some of the guards around the edge flinched as if to reach for their guns, but stopped themselves. They had not recieved the order yet.

Six minutes...

The announcement was being made all over the palace, of course; the child is dead. He had been sick for several days, and carrying the poison in his blood for several more. Hadriana knew this- she was the one who'd put it there.

Diego's face grew grim.
"If you would escort me to the Empress?" He said to the servant.
"Sir, I don't think.."
"That's right. You are a servant. You don't think. You obey. Now, escort me, or I will shoot you and find another, more helpful servant. Diego said without a change in his expression.
The servant looked startled and slightly afraid.

As Diego neared the room he paused outside the door and knocked...

Message to Sthyxia

Merry Meet, Sthyxia,

Due to recent occurences on the home front, the Commonwealth of Tamuroon has decided that broadening trade and contact with other nations could cause much pleasure to be brought to the Commonwealth of Tamuroon. We must, as always, be careful with our choices as the citizens of Tamuroon are very sensitive to the goings on in politics. We would like to dispatch a man named V'keirvoo to assess the chances of establishing an Embassy and trade. Please note that although V'keirvoo is very capable, kind and honest, he will not be used to your customs. If you could set aside a guide to assist him, this would be very kind.

Thank you,
Foreighn Affairs Minister Tavoraan

Maximus Collier leant on the bar, reading the paper in his hand, or seeming to. In fact his eyes were sweeping across the street before him. He reached a knarled hand behind him to pick up the pint of lager he had brought on his arrival in this establishment. He'd heard the announcement that the Imperial Prince was dead, and was sickened by the idea that this woman was going to open fire on her own people.

How can people do that? Still, that's what I'm here to change

He shifted his weight slightly, feeling the additional weight of the Thalack underneath his clothing. He was thankful to his opposites in Kaymiril for supplying the device, a portable communication device, as well as many other things. It was called Barras, and he'd grown quite fond of it. Being the first solider in his unit to be gifted with one, he took it very seriously.

Underneath his clothing was a Glock P7 pistol, 9mm, plus a number of additional magazines. A precaution, just in case he ever needed them. His clothing was also Kaymirilan, heat and cold proof, with some bullet proofing and defences against certain magicks. It was comfortable, and the tailors had a field day making it into a suit. He wore the suit comfortably, and sipped at his beer,Today is a sad day for this nation... and we cannot allow it to continue. I doubt fostering an uprising will be difficult here

Our Noble Comrade Tavoraan,

We would be honoured to accept the presence of your representative into our glorious nation. A welcoming party and guide will be waiting for him in Sthyxia airport at a time of your request.

Wishing you a safe journey,
Ambassador Eumenes
Representing the Empress of the People Hadriana Sthyxia

Hearing the knock, Hadriana stood up hurriedly and grabbed a heavy black coat from the back of her chair. It was important that she looked as if she were in mourning, after all. Scrambling gracefully through her drawers for the black veil she had put aside especially, the Empress pinned it in her hair, sprayed rosewater in her eyes, closed the curtain, and opened the door.

"Ambassador Diego." The Empress allowed only the faintest of smiles to grace her lips. "What brings you here? Please, come in." Making a mental note to have the servant executed later on (not that she didn't like having the Ambassador around, but there were security issues to consider), she stepped back and gestured for the man to come in.

The bed was still warm where her son had been lying a few minutes before. Almost as if it were instinctive, Hades reached down and smoothed the covers over. He had been running a terrible fever before he died. It was a pity he'd had to suffer, but at least it was over now.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Four minutes...

Advisor Creon's announcement that he was going to open fire was met with a mixed response. Some of the protesters did not believe him, foolish as that was in this sort of country. Others believed that they were prepared to die for their cause- which was actually quite foolish as well, because few people are as brave in the face of death as they think.

The few that did not believe either, however, were now making a hasty retreat, causing a great deal of confusion in the crowd. One or two people were getting crushed. Had Hades known what she was missing, she would almost have regretted letting Diego into her room. Nothing took the edge off quite like a little do-it-yourself carnage.

Meanwhile, a certain foreigner in a certain bar across the street was attracting a great deal of attention. A rabble of androgynously-clad Sthyxians, mostly children or poorer citizens, had gathered discreetly around Maximus Collier to look at him. Well, discreetly for a Sthyxian, anyway. Foreigners were a rare sight, even in the very centre of the city, and his audience- who had by now formed a rough circle around him of about a 2m radius- looked as if they didn't know whether to ask him for money or poke him with a stick.

Obviously, the resistance member who was looking for him wasn't too happy about this. Wishing he'd warned him not to go somewhere quite so conspicuous, he hovered at the edge of the crowd, displaying the string of red beads around his wrist that was the signal of his underground movement and hoping to the gods that Maximus would see.

((Sorry for the late reply))

Kollier looked up and at the circle of faces around him, smiling as he saw the red beads. He folded his paper, downed the last of his pint, and moved towards the man holding the beads. As he moved, he let slip a few notes of the local currency to some of the people... most of them actually,"I take it you are the resistance contact"

Children scrabbled at Kollier's legs as they caught sight of the money, and had he been a little less prudent they would probably have got his wallet as well. As it was, the young man steered Maximus away from the crowd fast enough to shake off most of their followers, and he put a hand on his arm as the red beads disappeared into one of his pockets again.

"We cannot talk here, my friend. Follow me. There is not much time." He gestured for the man to follow him as he started out of the bar. Nearby, two women in army uniforms stopped and stared at them. The representative tried his best to look casual. Ever since the first Purges, it had been difficult to stay calm around the army. He couldn't help but remember the way they had smashed their way into his temple and slaughtered most of the inhabitants, sparing only the people they thought would be useful for interrogation or slavery.

The Order of Mithra had moved underground after that. He frowned as he remembered. Then he glanced over at Maximus.

"I am Laine," he said, giving a false name in case Maximus should... attract the attention of the Sthyxian police. The two of them passed into a side-street; the former priest headed straight for an open door in an otherwise blank wall. "What should I call you?"

"Well... some have called me Maximus Kollier... not my real name actually. Once we get inside, I'll tell you all"

OOC: Tag. I might come in later.

V'keiroo sat rigid in the seat of the private jet. He never much liked flying, and this plane was so small and such to not at all relieve his fears. He looked out the window at the city he was about to land in. This place is nothing like home. he thought, whistfully. He had changed into 'clothing', and had been reading a guide to Sthyxia until his ears had become unbearable. But now, as they coasted along, he wished he had learned more. Standing, he tightened his long robe once more, and walked to the front of the bus. Thanking and tipping the pilot he made his way down into the airport. He looked around for his guide.