Castle & Conceit Read online

A few days later, the two imperial princes, Leonides and Octavian, reached thirty (30) years of age. Emperor Brennius spoke to his guards, saying: “Guards! Bring me my sons. Also, bring me my chief advisor, Cassius.”

  Three (3) of the guards left the throne room and visited the private rooms of the Imperial Princes and the advisor, located at various points throughout the palace. There, they repeated the Emperor’s summons.

  When the Imperial Princes and the advisor all arrived in his throne room, Emperor Brennius spoke to the Imperial Princes, saying: “My sons, I cannot live forever. My strength and health have begun to fade, and my life may end soon. It is time for you to drink of the powerful waters of the oceans, known to many in the world as the ‘Gift Waters’. When you first drink of any of these, it will form a waterbinding, such that you can never drink another of the waters, or it will destroy you,” Emperor Brennius said.

  “Father, you drank of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean when you were young – the age of thirteen (13) as you have told us – so that you would have much time to grow in skill and prove your worth to your own father. I ask, seeking not to criticize but to understand, why you required us to wait until the age of thirty (30) for our own waterbindings?” Imperial Prince Leonides asked.

  “I have instructed you to wait until now because you were not mature enough to assume the throne until the present time. Your character was not up to my standards, and that cannot be forced upon a person: they must choose maturity for themselves. Leonides, you were too much like my brother, Cathaldus, who indulged in sensual pleasures, rather than scholarly pursuits. Octavian, you lacked concentration and focus, and your temper was too foul to properly govern. Thus, my authority was still needed while you were younger, lacking in both wisdom and experience,” Emperor Brennius said.

  “I assure you, Your Majesty, that I will continue to provide own my wisdom and guidance while they are still so young. Once they have their waterbindings, and the powers given thereby, the Imperial Princes will each need good counsel,” Cassius said.

  “Restrain yourself, Cassius. I will decide who is to give counsel, and who is to seek it. Leonides: In order that our bloodline may rule the empire long past my time, you shall drink of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean. They will alter the passage of time within you so that you can age slowly, living for centuries and then millennia. Thus, you can and will be the occupant of my throne, providing consistent leadership of this land for thousands of years. Octavian: You shall drink of the waters of the Medathero Ocean so that you will have a calm, rational intellect and thus be a proper advisor to your brother.”

  “Father, my appearance has been a curse upon me for my entire life. No woman will touch me, so I cannot carry the bloodline. Even the guards look at me in disgust, so I cannot lead them, for they see no authority in me. Would it not be better for me to drink of the Trerada waters, that I might be healed, and have an appearance worthy of royalty?” Imperial Prince Octavian asked.

  “No it would not, Octavian. Be assured that my plans for you are with good reason. You are not meant to carry on the bloodline. That obligation rests upon your brother, Leonides. You are to drink the Medathero waters to enhance your thinking and thus advise him, as I have instructed,” Emperor Brennius said.

  “As you have directed, father, so I shall drink,” Imperial Prince Leonides said.

  “Good. And you, Octavian? Do you acknowledge my authority and accept my instructions for your waterbinding?” Emperor Brennius asked.

  “If I must, Father, then I shall,” Imperial Prince Octavian said.

  “If you refuse, I will disown you; then, you shall have no access to the throne. Instead, you will be an outcast,” Emperor Brennius said.

  “If this is your decree, then it shall be done,” Imperial Prince Octavian said.

  “It is my decree, and I have recorded it, in much detail, including instructions to be executed upon my death. You are each dismissed,” Emperor Brennius said.

  At this, the Imperial Princes Leonides and Octavian, as well as the advisor, Cassius, left the throne room and each returned to their private quarters.

  ~~~

  Cassius regarded the Emperor’s decree to be a threat to his own future, for he was the chief advisor to Brennius while the Emperor was alive, but would not hold that position with respect to Leonides when he eventually assumed the throne. Cassius realized that if the intellectual powers given by drinking the waters of the Medathero Ocean were used to elevate Imperial Prince Octavian to the advisory position, then he himself would have little or no future in the empire, and be pushed away from the throne and its powers, since they would no longer need him. Cassius was very shrewd, and had been a schemer for most of the forty-five (45) years of his life, so he began developing yet another scheme to hold on to power, and to attain even more. He thought of the lightkeeper crystal with Octavian’s face and a terrible idea occurred to him – an idea that would keep him in power for as long as he lived. Cassius himself already drank of the waters of the Medathero Ocean, which made him immensely clever, and he planned to have it be such that he was one of the few, if not the only one, in the palace who drank from those waters. Thus, Cassius reasoned, that he would be the primary, if not the only, source of guidance and advice to the future ruler. He waited only a few days, watching the movements in the palace, and noticed that the Emperor had been resting more often than before, and so he thought that the opportunity to act had arrived.

  Cassius had access to most of the chambers of the palace, and knew the location of the written records of the royal decrees. Furthermore, Cassius had allies in the palace whom he paid for secret knowledge of the most confidential matters which Emperor Brennius kept to himself. One of these allies – a thirty-nine (39) year old man named Valere – was a drinker of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean, which was an ocean in the far northeast. Those waters gave Valere the powers of telepathy and empathy, which could be used to discover secrets, as well as to influence decisions in subtle ways.

  Cassius went down a narrow hallway of the palace and visited the private quarters of Valere, who opened the door, admitted Cassius and closed the door behind him. Cassius handed Valere two (2) platinum coins. Valere drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from a vial that he wore on a chain around his neck and he was energized. Without discussion, he read the thoughts of Cassius and knew what the man wanted, and relayed a thought back to him: “I will wait by the Emperor’s side and influence his decisions, suggesting to him your continued necessity. Leave now, and wait until further notice.”

  Cassius then returned to his own quarters until Valere gave him a report.

  ~~~

  Valere moved about the palace, almost entirely unseen, because he used his powers to suggest to those around him not to even notice or recall his presence. He was perfectly visible, and completely forgettable, all by his telepathic powers. He occasionally drank anew of the Elanatin Ocean waters from his vial to keep his powers energized. He entered the bedroom chamber of the sleeping Emperor Brennius and read his thoughts. Valere learned that the Emperor kept a lightkeeper crystal that held the image of the written last will and testament, and that the crystal was kept in a pocket in his robes. Valere then removed the crystal, as deftly as a pickpocket, but his sleight-of-hand was actually enabled by that same power of suggestion to those guards around him. All they saw and heard was Valere standing by the Emperor’s side, saying: “You will be very well after resting, Your Majesty. We all await your orders.” In reality, he suggested into the mind of the Emperor that he should forget the lightkeeper crystal ever existed.

  Valere then left the Emperor’s bedroom chamber. From there, he moved, unnoticed, through the maze of palace hallways, to visit the private quarters of Cassius. By transmitting his thoughts, Cassius knew that Valere was outside in the hallway without the man even knocking, so he opened the door to him. Valere entered, closing the door behind him, and sent a thought into the mind of Cassius: “I have what you need, and another fo
ur (4) coins will afford you access to it.”

  Cassius handed over four (4) more platinum coins and Valere handed the lightkeeper crystal over to Cassius, who looked at it and saw the image of written words. He recognized, although the inscriptions were fine, that they were legible and stated the plans of Emperor Brennius with regard to passing on the throne, which had already been spoken in summary to Cassius and both Imperial Princes Octavian and Leonides. This was the official record that Cassius wanted dispelled, because it demoted him to the level of assistant advisor, having no decision-making authority.

  Valere transmitted another thought to Cassius: “By my suggestion, the Emperor no longer remembers this crystal, so you can author the last will and testament that you would like, and leave it in the public records room. His death is fast approaching, so you must move quickly. I will leave now, and you will pay me likewise, after the Emperor’s death, and every thirty (30) days thereafter.” Valere then left the room and returned to his private quarters.

  ~~~

  Cassius left his quarters and entered the public records room of the palace, to which he had official access and wherein he had authority to act. He then wrote down a new last will and testament onto a series of scrolls. He made it seem, as best he could, that Emperor Brennius had written the words. While the sickly Emperor was resting in a distant room of the palace, Cassius authored this new document to ensure his own power would continue, and that neither Leonides’ nor Octavian’s influence would grow to encompass the empire. The document was formulated to divide the empire between the two sons equally – Leonides would take the northern region and Octavian would take the southern – yet they would remain as Imperial Princes, rather than becoming co-emperors. The Imperial Princes would share authority with their appointed advisors – Cassius for Octavian, and Lycaon for Leonides – who would have an equal vote in all matters. This was only one of his schemes – a contingency plan – in the event that his other schemes might fail. He added another provision: that Valere would remain in the northern region, as a treasurer, and receive a salary of four (4) platinum coins per month. Cassius did not particularly trust Valere – who could read his thoughts much too easily – so it would be good to keep the man at a distance; however, he wanted to keep the payment agreement they had made, so as not to create an unnecessary enemy.

  Cassius then returned to his private quarters and prepared himself for a short journey. He carried both lightkeeper crystals with him – the one bearing the image of the written words of the last will and testament of Emperor Brennius, and the one bearing the image of the hideous appearance of Imperial Prince Octavian. Cassius then put on a cloak to conceal his appearance and left the palace.

  Cassius traveled by riverboat, paying two (2) platinum coins to the captain for transport. After a two (2) day journey heading east, the riverboat arrived at the dock near a small village. Cassius made his way on foot through the village and then out of it, entering into the swampland beyond. He walked carefully on the driest parts of the swampland that he could, being careful not to step into any soft ground that could give way. However, Cassius did note where the thickest areas of mud and filth were and threw one of the lightkeeper crystals into it, keeping the other.

  After discarding the unwanted crystal, Cassius continued on his walk through the swamp and visited a small dwelling that was made of brambles and covered in mud for darkness. This dwelling was the temple of worship for a cult of madmen who were rumored to speak to ghosts and revel in matters of death and demons. Cassius knew of the rumors of these madmen because he paid Valere for gossip that he had gathered from the thoughts of the Emperor’s higher ranking military personnel when they received their reports from lower ranking officers. As Cassius stood in the temple’s opening, which was just a gap in the branches, he was met by a tall, thin gray-bearded man, known as The Lord of Poison, who had a very pale face that had seen too little light over the years.

  The man spoke in a gravelly voice: “Death is here. Why would the living want to enter?”

  Cassius answered him, saying: “I bring the very face of death.” At this, he showed the lightkeeper crystal to the man – the crystal he had kept, and which carried the image of the hideous, skull-like visage of Octavian. The man known as the Lord of Poison saw the image and looked most pleased. Cassius continued, saying: “I was in the presence of this face in recent days, and shall return to it tomorrow. He walks this world alive – he is an imperial prince.”

  The man known as the Lord of Poison now looked even more interested, saying: “I should like to see this one. Can you bring him to us – to the swamp – in five (5) days? If his is a true and living face of death, then the blood within it can be traded for favors, so that the spirits will speak and reveal their powerful secrets.”

  “You shall have him,” Cassius said and left.

  ~~~

  Cassius walked back through the swamp to return to the village. He then purchased transport on another riverboat, arriving at the palace after a two (2) day journey heading west.

  Once in the palace, Cassius visited Imperial Prince Octavian in his private quarters, knocking at the door.

  Octavian admitted him to the room, asking: “Why do you visit me, Cassius? You are advisor to my father, the Emperor. We have no such arrangement.”

  Cassius closed the door for privacy and then said to him: “I can advise you. I can help you. Your father wants you to drink of the waters of the Medathero Ocean, which will grant you a great intellect, but they are not what is best for you. You will be forced to live in displeasure all of your life, rejected by all who see you. You will be condemned to a solitary and unfulfilling existence, while your brother, Leonides, receives praise and love for ages to come.”

  “Are you suggesting that I disobey my father’s orders? I will be an outcast. You may be executed for suggesting this. Do you not understand that?” Octavian asked.

  “What I am suggesting is not to disobey, but to reconsider. What, do you believe, is the most profitable course of action? Know that, if you drink the waters of the Medathero Ocean, your life will be of ordinary length and joyless, and you will only be able to serve your brother, Leonides, for a short while. You will receive only a single lifetime, whereas he will receive many, because of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean that he will drink. Little benefit will come of your brief advisory role. Instead, I will take you to be healed. The waters of the Trerada Ocean will give you both health and a handsome appearance, and the world will look upon you favorably, as will the young maidens. Then, you may even get to continue the bloodline, which will better serve your father, Emperor Brennius. You already know this to be true, and you will be a superior leader when you choose the proper water.”

  Octavian paced around in his private quarters, and thought about this counsel as he did, with Cassius following. Octavian then left the room, walked through the palace hallways and entered one of the treasure rooms. Therein, he took one of the crystals and looked into it, again seeing his own hideous appearance. “I’ve seen this hideous, shameful face far too long. Do you swear to me, Cassius, that the waters of the Trerada Ocean can heal even this, and that people will respect me? I have seen them give beauty to the plain, but I am not plain: my appearance is disfigured beyond belief,” Octavian asked.

  Cassius was prepared to exaggerate or lie about the Trerada waters if needed, but it was actually unnecessary, as the powers of those waters were indeed vast and it seemed that no illness or injury was beyond their power to cure; at least, this was all true if the drinker had the right innate potential, which was different from one person to the next. Even this, by itself, wasn’t a guarantee, however: the water had to be part of a mixture of the correct purity, which it was not in its naturally occurring form in the oceans. Only through masterful alchemy could it be turned into a perfect potion of health and beauty. Of course, the requirements of potential and purity applied to all the waters, even those of the Medathero Ocean: the greater the purity, and the gr
eater the person’s innate potential for the traits it influenced, the greater the effect when drinking it.

  Cassius’ own intelligence was innately high. Yet, a proper alchemical potion of the waters of the Medathero Ocean multiplied his intellect many times over so that he understood complex matters of the world – such as mathematics, science, politics, and even alchemy itself – more precisely. Although he could not actually perform the alchemical alterations of crystals and other minerals – because he did not drink the waters of the Kazofen Ocean – the crystal and mineral geometry was comprehensible to him. That comprehension had enabled him to hire an alchemist to give him precisely what he wanted, no matter how intricate his requests had ever been. That same comprehension enabled him to obtain the desired results in every other domain of interest, as well, be it art or agriculture, whenever he needed to employ the services of another person. Thus, Cassius believed the waters of the Medathero Ocean to be the greatest of all the waters of the world. However, many would disagree with him, and more than a few even had valid reasons.

  The lie that Cassius was telling wasn’t about the power of the waters. The lie was that Cassius was going to take him anywhere near the waters of the Trerada Ocean. Instead, he was going to take Octavian to the swamp, so as to die, horribly, in a demonic ritual sacrifice.

  Cassius answered, saying: “Yes. The Trerada waters will heal you so completely that you will be astonished, your heavy heart will be lifted, and your service to the throne and to your father will be far greater than he could ever hope for were you to follow his precise instructions. Bring the crystal you now hold which shows your disfigured face and you can see for yourself the change that will occur when you look into it after being healed.”

  Octavian commanded him: “Bring me the waters of the Trerada Ocean so that I may be healed.”

  Cassius consented and said: “That I cannot do. Instead, I have to bring you to them – to obtain the waters in their purest form. A professional alchemist will prepare them for you, and you will have to drink of them for seven (7) days, to fully absorb their power. The journey will be two (2) days by riverboat to the coast, and then one (1) more day by sea.”