The Portalians were finally defeated and their
city retaken. The Emperor now felt able to ride on. Just a day after the relief of Monurbis his
army appeared in front of Ortia. Inside the city his coming was greeted with
delirious joy: their nine hundred year wait had not been in vain after all.
Imperial banners appeared all around the city and there were impromptu street
parties and unnecessary drunkenness.
The only citizens who were joyless
were the circle of friends around Marthian. She knew what was coming and
behaved as graciously as she could; greeting the new proconsul with a stiff
cold formality, but offering all help that was reasonable. She had already
decided to slip away as soon as she could after her deposition, to Amansk if
possible, or to Gorodnikov or even, in her more fanciful moments, on to
Kinspit. She planned to travel with only a few loyal soldiers and had told
no-one of her plans.
The Emperor Pallatian, having returned to the
eastern part of his domains, called together the worthies of the city and
province of Ortia to explain his new vision for the east. He planned to sweep
the old order aside and replace it was something glittering and new. This would
be a provincial city no more; the east would finally enjoy the civilisation of
the west.
***
Everyone
who was anyone was there: the emperor’s
entourage of generals, politicians and hangers on; the old and presumptive
proconsuls and their staff; the Ortian military commanders; there was even a
representative from the temple, but not Aquilegia, who no-one had seen for some
time. Viola sat next to Marthian, ready to squeeze her hand secretly if
necessary. Aurelian, who was sitting some way away from them, couldn’t help but
peer over constantly, actions which Marthian tried to ignore, as it seemed to
her to be very unprofessional.
Pallatian began by introducing everyone to
everyone else, which took a long time, as was the elven way. He then laid out
the present military position, talking at length and with great relish. He
explained that the cities of Portalis, Ortia and Monurbis were now safely
within Imperial control. The city of Amansk had also been freed of the Crimson
flame knights, thanks to the actions of his northern task force after they had
secured Portalis. The old trade route from the eastern to the western sea, from
Hesperos to Gorodnikov, was now free again and a traveller might, with some
difficulties admittedly, walk across an entire continent on imperial territory.
‘So’ he said, finally, ‘we can all be
exceptionally proud of our contributions to the reconquest. But, we should
never be satisfied with what we have achieved, and we need to move on’
He paused for effect, as if about to deliver
the punch line of a very long shaggy dog story. His eyes sparkled with the sheer enjoyment of
his own performance.
‘So – as I’m sure that you are aware’ said
Pallatian, ‘I am planning to change a number of things…’
The tension crackled through the room.
Everyone thought that they knew exactly what was coming, but the Emperor knew
better. His plans had been formulated carefully and he was very pleased with
himself: he was about to solve every problem through his cleverness alone. He
looked around the circle of tense faces, and decided that this was too good a
moment to hurry.
‘Some of you are looking a
little jaded. Perhaps this would be a good time to take a ten minute break’ he
said, smiling warmly, ‘then I’ll explain exactly what I am going to do’
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