The Aeterna Empire

Chapter 3 - Courage of a King

"This is a depressing sight."

Fereren'Kyltu entered the room behind me. I sat in a chair staring at a world map, my work illuminated by candlelight. Despite it being night, I still took precautions. I covered the windows to keep the sun's gaze out of my private chambers.

With half-lidded eyes, I studied the rivers and mountains. My understanding of military tactics was rudimentary compared to the generals; however, unlike them, I had traveled in Ire, the land we were about to fight on.

"Join me, and perhaps it will be less gloomy," I muttered.

The candle by my side popped with sparks, then burned as usual.

Fereren pulled up a chair and sat by my side. "It is yet three hours until the day. Have you slept?"

My silence answered the query enough.

My friend groaned and put his face in his hands, "Valspear, you have good men carrying out your orders. You must trust in them to carry out their jobs."

"It is not a matter of trust," I argue. I knew where Ferer' came from. Perhaps it is challenging to trust any court after seeing my father's court, but that is not the problem. "But a matter of time. There are yet days before any return. Days better spent preparing. With each day, the Ne gains-"

"No fortress falls in a day. A proper siege takes years."

"Not when you can bring the sun down upon its foundations!" I argued. I looked up at him fiercely. "The ways of war are changing, and that terrifies me! We are not fighting men and blood but a prophet and his god! Ferer', I am afraid. Now that I have the crown's weight on my head and know what I've seen, I am even more frightened than I used to be!"

"And how do you think your people feel?" Fereren demanded. "Your ministers? Are you to display this fear in the presence of your generals and the kingdoms you are appealing for aid and allow them to see you like this?"

"They would be better off then to understand the gravity of this-"

"The people already do! You are not the only one to have taken to shutting up your windows and hiding away since the last sun's strike!"

I stood and walked away from him, agitated by his words. Yet, there was nowhere to go unless I left, so I circled the room.

Fereren followed me with his eyes, "I went out today. I saw streets empty, doors shut, windows covered, and everyone running from shade to shade or huddled where it was cool. You have been king for two days and already shut yourself up as a frightened hermit! If I regarded your father a fool for daring to think too highly of himself, I declare you the same for thinking too lowly!"

"Because I am!" I yelled and found myself within the cusp of the room, physically and emotionally cornered. "I squandered my recent time wandering the land rather than learning the court and ways of kingship!"

"For a sun-damned sound reason!" Fereren stood up and approached me. He gripped my shoulders and challenged me with his eyes to look elsewhere. "You had nothing good to learn from the king! Now you retain good men, and if you feel underqualified, select a few as teachers and advisors. If you insist on thinking yourself this way, I cannot stop you, but only Valspear is inferior, not the king. The king cannot be ordinary!"

My head dropped shamefully as he released me and stepped back. He was right. I was no longer merely Valspear; I was the king. While my name and title might be tied together in a phrase, they were, in fact, dual identities. The crown represented a weight and power of its own that demanded perfection, inhumanly so. This inhuman demand stood in contrast to its wearer, inevitably corrupting them.

"Ferer', do you remember when your son was born?" I whispered. My friend nodded. "We swore together we would reshape the world."

"That we would better it." Fereren corrected slightly. "It was young foolishness, all bravado, and no sense."

"Yet here we stand, cowardly and afraid, yet king and general. If we are not in a position to do it now, we may never." I gulped. "It is not merely the Aeterna's reach, I fear, but the times. If he wins, there is no telling of what future there is for anyone of us. The world is changing so rapidly that I feel we may be consumed by its current."

"Then it is not a matter of if we can or cannot, but that we must." Fereren set a hand on my shoulder, and I grasped his hand tightly. I said nothing to this, instead wanting to take comfort in his strength of will and purpose.

An intense light dimmed through the windows, even through the heavy curtains, as the sun flared to life. The day started again.

"It is three hours earlier than yesterday that the sun wakes. I can barely tell when the hours of the day are if this is to continue." Fereren muttered.

The Aeterna was awake and resumed his work. I would need to hurry to keep up. Fereren was right. I needed to be strong. I needed to reassure the people and put up a formidable presence against him, even here where his arm of war had yet to reach. Whether by diminishing morale, the sun-god smiting the king, or exhausting us with disrupted day and night schedules, the war had already started for us.

—------------------- (9/18/2022) Edit