An Issue of Trust

The trip to the palace had been a peaceful and uneventful one. High Baron Hesh Avernell had a simple trip from his personal star yacht to the imperial palace where he had been summoned.

It was not surprising that the invitation from Emperor Morek Vaesh was coming. He had been dining once a week with a different member of the Gray Council and Hesh was the last one on the list.

The man in charge of one of the powerful houses did not mind. He had been out of the sector handling a negotiation with House Gijol which the emperor would have known. Now, it was more than likely pleasantries and an update on how it all went.

Morek had done well after taking over from his father eight years earlier. The Empire had grown stronger and tighter knit. The only disaster was the discovered treason of House Klav and actions to deal with it. That was a nasty bit of business.

Hesh sat in his comfortable chair in the passenger section of the personal shuttle with only his two angels by his side. Guven, one of the few male angels that graduated as a bodyguard on one side, his cybernetic eye the only thing that broke that handsome face and the beautiful Eutiva, his oldest bodyguard. Though they wore simple outfits, he could spot the glimmer under their skin of the cybernetics and knew their armor of nanofibers was ready for a mental command at any moment.

The shuttle made its way towards the palace and the gentle bump told him that they had arrived. The hatch hissed open and, on the tarmac, he was met by the three maids bearing the collar of the royal family.

“My master,” the silver haired woman said bowing deeply while the other maids followed. “The emperor waits for you in his personal dining room.”

That was the first thing that made Hesh sense something was wrong. The inner part of the palace was sealed from all but his maids, his wife Empress Cilia, and a few others. Dining normally took place in one of the main rooms designed for just that.

Hesh glanced at Eutiva and he could see the flicker in her eyes. Something was off. There was nothing he could do now as all he could and should do was obey the command of his emperor.

Following the maid through the myriad of corridors, they arrived at a door that was flanked by multiple soldiers, angels of their own dedicated to the defense of the emperor.

“My master,” the lead angel said, his gray eyes focused on Hesh. Though he used the proper polite address, Baron Avernell had no doubt the man did not care about his title but only the defense of his charge.

“I must ask that your angels remain outside with us.”

“My lord,” Eutiva went to protest, her eyes growing wide, but Hesh raised his hand to silence her.

“Of course. As my emperor commands,” Hesh responded with a smile. He turned to Eutiva.

“Please wait for me in the shuttle. If, for some rare reason that I don't come back. You both are forbidden to fall.”

There was an unspoken between the two even though his conversation was polite and easy going. If something happened to him, he had just commanded his bodyguards not to seek revenge. What they called Fallen Angels.

Hesh could see that Eutiva desperately wanted to protest, to force her way in but this was out of her control and though the baron was not sure what was going on, he was not going to betray the emperor's trust. As the two left, Hesh was ushered into the private dining room of the Emperor of the Xaltean Empire.

“There you are!” Morek Vaesh called from his side of the ornate wooden table. Heshe's eyes immediately scanned the room and easily noticed the guards hidden in the shadow and could feel the tingle on his skin that cloaked angels were in the room. Hesh bowed low to the emperor but the exclamation from Morek stopped him.

“No, no. Enough pleasantries tonight, Hesh. Tonight is going to be something new.”

Walking towards the table and sitting in the chair that a cute maid pulled out for him, Hesh noted that there were three empty bottles of vevet wine on the table and a half full one by the emperor’s elbow. His glass filled halfway with the red liquid.

“Thanks for inviting me to dinner, ” Hesh said easily trying to make sure the mood did not affect him. He wanted to keep things stable as possible, especially if Morek was already drunk.

“You're quite welcome. Did you know I had to put up with the nonsense of all those other Council members just to get to you?”

“Oh?”

“Of course!” Morek said gesturing with his cup, the liquid splashing out. “I can't just randomly invite you without getting everyone's suspicions up. Can't make you look like you’re the favorite. Not safe for your health.”

“I'm flattered, your majesty. I don't know why—”

“Stop!”

Morek slammed his cup down on the table, the liquid splashing out, rage in his voice. He breathed in a tried to calm himself. “Just...stop.”

That was when Hesh saw him. There in the far corner was a robed figure in off white with red trimming. He wore a faceless mask.

An inquisitor.

Hesh stood, took off his ceremonial sword and handed it to a maid, removed his jacket with the ribbons and threw it over a chair. All he wore was his trousers and white undershirt. He took a bottle by, popped the cork, filled the glass, and took a swig. The burning liquid forced him to focus.

“Alright, Morek. Tell me what's bothering you.”

“Loyalty,” Morek said, his eyes studying him keenly.

“Do you question my loyalty?” Hesh asked simply. There was no reason to couch his words now.

“I don't know.”

“What makes you doubt me?”

Morek threw back his glass and drained it. He then wildly gestured at the guards who exited along with the shimmering forms of the cloaked angels. In the end it was just Hesh, the emperor, the inquisitor and two maids. A rather beautiful maid with long golden hair stood by the emperor's side. She wore a gold collar that told Hesh she was the arch-maid for her cohort. She deftly filled his cup again.

“Hesh. We have been friends since childhood. You jumped into that raging river to save me when we were twelve. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your staunch support.”

Hesh Avernell remained silent.

“So, answer me this, Hesh. Answer me as the friend you have claimed you are.”

He finished another glass which was filled again.

“Are you having your way with my wife in your bed?”

Silence. Only the labored drunken breathing could be heard in the private dining room. Hesh threw back and drained his own glass and then looked at the emperor, his friend, straight in his eyes.

“Yes.”

Morek's eyes gleamed at the answer. He shifted and pointed at his friend from across the table.

“Are you after my throne?”

“No.”

“How can you prove it?” Morek asked.

“Only my word and the solemn oath of my House to your own. Avernell will always stand with Vaesh.” Morek slammed his fist on the table making utensils dance.

“That's what Orbet Klav said, and he tried to take the throne for himself. I had to forsake his entire house. Do you understand? I signed the death warrant for the slaughter of innocent men, women, and children because he tried to betray me. And he also claimed his word.”

Hesh's voice was hard and dark. It cut through the drunken stupor of the man who had so much guilt on his shoulders.

“I am NOT Klav.”

Morek and Hesh locked eyes and neither once waivered. The silence was loud, and Hesh could feel the buzz of the alcohol. Finally, Morek leaned back and let out a long, deep sigh.

“I believe you, Hesh. Everything you have ever done has always been to better my house or ours together. I just...I just needed to see if you would still be honest with me. I... I was prepared to kill you.”

“I know,” Hesh answered relaxing as he watched the Inquisitor leave. If they were leaving that meant he was safe.

“And you still told me the truth. Directly. To my face,” Morek laughed. “You looked me directly in the eye and admitted you're enjoying the empress’ beauty and didn't even bat an eye.”

“I swore to you to tell the truth no matter what when you ascended the throne,” Hesh admitted filling the glass and trying to steady his shaking hand.

“And you going to apologize for taking a man's wife?”

“No.”

Morek's eyebrow went up in a mixture of humor and disbelief.

“I apologize that it led you to believe that I was coming after your throne. That was never my intent.”

Morek laughed and waved his hand. “I know. Your bluntness is refreshing. All the polite words from the others and then there’s you. You tell me straight to my face. I've known you had an affair with Cilia before we were married, and I thank you.”

“You thank me? I'm the one confused now.”

“Cilia has needs. Needs I can't fulfill.”

“Morek.”

“I'm dying, Hesh. It's a matter of three or four years.”

The silence was back. Hesh Avernell knew about the emperor’s health issues but the diagnosis was new. He stared at the young man across from him.

“I knew you had some health issues, Morek…”

“It’s Eruk’s disease.”

With those words, everything came into focus. The emperor’s behavior, the fact he had gone from being an active individual to rarely being seen outside the walls and other small things.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Morek responded staring at his glass. “We always knew, we just kept it a secret. People with Eruk’s disease can live until the early sixties but mine seems to be accelerating. My DNA is tearing itself apart and you know it’s terminal. I’m not going to make thirty.”

“That’s why you were harsh with the Klavs,” Hesh mused.

“I was harsh with the Klavs because they were damnable traitors. Orbet declared it in front of all of us,” Morek snarled but then calmed himself. “But I do see what you mean. Yes. I expect Cilia to take my place when I die.”

“And?”

Morek sat back and steepled his hands in front of him as he stared at the plate of untouched food. The Arch-maid gently rested her hand on his shoulder which made him sigh and pat her hand as if it was comforting. Hesh tried to school his expression to remain neutral, but Morek saw it in his eyes. “I’m a horrible husband, aren’t I?” he asked.

“The life of an emperor is busy—”

“Hesh.”

“You are a horrible husband, Morek.”

Morek leaned forward, grabbed a piece of cheese, and nibbled on it as he thought.

“I knew I was not a good husband. I knew it before I was even married but it was expecting of me to marry the oldest daughter of House Brevet. At first, I was able to give her the attention she wanted but as the burdens of ruling got heavier and my health began to decline, I couldn’t. So, she went searching for you.”

Baron Avernell remained silent as he also picked up a spiced cracker and placed some jelly on it with the silver knife.

“Now, I find myself too exhausted to move some days. As you know, Cilia is quite…active.”

A smile crossed Hesh’s face before he could stop himself and Morek laughed and pointed at him. “See! I knew you’d laugh at that. Now, I rule from my throne room, my dining room, or my bedroom. Aetev has been wonderful in taking care of me on my bad days. She’s even taken good care of me when I have the energy for anything recreational.”

For anyone outside of Hesh and Morek, there would have been horrified expressions. Even the arch-maid, though her eyes were cast down in obedience as expected for her position, her face was beat red with the emperor admitting so casually she joined him in bed. The emperor was the epitome of power and though there was fluidity with bonded servants, the emperor was never to. It not only opened the possibility of an illegitimate heir if one was not careful, but it also put a target on the maid in question by the emperor’s enemies. The appropriate thing he should have done was request a concubine from the Scarlet Order. But who was Hesh to judge the emperor? He had just admitted he was having an affair with the Empress.

“Hesh, my friend. When my time comes, I want you to protect my family. I want you to back Cilia when she comes to the throne. She’s going to be terrified and needs a hand to help her. A hand that wouldn’t put their own personal or house goals in front of her.”

“You have always had that oath,” Hesh responded vehemently.

“It’s a lot to ask, Hesh. I know I’m being a horrible friend. To put on your shoulders the survival of two houses for no reward. The humans may become more aggressive, the Drull are eyeing the southern border again, and the Aten’kara Theocracy have begun probing the buffer zone.”

Morek let out a sigh as he finally finished off the bottle he had been working on when Hesh had arrived.

“You have my word.

Morek smiled genuinely for the first time since the High Baron had arrived.

“Alright. Let’s eat and talk like the old days before we remember our places,” Morek cheered.

And they did.