A Soldier's Life - 388 - Epilogue

Chapter 388: Epilogue Renna’s Fate

The babe in the crib started to get fussy, and the sun had only set a few hours ago. “Flora!” Renna called for her attendant. Emperor Octavius had allowed her three attendants, only women. But she only requested one that she thought she could trust. Flora had been in training with the Truthseekers, having recently imprinted her discern truth spell form, and was eager to be freed from her training. 

Flora had shared with her some of the Truthseeker profession's revulsions. During her training, she had interrogated some of the most foul individuals for crimes so despicable that she lost her faith in humanity. To make matters worse, Truthseekers only recorded the responses to their questions during interrogations, but her superiors edited those final reports. They wouldn’t alter the content but typically abbreviated the report, omitting critical responses to fit the narrative desired by the First Citizens. The whole process had made Flora nauseous.

Flora finally came into the room, her eyes just as blurry as Renna’s. “Empress, he will be hungry—again. I will get the heavy cream.”

“Don’t call me that. Not even in private,” Renna hissed at her only friend in the world.

Flora flushed guiltily. Renna was the Empress, but Octavius hated people calling her that in his presence. He did not like to share the title, even though Renna had no power, because no one would obey her commands. “Sorry, Renna,” she said, bowing in deference. “Would you prefer being called High Mage?” Flora said with a smirk. Renna rolled her eyes like Eryk used to do. 

She didn’t expect adulation from Flora as she wanted a friend, not a sycophant, and that title stung a bit. As a wedding gift, Emperor Octavius had named Renna the High Mage of Fire, a title reserved for the strongest fire mage in the Empire. A title once held by Zyna. Now she was trying to live up to the title, learning as many powerful fire spells as possible, but she was still far from Zyna’s talent level. There were probably two or three other fire mages who deserved the title more than her, but she was determined to surpass them with time.

Renna snapped her fingers as she slid out of bed. “I will feed Cicero myself, no auroch milk today. Bring him to me,” she said, sitting in the chair and uncovering her breast. She guided the infant to his meal and cradled him as he ate. Renna had drained herself practicing her new spells. She would not have bothered to wake Flora if she had not been so exhausted. She was mentally, physically, and magically fatigued, and her three-month-old son didn’t seem to care. 

She didn’t think she would love the child, but once Cicero was born, he quickly grew on her, and she could dare say she loved him despite his father. It helped that Octavius cared nothing for the boy, so she had him all to herself—at least until he was old enough to be assessed. If he had powerful affinities, then her husband might take more interest.

At least Emperor Octavius had given her a reprieve from his bed to tend to Cicero for a year. It was not as terrible a union as she had feared when she had been forced to wed the Emperor. The sex was usually brief and transactional. He was somewhat aggressive, but only to assert dominance. Renna surmised he was intimidated by her mastery of magic and wanted to be in control.

In private, Renna knew the surviving First Citizens in the Imperial Palace, thought Octavius’ guidance of the Empire was chaotic and pandering. He tried to punish enemies and appease allies. In the meetings she attended, he always reacted to problems instead of being proactive and noticing issues before they festered. 

She only made the mistake once of suggesting increasing salt imports before the fall auroch culling since Tsinga had reduced shipments by half three months prior. Octavius had called her a fool, but his mistake had forced ranchers to smoke vast quantities of meat, some still spoiled, and salt was scarce in the Empire for three months before traders arrived to relieve the demand.

No matter how much she plastered on a smile in his presence for self-preservation, she despised the man who ruled the Telhian Empire. To him, Renna was nothing but a symbol of power and a threat he could have standing behind him during council meetings, foreign audiences, and displays of magic confidence for the legionnaires and the army.

Cicero had fallen asleep, and Renna carefully swaddled him to avoid waking him. She whispered to Flora, who had remained, “What audiences will be called in the morning?” Renna inquired. Since she had not been required to attend tomorrow's meetings, she knew no foreign powers were meeting with Octavius. He never turned her away when she showed up. 

Flora set Cicero to sleep before answering. “First Citizen Ona is petitioning to take over the Hounds again. There is to be a discussion on whether anyone is worthy enough to be named the Eternal High Mage.” As Flora listed off some more of the planned audiences, Renna frowned. She recalled the assassination of the Eternal High Mage had almost resulted in a coup in Octavius’ fragile hold on the Empire. The mage’s identity had been a secret as he was responsible for keeping the Emperor’s physical body young and a select few of his closest allies. 

Emperor Octavius had gone into a rage at the news and blamed Eternal High Mage’s death on the machinations of someone called Antonia Segreto. He screamed that even from her grave, she was plotting against him. Without the Eternal High Mage, Octavius almost lost his control over his allies and had been forced to purge a few. Renna grimaced as that had been the first time he had ordered her to kill someone in the Emperor’s Hall.

First Citzen Greco Vitus. She would never forget the name or his face as he raged before Emperor Octavius over broken promises when Emperor Octavius stood and yelled, “Enough! If you do not stand with me, then your ashes can fertilize my Empire!” He had turned to Renna and nodded with the most malicious grin she had ever seen on a man—a grin of a man wielding her destructive power.

The immolate spell targets a person’s aether and catalyzes it into heat—the more a mage had, the faster they burned. Overcoming a person’s resistance was never easy, but Renna’s affinity for fire was stronger than most people’s resistance. Greco looked alarmed as realization flared and then tried to scream, but nothing came out, as the air in his lungs ignited and burned his vocal cords instantly. He did flail in pain for a few seconds—even flinging off some globs of burning flesh around the hall. Everyone in the chamber was shocked into silence. That was the first, but she had been called on twice more since, and each time it got easier for her.

The next morning, Renna dressed in her shimmering red robes of her station and left Cicero with Flora as she attended the morning audiences. Two legionnaires flanked her outside the door. They were not hers, but assured her that another would not sully Octavius’ wife. The Emperor’s Hall was already bustling with people eager to seek his favor. A magnificent throne of gold and platinum adorned one end of the Hall.

Renna approached the throne and moved past it to settle into a smaller chair set slightly back on the right. She used to have to stand the entire time, but when she became pregnant, the chair had been introduced, and it has not been removed since. 

The assembled people began to get restless, as Emperor Octavius was frequently late, especially to morning audiences. He eventually strode into the hall, sweat from his morning workout still on his skin. He wore no crown or sign of his station as he sank into his seat and didn’t acknowledge her. She was only his tool to be called on when needed. An attendant poured him some cold water, and he sipped slowly, taking in everyone in the room. 

That was the man’s only redeeming quality in Renna’s mind—he never drank in public. Some say it was because he poisoned his own brother’s wine, but she heard it as the other way around. His brother had tried to poison him and nearly killed him. The only certain fact, was that his brother was now dead.

“Centurian Kaius,” Octavius rumbled. “I hope you have good news for me today.” Renna didn’t fail to notice First Citizen Ona smirking in the assembled group. It was clear she knew he did not have good news.

“The Caliphate Pathfinders have been expunged from the Western Empire,” the Centurian said with weak confidence.

“Expunged? Or do you mean they are fortifying the territory they have already taken?” Octavius asked impatiently.

“I believe the Pathfinders have been pulled back to deal with the trolls from the Agorian Swamp,” Centurion Kaius conceded. “The Caliphate is over-extended.” Renna’s blood boiled at the mention of the Orcs. They had killed Eryk when he was a Hound.

Octavius waved his hand, “What of the expedition to Gramney? My attendant said they have returned.” He leaned forward in his seat, a smile on his face.

Centurian Kaius recoiled slightly as he delivered the bad news. “Mage Castile lives.” He said bluntly. Renna didn’t need to see Octavius’ face to know he was angry. “The Hounds were overwhelmed as Castile’s company remains strong.”

“Strong?” Octavius raged. “Strong?” she spat. “Reports said she has three legionnaires left!”

“Not true! The Hound sent to kill her, reported Konstantin has rejoined her and her porter as well,” Kaius quickly replied. Renna’s head twitched at the mention of the porter. Castile’s porter had been killed. She had seen the death roles from the battle.

As she was puzzling it out, the shouting match continued. “I thought you sent a Pack after Konstantin? Why does he still live as well?” Octavius stood and stalked forward. Kaius stood his ground as Octavius screamed into his face.

“We are training Hounds as fast as we can, but we lost our most experienced…”

Renna did something she rarely did; she interrupted and asked a question. “What are the names of the legionnaires with Castile?” Her question had caught everyone in the hall off guard.

Octavius's rage was still there, but after studying Renna for a moment, he turned to the Centurion. “Tell her. My wife has asked a question of you.”

Centurion Kaius was unprepared and had to send a runner for a document. Curious looks passed between the hundred-plus assembled in the Hall. The stoic, frozen legionnaires surrounded the outer walls. If Octavius wished, he could command the slaughter of everyone here.

The runner returned with what was clearly a Hound report. Renna had seen them before. He unfurled the document and quickly scanned it. “Lirkin Amata was likely killed in the attempt on Castile. The Pack Alpha lists the legionnaires as Benito Vesta, Mateo Evander, Konstantin Silvanus, and Eryk Marko.” 

Renna’s heart dropped. She felt lightheaded as she struggled to focus on the conversation. Seeing that she was satisfied, Octavian continued to berate the Centurian. Renna became numb to her surroundings as First Citizen Ona made her bold move to be named the Centurian for Hounds. If Renna could have objected, she would have, but this was part of some orchestrated play. Whatever Ona had given her uncle to take over the Hounds, this time it was enough. After sufficient “deliberation” and reasoning aloud by the Emperor, Ona was given the mantle and responsibility of the Hounds.

Before today, she had tried many times but lacked both military experience and leadership, and frankly, male genitalia. No woman had ever been a Hound or been in charge of their operations in the history of the Empire. It made Renna sick to see Ona happy. Even more so that she thought the woman would be good at the job. With her powerful mind magic, ruthless nature, and intelligence, she was probably a better choice than anyone else in the room.

The rest of the meetings proceeded as Renna stewed in her seat, conveniently ignored. She knew she would eventually have to answer questions about her outburst, but for now, she was wrestling with her own feelings. 

How could Eryk be alive? Was the Hound report wrong? Zyna had told her that Eryk had died before the final battle with the Empire—she blocked out much of that horrible day. When the session was called, she numbly returned to her quarters under escort. Flora was rocking Cicero but immediately picked up on Renna’s mood.

“What happened?” Flora asked worriedly.

Renna sat on the edge of her bed, numbly. “Eryk might be alive.” A sequence of emotions played across Flora’s face: happiness, disbelief, and doubt.

“He would have come back for you if he were,” Flora said tentatively. She knew that was what Renna had wanted to hear. Renna just nodded numbly as that had been her first thought, too.

“Can you watch Cicero tonight? I need some time alone, and I suspect the Emperor may call me to answer some questions,” Renna said, regaining herself. She was stronger than this.

“Is there a problem?” Flora asked worriedly.

Renna smiled. “Don’t worry. I just asked a question. I am too valuable for such a minor disturbance to get me disciplined.” In fact, she had never been disciplined in all her time. The Empire needed her more with each passing month, and the threats grew.

It was not until late in the evening when she was finally summoned. Octavian might be ineffectual as an emperor, but he never forgot a slight, no matter how small. Her escort took him to his chambers, opened the massive tace wood doors and then closed them behind her with a thud.

The palatial bedroom smelled of raw sex, not that she expected the Emperor to be faithful to her. Octavian emerged from the washroom, wet and wearing a light brown toga. He didn’t even acknowledge her as he prepared for his slumber. She was surprised there were no attendants in the room. Even when he had taken her, there had been attendants. Was he actually starting to trust her more?

She waited for him to speak. The fool was trying to build tension, but Renna was not so easily manipulated, especially after she had reflected on Eryk’s absence. He had once told her that if she ever wanted to stop being manipulated, she would have to become the Emperor herself.

“What interest do you have in Castile?” Octavius finally asked.

She was prepared to answer, “I once traveled with her company on a griffin hunt. I was curious who among them lived.”

“You recall the legionnaires?” he asked, finally turning to her. Was that a hint of jealousy? Was that what this was about? How had she asked the question—yes, maybe, there had been a longing in her voice.

“I do. I was young and told to learn how to command men by High Mage Dacian from Castile,” Renna replied smoothly.

“You couldn’t learn anything useful from that woman. She was a traitor to the Empire.” His hypocrisy was not lost on Renna.

“Is that all?” Renna asked patiently.

“From this day forth, you will only attend my counsel when summoned.” He said, waving his hand in dismissal. That stung, and Renna didn’t realize that she actually looked forward to sitting in on audiences. It was the only interaction she had with anyone outside of Flora. Even though the Empire was on a knife’s edge, she had been privy to everything that was happening, not just in the Empire, but outside of it. 

“What is to become of Cicero?” Renna asked, not leaving.

“Hopefully, the boy will have formidable magic and can master it and be a sword of the Empire. I have six other sons who are much better positioned to lead an Empire. Perhaps you are ready for another child already?” Octavius said with his crooked, sinister smile. Renna’s stomach churned and cramped, but her face remained impassive. 

Renna tilted her head slightly into a nod, “Yes. I understand completely. I will bathe and return quickly.” She was worried he would say she didn’t need to bathe, but he nodded slightly, surprised. Renna hurried to her room and wet her hair as she prepared and changed her clothes. She ordered Flora to stay in her room with Cicero. 

When Renna returned to the Emperor’s chamber, she was relieved he was still alone. She had hurried in hopes that it would be the case. Octavius was at his desk reading a letter and looked surprised at her haste. “Should I come back later?” Renna asked, pausing.

“Eager are you?” he snickered in his own hubris, removing his clothes.

The Emperor never saw the blade fall that night. It was the blade Eryk had given her, featherlight until it struck an object and hit like a broadsword. It still took two swings before his head was freed from his body. The bed linens were rapidly soaking with the blood of the last Emperor of the Telhian Empire. Renna had taken her fate into her own hands; now, she just needed to navigate the aftermath.

In the following days, she found a most surprising ally, Ona. Flora and Renna questioned her at length before placing any trust in her. First Citizen Ona not only helped her wrangle control inside the Imperial Palace but also proved adept at directing the Hounds. The cost of her loyalty was the death of her twin brother, Cashius. There was something very dark between the two of them, and Ona finally got her revenge.

Renna was going to have to fight hard if she wanted to remain the first Empress of the Telhian Empire. No one was coming to save her.

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