Enlightened Empire

*The room certainly doesn’t look like a prison.*

Those were the first words which popped into the crown prince’s mind after the heavy oaken door had been slammed shut behind him. To the sound of scraping metal on metal from the other side of the gate, he observed his new cell. Dry, clean walls covered in plaster, clean wooden floor, an elevated bed... he even had a chair. Although the furnishing might be considered spartan by most standards, Corco was relieved. To put him in a room like this meant that his captors were treating him like a noble, so they should not be stupid enough to just kill him and damn the consequences. Relieved, Corco placed the chair opposite the bed. After he had taken a seat on the latter, he waited for his jailer to arrive.

After a good while of boredom, the prince once again heard the metal bolt’s movement. Finally, he found the source of information he had been looking for since his landing. With a confident gait, a well-dressed man followed the in-swinging door into the room. He had a height of almost two meters, wore a yellow and red patterned silk tunic and was bedecked with rings, gauntlets and earrings in silver and gold all over.

Used to the feeling of superiority, the man’s calm eyes looked down on Corco in a self-assured manner. While the gray streaks in his long black hair were proof of his age, his straight posture and elegant demeanor belied any impact the years might have had on his physique, just like they belied any dishonorable thoughts Corco’s captor might have ever had. For a while, prisoner and jailer, quietly measuring their opposite. Finally, the first to open his mouth was the prisoner.

"How nice of you to join me. Please have a seat."

As he moved towards the already prepared chair, Corco’s captor said:

"Prince Corco, allow me to introduce myself. I am..."

"Quintus Apiliotus Saliena, lord of the Ceros Estate and Governor of the East. We’ve met. Seven years ago. I’m not surprised you don’t remember. After all, who would waste his thoughts on a dead man?"

Despite Corco’s harsh accusations, the captor didn’t even twitch as he sat down on his chair.

"I am very glad prince is healthy. I hope my overzealous servant did no harm."

Corco suppressed a small smile. After all, this was the exact same excuse he had predicted.

"You’re a smart man, leaving your goons outside." After a good few seconds of silence, Corco answered.

"Goons?" For the first time today, Lord Saliena raised his brows, surprised by the unfamiliar term.

"Your men."

"I simply wanted Prince to feel safe," a smile came back.

"True. Though this way, you can also make sure that nothing we say is overheard by anyone. So how about we cut the nonsense about overzealous servants and best intentions and whatever else you’ve got prepared and start talking straight instead." For a while longer, Corco observed his opposite, until he had made sure that he hadn’t offended the lord with his little outburst. Only then did he continue.

"So what’s going on here? I’m dead, supposedly, just like the emperor. Meanwhile, with no ruler on the throne, someone is still making new laws in Arguna. What is happening in the capital and what happened to my father?"

"Ha ha, of course prince would not understand after being away for so long." Saliena leaned back in his chair. "As is customary, the elders of the ancestral hall will soon announce their nomination for the next emperor. The royal family has already called a noble assembly in the capital, to confirm their nomination. Unfortunately, I had to send my son to represent the Ceros Estate and House Saliena, as I still had business to attend to here. Prince should have noticed by now, since the business involves Prince himself. As for your father?"

Lips curled and raised, Saliena made no secret of his contempt.

"The emperor ’suddenly and mysteriously’ died two seasons ago. While concrete details would not reach this far from the capital, the rumors of an illness and natural death are clear nonsense. No man with that many enemies dies a natural death. Especially enemies so close to him."

In response Corco’s eyes turned sharp as knives.

"You should be careful with what you say, or today you’ll make another enemy yourself. I dare you to insult my family again."

Despite Corco’s best attempt at strength, his threat simply pearled off the accused’s perfect smile.

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"I apologize for my rudeness, Prince Corco. Truly. However, I remember Prince as a smart man. None of these insinuations should ring untrue."

Without a doubt, Saliena implied an involvement of the royal family in the emperor’s death. However, Corco wouldn’t even consider a thought this monstrous. No matter how cheap some members of his family were, they were still his own blood after all.

"Nonsense. Who would it be? I know Spuria is kind of a bitch, but she begged her own father to become father’s second wife. There’s no way she’d kill her husband after having three of his kids."

In return, the Lord of Ceros only offered a mysterious smile, so Corco decided to dig further. It was either that or a swift slap in the face. For now, talking seemed like the safer option.

"So what exactly was your plan here? Kill me to make sure I don’t reach the capital and get nominated by the elders? Are you trying to imply that Spuria has you in her pocket? Or maybe it’s my good brother Amautu, huh? That one was always pretty full of himself."

Finally, the jailer showed a reaction to his prisoner’s probe. Angered, he narrowed his eyes just the smallest amount. Even so, his face had returned to normal moments later, before his answer had even begun.

"The Lord of Ceros is in no one’s pocket, boy. And why would I be. There is ample reason for me to hold you here. It is in my own family’s interests, after all. No, instead, you should worry about your own family’s integrity. The outsiders from the east and the west have come and talked to your brothers. Not only have they spoken, they have also brought ample gifts. Prince Amautu now supports the western Chutwa Empire and your Prince Pachacutec supports the eastern barbarians of Arcavia. They are the ones fighting for the throne... and I know quite a few of the eastern houses hate the outsiders, or any change, with a passion, but House Saliena, and the Governor of the East, think farther."

Out of nowhere, the governor stood up and walked over to the tiny window in Corco’s cell.

"Just look at Porcero, the former pearl of the east. After years of nothing but tradition and honor we have been reduced to a run-down fishing village, nothing more. The supposed center of the eastern kingdom and yet the mansions in the inner city stand abandoned by the noble houses which used to call them their homes. Once one of your brothers takes the silver crown, any of them, really, all those outsiders will want to do trade through Medala. Whether that is Chutwa to Arcavia or the other way round will not matter. They will all come here, the greatest port of the east. And they will bring their goods and their wealth with them. Like it once was half a millennium ago, Ceros Castle will once again become the center of Yakuallpa; and House Saliena will return to its rightful status."

"And leave the country to the outsiders in return?" Corco sneered.

"Who cares about outsiders? Our own ancestors came from the eastern lands, from Arcavia." Still calm, Saliena turned back around and returned to his seat. However, Corco wouldn’t let his cheap excuse go.

"Yeah, those ancestors came here because they were being hunted by the same fucking people you’re inviting in now. It sure is convenient for you to forget that, or all that Yaku blood you and everyone else in this place has."

Confronted with two taboos at once, the lord began to shuffle in his chair, uncomfortable for the first time. Even so, Corco wasn’t done yet.

"And unless you forget: I’ve been there, in Arcavia. I know the people your servants call ’honored guests’. Once those zealots with their crazy doctrine have sunk their hooks into the empire, they’ll devour it whole, and your little fishing village with it. At that point, there will be no way back. You had a nice plan going, but it won’t happen. You can’t kill me, not anymore. Since there were witnesses from other estates to see my arrest, everyone in this city already knows I’m in here, and soon everyone in the east will. That means you can’t touch me unless you want to oppose every noble family in the empire."

Confronted with Corco’s claim, the lord only smiled, calm again now that he didn’t have to consider his own heritage anymore. "Indeed. However, I can hold Prince Corco however long I wish for, as an honored guest of course. Once Prince Amautu or Prince Pachacutec become emperor, your status will cease to matter, as will your life."

"So you have it all planned out then." Corco’s reply was curt, mostly out of disinterest, but Saliena seemed to interpret his lack of reaction as an admission of defeat.

"There is no need to be in low spirits, Prince Corco. As soon as Prince set foot on Porcero’s piers, there really was not much to be done. This is my land after all. Prince never had a chance."

"Then why did you even come here to my cell, jailer? You wanna show off?"

"Simple curiosity I suppose. For example:" Lord Saliena reached into his long sleeve and extracted a small, metallic box. "By all the stars in the sky I cannot fathom what might be the use of this utensil. Would prince enlighten me?"

With a sly smile, Corco took the box from Lord Saliena, amused by Saliena’s unintentional joke. With flourish, the prince pushed open the top of the box and placed his thumb on the revealed metallic wheel at the top.

"It’s a lighter," Corco explained. "Kerosene as fuel and a wheel lock mechanism as ignition. An upgrade on flint and steel if you will. I haven’t tried selling them yet, just thought it was nice and fitting. Me bearing fire as I return home."

Focused on the contraption rather than his audience, the prince pressed down his thumb to spin the wheel and open the valve. Sparks flew from the wheel’s friction against the pyrite and ignited the released kerosene in an instant. Thus, a flame had started to burn between the two men.

"I bring with me much more than just my birthright. I have ships filled with men and materials. We have acquired knowledge and ideas far beyond your understanding. With them, we will create a paradise in these lands, like no place before and no place thereafter. As Medala becomes the center of the world, we will bring forth a golden age that will make every man, woman and child on it merry, wealthy, learned and free beyond your wildest dreams."

Just for a moment, Corco paused his speech for effect. He had practiced it more than enough times when he was at sea after all.

"Of course that includes you, Lord Quintus Saliena. What do you think?"

With nothing but a short puff of air, Saliena put out the flame in his front.

"I would rather be wealthy by myself," he said in a dry voice, "The thing about dreams is that they are far too easy to extinguish. I am afraid yours will end here as well, dear Prince."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Yes, please enter!" Corco called with a strange smile on his face, against his jailer’s wishes.

Under the displeased look of Lord Saliena, one of the Ceros Castle guards entered the cell and, with a frightened stare at the young Prince Corco, whispered a message into his lord’s ear. The more he heard, the more color drained from the lord’s face, until it was as white as the snows of the southern wilderness. Enraged, Saliena held his warrior’s tunic and screamed in his face.

"You best be truthful in your words or I will have your head, servant! That can’t be!"

Rather than wait out the fun play before him, Corco was giddy to get himself involved, so he chimed in.

"Haha, of course Lord Saliena would not understand after being in my room for so long. They sure took their time though. Shall we go and take a look ourselves?"

With a kind look on his face, Corco, the new master of the room, asked his guest to follow him out, before he walked past the guards and out of the door. No one tried to stop him.

__________________________

As always, the view from atop the balustrade of Ceros Castle was breathtaking. That was the first thing Quintus thought as he stepped next to the young prince and looked out into the distance. Since the castle was built at the westernmost point of Porcero, from here he could see the entire town in all its former glory. Right at the foot of the castle’s hilltop he could find the Porcero’s large yard, built for his warrior’s assembly and as a court for him to pass his noble judgment on the guilty.

Beyond the castle walls Saliena found the inner city, in past times the center of eastern culture, but now home only to his own warriors and servants. These days, lords would visit their city mansions only occasionally, preferring to stay in their own estates, or in the Medalan capital of Arguna. The outer city still looked lively, but became more and more unsightly the closer one got to the water, where the rabble would congregate no matter what he did to drive them away. Of course, at this moment, the most unsightly view among the disgusting far side of Porcero were the two dozen or so ships which had anchored at or, for a lack of space, near the harbor. Seeing his old and brittle city contrasted against the new and imposing fleet forced a deep sigh out of Quintus Saliena.

"It seems this Lord cannot keep you as a guest much longer, Prince Corco."

"I guess you thought I was bluffing with the men and materials thing. It’s fine though, this should be enough to convince you."

"Who is to say we cannot hold out in here for several weeks? Ceros Castle has never been taken," Quintus probed. House Saliena was an ancient, respected force within Medala. He wouldn’t go down without a fight and disappoint his ancestors.

"Here? With how run down your entire town is, how many proper warriors can you actually afford? Five hundred? Maybe eight? And how many of those have already moved to Arguna, waiting to sell a favor to whoever ends up as the new emperor? Not to mention, we don’t even need to storm this little castle of yours. No one is going to use your port if my men just go and burn the entire town to the ground. The thing’s already falling apart as is. If you don’t play nice, we can just help the decay along a bit. Then the trading ships of Arcavia will just have to go a bit further south and make another porttown lord rich."

Once again the brat dared to threaten him! In his head, Quintus was furious, but outwardly, he still kept his calm. He had learned quite early that getting emotional never helped in politics. It was the reason he could become the lord of House Saliena even though he was the fifth born his generation, the reason he had beaten out competition from his four useless brothers. He found solace in the thought that at least when it came to self-control, Quintus was far ahead of his opponent, who seemed to get angry and happy in the blink of an eye, without any restraint. For now, however, no amount of composure would help him win this battle. For now, he would have to retreat.

"Then Prince and his men will have to dispense with the hospitality of House Saliena. I hope we did not cause a misunderstanding," Quintus said with a smile.

"No rush," Prince Corco returned the smile right back, though his was much more genuine in nature. "There are still things we have to discuss. How about we find somewhere to sit? And have your people bring some writing utensils too, we’ll have to sign a few contracts I think."

"Of course. This way please." Quintus kept his smile, determined to not give in to any blackmail. No one would trample the Saliena family honor like that, no matter the size of their navy.

__________________________

"That is all?"

For the second time in a day, Quintus was surprised.

"What else could I possibly want from you, Lord Saliena?" Corco looked at him with raised eyebrows, before he once more showed his harmless smile.

"Still, a plot of land in Porcero? Is that all?" Once more he repeated his question, in the hopes that the prince would explain his strange request further. At least in this matter, Prince Corco met Saliena’s expectations.

"I’ll even pay you for it. I believe that there can only be peace if there is mutual interest and mutual advantage between the parties. Plus, I don’t want to punish you just out of petty revenge. All I want from you is the right to buy land in your town, that’s it."

"Of course, I can give Prince a mansion for free if he wishes."

Even though Corco wasn’t favored, a prince settling down in Porcero would at least send a signal of the town’s rise to the other nobles. However, the prince immediately crushed Lord Saliena’s hopes and dreams with a wagging finger.

"I think you misunderstood. I don’t want to live here, I want to do business. As I’ve said, we have lots of men and materials on our ships. I need enough land along the harbor to store all that cargo, at least for the time being. Oh, I also wanna buy at least one workshop, preferably near the harbor and close to my new warehouses... and of course I’ll need a store inside the inner city walls, so my customers can peruse my wares. If you have to give me something for free, just count that shop as a mansion, thank you very much."

"...since Prince needs so much land, the cost needs to be calculated in a proper manner."

With the size of his fleet, Corco would have a hard time storing his goods anywhere else along the east coast, so there was no competition. Considering the size of the sale, Quintus saw a chance to make some money off of the obviously wealthy returnee.

"Of course; and if the price is fair, I might just forget about the attempt on my life."

However, with the size of his fleet, Corco now owned the strongest navy on the east coast, so Quintus made the wise decision to play fair.

"Of course. This lord has no interest in material possessions. Though I wonder what exactly Prince intends to do with all of this land. It sounds like prince is working as a merchant? That is... unusual."

"Yeah, I get it. Merchants aren’t popular," Corco replied with a dismissive tone and a wave of his hand. As a result, Quintus felt obliged to educate the prince.

"Leeches and Parasites, that’s all they are. How could a member of House Pluritac..."

"I’m not interested in money," Corco interrupted, "if that’s what you mean."

"Was that not the case?"

"Of course not. Trade is important for ideas to spread and for countries to have good relations. I don’t care if I lose money so long as I can promote trade. Plus, we need to replace this increased role the Arcavian merchants seem to be playing in Medala. I just don’t want to leave the future of my country in the hands of men who will bleed it dry if they ever get the chance. I’d rather see our future in our own hands. Not only do I want to establish a stable trade route across the Weltalic Sea to the Arcavian continent, I also want to see trade increase up and down the coastline. Especially up and down the coast actually... and it’ll all end up here. Every grain of rice, every roll of cloth, every pot and pan and every piece of silver. In time, you will come to see that your goals and my goals are entirely compatible."

"In that case, this Lord will look forward to it."

Somewhat freed of his previous reservations, Quintus put on a politician’s smile and took out the city map, to decide on which plots to sell. Although he wouldn’t be able to fleece this prince, there was still much to skim from a man who hadn’t been on home soil in seven years.

__________________________

Armed with a content smile and some signed and sealed documents, Corco came out into the yard, where Fadelio and his other men had already waited for him. They were disarmed, but looked otherwise unfazed by the events of the past few hours. Since Saliena had been so kind as to release the initial messenger as well, they had even added another man to their ranks.

"Master Corco, what happened?" As soon as he as his master came exit the castle, Fadelio came forward, a worried frown on his face. Of course Corco brushed the question off right away.

"No worries... rather, what happened with you guys?"

"They wouldn’t dare touch us. Not after master’s simple speech intimidated their whole army." With a grin, the warrior’s worries disappeared, to Corco’s satisfaction.

"Good. I have learned quite a few things from Saliena... and we even made a little profit on the side." Swinging his newly acquired deeds in Fadelio’s vague direction, Corco continued. "Things in Medala look quite a bit different from what we thought. It seems like we need to change our plans."

"Yes, Master."

As usual, Fadelio became earnest once matters were pressing, and obeyed command without question. He motioned towards the mercenaries, who shouldered their packed up weapons and armors in response. Once they were positioned around their employer to guarantee his safety, they followed Corco out of the opened yard, back towards the harbor. As the setting sun painted the world red and threw the shadow of Ceros Castle onto their backs, they made their path towards the assembled fleet, down the same road they had come before.