Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 38: First session(2)

All eyes in the grand chamber were fixed upon her, their collective gaze following her every move with attention. Each step she took reverberated through the silence of the hall, echoing off the polished marble floors and ascending to the ears of those seated in the front rows.

Accompanying Valeria were the stoic figures of the imperial guards, standing both at her side and that the young emperor.

As Valeria approached her son, she paused,and with grace, she took her seat upon the smaller throne positioned slightly behind and to the side of the emperor's, an acknowledgment of her temporary role as regent.

Mesha, the young emperor, cast a nervous glance in her direction,anxiousness was in his gaze as he felt the stare of hundreds of people on him alone

For a fleeting moment, mother and son shared a silent exchange,before Valeria stared ahead.

He must learn on his own, was the thought that came to her head , no one likes an indecesive ruler,and there would be no way that his son would be one.

As the smell of the herbs burnt the previous week lingered towards her nose,she decided to commence the first session. She raised her hand, with the same gravitas one would have when declaring a charge towards the eneme and finally brought it down.

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Immediately after she did so , someone stood up from the back rows ,and walked out of his seat down the stairs.He was old, his head was bald, his face filled with wrinkles and he shivered so much that the empress feared that a small wind would blow his ones away like dust.

The man walked down using a cane, as two slaves stood at his side. His cane thundered on the stony ground with each step. After the fourth, he stopped a bit to breath and then started walking again.

'We are going to start by late evening if the old bone stop every two seconds ' Valeria thought as she turned to his son, who was watching the scene with a bored expression. Luckily this was to be a one-time thing . The old man in question , since he was the oldest man in the room was given , as per tradition the role of 'Senex Arundus' whose job was that of basically mantaining order inside the council beating his cane in the ground each time he wanted silence .

'Always if he does not break his hips coming down those stairs', she wanted to order his guards to grab the old man grab and move him to his seat, but she knew this was the traditional march that each Senex Arundus must do the first time they are given the title.And since Valeria wanted to picture his son as the restorer of tradition , she needed to go all the way, even though she found it extremely boring

After what seemed like an eternity the old man finally reached his seat, it was between the nobles and the emperor , and it was a lone marble seat with no decoration , nor anything to make it more comfortable, no cushion not even a place to lean with his back . More than a seat it was like a stone.

Finally those old bones settled on the chair, he leaned on his cane to regain his breath and when he was ready at last he raised his cane and brought it down on the floor.

A loud thud reverberated throughout the building, followed by the feeble voice of the old man emerging from his bony and dry mouth.

"By the Authoritas'' he stopped a fit of coughs reaching his throat'' b- bestowed upon me by the role of Senex Arundus, I hereby declare the start of the first meeting of the council, wisely reinstated by the ruler of the empire of Rolmia, Mesha Kantazokounes. May he live to be one hundred," he proclaimed, his words carrying weight despite his frail form, before settling into his seat with a labored breath.

Observing the silent attention of the gathered nobles, Valeria, the Empress, sensed the opportune moment to make her presence known. Rising gracefully from her throne, she commanded the focus of the chamber with a quiet authority.

With both hands raised in a gesture of solemnity, she addressed the assembly of lords,

"My esteemed lords, in the wake of a recent crisis that has befallen our noble empire, we mourn the loss of my late husband and your esteemed emperor, Gratios. His strength and wisdom guided us through tumultuous times, steering the realm away from the brink of chaos during the civil strife that marked his ascension to the throne."

Pausing for emphasis, her eyes scanned the faces before her, conveying both sorrow and resolve. "Yet now, I fear that once again, greed and injustice threaten to cloud men's judgment, plunging us into madness."

A somber silence enveloped the chamber as her words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of responsibility and the gravity of the moment. "My heart aches at the prospect of discord among us. However, in the spirit of mercy and reconciliation, my dear son, our reigning emperor, has extended a gracious invitation to his elder brothers,prince Mavius and prince Maesinius to reach the capitle , promising that no harm will come to them.."

Her voice softened, infused with a glimmer of hope. "They are called forth to Romelia, where they may pledge their allegiance to the rightful emperor and mend the fractures that threaten to divide our noble house. In return for their loyalty, they shall be granted pardon for past transgressions and bestowed with lands as a testament to the unity and strength of our empire."

As she finished so she sat once again, and the nobles saw it their moment to express their opinions.Which obvioulsy were all of agreement, who would be as so dumb as to deny that in front of the emperor and his regent?

''The emperor's mercy know no bound''

''Long live the emperor, may the Gods bless him ''

''Shame on Prince Mesha and Maesinius , may the gods direct them to justice''

As the assembled nobles erupted into applause at her proclamation, she watched Mesha intently, her eyes tracing the contours of his face as he absorbed the adulation of the crowd. There was a subtle softening in her features, a fleeting smile tugging at the corners of her lips, as she observed the scene .He liked the cheers, that was not good, an emperor should never be influenced by the opinion of rabbits.Eagles devour them, not lean their ears to them.

Meanwhile, Mesha stood at the center of attention, his young eyes wide with wonder and awe. His gaze swept across the sea of faces, as he just had his first proper taste of the power that men use over other men.

And so under the jubilant cheer made by the nobles, the first session of the council of the two hundred finally started. Which had as its only outcome , the choice of the messenger to send to the two princes.