Jaxon moved rooms so he could see the hunting grounds from his window, Monroe was coping with the trial prosthetics, learning to walk would be their priority. When Monroe learned to walk, he could learn to ride, then… then Jaxon intended to send Monroe back to the duchy.
Monroe was sitting in an adjusted seat, dangling from straps as more as mages continued to map out his stumps. Monroe's pants were all being adjusted to be able to rip away if he had to adjust or discard on short notice. Still, to be in nothing but his underclothes, having people poke and prod him was embarrassing.
But the worst was the phantom pains, they would strike without warning. Monroe had woken up screaming… even though he hadn't been awake during the… the process, just imagining it had been giving him nightmares. Monroe hadn't been able to stomach any meat since. Even when he could eat… he'd been vomiting more often than not.
Jaxon stood as the mages started packing up. The scar tissue settled a more permanent prosthetic would be made, for now… just a simple model would suffice. Jaxon wrapped his arm around Monroe before unbuckling the chest strap, Monroe had fallen the first time so he wasn't taking chances.
After also unbuckling the waist strap Jaxon lifted Monroe up in a princess life, then carried him to the bed. "Are you hungry?" Monroe's eyes were gaunt and lifeless, he'd only taken a few sips of his medication this morning.
"Hum." Monroe agreed slowly, he couldn't fall apart… Jaxon might not have been physically injured, but he hadn't shaved or eaten either. Monroe was just so tired… between the blood loss, medication, lack of appetite, and… missing limbs he could barely move.
Jaxon picked up the bowl of warmed potato chowder scooping up a small spoonful to start feeding Monroe. Jaxon had been talking all morning, mostly repeating their immediate plans but… he wasn't sure if Monroe was listening.
Jaxon had also been thinking over what Sebastian had said a few days ago… if their ancestor dragon was still alive… what would that do to the empire and also… why couldn't anyone find a record of his name? Everyone had been calling the ancestor the Avarice dragon.
"A greed dragon should increase desire the way Caius increases passion… really the names just don't correlate… but we don't seem any more affected by greed or desires than the other countries. We were founded on the battlefield but… is that really greed?" Jaxon murmured as he continued to think aloud.
Monroe had only been partially listening, "More like wrath…" He agreed noncommittedly taking another bite. The milk base had helped settle his queasiness, though the poppy had given it a bit of a strange taste… or maybe the after taste of his bile earlier was still lingering.
Jaxon was relieved Monroe responded at all to his monologuing, "The scale also doesn't fit, when Caius arrives, within days the population will have increased passions and romances, we should be overrun with petty thieves or the likes…"
Monroe tried to focus, at least if he was thinking his mind couldn't wander. "Ashton is pride, pride reveals the hard truths, greed is coveting material items or no restraint… maybe we covet lands and that is enough?"
Jaxon continued to feed Monroe, "But, we should be like locus passing through… we conquer and move on… we were much worse when Smyrna was first established, forcing our nation to become the ultimate power in less than a decade… but since then…"
Monroe leaned away from the spoon, while he didn't feel nauseous now, if he was going to vomit better to be less of it. "But if the ancestor is dead that makes sense, no dragon, no influence."
Jaxon placed the bowl on the small side table, "Or the influence is restricted by parts of the seal… That necromancer should be here soon with answers. The real question is how to get his majesty to embrace the light."
Monroe looked up at the ceiling, "Hmm, is a literal light like holy power or figurative light like a revelation…" Monroe stifled a yawn, he'd been trying not to fall asleep again. Better to avoid anymore dreaming… at least until Jaxon could sleep for a few hours.
Jaxon stilled, he hadn't even considered it to be figurative… Ashton and the necromancer had been looking at Lucian as if he would literally become a light. Still, legends did say the original priestess who had become the ancestor's mate had shown with holy light. Her power had been so great she was literally a beacon of light in the dark when they had first fought the ancestor.
Jaxon stopped, trying to remember the first empress's name… her last name had been Smyrna for which the country had been named… but her name… Jaxon could just be forgetting it, but confirming with Leonard wouldn't hurt. Thinking back… there was just so much missing information no one had ever questioned…
Leonard had been listening from the door with Lucian, they had just received a mage relay letter that the necromancer had taken their fastest carriage at first light to the hunting grounds and should arrive within the hour. With two dozen mage escorts to cast continuous haste spells while keeping the carriage hidden, to travel almost 200 miles in a single day was no easy feat.
The letter also stated… the necromancer had been distraught with whatever he'd learned… repeatedly stabbing both the pope and cardinal then forcing them to heal each other. Then he'd apparently regained his senses, demanded their fastest carriage, and left. The news was not reassuring in the least.
Leonard closed his eyes forcing himself to knock lightly on the door. Jaxon only slightly opened the door so he could see out. Leonard didn't waste time, "Necromancer Jakub is on his way. He should be here in less than an hour."
Jaxon only nodded then closed the door to clean himself up, and maybe a short nap.
Leonard followed Lucian out, Charles, Lyon and Charmaine had been thoroughly reprimanded for the unauthorized 170 men expedition. Lucian had also personally sent a letter via mage relay to David's father, Count Jerome Defelice Karbonovich demanding his presence in the capital, and an adequate explanation otherwise the entire Karbonovich bloodline would be executed within the month.
Leonard argued that the women who married out and their children should be excluded, but the only concession was the children. Even Bianca, daughter-in-law to Maquis Luthiger would be no exception. She had already been detained in the hunting dungeon. Both of Count Karbonovich's two remaining sons had also been ordered to report to the capital immediately.
Lyon had not taken well to the ultimatum, but he'd been just as furious with his wife since he'd already been mage tested and had known nothing other than Bianca being upset over David's banishment. Lyon's sympathy for David's plight had quickly evaporated when he'd been made aware of Ashton's possible ties to Alphonse, and the implications against himself with their actions.
Bianca had been hysterical with her accusations, even while imprisoned, demanding justice and blood for blood. She'd refused to answer if she'd known about Ashton, but her obvious contempt hinted that David had not kept his silence regarding Ashton's possible parentage. The worst part is during her hysterics a holy artifact had been activated. A barrier had protected her until Devlin smashed through it. The artifact wasn't recorded in the imperial library, leading to even more questions.
Devlin had also personally warded her cell, but when he took the artifact it had crumbled into white powder… bone powder. The possible link to the rebels had not been lost on anyone present.
Marquis Luthiger had almost collapsed, as it was Lyon had to help him to a room to calm down. Their own house was now under investigation… they had always been close to the church but Charles had sworn under mage oath he had no knowledge of helping them with such horrific deeds. Still… if they had been foolish enough to be used as pawns for a count's daughter, the stigma would not be washed away so easily.
Lucian had also ordered another investigation of the palace because… Bianca and Charmaine had been visiting each other no less than twice a month since Bianca became betrothed to Lyon more than 15 years ago.
While a count's daughter Bianca had been highly influential in social circles since her debut, otherwise marrying the marquis heir would have been nearly impossible… everything seemed so sinister now. Count Karbonovich was owner of the largest eastern port, his ties to other nations were nothing to sneeze at. The Karbonovich caravan supplied nearly half of the empire of all foreign goods, and a third of all national goods pass through their hands at some point. Meaning Bianca had always been a trend setter, always having access to the latest fashions. Bianca's dowery alone had been thrice that of any of his own daughters had received, Bianca also contributed almost half of Charmaine's dowery when she married Lucian.
Yet despite their ability to maintain more than half the nation's caravans and trade routes, the Karbonovich's had been mediocre in court for generations… now it seemed more like they had been flying under the radar since gaining the port.
Leonard had shuddered at the implications, if the church had been using the Karbonovich caravans… it would make sense how sacrifices could be transported without notice. Leonard's stomach lurched, he had personally given Karbonovich's main caravan forty injured or orphaned after the Florence landslide. Two priests had been traveling with the caravan to deliver supplies… Leonard had not even bothered to check on them in all this time.
Lucian remained silent until they returned to his quarters, Aaron would be returning from his undercover mission soon. Hopefully someone will have some good news. As Lucian entered his room Devlin and another priest were drawing on a map any of the Karbonovich caravan lines and the temples along the way. Almost every town, port and city had at least one Karbonovich caravan pass through twice a year, more than half the villages were marked.
"Find out how often the Karbonovich family donates to the churches, what they donate, and how much." Lucian ordered, this could be the clue that helped them find the rebel forces.
Devlin was wiping his face, he was mentally and physically drained from the repeated use of mana to question Bianca, Lyon, Charles, Emmett, and Emma. Even with mana crystals he was worn out. Yet here he was, slaving over more papers, adjusting mana maps, and just being present. Devlin had not slept more than four hours total since they arrived at the hunting palace.
Leonard hesitated, but it would be generous to say Devlin looked like shit warmed over. "Perhaps Mage Devlin should rest, we may need his expertise when Jakub arrives."
Lucian glanced Devlin over, large bags under his eyes, slumped over the desk, bloodshot eyes, "Go rest, Gareth should suffice, We will also have talks with Jakub recorded for you to view in the morning."
Devlin almost wept in relief, a warm bed! Until morning! "Many thanks your majesty but call if you have need." While Gareth was a fourth-tier mage, sometimes… sometimes you just needed the big fish to see. Still Devlin intended to sleep until someone came and woke him.
Lucian gripped Devlin's shoulder as he was passing, "Thank you Devlin… And I am sorry to ask so much of you when you're just as in the dark as the rest of us." Lucian didn't speak as the emperor, but as a friend and fellow citizen of Smyrna. Without Devlin… Lucian would have no idea where to even start or who he could trust.
Devlin choked up, then bowed his head, "Always, always my friend." Ever since Devlin had pledged himself to Lucian, it felt like everything was for this moment in time. Not to take over as the strongest mage after Alphonse, not to defeat people in battle, not to train the next generation. To help Lucian save the empire from these god-awful curses and the church.
Lucian let Devlin go, after this… Lucian wasn't sure how he would properly reward all his loyal vassals, or make up the loss to Jaxon and Monroe. Not to mention… what he would do if Charmaine had, even unwittingly, helped the rebels or church with all those sacrifices…
"Have Gareth caught up to speed and prepare a room for the necromancer. We don't want the delegations to know anything until We know what is happening." Lucian ordered, Leonard bowed and left while Lucian looked over the map. The white lines of the church caravans, pale blue lines for Karbonovich, green lines for Silas caravans. A white building for each church, and red cross for every major catastrophe that claimed over 100 lives in the last seven hundred years.
Lucian counted the red crosses… most were concentrated around the borders less than fifty miles from each church or cathedral. The slow conquest of territory was marked by crosses, and white buildings… there was a pattern that almost every emperor would claim enough territory to add at least four churches at the start of their reign.
Lucian looked at the western borders Smyrna shared with the savannah… seven white buildings had been added while he was crown prince. Lucian then stopped, looking at the map and timeline of dates… his heart started to race. When had he started to doubt the church?
Lucian had always hated the priests for the torture he'd suffered as they tried to awaken his inner dragon… but he'd never questioned his upbringing until after… after he met Alphonse and received the Ruby Tear. Something about that moment, that meeting had changed him.
When had Jaxon started to support him to the throne… started helping him scheme against his father? Lucian had been the first emperor to take the throne by force in 700 years… when did Charles offer his full support? Give him records of their hidden forces? When Jaxon had taken a poisoned dagger for the crown prince on their trip back from Seibel.
When had Leonard stopped supporting his half brother and broken away from Jaxon's uncle's influence? When Lucian had asked Leonard to see if he could find a mage to replicate the Ruby Tear.
When had Aaron stopped treating him like a mad bull out to destroy their empire, and as prospective heir? Not when he became crown prince, Aaron had opposed his legitimacy to the throne when Seibel accused him of murdering Alphonse. Aaron had slowly started to accept him after deliberately taking a poisoned drink meant for nineteen-year-old Lucian and Lucian had saved him.
When had Devlin finally bent the knee, not to the emperor, not to the empire… but to a 14-year-old crown prince? After Lucian had asked him to hide the ruby from his father.
When had Charmaine first started to trust him? Not when they were betrothed… but after she had been poisoned when Lucian had saved her life from his Empress Mother who wanted another for his wife…
Lucian stared at the map, everything had started to change when he first accepted the Ruby Tear jewel. Every time someone had a softening of their attitude or changed their opinion of the church… was after Lucian had used the jewel to detoxify poison on someone, or they had held the jewel over extended periods of time.