Chapter 13 – Presents
The skies above the city of Romitu were covered in small puffy clouds. They moved at a leisurely pace in from the sea, which was just visible in the distance. They frequently obscured the sun, but just as frequently let it through unhindered onto the red tiled roofs of the sprawling city below.
When shining, it glinted from the gilded guardians perched along the battlements of the high city, where the royal palaces and temples were. These stoic statues were first erected several centuries past to show the might of Romitu. Not so much to its enemies, as its major expansions had ended at that point. But to reinforce an internal message several years after persistent summer riots precipitated the controversial stationing of the first army within the city walls.
The guardians, along with many other prominent features, had been heavily damaged in the war between the Empire and their gods. However, with the dramatic slaughter of all of the major gods of all nations, a new relationship had been established. The Empire was somewhat aghast at the devastation unleashed and the surviving gods were pragmatic enough to embrace the détente offered. As a symbol of a new era of cooperation, all damage to structures both religious and mundane, was meticulously restored with mana from the gods powering spells of the army's mages. And, so, the guardians looked down upon the city with renewed luster.
The first army of Romitu was long disbanded, but its barracks still straddled the one long staircase from the city to the palace mount. They were populated by the high city guard which was, technically, a division of the city guard and not the army. At the base of the stair was an open square, secured for marshaling the official traffic up and down to the high city.
The clouds above chose a specific moment to part. Or so it seemed, as golden sunlight filled a corner of the square. For that instant, everything was brighter, more luminous, and almost glowed from within. When it passed, not all faded, for a woman stood there. She was tall; very tall. With long, unbound golden hair and striking elven features. Her shimmering dress appeared mostly composed of highlights and it was hard to tell where her hair ended and the dress began. Her bearing was so commanding that it would have been hard not to notice her, but none seemed to remember her standing there before, or approaching.
One guard, however, strode from his position at the foot of the stairs and bowed before her. “My Lady Gwendolyn”, said Coral. “Welcome to Romitu.”
“Thank you, my knight”, said Gwendolyn, a smile playing across her lips.
“I greet you as your liege, but also as the Queen's champion”, said Coral. “Our security insists on an armed escort for all visitors to the Queen, no matter how distinguished”, said Coral, almost apologetically. “Since I can do double duty as both your guard and your minder, I volunteered for the duty.”
“A very diplomatic solution”, said Gwendolyn.
“I work very hard to keep my separate oaths of service from conflicting”, said Coral.
“The effort is appreciated”, said Gwendolyn. “I return the favor by seeking not to ask anything of you that may be conflicting. My discourse with the Queen touches on that.”
“Then let us ascend!” said Coral. He led the way to the stairs.
It was a long climb, and there were many who availed of the frequent carts traveling up and down its length. But Coral sensed that Gwendolyn would rather walk herself than to take such a mundane conveyance. He had once fenced with her, using a bewildering variety of weapons, for several hours straight. She had never once lost her breath, and he had been wrecked. He had no doubt of her physical stamina.
She did pause, however, a few times, to look out over the city. The view was tremendous. From the lower turn you could see the great temples and public buildings of the forum in full detail. Each cornice and ornament glinting with new repair, just like the guardians. From the second turning, the city began to spread out beneath you. The markets and docks on the river were a bustle of people and a riot of colors. At the last turning before the gates of the high city all could be seen, to the start of the fields beyond the edges. The great, crowded, smoky mass that was the largest city in the world.
“It seems good”, she said, after pausing a long time at the last turning, “to see the city growing once again.” The thought seemed incomplete, so Coral paused, waiting to see where her thoughts would go.
After a time, she continued. “Ever since Iowerth gathered some of the cataclysm survivors at the original ford on this river, Romitu has only grown.” She looked over the sequence of town walls, each overgrown like tree rings. “It has been sacked or burned once or twice. But that only did superficial damage. The city survived, thrived, and multiplied.” She shook her head. “It's almost like a superstition, but I've always had the feeling that as it goes with Romitu, it goes with this world. If it can thrive, then the world must be thriving. And, should it ever decline... I would seriously worry for the future of our world.”
There seemed to be a melancholy tone to her voice. More than the positive sentiment its contents conveyed. After a proper amount of time had passed, Coral asked “Do you miss Londra?”
Gwendolyn turned and looked at him. Her eyes were shining. “Yes”, she said quietly. “Yes I do.” Her gaze studied him, impressed at his insight. “I knew it for a fraction of the time that I have known Romitu. But it was my city, and my world. And when one perished, so did the other.”
“I wish I could have seen it”, said Coral. “In your writings, it sounds amazing.”
She tilted her head and raised one eyebrow. “You may yet, my knight”, she said mysteriously. “You may yet.”
Coral knew better than to ask. So he led her on. They left the last turning and proceeded through the upper gate. The Queen's Champion was well known and the checks were perfunctory. Beyond it their view was dominated by the great temples and mausoleums of the high city. They were built to be seen by the city, and towered over the two of them, almost like valley sides, as they proceeded inward. Once past the outer ring a bit more sunlight came in. Small gardens and fountains appeared alongside the ceremonial pathways. Most mundane delivery traffic had already taken to the faster underground routes. They walked on in unusual quiet and solitude.
“I have not had a chance, yet, to properly thank you for the books you sent”, said Gwendolyn.
“There is no need, my liege”, said Coral. “I'm just happy if I succeeded in getting you something you didn't already have!”
“I am almost embarrassed at my lack of knowledge of an area that I have allegedly been obsessing over for millennia”, she said lightly.
“The Grey Elves and their agenda has tended to overshadow all our thinking”, said Coral. “They're the ones that allegedly created us and have predicted our doom.”
“True”, said Gwendolyn. “But this literature refers to all these ancient beings as exiles from somewhere else. Can it be that these Grey Elves are just another group of exiles that only seem more fitting to us because we were created in their image?”
Coral considered for a while. “So we're just as creepy to, say, these Shiashem as they are to us?” He shuddered.
“It shall take me some time to make some headway in that second book”, said Gwendolyn. “I've done little more than read the preface and look through the illustrations.”
Coral shook his head. “I've been trying to forget those illustrations ever since I saw them.”
Gwendolyn put her hand lightly on his arm. “Then is it not comforting to think that if you ever confront one face to face that it might be as... creeped out?”
Coral laughed and looked at her askance. “Give me time to get used to it”, said Coral. “I'll get there. If Moss can face off against one, I can too.”
“Moss's encounter was far removed from facing off. But it was also with something far greater. I hope to get much closer to something as great. Clearly we have a lot to learn. You have shown me that we have not yet availed of all the resources I might”, said Gwendolyn. “You'll get your t
ime to get used to it.”
They had come to the edge of a wide courtyard. There were more gardens and statuary, but it mostly served to frame this entrance to the palace proper. It was one of many palaces in the high city. But the others that had not already fallen out of use were shuttered when Jesca took the throne. She did not consider her position to warrant the ostentatious display that previous monarchs of the first empire or the bureaucratic oligarchy of the interregnum demanded. She had even asked for estimates of the cost of magically moving them to the city itself and turning them into museums.
Those retained for use was still quite grand. Columns and porticos rose up in a gleaming edifice with the icon of Romitu displayed from fluttering banners and pennants. Foot traffic picked up as the various functions of imperial organization were also centered here.
Guards stood at attention on the stairway and saluted Coral as he passed. Phyllis, the head of the household guard, was waiting and indicated that the Queen would meet with Gwendolyn in the reception room overlooking the western balcony.
“Shall I wait outside?” asked Coral as they followed Phyllis towards the reception room.
“Would you rather?” asked Gwendolyn.
“Well”, said Coral hesitantly. “I rather suspect from the hints you have dropped that some part of this discussion will concern me.” Gwendolyn smiled in a non-committal way. “Although I'm dreadfully curious, to keep my own clarity of purpose, I think not being privy to the arguments, opinions and potential conflicts between my two lieges might help me retain my sanity.”
“I don't think it will be anything particularly confrontational”, said Gwendolyn. “And I don't think I would have any compulsion against speaking freely in your presence. But I think your Queen might feel otherwise.”
“That she might”, said Coral. “But, of course, she would also not feel compelled to ask me not to be present either.” He sighed deeply. “This means the most chivalrous thing to do would be to not put her in that position.” He nodded. “I shall wait outside.”
Gwendolyn smiled affectionately. “Diplomacy is just war with different weapons”, she said.