The Lord
An Account of Duke William Charleston in July 27th, 1797
A man dressed in fine clothes tapped an ink pen on a blank sheet of paper as he rubbed his forehead. The flickering flames of the candle nearby illuminated his face, outlining the elderly structure and the sweat that clung to him. The eyes flickered there and there as the elderly man began to write in smooth yet hurried motions. At times the man’s face will scrunch up, as if holding back the tears and pains that were within him, eating way at his soul.
The calligraphic skills of the man were not to be ashamed of, capable of being considered legendary. That was natural of the man considering his status and position in the Eraphalian Empire. As time passed, as the ticking of the clock denoted each passing sentence, the letter formed a sorrowful message:
Quote:Dear Lilicia,
I’m afraid I will not be able to attend your eighteen-birthday tomorrow due to unfortunate accidents that are occurring in the capital right now. There seems to be disturbances that must be taken care of and I’m rather vexed right now with the conditions of the educated class that shadow us. I do know this isn’t the letter you were expecting or even want from your father today, but be warned.
There are forces in the empire lurking in the darkness. I know what they are but I don’t think I can write down who they are but do tell your mother and your brothers about this issue. I’ve arranged means of transportation for you both to retreat to the northwest part of the empire towards the far provinces. The lords of the place have been informed of this and they will be welcoming of you all.
I do not expect to be alive for very long. I’m sorry Lilicia.
Sincerely,
Your father, Duke William Charleston.
Finished the letter, the duke hurried and sealed the letter with a simple stamp. Confirming the integrity of the seal, he stood up and began making his way towards the exit. With the letter in hand. There was little time, he could feel it. Opening the door, the duke handed the letter to a young soldier who he smiled sadly at. He could trust the young boy with the mission, especially considering the history that the duke knew about him. However, the duke at the same time also felt sorrow for sending the boy out to do satisfy his own selfish desire as he knew the consequences that will be inflicted upon the young soldier once the educated class got a wind of the letter.
Continuing his walk down the hallways, the duke admired the fine architecture of the mansion of Prince Henry. The culture of Ancient Eraphalia is perfectly captured here with many exquisite items, paintings, and sculptures. Prince Henry’s Estate was one of the few bastions of the aristocracy nowadays and everyone in the upper classes knew it for a fact. Every soldier posted here were meticulously screened and only the most loyal were posted here. It took the combined waning power of the nobility to gather a force here.
It’ll be foolish to say that it was done in secrecy. They knew already of this and still allowed such a force to gather, that is an indication of what power they possessed in their hands. The educated class is a dangerous one and not even the emperor himself can do anything against them. A puppet on a throne commanding a decayed nobility. It is a far-cry of the ancient nobility that ruled with an iron fist.
Turning another corner, the duke examined his clothing before continuing onwards. Exiting the mansion, the duke stopped along the large staircase and admired the grand garden before him. His elderly eyes moved towards the large posts of guards and the single carriage that was waiting for him. A hundred years ago, every noble would have the same as Prince Henry but nowadays, only the upper ranks of the nobility can even dream of affording such a mansion and force. The princes of back then would possess large estates that would stretch for miles on end with towns under their control, nowadays they only control small meager farms and villages. The only thing stopping them from decaying into poverty were the generous donations from the Royal Family.
“Sir,” a young maid’s voice broke the duke’s concentration, “my apologies for disturbing you, but your carriage is ready. Prince Henry is waiting for you sir; he says that it is rather urgent.”
Duke Charleston nodded his head faintly as he waved the maid off as he returned his attention to the gardens. With a final smile, the duke descended down the grand stairs and approached the carriage. Nodding at the carriage hand, the duke boarded the carriage and reclined himself against the fine leather. It wasn’t long before the carriage started to move and the duke to close his eyes. In his hands was the glinting of black metal with the outlines of a barrel visible.
The man sitting in the carriage with him turned his head towards the gun before nodding his head, “Smart move Duke Charleston, bravo. It appears we are aligned with our thoughts that they will… ambush us during this trip. My apologies for hastening your death but we had to leave the estate. You and I know of the strangling hold of the educated class. Right now, as we speak…”
“They are scrambling towards us, encircling us like a pack of wolves around a prey,” Duke Charleston finished the prince’s sentence as he stared out the window of the carriage. It was summer right now for Eraphalia. The lushness of the world invited him, to enjoy the moment, but he knew what really laid out there. Everyone knows what summer is to the Eraphalian Nobility. It is a very symbolic thing, a vital part of what makes an Eraphalian noble a noble.
“Documents of Wealth,” Prince Henry mused, noting the duke’s admiration of summer, “signed by the first Eraphalian emperor during a summer in the past. It is where the first Eraphalian nobles began their presence in the world and amongst their fellow people. If it isn’t this summer, it’ll be the next most definitely.”
“No,” Duke Charleston brushed his thumb across the revolver’s barrel, “it’ll be during winter.”
“How?” Prince Henry pressed with a raised eyebrow, “Isn’t summer rather important for you nobles?”
The duke turned towards the prince before replying, “Winter represents end and the beginning of power to us nobles. It’ll be this winter that the end of the nobility will occur. It'll be a rather fitting end for us and a rather symbolic one, to end in winter. Prince Henry, you also know that will also be a rather symbolic end for the Royal Family as well. I'll give them an approval to allow us to die a symbolic death than to be strung up like dolls during summer to be paraded and devoured by animals."
The two didn't utter another word as the carriage moved forward towards Argena-Hersa.