In the annals of the Jeweled Empire, Kallus Parn will be enshrined as one of its most transformative chancellors—a figure whose contributions cannot be overstated. To have foreseen this when he first entered the Diet and boldly severed his ties with the Blood Loyalist faction, renouncing his family’s entrenched allegiances, would have required remarkable prescience. Indeed, his prospects seemed especially grim when he also spurned the Traditionalists. Junior members of the Diet typically do not dare to eschew the major factions. Yet, this very audacity rendered Kallus Parn virtually invisible to the senior echelons of the Diet, those complacent titans who failed to perceive his subterranean efforts. They remained blissfully unaware as he meticulously gathered a coalition of disaffected independents and juniors, quietly expanding his network of confidants and allies. Thus, when the Night of Fire and Blood left the principal factions of the Diet in a state of paralysis, it was Kallus Parn who emerged from the shadows to fill the leadership vacuum. It was through his decisive and unyielding leadership that order was restored. It was Kallus Parn’s guiding hand that steered the Empire through the tumultuous years following the mysterious disappearance of the infant princess. He was the linchpin in forging a historic treaty with the Republic, a pact that not only modernized the Empire’s military forces but also set the stage for a new era of strategic strength. Inevitably, his detractors hastened to label him as a practitioner of ruthless politics, driven by a relentless pursuit of personal ambition. Yet, even if such aspersions hold a kernel of truth, they pale in comparison to the magnitude of his accomplishments. To ignore or dismiss the substantive achievements of Kallus Parn is to indulge in a myopic and fundamentally flawed critique. For in the final analysis, Kallus Parn’s legacy is indelibly marked by his extraordinary capacity to rejuvenate an ailing Empire. His is a testament to the impact of resolute and visionary leadership—a legacy that will not soon be forgotten. – Argis Parn, official historian of the Parn Family

PALLUS

Pallus followed his father’s chamberlain into the office of the Chancellor of the Diet. The emerald walls glowed softly through several tapestries. Two of the tapestries were embroidered with the portraits of the two-hundred and forty-two men and women who held the office of Chancellor since the nobility forced the Diet on the Crystal Blood. Pallus knew his father already arranged for the Empire’s finest embroiderer to do his portrait. Not that his father expected to leave the Chancellorship anytime soon.

Pallus sat down in the middle of the three leather chairs arranged in front of the Chancellor’s desk. The chamberlain walked to the large, stone-topped pine table running almost the entire length of the office’s back wall. The light wood and white granite looked out of place among the room’s darker woods and jeweled surfaces. It didn’t surprise Pallus that his father was using the table upon which the last free Lord of the Mountains signed the annexation treaty ending dwarven independence as mere furniture. The chamberlain poured Pallus’s preferred amber wine and handed the glass to the scion of his master before withdrawing.

Pallus’s father ignored him, ostensibly finishing some paperwork. Pallus never understood the affectation, but it was how the game was played among the lords. Pallus took the time to look at the other tapestries. The first, hung over the Chancellor’s right shoulder was the four-pointed star emblem of the Empire. The points of the star had the emerald circle of the Diet, the sapphire circle of the Sacellum, the amethyst circle of the Liopasto, and the white circle of the Crystal Blood. Behind the chancellor’s left shoulder hung the emblem of the Chancellor, a gold gavel on a field of green. The last tapestry in the office hung was the crest of House Parn. It was hung to Pallus’s left in one of his father’s favorite places to stare while pondering.

“Honor, duty, courage,” Pallus murmured to himself as he looked at the three blue swords on a field of yellow. The center sword was larger and dominated the crest. Honor was first among the three sacred creeds of House Parn.

“So, you do remember your House,” Chancellor Parn said, laying down his pen.

“I didn’t come here to continue old arguments, father,” Pallus said. His father raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Then why have you made the trek across Aponte Hill?”

“I came here to ask you to declare a state of emergency and recall the Capitol Army.”

“I thought you just said you didn’t come here to rehash old arguments,” Chancellor Parn said, with the coldest neutrality.

“Father, have you seen what is out there?” Pallus asked. “Ten thousand Purists. With siege engines. And muskets. Are you still going to maintain the Purists are just an unruly mob that should be handled by the constables?”

“Pallus, you are a soldier. From what I hear, a very good soldier. Unfortunately, you think like a soldier. You do not understand how to properly manage a crisis as a lord of the empire should,” the chancellor said, with a hint of disappointment. “If you did, all of this would be clear.” Pallus took a long drink of his wine as he examined his father. The man was ruthless, cunning, and used every opportunity to advance his own personal power. So, what action would benefit his father the most at this moment? Pallus’s eyes narrowed.

“You’ve already recalled the Capitol Army,” Pallus said. His father’s face maintained the same cool neutrality.

“Why would I have done that?” Chancellor Parn asked, in a far too reasonable tone.

“For the same reason you kept the army and the nobles’ armsmen off of the streets of Lisandra on the Night of Fire and Blood,” Pallus answered, matching his father’s tone.

“Repeating such wild accusations is irresponsible, Pallus,” his father said, reprovingly. Pallus let the barest hint of a smile cross his face.

“Father, I was standing outside your door when you and your minions planned your response to the riots. Your restoration of order in Lisandra won your faction enough converts to secure your bid for the Chancellorship. It also positioned House Parn to be one of the First Houses,” Pallus said. “You’re attempting to use the same tactic all over again, but with much higher stakes. Pretend to ignore a building crisis until it reaches a crescendo and then come riding to the rescue and reap the rewards.”

“I’ve been blessed by the Goddess to be in the right place at the right time,” the chancellor said in a perfect politician voice.

“Father, I’m talking to you as your son, not as the commander of the Crystal Guard,” Pallus said, “Could we not lie to each other? This conversation will go far more smoothly.” A genuine smile spread across the chancellor’s face, and Pallus restrained himself from showing his repulsion.

“Then, yes, the army is preparing for its return to Lisandra,” Chancellor Parn said. “From what General Lopanes informs me, the army should be coming through the gates the day after tomorrow.”

“Of course, General Lopanes,” Pallus said and took another sip of his wine. “How much are we adding to his retirement for this?”

“I’m allowing his son to marry one of your cousins,” his father answered. “His family has certainly proved its loyalty to our House enough over the decades.”

“Well, at least we agree on one thing,” Pallus said. “What exactly are you hoping to gain from this?”

“To secure the primacy of the Diet,” Chancellor Parn said, as if it should have been obvious to anyone. “As well as ensuring our House maintains it primacy among the other First Houses for the next few generations.”

“Of course,” Pallus said. He placed his wineglass on the desk before standing.

“Off to run and tell that jumped-up trollop you’re bedding about my plans?” Chancellor Parn asked.

“No. I’m not going to say a thing to Sonya. We are talking here as father and son, I advise you to tell the princess and her regent about the army as well as declare a state of emergency,” Pallus answered.

“Why under the Goddess would I do something like that?” his father asked, somewhere between bemused and annoyed.

“Because if you don’t, it will be the second grievous mistake you’ve made, and I don’t want to see House Parn fall because of your bungling,” Pallus answered.

“Second mistake? What would have been my first mistake? Our House is among the Firsts. Through the Diet, we control the Empire,” Chancellor Parn snarled.

“Your control hangs by a tenuous string,” Pallus said. “One that is dangerously close to snapping. As for your mistakes, your first was chasing Rin out of the Empire.”

“Humans are all liars,” Chancellor Parn said, waving a dismissive hand.

“Rin didn’t tell anyone what, or more appropriately who, sent him scurrying back to Marei,” Pallus said.

“Then, how do you know it was me?”

“Because of your constant attempts to betrothe Illana and me after he was gone.”

“A marriage between the princess and you would have secured our House’s future,” Chancellor Parn snapped. “Instead, you went and started screwing her regent.” Pallus bit down his anger. His father was a master at manipulating people into making mistakes. Pallus took another sip of wine to give himself a moment to calm down and think.

“The sad part is that you don’t understand why chasing Rin off was a mistake. For your edification father, Rin’s departure broke the princess’s heart at a very delicate time. That made it impossible for anyone to get close enough to her to accept a proposal of marriage,” Pallus said. The chancellor sat back and gave his son a rare appraising look. Pallus surprised him.

“You’re correct. That scenario never occurred to me. It certainly explains her refusals of all other offers. Still, that was in the past, and we must focus on the present.”

“You still don’t understand the depth of your mistake. When it comes out that you were directly responsible for Rin leaving – and I assure you, it will – I would not be surprised if Illana executes you, assuming she couldn’t find anything worse to do.”

“The human won’t say anything to the girl,” Chancellor Parn said. “He’s a Mareian. They’re too proud to admit something like that.”

“You don’t understand their relationship,” Pallus said, “At some point in the near future, hopefully after we get through this crisis, Illana will ask Rin directly why he left. Rin can’t lie to her. Not won’t lie to her. Can’t lie to her. If I were you, I would decide how you are going to explain your actions in such a way that won’t end with your head being violently separated from your body.”

“The Empire cannot have a human as the Imperial consort!” Chancellor Parn bellowed. “No one would accept that! Everyone will see that my actions prevented a crisis that we could not have afforded at the time.”

“That won’t save you. Maybe, if at that time, you bothered to explain the realities to Rin and Illana – or enlisted Sonya or Kurt to do it for you – they probably would have agreed to some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement. Possibly a political marriage with Rin as courtesan to the princess,” Pallus said. “Those two would have done whatever was necessary to stay together. Instead of realizing that and using it to the benefit of our House, you did everything you could to keep them apart, including driving Rin back across the Jeweled Sea. Now, we have to deal with the aftermath.”

“The Diet and the Sacellum would never have agreed to what you proposed,” Chancellor Parn said. “It would go against all tradition and propriety.” Pallus gave his father a flat look.

“You mean you weren’t sure if you could manipulate Rin. Considering how you and the Suprema run the Diet and the Sacellum, a politically expedient solution could have been found,” Pallus said. “Instead of building a relationship with a human, you chased off the one person who could exert some restraint over the princess on a gamble she would accept a substitute of your choosing. In the soldiering world, that is called a strategic miscalculation.” Pallus gave his father a contemptuous look. “Now you’re going to compound that error with your current plotting.”

“You think you understand this better than me? You understand nothing! In two days’ time, the people of this city will know who truly saved them from the Purists, and it won’t be the Crystal Blood!” Chancellor Parn said. “Then, your precious princess will have to accept whatever I tell her if she wants to have any authority once she ascends to the throne."

“The nobles will toe the line because they fear you more than the Crystal Blood. At least for now. The commoners, on the other hand, know the princess and the Heroes of the Empire stepped up to protect them. They know who will fight alongside them to keep their homes and families safe, and they will know who used this crisis for political gain. After all of this is settled, they will throw their support to the Crystal Blood. I only hope our House survives when the princess comes for a reckoning.”

“That will be impossible if she never reaches the throne. She cannot ascend without the consent of at least a third of the Diet,” Chancellor Parn said triumphantly. “If she sets herself against the Diet, enough will vote against her.” Pallus gave his father an appraising look.

“So, that’s the second string to your bow,” Pallus said. His father nodded. “This will be amusing to watch.”

“What?” his father asked.

“You think Princess Illana has the same level of political skill as Sonya,” Pallus said, “You have no idea how badly you underestimated that young woman. Especially now Rin is by her side again.” Pallus walked to the door, stopped, and turned back. “Don’t worry, father. I will make sure our House meets its obligations after your head is thrown off of Traitor’s Cliff.” Pallus didn’t wait for his father’s ensuing tirade. There were plans to be made.

Chapter Twenty-Two