Chapter 14
"I asked if he could help me enroll someone into Conspiracy. Son of a man who had once done me a favor desperately wants to join." Washar lied without batting an eye. He was eager to ask Naimoor about an old copy of the dynamite recipe, but he refrained because then it would be obvious that he had not managed to protect it. His brother could take advantage of this fact. "I liked my school years, however, I don't feel like becoming a mentor. Students now... From my point of view, some of them don't see the point in following the rules of the organization."
"I'm not surprised by them. Young souls are defiant. It is not easy to suppress their curiosity." Naimoor smiled. "To be honest, I understand them. I also see certain things in the Conspiracy, that we should have changed a long time ago. We stick to the rules because people older than us invented them... and we believe that since those people were born a few years earlier than us, they must know and can do more than us. However, this is not always true."
"What do you mean?" Washar asked carefully. Suddenly he wanted to leave the palace and never return.
"For example the secret archive. A monument of unreliability and deception, built by traitors who preferred to hide forbidden knowledge instead of destroying it. You and I could've punished by death every member of the Conspiracy, but we cannot go there without the supervision of any of them. Is this not absurd?"
"Would you like to destroy the secret archive, then? To burn the books and scrolls that were once saved from the flames?"
"I'm not going to commit such a barbaric act. I dream of making use of the knowledge stored there. But not by sneaking in there like a criminal. In daylight. In front of everyone."
"You sound like a Scribe."
"You should sometimes listen to what they say. Brother, don't leave!" Naimoor called as Washar turned his back on him. "I didn't tell anyone your secret, isn't that a sign that I'm trustworthy and respectful? I know that twenty years ago, you broke into the archives yourself and explored the ancient art of enchanting... which you taught Najana."
The younger prince froze for a moment.
"How do you…"
"Don't be afraid. I also followed you and discovered the power within me. Since then, I stopped being afraid of knowledge, and I began to desire it." Naimoor's eyes brightened with excitement. "Think how much good you could do to the world if you could use your power explicitly! How many villains and bandits live, seemingly invincible, oppressing widows and orphans whom your brother could do justice! The Righteous Conspiracy teaches us to kill people like us. It is not life wisdom that guides them, but fear of the unknown and stupidity."
"You said you're enchanter." Washar's fingers gripped the saber hilt. "Prove it!"
As soon as he said the last word, the marble tiles under their feet began to crack one by one.
"I enchant the element of earth and all the minerals that come out of it. Do you understand why I care so much about taking the throne after our father's death? Vis.h.i.+mon has everything a good emperor should have, but he lacks one. He lacks power! Help me, brother, and you'll never have to hide again! You will be able to go back to the woman you truly loved years ago, without fear that she will give birth to an enchanting child. I have a vision of a world in which the Righteous and Scribes work together to fix the mistakes of previous generations. I can make it real... with your help."
"Do you really think we should work with Scribes?"
"And you do not? Don't you mind being forced to hide like a rat?"
"But it's not about me or you! The conspiracy banned enchantment so that no man will ever play G.o.d again! So that a second monster like the Kagolanian emperor would not be born!"
"Emperor Gyeul was a genius. A visionary with a truly enlightened mind!"
"He was a monster killing innocents!" Washar exclaimed, and his throat began to scratch. "Besides, I have already expressed my opinion about palace intrigues. I want to live in peace, I'm fed up with my problems!"
After these words, he left and Naimoor snorted softly.
"Indeed, Emperor Gyeul was
*
Galaspiael, Lin-Si, and Samin took up writing the new law, which was the first part of the plan to ban slavery.
"... From now on, killing a slave, no matter what the circ.u.mstances are, is treated as a murder. A free man who takes his slave's life becomes a murderer and is to be punished by public stigmatization with the Anh sign. This law applies to all residents of Kagolania, as well as representatives of other nations residing in the kingdom." The princess read aloud and nodded.
"Samin, what do you think?" Galaspiael tilted his head slightly and began to play with Lik which he used to write the initial draft of the new law.
"Too short. Remember that you create a principle that people don't like very much. You have to try because when they break it, they will forcefully look for a hole. You wrote about a man who takes his slave's life, but there is nothing about the women. They still can kill?
"I can change it for 'slave owners' alone. Will it be fine?"
" Lin-Si sighed.
"In some cases, death is salvation for these people. Owners may start to mutilate slaves instead of killing them."
"It makes no sense, they will not be able to work and there will be no profit from them. Would the owner risk the loss of money to be able to mutilate a disobedient slave?"
"Well, in my opinion, all this right makes no sense!" Lin-Si waved her fan intensely. "Banning slavery is like banning s.h.i.+rts. It won't work, people will riot, you'll see. We can forbid to kill them, but... they have always been around! They were even before the war. A world without slaves is an idea that only a madman could think of!"
"It certainly won't be easy, but if the king carefully introduces this law and listens to Okiani, people won't feel the change too painfully." Samin rubbed his face with his hand and looked at Galaspiael. "You would have to add a tip where you mention the advantages of this treatment. You forbid something, so you must also show the people what they will have from obeying your orders."
"All I know is that if they don't obey, they'll have a pattern on their shoulder," Galaspiael looked at his adviser disapprovingly. "Should I encourage people to listen to me? You may have to, but when I take power, it's going to change!"
"You behave like a child!: Lin-Si interrupted.
"I said the truth."
"But Her Highness is right to call you to order. You should start paying more attention to your words. You are soon to be a king." Samin looked around. "I suggest taking a short break, we've been sitting here for over an hour."
"So you don't overwork yourself."
"Relax, you don't have to worry about us," he responded maliciously. "I advise you to rather focus your attention on your apprentice and how frightening this morning game could be for her. Because you don't think she was pleased, do you?"
Lin-Si glanced at Galaspiael, expecting him to start an argument with Samin, but her fiancé only pursed his lips and walked quickly toward the door. She felt strange satisfaction that someone had finally criticized him openly, although she did not consider that playing with Kalena was something wrong. She didn't care how it affected her. But it was when Galaspiael did something wrong or had to bear the consequences of his non-compliance. It was pleasant to hear the harsh words thrown at him. She secretly hoped that banning slavery would also have terrible consequences for the prince."
*
"Are you mad at me?"
Kalena lazily looked at Galaspiael and rubbed her eyes. It was hard to read in poor light, no matter how clearly something was written. Despite her sincere intentions, she couldn't say much about the dynamite recipe that they had both been studying for a few hours. The boy was also tired, but he didn't want to rest.
"No," she said, but it didn't sound convincing.
"And everyone tells me that you are."
"Everyone?" There was no reply. "It was just for fun, you said it yourself."
"Because it was. I wanted... let's say to impress you. I thought that if I'll manage to not hit you once you will start to admire me. But that was stupid." He laughed softly at the surprise in her eyes. "Although I helped you forget about the nightmare."
"Yes, you did it." Suddenly she clapped her hands in joy. "I get it! Look, here is the swirl identical to the one at the top." She pointed to the beginning of the text and the first missing sentence. "There is written 'done during the reign of the Great Emperor Ahimesh the Second.' The 'second' is spelled similarly to 'two'. So we have two spoons... of something."
"Are you sure it's about two spoons?" Galaspiael grabbed a clean piece of parchment and drew some very similar signs. "This is Old Madegaldian, so it can be anything. There may also be a 'double spoon' meaning one, but bigger."
"It doesn't matter."
"Spoons from Madegald are a little different than ours. They have a flat bottom, like miniature dishes... I will have to go to Sekania for spoons from Madegald. It makes no sense" he murmured a few biting curses he had certainly learned in the fairs. "What kind of country is it to even produce spoons different than everyone else? You can see that something is wrong with them."
The girl lifted her head from the yellowed piece of parchment, only then realizing how tiring this position was for her neck.
"Go rest," Galaspiael said after a long silence. "You fall asleep sitting and you won't help me more anyway. Even for me, it is difficult to read, and I have been studying Madegaldian language for several years."
"If only I were studying more..."
"... You would die due to overwork," he finished. "In the morning you almost fainted, it shows that I did the right thing to take you for a forced break. I can't get you. First, you give up everything and then you do your work as if your life depended on it!"
She protested quietly for a few minutes but finally went to her room. Immediately after closing the door, she began to free herself from uncomfortable clothing.
Undressing was even harder than putting them on. Kalena understood then why it was an outfit reserved only for aristocrats – it was nearly impossible to dress up without the help of a maid. She sighed with relief and lay down on the bed only in Himi.
Suddenly she heard a burst of laughter and a moment later Galaspiael went inside.
"Kalena! You won't believe it, but..." When he looked up at her, the smile disappeared from his face.
"What?" The girl looked at herself, wanting to know the reason for his unusual reaction.
"Your back..." he whispered. Then she realized that a large mirror was standing behind her. Himi was not fully covering her back, so even in low light, a few scars could be seen.
"Ah. I thought you had noticed before, "she whispered, wrapping her arms around.
Did he do this to you? For what?"
"There has always been a reason," she said, remembering the past. Her owner was a man who derived some strange kind of pleasure from inflicting pain. Each, even the smallest offense could be the reason for punishment.
"Can I see them?"
She nodded and lay down on her stomach. Galaspiael gently pushed the fabric away, revealing her entire back. She felt as exposed as never before.
"I always thought they are more... merciful to women" He gently ran his fingers over the most visible scar.
"Only for the virgins. If they don't have spoiled skin, you can get a lot of money on the market. But after they... When I became worthless, my lord didn't have to spare me anymore. I was not a useful slave. I can't sing or dance, and to make matters worse, I'm ugly and thin. My lord..."
"Listen, I don't want you to call this carca.s.s 'your lord' in my presence! And you are not worthless!" Galaspiael leaned closer and kissed her forehead. Please, don't say that about yourself."
Kalena felt him slip her Himi back on. He did not betray her trust. At this moment Kalena wanted to turn around, wrap her arms around the prince and say how much she loved him.
However, she was still afraid.