Atreus

 
                On now on to Chapter 3 and part of Chapter 4
Chapter 3

The courier handed the servant the missive.

“Wait here.” He said.

The courier wanted to snip at the man. ‘Have I not delivered these messages for months and every time ‘He’ tells me to wait here? What else would I be doing except waiting here? Fool man.’

The courier wisely held his tongue. It is said that Cyrus had the ear of Atreus. Not just the ear but the explicit trust of the emperor. It is also said to cross Cyrus is to cross his majesty. The result most often the same death and a painful one at that.

Cyrus’ steady footsteps on the marble floor rang out his return before the courier ever saw the man.

Cyrus tossed the courier a small sachet. Anyone in the room could hear the metal pieces clang together announcing the bag held coins.

“As always two for you the rest for your master.” The court official said to the man as he tried to figure out how many coins the bag contained.

A quick bow of respect and Cyrus already turned heading out of the room before the courier could straighten up.

With nothing left to do he turned on his own heel and prepared to leave. He took five steps and he was at the door. That’s when it hit him. Each visit to the palace was the same. He could go through the motions blindfolded.

He never got more than five steps into the room then told to wait. Each time a bag tossed into his hand and dismissed. ‘Ah, so goes the life of a slave.’
***

“Cyrus, how does the fighting on the north border go?”

“Atreus, my lord the battles are now skirmishes far and few.”

Emperor Atreus stood by the window. Cyrus watched. He observed his lord spending more time of late just staring out the window. It didn’t matter day or night his ruler seemed almost obsessed of late. As if he was expecting something of great importance to transpire.

“What Cyrus, I wasn’t listening.”

“No, my lord, I see that you were not.”

That’s when Cyrus realized Atreus still held the missive tightly in his fisted hand. Even Cyrus was not privy to those weekly reports. Up till now they were the only thing he didn’t share or confide with him.
***
The council chamber usually open and airy now seemed tight and stuffy as the members filed in. The normal numbers of guards were doubled after the doors of the large hall were closed and locked.

Atreus walked from behind the throne and stood before it. Those present immediately came to attention and held up their right hand in the form of a fist bent and the elbow and snap their arm tight across each their own chest. In unison the crowd cried out, “Atreus, Atreus, Atreus.”

The room echoed and the walls seemed to vibrate their own cries to honor the King and Emperor.

Cyrus took his usual place standing to the left of his leader standing and eyeing the crowd daring any to raise a hand in threat to the man sitting on the throne.

There had been only two threats against the man sitting next to him. The first came when Atreus was seven. Emperor Mineros lay dying. Everyone expecting the man to pass the crown to his oldest son. He did not.

Instead he named the next emperor to be Mashus his younger son. Marshus’s older brother Atunen tried to have Marshus murdered but Mineros had many loyal followers. The plan was quickly exposed and resulted in Atunen being put to death.

With the death of Mineros the Lyperion Empire had a new ruler Marshus. Peace should have been the call of the day but it wasn’t. Rogues, gangs, and mercenaries ruled the day until the second attempt on Marshus’ life.
Chapter 4

Peace did not come easily to lands control by the Hyperion Empire. Along with the rogues and mercenaries who caused havoc and destruction throughout the kingdom a continued search for the usurpers who challenged the authenticity of Marshus’ right to rule.

Finally an attempt to dispose of Marshus succeeded. The newest emperor of Hyperion at twenty-two years and five months old revealed a side of him no one ever saw before. A new label joined the all ready impressive list. The beloved and kind ruler showed his merciless side.

In a campaign to put an end to the chaos Atreus showed, those loyal and those not so loyal, he protected his own. When finished he was twenty-five years and six months old. No longer beloved by many, however, no one dared even think about his right to rule them and he ruled them anyway he saw fit.

The wiser Providences buckled under quickly and he rewarded those loyal and those under them. Those not so wise no longer existed.

“Justan, your report.” Atreus voice boomed and unquestionably filled the room with his request for his top general’s report.

Justan strolled unconcerned up to the throne.
A quick Atreus salute to show his respect for the man sitting on the dais his king and cousin.

“Your majesty, I have just returned from the quest you sent me on. We have the pledge of five lieges and two Providences have declared they will fight to the death before coning under the Hyperion Empire.” Justan bowed hoping the extra show in honor would protect him from his cousin’s wrath once he learned that there were those willing to yet defy him.

Atreus’s laughter rang out in waves across the room. Those present held their breath no one dared to join in the ruler’s humor.

“To the death my dear cousin?”

“Yes, my lord to the death.” Justan felt the trickle of sweat bead and slide down under his arm.

Others had brought words of rebuff to the emperor and others left the room on a litter—dead.

No one dared move a muscle or even shuffled their feet and a death-like pall hang harshly over the hall.

“Well, Justan, if it’s death they want, then why should I deny them. You will see to it. Yes?”

“Your wish is my command sire. It will be done.” Justan again presented the salute and since he was family he turned to go back to the spot he had earlier vacated.

“Er—Justan?” Atreus called out.

The man in the center of the room snapped abruptly around to face the man addressing him.

“Yes, sire.”

“You will share the honor of this conquest with Simirle and Idzi two of my most trusted generals.”

                       As the say...And the plot thickens..


Welcome back. Ready for more? How long will Atreus wait??

CHAPTER 2

Two women hugged again through the tears for the third time. Lydia loved the woman sobbing in her arms.

Ten years past since the day her son, Idzi brought the young woman home as his bride.

“Oh, my beloved Delisa. How I have come to cherish you as if you were mine own flesh and blood.” Lydia mumbled through her own sobs.

“And you became the mother I never knew. My heart already broken, it’s tearing asunder now complete, for this day we will part. I fear there will never come a day we will sit in the courtyard and share words together again,” Delisa replied.

A servant cleared his throat resulting in the two women separating. Separating as the younger woman turned to leave the home she shared with her husband and mother-in-law.

Lydia swore under her breath, “Kilas.”

There was no reason Delisa couldn’t have remained here in their home forever.

“Traditions...bah!” Delisa’s mother-in law continued to mutter well after the young widow was gone. Why should it matter? Why should it be a law that a widow must be returned to the birth family’s closest male living relative?

http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/courses/intro/notes/personal-id.html
The journey would take Delisa five days. Once they set sail across the great sea. Four more traveling by caravan through a barren and desolate country.

Delisa the widow of one of the empire’s most heroic and loyal generals. She needed not to fear for her safety for she would be well guarded. One woman’s maid, one male servant to see to her comforts and personal care and finally six heavily armed men of rank to protect her.

Other than Anna her maid and companion for the last twelve years being sea sick the crossing had been uneventful.

Excitement mounted as the ship entered the harbor. The city of Cartha no longer the small shipping port had grown in the last ten years into a thriving metropolis.

Fishing boats loaded down with their catches filled the wharf. The smell of the sea air mixed with the odors of the city. Pungent and salt scented air filled the new arrivals nose’s. The cries of the seagulls flying over head mingled with the barking of the wild dogs running up and down the sea wall excitedly hoping to be thrown some morsel of food.

Sailors carried on their back’s cargo from the three ships already in the port. Like tortoises humped over with a load strapped to their backs they moved from ship to wharf. Shouts from those in charge of unloading fused with the commotion of those yelling orders on the dock.

The tumultuous din was only surpassed by the magnitude of color. Color ran supreme. From the blacks, blue, and white the sailors wore to the reds, green and purples the travelers and town’s people wore appeared like a wild-flowers garden dancing in the wind as the populace milled about.

“They await us, milady.”

“Yes, Anna, I am ready. Shall we go ashore,” Delisa said.
***
Lydia stood a bit taller and faced him down. She didn’t care who he was at the moment. Grief still held a tight fist around her heart. Not only the loss of companionship of her dear daughter-in-law, because of some, according to Lydia, stupid law on the land.

But, anger compounded her grief for her son who died fighting for the very man who now stood before her, and he demanding to know the where about of the younger woman.

“Your majesty she has already left to re-join her family. She begin her journey two days ago.”
While you here please share a link and don't forget to return next week for installment three.


 

As most writers do, I was looking for something new. I decided to post a work as it progressed. The last piece of the story is still just an idea or two, so I wonder if a comment or two might just change the ending? Anyway, I hope you follow as chapters get added.

 Image courtesy of nuttakit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Once upon a time...

In land far away, there was the Hyperion Empire. An empire ruled for generations by corrupt and cruel men. Each man who ruled tighten the grip on the people. Their reign of terror resulted in an atmosphere of extreme control and fear. Their word were considered as if spoken by the gods. The ruler of the Hyperion Empire today was no exception. Atreus lived up to his name meaning fearless. Fearless though he may be, but a wise man knew not to be in fear of him meant certain death, if not today perhaps tomorrow.


Atreus of the Hyperion Empire

“That one, see her?” A deep self-assured masculine voice
spoke to his aide standing next to him.

“No sire. Which one?”

“Cyrus, how do you not see her? The fair one that moves with such grace.”

“My lord, the square is full of women some fair and some not so fair and in the crowds how does one tell if the one you seek walks with grace. Are not the people…”

“She has come each day at this time since we have been here. There—she wears blue. See the dark blue shawl.”

“You can’t not mean the one near the basket peddler?” He laughed, mocking the man standing near him. Cyrus was the only person who dared chide Atreus without deadly repercussions.
ervices.flikie.com/view/v3/android/wallpapers/33580999Add caption
 “And why not my dear friend. Enlighten me.” The man challenged.

“Sire, she is the wife of one of your most loyal generals, Idzi.” Cyrus knew his lord and master never accepted a negative answer from any one else. But, he held his breath anyway. He half expected his master to see to it that the woman was brought to the palace harem that very day. When Atreus lusted, husband be damned.

Atreus, the emperor of the Hyperion Empire, itched after any female that crossed his path. Cyrus could see it now. An army in revolt just because its leader coveted another female. This one just happened to be the wife of on of his most illustrious generals.

“She will not be a wife forever. I will wait.”

Cyrus didn’t need to remind the man who already moved away from the window of the twenty-two women waiting for him back in the capital city of Gemmel. The aide and confidant also knew his lord and master would wait only if it was his choice to do so.

Yes, for this one, Atreus would patiently wait. Why he chose to wait even the great emperor himself didn’t know. No one ever used the word patience in regard to him; evil, fearless, headstrong, deliberate, cunning, and calculating but patient never. 

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me. Until next week stay safe and happy. Please share this site with a friend. Click on a link.

Lisa

 
ot sure how this works


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