Chapter 7. The Meeting

The process unfolded as it had before. In his sleep, Valorth found himself hovering in a world of endless white clouds. As always, he could move, yet he possessed no physical form, which he now assumed was his spiritual body navigating the realm.

Before Valorth could act in the cloud realm, the ground beneath him faded, and colours began to form. His spirit hovered above a scene that painted itself continuously. However, there were hardly any colours present.

In what seemed to be a large underground cellar, twenty shadowed figures sat around a long wooden table. At the head was a chair larger than the others, and though the surrounding figures were shadowed beyond recognition, it was clear their attention was fixed on “him”.

The scene was silent, save for the steady breathing of the figures and the sound of distant droplets hitting a puddle. Valorth knew his last “vision” had granted him valuable information. The most valuable he had ever received. So, this time, he paid close attention, hoping to unravel more secrets of the past.

Suddenly, the figure at the head of the table stood and reached into what seemed to be his being. He pulled out a circular object roughly the size of his hand and rolled it across the table. It landed in front of one of the nineteen figures seated around the table. The figure swiftly took hold of the object, bowed his head, and placed it within his being.

“The scene is almost set,” a distorted voice came from the head figure as he outstretched his arms. “Soon, the empire will remember what has been forgotten.”

With that, the scene began to fade, returning a confused Valorth to the realm of white clouds. He cursed to himself in frustration as he felt himself slipping from the dream.

What was that? My last vision showed a discussion between two angels, but this… this told me nothing.

Could it be unimportant? Could the vision be from a time so far in the past that it’s of no use to me?

Unsure of what to think, Valorth committed every detail of the scene to memory. Moments later, he returned to his peaceful slumber until the next day.

———

The next morning, Valorth woke to the sound of chaotic chatter around him. Judging by how he felt, his sleep had been deep, and he had somehow failed to wake at sunrise. He looked up frantically and saw that his door had been flung open. Outside in the underground tunnels, servants were running as if some danger were approaching.

Valorth pushed himself to his feet instantly, frightened that there was some sort of threat. He wondered whether the news of two Hearteaters among the servants had somehow leaked.

“What’s going on?” he muttered as he donned his clothes. At first, no one answered, until a familiar red-haired figure appeared at his door. Adion. His clothes were dishevelled, and bags hung beneath his eyes, hinting at a lack of sleep. The complete opposite of Valorth’s current state.

“An emergency meeting has been called outside the palace. Everyone must head to the palace gardens,” Adion said in a confused tone.

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Valorth raised a brow at his friend while sliding on his shoes. “In the gardens? Doesn’t Housemaster Gandrid usually hold meetings in the servant hall?”

“He does,” Adion replied. “But this meeting wasn’t ordered by Gandrid. It was ordered by the Crown Prince, and he has called for all nobles and servants of the palace to attend.”

If Valorth was confused before, now he was utterly bewildered. Such an event had never happened in his six years as a servant in the Uradesh Palace. A feeling of uneasiness spread through him as he finished getting ready and followed Adion out of the room. In the basement, servants whispered among themselves.

“What in the world is going on?”

“Could it have something to do with my disturbed sleep last night? I’m absolutely knackered.”

“Oh, so you felt it too? That strange feeling in your stomach? I swear, I thought I was going to be sick.”

“Consider yourself lucky. I was sick! I thought I’d been haunted by a demon.”

Valorth listened to the conversations as they emerged from the palace hallways and made their way through the double doors leading to the palace gardens. Despite it being daytime, the sun did not shine above. They were met with a cloudy grey sky and faint raindrops splattering against them. The Uradesh Palace sat at the highest point of the empire’s capital city, Uradesh, granting them a view of the sprawling city below. Tall spires from distant churches pierced the sky, and two-story houses cramped the cobblestone roads, where horses and carriages often passed.

However, Valorth’s attention was fixed on the vast palace garden. At the front stood the palace’s nobles, whispering among themselves. As the servants arrived and began to spread out across the fields, the two classes of citizens stared at each other. The nobles’ faces wore expressions of disgust, while the servants showed envy. Valorth, however, was too distracted to focus on social status. He was busy worrying about what was happening.

Five minutes later, all the servants and nobles of the palace were gathered in the gardens. All that was missing was the royal family.

“Do you think the emperor’s died?” Adion said suddenly, at a worrying volume. Valorth’s eyes darted around the garden nervously before he nudged his friend’s shoulder.

“Watch your tongue! Do you want us to get executed?”

As if on cue, the people everyone was waiting for began to emerge. First was a young lady, no older than sixteen. She wore a long, flowing blue dress that covered her feet and carried an air of elegant grace. Her tied hair was honey blonde, and her soft cheeks were freckled. As she stepped out, she took her place at the top of the staircase platform leading to the gardens.

Princess Ivory. The area around her eyes are rubbed red… has she been crying?

Next was a well-known figure in the empire: a tall, middle-aged man wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and a black waistcoat. On his hip was a golden rapier, small enough to be wielded with one hand, as his left hand had long since been severed at the wrist. His face was stern and emotionless, unlike the Princess’s, but it was clear something troubled him.

Councillor Ragoslav, the Emperor’s right-hand man. He took his place close beside the Princess as everyone awaited the third and final figure.

Moments later, he emerged: a dashing young man in an all-blue suit with a black and gold cape draped behind him. He stood tall, head held high, his confidence bolstered by the onyx-black sword at his hip, which glowed with red energy even within its sheath. His blue eyes were striking, but his blonde hair and stubbled chin were messy and unkempt. Like his sister, he wore an expression of sadness, though something else lingered in his gaze.

Crown Prince Haide III stepped onto the platform, and the entire garden fell silent, looking up at him with a thousand questions in their eyes. All that could be heard was the distant chatter of Uradesh City and the birds chirping in the darkened morning sky. Eventually, the Prince cleared his throat and opened his mouth, but all that came out was a croak. Suddenly, Princess Ivory burst into sobs on the sidelines, spreading worry among those around her.

Valorth shared a glance with Adion, utterly confused.

By the angels, what’s going on?

As Councillor Ragoslav comforted the young princess, Crown Prince Haide III finally spoke. His words were weak, yet they carried across the entire garden.

“The Great Emperor Haide II has left us and ascended to the heavens… and in his wake, an Angel has descended upon our world for the first time in history.”