Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The closer Roka and her master came to the citadel at the heart of Topto, the more Ensigns they encountered. They never outnumbered the citizens of the city, or visitors from neighboring nations, but the average Ensign clearly felt far more comfortable closer to home. Most worked in or around the citadel, making it natural that they wouldn’t stray far. Some now wandered alone, bereft even of bodyguards while surrounded by the safety of a district largely reserved for them. Large parties of Ensigns moved together as well, too quiet, and too reserved. Consumption of alcohol was taboo among their people.

As Roka neared one of these groups, she caught one of its members saying in their own language, “The painted are odd, but their celebrations are enjoyable.”

Ostensibly, it was a complement, but Roka didn’t see it that way and neither would her master. It was an opinion shared between most of the groups Roka and her master passed, and frequently even using the same words. The Ensigns were much more casual about the use of the word “painted” in this quarter of the city. Every time one of them uttered it, Master Yusubru’s hand drifted closer to the hilt of his sword.

Roka was certain her master would never consider bloodshed as a legitimate response to insult, but she still made sure every time to comment on some pleasant aspect of the city before he could fully draw his weapon.

“Another fruit vendor,” she would say. “Their plantains look fresher. We should return here when we get the chance.” And his hand would settle farther from the hilt. It was a wonder he had agreed to enter the city, but the emperor’s invitations were not easily turned down.

As they approached the citadel, Roka observed its three distinct sections. The Castle of Marvels was the most prominent feature. Not really a castle—no walls protected it, and five men would breach it without issue—it reached three stories in height and featured a white clocktower. Its building materials distinguished it as marvelous, constructed with wood and covered in white-painted rendering, standing in stark contrast to the unpainted stone and brick buildings surrounding it. Wood was a difficult-to-find commodity in the empire.

Adjacent to the Castle of Marvels was the older and much more castle-like Citadel Proper with its thick stone walls and high watch towers. Men with crossbows stood atop the towers, watching the streets that surrounded the compound.

The Citadel Proper connected directly to the emperor’s residence and meeting hall, a single-story sandstone building, wide and flat. The oldest of the three sections, it was still the most richly adorned, with ornate stained-glass windows and delicately carved marble pillars. The entire residence seemed wrapped in a thin veneer of gold. A small dome stood centered at the roof, supporting a thin spire that reached toward the night sky.

A man-high wall boxed in the entire compound, taking away some of its splendor but providing much-needed security. Pairs of guards patrolled the perimeter, keeping festival participants from coming too close to the wall. The guards looked like they would rather run from their posts and join in the celebration than pace in their rut for another night. Roka did not envy them.

Roka and her master approached a small gate that gave direct entrance to the Citadel Proper. The men guarding the gate were initially surprised to see them approach. The unexpected arrival of two Sentinels usually spelled trouble, but, after a few minutes, someone who expected them came to the gate. Roka and her master passed within the Citadel Proper without issue.

The man who had come to get them was Eichreth, head steward and housekeeper for the citadel. His lips were tight, and his back stiff. At all times, he appeared restrained and uncomfortable. He led them through the carpeted hallways quietly, making no comment on the beautiful architecture they passed or the different paintings and wall-hangings that adorned the corridors of the citadel.

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Bracing arches lined every corridor and every few feet were support columns sculpted into the shape of famous figures from the empire’s history.

Roka recognized a few of the carved faces. Sahedai, son of Chaden and Jamha, who brought all of the nations of the shore under his rule and began the empire; Nierha, daughter of Nafadan and Tahdevi, who had been slain while overseeing the defense of Topto during the great siege; Even Chicmin Wangoba, a successful revolutionary from Zhozai who had managed eighty years prior to break a piece of her homeland away from the empire’s control. Many saw her victory as the first signs of the empire’s eventual collapse.

Now that the empire was much smaller and the bloody history of such conflicts mostly forgiven, it was more in fashion to display controversial figures. Any visitors from Zhozai were likely to appreciate the likeness of one of their most important leaders.

A dark coat of paint covered each pillar, meant to match the extrapolated complexion of these venerated people. Most were even sculpted to include clothing and headwear, though some were just disembodied heads.

Roka was interrupted from her examination of the citadel interior by the arrival of two servants and an imperial slave.

“Excuse me just a moment,” Steward Eichreth said. “I must attend to something. It should only take a moment.” He stepped aside to convene with his subordinates.

“How often did you visit the citadel during your tenure as Keeper of the Walls, master?” Roka asked, looking up at the vaulted ceiling. The white stone was old but clean and well-maintained.

“Oh, countless times,” Yusubru said, folding his arms and smiling at her awe. “I should be clear, the walls mentioned in the position’s title are not Topto’s walls. You won’t be spending much official time around them, though you may be required to visit once or twice. As you might imagine, the walls don’t do much besides get in the way these days.

“Most of the work done within the capital will have you either in the citadel or the Keeper’s office on the west side of the citadel wall. Otherwise, you will likely find yourself traveling the countryside as always, going to visit other cities or border towns. To be sure, you won’t travel nearly as much as an apprentice does, but you will still be called all over the empire for different missions and meetings.”

Roka nodded. Before today, she had not taken any special interest in the position of Keeper of the Walls, but she was largely familiar with its purpose: To ensure the security of Ninzam. Not the empire, but Ninzam. The traditional borders of Ninzam had been muddled by time, expansion, and then retraction, so the job had come to encompass the people of Ninzam more than its land, but at one time it had been Master Yusubru’s duty to ensure peace where he thought the people of Ninzam might be found. Fate willing, that would soon be Roka’s duty as well.

There were many official positions throughout the empire with a similar mission to that of the Keeper of the Walls. Ostensibly, that was the reason the army and its entire command structure existed, but naturally, their mission took military force beyond the borders of the empire as well. The Sentinels who had always occupied the position of Keeper had different philosophies about what security meant. Sentinel laws were not imperial laws, though they were frequently reminiscent of each other, and Sentinels often enforced imperial laws where it made sense or where no Sentinel law existed.

Were she to assume the position of Keeper, Roka knew it would place her in many difficult situations. The forces and rules operating within the bounds of Ninzam and the Ninzam Empire were frequently contradictory. It would be her duty to sift through them and enforce what peace she saw fit, with what little power she had. Once again, the very idea frightened her, but it also invigorated her. A challenge awaited.

The head steward was still absorbed in his conversation with his subordinates. It seemed there was some issue with the color of linens in the diplomatic bedrooms that was proving difficult to resolve. The Ensigns in the citadel were probably upset about something trivial and making it hard for the citadel staff.

Roka let her attention wander. She was content to enjoy her surroundings. As Keeper, the citadel would likely become quite familiar to her, but she would only experience it for the first time once. The head steward could go on as long as he liked. Roka’s master seemed to share her patience. Unless an Ensign was physically present, he wouldn’t lose his temper over a simple inconvenience.

“Ugu-Yusubru?” a voice said. “Is that you?”

The voice came from behind them. Before turning around, apprentice and master shared a look, each silently reproving the other for not noticing the newcomer’s approach. Had it been an assassin, they might have been in trouble.