The Asterian Dream

XV: That Concludes Negotiations

TW: Suicide and self-harm references

Fasela was surprised. "We had the same dream? This is not a mere coincidence." She then got up off the bed and started pacing back and forth. "Someone is playing with our minds. The question is, who is it?"

Conrad hopped off the bed as well. "Amethyst maybe? I did see her in the dream."

Fasela shook her head. "No, this is too overt for her. She would be more subtle. Besides, she wouldn't try to take the amulet from you like that."

Conrad leaned against a table nearby, still somewhat dizzy from standing up. "Are you sure? She seemed rather peeved at me having it already."

"You know why she let you go with it so easily?" Fasela asked.

"I assume she's playing some kind of game with it and probably me," Conrad replied.

Fasela nodded. "What you have there threatens the entire lineage of the Imperium's royal family. If you showed that thing to the world, any and all loyalties to the Imperium would fall apart immediately. Sympathizers would flock to both Dindrun and the various human republics and kingdoms. Everyone would know for a fact that the current ruling family of the Imperium, nay, the entire government, are illegitimate farces who put themselves into power via lies and trickery."

Conrad shrugged. "Doesn't sound so bad to me," he said.

"It's not that simple," Fasela replied. "A collapse in Imperial authority would immediately hand the reins of governance over to Dindrun, and I don't think I need to explain why that's bad."

"Aren't there other forces in Armel? Couldn't humans, elves, and Moraks stop him?" Conrad asked.

"Elves are content to keep to themselves. They do not get involved in the outside world. My people are all loyal to the Imperium save for a few small kingdoms and cities. My father was one of the Republican sympathizers, and that ended with Astraeria burning and him dead." Fasela stopped for a moment, seeming a little saddened before regaining her composure.

"Well the human Republican Alliance," Conrad said. "Couldn't they stand against Dindrun?"

Fasela scoffed at his words. "There's no strength left in humans. Their alliance shattered and they've been slaughtering each other ever since the Great War."

Conrad seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Couldn't someone pull them back together?" he said. "I've lived most of my life I can remember amongst them, and I know for a fact that there is still strength left in humans. Maybe if we could speak with some of their leaders-"

Fasela quickly approached him and gripped his shoulder tightly. "When my father joined them, he paid for it with his life." A single tear then formed in her eye. "I can't let that happen to you. Like it or not, the Imperium is the path to destroying Dindrun, not the Republicans."

Conrad gently gripped her hand and took it off his shoulder. "Open your eyes. Can you not see how the Imperium is?" he said. "You said it yourself, the Imperial royal family are illegitimate farces."

Fasela nodded slowly. "Yes, but they are the best chance Armel has."

Conrad didn't reply. He turned away from her and went to the window, looking out across the sprawling city. "Something about Amethyst has made my skin crawl every time I see her. I believe she is trying to take the amulet from me and dispose of me in the process."

"That doesn't explain why she didn't send anyone after me," Fasela said. "If something happens to you, I'm just as much of a danger. Besides, you're big news around the Citadel at the moment. If you died it would look extremely suspicious."