Plight of an Empire

Chapter Seventeen: Audriel

Mynoa, Rundil

“There must be something we can do to quell these hunts,” Audriel pleaded to her advisory.  The sunlight streamed into the solar through the great windows that overlooked the lake surrounding the castle.  The rays of the midday’s sun reflected off the water in such a way that gave cause for the name of the room.  The light illuminated the tautness of Audriel’s face.  “I will not stand idly by as my people are torturing and murdering each other.”

Lord Morten Noyce stood, the chains of silver rattling with the sudden movement.  “My Lady,” he started, “what more would you have us do?”  His finger fell upon the western countryside of Didaan on the map before them.  “We already have patrols wandering the plains.  They have done little to deter the hunters.  The citizens merely wait for them to pass before continuing on with their hunts.  And I suspect that the few patrols who do find evidence of hunts taking place are bribed to look the other way.  With many of the patrols Didese natives, it is likely that they support the hunts themselves.”

Audriel clasped her interlaced fingers under her chin, supporting the weight of the empire upon those hands.  Her lips pursed in contemplation as she stared at the map of the continent.  Since word had spread about Lisbette and Laelette using magic to kill her father, the witch hunts in Didaan have increased substantially and have become more brutal.

Reports have come in from nearly every corner of Didaan telling of the horrors inflicted upon those accused with practicing magic.  Whether they be magic-born or practicers, it mattered not, all were sent to the grave or to the flame.  Men, women, and children, all dragged from their homes and tossed on the pyres to burn.  Or few were unlucky enough to experience the torture devices built by the hunters.  Death by impalation and mutilation were rampant.  Often times bodies of women would appear sawed in half, each half a mirror of the other.  The corpses of children were found hacked to pieces.  It was mass hysteria.

She blinked back the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes.  She could not show weakness in front of her council.  “Could we not send more men who are not natives of Didaan then?”

Owyn Parrett clucked his tongue.  “We cannot afford to send in more men, Your Majesty,” he explained.  In the light of the room, Audriel could see the dark circles under his eyes.  He has aged more in the past two months than he had in the past ten years.  The death of her father had hit him hard, harder than many realized.  Inside him, she could see a change that had occurred.  “The only people we could afford to pay are Didese natives, but I’m afraid that would do less than solve our problems.”  He swallowed the rest of his wine and slammed the goblet on the table.

Audriel took a sip of her water, swishing it around her dry mouth.  Setting the fine glass on the table, she stole a glance at her advisors, all of whom had fallen silent.  “I’ve noticed you have been particularly quiet on this matter, Veloth,” she stated.  His mouth turned downward into a frown.  “Surely you have an opinion on the matter.”  He certainly did on everything else.

Lord Veloth Oreshield stood slowly, as if weighed down by rocks in his pockets.  “I think this violence has gotten out of hand and we should do everything we can to stop it,” he recited in a monotonous voice before sinking back into his chair.

Sir Cargis Tarly watched Veloth sit with a hard look etched in his eyes.  The two had been more argumentative as of late and unwilling to cooperate.  Cargis muttered something unintelligible under his breath.  Veloth’s neck snapped to Cargis, fury seeping out from him.  Audriel felt she could cut the tension with a feather.  Instead of intervening, she chose to allow the two to exchange whatever tiffs they had built with each other.  To interfere would only delay the inevitable.