The Legacy

Chapter 1

The sound of dripping water is occasionally broken by the quiet sobs of the prisoner. I stand in the shadows, keeping my eyes on Abbas as he waits for the man to stand up again. Its quite an effort with both his hands chained together while his feet are chained to the wall. His wrists are skinned raw, his bloody hands leave prints on the wall as he uses the support to stand back up and I look away again, biting my lip. Why don’t they ever learn not to struggle with the bonds? Now he’ll be in physical pain in addition to the psychological torture and who’s going to benefit from that? Not their cause that’s for sure.

“You’re making this more difficult than it has to be”, Abbas says calmly “You don’t have to die down here. Just answer our questions and you can live.”

The prisoner stares back at him. He’s quiet now, gaze defiant despite the tear tracks down his haggard face. “I told you. We just want freedom. Freedom from the crown’s lies and – Abbas socks him straight in the face before he can complete his sentence, sending him sprawling to the ground again. Its more or less the same thing we’ve heard from every single rebel we’re captured. Accusing the Emperor of lying, colluding with the States, selling over our Capitol among other things.  It pisses me off, the emperor is doing everything in his power to keep the kingdom out of the war. I know the pressure he’s under even if I haven’t been summoned in his office for a while. It’s evident in the bags around my father’s eyes, in the hunch of his shoulders every night I see him. Word around the court is you only need to study Lord Caspar to know the Emperor’s mood. And it’s true, my father is so close to His Majesty it’s hard to determine where my father’s thoughts start and His Majesty’s orders end. 

I finally move from my place, taking the gun out from my holster as I approach the man puking blood on the floor. I can feel Abbas’s stare on my back, but he’s had his time trying to be amenable. The prisoner stills as I place the gun at his temple. I crouch down at his level and life my other hand in front of his face. My masked face doesn’t give away much but the message is clear. I count down from five, as slowly as I can but no one needs to know that. He turns to face me just as I pull the trigger and despite myself, I close my eyes; unable to witness the life leaving his eyes. I hear Abbas sigh behind me, and I turn back to him before I open my eyes.

“I would’ve gotten through to him”. He complains, like always.

“Eventually maybe.” I allow, “But it’s a big enough risk keeping one of them alive for questioning when the orders are to shoot every radical on sight.” Ximen, the Commander of the elite force has always had more sense than the emperor in these matters, but even he can get away with so much under his royal nose.

“How long do you plan to do this?” He asks suddenly.

His question confuses me, “Until we know who’s feeding these ridiculous rumors, whose funding them and if there is international interference as a ploy to involve us in a war that’s not ours. Russia can have its lover’s quarrel with the West as long as it wants, the Empire won’t get involved.”

“That’s very well. But protection from outward threats is impossible if the empire crumbles from the inside.” His words are soft and patient, in complete contrast to a few minutes ago 

“It won’t.” I snap, my hands clenching into fists before I can catch myself.

“It will” he pauses, keeping his eyes on me as two men enter the cell, ready to drag the dead body out for disposal. They don’t acknowledge our stand off and yet, just before they leave, my eyes drop on the dead man’s face. I feel Abbas follow my gaze and he knows he’s won.

I take a deep breath, unclenching my fists. “It’s not a house of cards to be trampled so easily. These riots are mere inconveniences. The crown needs to show a strong united front and --” Abbas snorts, stopping me midsentence. I can feel my face going red with embarrassment, and anger. If Daria were here with me, Abbas would’ve been punished for his rudeness. I glare at him, making him break into a crooked smile. “That sounds familiar. Have you been sitting in Lord Caspar’s meetings?”