The Kingdoms of Eden

CHAPTER SEVEN: The City of Cepheus

The king of Cepheus, Jupiter, was by reputation, the most honourable of the brothers. Although he had played only a minor role in the determination of the laws of the kingdoms, he had willingly agreed to abide by them. His reputation as a being of wisdom, tolerance and moderation extended far beyond the borders of the kingdoms. That kindly and noble reputation had made it to the ears of Cathal. Jupiter was also pragmatic and wise; or so the story went. He loved his brothers with all his heart, and he was wholeheartedly committed to their quest for restoration to grace. If the other brothers had to choose one from amongst them to be their leader, Jupiter would have been their first and only choice. Conversely, it was his love for his brothers, all his brothers, that meant he was not the right choice for the great war that was to come. With his manic desire to rule over everything at all costs, Saturn had to be opposed by a leader who could see past the love for one fallen brother in the name of the greater good. Jupiter could not do that. The king hoped that his wayward brother would come to his senses once he saw just how fixed his brothers' resolve and might was. For a wise king, it was a foolish expectation.

And so, in the marsh wastelands of the floodplains of the mighty river Gihon, the greatest city of all the lands arose at Jupiter's command. Grey and blue stone had been quarried in the neutral lands of the blue mountain, and each massive block of stone was drawn by horse and cart to the banks of the river and raised into place by Jupiter's children, grandchildren, and his once immortal followers. The walls of the city tested the necks of all observers as they stood at the foot of the walls and strained to find their top. The city walls were as smooth as glass, and a round tower, or square tower jutted out every hundred yards along the full extent of the walls. There was one entrance to the city, and it was blocked in times of battle by double doors of iron that could only be opened and closed by four teams of a dozen horses straining with all their might. Men with heavy broadswords, companies of archers, and mechanical weapons capable of repelling a siege, left the top of wide walls as crowded and noisy as a busy marketplace. The king truly longed for peace and reconciliation, but the impressive show of strength laid bare his proclamation that peace and reconciliation would be on his terms. Cathal provided this short history to Amy and Branna as they strolled along a quiet side street near to the inner wall of the great city.

Safely ensconced within the might of the city walls, a medieval town existed in apparent peace. Simple homes and shops were located next to the walls of the city. The streets were earthen, or poorly cobbled in that part of the city, and the people lived a basic existence. There was a very good reason why the people in that part of the city were forced to live in humble poverty, but it had been such a long time since Jupiter condemned them to their miserable lot that no one could clearly remember what that good reason was. They were content to be. Living under Jupiter's protection was a mercy, and they were grateful for it. The three intruders did not hear one word of discontent or whisper of rebellion as they cautiously made their way through the lower-class suburbs.

Towards the heart of the city the architecture, and purpose of the buildings changed dramatically. The butcher shops and bakeries of the near wall were replaced with swordsmiths, leather workers, grand homes fit for high-ranking civil servants, and then to the small and large palaces of the nobility. The grandest of all the palaces belonged to the king. It was majestic in both design and in scale. From a distance the palace looked like a mighty round tower. Up close, the white stone of the palace, and golden fittings of the high entrance door and encircling windows, betrayed the true nature of the building—in this place someone of great importance was to be found. The tower poked its majestic top above all other buildings in the city. Jupiter's throne room and personal chambers were on the top floor of the structure. It was to that room that Branna delivered her father and Amy.

Jupiter, dressed in the plain brown sackcloth of a priest, was sitting at a humble table by the side of the throne room. The king was eating pieces of cut fruit from a simple wooden plate. The king continued to eat when the uninvited guests stepped out of the air—it was not something that was completely outside the experience of the king, even if it was unexpected in that place.