Chapter 43: Siegfried Dragonslay
At the same moment, on the other side of the continent, the Empire of the East stretched out under a luminous sky. Its capital, Byzantia, was a city of gold with paved streets. Military chariots crossed paths with merchant caravans coming from distant lands.
Yet, at the heart of this apparent wealth, there was still extreme poverty.
*In the Imperial Palace, more precisely in the Throne Room*
A vast room lit by oil lamps, Emperor Arthur Dragonslay was seated. His graying beard had lost its former shine, as had his mid-length silver hair, dulled by the years and worries. Yet, his expression remained strong. His muscular stature, even weighed down by age, recalled that of his heir son, Admon Dragonslay, who stood to the right of his throne. Admon had the same square chin but his juvenile eyes showed a lack of experience that the emperor had.
When the great doors of the Hall were opened, Duke Gauvain De Norman made his entrance. He was accompanied by his son, Dedric De Norman. The young man had the same blond hair as his father, but his features were finer and an arrogant expression on his face.
They advanced to the steps of the throne, then the duke bowed as did Dedric. "We greet Emperor Dragonslay," he said in a calm voice.
"My faithful friend Gauvain," replied Arthur, nodding slowly. "You have answered my call."
"My Emperor, it is an honor to be called as a Knight of the Round Table," declared Gauvain, bowing properly, hand on his heart.
The emperor sketched a slight smile. "Good... I asked for your help in this matter because I believe your son is talented enough and he is not more than thirty years old. Is that not so?"
Gauvain nodded. "Indeed, Your Majesty. I have heard the rules to participate in the hunt for Pandora’s Box. The young generation must be under thirty years old and not yet master the third Ancestral Sense."
"Good... That will avoid an unnecessary bloodbath. But with these rules, my son cannot participate..." The emperor marked a pause...
It was then that Dedric, in a tone a bit too eager, launched: "But Your Majesty, why not let Prince Siegfried participate?"
His father shot him a disapproving look, but Dedric did not flinch. He kept his insolent smile. It seemed that the nobility no longer feared the imperial family.
Arthur Dragonslay raised a weary hand. "No need to talk about him... You are my best choice."
Admon, who had remained silent until then, chuckled loudly. "Siegfried trembles even when drawing a sword. How do you expect him to be sent by the imperial family? This good-for-nothing cannot even string together a sentence without stuttering."
The emperor turned toward his son, and his voice grew colder. "Admon, you should not speak of your brother in this way in front of guests. It is inappropriate."
Admon clenched his fists, then bowed his head. "I apologize, Emperor... But the son of that concubine is not my brother."
Silence fell for a moment in the room....
The emperor sighed while stroking his beard. Then he raised his eyes toward Gauvain. "In short, Duke Gauvain... In these troubled times, I hope the nobility will know how to help the imperial family recover this dangerous relic."
Duke Gauvain frowned. He weighed his words before launching them. "I have heard, from my sources, that Agath’s daughter was The Midnight Star. I would have thought that, in the new generation of the Empire, there would also be The Dragon Slayer?"
Admon took a step forward, fists clenched. "Duke Gauvain, watch what you say! Even without awakening the power of the Dragon Slayer, the talent of the imperial family remains unmatched!"
Dedric smiled with a smug air. "You are right, Prince. Your little brother is even more talented than you..."
"You!" Admon burst out, his hand instinctively going to his sword.
Everyone in the room knew the truth. Admon’s aversion to his brother Siegfried came from the fact that after the death of the empress, it was the concubine, Siegfried’s mother, Guenievre Dragonslay, who had become empress. And Admon feared above all that this would threaten his place on the throne. Fortunately for him, Siegfried was of unmatched mediocrity, despite the best masters that could be offered to him.
"Calm down, Admon," ordered Arthur without raising his voice. "A prince must keep a cool head and remain clear in his objectives."
The emperor fell silent.
In his head, he was thinking about his next words.
’Gauvain was not born yesterday,’ he thought. ’He easily discovered that we needed the relic. After all, I had asked for years that research be done on the location of Pandora’s Box in the ancient archives. But barely had we discovered that it was locked in the Catacombs than the information leaked.’
The imperial family was losing power, more and more. And only Pandora’s Box could solve the problem...
He thought for a long time. Finally, he made a decision. "Duke Gauvain... If your son brings me back Pandora’s Box, you will be named first Knight of the Round Table."
Gauvain smiled slightly. "Then my son will accomplish the mission for our emperor," he replied simply.
At that precise instant, the great doors of the room opened with a creak. A frail silhouette slipped inside. Siegfried had long silver hair, and his eyes were heterochromatic: one golden and the other blue like the winter sky. He advanced with a step he wanted to be assured, but his foot hit the edge of a step, and he fell heavily to the ground.
An embarrassed silence invaded the room...
Everyone looked at him with contempt.
Siegfried got up with difficulty. His hands were shaking, but he straightened his shoulders. "I also want to participate," he said in a voice he tried to make firm, but which wavered on the last words.
Admon exploded: "Entering in this way into an emperor’s meeting! You really have no manners, Siegfried!"
But the emperor raised his hand, imposing silence. "The meeting is over. You may go."
Admon clenched his teeth, then he turned on his heels and left.
Duke Gauvain and Dedric bowed. "Then we will take our leave," they said in chorus before leaving the room.
The heavy doors closed, leaving the emperor alone with Siegfried.
Arthur Dragonslay finally turned toward him. "What do you think you are doing, Siegfried? You want to humiliate me even more?"