Chapter 17
The Conglomerate Meeting
In one of the palace's grandest halls, a meeting of great importance was being held to address matters of broad concern. More than a hundred lords from different regions were already present, seated in their places with the gravity the occasion demanded.
The hall had been built in the form of a semicircular tiered chamber, with wide rows of seats and tables descending level by level toward the center of the room. Each row had been arranged so that everyone could clearly see the central space, where a platform stood for whoever was to speak.
Spread across the different levels, those hundred-plus lords nearly filled the chamber. Their clothing, ornaments, and emblems made it clear they came from very different territories, though at that moment they all shared the same focus on the center of the hall.
Along the upper part of the hall, numerous soldiers of the royal guard stood posted, motionless and alert. One watched over each section of the stairways dividing the tiers of the chamber, reinforcing the atmosphere of order and control. Beside them, sixteen cloth maidservants remained stationed in the upper section, while another twelve stood at the corners of the lower level. All of them kept absolutely silent, as though they were part of the ceremony itself.
Among the different levels sat those in attendance. Fusuro and Angelos were seated side by side; Fusuro, leaning back with his feet on the table, openly disrupted the stiffness of the atmosphere, showing an almost insolent indifference to the meeting's formality. Elsewhere, Ganza sat in visible boredom, as though the whole affair were nothing more than a tedious obligation. Eliotas and Furher, meanwhile, were positioned in different parts of the hall, separated from one another, watching in silence as the room finished filling and the preparations came to an end.
Amarantha stood in the lower section, still and unmoving, like the other maidservants, quietly waiting for instructions.
Then an old man in a white cloak slowly walked to the center of the hall and took his place at the podium, where everyone could see and hear him.
"We are all gathered here, representatives of the houses of the Kingdom of Penteros."
As he spoke, Eliotas glanced around discreetly, searching the different sections of the hall. Then he noticed that in one area, the representatives of Lederas were indeed there... but he was not.
That only irritated him further.
Eliotas, Sovereign of House Dumstrein (53 years old)
One of the lords present raised his voice.
"From what I can see, there are still others missing."
The speaker turned his head slightly toward him and replied calmly.
"Everyone who is present is already here."
But the other lord cut in at once.
"That is not the case. More lords from the lands of Leimster, Pheriford, Freidford, Saimdy, among others, are still absent. The Zefrerio states that the minimum number of participants must be present for this meeting to be held—"
He did not get to finish, because Fusuro suddenly interrupted him.
"Can we just get on with it already?!"
The entire hall fell silent. Several heads turned toward him.
Fusuro, still lounging in his seat, spoke again with an indifferent expression.
"Since when do we care about the rules of the Zefrerio?"
Another lord answered him firmly.
"Fusuro, those rules are what have maintained order in the Direcrim for decades."
"So what?" Fusuro shot back. "Are we really going to cancel a quarterly meeting because a couple of mid-ranking houses failed to show up?"
Fusuro, Sovereign of House Susaku (37 years old)
In another part of the hall, Ganza made gestures of boredom, as though he found the discussion tedious. Eliotas, by contrast, was growing more and more impatient, annoyed both by the delay and by everything that was unfolding.
When Furher raised his hand, many turned to look at him.
"Sovereigns, I understand every point of view. The Zefrerio is something that ought to be respected; however, if we were to follow every one of its rules to the letter, our meetings would have become impossible long ago."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the lord who had raised the objection.
"The absence of certain houses, whatever their reasons may be, does not justify suspending a meeting of such importance to the kingdom. That is precisely why representatives must be sent when necessary, whenever the sovereign or those within his circle are unable to attend."
Furher, Sovereign of House Freide (51 years old)
Then he shifted his gaze toward the representatives of Lederas.
After his words, the lords who had risen gradually took their seats again. The atmosphere, though still tense, began to settle.
Fusuro remained where he was, feet on the table and a faint smile on his face, as if the argument had been nothing more than a minor annoyance. Eliotas, for his part, made a gesture with his hands that clearly conveyed a silent "finally." Ganza rested his head against one hand, openly showing how badly he wanted the whole thing to move along. Angelos, by contrast, remained calm, his expression unchanged.
The old man at the podium surveyed the hall for a moment before declaring,
"Very well. If there is nothing further to be said, let us begin the one thousand six hundred and fifty-fourth meeting of the Conglomerate."
As time passed, the meeting continued to unfold, and the old man kept speaking from the podium. At times, some of the sovereigns interrupted with questions; at others, they answered one another themselves. Now and then, minor disputes broke out among those present, but they never lasted long, either because those involved chose to let them die down or because Eliotas cut them off before they could escalate.
Ganza, bored out of his mind, barely spoke at all. He limited himself to drinking his wine, clearly irritated by the pace of the meeting.
Ganza, Sovereign of House Tudeth (50 years old)
At one point, the meeting paused.
Several maidservants took their positions and, along with tables set with wine, goblets, and simple refreshments, began moving through the rows to attend to the lords and refill their cups.
Amarantha approached the row where Ganza was seated, serving with the same neutral expression she had worn from the beginning. When she reached him, Ganza looked up and, upon seeing her, finally showed a hint of interest.
"At last, something interesting in this hall..."
The moment she poured his wine, Ganza grabbed her inappropriately beneath her skirt, between her thighs, and pulled her slightly toward him. Leaning close to her ear while holding her in place, he murmured,
"This is exactly what I needed."
After that, he kept her pressed against him so she could not pull away.
Amarantha remained motionless in that position.
"You're new here, from the look of it," Ganza said into her ear.
Then he added, his tone turning curious,
"What is your name, maidservant?"
"L9, Your Majesty," Amarantha replied.
"L9... interesting," Ganza murmured.
Noticing that several lords were watching him, he finally let her go. Before releasing her completely, he slapped her and said,
"We'll be seeing each other again, maidservant."
As soon as she managed to get away, Amarantha continued on to keep serving the other lords.
After a while, all the maidservants returned to their places, while some of the lords who had stepped out to the lavatory gradually made their way back into the hall.
Once everyone had resumed their positions—lords, guards, and maidservants alike—the meeting began again.
Amarantha remained attentive to every detail that was mentioned. These meetings were among the most important, because they dealt with matters of every kind: economic, political, military, and administrative affairs, as well as new alliances, unpaid debts owed by certain houses, and the first punishments imposed on those who failed to obey certain orders or neglected to pay what they owed. In many ways, it was the place where the kingdom's general course was decided.
Another two hours passed like that, until at last the meeting came to an end.
Then Amarantha, together with the other maidservants, began clearing away the goblets, the refreshments, and everything else left on the tables, as well as taking care of the cleaning, while the lords departed in small groups alongside their closest associates.
"At last, at last..." Ganza said, raising his hands in obvious relief.
Fusuro left accompanied by Angelos and several other lords. On the way out, however, he crossed paths with the representatives of Lederas, and the moment he saw them, he wasted no time mocking them.
"And where is your sovereign? Off painting little pictures again, pretending to be a gardener, or playing the lone wolf?"
At that, several of the lords with him broke into laughter.
Amarantha happened to be nearby and caught every word.
The representative of Lederas, keeping his composure, replied,
"His Majesty is attending to personal matters."
Fusuro let out a laugh and glanced at the other lords around him.
"Did you hear that?" he said, looking for their complicity before turning back to the representative. "Personal matters? Ha. And what personal matters would those be? Watching little animals? Singing like a drunken tavern fool?"
The laughter rose again at once.
The representative met his gaze without yielding.
"Those personal matters are not your concern."
Fusuro's expression changed then. The mockery faded from his face, replaced by a colder, more tense look. He was about to answer, but Angelos placed a hand on his shoulder in a silent gesture that seemed to urge restraint.
Fusuro looked at them coldly before speaking.
Angelos, Sovereign of House Ludesth (40 years old)
"All right. Tell your sovereign that if he misses another quarterly meeting of the Direcrim over his 'little personal matters'"—he said, making air quotes with his fingers—"I will bring the matter forward so he can be sanctioned for his lack of interest in the kingdom's important affairs."
The representative of Lederas kept his composure and replied firmly,
"Your remarks will be passed on, Your Majesty."
Fusuro lifted his cup slightly, wearing a smile laced with irony.
"So be it."
After that, the representatives of Lederas withdrew without another word. Fusuro, meanwhile, headed off in the opposite direction with the small group accompanying him.
Amid all of this, Amarantha continued clearing the tables. She did so with deliberate slowness, however, staying attentive so she could catch as much of the surrounding conversation as possible.
As Furher was leaving alone, as usual, Eliotas approached him.
"Furher!"
"Eliotas," he replied.
Eliotas fell into step beside him, and the two continued walking.
"So, what did you think of this quarterly meeting?" Eliotas asked.
"The same as all the others: business, politics, economics... nothing out of the ordinary," Furher replied.
"You volunteered to take charge, as part of the military leadership, of dealing with the enemies across the narrow sea. Always so interested in the kingdom's military conflicts," Eliotas remarked.
Furher kept walking, his gaze fixed ahead.
"I am simply pursuing what is best for the kingdom. Expansion into the lands of Kelendor will benefit all of us and increase our power as a republic."
"So it seems. After all, that is the Direcrim's priority: to conquer the lands of Kelendor and safeguard stability in Penteros," Eliotas said.
They continued down the corridor.
"I don't know if you heard that Roterfuud and other places were attacked," Eliotas added.
"Yes, I heard about it. And I regret that those centers were tied to your associates as well."
"It hasn't affected me too deeply; however, it damages my reputation," Eliotas replied, his irritation plain. "Those incompetent houses were unable to deal with a handful of rebels. That's what frustrates me: wherever they operate, I always have to step in because they're incapable of acting on their own."
Furher turned his gaze slightly toward him.
"You mean Reydem and the rebels?"
"Whoever they are: Reydem, a band of outlaws, rebels, whatever. They're all low-level enemies."
"You can't compare Reydem to just any enemy," Furher said as they kept walking. "Obviously, they're no longer the threat they once were; however, they're still enemies who know how to hide in the shadows and are difficult to track down."
A brief silence passed before he continued.
"They've hidden themselves well. Even if they do not pose a major active threat at the moment, I understand your concern. They're still a nuisance to the kingdom. Even so, you know perfectly well that today's priorities lie in Kelendor."
"I don't care who they were or who they are now," Eliotas shot back. "Weeds have to be pulled before they spread into the crop."
Then he stopped, and Furher did the same.
"I'm increasing patrols in my lands, and also in the places connected to my business associates," Eliotas said. "And I'm telling you this so you can warn the houses of Rinnerhot and Robercrut that I'll be moving troops through different areas, so they won't be alarmed or think I intend to invade their lands."
"All right, you have my word," Furher replied. "I'll contact the houses in the region so they're aware of your movements."
After a brief pause, he added,
"You could speak to Ganza about it as well. In one way or another, the attacks affected his associates indirectly too."
"I have no interest in dealing with a spoilsport," Eliotas answered. "Other houses can handle that, or the ones within his own circle."
"If you say so," Furher replied. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me, Eliotas?"
"That was all."
Furher gave a slight nod and went off in another direction. Eliotas, meanwhile, continued toward the opposite corridor.
At the same time, back in the hall, Ganza was also leaving after having gone to the lavatory. He made his way through the crowd of lords, scanning the maidservants with obvious impatience, as though searching for someone in particular.
One of the lords approached him with a mocking smile.
"Well, if it isn't Ganza... what are you looking for? You seem awfully eager."
Ganza didn't even look at him as he replied,
"What's it to you?"
The other lord laughed.
"There was no need to answer like that."
"There was a maidservant around here somewhere. I can't find her; I lost sight of her," Ganza said, still searching the room with his eyes.
"Ganza, you and your obsession with maidservants... leave them alone," the other man remarked, still chuckling.
"What I do is none of your concern," Ganza replied coldly before walking away.
Meanwhile, once the meeting was over, Amarantha slipped away discreetly, carrying a few utensils as an excuse to follow some of the lords she had been watching.
However, as she moved down one of the corridors, she came across the supervisor in charge of the maidservants.
"Maidservant, what are you doing here?" the woman asked, stopping her.
Amarantha held the items in her hands and answered without hesitation,
"I was taking these utensils to the kitchen, so they wouldn't keep piling up in the one near the great hall."
The supervisor stepped a little closer, studied her for a moment, and then nodded.
"Understood."
After that, she left without saying anything more.
Amarantha, however, managed to see from a distance how those lords disappeared down a corridor different from the one leading to the kitchen.
She kept walking until she reached the point where she was supposed to turn, and there she paused for a moment to get a better look. But they were already gone. They had probably gone into one of the nearby halls.
Even so, not wanting to arouse suspicion, she continued on toward the kitchen.
And so that long day of meetings came to an end.
That night, Amarantha had already bathed and was in her room, recording various details and preparing manuscripts she needed to send to Víctor's intelligence network. In them, she reported everything that had been discussed in the great hall.
As she wrote in level-two cryptography, she sorted through her thoughts.
"For now, Reydem is not a major priority. All attention is fixed on Kelendor. However, some houses will be increasing patrols in certain regions, so I need to try to locate them and warn Víctor."
When she finished drafting that manuscript, she picked up another document: a list of names and houses.
"I can't set this aside either..."
It was a list of the houses and individuals connected to the rumors about the violet gold mines.
After putting everything away carefully, she lay back on the bed. She stared at the ceiling in silence for a few moments before murmuring to herself,
"I'll sleep for two hours so I'll be better prepared to go out tonight."
Finally, she closed her eyes and settled down to rest, intending to rise in the middle of the night.
____________________
The First Innocents
At dusk, she lay in her maid's quarters, opened her eyes, and said,
"It's time."
She got ready and left the gardens of Rousth through the underground tunnels, taking her usual precautions to avoid being discovered. As she moved forward, she recalled several things that had been mentioned during the meeting, along with other clues she had gathered on her own.
Once outside, she made her way toward the lower district of Rousth. She moved in secret through alleys and passageways, silent and careful. The area was nearly deserted; only a few beggars and drifters could be seen, sleeping or sitting in scattered corners.
She kept going. Every so often, someone would pass through the streets, but she always managed to hide herself and remain unnoticed.
She continued until she reached her destination.
From a distance, she recognized the place, half-concealed by the night and the shadows of the objects around it. No one was nearby. She approached the building, looked around, then climbed up one side until she reached the second floor. She peered through the room's window, careful not to be seen. No one was inside. Since it had been left open to let air in, she slipped through it without a sound.
Once inside the room, she took out her executioner's mask—the black mask—and stared at it.
Then the memories came back to her.
She saw herself in her maid's room, reviewing documents and records. She had gathered information on minor houses, on Víctor, and on several movements she considered important.
While searching through the papers, she had said,
"If I manage to eliminate some of House Reeitmur's associates, I'll set it against the neighboring houses."
Then she added,
"That could draw attention away from Robercrut for now, keep them away from our centers, and clear the way a little for Torken."
"However..."
She had said it while looking over a list of names, fully aware of what her decision meant.
Then she said,
"I can't hesitate. I can't stop. I just have to do it, and nothing more."
The memory faded.
Back in the room, with the black mask in her hands, her expression hardened. It was time.
Meanwhile, as she moved deeper into the building, she put on the mask. Then she went on through the corridors in complete silence, never quickening her pace, until she reached a room where an adult man was sleeping.
Amarantha drew her hand bow and aimed it at him.
Just then, the man woke up. The moment he saw the masked figure, he recoiled in shock.
"Damn it!..."
Amarantha did not lower the weapon.
"No, please!..."
Trembling, the man tried to steady himself, though fear still ruled his voice.
"Please, don't kill me... I have a family... My daughter is waiting for me. I'll do whatever you say, just please don't kill me..."
He began to cry softly as he spoke.
Amarantha watched him in silence, the bow still aimed at him. Then, in a low voice, she said,
"I'm sorry."
She fired a dart into his neck.
He tried to react, but he could no longer speak. His body began to weaken rapidly until he lay motionless on the bed, eyes open, blood spreading across his chest.
Amarantha stepped to his side and, with a gentle motion, closed his eyes.
Then she noticed, near the bed, a drawing of a family with a message written on it: "Daddy, Mommy and Me."
She looked at it in silence, her face empty beneath the mask.
"It mustn't affect me..." she said.
Then she removed the tip from the man's neck, stepped back, and before leaving, looked at him one last time.
After that, she left the place without a trace, untouched, with no one ever learning what had happened there.
Later, back in her room, she looked over the many names still left on her list.
They were people who were not directly involved in Reydem's movements. And yet, to Amarantha, they remained a necessary means to carry out what she had planned.
Even if it meant staining her hands with innocent blood.