Michael Foster - She Who Has No Name

He retook his seat as the gathering erupted into a furore. The magicians were all quiet, but the other denizens of the room were shaking their fists.

‘The Order has failed us time and time again!’ roared one man. ‘If it cannot even protect itself, what are we to do?’

‘The Empire cannot be forced into foolish action by the loss of some troublesome magicians!’ cried out another.

‘The Empire will prevail!’ came from yet another, who shook his fist in the air.

But the entire assembly fell quiet as Grand Master Anthem stood slowly in his place. He looked out from beneath his wispy eyebrows with a heavy heart and a look of thinly restrained anger. ‘I have lost many dear friends in these past days,’ he said softly,thoughhis voice carried to each ear, ‘and I will not have any of them demeaned here…by you. The Order has saved your skins more than any of you would care to know, so pray that we continue to do so. I recommend that those with impatient tongues hold them now, for the time for banter has ended and the time to make decisions has come. I do not make threats lightly, but I will strike down the first man who speaks out of turn. My patience has worn thin and I do not like to be tested. Do I have your attention?’ and no one dared to move even the slightest as he gazed across the room. ‘Very well,’ he said, sitting himself back down. ‘Let us continue.’

Only Empress Lillith dared to break the long silence that followed. ‘Our fellows of the Order are correct. I, too, am tired of all this bickering and arguing within my court. This latest incident cannot go unanswered. We must make a plan of action-quickly and with the strength that such atrocities demand.’

‘Agreed, Your Majesty,’ Chancellor Donovan, to her right, stated. ‘But like any good plan, it must be rational and welldesigned. We cannot set out rashly or we will be sending our precious forces to their doom, and good plans take time. If we sally out to action on the spur of the moment, we could be leaving ourselves open for attack from another direction. All things must be considered and we must have reports from around the Empire to know the true extent of the situation. These reports must be thoroughly investigated to ensure they are based on fact and have not been dispersed by the enemy. If the Paatin can sneak an army behind our defences-and they have already done this once before-it could be the end for us all. The loss of the magicians only reinforces our need to take care.’

‘I agree,’ Grand Master Gallivan called back. ‘Let us take all the time in the world. When the invaders are here shooting arrows over our walls, we can meet them with tea and discuss their demands over biscuits.’

‘The brazen nerve!’ a man to Samuel’s left called aloud, before abruptly shutting his mouth and sinking into his seat as old Anthem swung his gaze towards him.

As a murmuring disquiet began, Grand Master Anthem calmed the room by gently raising his palms, displaying to the gathering his most reassuring expression. ‘What Grand Master Gallivan is saying, and what I must reinforce, is that we have seen what the Paatin invaders are capable of, in person. Reports have been pouring in, ever since, of our losses against them, and we have been almost powerless to react. These desert barbarians, as some have been calling them, are marching their way towards us and devouring the Empire as they go. The Empire is fragmented and weakened after the death of our revered Emperor and the ensuing war with the north. We have lost contact entirely with most of the territories. We can no longer continue to deny our current predicament. We must take action, and quickly, or we may find it is too late. The poisoning of the Order should only strengthen our resolve to act quickly, before more of our numbers are lost.’

Again,the assembly roared with disbelief and outrage. During the fracas, Samuel could not but help notice Master Celios and his neighbour whispering back and forth to each other. The noise began gathering momentum, but this time it was General Ruardin who spoke up,quellingthenoiseat once with his booming voice.

‘Quieten down! I have sat here patiently since our Emperor’s death and watched your petty arguments decide the fate of our Empire. I had once imagined that there were few amongst you who would knowingly place your own interests before our great and noble Empire. Sadly, I have come to realise that the Empire started rotting from within the same day our beloved Emperor was slain, and that it was you here, you supposed patriots, that have driven us into our current state.’ No one dared to speak up against the general’s fury. ‘Listen,then, to the Empress. You have all been given ample time to come up with a solution, but all I hear are more excuses and delays. I have taken the liberty of speaking with Her Highness in private. Some of you here may still remember that the Empire has been placed into her care until Emperor Leopold becomes of age and her word is law. We have spoken long and well, and the decision is this: if you do not present her with a plan of action within three days’ time, I will open the gates and send the Royal Guard to war.’

There was an audible gasp from around the chamber, but still, under threat of attracting Anthem or Ruardin’s wrath, no one dared let out more noise than that.

‘Please reconsider, Your Majesty,’ Chancellor Donovan pleaded to his Empress. ‘I do wish you would speak with us before making rash decisions of this kind. Without the Royal Guard, the city will be defenceless.’

‘Don’t fret, Chancellor Donovan,’ Empress Lillith told him. ‘We have not committed ourselves to this course of action just yet. Indeed, we would never send the entire Guard away and that comes more as a threat to you than anything.But if any more of the Empire falls, there will be precious little point in even defending Cintar. I will give you the promised three days to find a solution to this dilemma, but if a suitable plan is not presented,our threat will come to fruition. I trust you will work together and think well. You may use all the resources of the Empire to help with this task.’

‘I beg to correct you, Your Majesty,’ Councillor Madhaven, sitting several seats down, spoke up, ‘but Imperial edict signed by yourself states that a majority vote of your council must be gained before such decisions can be enacted. This is against your own decree and cannot be permitted, by your own word and law.’

‘I actually do remember most of what you put before me to sign, Councillor. I may not have Turian blood in my veins, but I do have the semblance of an education. Despite what powers you have managed to wrest from me, General Ruardin can still make such commands in times of war such as this.’

At that, Madhaven swallowed his pompous pride and nodded graciously. ‘Of course, Your Majesty.’

‘Weshall apply ouselves to your challenge,’ Donovan announced, ‘and report our plans back to you on the third day. I agree that we have been tardy, so I think I speak for all when I say we will commit ourselves entirely and prepare a plan of action worthy of the need. Given the seriousness of the day, I suggest we adjourn this gathering immediately and begin our work at once.’

‘Agreed,’ Empress Lillith returned.

Chancellor Donovan plucked up the gavel on his desk and struck it on its block, making a resounding crack that sounded the end of the meeting.

The congregation rose and began to meander out. Samuel was doing the same when he noticed a disturbance in the crowd beside Master Celios. He pushed his way through to see what was happening, with Goodfellow following closely behind, and found a tussle going on between Celios, his attendant and an agitated woman. The two men were doing their best to keep her quiet, but the woman was bawling and struggling against the both of them.