49 A Long Day of Work (1/2)
Fadelio had a long day ahead of himself. Not only would he have to help furnish of the new Raven Yard, he also had to go visit his father's home in the outer city. After all, they needed allies, if possible reliable ones for a change. No one would be more reliable than Great General Atoc.
Though first, there was another matter to sort out.
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”Yes, honored lady. Prince Corco is deeply grateful for your assistance.”
Fadelio looked at the thin foreigner girl from the Verdant Isles.
*Pretty, but not worth the wait,* was his evaluation.
It had taken him some time just to reach this point. Because of the dead body found close by, the servants around the former Raven Yard had been stricter than usual. Even so, the girl in his front hadn't suffered any hardship. At this point, Fadelio would have been a fool to believe in Corco's weird tale of a 'combat maid'. Rather than a servant, the girl should be someone of high status.
”Is that a fact? I wonder why your prince would not come and retrieve his things himself then.”
”Unfortunately, Master Corco is currently on a visit to his father, so he could only make the trip later. However, Master Corco found it prudent to assume that honored lady would be relieved of her burden as soon as possible. Thus, this servant was sent.”
In truth, he would rather not stay longer to figure out the girl's identity, his mind already at the general's mansion, already home. Still, he would have to be patient for now.
”Prince Corco's belongings, was it? One moment, they have already been prepared.” With deft movements, the girl leaned into the room she had covered with her body and retrieved a large cloth bag. Even though she tried to make herself taller, Fadelio could spot the blood stains on the floor boards behind her slim back. ”Tell your prince that I would rather he visit someone else next time,” she said.
Fadelio grabbed the items, offered a deep bow and splendidly ignored the accusation.
”Prince Corco is in honored lady's debt,” he said before he turned and left.
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”Prince Corco, this old man still believes that Prince's actions are too drastic. The dead should remain undisturbed.”
While the Pachayawna was proselytizing, Corco looked down on the wax-encased finger segment he had cut off his father's corpse.
”Even when he was alive, my father would have been alright without a third of his pinky. Why should it matter now?” The prince's eyes left the finger and stared at the old priest.
”How did you miss this anyways? How can a priest not know who he is burying?” He had not even considered it up until now, but his current disagreement with the head priest made him realize that not even the Pachayawna should be above mundane problems. The old priest was a suspect as well.
”Prince should take great care in his thoughts. If Prince begins to suspect anyone without abandon, it may become a habit.” Corco still looked at the priest, unsatisfied with the fortune cookie of an answer. Until the old man had explained himself, he wouldn't let up.
”Prince should be aware of the rites himself. The deceased is prepared by his own personal warriors and then delivered to the priesthood for the ceremony. This old man was only present for the rites themselves, as is tradition. This matter is a shame upon those very rites and traditions and it is an affront to the great Pacha itself. The Pachayawna will clear the path to the afterlife and guarantee Emperor Titu's safe journey. Prince has my word.”
”So then who was responsible? Which warriors were doing the preparations?” Corco looked to the old politician who was sweating cold rivers even in the musty environment.
”Prince, this...”
”Who, you bastard!?”
”Lady Ichilia and Prince Amautu were held responsible to prepare the journey.”
”Wait, what? What about my grandfather? What about Pachacutec?”
”Elder Caelestis and Prince Pacha were out of the capital when the emperor passed, in search of an old expert medicus who was rumored to travel the mountains. Unfortunately, they came too late.”
”And Amautu?” How could one prince charge through the lands and show off his filial piety while the other simply waited at home? Corco doubted his brother would be this content, not with how ambitious he had shown himself to be the previous night.
”Second prince trusted his Chutwa doctor and believed that no Yaku could ever exceed him.”
”So he stayed at home?” 'Because he had no respect for the Yaku rites and traditions', Corco added in his head. He hoped his brother's infatuation with the west hadn't gone too far.
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Out of the palace gate and down the stairs, Fadelio reached the inner city. In his attempts to prepare the new courtyard, he had been maddened by the servants of the royal castle for a while, but had soon abandoned his work. After what had happened last night and this morning, he doubted Corco would want to spend much time in the palace. Thus, it had become important to secure other accommodations, another excuse to visit home.
As he walked down the old-familiar path, he thought back to his family. His father Atoc was a fair man, but harsh. Even for his own child he would not make exceptions, as one would expect of the head general of the empire. Fadelio had always suffered under his father's draconic training. However, after such a long time had passed, he remembered the days out in his home's training yard with fondness. Even all the blood and sweat of years past did nothing to deter him. Though there would be no corresponding tears. Tears were not allowed with the general. Of course, wails and complaints had been fine with his mother, who would chide the great general whenever he had overburdened his only son with his expectations. As his sisters had grown, they had sided with mother and had done their best to get exemptions for their big brother. They would beg for Fadelio to get longer breaks or easier training sessions, until the general would get annoyed and chased them away.
He hadn't seen home in seven years, but unlike Corco or Atau, he had never felt like an exile. Since General Atoc had been the emperor's closest confidant, they had received a treatment beyond many of the great nobles of Medala. As the general's only son and heir, Fadelio had always been close to the crown prince as a result. From an early age, he had known that he would become the next emperor's attendant, and he had been educated as such. While Corco might have been bitter about Emperor Titu's decision to send him away, Fadelio's presence alone should have clued him into just how much the emperor had expected of the young prince.
Unfortunately, now there was no way for Emperor Titu to tell his true feelings to his son anymore. Fadelio hoped that his friend would come to terms by himself. Maybe in death, Titu could provide answers to his son.
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At this point, Corco couldn't trust either of his witnesses, but bad information was still better than no information at all.
”What about the servants? There's no way anyone truly loyal to father would have agreed to this sort of burial,” Corco said to the prime minister.
”As I understand it, none of Emperor Titu's close servants were involved.” Corco was about to blow up again, but the politician raised his hand to preempt the eruption. ”However, this choicewas based on the emperor's personal instructions before his death.”
”Bullshit.”