Chapter 207 - Old World, Old Blood, and Old Grudges... (1/2)

Where did it all go wrong?  If I had to answer that question, then I would definitely have to say that it all went wrong the moment that we broke our timeless traditions.

Had we stayed the course and firmly rejected the improper succession of predestined rights, we would have not ended up where we are right now. False kings beget doomed futures...

— Meditations on the Great Failure of the Fourth Cycle

Though the stone floor beneath her feet was cold as ice, she did not mind it all. If anything, the chill underneath her feet was a grounding element for her; the cold, sharp pain kept her from thinking too much about extraneous matters.

But it wasn't as if she was a stranger to the cold chill of the stone floor either, so it did not affect as much her as the first time she had stepped upon it.

Lu'um took a deep breath and recollected herself as she gazed at her poorly illuminated surroundings. Though they could have set up conventional lighting for what was to come, simple torches and large flaming spires made of dried stalks of grasses and wood had been constructed instead.

Aside from these rudimentary fires, the only other form of illumination they would be receiving would come from the three moons and the faintly twinkling stars above.

The ritual spilling of blood had been demanded for Lu'um's impertinence — without a reprieve from the person she had offended or authority higher than her, the law demanded punishment be meted out for her crime of insubordination.

Usually, this would be conducted through bloodletting by whipping or even flaying, depending on the severity of the crime but Lu'um's case was unique, so to speak.

Lu'um was not a member of the lower class and was, in fact, a high noble of the royal household. Moreover, her formal title as the Daughter of the Moon granted her an even higher status than most could dream of in the Mulian Empire.

She was effectively the future Empress, only held back by the fact that she had not yet formally married the Crown Prince, who was tentatively considered the Regent Emperor in absence of the previous Monarch and Empress...

As such, only a small handful of people actually outranked her in terms of authority or status, and one could even safely say that she was nearly uncontested in terms of power and rank.

Unfortunately, even with all of her power, there was still one person who surpassed her in terms of rank... and it happened to be the person she despised the most — her dear mother, Shaali.

Shaali bore many titles, each one of them was more prestigious and imperious than the last.

Her formal name was Acuecucyoticihuati, after a powerful goddess of the seas, rivers, and storms — that alone should have been enough for anyone to understand that Shaali was not a woman to be trifled with.

This was, of course, not counting the familial rights a parent had over their child. It went without saying that the concept of familial piety supported Shaali's authority over Lu'um.

That was how terrifying Shaali was to Lu'um and others — though she was not Empress herself, there were only two people who were currently above her in rank; Ulbo, the Father of the Stars, and His Highness the Regent Emperor.

Only when Lu'um officially became Empress would she finally outrank her mother, but certainly not before then...

”The ancient laws are absolute; Lu'um was in the wrong, so the call for blood was made, but since she is of such a high rank, the punishment of bloodletting through whipping would be...” said Itotia as she struggled to finish the sentence.

”I get it,” said Reed, chuckling at Itotia's awkward hesitation, ”You can't just make the future Empress get down on her knees and get whipped like a common peasant. It'd destroy the precious dignity of the royal family and then some, right? Yet she still has to be punished...”

Itotia silently squirmed in her seat and Reed laughed some more. Bullseye.

Hence, the decision had been made that Lu'um's punishment would be carried out through honorable combat — which was, in essence, a glorified, bloody duel.

Built inside of at the bottom of a large natural sinkhole, the Altar of Blood was a sacred ritual ground that the Ancient Mulians had preserved since the dawn of civilization. It was a religious site where a great many important rituals and formal events were held over countless generations.

It was an exceedingly fierce trial by combat for those who had been chosen to potentially become... the Daughter of the Moon.

To become Empress was to embark on a lengthy journey across an ocean of tears — that was what every young girl was informed when they had been selected to become a candidate.

It was an honor in the extreme to be considered as the potential future Empress, for both the candidate and the family involved. Such a thing was the exact product of several dozen careful alliances — political marriages — resulting in a distinguished pedigree worthy of being Empress.

Lu'um was special in the sense that she was not a product of the aftermentioned process. She was a child who had been born from a side branch of the royal family and was, therefore, exempt from the pedigree checks the other girls were forced to go through.

This special privilege, naturally, fostered a certain kind of resentment from the other candidates.

A string of vibrant blood formed a triumphant arch as it raced toward the sky.

It was undoubtedly captivating how the crimson droplets contrasted against the azure sky above, but that euphoric sensation faded once the... shrill screaming began to echo across the arena.

After all, it was not just blood that had taken flight toward the heavens, but also... an entire arm.

Everyone who entered the arena knew about the risks, the suffering that they would have to endure. Still, that did not mean that they were prepared for it — the pain.

Lu'um's opponent, a young girl no older than her — barely twelve or thirteen — writhed in agony as she clutched onto her left shoulder where an arm had once been attached. She, like Lu'um, was someone who had been selected as a candidate, but it seemed that she would not last much longer.