BONE DUST | REN KOUEN

[ i ]

Under the rule of a new king, Ione had abandoned their peaceful, metalwork trade and had steadily garnered a reputation for having a vast, powerful army—a prospect that had caught the Kou Empire's eye. The initial interest had grown with the notion of adding Ione's army to the Kou Empire's, which had advantageous potential if the Ionians were as bloodthirsty as their war history painted them. Ione under the empire's control secured the rest of the Byzen Cluster and its strategic position near the Reim Empire had sealed the deal for his father. The emperor of the Kou Empire had sent an envoy to propose their offer to Hákon of Ione of a royal marriage—a Kou princess for an Ionian prince—to create an alliance.

Yun, their envoy, had returned to the Kou Empire, reporting that the king of Ione had expressed interest in the alliance. Ren Kouen had heard the rest of the conversation in snippets as he had dealt with the preparations concerning another war campaign to expand their territory further west until his father had summoned him back to the palace.

"You will accompany Yun to Ione and solidify the alliance," his father had ordered, seated on his throne with his smiling wife perched beside him. The Kou Empire was only one of others reaching out to Ione and they had striven to be the better option of them all.

"Would it not be a better choice to send Koumei?" the empress had suggested.

Koumei had stepped forward silently and had offered to take his place, but had been denied and the room had silenced.

"It doesn't matter," Kouen had said, "I'll go to Ione."

History had claimed the Ionians were beasts in the heat of battle. Even Kouen had felt inclined enough to confirm whether that had been true or conjecture.

Kouen had arrived to Ione, surprised to find the Ionian king, Hákon, willing to accept the offer given to him without any consideration as to how doing so benefited his country. They hadn't discussed politics or policies from the start, the king had only asked one thing.

"Would my daughter be protected?" Hákon had leaned into the sturdy desk behind him as he had waited for his response. He had been a tall, blond man with deep-set eyes and sharp cheekbones that had exuded a sort of quiet strength.

"Yes."

Hákon had nodded, the lucidity in his pale eyes fading. "Excellent. Excellent."

"The emperor offers your son pick of any of the unwed princesses of our country," Kouen had said, beside him Yun had nodded in silent agreement. "The alliance will be settled with their marriage."

Hákon had looked at him, baffled, and had then turned to Yun. "A princess?"

"For your son," Kouen had clarified.

Yun had leaned forward to address him. "Ione has no prince, only a princess."

Kouen had recovered quickly from his blunder and had said, "Then we offer a princess to you as you are without a queen."

"We should be realistic, Prince Kouen," Hákon had said, beginning to pace, "I'm too close to death. Your empire would not truly benefit."

"Why?"

"Because Ione is a queendom and my daughter has many supporters," Hákon had explained. "I brought many changes to the country after I took control. My wife had been too soft, too idealistic. She didn't believe in war. She planned to leave us defenseless, so I only did what needed to be done." His tone had undergone a change, his deepening voice seeming more fanatical as his elucidation had continued. "It took time for me to gain approval from the Ionian House of Nobles and finally strip her of her power while making sure they had no say in my actions." The king had snapped towards him. "They plan to use my daughter to take back the kingdom, hoping that she can return it to what it used to be, but we can't have that. We can't have that at all. Of course, we can prevent it. Marry her off, have her husband do what I did. There are other princes in the Kou Empire. Marry her to one, it doesn't matter whom. You take her power and the kingdom is yours to do with as you wish."

"You don't care what becomes of Ione?" Kouen had asked.

"I am no stranger to the Kou Empire and its conquests. Your country's might is enviable," Hákon had said. "Even if I were to gather every man and woman in this country to fight against your empire, we would fail. It would be a laughable stain on our reputation. We have not known defeat in years and it would be our greatest shame if we would. Your Kou Empire will undoubtedly continue to expand. You would have come for us regardless, on good or bad terms. I would rather have Ione join your efforts willingly than challenge them to know shame because I have my pride as king. Surely, we share similar ideals. We worship power. Ione can add to your power, yes. The Byzen Cluster sits in an advantageous position against other foreign powers."

"The Third Prince," Kouen had offered. "He should do."

"Yes, that will do," Hákon had agreed, pacing once more. "How old is he? This Third Prince."

"Ten."

"Good, good," the King had said. "Not too young, not too old. Do you trust he would make a good king, even in his young age?"

He had trusted enough in Kouha that he could, so he had answered, "Yes."

"My daughter will be ecstatic."

The king had looked pleased as he had continued his pacing, muttering beneath his breath. Speaking to Hákon further would have proven troublesome as he had seemed more and more distracted the longer they had held onto the conversation.

Kouen had left instruction with Yun about the aid the Kou Empire would provide before departing from the king's office, the envoy had accompanied him. He had wanted to see what he could of the country before his departure.

Although, Ione had been famous for its military strength, it was universal knowledge that they were in severe debt because of it. Only those in the military and in the higher ranks had possessed the means to survive while the rest of the country suffered. The streets he had walked through to reach the Ionian capital were littered with famine and death, which had been the result of a decline that had occurred since Hákon had invested the crown's wealth on a stronger military. His rule had been problematic as a result.

The king's elucidations on the matter had started making better sense when Kouen had taken in the sights a second time. He had learned that the Ionian House used to possess some degree of power to overturn a monarch's orders, which had made them quite dangerous under certain circumstances, but they had been disbanded since Hákon had taken the throne from his wife. The leaders of the House had been sitting idle since, waiting to reform under the next monarch, Hákon's daughter.

"What is your opinion of the princess?" Kouen had asked on their way down the spiral steps. He had doubted he would chance a meeting with the princess after hearing she had gone to help with preparations to her mother's funeral, so he relied on Yun's opinions on the girl.

"The princess is a bit of a mystery," Yun had said hesitantly. "She is young. She is the most beautiful woman in Ione and the most powerful, whether she knows that is unknown."

"Is she anything like her father?"

"No, nothing like her father."

"If the Ionian House poses a threat, they should be eliminated," Kouen had said, believing that she would make as suitable a bride as any for Kouha. He had only hoped she was at the very least amusing, or else his younger brother would lose interest and likely forget his purpose in Ione. "Stay vigilant, Yun."

Yun had bowed deeply. "Of course, my prince."

Kouen had caught the eye of a steel-eyed warrior at the entrance of the castle with the sides of his head shaved and the tuft of remaining blond hair braided back to show the markings on the bald areas. He had walked on without looking at the man, knowing that he had glared at the back of his head.

"Commander Ek," Yun had whispered. "There are rumors about that one being a traitor."

"Hm."

Kouen woke up before his wife the following morning. He sat in bed beside her sleeping form and wondered what could have prompted memories of his first meeting with her father. He stared at her freckled face and questioned his choices; though accomplishing his goals took priority. Learning of Ione through further reading had settled his uneasiness, but it had returned suddenly when he had looked at her face, reminded of the statement all made about her when he had asked, the people love her. To what extent, he wondered, and for how long.

The princess shifted and Kouen decided to leave.

He exited her bedroom as a frazzled soldier approached him down the hall, relieved to see him.

"Is something the matter?" asked Kouen.

"We received word from the commander in Baryon," the soldier said nervously, "about the king."

"Did something happen to the king?"

"The king is dead."

"Has it been confirmed?" Kouen demanded, startling the soldier.

"Yes, it has. He fell in the battle for Corrin," the soldier divulged, "and the war is still going. Senior Commander Tjäder asked me to deliver the message to the princess and I…"

"I'll tell the princess," he said and dismissed him.

Kouen found one of his own soldiers and sent him off to gather others to take to Ione's current battlefield in Corrin to help turn the tide. If the king fell, the army would lose their incentive to fight and if that happened, they would suffer losses too early on.

He appeared to have arrived to Ione at a good time, now that his young wife had suddenly become queen.

Kouen returned to the princess' room, his mind calculating his next move naturally while taking all other related factors into consideration, but as he did, another memory came to mind.

Hákon had dropped in on Kouen unexpectedly weeks prior to making his move against the Kingdom of Corrin. Kouen had not expected to see him until his visit to Ione, but he had welcomed him to cross the borders of his most recent conquest.

The Ionian King had met with him privately.

"Corrin will take time to seize complete control over," Hákon had said. "I will likely be absent for your visit, but my chamberlain has been instructed to accommodate you throughout your stay." He had paced back and forth. "You should know that the House have been troublesome as of late, but I do doubt they will dare make a move against you during your stay. They are really after my daughter."

Kouen had remained silent, watching the king's anxious pacing.

"The princess is their grand political move," Hákon had expressed. "Extract me from the throne to have her ascend. They need a queen like her, someone young and impressionable, someone they can work through to rebel against change. Ah, but of course, Lady Bo has done marvelous work keeping the princess away from the influences of the Ionian House." He had paused to turn to him fully. "This has not been the first time that they have tried moving against me. They had a young commander in their service last year, Johan Ek. He attempted to kidnap the princess and force her into eloping in the hopes that it would prevent your marriage to her. I caught him straight away and had him executed for treason."

He was a traitor after all, he had thought.

Kouen had considered having the princess brought to him if leaving her in Ione meant complications, but Hákon had waved it off with a laugh. Hákon had proceeded to illuminate him on matters of war concerning Corrin, distracting him from the previous conversation briefly.

Once he had finished saying what he needed to say, Hákon had excused himself, but had not made it to the door before he had turned back around.

"My daughter is a simple, stupid girl," he had said. "She is, however, kind and the people love her for her character. If you face any hardship, you can use her to your advantage as well." He had raised a finger. "All you need to do is show her kindness. Perhaps, it is youth, but there is something in her that compels her to romance. In love, she would not think twice to oppose you."

Kouen replayed the memory in his mind, watching it begin anew in an endless loop. The king was dead and anyone that opposed the Kou Empire's influence could use the fact to fight back.

Despite how problematic Ione had the potential of becoming, Kouen sat at the table in his wife's room believing it could be an interesting development as morning light began to spill in through slim openings in the drapes. This would be the perfect opportunity to smoke out all his enemies and determine whether he had any use for them or not.

He glimpsed at the princess, sleeping so close to the edge of the bed. The people loved her.

The door opened quietly and the thin woman the empress, Gyokuen, had sent to educate the princess entered, bowing.

"Let her sleep," said Kouen, aware she had arrived to wake her.

"Yes, my prince," said Bo. Keeping her head lowered respectfully, she continued, "Your attendants are waiting in the guest room. Your breakfast will be served as soon as you are ready."

"Have the chamberlain meet me in a few hours."

Bo bowed again before excusing herself.

Kouen rose from his seat and walked out of his wife's room several minutes. He returned to the guest quarters to dress and took his breakfast. He learned that new arrangements had been made for him and his wife. He had gone to see that they were to his liking. The new apartments were roomier and suitably comfortable for two people as they included private adjacent chambers. The princess' boudoir was past the door by the fireplace and his solar was through a door to the right of the canopy. The solar was smaller than the bedchamber as expected, decorated lightly with black tapestries threaded with silver, moss green drapes that fell across windows that faced the vast forest of the neighboring province and a hill of orange wildflowers. There was a fireplace in front of a long wooden table with long benches on either side of it and a small bed in the corner hidden behind a pair of drapes. There were several tall bookshelves, mostly empty with the exception of a few woodwork pieces.

He had finished ensuring all of his things were intact when the castle's chamberlain walked in.

Bengt was a balding man that served Hákon since he took his position as king. He was more often seen carrying around a thick tome and something to scribble with, usually a silent man, but very knowledgeable of Ione's inner workings.

"Good morning, my prince," greeted Bengt. "I do hope the room was to your liking."

Kouen acknowledged him with a curt nod, sure to dismiss the two attendants remaining in his presence. "Tell me about the Ionian House."

"The Ionian House?" questioned Bengt. "Ah, yes. The Ionian House consisted of representatives from the leading noble families that acted as mediums for the needs of the people in the kingdom. They essentially reworked the Ionian peoples' wants and needs and restructured them into propositions they presented to the queen as potential laws. After a few years, the Ionian House flourished, grew into a governmental power that was eventually able to depose a queen if they felt she was an unfit ruler. When the princess' mother became ill and incapable of ruling, my king went through the Ionian House to see himself assigned King Regent until the princess was old enough to take the crown."

"Why would the queen offer that kind of power to the Ionian House?" asked Kouen.

"I believe she thought it was the correct thing to do," answered Bengt. "It was quite…progressive of her. Admittedly, the Ionian House worked well for Queen Elina, but it softened our people. More often than not our weakness was exposed and our fair country fell victim to the threats of some of our neighbors. We became a joke to them."

"If the king were to die, would the Ionian House gain power?"

"As the princess would be too young to rule and you would be viewed as—forgive me for saying this—an inappropriate choice, they would reinstate themselves to act as her councilors," he explained. "Ione would fall apart under the princess' leadership. She is too young and too soft. She would fall prey to the manipulations of the Ionian House."

"Yet she remains the most powerful person in this country, with or without her father present," said Kouen, reminded that the one fact about his wife that had stuck was that she was powerful within the country because she was loved. Even if the Ionian House came together after the knowledge of Hákon's death spread and his wife ascended the throne, she would remain his wife and the country would remain his. It only needed to be reminded of who rescued it from its ruin.

"Indeed, she is, but being beloved by the country for being kind rarely makes for even an adequate ruler. King Hákon wanted the country to fall into better hands, which is why he willingly sacrificed the future of Ione to make it possible. It was a blessing that the emperor would become so interested in our humble country and that you chose our princess to be your consort."

It was better to say that he married her army and that it had been a good match. The Kingdom of Baryon had fallen to their might and belonged to the Kou Empire. He had hopes that once his army reached Corrin, the third kingdom of the Byzen Cluster will fall to his nation.

"The king expressed his concern over an uprising against the Kou Empire's influence," said Kouen, annoyed by Bengt's subject change. "He said the princess would be used as a political move by the nobles that are opposed to my occupation."

"It is unfortunate that the king is dead because the Ionian House would not be permitted to act out. Doing so means treason. After Johan Ek, the House did quiet down significantly, but that is not to say that they have stopped working towards putting the princess on the throne."

Kouen rose from his seat, believing now was a good time as any to inform a few select individuals that he received news from Corrin about King Hákon's death.

Bengt took a step back, keeping a respectful distance from him.

"Have all of the princess' attendants called to the Great Hall," he told him, walking past him out the door. "Order the servants and the Castle Guard back to their quarters."

"Yes, my prince," said Bengt.

Kouen took care of gathering a select number of higher-ranking soldiers among the Kou's army station in Ione. The only people that had become aware of King Hákon's passing were the men he sent to Corrin to assist in the war effort. He made sure to have the messenger disposed of before he had the chance to take the information to House Tjäder, which tended to all military affairs. No house attached to the Ionian House held his trust, no matter how closely tied they were to the king. Hákon made more enemies than he could handle and ignored them.

Bengt entered the Great Hall with Bo and her ten attendants. The Great Hall was a grand room where most festivities were held with several tables coupled with benches and a raised dais at the end of the hall with another table where two intricately carved chairs sat, one stood taller and more pronounced than the other signifying it as the royal seat. The Great Hall was a little peculiar in that it was roofless, so anyone walking along the second floor corridors above it were able to look down. The second floor was filled with Kou Empire soldiers ordered to keep the Ionian Castle Guard and the servants out of the area if they disobeyed their orders to remain in their quarters.

"The king is dead," said Kouen bluntly, observing the quick change in everyone's expressions. He continued, divulging only the information he felt was relevant, "His body is being transported back to Ione. You are to keep your silence and ensure that word does not reach the princess until his body arrives, after which I will tell her."

"Yes, my prince," came everyone's reply.

"Bo," he began. "Clear the princess' schedule for the remainder of the week. If she leaves the castle, see to it that she is accompanied by a member of her guard and an attendant. If someone strange attempts to contact her, you are to present them as an enemy for the guard and have them captured."

"Yes," answered Bo.

He imagined the princess was perfectly capable of distracting herself when she had no responsibilities to worry about.

Kouen dismissed her and her attendants. As they walked out the large doors, he heard Bo tell the ten girls to keep their mouths shut about the matter or face severe consequences. He proceeded to speak to his soldiers, keeping the chamberlain waiting as he grew more and more anxious with every passing minute.

"Speak with the squadron guarding the princess and ask that their numbers be increased," he ordered, then dismissed them to deliver news of the kings death to every Kou soldier in Ione.

Kouen turned to Bengt. "Take me to Hákon's study."

"Right this way, my prince."

Bengt took him in the direction of the western wing, along the second floor's outer halls where he could see the Great Hall, and up a winding staircase within the western tower. At the top of the stairs was a heavy oaken door with an iron lock. The chamberlain handed him a key before excusing himself.

"Preparations need to be made for the king's funeral rites, excuse me," he informed, sidling past Kouen to descend the stairs.

BONE DUST | END