Chapter 34; The Emperor and his shadow;
Characters of the chapter
Briala Marquis of Orlais, advisor to Emperor Gaspard
Gaspard de Chalons Emperor of Orlais
Cursive/Bold text is in Orlesian
Briala walked through the halls and corridors of the Imperial Palace at Val Royeaux. At the door of one room she briefly stopped to nod at the guards flanking either side of it. The door was opened and she entered to find the room bustling with activity. The sides of the room were flanked by even more guards, while in the middle of the room stood Emperor Gaspard himself, arms crossed and eyes fixed to the far wall. On the far wall there was a mess of scaffolds and ladders. On those ladders a number of painters were working, a map depicting the known world slowly taking shape from their brushes. The room itself was large, and so the map itself would be immense. Even so it would be done in excruciatingly precise detail, with every river, forest and mountain range precisely placed upon its surface. Every notable city, town and fortress would be marked upon it. The most notable feature of the map were the removable tiles over each such location that could be changed to show ownership. Every nation and significant faction in the world could be represented, and new tiles would be made should new powers emerge in the world.
While the map could be used to keep track of the events of the wider world, at the end of the day the map was a complete vanity piece, far too large to be practical. It was meant to impress the importance of the Empire and the extent of its borders. Here Gaspard and rulers yet to come could bask in the vastness of their realm as well as plan and dream of conquests yet to come.
Other than the unfinished map the room was bare as of yet. But once completed it would be the nerve center for the ruling of the Orlesian Empire, where both matters of civil governance and affairs of military command would be handled. Once finished the sides of the room would be lined with shelves with books of learning about both civil management and warfare, as well as captured weapons, armor, banners and other trophies of Orlesian victories. In the center of the room the Emperor intended to have a table with a complex mechanism of movable parts that could be raised or lowered to represent geographic formations with remarkable precision.
The Emperor had also commissioned an ambitious project to have a miniature representations of every major city in the world to be able to be presented on that table, reproduced in great detail, right down to individual buildings. Should a city attract the Emperor's attention, whether this be during peace or war, it could be recreated here, where he could examine it to his heart's content and learn all there was to know about its structure. Yet ultimately this project too was more for show than pragmatism. It was to impress the Empire's sophistication and craftmanship to countrymen and foreigners alike. The sheer number of explorers, designers and artisans involved in the project was flaunting the Empire's resources, their capacity for designing and creating a complex little marvel like this. The cost of this project was naturally significant, but things like this tended to operate on a perverse logic where the being expensive only increased the worthiness of the investment.
Briala had heard that somewhere in the Red Keep at King's Landing there was a map of Westeros much like this one. And certainly this room as a whole had drawn inspiration from the War Room at Skyhold. It appeared that the Empire could not help but engage in a game of one-upmanship with every other nation in the world, refusing to be outdone in any area. And it appeared that for all his militaristic upbringing the Emperor could not resist the allure of grandeur and showmanship, as was the case with the majority of his countrymen.
Yet this room also struck a very different tone from Orlesian rulers of the past. It was a room specifically dedicated to the work of governing, whereas other Emperors and Empresses had exercised their will through parties, informal meetings and games of intrigue, only resorting to more direct displays of power when circumstances forced them to do so. It was an indication of Gaspard's straightforward attitude, his contempt for the convoluted intricacies and pretentious politeness of the Great Game, much preferring the other face of Orlais. For the Empire had ever had two personalities. One was a lazy, whimsical creature, prone to flights of fancy, interested in little besides pleasure and comfort, content to lounge amongst luxury and decadence for all eternity. The other was a military monstrosity, an aspect that was mostly seen only by the Empire's enemies. It was the power by which the Empire had originally been built, a power that once roused to anger could roll over just about anything in its path.
Briala wondered just how long this room would remain standing after Gaspard. Would the next ruler of the Empire keep it, or replace it with something more according to their preferences? Would the reforms he had made actually stick and create genuine change, or would they simply be an aberration before the status quo reasserted itself?
"Well, so long as that switch in rule was still a long way away." She thought to herself. There was still much that she needed to do. Much more she needed to accomplish to ensure her people could stand on their own without her oversight, as true equals among the humans of Orlais. That they would not slide to the state they used to be in, or an even worse state. Until that was accomplished she needed this Emperor to stay in power. She had had the fortune to have gained a decree of control over Gaspard. Through him she had the power to steer the Empire where she needed it to go, when she needed it. Through him she had led a shadow empire of her own, a sharp contrast to his overt and easy to see power. Hers was an empire with countless attentive eyes and ears, a network that spanned over many nations, its specialty being vast knowledge of supposedly secret things. She had used the power she had accumulated to enact changes that would improve the lot of her people. Those were the reforms she needed to withstand the test of time. She had no guarantee she would have the same control over the next Emperor or Empress as she had over Gaspard. She would rather no risk the loss of that control until her people were on solid ground.
Her people were what mattered to her in this. She had striven for a long time for their betterment. For if not her, who else was there to do so? Who would stand for elvenkind if not they themselves? And so for their sake she was willing to do just about anything, as the Twin Kingdoms had ended up discovering to their misfortune. She harbored no particular ill will towards either kingdom or their rulers, but they had managed to get themselves in the way of the Emperor's ambitions and her own desires. For that their kingdoms would have to fall.
She approached the Emperor and gave a formal curtsey. "My Emperor. I have more news from the frontlines."
Without turning his eyes from the map Gaspard snapped his fingers, the sounds of work around him ceased, all eyes turning to the Emperor.
"Leave us." He told them. With that command the painters working on the map began to put away their tools, climb down from the scaffolds and exit through the door. He turned his head and nodded to the guards. The guards bowed to their Emperor and departed as well.
Briala and Gaspard waited until the last person had left the room and the door had closed.
"So?" Gaspard asked after the two of them were alone, turning to her.
"The news I came to bring are most encouraging. The army of the North Kingdom has been defeated in the field. King Jon's forces sustained heavy casualties, thousands of enemies were taken captive and the remainder of them have been shattered. The King has managed to lead a force of few thousand back to Winterfell. Marshal de Rozien is moving to pursuing him, intending to lay siege to the castle and take it." Briala said.
"What of the other survivors?" He asked.
"The Marshal hunted down as many as was practical, but there are some. For the most part the surviving groups are of the same size as the one that was with the King, or smaller. Certainly none of them are strong enough to be a threat to the Grand Army on their own. And there is no one obvious beyond the walls of Winterfell that can reunite them to a single force once again, none in the North Kingdom at least. And even if someone managed it they would not be a significant threat, seeing as they now would command only a portion of the strength that they tried and failed to strike the Grand Army with earlier. Once the Marshal has managed to take Winterfell, the North Kingdom can be considered secured and we can proceed with the final phase of our invasion plan." She said.
"Good. Good." The Emperor said, turning his attention back to the map.
Briala tilted her head slightly to the side. "You appear less thrilled about such good news than I expected. I thought you would be pleased."
"It's progress. And that is a good thing." The Emperor admitted. "But the North Kingdom was never the issue in our invasion. In our estimations their forces were never sufficient to pose a threat to our forces on their own. The real challenger to us was always the more powerful army of the South Kingdom. The one still in the field and mostly intact. The one that has a dragon to use against us. I'll celebrate once the southern army is vanquished along with the dragon, once Westeros is successfully annexed to the Empire and once the local monarchs and their families are in our custody, or, if necessary, rotting in the ground. Until then everything is merely…progress."
"I see…" Briala said. "Well, as it happens I have some good news relating to the Dragon Queen's army as well. Major General Robespierre reports that he has successfully seized Moat Cailin. He had the castle gate broken down with magical attacks, then stormed it with his troops. The defending Royalist garrison apparently decided to resist to the last man, including their commander Lord Glover, even though he as a highborn would have been afforded the privilege of ransom. Apparently the northmen did manage to offer significant resistance during their final hour. In fact Major General Robespierre expressed a wish for the bravery of Moat Cailin's defenders to be noted in official records, which he apparently has done in his report. Once those documents reach here I will of course inspect that the contents are appropriate and make any necessary revisions before committing the report to our archives. Nevertheless Moat Cailin is now under our control and is being prepared to resist Queen Daenerys's army. The Nahashin specialist troops have been deployed to the surrounding marshlands, ready to begin conducting raids on the Queen's army when it arrives."
"Is the artifact being installed at Moat Cailin?" He asked.
"As per our plans. It is essential to preventing Queen's forces from breaking through our defenses." She replied.
"It is." The Emperor agreed. "I simply hope the device functions as intended. And that the dragon Queen doesn't have the notion to bypass the castle with her beast and attack the main body of the Grand Army on her own."
"Even if she does we should have more than enough firepower to bring down a lone dragon." Briala said. "But of course I bow to your expertise in military matters." She added.
"We might be able to bring the creature down, but will our casualties remain at acceptable levels?" Gaspard said.
"Well, if you are concerned you should know that Messere Gagnon has begun seeking alternative solutions as a precaution." Briala said.
"Hmmph. And I suppose you want to use money from the Empire's coffers to finance this endeavor?" He asked dryly.
"I think that would be most prudent. It will expedite the process and once complete it will add security to the Grand Army, giving us a fallback plan should unforeseen circumstances arise." Briala said.
"Fine, fine. We've already poured vast amounts of funds and people into this. What's one more expense? Tell Gagnon that I will provide any funding he needs in this." Gaspard said, waving his hand dismissively.
"I'll deliver him the good news my Emperor." Briala said, curtseying again and turning to leave.
"*My* Emperor… " Gaspard repeated. "Are you even aware of the double meaning in you saying that?"
"Oh, I'm aware." She said with a sly smile.
"Oh? So you do that deliberately?" He asked.
"On occasion." She admitted.
Gaspard huffed. "I can't say I fancy being owned by anyone. It's not what being an Emperor is supposed to about. It's not what I was after when I sought the throne. Especially not since the person I'm in the pocket of is a rabbit."
"You know I hate it when you call me that. None among my people take kindly to that." Briala said, irked by the use of the slur.
"I know it. Which is why I on occasion do it deliberately." The Emperor quipped. Then he sighed, suddenly sounding exhausted. "But I confess I sometimes get tired of this game of needling between us. I wonder if it's the same for you?"
"All the time… all the time." She said, bowing her head, sounding as tired as Gaspard. "That is a war front where I welcome any ceasefire I can get. I much prefer it when things run smoothly between us. Some of our greatest accomplishments have been created during such moments. I'd propose a more permanent peace between us, but I'm unsure if such a thing is possible."
"I'm not certain of that either. It could be that our natures are simply too different to ever fully stop our verbal duels. Then again, now that we have both recognized and admitted our weariness for it, maybe it more possible than either of us knew. Perhaps we should try." He said.
"Perhaps we should." She agreed. "Nothing for us to lose. And even if we don't succeed I think we have a good thing going between us despite our differences. We have respect for each other's positions and a division of labor based on that. I only exercise my influence over you when the wellbeing of my people is on the line. Other than that you may govern your Empire as you see fit, and I even help you in doing so. Both of us get to rule over the portion of Orlais that actually matters to us, for the betterment of both sides. I'd call it a reasonably good coexistence."
"Yes, a harmonious relationship of co-operation." The Emperor agreed. "But we have had little choice. That was the system the Inquisitor imposed on us. I wonder if he now regrets the choice he made that day at the Winter Palace?"
"In part I suspect. He is someone who wishes to change the world for the better. At the Winter palace he seized the opportunity he believed would best move Orlais in a direction where the strong do not prey on the weak." She said.
"And to secure the Empire's support against his enemy at that time." He reminded.
She nodded. "That too. We provided that support for him and I've done my share to further his dreams by looking after the elves. On those grounds he must still believe he did the right thing. But I doubt very much he appreciates what we have decided to do to the Twin Kingdoms now. Then again, something like this might have happened no matter who he put in charge of the Empire. He may realize that as well. And the Twin Kingdoms have cause to be grateful that it's you rather than Celene they are up against."
"Is that so? How do you figure?" He asked.
"You are a fairly straightforward man. Now that you have decided that you want possession of their lands you will take them like a soldier does, by hitting them in the face with a giant army. They may lose against you, but at least they will be able to see you coming and resist you. Celene on the other hand would have found some way to swindle those Kingdoms right out from under the ruling monarchs." She said.
Gaspard laughed. "I grant you that is all too true. She would have charmed the both of them, warped their perceptions until they were smiling as they consigned themselves to eternal servitude under her. That was always her way, and never mine. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps they are fortunate they are facing me, an enemy they can understand."
"The Inquisitor might have appreciated her approach to this more though." She said.
"I suppose. But we are not doing this to please him. And Celene would have had to send troops there eventually to make sure Teviner can't seize the lands her subtlety won. That is the reason why I believed it necessary to take control of Westeros directly and not waste time peddling for their approval. The risk to our own nation is too great." He said.
Briala nodded her agreement. Beyond the other things they stood to gain from this invasion keeping that nation in check was an important motivator. If the Imperium took Westeros, Orlais would be at risk. And if Orlais fell… humans might have a chance to remain free, albeit oppressed under the heel of the Magisters. Not all would be so lucky, but they would have a chance. Her people on the other hand would be dead or slaves without exception, just like the Tevinters preferred to have them. And so it had to be admitted that was fear as much as ambition that had driven their actions, fear of an ancient, foul empire that was ever seeking to retake the position it once held in the world. One that with the amount of control they had achieved over Essos had drifted awfully close to having the means to realize those dreams. She and Gaspard had not trusted peoples of Westeros to stand on their own, and as they were driven by other desires they had concluded that conquering Westeros gained them more than being their ally. At the end of the day the rule of Orlais over those lands was better than any of the alternatives.
Indeed Briala had learned that Orlais was not the only power after this prize. The Qunari had made a move as well, seizing an island in the northern portion of Westeros. Their involvement made it all the more imperative that the Empire take the Twin Kingdoms first. As threats went, the Qunari were just as bad as Tevinter. The Inquisitor was certainly not seeking conquest, but it seemed he too had his own plans for the Twin Kingdoms, seeing how many soldiers and agents he had there. And in the middle of these competing powers were the Twin Kingdoms themselves, struggling to maintain their sovereignty. It appeared that Westeros and the question of its ownership had become the center of everyone's world these days…
"By the way, speaking of the Inquisitor, have you heard that he has summoned us to Skyhold? No doubt he intends to try to demand us to suspend our campaign in the name of restoring the peace." The Emperor said then.
"So? Why does that matter? We are not going to answer those summons… are we?" She said dismissively.
"Do you really believe me so foolish as to do that? I've invested far too much in this undertaking to see it fail, let alone walk away from it voluntarily. But I'm making an awfully lot of enemies over this. First the Chantry, and now the Inquisition." He said.
"Then maybe next time you will listen when I tell you not to try to fake Chantry support to popularize a war. This is no longer a world where the Empire can just use the Chantry's sanction as a blunt instrument to excuse the expansion of their borders. Such a world did exist once, a long time ago. But that world died in the Fereldan rebellion, and it is not about to be reincarnated while the current divine and the Inquisition are in charge.
"Yes, in hindsight maybe I should have listened to you. I only hope that our gains are worth alienating so many." He said.
"I seem to remember that we both agreed that they were. You get to have the glorious legacy you wished to have, to be honored in the present and remembered in the future as the greatest Emperor of our nation. And I get to distract our nobility from the controversial reforms I've made you do while also getting an opportunity to form an elven nobility, which I consider a critical gain in my plans for my people. If you had second thoughts you should have voiced them then, not now when we are committed." She said.
"Fair enough. But I hope you appreciate the risk we are taking. If this fails it will sting the both of us for years. It might even end up strengthening our enemies by leaving the Twin Kingdoms weakened against anyone else that might come after them. For both our sakes, this had better work." He said.
Briala shrugged. "So far it has. I believe a dose of optimism is in order for you My Emp… Your Majesty. You may find it will do wonders to the quality of your daily life. Our next test will be at Moat Cailin. I'm sure things will continue to go our way."
Then she left, leaving the Emperor alone in the room.
"We'll see…" Gaspard said to himself quietly.