Chapter 3: Our Kingdom
The Beginning of King Elieon's reign upon the moon, year 575
City of Anteium, the Moon
The Royal Palace
The walls were of the whitest marble, shinning in all of their glory, the rays of the outlaying sun brightening the corridors through the windows with their own soft light. It was a new morn, a raw day, yet all was not well. The royal council was in session, already an hour into debating problems between the planets.
The serenely lit corridor was silent compared to the chamber adjoining it. The council chamber was all, but silent with the voices of the disgruntled diplomats and objecting ambassadors clashing as if they were upraised swords loudly within its walls. The ambassadors and diplomats of every planet sat in balcony boxes around the room, similar to what one would perceive in that of a theatre, with not one seat resting on the chamber floor, but attached to the wall.
In the middle of all of the balconies on the centermost wall, their was situated a balcony of marble etched in gold and curtained in red. As the ruby curtains were pulled back by two servants clad in white and red, the king and queen of the moon were revealed, sitting gracefully atop their separate thrones. Each monarch was richly garbed in white satin and linen with the golden mark of the moon shinning upon both of their foreheads beneath their jeweled crowns.
"To order!" The ambassador of Pluto called out over the confusion of arguing voices, "To order!"
The obscuring mirage of voices which had hung over the chamber cleared, only echoing faintly before dying completely away.
"For your direction my king, the council has prepared a number of propositions in your absence, they wish to present to the crown addressing our fair kingdoms many tribulations, beginning with the trade relations with Earth to bring an end to the rivalry which is already forming between the green planet and the remaining inner planets." The Plutonian ambassador continued, "So it is obvious to see, sire-"
"Why should we conform to meet their wishes!" the grey haired ambassador of Jupiter forcefully questioned.
"Their peoples are too diverse and their ruling bodies to unpredictable to cooperate with." Victorious, the ambassador of Mars argued, rubbing the black goatee of his chin harshly.
"What of the high king's kingdom on Earth?" Saturn's young and inexperienced diplomat, Junus, asked. "Elis, is it called?"
"We all know about the kingdom of Elis located upon the isles of the Earth sea known as the Mediterranean." Aaron, the ambassador of Neptune replied, "And of their high king, Epeius. They wish-"
"Traitor!" Parmellion, the young diplomat of Mars bellowed, "Consorting with the enemy and then promoting their meager wants before this council."
"We are not at war, Parmellion." The Lunarian king silenced calmly with a wave of his hand.
"But my lord, they have insulted our great kingdom." Parmellion appeared injured as he continued to protest, allowing his youth get the better of his judgment, "Defied the very Planetary Alliance for which we have so labored."
"What is the manner of their defiance that only you can see, Parmellion?" Capriconus, the aged Ambassador of Venus inquired lightly.
The Marian diplomat snorted in distaste as he slouched ungracefully in his seat, "They lead armed caravans to accompany their merchants to our trading posts on the desert continent and almost every where else for that matter. The trading agreement was settled under non-militarized terms, no weapons whatsoever. One would assume that the leaders of Earth would respect these terms laid down by the planets for safe inter planetary trade."
"Where do you gather this information?" King Elieon questioned harshly, for if there was to be any unrest between his ambassadors then there should be a just cause.
"Under what false accusation is this?" Nestor, the ambassador of Mercury inquired.
"None, I assure you, Nestor." The Marian diplomat sneered in the direction of the Mercurian balcony. "Everything I have said has been confirmed by a merchant of mine who was trading for silk at one of our desert trading posts. He and his companions were approached by a caravan, mounted on both horse and camel, carrying spears and swords; their wrought shields nailed to both sides of their trade carts to protect their precious cargo. My merchants barely escaped with their lives. It that is not defying our peaceful terms enough, then I cannot tell what is. It I am the only one whom sees the infringement here they you all must be blind-"
"That is enough, Parmellion." The Lunarian king silenced, "We do not need anymore of your crass words. The information you have already given us will do."
"Sire." The Marian diplomat bowed his head in recognition of defeat, "You are very prudent and I concede to your wisdom." Parmellion sighed deeply and sat up in his seat, his features dark and begrudging.
"Perhaps, we should send messengers to the leaders of Earth. This is a most probable misunderstanding-"Nestor of Mercury rationalized, but was interrupted mid sentence by another more domineering voice.
"No! The time for half hearted peace treaties and futile negotiations are over, Nestor." The ambassador of Jupiter argued. "We laid down the rules of conduct long ago, they should be understood fully by now. It is time for action. I motion for a vote to put a halt to all trade negotiations with the leaders of Earth."
"Sagittarius is right." Parmellion spoke up, his impertinent vigor renewed, "We cannot falter now. The leaders of Earth have violated the terms, we should ready our troops for battle."
"Not all of us are so quick to declare war as you are, Parmellion." Gilgamesh, the ambassador of Uranus stated calmly, "I for one, wish for peace in the face of my planet."
"Quite the proposition coming from a planet who supports two faces: Tyranny and Oppression." The ambassador of Mars shouted outright, earning himself two glares from the Uranian box at the snide comment and rumbling laughter from some of the other boxes.
"I agree with Gilgamesh." The ambassador of Saturn decided, "Peace is the more favorable outcome compared to war in these situations."
"Are you all blind?" Parmellion shouted, his rage mounting, "Can you not see? The rulers of Earth are planning to gain strength with force of arms. They will take up weapons against us and drive us from their borders, when all our good King Elieon has promoted is peace and prosperity between the planets. They will make a mockery of all of his efforts. Why do you deny the truth?"
"We do not deny truth in this council, only speculation." Nestor replied.
The council broke into a light rasping of speaking voices contemplating all that had been said which seemed to echo loudly in the marble chamber.
"To order here! To order!" The Plutonian ambassador shouted again, "This senseless bickering is not settling anything. Let us listen to the council of our king, it is his decision that will carry over in diplomacy. What do you propose, my king?"
The Lunarian king sat leaning to the side of his seat, resting his head on his hand. He had watched the entire argument and was not in anyway sure of what course his decision would take. The argument of both sides made sense to him. He understood the possibility of a threat from the peoples of Earth, for they were always hostile towards all they could not understand and an empire in space connected by roving metal shuttles they had no concept of, was hard to understand. But he also understood their hostility to a point for any excess of foreigners arriving at any moment they please, might be a little unnerving. There was another possibility. The people of earth were often at war with one another. Perhaps they were protecting their trading caravans from an indigenous enemy, but why then would they attack the Marian traders? It was a most definitely planned attack.
Or could it have been the Marian traders who panicked and then advanced on the armed caravan? It was a known fact that Marians were often presumptuous and high tempered.
"Parmellion?" King Elieon inquired, lifting his head from his hand. "Who unsheathed their swords first in animosity, the Marians or the Earthlings?"
Parmellion shifted uncomfortably in his seat as all of the eyes of the council landed on him, "I…I cannot remember, my lord. The skirmish seems years away from where we are now."
"Ironic, your memory was not so unclear in recalling the incident on earth only a moment ago." Gilgamesh spoke up, a great grin upon his features.
"You stay out of this, runner!" Parmellion seethed, "This is none of your concern."
"Parmellion!" The Lunarian king shouted sharply, "Who attacked first!"
"Why should it matter now!" Parmellion's temper was fanning into an uncontrollable fire. "The sound fact is that they appeared armed, where as my people were scantly so, and drove us back to our shuttles without warning nor cause. That is the threat we are here to discuss. Think about the trading regimes of your own planets, gentleman, are you willing to sacrifice your merchants' lives to these heathens!" The Marian's pointed tone caused all of the diplomats and ambassadors to wince suddenly as he continued, "What risks are you willing to take? How far will you venture to risk the lives of your people for a mere profit?"
"Now, now Parmellion, do not be so hasty in your judgment." Nestor reprimanded, "Earth is a cornucopia of natural resources and the gods only know that the resources of our native planets are severely limited. If we cannot continue trade with Earth then our people will starve and precious commodities will cease to exist. This we know through tedious calculation and study-"
"Study." Parmellion mocked with a satirical smile, "Calculation, books, and papers, that is all you know of. You do not know of the toils of labor on sunburned fields, nursing precious crops dying of thirst. You know nothing of sacrifice and hardship! Nothing of starvation and plague! All you know is your calculations and your books. You know not the pain of death and suffrage, but I do. I grew up in the lowlands of Mars, where the sun is hot and unforgiving. Where water is nowhere to be found but in the putrid marshes and deep within the ground, so deep that digging for it costs more lives than dying from lack of it. I know the sorrowful companion to death, for it has followed me at my side throughout all the years of my life. I demand you all, do not invite death and grief so freely into your homelands. We should not have to endure a threat to our supremacy while trading on that little blue planet. We are a great empire and we can be greater if only we defend what we have and find other means for what is needed."
"What other means do you propose?" King Elieon asked rubbing the silver goatee on his chin in thought.
"Open up trade routes with the other galaxies." Parmellion said, "They are different, yes, but they have commodities and resources to offer us well beyond that of earth. Capriconus, does not your planet trade with the galaxy of Frucros?"
Capriconus shifted uneasily beneath the Lunarian king's now penetrating gaze, the tone of his voice becoming nervous. "Yes, but only sparingly. We are not brazen enough to conduct full trade negotiations with Frucros because of the obvious risk of trading over so far a distance, but their system does offer us the same amount of resources as earth."
"But is it not true that if you were to exploit their resources more, they could offer you twice the natural resources of earth?" Parmellion asked pressing the Venian diplomat for an answer.
The Lunarian queen suddenly stood up, gathering the attention of the entire assembly including her husband.
"Gentlemen, may I be permitted to speak?" Serenity asked.
The assembly was silent, awaiting the queen's words. Serenity smiled a serene smile. Not many royal women could stop the procession of a council delegation with one single fluid movement, but Queen Serenity could.
"I propose that we move the final decision of this council on to a later date so as both diplomats and ambassadors will have ample time to think over this issue thoroughly." Serenity stated.
"I concur." Nestor agreed, "We are all civilized men. We do not need pandemonium to interfere with educated decisions."
"It is agreed then. This council will postpone its decision until ample time has been allowed to reach a final verdict." The Lunarian king decreed.
That was final. Whatever the king ordered, was carried out. The council members began to dispel, their murmuring voices speaking of either descent or approval. The king and queen were the last to leave the council chamber, Serenity holding Elieon's arm as they walked down the corridor.
"That was a virtuous decision you made, Serene." Elieon said, "I am not sure I could have been brazen enough to do the same."
"You are too kind, my love." Serenity replied laying her head onto her husband's shoulder. "Do not over cast the importance of such a small action."
"Small though it may have been, it no less important than say a proposal for peace." Elieon replied.
"You make too much of things, darling, too much." Serenity said as she blushed slightly from the heartfelt compliment. Then an emotion of a different kind appeared in her eyes and she became rambunctious and excited like a young school girl. "Have all of the arrangements been made for Seda's birthday celebration?"
"Everything is ready. My servants only await their queen's command before they let the festivities commence." Elieon's happy expression matched the excitement in his wife's eyes. "I was glad I was able to clear my schedule for the next week so that I can be there for the parties and balls to ensue. I want to be there for her and for you as well as for the kingdom."
Serenity grasped his hand affectionately in her own, "Our kingdom."
Elieon smiled and brought the soft ivory hand to his lips to kiss it as they continued walking down the hall. Nothing, not a problem in the whole world destroying the peace the two of them felt at each other's side.
"This is pathetic, you know." Parmellion griped impatiently as he walked down the corridor quickly. "He lets a woman make his choices for him. How does that show his dominance as our high king?"
"He clearly states his authority in a different way than the king of your country does." Sagittarius defended as the Jupiterean ambassador accompanied the young Marian diplomat down the hall, "Besides. On the moon woman hold a more prominent status than on your planet. Who knows, perhaps one may someday rule supreme as the high queen. I do not think that the role of the queen in these matters should bother you, for her supreme rule is not the major concern. The major concern of this kingdom is to protect and guide the earth, while maintaining a sort of peace between the planets themselves."
"High king?" Parmellion huffed arrogantly as he continued to walk at a quick pace. "He is no great ruler. I will prove that to be true in time."
Sagittarius narrowed his gaze suspiciously. "What are you planning?"
Parmellion turned to a Lunarian servant who was standing by a door with his hands resting behind his back, ignoring the Jupiterean ambassador's inquiry. "Prepare a shuttle for my departure. I will leave for Earth in half an hour."
The servant bowed and left hurriedly, his white robes swirling about his feet as he scurried away.
Parmellion turned to his companion, who was eying him wearily and smiled. "But you need not worry yourself. I merely have business to attend to on earth that is all. I will cause no threatening unrest with the high king. Be at ease, my friend. No trouble will come to you, I assure you." Parmellion's demeanor became cheerful as he slapped Sagittarius on the back heartily. "The preparations have been made. This will be a most wonderful feast will it not?"
"You must know, I do not approve of whatever shady dealings you are planning to conduct on earth and if word reaches my ears that you are conducting affairs with are altogether troublesome, then I am afraid that I will have to inform King Elieon." Sagittarius was weary of the cheerful façade, for never before had he seen an expression of such mirth on a Marian's face without cause.
"Of course." Parmellion replied lightheartedly as his demeanor became lighter still. "I was wondering, since I will not be returning to the deport station until later tonight, that I might offer you my personal carriage as transportation."
To this Sagittarius agreed, "Thank you."
"Anything for an old friend." Parmellion said merrily. "It is waiting just outside of these doors."
They walked only a short distance before they reached a red carriage, all sides boxed in solidly except for a small door at the side. The door was opened by an outside servant as the Jupiterean ambassador stepped in, but before the door was shut, he quickly turned to face the smiling Parmellion one last time. "Thank you."
Parmellion nodded enthusiastically as the Jupiterean ambassador sat down. Sagittarius noted that he was not alone in the carriage, but that two guards sat in seats between him and the driver, one sitting up with the driver behind him and one sitting across from him. He suddenly became uneasy as he realized the somber expression of the man sitting across from him. Why have we not started moving?
"Why are we not moving?" Sagittarius asked, then he prepared himself to turn around and question the driver, but he suddenly felt a strong arm encircle his neck in an iron grip; holding him at bay. "What are you doing! There is a mistake, I—"
But before Sagittarius could finish his sentence, a silver dagger was plunged deep into his chest and he collapsed with a painful groan and one last gasp of tortured air before his body went limp in his restrainer's arms. Ebony eyes stared through the iron grated opening in the door on the side. His gaze was somber and solid, blinking only once with finality before turning his gaze from the carriage completely. The two assassins climbed out of the carriage, one carrying the feet of the lifeless ambassador, while the other carried the majority of the dead man's weight hauling his broad shoulders.
"Dispose of the body." Parmellion ordered sternly. "Let no one know what has transpired here. Make sure no one finds him."
"What of his family, Lord Parmellion?" The assassin asked as he placed the bloodstained knife back in his scabbard with one hand. "Should they not be notified?"
"I will take care of that." Parmellion replied pointing to the pale body with contempt. "You only worry about your well being and take care of this!"
The assassins feverishly carried on with their tasks and fled that area. Parmellion walked up to the carriage and bent on one knee, dipping two fingers into a puddle of warm vermillion blood pooled on the carriage floor. The warm liquid was sticky in his hands. He leaned his head back slightly and took one step up into the carriage.
"Clean this mess up once you reach the carriage house." The Marian diplomat commanded, the implied threat not hidden in his voice. "If I find one trace of blood on this floor when you pick me up for the station, you will not make it out of the driver's seat alive. Do remember that." The driver nodded anxiously shaking in his boots as Parmellion stepped out of the carriage and stood beside it apathetically. "Now carry on."
The carriage rode away as the black horses ran at a fast gallop. Parmellion stood in his position, calmly studying the ground at his feet. A tiny drop of crimson blood lay in the crack between two cobblestones, its true dark color lost as the sunlight reflected off from it.
"Unforgiving subject, politics." The Marian diplomat mumbled almost silently as he pulled a simple wooden pipe from a leather pouch on his belt and pulled a twig from a nearby tree, lighting it in a torch on the wall. He then took it and used it to light the dried leaved he stuffed with his pipe basin. He used his boot and smeared the small drop of crimson across the ruff surface of one cobblestone. "Especially for those with loose tongues."
"Unfortunate business is the spilling of dangerous blood." Parmellion stated in the midday silence. "Unfortunate business."
Author's Note: Political stress and injustice in the Silver Millennium. Who'd a thought it? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, however grim it may seem. R & R!