The Vileness of Man: Mission Five — Trouble in the Tower
Of all the current scandalous relationships murmured under the tongues of gossiping prudes, the relationship shared by Empress Emily Kaldwin I and her Royal Protector, Corvo Attano was by far the most complex. Many people assumed that their close bond was the love of a father to his daughter, and that Corvo had been in an intimate affair with the late Empress Jessamine Kaldwin. For the majority of Dunwall, and even citizens from beyond Gristol's hold, this past romantic connection was undeniable, and Emily's birth was the decisive proof. The general public was largely unaware of anything beyond this seemingly parental love, and yet those who worked within the Tower and select members of the Royal Court may have been heard wagging their tongues towards a different type of connection. However, the small population who gossiped amongst themselves and perceived some sort of intimacy between the Lord Protector and his charge were immediately disgusted. From the outside, it looked like incest, as if Corvo was attempting to purify his bloodline into yet a second generation. Luckily, these rumors only covered a minute fraction of the court, and the majority of people were ignorant of anything beyond this ostensibly father-daughter bond, and that's just the way the surreptitious couple intended it to stay.
Their entire relationship was built on a firm foundation of passion and secrecy. While Emily truly loved Corvo, a feeling she had developed when still a child, the Lord Protector was wary to fully reciprocate this affection for the longest of time. For he had watched her grow in her mother's womb, seen her take her first step, say her first word, and to him, the bond between them was more familial than anything beyond. Yet she had persisted in her pursuit of his ardor, and in her stubbornness, gently prodded him until his high walls came tumbling down. She was sixteen when his willpower had finally cracked, and their relationship was persisting for the better part of a year, with Emily now being seventeen and Corvo thirty-seven. Though it was strange at first, silently courting his deceased friend's daughter, a young woman less than half his age, Emily was more than pleased, and her happiness and the passion that came with it soon soothed Corvo's troubled soul.
In Dunwall Tower, Emily was just awakening from her pleasant night's sleep. She yawned and stretched out of her toes until they just barely touched the footboard, and the chilly wood caused her to reflexively curl up under her heavy comforter. Corvo was absent from the room, no doubt he had left after she had fell asleep, which was normal for him to do after a session of their lovemaking. She rolled over to the empty side of the bed and hugged onto the pillow, burying her face and breathing deeply as if to capture any remainders of her love's essence that dared to linger in her chamber.
Although there were no windows in her quarters to know the time of day, the grandfather clock that stood beside her bed robustly chimed its rich song, signaling the ninth hour. Groggily she forced herself out of the intense warmth of her bed and rubbed the corners of her eyes. Her fireplace smoldered as the dying embers gasped for breath, which had effectively made her room fairly comfortable for the entirety of the night, despite the biting air lurking outside the palace walls. Emily hobbled over to her vanity and sat on the cold chair, and her bottom instantly tensed from the icy wood. As she stared into her mirror, a soft sigh passed her lips at the sight of her unkempt hair. Sections of her chestnut locks stood unruly from her scalp, seemingly defying gravity's will, and effectively making her look like a deranged porcupine.
A hint of blue peered from beneath the collar of her nightgown, and she pulled down the fabric to reveal bruised skin. Soft laughter uplifted the dreary atmosphere as she examined her love bite, trailing its borders down her collarbone with a finger. Corvo had been unusually passionate last night, but she didn't think he'd be so daring as to mark her skin. He was always so hesitant or reserved; it was a nice change, really. As she reached out for her brush to comb the terrifying mess atop her head, her hand touched something soft, yet rough, far from the sleekness of her brush's lacquered handle. It was a letter, Emily discovered as she took it into her grasp, written on heavy parchment. A formal seal enclosed its words, which bore the crest of the Lord Protector. Strange, Corvo wasn't the type of man to write love letters. Of course, she wasn't complaining. Any sentimental act she benefited from was greatly welcomed. Hastily, she tore away the seal and unfolded her letter, her expectations of his affectionate words creating butterflies in her stomach. She began to read:
"Dearest Emily,
As you're reading this, I will be gone. Unfortunate events have transpired, which prevent me from properly maintaining my duties as your Royal Protector, and so I must informally resign myself from my responsibilities. It is cowardly of me to leave you this letter instead of confronting you with the seriousness of the situation, but I could not bear to see your tears. So like a craven cur, I slink off in the dark of night, leaving only these words to ease my wounded heart.
Ever since I became more than your shield, I have been compromising your safety with my pleasure. Do not blame yourself though, for it was I who gave into the tantalizing allure of lust and foolishly placed it before my duties. However, this is not the reason for my departure. For the cause of my sudden disappearance is not one in which I feel I should divulge upon my Lady's already troubled mind. You have far too many demons to watch out for on your own, and I will not allow mine to nip at your heels as well.
I'm confident you can take care of yourself, at least until you appoint a new Lord Protector in my place. I've have shown you enough swordplay to smite a foe if the time calls for it. However, I pray that you never need to tarnish your porcelain hands with the vileness of man. I have always tried to make you consider your course of actions in times such as these, however I have failed in conveying the importance of maintaining a plan, and so I will divulge one here. The first thing you should do is not fret. Do not see my disappearance as indefinite. My troubles must be dealt with away from the constraint of the throne. If you were caught by the hands of the hellion dogging my every step dearest Emily, this heart of mine would surely shatter.
You must appoint a new Royal Protector. Do not await my return for I cannot say when this time will be. It could weeks, months, or even years before my enemy mistakes my disappearance as a time to ease his guard and allows my hand to strike from the shadows. I need you to understand that I could not do this with your approval or with my title governing my movements. I could not return to being the assassin I once was and still call myself your shield. There is far too much evil is tied to that past and I will not allow my future dark deeds to tarnish your pristine image.
However, I'm not going to be cruel and withhold my intended location. I will return to Serkonos, and reside with one of my family members until I can work out a private living situation. I ask that you not send me money, or try to contact me; for fear that my enemies would use our maintained communication against us. In fact, burn this letter after its completion; its contents are too severe to accidentally wander amongst many hands.
Stay strong, Emily. Keep your head up and never back down when victory is nearing your grasp. My heart is restless with the burden of leaving your side and the guilt I feel insurmountable. I would beg your forgiveness, but I feel undeserving of your gentle words.
Forever in my thoughts,
Corvo Attano"
The parchment floated to the floor as Emily bolted from her room, careening madly for Corvo's quarters. Her bare feet drummed against the floor and her sliding halt wrinkled the carpet which blanketed the chilled wooden planks. Frantically, she jerked open the double doors, eyes darting around the room for any sign of recent activity. Surely, Corvo wouldn't just leave her like this, abandoned in her lonesome keep. He was the last person she truly considered family, and the impossibility of such a sudden disappearance consumed her thoughts. Yet, as she stood quietly in his chambers in her pajamas, feet clinging onto what little warmth the rug had to offer, that impossibility looked more and more probable. No coals glowed in his hearth and his bed was neatly made. Papers and various other office supplies were absent from his desk, with only a golden ring seating squarely in the center to decorate the otherwise cleared tabletop.
Her fingers shakily wrapped themselves around the engraved jewelry and her heart dropped as she noticed its seal. The ring, proof of his title and tool for his decrees, was not something left behind without thought. Along with the letter, this should have been enough to convince the young woman of her lover's absence, and yet she would not accept these clues as fact. Not yet. For all she knew he could have been playing some twisted game with her, forcing her to heed his warnings and listen to his long and tiring speeches. Surely this was punishment for her lapse in judgment when she had silenced his words with complaints about their "dreariness", or skipped Callista's lessons to leisure about. But the Corvo she knew was no cruel prankster, though the meddling god who had gifted him was. He wouldn't be so vile as to bring her to the verge of tears with a lie.
"'Tis a fair morning, your Highness," a deep voice called from behind her, and for a split second Emily begged for it to be Corvo's, despite the obviously unmatching tone.
She turned around. Not surprisingly, it wasn't her protector's voice, well, at least not the one she wished for. For General Tobias, the head of her Royal Guard stood before her, hands wrapped behind his back and chest puffed out in a dignified manner. Tobias had served the monarchy for many years, including her mother's and Burrow's reign. He was well respected within the court, however after the throne was retaken from the Lord Regent, his manner of conduct had grown much more severe than Emily once remembered. He was dressed in his typical watchmen's uniform with a burgundy coat over top to signify his position.
"Have you seen Corvo?" Emily's voice squeaked as she attempted to keep her composure. She could feel the tears beginning to well in her eyes as her grip tightened over the precious metal ring, whitening her knuckles. Her hair was frazzled, her apparel inappropriate for the public's view, and yet none of this seemed to matter in that moment.
Tobias' black widow's peak sharpened as his brows rose in curiosity, "No, I'm sorry to report I haven't seen Lord Attano. Why? Is he missing from my Lady's side?"
Then again, perhaps her appearance should have mattered. It certainly wasn't lady-like to walk around in one's nightwear, and her unkempt appearance should have raised some alarm. Corvo had begged her not to fret, to stay collected in this time of peril. But how could she? The only world she knew was with him at her side, and in the darkness of the night her entire reality had slowly slipped away, "I'm sure he'll return," the words softly poured from her mouth as if to convince herself of his imminent arrival. Slowly she crept back into her quarters, her shoulders trembling and tears running down her puffy cheeks as her composure began to crack.
Nothing made sense. What possible reason could Corvo have to flee so cowardly away from his duties? What "unfortunate circumstances" could have occurred so suddenly to strike such fear into his heart? His feverish passion, his unnatural demeanor, it seemed so clear now that something had been gravely wrong. But what could it have been? The only person who had visited them the day before was the High Overseer, and the two hadn't even conversed. Or had they? Corvo's voice had trembled when Emily had raved about Parrish's inquisition towards Sokolov, and he had been so confident that it was he who had been targeted by the rabid monk. Had Parrish discovered her love's…abilities? Emily had known about them for years now, but she hadn't told anyone! It seemed like a long shot, but what else could be the reason for his flight?
Emily tossed her letter onto the smoldering embers of her fireplace, hot tears staining her glowing cheeks. A eerily maddening laughter softly echoed from her throat as she watched the parchment slowly catch aflame and the ink melt away under the fire's embrace. If Parrish thought he could take away the only person that truly cared about her, he was sorely mistaken. It was only a matter of time before the Masked Felon awoke from his prolonged slumber; everything until then was just a waiting game.
Some small insight to the events occurring within the Tower and Emily's emotions as Corvo slowly sails away from her. So sad, Emily sanity momentarily slipping with the realization of her love's disappearance. T_T I'm not going to threaten you this time but…review?