Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 11

Chapter 10: Extra-Large Medium Rare

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

It was a calm night in the Barathite capital of Etrogarde as everyone living in the slums were ready to call it a night. Ever since the downfall of Father Warren, everything was peaceful once more as everyone was more than likely to be ready for the Autumn Festival. What everyone didn't expect was that there had been a string of attacks in which the threat of what was left of Father Warren's flock was hiding in the distance. At the cemetery, a few of them dressed in prairie clothing stood in front of Emiliano Zampano's grave as they later left for the evening. That was when a disgruntled gravekeeper went in front of the grave as he gave the thumbs-down salute, for the deceased noble was never a man of honor among his own kin in the first place.

"Here lies Emiliano Zampano who beat his wife, molested his kids, committed adultery, and sided with a religious bigot, may he rest in piss," he said as he unzipped his trousers and urinated on the grave. "Alas, the puckered old bastard had it coming due to old age and misogyny, but his ex-wife and his kids are now compensated at the behest of Emperor Vittorio."

"How dare you disrespect the dead?!" yelled a woman dressed up in prairie clothing. "How could you do that to Emiliano so shamelessly?!"

"He kept his ex-wife prisoner when she was brought back to the villa during the war! He kept her for two whole fucking years when she was called in to bust up a drug ring. That was when Father Warren reminded her that she was still married to that puckered old prick until he died when he lost his grip on her!"

"Marnathi was an adulteress! She left her husband and took his children away from him! They have now grown into disrespectful people because of her!"

"No…, the oldest lives in a village on Minas Tirith managing an inn while the others have stable jobs. As for the youngest, he became a cop, but was uprooted at the Order's request in which he's adjusting to his new job and has a steady he's willing to protect. Even though Emperor Vittorio has liquidated Old Man Zampano's assets to pay for the compensation, you lot won't be harassing the family who fled, you got that?"

The woman in prairie clothing screamed in rage as the gravekeeper zipped up his pants and turned around to face her. He noticed her lunging at him as she pushed him down while grabbing an iron rod and began to beat him with it. Even though he was guarding her blows, she continued to attack him until the sound of a whistle was blown the moment she dropped the iron rod and stopped. What she didn't expect was that Vittorio was there as he wasn't about to tolerate those who still followed the teachings of Father Warren, for he couldn't let them put a damper on the freshly-minted prosperity all over Baratheon. It wasn't long until the woman was arrested and later handcuffed in which she was fighting tooth and nail to break free, for she was still reeling from losing Father Warren during the war.

"You still show fealty and respect over those who abuse their power, don't you, Eliza Quilp," said Vittorio. "You may fight the law on this, but none of us are going back to the notions of fear looming over us."

"I won't yield to a false ruler!" she screamed as she spat on the ground. "As for the gravekeeper, he got what was coming to him when he defiled Emiliano's grave!"

"We all know how to air our grievances, but Emiliano Zampano was no saint. As for your actions, you nearly killed the gravekeeper who had no respect for him in which he saw everything the moment he heard through the grapevine about his dirty laundry being aired. As for Baratheon's prosperity, it'll never go back to its shitty roots because of the fact that your 'patron saint' kept us prisoner than reaching out to some of our offworld neighbors. It was also a day of reckoning when Father Warren met his demise at the hands of Lady Reiko on that day in the colosseum the moment my family returned after twenty years in exile."

"It'll go back the same way that the King of America reclaimed his throne in the Elder Days! We'll be waiting for the day when—"

"Shut your mouth!" cried Lorena as she showed up. "We will never go back the way we were, you got that?! You and your cronies under Father Warren are done and if we see you harassing more bystanders, you will be forced to go in the Kettle on Valinor, is that understood?!"

At that moment, the woman in prairie clothing was hauled away as several people escorted the injured man away from the cemetery. As for Vittorio, on the other hand, he wasn't there to tolerate any hostile behavior from the stragglers from Father Warren's flock as they have become a primal nuisance to everyone in Etrogarde, for it was a problem that he had to deal with while siding with the chieftains and other officials to keep the peace…

I was busy preparing breakfast for everyone as it consisted of pancakes with fruit and cream with a side of eggs and sausage. It was a menial task, but I had to deal with what would happen next as I continued to flip some of the pancakes that were cooking earlier. By the time breakfast was ready, I had two plates in my hand as I went into the lounge room where Reiko was waiting for me, for I didn't want her doing too much after enduring four days of being exhausted.

"It's a daunting task making breakfast, but it's worth it," I said as I took a bite of my food.

"It's strange that we have Kivrana here," said Reiko. "From what I heard from Guido and Casey, she polished off the leftover Halloween candy and went straight for what was left of the cakes that Sona made."

"She wasn't the only one because Casey also had a hand in eating the rather crass one that was originally a wacky chocolate cake to begin with. Both women are with child, but at least they're getting what they need due to the cravings and pregnancy hormones they're having."

"As I recall, you and I were with child once, Sammy. Besides, we have family here in which there's plenty of love and support we can get."

I stared at Reiko as she was also not doing too well due to what she went through after she rescued Carly and Ingmar on Halloween night. I didn't want to pressure her as I also wanted to make sure that she was okay while she continued to eat her food. Both of us were bogged down by various ways and means as we juggled chores and childcare all rolled into one. By the time we finished our food, we went towards the kitchen as we washed up our dishes and put them into the dish drainer and later left to the lounge. Just as we were about to get back in there, we noticed Guido with a letter in his hands as he gave it to me the moment I saw the Barathite royal crest on the front, for it was a summons that involved an upcoming autumn festival.

"Emperor Vittorio's been asking for you guys for a while now," he said to me.

"And I'll be going for a visit," I said.

"He's also asking for Reiko as well in which she was the one who took out a certain bitch boy who overstepped his boundaries two years ago."

"I'll go with him," she said. "Besides, the Autumn festival is also a way and mean to celebrate the harvest and bring various food in the mix. It's also a festival filled with what Emperor Vittorio and the Dowager Empress Claudia prepare for everyone who live in Etrogarde's slums so that no one starves. There's also the dish, aglio e olio that we had once in which it's a blessing of pasta during hard times. As for the work around here…, I feel too—"

"I've got this… You and Sam deserve a break after you guys had a lot to deal with, especially when that prick who drew the tulpa got busted a few days ago. I can hold my own in which there's also the presence of the Trujillo Clan watching over us." Guido fishes out an envelope full of gift certificates as he gives them to me. "These are from Drusus while he's on his way back here after enduring five months of living in the Diamond Dunes. The Halloween party over there was mainly all fireworks being popped off near the lake, which was beautiful."

"Well, we had to deal with a horde of clowns until they vanished," I said. "Still, we had our fair share, but we'll spend a vacation with only the two of us."

I was brimming with enthusiasm as I grabbed Reiko and went towards our room the moment we packed up our suitcases and were ready to go offworld for a little bit. The vacation to Baratheon was a game changer as our trip to the capital was a first since the downfall of Father Warren two years ago. By the time we were getting ready, we were making our way towards the door as we left everything in Guido's hands for now. When we went towards the harbor, we saw a ship bound for Baratheon parked in the harbor as we went towards it. By the time we got on board, we left Valinor as we would soon be arriving in Etrogarde, for it was a vacation that we agreed upon after days of household chores…

Kivrana was in the examination room of the infirmary wing as she was laying down on the scanner table while Kotori was busy looking at the screen to display what she was carrying. The sight of the unborn fetus on screen made her feel both sad and anxious as she wasn't expecting to have the seed she was put into her germinate something unusual. Still, she had to accept what she had in her as it was also a sign of what was yet to come the moment Reuben arrived to see what was going on, for he had a gut feeling that this folly would change everything in a nutshell.

"So, is something wrong with what I have?" she asked.

"Your baby is actually Terran, but it also happens to be mainly an unborn Ancient," said Kotori.

"I never asked to do this, but I don't know what I'll tell Grandpa back on Skald Island."

"And the truth is meant to set you free," said Reuben as he looked at the image of the unborn fetus on screen. "This is no ordinary genetic makeup after your folly in one of the gene banks of the Fallen."

"What's going on? I hope that it doesn't have any health problems…"

"I hate to tell you this, but the fallen father of your unborn baby is actually from the Asano Clan who lived here until they were massacred during the time of the Culling."

"Asano?"

"Whatever you're doing, Sam's not here!"

Reuben spotted Guido chasing after Cynthia as she entered into the infirmary wing to see what was going on. Even though she arrived here to El Anillo del Fuego, she was on call at the behest of Moro as she was aware of the situation that was going on. Still, life moved forward as Reuben was staring at Cynthia for some odd reason, for she never expected to see the future come in full swing until now.

"Normally, Sam would be put through the ringer," she said.

"Well, he's not," said Kotori. "As for the bun in the oven that Kivrana's carrying, it's related to the Asano Clan, which was one of the Terran clans who lost their lives during the time of the Culling in which the Five Clans of the Imperium went in and prevented an Elf supremacist from tearing this planet asunder."

"Wait, I've read about the Culling before in which the Five Clans of the Imperium had to stop an Elf by the name of Leif Culverton and his troops from killing innocents who were deemed unworthy of living on Valinor. The Five Clans led by Richard and Grayson Mahoney were devastated that some of the Terran clans living here fell victim to the widespread slaughter: The Kilbracken Clan, the Cuthbert Clan, the Asano Clan, the Grantham Clan, the Tonobe Clan, and the Tottenham Clan. There was nothing left of them when Leif Culverton made his way of trying to carve out a racially pure Valinor until one of his own turned on him."

"One of his own?"

"Her name was Shayla DeWitt and she served under her leader until he decided to attack a church that preached the Winchester Gospel, which was served as the last straw. When she reached out to Richard Mahoney, he faced off against Leif in a duel that led to him killing the racist Elf, but was reeling at the losses of those who were killed off for no reason. From the rumors, some of the oracles have predicted the resurrection of the fallen Terran Clans who served alongside the Five Clans of the Imperium in which their presence will shake the landscape. Even though all four Terran clans who lived here are gone, there's been further rumors that their genetics were stored in the gene banks of the Fallen, only for them to be true when an Ancient was found in the wreckage of the Clampett."

"She's here and she's also carrying my child," said Guido. "As for whatever the future holds, we're not budging in which there's an obligation to secure it."

It wasn't long until Casey ushered Caleb into the infirmary wing in which he wasn't doing too well at this time. Kotori had no problem with dealing with children as she saw the boy stuck with a stomachache the moment she examined him carefully, for she also had a remedy for him in the form of a can of ginger ale from the small fridge on the counter.

"You need to drink this," she said as she gave Caleb the can of ginger ale when he opened it up and took a drink. "It's not Alka-Seltzer, but ginger is a remedy that can calm upset stomachs."

"This is good," said Caleb as he smiled. "At least it's making me feel better."

"In the near future, I strongly advise you not to eat too much candy," said Reuben. "Besides, candy can be eaten in moderation, but I suggest that you get your daily intake on eating fruits and vegetables as well."

"Okay, Doctor Reuben…"

"Thank you," said Casey. "Caleb feels a little better now. As for our new friend, she's with child like I am, but let's hope that we're both okay…"

Reuben became aware of the situation of dealing with strange pregnancies as he also had to do his part in checking up on everything. As for what was yet to come, there would be further questions waiting in the wings as the presence of Ancients would soon become a further boon that we needed, for they weren't about to be silent forever…

Reiko and I arrived in Etrogarde as we saw it to be different in which we spotted several people setting up their stalls and booths just in time for the Autumn Festival. The sight of food being cooked was a godsend as we later noticed Claudia setting up shop in the form of making her famous aglio e olio pasta recipe in which several customers were lined up to get their plates and pay for their food. The smell of olive and garlic filled the air as we decided to get a plate of what was put in front of us, for this was a reunion of an old Depression-Era dish that I hadn't seen in a while.

"It took you long enough to get here, Sam," said Claudia as she saw me sitting at a table.

"I'm glad to visit this place," I said.

"I overheard Lyra talking about you carrying the ovum of the two war orphans who saved their people from the wrath of Bertram Blackthorne's forces when they sacrificed their lives to protect everyone on Skald Island. It also seems that you don't have much on you at present."

"I know, for I'm glad that I won't be put into that predicament again… Still, I have my other problem in which I also have to protect—"

"—Guido Zampano? He took the full brunt of his father's cruelty in which I won't repeat to the public. As for his 'patron benefactor,' he's been dead for two years since Reiko put an end to his tyranny the moment Vittorio returned us to power. As for the new religion praising her, they view her as a patron saint for stopping Father Warren in which she is praised far and wide."

Reiko was starting to feel a little uncomfortable as she wasn't used to people worshiping her, but I didn't want it getting the better of her. When we took a bite of our food, we tasted the love and care that was put into the pasta that was seasoned with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. By the time we finished up and paid for our meal, we decided to take a trip to the slums as we noticed some of the street vendors bringing out their wares and delights for everyone to buy for their meals. When we went towards the house where Vittorio holed himself in, it was renovated into a restaurant as we went inside to notice what was put in there. The sight of a counter with a cash register and tables adorned the former living room as we noticed the kitchen now decorated with professional grade appliances to keep it up and running. The smell of Italian and Depression-Era cooking filled the room as we noticed a dishwasher and cook running the place. Both of them were part of the slums as we saw them to be a Cetra and his wife cleaning and cooking for the customers, for one of them was familiar due to his dark teal hair and green eyes while dressed up in an apron and chef's hat.

"You wanting to order something?" he asked me.

"We just ate some pasta not too long ago," I said.

"I was hoping that Guido would come here…"

"How do you know Guido?" asked Reiko.

"I'm his brother, Mavik Zampano, and I've spruced up this place in which I even turned the secret compartment into a cooking room. My oldest brother still lives on Minas Tirith while Castor lives elsewhere while maintaining a farm. This place in the slums has a usual farm to table feel, but we have the typical meats being cooked slowly in their ovens complete with their herbs and spices."

"Whoever you are, you can't be here!"

I turned around as I saw a group of people enter into the restaurant in which Reiko recognized them to be remnants of Father Warren's flock. The group mainly glared at her as they saw her to be the killer of their so-called "patron saint" while holding out their hands when they saw Mavik and his wife. It wasn't long until the leader of the group saw Reiko as he was eager to kill her, for he saw her as a threat to those who worshiped a religious tyrant before his demise.

"So, this is the famous Lady Reiko," he said as he smirked.

"You can't be here harassing our customers like that," said Mavik's wife as she rushed into the dining area with a rolling pin in her hand. "Ever since Father Warren's death, you've been harassing us non-stop in which you still want a return to religious power than free choice and kindness that our Emperor and his family clung on."

"Vittorio may try to silence us, but we will never break! Once we usurp him, we will return Baratheon back to religious fervor without the constant noise!"

"Constant noise?" I said. "That's rich coming from someone who cared more about a religious tyrant who sent his secret police to harass everyone here in the capital. For the record, I've heard about how Father Warren fled from his own homeworld and straight to here after his flock kidnapped a group of women and girls from the Mitani Clan's homestead. The ones who put a stop to their activities were none other than Ippei Mitani and Ralph Farragut respectively, only to flee and oust a ruling family who kept everything frugal to those in need."

"Ippei Mitani was a parasite," said a woman in the group. "He drove us away from Alecrast in which we had no home to go to. Father Warren guided us and advised us to keep sweet, for it was the only way to go closer to God and His kingdom!"

"My grandfather was a lot of things, but he was never a parasite," said Reiko defensively. "As for your 'patron saint,' he barred the public from doing things, such as playing music, attending sports events, music, social gatherings, and everything that made Baratheon stable. I never wanted to kill that man, but he tried to end me until I had no other choice but to melt his face off. As for your intentions to 'keep sweet,' I suggest that you leave and not harass everyone here in the slums or else Vittorio will jail you."

The group of people left with looks of disgust on their faces as Mavik was grateful that Reiko stood her ground to protect the restaurant. I was also grateful, but cautious as I had a gut feeling that we wouldn't be seeing the last of Father Warren's flock still trying to assert their dominance. Even though we were here exploring the restaurant, we decided to go downstairs to the compartment as we noticed the smell of meat being cooked. The sight of a turducken on a rotisserie over a fire astonished me as I saw the piping to the pit storing the smoke from the stuff burning while collecting it and converting it into energy. It was originally a hideout as it was converted to a meat cookery due to some of the wares being roasted perfectly. Even Reiko noticed it as she went downstairs to see what was going on, for she was no stranger to seeing meat being cooked. She remembered all those times during our exile on Shiganshina as she saw me bringing in some fresh game to cook after we fled from Alecrast at the time, for this was a comfort that we got used to at the time.

"Oh, the meat consists of turducken, lamb, beef and pork," said Mavik's wife as she arrived downstairs to tend to one of the cookers. "It's been ages since Baratheon returned to decency, but more and more, those people from what was left of Father Warren's flock continue to harass us in which Emperor Vittorio refuses to tolerate corruption."

"This place was once a rotgut room, I take it," I said.

"Before Mavik and I bought this place, it was a front for the resistance that Vittorio led in which there was an old Atreidian carpet that covered this entrance. Even though we arrived here, the scars of emotional turmoil still remained for Mavik in which he was molested by his father until his mom had enough and took matters into her own hands."

"You've known him for a while in which you ended up marrying him."

"Mavik and I grew up on Lannister in which he was trying to move on after his mom took him and his brothers out of here. My dad and I were their next door neighbors in which Mavik viewed him to be a better father figure than the one who sired him. He also taught him how to cook when his mom was out on duty as a cop, but she was also making sure that she kept a roof over his head."

"Denise! Table up!" cried Mavik as he was standing in front of the stairs topside.

"Okay!"

We got out of the downstairs cooking room as we saw a few customers coming here to get some food after a hard day working. It was when Reiko was there helping out as she gave some of the customers their food that consisted of the usual Depression-Era meal stemming from chipped beef on toast to navy bean soup with bread. It was a relief from the bustle and turmoil outside as the Etrogarde slums were a huge comfort on all their own. Still, we were here observing everything as we went into the backyard of the restaurant to see some of the vegetables stored in a greenhouse. It was a rustic form of helping people as food in the slums was a lot more than just Depression-Era staples, but a master class in comfort. It was homely, but palatable as we left the restaurant and went towards the escalator where we were topside in the capital's infrastructure. What we didn't expect was that there were more booths full of wares that displayed street food as everyone took their fill of what was there until we spotted a challenge that consisted of none other than something familiar. It was the "Raise the Steaks!" challenge as I remembered that trip with Dean six years ago. It was also a challenge that gave it its niche for having a large steak to consume under an hour and get a t-shirt and a cash prize, for it ended up giving us an edge to see what was going on.

"I know that challenge very well," I said.

"And the meat is put on display in which some of the people aren't afraid to show off their food," said Reiko. "If only Casey were here or perhaps Kivrana because they need all the nutrients that they need for their little ones."

"And the feeling is mutual… Unfortunately, pregnant women are forbidden to eat steak medium rare. They're also forbidden to eat sushi or sashimi due to the fact that raw meat or fish is bad for the baby. Casey and Kivrana need a lot more in which their unborn children must also be protected from the likes of the Lineage and others who would want to exploit them."

"Hey, you can't be running off like that!" yelled Carly as she was chasing Aora and Ghimru in the city. "You know that Mr. Sam would be very cross if he finds out that you're wandering off!"

It wasn't long until I spotted Carly catching up to the oldest twins as they were tired after coming here unannounced. What I also didn't expect was that Ingmar showed up out of the blue as he was looking at the grocery list in his hands. The sight of street food being cooked overwhelmed him as it reminded him of his late father coming home with some food to feed him and the rest of his family on Skald Island. By the time he saw the "Raise the Steaks!" challenge in front of him, his stomach growled as he dropped to his knees. By the time he got up, he later noticed Alvarith looking at the meat that was cooking on the grill for the customers. She was also missing Caleb as he was placed on bedrest after eating too much candy. She also saw me and Reiko looking at the steaks while they were being put on plates with a fork and knife on it as they put on display, for it was a delight for who wanted their meat served with greatness.

"That looks good," she said.

"We have to catch up with Carly and the twins after they teleported us here," said Ingmar as he was on his feet. "They're fast, but they love to wander off without warning."

"It seems that you have your hands full," I said.

"I finally got them!" cried Carly as she rounded up Aora and Ghimru.

"It also seems that you used your raw power to bring Carly, Ingmar, and Alvarith with you, didn't you?" said Reiko. "You may be young, but you should also be careful in the near future."

"Look at that!" cried Aora as he saw a large steak being put on the table. "It's one huge piece of steak!"

"And we haven't had any lunch yet…," said Ghimru.

Ingmar had a good idea as he was staring at the large steak that was on the table. When he registered his name and the other children to go for the challenge, he saw a timer that the vendor had as he never saw the sight of children gearing up for a large steak in which it would be a daunting task to boot. Reiko and I were also stunned to see the children at the table as they were ready to eat this huge slab of meat for them, for it was a challenge for the ages.

"I never saw a bunch of kids wanting to get their meat in a challenge," said the vendor. "It's the biggest cut of meat ever put there up to a hundred and eighty ounces of prime cut. No one tried to finish it and live to tell the tale, but it would take six people to eat it!"

"Wait!" cried Sona as she sprinted to the table. "It's high time that we get our meat for the day!"

It wasn't long until we saw the children looking at the steak as the vendor turned on the timer that was set for an hour. Ingmar led the challenge as he was eating his fill due to his endurance of living on meat and fish on Skald Island. Carly and Sona were gobbling their fill of meat as they had to beat the clock in which Alvarith went in and feasted on her portion after not having lunch yet. With Aora and Ghimru chowing down on their meat, they were polishing off what was left of it as there was nothing left of it before the timer ran out. The vendor was stunned to see the children finish off the steak as it was a record for the ages, for it was something that was meant to be a game changer for years to come.

"That was good," said Alvarith as she was feeling full.

"It's been a long time since we had a barbecue," said Sona.

"I can't believe we ate the whole thing," said Ingmar as he was feeling full.

"The steak was great," said Carly.

"And we finished off the rest," said Aora with a smile on his face.

"This is the best steak ever!" yelled Ghimru as he stood up with a huge grin.

The sight of the children finishing off the steak was something that would be put in the record books once the vendor gave them a prize and a t-shirt that the "Raise the Steaks!" logo printed on it. Still, we never got enough of the antics of what the children were doing as we saw them leaving in which we later spotted them go into a room with a red rubber ball in it. With full stomachs and a prize, they were ready to leave as they closed the door behind them. Even though they had to go back, we were alone once more as we decided to go towards the palace to where Vittorio was waiting for us. Even though we never stepped foot into the palace, we made our way towards the steps as we later saw several people dressed in prairie clothing being detained in which the sentries found some suspicious weapons on their persons, for this wasn't just a frivolous scare tactic in a nutshell.

"Emperor Vittorio is a false ruler!" yelled one of the detained people. "Father Warren is rolling in his grave to see his work be trampled on by sycophants and scumbags alike! All of us were happy until those scum returned to power and destroyed what Father Warren built in which their 'patron saint' melted his face off in the colosseum two years ago! We will never forget what happened to him in which God Himself will find and smite the wicked who continue to besmirch our leader's name in the mud! No one is safe here, for we will take over Baratheon once again in which we will get rid of the sins that fill the streets and slums alike!"

"Keep your mouth shut!" yelled Lorena as she was armed with her weapons. "Don't think I don't know about your beef against Vittorio, but you won't step foot into the palace! As for your so-called 'leader,' he suppressed everything in which most of us lived in fear of his secret police the moment that Marnathi was nearly executed, only to be spared by Reiko and her group."

"And you!" the man points at Reiko as he glared with a venomous look in his face. "You're a murderer! You took the life of Father Warren in which there's no hope left for us!"

"Leave her be," I said defensively as I stayed by her side. "Your 'leader' had it coming when he abducted women and girls near the Mitani Clan homestead on Alecrast in which Ippei Mitani and Ralph Farragut put a stop to their sick operation until he fled. When he ousted the Castellano Family from power for twenty years, they built a resistance to stop him and restore the integrity that Baratheon once had. Most of the people and chieftains here on this planet have grown weary in which they were demanding a return to the family who chose frugality over riches and kindness over arrogance. Let me make it clear to you that change has come and nothing will sway it back to the religious tyranny it once had."

And so, the group in prairie clothing were taken away as we were glad that no further confrontations happened afterwards. When we entered into the palace grounds, we noticed a group of people lined up to get their food as we noticed them to be workers from both the streets and the slums respectively. That was when the smell of navy bean soup and Depression-Era bread filled the air as we saw Vittorio dressed in an apron and cap while dishing out bowls of soup and bread for the hungry. Even though he was Emperor, he wasn't the type to abandon his people in need as they went through too much during the tyrannical reign of Father Warren, for life had gotten much better in the past two years of kindness and prosperity.

"Let's take a load off," he said as he ws busy giving some people a decent meal.

"You're very busy for an Emperor," I said.

"I may be Emperor, but I can't abandon my people again. Besides, the nobility can choke on their choice morsels for all I care because of the fact that there are people who have more dire situations than we know."

"You care deeply for your people," said Reiko.

"At least I don't act greedy. My family always told me to lend a helping hand to those in need. The only luxury that I had was to have a statue of you made in honor of the anniversary of Father Warren's demise and a return to decency."

Reiko looked at a statue in the middle of a fountain as it resembled her dressed in hunting gear with a blue shimmer that displayed the angelic aura she had in the colosseum two years ago. I saw it to be a symbol of freedom that saved Baratheon from total ruin as I was also happy that Reiko's influence gave the people hope to rise up and turn on the corrupt masters who choked the life out of them for years. Still, everything all over Baratheon's capital was normal again as it was once a place of dread due to the horrible influence that Father Warren spewed out, for it was only a vague memory that also had a way for not staying quiet for long.

"This is a beautiful statue," I said.

"It's a way and mean to honor her after she took out Father Warren two years ago," said Vittorio.

"I see what you mean, but I never wanted to kill him," said Reiko.

"He tried to kill you. Everyone saw it in the colosseum when you ended up melting his face off the moment they were free from his influence. You stopped one of the worst people, regardless of being humanoid or monster, that ever lived. You gave all of us back our dignity in which we restored sanity and humility that we had for everyone on this planet."

Reiko remembered that fateful day in the colosseum as she nearly lost her life the moment she ended up killing Father Warren when he nearly strangled her two years ago. She never forgot how everyone was liberated from his sick religion as the restoration of the Castellano Family was a breath of fresh air in order to propel Vittorio to the throne. It was something that she was trying to adjust to as I was assuring her that no other ill will would come over her, for I heard enough about Father Warren after enslaving an entire planet under his sick zealotry.

"I know that you never wanted to kill Father Warren, but he had it coming from the start," I said.

"But his death still scares me," said Reiko.

"You did what you had to in which you not only stopped a humanoid in monster's clothing, but you gave everyone a sense of dignity and not cave into fear. You did more than enough to put an end to a monster who got away the first time. You finished what your grandfather and Ralph Farragut started in which he won't be darkening another doorway or entice fear towards anyone again."

"I know that the people are now safe, but Father Warren's flock won't stop until they overthrow His Majesty here…"

"They won't because of the fact that they've underestimated a certain Dowager," said Claudia as she entered into the courtyard. "They may cling to their former leader's twisted doctrine, but they're more afraid of me than you."

"What did you do?"

"I threatened to call in either Lorena or perhaps Marnathi in which they won't tolerate their presence when it comes to harassing people or visitors who come to visit the capital. Marnathi had it worse when she was taken away from her clan the moment she was forced to marry Emiliano and bear his children all just to possess the Sight of Valithis that the Lineage and those Leviathans on Harkonnen want. This isn't the first time that it was targeted to be coveted in which Bobby Singer aided in House Vizinar's escape from Earth. Alas, he wasn't the only one who allowed Solvai and Quenna to flee in which a certain King of Hell also took part in it when his tailor ended up getting eaten. Crowley may be the proverbial bad guy, but his actions spoke volumes when he encountered Valithis Vizinar directly and she wasn't intimidated by him in the process. As for her gift, it was both a blessing and a curse in which everyone wanted to take what wasn't theirs. House Trelundar may have wed into other noble Draaza houses, but House Vizinar was a powerful one that towered above the rest. They had marriages with that noble house along with House Kandor, but they weren't the types to sell their female kin off against their wishes."

I was stunned to hear Claudia's words as I also felt sorry for Marnathi in her plight and what she went through. No…, she wasn't forced willingly, but someone in her own noble house must've had debts as I wanted to know a little more about what was going on. When I decided to take a tour of the palace library, I saw some ledgers on a shelf as I spotted one with the Winchester Sigil etched into it. When I took it off the shelf, I began to notice it to be a journal of the head of the family as he voiced his displeasure of what happened earlier. It was a record of Marnathi being forced into marriage as I now knew the truth of what truly happened to her, for I wanted to show this to her once I crossed paths with her again.

"I see that you found Dresden Trelundar's ledger," said Nymeriel as he appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah, and I know how furious he was when he refused to give away Marnathi at the time," I said.

"Dresden lived a private life, but he and his husband, Marnathos lived by frugal means when they were meant to be together due to their intersex status. Let's just say that both of them took turns by shoving one's manhood in the hole between the cock and balls just to get further children and one of them turned out to be a daughter named after the mother of Dresden's spouse."

"Marnathi…"

"Emiliano was forced to obtain the Sight of Valithis at the behest of Father Warren in which Marnathi wasn't just plucked for marriage… She was sold by her aunt who happened to be Marnathos' sister in which she had debts due to her reckless habit of living a life of luxury. Marnathi tried to fight it, but she was threatened by that ratbag, Nucci, to comply or else he would've sicced his attack dogs on her family. Her years over there at the Zampano villa weren't the usual apple pie lifestyle in which it was more like a torture dungeon than a home. Before the marriage, she resisted, but for four months, she endured, only to break when she was forced to be wed to that bastard. She endured his violations after the marriage and bore his sons, but he still pined for that prick, Cesare, who's still stuck in prison."

"And Marnathi endured it until she had enough. Therefore, she thrived without him and raised her sons to be decent men… As for returning here, she and those like her won't be afraid of those who refuse to accept Emperor Vittorio and the rest of the Castellano Family. It's strange that she went through hell, she's a woman of courage through and through…"

I held the ledger in my hands as I was eager to hold onto it. When I went back outside, I walked towards the statue of Reiko as I was blessed that she came into my life due to her gentle demeanor and divine courage. As for the truth about Marnathi, it would wait as I would soon run into her again, for that would be another story for another day…

To be continued...