Often cold and angry, the winters of Naan were usually short, sometimes only lasting three months before the frost turned back into morning dew. But this winter was creeping into its month four. And the night’s cold froze deep.
After settling in to the new capital, treating the queen, organizing conferences to coordinate between Grale and Mern ambassadors, holding hearings for convicted criminals, and searching for his sensei, Montague was happy to celebrate the completion of Ikarus.
Above the entrance to the grand ballroom, mounted above the tall, oak doors, was a statue of angels with feathered wings surrounding a depiction of Gabriel Volpi, the creator. Inside, a series of large windows trimmed with lavender curtains stretched across the entire hall. Candlelight from golden chandeliers reflected off polished marble floors. Columns reaching heights of over thirty feet rose to the painted ceiling where each picture, framed with intricate woodwork, presented images of historical battles. As symbols of strength and stability, roots and vines were etched into the surface of the stone walls representing a new beginning. The contractors took no shortcuts with the details.
Before dinner people stood in the dance floor, holding their wine glasses between fingers, smiling as if they had no care in the world. Perhaps, they didn’t. It wasn’t their responsibility to keep the kingdoms of Men safe. Montague almost envied the bliss of ignorance. They have no idea what state their own world was in, he thought. He grabbed a glass of wine from a server and found his table.
Two seats away from the newly-appointed queen, Montague sat at the royal table, staring through the skylight window. It bothered him that Demitri sat in between himself and Olivia. She had taken a liking to Demitri ever since he’d saved her from the grips of the enemy just months prior. Von Cobb had also been promoted from third minister to headmaster of science. But it wasn’t jealousy that turned Montague’s stomach. Demitri had been different ever since the day they had escaped from the sack of Illyrium.
Demitri had since recruited a number of intelligent minds to join his effort in creating advanced weaponry and medicine. The only problem Montague had with Demitri’s experiments and the newly founded ministry was that his operations went unchecked. The queen was the one and only authority figure that Demitri was mandated to report his findings to and Montague feared that Olivia was blind to his true intentions, whatever they might be. He thought she trusted him too much.
Before the meal, the ballroom filled with alluring voices. The Kingdom of Mern, a group of islands off the southwestern edge of the mainland, was known to birth some of the greatest singers in the world. The a-cappella choir was then joined with the legato sounds of Graleon bagpipes and scratchy fiddles producing an emotionally uplifting melody. Grale made the best instruments. The music would become the score to an Ikarus play that would close the night.
The crowd tapped their table knives against their glasses before the closing ceremony.
Demitri stood to deliver his speech. His thin, salty-black hair was slicked back and the collar of his black robe, lined with red velvet, came up to his upper cheek.
When the crowd applauded, Demitri smiled wide.
It was obvious to Montague that the new headmaster of science loved every second of the attention. The Demitri of old had never been like this. That Demitri had always preferred a life to himself; only his wife and science interested him.
Demitri began, “Please stand and join hands…”
The last person whose hand Montague wanted to take was Demitri’s. His hand was wrapped with a bandage, the usual outcome when he performed dissections. On Montague’s opposite side, Gretchen locked her fingers between his.
“…My friends. Let us give thanks for this wonderful meal and the gift we are celebrating on this beautiful night. I call upon the great divine: Gabriel Volpi our creator, and the angels of the heavens. Bless this day—the Kingdom of Ikarus is finally completed!” Demitri unlocked his hands from Montague and Olivia and raised his arms in celebration. The ballroom filled with applause.
The headmaster of science continued. “This fortress will not only protect us from our enemy, our laws will frighten anyone who conspires against the throne. We have assembled an army ten times the size of Illyrium, armed with Graleon steel to protect us. This time there will be no chance of invasion!”
Montague was irritated that Demitri was allowed to give the closing speech. It should have been delivered by the master mason, whose team had designed everything from the layout of each building, to the angles of every walkway in the kingdom. But Montague knew that Demitri desired support from the people for his pending experiments. The procedures would require human test subjects, which Montague completely opposed, as did the queen, who was currently unaware.
Demitri went on. “Most of us were born in the first colony of Men. We, here at Ikarus, will once again be the greatest empire in the world.” People cheered, whistled, and banged on the tops of their tables. “Please, raise your glasses,” he said, lifting his own cup. “Here’s to our future. Our blood holds the key to the ancient past. Our children’s blood contains the key to our future. They will take us beyond our days, and one day soon, we need to pass on the torch of knowledge to the next generation so they may care for us. We will let nothing delay our progress and
