Amara of Xeris

Chapter 5

Setting: Ephedian Library

"Emperor Victor.", Amara greeted him awkwardly. There were in the farthest corner of the library, with virtually no one around. The Emperor had a book in his hand although he didn't seem to be reading it. "I'm sorry for my unprofessional conduct, Your Highness.", he said getting up from his seat. "It's okay. How do you like the library, Your Majesty.", she said. "It's huge, reminds me of the one back home.", he said. "You should see the one in Xeris. It's even bigger.", she said.

"I'm sorry for giving you this much trouble.", he said formally, there wasn't a drop of warmth in it, as if he didn't even mean it. "It was nothing, Your Majesty.", Amara said politely. "Are you here to convince me to open up Casa Luxo.", he said looking her straight in the eye. "Huh?", Amara gasped in surprise, how did he know. "Are you or are you not?", he continued, still looking her straight in the eye. There is no point in lying, Amara thought to herself and said, "Yes, I am."

"The answer is still no.", he said. "I didn't say a word.", she said. "As if that's going to convince me.", he commented."Will you just listen to me, at least once?", she said on the verge of losing her temper."Go ahead, Princess, try and convince me.", he challenged."I will.", she declared.

"Oh, and no charm speaking. Not that it would work, I'm immune to that.", he mocked."I don't even-never mind. Your Majesty, opening up Casa Luxo to Ephedia will be advantageous for both our kingdoms. I'm sure Ephedian merchants will bring a lot of money to the Empire and the Ephedians will get a lot of exil and calburn.", she said. "They will.", he said and Amara, for a moment, thought she had acquired an easy victory.

"They will bring us some money. But I'll ask you a question, Your Highness. If another kingdom, one more powerful than yours, the one that has already conquered your most important trading town and has played a big hand in destabilising yours and forcing both of you into separation, demands that you open up your second-most important trading town. Would you obey?", he asked. "I don't understand what that has to do with this.", she said.

"Suppose, I open up a town for trade and we start to trade, sounds harmless. They build factories and demand arms for protection, doesn't seem that bad. They meet with the rulers and sign up treaties and start recruiting the local population as labour, things seem okay. Until, suddenly, the traders do something insensitive if not insulting and the workers' revolt. The Ephedian Army has to be involved for some reason and the revolt is crushed. Does this sound familiar?", he asked. Amara only nodded because this was a story Amara was very familiar with. "The rulers sign a bunch of treaties, one which limits the power of Othrera, who can't do anything about it because Ephedia is more powerful. Gradually, the land is gone, piece by piece to the Ephedians or worse, there is an invasion. You wouldn't want that to happen again, would you?", he said.

"Kelasar didn't become part of Ephedia, like that. The people surrendered willingly. They didn't know what they were getting into.", she said. "Did they? Is that what they tell you? That Ephedia 'liberated ' those Kelasarians from mistreatment by invading them? And then, subjecting them to discrimination based on their magic as soon as they were conquered?", he said raising his voice. Amara would have opened her mouth and retorted but she couldn't say a word, not when everything he said felt so right, so true. "I promise that we won't invade.", she muttered weakly.

"I don't need the promises of a weak-willed Crown Princess.", he said, walking away from her with a disappointed look on his face.