My Wonderful Second Life

Chapter 55- Memories of an Emperor

The sun empire afternoon glow was exactly how Salazar remembered it from his youth: warm, blinding and a warning of the goddess to his people.

In her land, the Sun was supreme, encompassing and always there, watching.

Even if many refused to believe it. Afraid of what that may entail.

The clear blue sky offered no protection from the fierce rays. To ease his now unaccustomed body, he opened the first buttons of his shirt. His coat was long gone or he would have had no strength to face the long way to the government building from his quarters at Alexander's Palace.

He reached the strange hexagonal building and found it rather empty, continuing in his breezy walk until he arrived at a tall, white gilded door. The moment he touched the handle, icy claws travelled through his arm until they reached the back of his head, causing him to shiver in response. The great duke was already waiting for him, unhappy.

Salazar couldn't stop himself from smiling. It had been hard to arrange this meeting. Yet on this, the great duke of Mountnero could not refuse, one of the few perks of being an Emperor and knowing another.

He pushed the handle down and the cold dissipated as if it had been made of nothing but a dream. However, Salazar knew it would lie in wait for when its master's rage would call upon it again.

His wrist throbbed as he entered the Office of the Prime Minister of the Sun. It was an open space with arched ceilings and tall windows. There was no need for light during the day, though the three silver chandeliers at the top made sure it remained bright at night.

Filled with little more than a large marble desk and chairs, the room felt imposing, hard, and uncomfortable.

The man sitting on its pearly white monstrosity had his nose buried in the sack of papers distributed in front of him. His pleasantries had ended with the cold. Salazar, not one to be easily dismissed, circled the hollow room, listening to the echo of his steps.

He hated the architecture of the place. Of the entire palace, to be precise. It was too clean, too perfect, too soulless. A sentiment known by the duke.

Salazar watched the walls he had watched thousands of times before, finding again the same Glorious Sun engraved in every one of them until his eyes landed on the sunset beating on the duke's back. Making him more unreal than he seemed already.

There were two chairs in front of his desk, made of marble as well, and as comfortable as one would expect of chairs made of rock.

He refused to seat just yet and subject his back to such declared suffering. Instead, he choose to go to the crystal cart near a secluded corner of the office. It had handles and wheels made of pure gold and two levels filled with bottles of the most exquisite beverages, all alcoholic and by the level of dust gathered on them, forgotten by time. All except one.

The bottle and its liquid were red as his eyes. Sweet as memories of a distant past, but as traitorous as the hearts of men. And his favourite drink. He poured it into a small glass and took it slowly, savouring it.

"Lucreatia and Jennifer are splendid children." said Salazar, looking at his half-empty glass.

"Thank you." was the answer he got. Dry and short.

Salazar smiled. The duke never changed. "They take after their mothers." he added before taking another sip. Through the window in front of him, he could see his lips turn redder.

There was a breeze, a change that quickly died. "Indeed."

Salazar's grin widened. "And maybe after their father..."