To Replace a Dragon with a Phoenix [BBANGSAZ AU]

6.) Deadman to be

Mystery First Person POV:

I was one of them, the emperor's trusted officials, part of the ones who plotted his downfall. We met under the cover of night, in a secret chamber, away from prying eyes and ears. We spoke in hushed voices, exchanging deceitful words and deceptive plans. We schemed to get rid of the emperor, to take his place, to eventually rule the empire.

In the daytime, we pretended to be loyal, faithful, and obedient. We attended the weekly meetings with the emperor, acting as his advisers, his counselors, his friends. We stalled every meeting, boring him with trivial matters, irrelevant issues, and endless arguments. We made him lose interest, confidence, and authority.

We were so successful that he rarely participated in the meetings. To be honest, we were doing him a service. We were the real people that were doing his job. All he needed to do was just sit there. He made it easy leaving us to decide everything for him. He became a puppet and a figurehead for us. He was always nothing and now he is nothing.

It was during one such nocturnal gathering that an idea struck, like a serpent's bite. One of our own, a cunning and ambitious advisor, rose and recalled one of the emperor's proposals, his voice dripping with mockery. He mimicked the emperor's earnestness, his desire to join the war, to lead the army, to fight the enemy.

"The emperor wishes to enter the war himself, to oversee the troops, to strategize, to motivate," he sneered, his words laced with sarcasm. "As if his presence could turn the tide of an already lost war."

Laughter slithered through our ranks, a sound as sinister as the plan that was unfurling.

The head official, sat at the end of the table, his eyes alight with the fire of greed. He raised his hand to silence the advisor and rose from his seat to speak. His voice was calm, calculated, the very antithesis of the young emperor's spry enthusiasm.

"It's a perfect plan," he declared, his eyes gleaming with a cold fire. "The emperor himself has provided us the means to our end. He will march into battle, a lamb amongst wolves, with troops as unprepared as they are untrained. It is certain death."

A murmur of agreement rippled through us, each nod an assent to the emperor's unwitting sacrifice.

"And when he falls," the head official continued, "he will fall with honor. The public will mourn a hero, not question the circumstances of his demise. None shall suspect us, for it was his own wish to lead the charge."

We were silent then, each lost in the gravity of our scheme. The emperor's fate was sealed, not by his enemies, but by those he called allies. In the darkness, we were more than officials; we were architects of the future, sculptors of power.

And so, under the cover of night, we plotted the downfall of an emperor.

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The next day, I piled into the throne room with all the others. Our heads angled down at the ground and hands clasped together. Sitting down with a soft 'flooush'.

There was a murmur between all the nobles, officials, and advisors. The murmur only came to a stop when the sight of the young emperor entered the throne room and made his presence known.

The meeting was commenced. Protocol as usual, everyone else slipped into their roles and stalled. Rising one by one reading their script. Usually, the fervor in the emperor's eyes would die after the first rounds of wearing him down. But this time they burned still. His eyes seemed to burn holes through each person that rose up and spoke. Usually, this meant that he had something to say.

But We had a plan, a scheme, a trap to execute.

The tension in the room seemed to rise. I glanced around the room with timid eyes. The others similarly were doing the same. Some fidgeted with their hands. Thankfully the head official got the signal.

He promptly stood up, his voice calm and convincing. Easing us all.

"Your Majesty, we have discussed your proposal, and we have come to a unanimous decision. We think that your idea of entering the war yourself is brilliant, wise, and noble. We think that you will be the best head general, the best leader, the best hero. We think that you will turn the tide of the war, that you will defeat the enemy, that you will save the empire." He proclaimed.

For the first time, a slight curve of the emperor's lips was seen.

'Good. Good.' I thought. 'He's falling for it.'

The head emperor continued explaining the benefits, the advantages, and the rewards. He had told him how we could help him, how we could prepare him, how we could support him.

The emperor's eyes were alight with joy. This is what he wanted? How perfect.

To further convince him the head official told him about his father, the previous emperor, the legend. He had told him how he had fought in the war, how he had led the army, how he had won the battles. He had told him how he had become a war hero, how he had earned the respect, the admiration, and the love of the people.

"Your Majesty, you have inherited your father's blood, your father's spirit, and your father's legacy. You have the same courage, the same wisdom, and the same leadership. You have the same potential, the same destiny, and the same glory. You have the chance to follow his footsteps, to honor his memory, to surpass his achievements. All you have to do is agree." He ended.

Oh, how foolish the emperor was. He bit the bait without a second thought and said yes. I observed the room and sly smiles were gracing everyone's faces. It might be too early to celebrate but I was sure that we had won this. The emperor will be no more. Just a little more until the farewell parade and this kingdom will be ours.

"Very well, Your Majesty, we will prep for your departure within a few days."