Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 37 | Sane

ENOCH

The new rules are just. It is what everyone will be saying soon. Right now, they do seem a little absurd. Adler had been already obeying them. Shocking. Not really.

I watch his latest whore. A young blonde woman. Twenty moons old. I hope he burns in hell for making Greta suffer, bastard.

I wish I would have cut out his tongue the right way. Unfortunately, krexbin have excellent healing capabilities. I never did inherent that handy ability.

The woman's name is Ren I hear. She wears a two-pieced tunic with jewels and see-through mesh material. She follows him everywhere like his shadow.

"Good evening, all."

My heart tugs seeing Greta alone on the throne. Her armour, as they are calling it, is pitiful having restricted her movements.

How can Adler look at her feeling no guilt or remorse?

"Today, law will be made in the court hall signed off by our empirical advisors. All men are to cover their faces. Slavery is unacceptable now that our empire has been mostly established to a capacity voluntary workers can complete. There will be no more whipping or whips allowed in use. A sword should be effecient enough. They must be handed in to the palace."

I say along with Brommy, and all advisors, "Yes, Empress."

I wish I could kill my father. How dare he have the nerve to help her walk when he put her in the damned suit.

Brommy must be thinking the same thing.

"Has he beaten her? Striked her? Tell me so, so I can have more reason to kill him for good," I mutter under my breath.

He faces me fully.

"Greta is too attached to him already." Adler's whore lags by the throne appearing lost in a sea of men. Brommy folds his arms, watching her. "He has many more whores where that one came from. He never sleeps alone at night. You should know that by now. Greta is merely his favorite-"

"Pet."

"Precisely."

***

GRETA

In the evening, it is easier to be alone. Enoch usually is busy with planning and Brommy is still in charge over our empirical soldiers. I know it as a fact now Adler spends the hours either in his new observatory or with Ren. They live together now outside the palace. Most advisors have their own smaller homes in the city.

I haven't gone to Adler's but Enoch tells me it is very similar to his temple on Ashtium.

Maybe if I was a better woman, I could have found my own man by now. I do enjoy my time alone though. There is something freeing about Adler living outside these walls. It gives me time to focus on myself.

Of course, I still have Hida but things are different now that I have become Empress. She does not care to sleep in my chamber. My heart tells me she may have found someone else but we still eat together every day.

There is a tall oval mirror in my room. It reminds me that I am never truly alone. Five figures stay inside my chamber, all day and all night. I do not understand why Brommy must be one of them.

Other guards cannot see in the dark. I feel his stare burning into my back as he anticipates my asking for his help.

He already has approached me which is highly out of empirical law since I did not request him to do so. Since Enoch and he are sharing the role of Emperor, their duties are lesser than mine.