The silence on the journey to the capital deepened, a stark contrast to the lively journey before. Communication between them ceased, neither daring to glance at the palpable tension on the other's face. Genna felt a strange sense of completion, while Emerald was left to his own mounting worries, which he finally couldn't hold back. "You said everything is good," Emerald asked Genna, his voice barely a whisper.
"I did, and it's smooth. Just take a breath and look around. Did you ever get a chance to be busted and taken away in a G-wagon?" Genna replied, her words unreasonably nonchalant, yet Emerald found a strange calm in them.
"Well, if you put it that way, Dubai can give you something like this, you know," Emerald offered, trying to lighten the mood.
"Might be true, but our system dates back hundreds of years. We don't fight stupid wars and battles like you humans to degrade our own evolution." This time, Genna's words carried a weight that resonated. Emerald took a deep breath and began to truly observe the moments he was passing through, letting the gravity of their situation sink in.
The silence now had the warmth of roses, a strange comfort settling over them. After a long journey, they finally reached the capital. "Come on, get going," the chief scouted them towards the palace. It was immense, magnificent beyond anything Emerald had ever seen. The pillars seemed to touch the stars, holding up grand marble plates. The polished floor reflected everything with a clarity that was otherworldly.
"Your father will be in the chamber. Ladies, keep an eye on Genna on the way. We will be leaving," the chief announced, handing them over to the royal officers before departing. They began walking the path towards the chamber. "Getting a trial in the chamber... Who might you be? Is your father the minister or an advisor to the king...? Don't tell me he's the King!" Emerald asked, a nervous excitement bubbling within him.
Genna looked at him and said, as they continued walking, "No matter what, don't open your mouth in the chamber. I'm used to the system, so it won't be a problem to get out after the trial." Emerald nodded, his expression serious, and kept walking. He saw a furious face he had never seen before on Genna. When they arrived at the chamber entrance, the officers left. A complete vacuum of silence and space revealed itself before him.
"Now what, girl?" Emerald asked.
"Don't forget what I told you. Just keep steady and cool... here we go," Genna said, her words firm. With that, she took a deep breath and entered the chamber. They both painted a seriousness onto their faces out of the blue.
A narrow path stretched before them, all that was visible was the grand throne at the far end. Someone was sitting on it. They started to approach the throne, walking through the cavernous chamber. Pillars began to appear on each side, colossal in size—Emerald estimated them to be the width of three elephant legs and the height of four giraffes. As they closed in, another throne came into sight, close to the first: the queen's throne. Following that, six seats lined each side of the thrones, for the house elders, beneath the main thrones.
"Long time no see, Father," Genna said, her voice subdued.
"Yeah, you too, princess," the King replied.
"Mom's not here, must be busy, I guess."
"Yeah, unlike you, she's got things to take care of." Genna kept her head low.
"As a heir to the throne, and a symbol of the kingdom, what you did wasn't right, Genna," a voice from the third seat to the King's side intoned.
"It is indeed true if you're terming me as a princess, and I'm hereby standing up for everything I did. But as Genna, you're wrong. I haven't taken any royalty to this day and never will, so the masters can go and choose what's the right thing to do, isn't that right, Mr. Caztel?" Genna replied to the man in the third seat, her voice sharp and defiant.
"Aside from your infiltration, what you brought here is the only thing that matters. Speak up, boy. Zedic Embridge, First of His Name, the King of the Fallen Cities, has asked you," the King commanded, his voice booming through the chamber.
Without giving it any thoughts, Emerald let his mind free. "I'm Emerald, Emerald bin Mortaza, a human." Emerald humbly replied, while Genna was sweating profusely. King Zedic chuckled after hearing the last part of his introduction.
"Good for an outsider, but not better than one I know. It is said by the 'Dead Five' that you know Genna for more than a month, is that right?" The King retorted, questioning Emerald's wisdom and innocence.
"'Dead Five'? What the hell is that, something like the binding vow?" Emerald's outburst, made without reading the room, caused the King to laugh for a moment. He assured himself that this human was not a threat. Yet, he had seen the same face and way of speech many times before. The memory of a man, a warrior just like him, a human... Yes, the First Emperor. How could I forget? he thought to himself.
"Caztel can stay here, other elders, I request that you may proceed to your duties. I can take over from here myself. If I need any assistance, I will send the message," Zedic commanded. The King's absolute dominance echoed in the chamber. The empty seats Emerald had noticed earlier now seemed to explain themselves – the King was commanding unseen entities. Emerald's curiosity was piqued.
As per his instructions, everyone left. Zedic descended from the throne, his footsteps echoing rhythmically on the stairs. Slowly, he closed in on Genna. After staring eye to eye with a calm, fatherly face, he suddenly shouted, "You understand what you have done? You crossed the line twice! It's okay to bring him here, I could have solved that all by myself, but look at your hand, a sacred binding vow! How could you...!" Genna just stood where she was, shivering as the King walked back to his throne, fixating himself upon it once more.
He calmed himself and lowered the hardness in his voice. "I thought he was special when you brought him here, but look at that dragon on you guys... pathetic." Emerald, oblivious to the simmering tension, was busy admiring the artwork on the chamber walls.
With a gentle smile, Emerald looked at the King and said, "Genna is kind and generous. She told me that you people are evolved further beyond human comprehension, but all I see is the King rattling his mouth for a trespassing of mine, and she is being unnecessarily wounded by you people."
The King shifted his gaze to Emerald and spoke, "Your easy-going nature, it irritates me. You must understand that you're in an audience with the King of this great country. You must remain cautious of it, Mr. Mortaza."
Emerald took a deep breath and shot his shot. "If you're proclaiming this piece of land as a great country, why haven't you conquered the Northern Forest past the mountains? Why haven't you picked up the offer Alexi Hristolian brought you? Why are you so afraid of a future you cannot stop? Why are you trying to stop a nexus event, my King?" As Emerald uttered these words, Genna was surprised to hear about the Northern Forest. But King Zedic was speechless. For some reason, he was sweating profusely, a rush of fear climbing up his spine, threatening to drag him back to a time he desperately wanted to forget.
(To be continued)