Post by Qi'sa al-Quatir on Sept 14, 2013 6:35:02 GMT
:Yesad Palace, Throne Room:
The captain of the militia marched through the smooth marble archways into the throne room, the low, curved hallway opening into a large, sweeping room. The room was in shambles, but not as a result of the city rebellion. In fact, the inside of the palace had stayed untouched during the seige; the current state of it was due to the aftermath. Where once a grand stone throne had stood, light beaming down onto it from glass in the domed ceiling above, there was cracked remains of rubble. In the grand opening in front of the seat of the Sultan, where it was expected those who sought an audience would stand and address the high authority, there now stood a great wooden table, fitted with brass accents in a ring. Already, the table seemed to be serving its intended purpose, as a map of Calidor laid stretched across the top of it. Leaning forward, her hand placed firmly on the lower lip of the map, the Amir of War and Defense stared downward. Her eyes darted back and forth across the surface of the parchment, scanning the drawn curves like a beast stalking prey, oblivious to workers behind her gathering the ruined stone remains and dragging them out of the room.
"Madam Amir!" he announced himself, drawing his hand up in a sharp salute.
"Captain..." she responded, not even looking up; she seemed to be tracing invisible lines on the surface of the map in gentle but lithe motions with her fingertip.
"I have regret to inform you that we still haven't found him." He said, looking firm but almost apologetically.
"Then we will continue looking, until either he is found, or his body is. I want every available man on this. We have lost far too much already, and unless you have proof that the Emir of Coin is dead, then you are to do everything in your power to find him and ensure his safe return to Yesad."
His throat bulged slightly as he swallowed. "And if we do find proof that he is dead?"
Looking up from the map, obviously worn down from the day's work, she closed her eyes gently and sighed.
"Then we will have lost even more than we thought, and it will have been an even greater tragedy for Yesad. But as we have not found a body, we have to hold onto the hope that he's alright, and that with vigilance, we will find him."
The captain nodded in agreement, his eyes then drifting behind his commander to the remains of the throne.
"Until such time as we find him, madam, you are the last remaining of the Emirs. That means-"
Before he could finish his sentence, she cut him off sharply. "That means nothing, because he's still alive and still out there somewhere. Which means there is not only one Emir left, there are two, and one is in need of our help. Is there anything else, captain?"
The captain scowled slightly, his skepticism written on his face but held behind a quiet tongue.
"You're really having it torn down?" He said in a slightly hushed tone, the preoccupation slipping from his mind and out his mouth before he could stop it.
In response, the Amir looked down at the map on the table before her once more. "I am. We need the space for what's to come."
The soldier looked quizzical, his mouth slipping open and stalling, hanging for a second in confusion before he spoke. "What would that be, madam Amir?"
Her eyes dashed back and forth across the parchment once more, as a single word rose heavily from her chest to spill out between her lips.
"Change."
The captain of the militia marched through the smooth marble archways into the throne room, the low, curved hallway opening into a large, sweeping room. The room was in shambles, but not as a result of the city rebellion. In fact, the inside of the palace had stayed untouched during the seige; the current state of it was due to the aftermath. Where once a grand stone throne had stood, light beaming down onto it from glass in the domed ceiling above, there was cracked remains of rubble. In the grand opening in front of the seat of the Sultan, where it was expected those who sought an audience would stand and address the high authority, there now stood a great wooden table, fitted with brass accents in a ring. Already, the table seemed to be serving its intended purpose, as a map of Calidor laid stretched across the top of it. Leaning forward, her hand placed firmly on the lower lip of the map, the Amir of War and Defense stared downward. Her eyes darted back and forth across the surface of the parchment, scanning the drawn curves like a beast stalking prey, oblivious to workers behind her gathering the ruined stone remains and dragging them out of the room.
"Madam Amir!" he announced himself, drawing his hand up in a sharp salute.
"Captain..." she responded, not even looking up; she seemed to be tracing invisible lines on the surface of the map in gentle but lithe motions with her fingertip.
"I have regret to inform you that we still haven't found him." He said, looking firm but almost apologetically.
"Then we will continue looking, until either he is found, or his body is. I want every available man on this. We have lost far too much already, and unless you have proof that the Emir of Coin is dead, then you are to do everything in your power to find him and ensure his safe return to Yesad."
His throat bulged slightly as he swallowed. "And if we do find proof that he is dead?"
Looking up from the map, obviously worn down from the day's work, she closed her eyes gently and sighed.
"Then we will have lost even more than we thought, and it will have been an even greater tragedy for Yesad. But as we have not found a body, we have to hold onto the hope that he's alright, and that with vigilance, we will find him."
The captain nodded in agreement, his eyes then drifting behind his commander to the remains of the throne.
"Until such time as we find him, madam, you are the last remaining of the Emirs. That means-"
Before he could finish his sentence, she cut him off sharply. "That means nothing, because he's still alive and still out there somewhere. Which means there is not only one Emir left, there are two, and one is in need of our help. Is there anything else, captain?"
The captain scowled slightly, his skepticism written on his face but held behind a quiet tongue.
"You're really having it torn down?" He said in a slightly hushed tone, the preoccupation slipping from his mind and out his mouth before he could stop it.
In response, the Amir looked down at the map on the table before her once more. "I am. We need the space for what's to come."
The soldier looked quizzical, his mouth slipping open and stalling, hanging for a second in confusion before he spoke. "What would that be, madam Amir?"
Her eyes dashed back and forth across the parchment once more, as a single word rose heavily from her chest to spill out between her lips.
"Change."