Flags fluttered upon the battlements of Basileus as Eamus stood and gazed in wonder at the sheer size of the approaching force. From this distance the army seemed so vast that it appeared to blend into the very ground it marched upon. The grey skies seemed to reflect Eamus’s dour mood. He was not happy with how things were going.
“My Lord,” said Aeneas, prompting Eamus to turn around, “the Lord Phoenix requests your presence.”
Eamus’ face remained impassive, but beneath the stoic mask annoyance stirred. “Did the Lord Phoenix happen to tell
you why he is calling on me?”
“He…” said Aeneas, appearing to weigh his words uncertainly before proceeding, “He wishes to discuss tactics with you.”
Eamus almost burst out laughing, the urge to do so becoming so strong that he could not help but break his impassive expression and crack into a humorless half grin. Aeneas smiled nervously back. He was a smart boy that understood a lot more than he led on, this was why Eamus had taken him under his wing in the first place. It was too bad that he was now sentenced to serving the inept Lord Phoenix of this once proud citadel. Eamus mourned the wasted potential.
“My Lord, I feel that Lord Tiberius is just trying to make sense of the situation,” said Aeneas.
“Yes, and for some reason it’s my responsibility to help him with that,” said Eamus, annoyed to no end. Why was it that he had to play nanny to the Lord of the Citadel? He had better things to do.
“Tell the Lord Phoenix that I will be with him shortly,” said Eamus, “and tell him not to worry; I have put a great deal of thought into how we are going to handle this. I know what I am doing.”
“Very well, my Lord,” said Aeneas, bowing deeply before retreating. Once he was alone, Eamus was free to resume his contemplation of the approaching army. After a few minutes, he decided to get his audience with his Lord over with. The sooner he was done with it, the sooner he could get some peace and quiet to actually think of a way to save the people of this citadel.
Tiberius’s chambers were warm in spite of the bitter cold outside, the result of the roaring fire he had servants maintaining every hour of every day. Eamus was glad to be out of that cold and in where it was nice and warm, it almost made the prospect of having to talk Tiberius a bearable one.
“Eamus!” said Tiberius, wide eyed and pale as he rushed to his most trusted advisor. “What is going on out there? How close is the enemy now?”
“My Lord Phoenix,” said Eamus, “the Bazragahi force will be here in no more than two days.”
“Two days!” said Tiberius, throwing his arms in the air and resuming his pacing. “That is not enough time. How are we going to fend them off? What are we going to do?”
“Tiberius,” said Eamus, “our enemy might be here in two days but no matter how strong their force is, we can withstand a siege for over a year. What we need to be thinking about is how to save our people.”
“We can’t survive for a year like this,” said Tiberius, shaking his head and wringing his hands. “A year under siege, all commerce will grind to a halt! How would the merchants conduct business? How would our traders bring in goods? How would we ration our food?”
“We will be at siege, commerce should be the last thing on your mind right now,” said Eamus sharply. Tiberius looked up at the rebuke. Lord Phoenix though he might be, the title given to a Lord of Basileus that had successfully been reelected for a second term, he still looked at Eamus as his superior. He had been schooled by the man, Eamus had practically taught him everything from how to hold a sword to how to ride a horse. Thus, Eamus’ harsh tone had struck him hard.
Eamus took a deep breath. Sometimes he had to remind himself that Tiberius was still just barely a man. At seventeen he was by no means a child anymore, but he had never seen the cruelty of the world. He had been ill prepared to take office a year ago when his clan had been elected, but he had not really had a choice.
“Listen to me, Tiberius,” said Eamus, placing a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder and gently seating him onto a chair. “You are the Lord Phoenix of this citadel. There are certain responsibilities you have to uphold, and one of these responsibilities is staying calm in the face of danger. Your people will be depending on you.”
Tiberius buried his face in his hands and said, “If my father were here he would know what to do.”
“That he would,” said Eamus, “but the fact remains; your father is not here. He died over a year ago, which is why you had to take his place as head of the clan. His death put the burden on you, and I understand that this is a heavy burden to bear. You were not ready for this job, but the election made you leader of this citadel regardless. Your father died weeks before the election, the people knew who they were voting for. They voted for you, they chose you. And now you need to be a man and put on a brave face for the people that put their faith in you.”
“Eamus…” said Tiberius. He sighed and continued, “I know. I have to man up. I just… I am afraid Eamus. I am afraid.”
Eamus looked into Tiberius’ brown eyes, the eyes that had once held such wonder and inquisitiveness but for the past year had been full of fear and dismay instead. He felt like a shard of ice was working its way into his heart.
“I am afraid too, Tiberius,” he said. “We all are.”
