Chapter 7
THE NEXT MORNING, AS DAWN STARTED TO BREAK, Valius commanded his army of fifteen thousand Balmain men to quietly leave D’Aleppo. A thin layer of morning fog shrouded them. Dominatus was atop his horse as he followed Valius and glanced at Lucianus to signal his departure. Lucianus was sad to see him go but didn’t want to send off his beloved with a frown—the noble tried his best to muster a smile as he waved farewell.
Lucianus had never been deeply religious, but after their departure, he visited a temple every day to provide offerings to the gods. He prayed for a long while as part of his daily routine. Seconds felt like an eternity, and nothing he did lightened his mood. Still, he didn’t want to spend his time waiting simply twiddling his thumbs, and began immersing himself in the library of the manor. It seemed the previous mayor had amassed quite the collection, and the library was filled with a vast number of books and scrolls to parse.
The citizens of D’Aleppo spoke Hertian, and luckily, Lucianus was rather fluent in that language. He had no problem reading these texts, and he’d found quite a few that were deeply interesting. He spent all his days holed up in the library, reading away.
He’d go for a walk on occasion for a change of pace, but the winters of D’Aleppo were freezing, and he had no friends in this city. It made him feel dreadfully lonely.
Almost a month later, when Lucianus was holed up in the library as usual, a slave called Mondesaro—who acted as a butler within the manor—burst into the room, short of breath.
“Lord Lucianus!” he cried. “You’ve got news from Dyna!”
Mondesaro offered a scroll that was sealed with red wax. The insignia on Valius’s ring had been pressed upon it.
“A letter from my uncle,” Lucianus muttered.
He undid the string and broke open the seal, his heart beating loudly against his chest.
“Wh-what does it say?” Mondesaro asked. “How is Lord Valius?”
The slave was usually quiet and rarely spoke much, but worry now filled his face as he waited with bated breath. Once Lucianus finished reading the letter, he let out a deep sigh and clutched Mondesaro’s hands.
“They won! Uncle Valius has achieved victory!” Lucianus cried. “Under his command, the Balmain army spectacularly defeated the Imperial Guards, and even managed to dethrone Azerius, who was occupying the imperial palace!”
“Really? Did he truly win?” Mondesaro gasped. The man who had served Valius for many years smiled with tears in his eyes. “What a joyous day!”
“I shall head to Dyna immediately.”
“Most certainly. My lord has also ordered me to go with you when you return to Dyna, Lord Lucianus. I shall make the preparations immediately!”
Mondesaro had been raised in Dyna as well. He was elated by not only the victory, but the fact that he could now return to his home. His joy was apparent in his voice.
When Lucianus was left alone, he read the letter once more. It mentioned that Dominatus was alive and well without any injuries. Lucianus wiped his tears away with his palms several times.
The next morning, Lucianus left D’Aleppo. Under Valius’s orders, two Balmain soldiers accompanied the noble as guards. If allowed, Lucianus would have marched ahead even through the night, but unable to do so, he continued this trip that tested his patience. On the tenth day, he finally returned to Dyna, the familiar scenery coming into sight.
He’d been worried that the city would be a mess from the grisly war, but it was hardly different from when he left. Balmain soldiers were patrolling the area, but that was really the only notable difference. Many people walked along the streets, and people and goods flooded the market. Slaves were being sold today as well in the square. Lucianus decided to return home at once, and the moment he set foot in his manor, Kaira leaped out and hugged him tightly.
“Lord Lucianus! I’m so glad you’re safe!” Kaira cried.
“I’m sorry for making you worry and for leaving this place for so long,” Lucianus replied.
After their joyous reunion, Kaira guided Lucianus to the sofa of the sunroom and started to meticulously clean the noble’s feet. Only when Lucianus was reunited with his butler did he truly feel like he was back home. His slaves appeared to greet him one by one, expressing their joy at their master’s return.
“What’s my uncle up to?” Lucianus asked.
“He’s staying at the imperial palace in hopes of creating a new senate,” Kaira replied.
“I see. He must be busy. I saw quite a few soldiers patrolling the streets. Has there been some crime around here?”
“No, the citizens have mostly calmed down. Fragments of the Imperial Guards still remain, so the soldiers are simply ensuring our safety.”
According to Kaira, the moment word had spread that the Balmain army was invading Dyna to overthrow the emperor, the senators with close relations to Azerius loaded their carriages with their assets and fled the city out of fear. However, the Balmain army had closed off all streets that led to Dyna. The senators that tried to flee were captured and had to forfeit their assets as they were thrown into prison.
Citizens and merchants were allowed to enter and exit the city as they pleased, and the citizens soon realized that their daily lives wouldn’t be affected. And so, there wasn’t much confusion even when the Balmain forces entered the streets. In fact, some had even voiced their joy upon seeing Valius’s return. Lucianus’s biggest worry had been the battle against the Imperial Guards, but many of them had fled out of fear as well. In the end, the Balmain forces won in a landslide. Only the emperor’s bodyguards remained to put up a fight, but they didn’t last long either.
“What’s Dominatus doing?” Lucianus asked.
“He’s assisting Lord Valius,” Kaira replied. “He visited here a few times, but he seemed very busy with his work.”
“Good grief. My uncle favors Dominatus and is working him to the bone.”
Lucianus wanted to meet with Dominatus as soon as he could, but even he was hesitant to visit the imperial palace. He decided to send one of his messengers there tomorrow.
“Kaira, I’d like to take a bath,” Lucianus said.
“Of course. I shall prepare it immediately,” the servant replied.
Lucianus had dreamed of bathing in his home once more. He took his time and relaxed in the hot water as he had his most skilled servant massage his aching body.
“Home is best,” Lucianus said slowly. He’d been enjoying some wine after he left the bath.
“How was your trip?” Kaira asked kindly.
“It was a difficult one. I’d never ridden on a horse for that long before, and my buttocks were sore. I felt the muscles throughout my body ache, and the vibrations caused my head to hurt. Even my teeth started to feel sore, and I couldn’t take a bath. I was battered by the cold rain for a day and caught a fever. I trekked through the icy snow and even climbed a mountain. I’ve never suffered so much, and it only made me acutely aware of my privileges. I’ve been shockingly blessed with my birth, and I’ve been spoiled to no end, enough to make others exasperated.”
“It isn’t your fault that you were born into a blessed environment. No one can choose how and where they’re born. A person can only make the best out of the situation that they’re born into. Still, it seems like you’ve had a very insightful experience.”
“I have indeed.”