Chapter Thirty

A Telling Blow

Great leaders are borne out of sacrifices

Aden.

5L 15/15/1/1

"Isn't this ironical that I am presiding over the Celebrations of Freedom, although this might be my last day as a free man."

Samuel whispered to Desmond, sitting on a large chair that resembled his throne, over an opulent stage built on the Deck of the Nineteen Martyrs. He was presiding over the farewell ceremony that he had aptly named the Celebration of Freedom. Five thousand soldiers were about to depart for Tenebra, to take over the control of that base and relieve the current troops from their duty.

Although Samuel maintained his composure, he was wrecked from within. He knew Olivier, Malcolm and Henry might have already jumped into the whirlpool and they shall be here by tomorrow. That would be the end of his reign and a long-lasting legacy.

His time may be up, but in the last seven years, Samuel had changed the dynamics of Aden by carrying out sweeping reforms. Graham, son of Andrews and a young man with a genius mind just like his father, and Desmond helped him in his mission. Rather than concentrating their efforts solely around Aurae and the neighboring areas, they reached out to far ends of this world in a bid for comprehensive development. Aden was divided into different provinces for better governance and all those provinces were given representation into the Council. Some of the marginalized communities, which always felt left out were pleased by their king's efforts to bring them into the fold. Samuel was labeled the king of the common man.

He further stacked his Council with scientists, scholars, and representatives from different regions to cut down the influence of the nobles, who inherited these seats down the generations. A subsequent law was passed to reserve these seats for only such distinguished people and elected representatives. This move of expanding the Council riled up the elites but delighted the masses. By adding these members Samuel safeguarded the interests of the common people to a certain extent. Now it would be very difficult to pass any laws that could harm the interests of Adeners. This was a tactical move to rein in the new regime from rampant corruption.

To undo some of the damage he had caused to Elisium, Samuel ordered his troops to be trained in humanitarian work and social services. He just hoped that on seeing the ground realities these new troops will reach out to Elisians and try to restore some peace in that world.

Samuel also used these seven years to hide his family. He split them up and sent them to far-off regions, on the pretext of sending them as envoys. He instructed them to keep moving and merge into the commoners till their trail had completely disappeared. Samuel's heart broke into pieces when he had to send away his children, but he knew that it was necessary to save them from his enemies.

Finally, the day he had feared, arrived. When a person knows his looming fate and accepts it, that takes out the sting. On the second morning of the Crossing, Samuel was standing on the balcony when a few guards walked into the room.

"Your Highness, an urgent Council meeting has been called. Everyone is expecting you."

Samuel turned around to face the guards. His mind was clear. His nerves were calm. He was happy for what he had achieved in the last seven years and now he wanted to get done with this Council circus. "I think this may be the last time you will be addressing me as Your Highness. Let us go and face my fate."

Samuel walked into the Great hall of the Council. Large granite statues of his forefathers, who had ruled this world with pride and honor, stared at him. Samuel wondered if he had brought disgrace to his whole family with one foolish decision.

Olivier, Malcolm, and Henry were waiting for him in the middle of the hall. All the members of the Council were gazing at Samuel with varying expressions, ranging from disbelief to anger to pure hatred. The ten officers, who had returned from Elisium during the last Crossing were standing in the center, with their heads bowed. Desmond was standing near the throne bearing the look of a convict who was about to be executed.

Samuel slowly climbed the few steps towards the magnificent golden throne and sat on it for one last time.

Samuel looked at Olivier and smiled. "I think the meeting has already begun without me. Holy Angels Olivier, you seemed to have lost some weight. I assume spending seven years in Elisium, the same seven years which you planned to spend as a king, has taken its toll on you."

Olivier wasn't in a mood for a verbal battle. "Whatever you are trying to suggest won't do you any good. Everyone now knows the truth of Tenebra. How your one bad decision, against the will of the Council, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and thousands of innocents. Everyone now knows how this deceitful person," Olivier said pointing towards Desmond, "your accomplice in your crimes, drugged me and Malcolm. They also know how you used these disloyal officers to spread lies and managed to pull off such a massive coverup."

Samuel leaned back in his throne. His face was like blank paper. No one could read anything on it. His voice was as casual as if he was having a dinner chat. "First of all, I would like to clarify that these officers are loyal and honest. God knows that whatever they did, they did it to protect their families. I had threatened them of dire consequences, including death if they went against my will."

Many people gasped aloud. Others looked at him with wide eyes. How can the same person who worked day and night for the betterment of this world stoop so low?

Samuel didn't want these honorable officers to take a fall for him. They were faultless and once they had realized that whatever Samuel was doing was for Aden's good, some of them had whole-heartedly joined his cause.

"How can you indulge in shameful acts and then have the guts to admit it without a hint of remorse?" one of the Council members shouted at Samuel.

"Threatening to harm someone's family or children is a demonic act."

"You are a monster." Many others joined the curse-your-king competition.

"I bear full responsibility for their actions. They had no choice but to follow my orders." Samuel's voice was again as smooth as silk. His composure enraged others.

"And what about the crimes that were committed in Tenebra? Who will take the responsibility for those thousands of innocent lives?"

"Because of you, rivers of blood flowed in Tenebra. How does your soul bear that burden?"

"Your soul will rot in hell."

Many Council members, especially the nobles, were infuriated because they now understood that Samuel had used these seven years to completely alter the power structure of Aden and undermine their authority. These frustrated nobles now had a chance to vent out their anger on Samuel and they targeted him with the filthiest of curses that were permissible within the decorum of the Council.

In the same Great Hall where no one dared to raise his voice against Samuel, people were abusing him. Disgrace is worse than death for honorable men. But Samuel couldn't die yet because some work was still left. He had to land a final blow before going away.

During the last seven years, Samuel had sought the counsel of his old teacher and he had told him to practice meditation. He had become very proficient at shutting out the unnecessary voices. Amidst these scenes of chaos, Samuel was a sea of calm. He was unflustered by all this frenzy around him. He had prepared himself for this day. Like a sick person, who knows that his death is around the corner, Samuel was ready to embrace his fate.

Samuel stood up from his throne and raised his hand. The abusing came to an abrupt halt. Whatever the circumstances, Samuel was still the King and his imposing personality always commanded respect.

"As I had used the Right of the King to overrule the Council, In God's name I accept complete responsibility for all that has happened in Tenebra. I am also solely responsible for the coverup and all the lies that were spread in the last seven years. Right this moment, I renounce the throne of Aden. I am no longer your king."

There was dead silence in the hall. Samuel's word seemed to echo in the hall forever. And they were going to echo in the history. For the first time in Aden, a king had given up his throne. Samuel walked down the steps. "Believing in Almighty's grace, I submit myself to the mercy of the Council. I demand a fair trial, which is the right of every citizen of this world. Before any sentence is passed on my fate, the Council must find out what exactly happened in Tenebra. Yes, I am responsible for sending troops there but we must know what caused the bloodshed? And if there are any other culprits they must also be punished with me."

Brendon, one of the eldest members of the Council, a scholar who was inducted into the Council by Samuel himself, supported his king. "As per the rules of this land, everyone deserves a fair trial. King Samuel must have one as well."

Malcolm quickly diverted the discussion to another issue. "Since Samuel has stepped down, we must appoint a new king."

Brendon looked at Samuel. "I think it is time for you to call back your son from that secret mission you have sent him to."

Samuel gave a genial smile. His every smile was like a stab for many. "Thanks for your concern Brendon, but my son is still underage so he can't become the king."

"I don't think this world wants anyone from your family to rule us after your treachery," One of the ministers hissed. Many others voiced their agreement.

"Wishes of the council may not necessarily be the desire of this whole world. But I understand how things are going to work from now on," Samuel added looking at Olivier. "So I declare that my son and other family members are not going to return. The Council shouldn't consider him for this honor."

"In such a scenario, the HighMinister should assume the post of the king." One of the members made his loyalties clear.

Brendon interrupted again. "HighMinister Olivier was part of a mission that is under investigation. He cannot take this post until the trial is over and it is established that he had nothing to do with all the unfortunate events that happened in Tenebra. He has to first clear his name and then he can become our new king."

No one could find a way past that point and the Council agreed that Olivier had to wait. The throne of Aden was lying vacant for the first time.

The most high-profile trial ever was scheduled to begin in the week after the Crossing. Five members of the Council, including four nobles, were appointed as the judges. Samuel requested an open trial. It was a common practice for distinguished cases where commoners were allowed to see the proceedings. The Grand Arena of Aurae, which hosted all the major events of Aden, was selected as the venue for this trial.

Samuel knew that no trial was going to save him. He hadn't opted for an open trial to save himself, but to save this world.

***

The trial finally began. Although Brendon's unnecessary intervention had delayed his coronation, Olivier was quite confident about his prospects. He had played his cards to near perfection. During his testimony, he firmly blamed Henry for all the military decisions. He said again and again, that since King Samuel had given Henry complete control over the army, he kept overruling him. Henry even threatened to kill him if he interfered in the army matters.

Olivier was a skilled orator. He cleverly pointed out that it was Henry who ordered the slaughter of the surrendered archers at the riverbanks. It was he who ordered to kill every soldier during the ambush. It was he who shot Matthews and crucified Nicholas. Olivier even subtly hinted that it might have been Henry who started the massacre which resulted in the rivers of blood. Malcolm sang to the tune of Olivier and highlighted the fact that Henry did nothing to stop the shooting during the massacre.

Olivier concluded his testimony by articulating a genius little theory. "I assume, Henry did what he did, on the orders of the King. It was quite clear during my private meetings with Samuel that he just didn't want the Star-Rocks, he wanted to become the king of two worlds. To achieve that ambition, he asked Henry to do whatever was required. He ordered him to win that world for him by any means. Henry followed the orders, but he went a little too far with the bloodshed. When Samuel came to know about the massacre, he panicked and tried to cover it up. But eventually, the truth came out in open. I believe that what happened, was not just because of a foolish decision made by Samuel, but because of his fanciful ambitions. These were some well-laid plans that went awry. In my opinion, Samuel's unending aspirations and Henry's boundless bloodlust, fueled by his desire to avenge his father, were the main reasons behind this debacle."

"HighMinister, if you knew about such fanciful ambitions, why didn't you inform the Council then? Why didn't you try and stop him?" One of the judges asked Olivier.

"Tell me, honorable judge, who would have taken my word against the word of the king? Would anyone have believed me if I had accused the King of foul intentions? Most of the Council was against his plan of sending troops, but everyone just shut their mouths when he invoked the Right of the King. If I would have spoken against him, I would have been charged with treason. Still, I did my part by volunteering to go on this mission and tried my best to control the damage."

Brendon, the elderly statesman, audibly cleared his throat and walked towards Olivier. During an open trial, the audience was allowed to ask questions. Brendon, a distinguished scholar, decided to have a go at Olivier. "You volunteered to go on this mission in a bid to control some damage. Now can you please tell us what damage did you control? As far as we know, you let rivers of blood flow right under your eyes."

"I tried my best, but Henry was not in a mood to listen to anyone and the army only heeded to his orders. I have also mentioned this before, Henry threatened to kill me."

"So you just backed off fearing for your life. Your life was more precious than the lives of hundreds of soldiers and thousands of innocents?"

Olivier was a little taken aback by this line of questioning. "If Henry would have killed me, my headless body would have been of little use. I tried to stay alive to keep whatever control I could."

Brendon was turning up the heat on Olivier. "Maybe, if you would have shown a little spine and confronted Henry he would have backed off. And even in the unlikeliest of the scenarios, which I am sure would have never happened, if Henry had actually killed you, the dead-body of the HighMinister would have surely signaled to our soldiers that something was wrong. That would have shaken them up. That would have shown them the true face of Henry and would have inspired them for some introspection. Tell me HighMinister, wasn't that worth a try rather than feebly surrendering to Henry's whims?"

Olivier shifted uneasily in his chair. He was not prepared for such a counter-attack. The old Council members were completely under his control but these new members added by Samuel had no such apprehensions. Brendon was tearing him apart and cracks were starting to appear in Olivier's gleaming personality. For the first time, he looked at a loss for words.

Brendon was in no mood to spare him. "A person so obsessed about himself cannot be hailed as a good leader. Great leaders are borne out of sacrifices. If a leader cannot put his life at stake for his people, then he doesn't deserve to lead them. I certainly won't be looking forward to seeing such a person sit on the throne of Aden." That last sentence was like a body blow to Olivier's aspirations. Before he could think of any response Brendon decided to land another blow.

"I have another issue with your story. You are the HighMinister, the second most powerful person in Aden, and Henry is much junior to you in ranks. What kind of a leader you are if you cannot put a leash on your subordinates? If you cannot control a young man, the age of your son, how do we expect you to take control of this whole world?" Brendon paused for a moment for his statement to sink in. Loud murmurs erupted in the crowd. Brendon was knocking the air out of Olivier's prospects.

Brendon then landed the coup de grace. "After analyzing all these facts, I have a theory of my own. I will stick my neck out to say that you intentionally didn't stop Henry. You knew that all this bloodshed would be pinned on the king and that would be massively beneficial for one person. You understood that the more blood is spilled the better because then king Samuel will be forced to abandon his throne. Tell me HighMinister who is supposed to get the throne after him? Tell me who is the one person who is going to massively benefit from this enormous debacle?" Brendon let the question hang in the air.

Every eye in the arena was locked on Olivier. The changing expressions on people's faces told the whole story. Adeners, who didn't know much about treacheries and conspiracies, hadn't considered this possibility.

Olivier slammed his fist and stood up from his chair. "I will not endure any more slandering. I am an honorable man who has spent his entire life serving this world." Olivier tried to salvage the situation, but his words sounded hollow. People were busy in their chatter and didn't even pay attention to what he was saying.

One of the judges intervened. "Brendon, we will not allow anyone to put baseless allegations on HighMinister. If he was threatened, and he backed off fearing for his life, that was well within his rights." The Judge was trying to defend Olivier, but his statement just had the opposite effect on the crowd. Olivier was now a selfish coward who just worried about himself.

Brendon gave a close-lipped smile. "I was just stating what I thought was a possibility. Whether that is true or false, it is upon the Honorable judges to debate and decide."

"There will be no more discussion on these allegations until there is some substantial proof to reinforce your theory. And you may please sit down for now."

"As you wish your Honor." Brendon bowed his head and went back to his chair.

The damage had already been done. The murmurs never stopped.

Brendon had dealt a telling blow to Olivier's image and his dreams.

Out of nowhere, Olivier was caught in a stormand his world was falling apart