The Emperor sat on his throne, tapping the golden armrest with his ring covered fingers. He sat above the lavish party, which took place below him, filled with gales of laughter, and dancing noble's. A crystal chandelier dangled high overhead, sparkling with the light from a hundred candles, and draped in silk banners of rich purples, dark blues, and bright reds. A soft melody echoed across the great hall which glowed warmly. It was the picture of elegance, displaying the emperor's wealth. He smirked slightly, knowing that his party would be remembered for ages to come as the Gala of a lifetime.
Unbeknownst to him, a thin servant had somehow snuck into the party. The Emperor had forbidden any servant from entering, thinking it would make a bad impression. The servant crept along the wall, careful to avoid any guards. When they silently reached the Emperor's side and tapped him on the shoulder.
          "You're majesty-"
          "Don't touch me like that!" The Emperor snapped after wincing horribly. "Your filthy hand could've ruined my robes. Do you even know how expensive these were?" He turned and glared at him. "And I thought that I said that no servants were allowed in the party."
           "I know," the servant whimpered. "It's just that I was sent by the General and-"
           "What does he want now?" The Emperor growled. "I keep on telling him not to summon me unless it was important."
            "He says it is," the servant said, now positively shaking with fear. "H-he wanted me to tell you that the p-p-prisoners are rioting. It's a disaster and he needs you to sort it out."
              The Emperor was silent. His hand shook and his heart beat fast. He didn't show it much, but inside he was very afraid. He stood up and headed towards the dungeons, shoving the servant as he passed. This news had put him in a foul mood.
               Rats scurried across the floor, squeaking in terror and the Emperor marched through the dirty stone hallways. The prisoners leered at him, their faces twisted in fury at the man who had sentenced them to this place. The Emperor heard loud voices in a cell near the end of the hallway. He strode towards it and entered to find his general and two other men standing around another, who was kneeled on the floor. He spat out a mouthful of blood as the General slapped him.
              "How dare you cause a riot!" He roared, spitting in the prisoner's face. "This behavior will not be tolerated! Order and cooperation is expected from all prisoners, and if you do not stop, I will personally put an end to your antics."
               The prisoner glared up at the General and said in a low voice, "Fine. Do what you want for all I care. If it means I give these prisoners hope, I'll keep on fighting to end of the world. LONG LIVE EMEPEROR JULIUS!"
                The Emperor winced as loud cheers erupted. Prisoners banged on the bars and yelled themselves hoarse. The Emperor rubbed his temples and yelled, "SILENCE!" The halls quieted instantly and the General whirled around.
                 "Your majesty," he said, hastily dropping to a bow. "I did not see you."
                  "None of that," the Emperor muttered waving his hand dismissively. "Now, what's wrong?"
                  "Well," the General said, standing up. "As you just witnessed, this pig is causing chaos, sending prisoners into frenzies. We don,t know what to do."
                   The Emperor nodded slowly. He walked forward and looked the prisoner in the eye. "Do you know why you're here?" He snarled in a slow voice.
                    "Because I believe in what's right," relied the prisoner firmly, not backing away. "Not in what you call servitude. Forcing men to work night and day, driving them insane and losing all hope to live. I'd rather die than serve you for the rest of my life. You can break me or even kill me, but what I do is for the good of the people. And I will never bow down to someone like YOU!" He spat the last words in the Emperor's face.
                    The Emperor straightened up and turned the General, the anger and fury clearly visible in his face. "Make sure this is the last thing this brat ever does." The General nodded and signaled to the two men, who dragged the prisoner from the cell. The Emperor strode out of the cell and towards the stairs. As he reached the bottom, a guttural scream echoed across the dungeon, chilling everyone to the bone. The Emperor smirked, knowing that the prisoner who had convinced everyone that there was hope would not bother him again.
                   Hope needed to be stamped out if his complete rule was to be established.