"Your Grace?" said a bowing servant asking for the Emperor's attention. He was a short chubby balding man who had always been good at pleasing the Emperor while being completely unpleasant. The Emperor turned his head facing the servant.
"Yes," he said, his voice cold and calm like a storm waiting to happen.
"There's a mister Boffrey here to see you, Your Grace!" declared the servant bowing again. The Emperor could feel his blood pressure rise due to the fake politeness. He had always wanted loyal and brave servants but his father had left him only the ones who stayed for the money.
"Send him in," he ordered. Mister Boffrey had sent him a letter that morning implying that there were great matters needing urgent decisions. He already suspected what those matters must have been and he already had made the necessary decisions.
He watched as the fat servant, Fowler, led the guard in and bowed at least twice before leaving the room again. Mister Boffrey seemed content with himself. He had the posture of a guard, yet the smirk of a thief.
"Your Grace," said Boffrey and bowed. The Emperor crossed his legs and looked at him curiously.
"Mister Boffrey, I assume."
"Yes, Your Grace," he said with a grin on his face. The Emperor had started to dislike him already. His cockiness left no room for sympathy.
"I have heard rumors, Mister Boffrey," the Emperor stated. "Rumors of you and young girls."
"Just one girl, Your Grace," he replied, "and she attacked me."
It wasn't what the Emperor had had in mind but he let it slip.
"Tell me about this girl. Was she tall, strong, muscular?"
Boffrey's grin faded. "No, Your Grace. But she managed to surprise me."
"A fifteen-year-old short skinny girl with no practice in fighting manages to surprise a man twice her size who has been training his entire life? It seems quite impossible. Were you perhaps occupied with some other activity at the time?" The Emperor didn't break their eye contact drilling into the guard's soul. He spun the ring on his index finger lazily. It was the only piece of jewelry he wore but it was a sencurium ring decorated with a big emerald to match the color.
Boffrey's face was turning red and it wasn't blushing. They both understood what the Emperor was implying to. After all, there wasn't much Sencor gossip that went unheard by the Emperor himself. And the lust Boffrey had for young girls, was no news for him.
"Your Grace, I simply ask permission to punish the girl. She stepped over her boundaries and such behavior can't go unnoticed."
The Emperor stroked his dark pointy beard that was accompanied by thin mustache above his narrow lips. His hand moved over to his hair that was pit black and glimmery with excess gel he had put on that morning. He liked to try out different hair styles and his servants were kind enough to find new products for him to test. This gel had been an absolute catastrophe - his hair was too sticky and looked like they hadn't been washed for ages. The only good quality the gel had, was its ability to stay in the hair long-term.
"How would you have her punished then?" he finally asked. His opponent was growing tired of this staring contest.
"I suggest her to be number one on the next execution list," Boffrey offered, the grin sneaking back onto his face.
"I have already finished the list, there's no room for more."
"Your Grace, I'm sure there's always room for one more filthy criminal-blood."
"Are you telling me how to do my job?"
"No, Your Grace," he said quickly and added another bow to seem more humble.
"I will talk with my advisors and think about what actions should proceed."
"No offense, Your Grace, but I believe that whatever the actions, they should be done immediately. Otherwise, the scum will start to think better of them and what happened to me, will happen again." The anger and disgust in Boffrey's eyes weren't general. It was very personal and directed towards that little girl who had sparked an interest in the Emperor.
"It seems to me, you are trying to teach me ruling a country." The Emperor stood up from his sencurium-covered throne and started climbing down the stairs that divided him from the guard.
"Your Grace, nothing like that!" Another bow. The Emperor rolled his eyes. He was tired of the mindless bowing around him. Good followers and loyal servants were so hard to come by.
"I am just trying to do my duty as a citizen and serve Your Grace as good as I can." He fell down to his knees probably trying to display how honored he was to be in the presence of the almighty Emperor.
The Emperor put his hand on his waist where he could feel the cold smooth handle of his dagger.
Fear. He could feel it in his presence, smell in it his sweat that was flowing out of his armpits wetting his shirt. Boffrey tried to stay calm. The Emperor admired it in him - a little bit of honor hidden in the coward who would rape little girls to satisfy his needs. But the honor wouldn't save him.
"Baldrick Boffrey," the Emperor stood right in front of him, looking down but not breaking the eye contact. "I accuse you of taking advantage of your position as a guard and at the same time not fulfilling your duties as one."
The guard knew what was coming. He straightened his back unsure whether he should bow one more time or try to fight it.
"And thus..." the Emperor made a dramatic pause. He had always loved that part of his job - being able to act like a true hero... or villain. "I sentence you to die!"
He shoved his dagger into the man's chest. Boffrey screamed in shock grabbing the hands that were stabbing him. The Emperor kicked him off while turning the dagger.
The former guard gasped one more time before his eyes went dull and heart stopped beating. The Emperor pulled the dagger out again handing it to one of the servants to be cleaned.
Another staring contest won, he thought.
"Yes," he said, his voice cold and calm like a storm waiting to happen.
"There's a mister Boffrey here to see you, Your Grace!" declared the servant bowing again. The Emperor could feel his blood pressure rise due to the fake politeness. He had always wanted loyal and brave servants but his father had left him only the ones who stayed for the money.
"Send him in," he ordered. Mister Boffrey had sent him a letter that morning implying that there were great matters needing urgent decisions. He already suspected what those matters must have been and he already had made the necessary decisions.
He watched as the fat servant, Fowler, led the guard in and bowed at least twice before leaving the room again. Mister Boffrey seemed content with himself. He had the posture of a guard, yet the smirk of a thief.
"Your Grace," said Boffrey and bowed. The Emperor crossed his legs and looked at him curiously.
"Mister Boffrey, I assume."
"Yes, Your Grace," he said with a grin on his face. The Emperor had started to dislike him already. His cockiness left no room for sympathy.
"I have heard rumors, Mister Boffrey," the Emperor stated. "Rumors of you and young girls."
"Just one girl, Your Grace," he replied, "and she attacked me."
It wasn't what the Emperor had had in mind but he let it slip.
"Tell me about this girl. Was she tall, strong, muscular?"
Boffrey's grin faded. "No, Your Grace. But she managed to surprise me."
"A fifteen-year-old short skinny girl with no practice in fighting manages to surprise a man twice her size who has been training his entire life? It seems quite impossible. Were you perhaps occupied with some other activity at the time?" The Emperor didn't break their eye contact drilling into the guard's soul. He spun the ring on his index finger lazily. It was the only piece of jewelry he wore but it was a sencurium ring decorated with a big emerald to match the color.
Boffrey's face was turning red and it wasn't blushing. They both understood what the Emperor was implying to. After all, there wasn't much Sencor gossip that went unheard by the Emperor himself. And the lust Boffrey had for young girls, was no news for him.
"Your Grace, I simply ask permission to punish the girl. She stepped over her boundaries and such behavior can't go unnoticed."
The Emperor stroked his dark pointy beard that was accompanied by thin mustache above his narrow lips. His hand moved over to his hair that was pit black and glimmery with excess gel he had put on that morning. He liked to try out different hair styles and his servants were kind enough to find new products for him to test. This gel had been an absolute catastrophe - his hair was too sticky and looked like they hadn't been washed for ages. The only good quality the gel had, was its ability to stay in the hair long-term.
"How would you have her punished then?" he finally asked. His opponent was growing tired of this staring contest.
"I suggest her to be number one on the next execution list," Boffrey offered, the grin sneaking back onto his face.
"I have already finished the list, there's no room for more."
"Your Grace, I'm sure there's always room for one more filthy criminal-blood."
"Are you telling me how to do my job?"
"No, Your Grace," he said quickly and added another bow to seem more humble.
"I will talk with my advisors and think about what actions should proceed."
"No offense, Your Grace, but I believe that whatever the actions, they should be done immediately. Otherwise, the scum will start to think better of them and what happened to me, will happen again." The anger and disgust in Boffrey's eyes weren't general. It was very personal and directed towards that little girl who had sparked an interest in the Emperor.
"It seems to me, you are trying to teach me ruling a country." The Emperor stood up from his sencurium-covered throne and started climbing down the stairs that divided him from the guard.
"Your Grace, nothing like that!" Another bow. The Emperor rolled his eyes. He was tired of the mindless bowing around him. Good followers and loyal servants were so hard to come by.
"I am just trying to do my duty as a citizen and serve Your Grace as good as I can." He fell down to his knees probably trying to display how honored he was to be in the presence of the almighty Emperor.
The Emperor put his hand on his waist where he could feel the cold smooth handle of his dagger.
Fear. He could feel it in his presence, smell in it his sweat that was flowing out of his armpits wetting his shirt. Boffrey tried to stay calm. The Emperor admired it in him - a little bit of honor hidden in the coward who would rape little girls to satisfy his needs. But the honor wouldn't save him.
"Baldrick Boffrey," the Emperor stood right in front of him, looking down but not breaking the eye contact. "I accuse you of taking advantage of your position as a guard and at the same time not fulfilling your duties as one."
The guard knew what was coming. He straightened his back unsure whether he should bow one more time or try to fight it.
"And thus..." the Emperor made a dramatic pause. He had always loved that part of his job - being able to act like a true hero... or villain. "I sentence you to die!"
He shoved his dagger into the man's chest. Boffrey screamed in shock grabbing the hands that were stabbing him. The Emperor kicked him off while turning the dagger.
The former guard gasped one more time before his eyes went dull and heart stopped beating. The Emperor pulled the dagger out again handing it to one of the servants to be cleaned.
Another staring contest won, he thought.
It was very interesting to see the Emperors point of view. Loved this part and can't wait to see what plans the Emperor has with Andy. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was definately a very fun part to write as the Emperor has many quirks. He will make another appearance soon enough!
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