Kastori Restorations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 4) by Stephen Allan Page A
Authors: Stephen Allan
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people. Emperor Orthran, I am not the leader that you think I am. You are the leader we know you are because you did it for so long.”
To her surprise, Caius— still can’t wrap my head around calling him that— seemed apprehensive about her words.
“Crystil, I appreciate that notion, but in my opinion, that is just not what the people will think,” he said, his eyes shifting toward the people and Kastori down below. “The people will see me as a failure. They will despise me for losing the war to Typhos, and for letting so many of their friends die. The Kastori have no connection to me. I would venture that some of them may have attacked me at one point. Perhaps if we were still fighting the first battle, but…”
Crystil reminded herself of where he came from and tried to strike the balance between deferring to the authority he commanded with the power he had granted her.
“I understand sir. But I went through a very similar spot barely a few weeks ago on Anatolus. The Kastori there got lazy, just before Typhos arrived while the three of us assumed we would be in their tribe for the remainder of our lives. The Kastori simply wanted to live, they didn’t want to prepare for war. They had become weary of war, and frankly, I couldn’t blame them after Calypsius. But the fact is, that ennui and refusal to fight means everyone but your children perished when Typhos destroyed everything. I couldn’t reach the Kastori because it wasn’t my place and I am not a Kastori, but these are my people, and I’m afraid I still can’t reach them. My words may goad them, but it will not instill a deep, burning desire to work. You, sir, you can. I would bet the people won’t see you as a failure. I’ll bet they’ll see you as a savior like I said earlier. They would give anything to have you leading the charge as you did for all those years.”
The emperor gave a weary smile, acknowledging her persuasive words. It was clear to Monda’s greatest soldier that the emperor didn’t entirely buy it, but he was at least more open. We don’t have to have him tonight. We just need to have him speak before everyone completely quits.
“If the people should collapse, if they do not wish to fight, then perhaps I will consider it,” he said. Exactly what I had hoped for. “But I cannot face my people when I have failed them. Think of the people who died because of me. Think of the envy and jealousy I inspired by evacuating a select portion of our society. The people will not want to face me. I do not want to face them.”
Fear. That’s all this is.
“With all due respect, sir, I believe an emperor must face his people when he has failed them,” she said. “You are not a coward, and I would defend you and any decision you make publicly to the end. But between us, nothing will make the people connect to you more than admitting failure. And let’s make it clear. No one could have withstood the assault on us. Only by combining Kastori and human forces do we stand a chance. I failed to realize this until I had no other choice.”
It was an all too honest admission for Crystil, who remembered her earlier days on Anatolus when she had failed her superior’s children. She did, however, allow herself a feeling of relief. She couldn’t imagine having this conversation with the emperor if Cyrus or Celeste had perished at any point.
“You have grown, Crystil,” the Emperor said with a warm smile. “When I brought you on, you never questioned me. I loved your commitment, your skills, and your fearlessness, but I always wanted your input.”
“I know, sir,” Crystil said with a smile. He really had always asked her for her opinion, but having never had anyone ask such things before, she just went along with whatever he had said.
“It’s nice to see that my children were terrible enough that you had to become stronger and have more faith in your own intuition. And let’s be honest, when I say my children, I just mean
To her surprise, Caius— still can’t wrap my head around calling him that— seemed apprehensive about her words.
“Crystil, I appreciate that notion, but in my opinion, that is just not what the people will think,” he said, his eyes shifting toward the people and Kastori down below. “The people will see me as a failure. They will despise me for losing the war to Typhos, and for letting so many of their friends die. The Kastori have no connection to me. I would venture that some of them may have attacked me at one point. Perhaps if we were still fighting the first battle, but…”
Crystil reminded herself of where he came from and tried to strike the balance between deferring to the authority he commanded with the power he had granted her.
“I understand sir. But I went through a very similar spot barely a few weeks ago on Anatolus. The Kastori there got lazy, just before Typhos arrived while the three of us assumed we would be in their tribe for the remainder of our lives. The Kastori simply wanted to live, they didn’t want to prepare for war. They had become weary of war, and frankly, I couldn’t blame them after Calypsius. But the fact is, that ennui and refusal to fight means everyone but your children perished when Typhos destroyed everything. I couldn’t reach the Kastori because it wasn’t my place and I am not a Kastori, but these are my people, and I’m afraid I still can’t reach them. My words may goad them, but it will not instill a deep, burning desire to work. You, sir, you can. I would bet the people won’t see you as a failure. I’ll bet they’ll see you as a savior like I said earlier. They would give anything to have you leading the charge as you did for all those years.”
The emperor gave a weary smile, acknowledging her persuasive words. It was clear to Monda’s greatest soldier that the emperor didn’t entirely buy it, but he was at least more open. We don’t have to have him tonight. We just need to have him speak before everyone completely quits.
“If the people should collapse, if they do not wish to fight, then perhaps I will consider it,” he said. Exactly what I had hoped for. “But I cannot face my people when I have failed them. Think of the people who died because of me. Think of the envy and jealousy I inspired by evacuating a select portion of our society. The people will not want to face me. I do not want to face them.”
Fear. That’s all this is.
“With all due respect, sir, I believe an emperor must face his people when he has failed them,” she said. “You are not a coward, and I would defend you and any decision you make publicly to the end. But between us, nothing will make the people connect to you more than admitting failure. And let’s make it clear. No one could have withstood the assault on us. Only by combining Kastori and human forces do we stand a chance. I failed to realize this until I had no other choice.”
It was an all too honest admission for Crystil, who remembered her earlier days on Anatolus when she had failed her superior’s children. She did, however, allow herself a feeling of relief. She couldn’t imagine having this conversation with the emperor if Cyrus or Celeste had perished at any point.
“You have grown, Crystil,” the Emperor said with a warm smile. “When I brought you on, you never questioned me. I loved your commitment, your skills, and your fearlessness, but I always wanted your input.”
“I know, sir,” Crystil said with a smile. He really had always asked her for her opinion, but having never had anyone ask such things before, she just went along with whatever he had said.
“It’s nice to see that my children were terrible enough that you had to become stronger and have more faith in your own intuition. And let’s be honest, when I say my children, I just mean
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