Vaid Empire: Conquest Ch. 26

Vaid Empire: Conquest is a massive fantasy series that aims to mix erotica with the quality of a published novel. New chapters and artwork are released every month absolutely free, with the completely optional possibility to receive early access. The Series focuses heavily on worldbuilding, story, and characters.

The world of Ayphieal is shattered and chaotic, with kingdoms and tribes of six distinctive races vying for territory amongst themselves. It is only when a young human warrior finally pushes back against the chaos that the world begins to shift towards order.

***

29th of Fonic, 9 AVE.

Kingdom of Vaidrin, Domani.

As the citizens of Domani would later recount, there had hardly been a time of greater uncertainty in the years following the city's founding than the morning of their Concubine Empress's trial.

From the moment the towering doors of The Grand Pyramid heaved open to accept the public, countless citizens gradually eased their way into the heart of The Empire. With the finishing touches of the throne room complete, no less than the most stoic of men could mask their awe whenever they entered the colossal chamber. Beings born in pre-empire settlements could only be crushed by its glory, for its size could consume the entirety of a minor settlement.

Pillars lined the walls, stretching up to hold a curved ceiling that seemed unreachable. Yet its crowning feature lay at the far end, its image nothing short of the very seat of Vaid power. As the baths lining the walls converged into a larger pool encompassing the far section of the chamber, its waters wrapped around a small pyramidal structure of two levels. Towering stairs led to its flat peak, topped by an intricately forged throne of pure gold.

Dominax watched his subjects pour into the room, keenly aware of the mix of morbid interest and apprehension that permeated throughout the crowd. Their God had been betrayed, and travelers from across The Empire would come to see the result of such an act. Could a God Emperor show mercy? Would he delve into cruelty? Or was it possible that his lover's actions would convince him that Magnius was unworthy of his guidance, and he'd simply abandon them?

With his advisors standing dutifully atop the first level of the throne pyramid, both Irith and Cendra stood at his sides. They had been unknowing victims of Xenia, yet both stood with elegant calm. The eldest born princess of House Vaid clasped her hands proudly behind her back, masking the bubbling rage and sorrow that threatened to topple her into the water below.

As the abundant number of guards began to deem the limit of the ever-growing crowd of citizens blessed with the honor of witnessing the trial, they slowly cut the flow of newcomers to a trickle before finally hauling the doors closed. Despite being larger than many of Domani's own buildings, the nearly indestructible doors could be moved with only the strength of a few slaves due to Lalian's carefully balanced design.

Dominax raised a hand, inciting an instant silence from the countless observers as they bowed their heads. He hesitated for a moment, dreading his next words. "Bring in the prisoner."

One of the many side doors opened with the sound of heavy stone against stone, allowing a group of six guards to march into the chamber. They formed a circle as they made their way towards the base of the pyramid throne, coming to a halt before their lord. The circle parted as they fanned out, revealing Xenia in the center. She wore her typical revealing outfit, her exposed skin unmarked by neither bruise nor cut. She had clearly been imprisoned lavishly despite her crimes, a fact that surprised many of the waiting audience. Her arms remained tightly bound behind her back, locked together by several metal cuffs along her forearms.

Irith felt a knot in her lightly pregnant stomach as she looked down upon Xenia's smug face, knowing that the death of herself and her unborn twins had nearly come from the vile prisoner.

"Concubine Empress Xenia," Dominax began, his voice booming throughout the chamber as he subconsciously gripped the armrests of his throne. "You stand accused of treason, for both the murder of a valued consort of your God Emperor..." he said, gritting his teeth as he sensed Cendra further tense beside him. "...and the attempted murder of your fellow Concubine Empress, alongside the unborn royal heir of House Vaid."

Whispers began to seep throughout the chamber, only enriching the growing fog of uncertainty that claimed the crowd.

Dominax leaned closer to peer down at her, his expression that of a venomous predator preparing to strike. "Do you deny these charges?"

Xenia glanced around the throne room, dragging out the intensity of the moment before finally meeting his gaze. "My love...if I am guilty of anything, it is that I performed my duty as your mate. I am flawed, my love, flawed in that I possess a loyalty to you that may destroy me."

"Loyalty?!" Cendra burst out, only to quiet herself as Dominax gripped her wrist.

His silver eyes narrowed. "Is this your defense? To mask treason with a claim of loyalty?"

Xenia tilted her head slyly. "Treason? Such a harsh word...for all I have done these last fourteen years is serve you. Tell me then, if I am charged with anything more than what a loyal servant of The Empire should do, what proof do you present?"

"Proof." Dominax repeated, as if the word tasted bitter. "You shall have your proof. We'll set an example for all courts of The Empire, for no man or woman may be punished without evidence. Thus...I command Lord Hesin of The Hesian Order to step forward."

Hesin readily obeyed, easing around his fellow advisors on the first level of the throne pyramid until he stood directly below the front of the throne itself. His unnerving mask met the crowd with its featureless expression, a single eye directed towards his target. "Lady Xenia, for years you have been carefully observed by agents of The Empire for suspected treason, culminating in the night of the 50th of Thriduin wherein an assassin of The Hesian Order witnessed you conspiring to kill Empress Irith. Do you deny these facts?"

Xenia's smug smile dampened, though defiance burned in her eyes. "The God Emperor commands you to present evidence, yet this is all you deliver? The claims of a mauled man? A man whose life I, I'll remind you, saved? Don't forget Hesin, you would have lost far more than an eye if I hadn't healed you."

"Lord Hesin." He corrected coldly. "All past debts fell away the moment you moved to plot against The Empire. Regardless of your lack of a denial, I shall provide more than my own claims." Hesin said before nodding to a pair of guards near the side of the chamber. They quickly converged to a nearby door, hauling it open.

The form of a Hesian assassin entered the throne room, her long legs striding with deadly precision to stand next to Xenia while allowing a distance to linger between them. Her body was clad in a revealing white robe and hood, with the mask typical of her order concealing her face.

As the crowd watched with curiosity the woman bowed, her voice faintly metallic from the mask. "My lord God Emperor, I am honored to stand before you."

"State your name and purpose." Dominax command with a hint of agitation. Every moment of this trial carved away at his heart and patience, as the longest serving member of his realm stood in chains below him. Xenia had been the first to pledge herself to him, long before thoughts of an empire even seeped into his mind. If she could betray him, who else?

The assassin straightened dutifully, her posture carrying an air of deadly prowess. "I am Truthseeker Tildra of The Hesian Order, your holiness. I come to present my word, for I am the discoverer of Lady Xenia's crimes."

"You were the one to overhear her plans?" Dominax asked, stroking his beard as Xenia took a sideways glance at the woman.

Hesin nodded somberly, while all onlookers remained unaware of the amused smile creeping across his face. "Indeed, my lord. Tildra observed Lady Xenia that night on my orders, where she both heard and witnessed-"

Dominax cut him off in a tone far harsher than he had intended. "I'd hear it from her own mouth, Lord Hesin."

Folding her hands behind her back, Tildra carefully began to recount the night with meticulous accuracy, leaving no detail unsaid. From the rendezvous with the twins Pria and Pilsi under the cover of darkness, to the moment Xenia let slip their intentions to murder Irith, to the reveal that Briza had died on her orders. All were laid out for the entire audience to hear. "I remained to watch as the slave buried her sister's body nearby, though I reported the event to my master as soon as I returned to The Grand Pyramid."

The information that Pilsi was deceased had been included within Hesin's initial message cylinder, yet gasps rippled throughout the crowd as she recalled the murder for the first time publicly. Prior knowledge did little to comfort the rage trickling through Dominax, however.

"You are aware that uttering mistruths before the Vaid Throne is punishable by death, are you not? Do you pledge that all you've said is true, every detail?" Clin questioned, standing proudly beside his fellow advisors.

"If I have been dishonest before The God Emperor, may The Creator wrench my soul from my body and consume me in his fire." Tildra replied with the intensity of a fanatic.

Hesin half turned towards Clin yet ensured that his slightly annoyed voice could be heard by the crowd. "I'd also add that she is not a simple Initiate, Lord Clin. She is a full Truthseeker assassin of The Hesian Order, and I'd trust her word on my honor."

Outwardly, Xenia appeared unfazed by the thorough exposure of her unsavory secrets. She merely smirked, doing her best to exude authority despite the tight cuffs locking her arms. "Yes, my love, believe the word of an assassin over that of your own mate. Such a devoted servant couldn't possibly be motivated by gaining your trust."

Dominax glared at her sarcastic attitude, feeling the power bubbling in his blood. "You shall SPEAK when I allow it." He said before turning his attention to the other woman. "Tildra, you have earned the gratitude of The Empire for your service. If what you've said is true you shall be rewarded, and if not, you shall be destroyed. Though for now, you are dismissed."

Wordlessly the assassin bowed her head before making a swift exit from the chamber.

"The claims of a single individual can never be optimal evidence, no matter the credibility of said individual. Thus, I call for the next witness." Dominax commanded.

Surprised, Xenia turned to watch as another of the side doors slid open. Who else could he possibly call as a witness to an event that had only been viewed by a single agent of The Empire? Had there been another, a detail concealed by The God Emperor for unknown reasons? Or...could it be the only other alternative, a possibility that Xenia had secretly dreaded from the moment of her arrest...

The latter possibility was confirmed, as a sickening sensation flowed through her the moment her eyes fell upon the witness. Emerging into the throne room flanked by guards, Pria stumbled through the doorway. She wore absolutely nothing, leaving her slave body exposed to the curious masses. Her arms were similarly bound behind her back, while her lack of clothing revealed numerous cuts and brutal bruises across the majority of her skin. Her short imprisonment had evidently been FAR worse than Xenia's, and the poor slave's beaten form nearly made her mistress wince. Nearly.

Pria was practically dragged to the spot where Tildra had stood, struggling to retain her balance even as the guards roughly held her by her upper arms. She glanced at Xenia, unable to conceal the remorse burning beneath her gaze.

"Your name and purpose." Dominax once again commanded, "Now. For all to hear."

"I...I am Pria, slave of his holiness." She began, her voice lacking the usual allure and seduction that she typically wielded. "I have come to confess my guilt...for both the murder of Lady Briza, and the attempted murder of Concubine Empress Irith."

Xenia couldn't hide her contempt as she turned her head away, for her most loyal servant had betrayed her.

"My sister and I acted upon Empress Xenia's orders, and though Pilsi is no longer with us...I confess her guilt as well...."

"Such a LIAR." Xenia burst out as she took a further step towards the throne, ignoring the surrounding guards as they readied themselves. "You would DARE believe the confession of a slave? A slut that has been beaten into obedience?"

"You will let her speak." Dominax commanded with a quiet menace.

"Just how many babies has she bore for you? She is nothing more than a whore, a slave who would give you her womb for your favor! What else would she do to prove her loyalty to you?" Xenia continued.

With a flick of his wrist, Dominax's silent order was swiftly carried out as the nearest guard backhanded Xenia, sending her collapsing to her knees. He then leaned forwards, peering down at her as he spoke in a low voice. "For the connection we once shared I will permit you an outburst, yet speak once more out of turn and I shall strike you down here and now."

Xenia met his gaze with anger as she regained her feet, yet she uttered nothing but a grunt of pain.

"Now, do you vow that what you claim is true?" Dominax asked as he returned his attention towards the naked slave.

Taking a final look at her infuriated mistress, Pria nodded. "I do. I can only ask that your holiness may be merciful..."

"What mercy does a murderer merit?" Dominax questioned, only to wave a dismissive hand in disgust. As the guards moved to drag Pria away to the dungeons, he rose from his throne. "What you have all witnessed is enough for many to condemn any man or woman to guilt. Yet I require a final witness, an individual that I hope will end any doubt of the truth. There is no voice I'd sooner believe than the young woman I summon now, as I call upon Princess Vixin of House Vaid to stand before me."

For a moment Xenia was unable to process his words, for they simply made no sense. There was no possibility that Vixin would be willing to testify against her. Her own mother! Yet as the princess entered the room, the reality of the situation became sickeningly clearer.

Vixin strode confidently into the room, keeping her eyes locked onto the throne as she approached. She came to a halt some distance from her mother's side, granting her no acknowledgement.

Towering over her from his position atop the structure, her father gave a commanding gesture for her to speak. Thousands of eyes burned into her from the audience, uncertain of what the supposed demigod-like being would say.

"I am Princess Vixin of House Vaid, second born daughter of The God Emperor. I have come...to give validity to the claims leveled against my mother."

The familial betrayal coaxed a lingering stillness in the room, forcing Vixin to endure the air of heavy judgment that seemed to swirl around her. While her emotions raged within her, outwardly she appeared to be no more concerned about their opinions than if they were little more than feeble creatures.

"You are aware that you've been implicated in those very claims?" Dominax finally asked, breaking the silence to her relief.

She nodded, meeting his stern gaze directly. "Yes, my lord, I acknowledge my part in this. I come to you now, a being of your blood, and a loyal servant of your crown, in the hopes that you may forgive the mistakes my mother has forced me into."

An inner piece of Xenia shattered, hearing the clear tone of a rehearsed speech, perhaps even rehearsed with the assistance of Dominax himself. After all, a ruler couldn't allow his own daughter to be convicted as a traitor.

Visibly he seemed to consider the idea, as if the outcome hadn't already been decided upon before the trial even began. "Then you, a being with all the wisdom and power of a Vaid, confirm that these charges of treason against Lady Xenia are true?"

For the first time since she had entered, Vixin granted her mother a glance. Xenia ceased a trembling in her lip that she hadn't even realized had begun, finally seeing the hints of sorrow in her daughter's silver eyes. Understanding began to fill her, for Vixin's gaze held no malice. This hadn't in fact been something she had been eager to do, but an act necessary for her own survival. Vixin was nearly as guilty as she was herself, and though many throughout The Empire may be used to leaders pardoning their own children outright, Dominax clearly wished to set a precedent. If she were to survive this trial it was necessary to leave her mother behind, whether she wanted to or not.

Xenia nearly felt a slight pride well up within her, for she had taught her daughter to survive at any cost. Those lessons had come full circle, yet what would her own fate become?

"They are true, my lord. Every detail." Vixin stated coldly. "Pria, Pilsi, and I were little more than her pawns, yet the charges are true."

Dominax stroked his short beard in mock contemplation before his deep voice grew louder. He spoke to Vixin, yet it was clear that his words were mainly intended for the present audience. "Then there is only one possible outcome. However, it cannot be denied that several facts must be considered, including your age and actions. You were too young to have any involvement in the murder of Lady Briza, and whatever part you played in planning the assassination of Empress Irith may be explained by your youth. A mother's influence over her child is palpable, and thus I shall show leniency." He explained, feeling empty at the mention of Briza. "Therefore, I shall not punish you as The God Emperor, though instead as a father."

Vixin momentarily closed her eyes in pure relief before bowing her head. The implications were clear, she would not find herself on the end of an executioner's blade. "Thank you, my lord."

"Yet proceed cautiously, for you tread on thin ice my child." He added with clear menace in his voice. He then turned to Xenia, the moment he had long dreaded finally reaching to claim them both. "It is clear now, for every doubt of your guilt has been stripped away. You've betrayed your crown, your home, everything we've worked to build. You've cast aside my trust to claim a life that had been my world...and for that you are unforgivable."

There was no uncertainty of what was coming, and Xenia could only remain frozen as she waited for the words that would seal her fate.

"For your acts of treason, I sentence you and the slave Pria to death."

The crowd seemed to erupt into commotion, either to cheer for her death or to hurl insults at the traitor. Dominax granted them their moment, silently falling back into his throne as both Cendra and Irith gripped his hands with clashing feelings of relief and sorrow.

The guards began to lead Xenia from the chamber, and she could only struggle to glance back at Vixin as the princess stood in place, refusing to look back at her.

***

To say that Lalian was satisfied with the trial results would hardly touch the truth. He had played his hand in court intrigue and not only survived, but managed to orchestrate the downfall of his enemy. Those many years of patience would all be worthwhile when he finally witnessed the execution of that vile slut.