BANNERS AND FLAGS were festooned upon every pole and lamppost in front of Blackdocks—the red and black colors of the Emperor displayed prominently. The cloth made snapping sounds as the wind got stronger. I flicked up the collar of my coat, leaning into the cold. It would storm soon—one of those quick thundershowers that dumped water from the sky in buckets but was completely gone in an hour. I glanced up the hill, wondering if I could make it back to the castle before the downpour.
“News!” a little girl hollered from the corner. “The latest news!”
I dropped a coin in her hand and took one of the news sheets from her stack, reading it immediately. The Emperor had made quite an impression on the people while I’d been away. Last week, he’d attended service at one of the small church halls near Blackdocks, blessing the Elder himself. The plans for the orphanage and a new quarantine hospital had already begun, with notes that the Emperor’s coffers would be footing the bill. A splashy headline announced a public festival that would happen in two days’ time. I remembered Hamish’s reservations about doing so much so soon, but it was clear the Emperor’s will would not be denied.
I turned the paper over, and gasped when I saw my face looking up at me. It was a re-creation of the portrait my mother had done before I went to Yūgen, my chin tilted up, my hair a little too long. MEET THE MAN WHO’S SAVING THE NORTH! the headline beneath my picture proclaimed. The article was brief and was clearly being used to encourage people to come to the upcoming rally in order to hear news of my success. I was deeply grateful I had good news to relay.
Beneath the fold was a full article about a group of thirteen rebels who’d been arrested. I scanned the printed black-and-white faces. The images were rough, but I could tell immediately that none of the captured criminals were my family.
A fat raindrop landed on the paper, smearing the ink. I glanced up as the little girl grabbed her remaining stack of news sheets and ran for cover. Holding my own paper above my head as the downpour started, I raced across the street, flagging down a coach. “To the castle,” I said as I ducked inside.
Even here, inside a hired coach, evidence of the Emperor’s influence persisted. Black-and-red ribbons were stacked in a neat basket on the seat, with a small sign that said TAKE ONE. I did, and I pinned it to my coat. The farther up we climbed, the more bunting I saw draped on the windows of storefronts and even homes. Shiny new flagpoles bore the Allyrian flag, and bunting decorated most of the nicer houses along the streets. I caught sight of street workers huddled in an alley taking shelter from the storm, their bags laden with even more black-and-red cloth.
It’ll have to be more than just a cosmetic change, I thought, remembering Hamish’s warnings. But I suspected that it already was. This level of change to the face of the city meant that people had to be hired. More jobs meant less homelessness. And with new street decorations came cleaner streets. Stoops had been swept, windows cleaned. No trash piled up in the gutters. Even the rain seemed to be in on the plan, making the city sparkle.
I had thought Miraband to be wondrous, but now I realized how good it was to be home.
The coach brought me to the back of the castle, and I ran inside, doing my best not to get soaking wet. Servants stood near the door, one bending down to wipe my shoes off for me. “Thanks,” I muttered, shifting away as soon as possible.
Before I’d even made it to my room, another servant rushed up to me. “Mr. Astor!” he called.
I turned.
“You’re wanted in the council room,” he said formally.
I was gratified to realize that I mostly knew the way back on my own; he only had to redirect me twice. A herald announced me when I stepped inside.
The Emperor no longer had a cane. Instead, he paced around the council room, looking up as I entered, an inscrutable expression on his face.
“Astor!” he called. “My captain sent word that you have been successful in your mission.”
“Ah, yes,” I said as every council member turned to look at me. There were new faces among them, people I assumed had been appointed to the council in my absence, though several new empty seats dotted the room.
“Excuse me.” A woman I didn’t recognize spoke. Several council members fidgeted nervously, and Hamish gave the woman an encouraging nod. “I know Astor’s report is important, but we need to talk about the prisoners first,” she said.
“Prisoners?” The question slipped past my mouth before I had a chance to bite my tongue.
The Emperor glared at the councilwoman. “We’ve collected thirteen traitors to the Empire,” he said. “Their trial will be soon.”
There had clearly been a note of dismissal in his tone, but Hamish ignored it. “‘Soon’ is a relative term, Your Imperial Majesty. These people are commoners, and whatever role they played in treasonous activity was minimal at best. The prison conditions are atrocious and—”
“There is no such thing as ‘minimal’ treason, Hamlayton,” Emperor Auguste said, his voice brooking no argument. “Treason is treason. They will stand trial soon enough.”
“What of the treasonous nobility?” Hamish said, his voice rising. The tension in the room was palpable, but Hamish seemed ignorant of it. “This council has seen time and again that one’s personal wealth can buy a faster trial, and with a better outcome—”
“Enough.” The Emperor didn’t shout; in fact, the word was barely audible. But Hamish’s mouth snapped shut, and he slumped down into his chair.
Emperor Auguste turned to me, an easy smile on his face that belied the argument seconds before. “Report, please,” he said, waving his hand to indicate that I could continue.
A droplet of rainwater dribbled down my neck, and I shivered. Everyone waited for me to speak. “Er,” I started.
“A commission of five thousand units, yes?” the Emperor prompted, smiling at me with a sort of apologetic look; I thought he only just then realized the awkward position he’d placed me in.
“Yes.” I nodded, taking a deep breath. Channeling everything my father had ever worked for, I stepped forward, detailing the new trade commission and what it would mean for the north. As soon as I quit speaking, there was a smattering of polite applause from the council. Hamish stood, bowing slightly to me, and a few others followed suit.
“This is truly remarkable,” Emperor Auguste said. “I hadn’t wanted to scare young Astor, but this sort of negotiating between colonies and homeland can be tricky at best.”
Not scaring me was one thing, but a little warning about the process would have been nice. Still, I couldn’t help but beam under the Emperor’s radiant pride. “I want you to speak at the rally,” the Emperor continued. He turned to one of the new men on the council. “Add him to the schedule,” he ordered.
The man looked flustered, but nodded.
“What day will that be?” I asked.
“Tomorrow,” the Emperor said.
I swallowed. I knew the Emperor had been planning it for as quickly as possible, but I was intimidated by the suddenness. Still, this was for Nedra. If everyone was focused on all the good that was happening in the north, then they might forget their desire to punish her.
“We’ve been focused on building national spirit and goodwill among the people,” the Emperor continued.
“I noticed,” I said.
The Emperor stood, clapping me on the shoulder and then turning me toward the door. Now that my report was done, I was dismissed. “This is how you build a nation,” he told me in a voice so low that only I could hear.
“With rallies?”
“With pride.”