The Red Gulf

Inside the Royal Office the regent and entire Board of Chancellors were watching a recording of Miranda’s experience through her eyes by means of the Drop of Truth. There were no servants and the guards were posted outside the locked doors. Three hand carved and polished wood tables were situated to form a ‘u’. When the recording stopped, Maroney, Chancellor of Transportation, turned the lights back on and sat down at the table.
“How many died in the gulf,” the regent asked.
“None. Our navy got there just in time,” Wallace, Chancellor of Commerce and a former harbormaster, said. “Well, thousands drowned of course but our divers are the best in the world and recovered each body. Resurrection spells had to be cast. Thankfully, the freezing water extended the time limit. But no, your highness, no one died.”
“Report says there were thirty-one-thousand-two-hundred-eighty-three in the gulf. How many died in the pens?”
“There’s sufficient evidence to claim only a thousand.”
“Good.” Chancellor Wallace saw everyone looking at him and clarified, “What I mean is statistically it’s a miracle with what they had to endure.”
“What were those metal pipes and the bangs?”
“None of us knows, your highness, not even the generals. Guess it’s a weird new crossbow.”
Burrows, Chancellor of Energy, asked, “I’m still a little confused on how forty-eight thousand illegally crossed in six months. What spooked them like that?”
Chancellor Maroney answered, “Obviously, lesser politicians leaked it to the public. Knowing you can smuggle yourself over the border anytime you want makes it easier to stay. Knowing you’ll be trapped lights a fire under your butt.”
“We do need to discuss the legal ramifications of their actions,” Chancellor Moore said.
“You want to prosecute and jail them,” the regent asked. “Haven’t they’ve gone through enough punishment? No, the barrier is raised, they can’t go anywhere. Once they’re medically cleared let them return to the homes they abandoned.”
Rayne, Chancellor of Education, asked the group, “Okay, what was with the biting of the necks and the, um, well,” she sighed. “Have they turned—”
“Death hallucinations,” Councilor Nomak, representing the board of health, was quick to interrupt. “Illusions, you see what you want to see. She was riddled with disease. Fever induced psychosis is sad but common.”
“Seriously, even now?” Chancellor Rayne glanced around the apprehensive room and shook her head in disappointment. “This is a serious matter. We can’t keep hiding in denial of—”
Burrows placed a hand on Rayne’s arm as a signal to stop talking.
Councilor Nomak was glaring at her with malice in his eyes, “Shamans worship death. Their entire religion is a death cult. We don’t let them in our kingdom because their whole ideology is insane. Commit horrible atrocities yet hide behind faith claiming they’ve reconciled with their god therefore cannot be judged by mortal men. Their whole faith is built on the absence of responsibility. What you saw were precursors to death rituals, nothing more.”
Rayne wasn’t backing down, “Don’t lie to me. Everyone here, at this table, has served in the military, fought campaigns in foreign lands. We know the truth. We have seen it. Vampires, werewolves, demons. They’re not just metaphorical warnings against the dangers of toxic selfishness, obsession and blind anger. They’re turning. It’s now at our borders. Highness, we need to—”
“Enough,” Lord Chancellor Talus interrupted. “The board will not entertain such reckless fearmongering. Hallucinations and rituals was all it was. Arguing anything else puts into question your qualifications and mental stability to manage our kingdom’s education.” He glanced at the councilor.
No one supported the chancellor. Rayne looked around and saw everyone, except for the regent, was glancing at Councilor Nomak, away from her, or staring down at the table. One was trying to be nonchalant while shaking his head and mouthing for her to stop.
Only four hours after waking up from a sixteen-day coma the regent’s muscles were becoming stiff. She leaned over the table and said, “If wrong please correct me. Did we just watch Dugall royalty staging a coup?”
“Thank heaven. Thank the heavens. We weren’t the only ones,” Lumen, Chancellor of Sanitation, proclaimed. “Past sixteen days since it happened, we’ve been trying to discuss it with the generals, but they keep saying ‘no’. Guess we’re just paranoid old—apologies, your highness.”
All the chancellors erupted into a lengthy discussion over the possibility that instead of a fiercely corrupt democratic constitutional monarchy Dugall royalty is trying to reestablish absolute rule. Twenty-two days since the bombings and the regent’s hearing has yet to recover. Though they all sat within twenty feet of her it sounded like they were shouting into the wind from more than half a mile away. It was oddly soothing. No longer could she hear the fear, desperation, hatred, derision and anger. She could only hear pieces of what they were saying.
“…Dugall always—tantrums in Senate—our migration—does nothing…Yeah, increasing labor output with threats of deportation is too much of a power high…Negotiations to—next sight for a new distribution center finalized last summer…Break ground next spring…Profit from the taxes—billions…Business with Healing Waters will…Dugall would finally rise—formidable player in world trade, what they always wanted…Yeah, but Healing Waters—pristine reputation…They’d look the other way if normal—illness…Intentionally infected…Wanted—envoy to see the pens—destroy the deal…That’s a heavy loss…Blame it on the prime minister…Bring—sick into the cities hoping it’ll cause an outbreak…Easy to blame health crisis on the person in charge…Saw the protestors, were blaming the prime minister…Which is stupid, I mean, he was trying to protect our people and ordered no harm was to come to them…You saw the real coast guard, the blue and gold, were completely in the dark about what was happening…Yeah, the red and black, they worked for the royals…Cause enough instability and royals can slide right in to take control…”
“What would be the purpose,” the regent asked.
“For centuries, every generation has been born a dud. Maybe they’re trying to reignite their royal magic by taking back control?”
“Oh, that is just stupid. Candala and other kingdoms have proven royals can be just figureheads and still possess active royal magic. Other factors play into their impotence.”
“Could it be Queen Isabella making a power play,” the regent asked.
Almost everyone began laughing or at least chuckling, but the regent wasn’t smiling.
“Apologies, your highness, that was a joke. We all thought you were joking. I mean, Isabella is pathetic in the worst way with absolutely no agency. It’s not her, your highness.”
“It’s not Philip either. Son of an Empire’s business tycoon, nonroyal foreigner, granted crown matrimonial. He’s a king and the people love him. He’s not risking that. Plus, he secures their obedience to the Empire.”
“What was their plan in the gulf,” the regent asked. “Per the report, they waited till after I raised the barrier to reveal they captured our people and were releasing them into the gulf at ten the next morning. Why push them overboard at five when they saw our ships and the Sea Dogs? What did our admiral figure out?”
Chancellor Moore was lazily twirling a fountain pen in his hand while answering, “Well, this is,” he coughed. “This is the one thing the generals and us can agree on. They were…chancellor?”
Nearly everyone was busy pretending to look through their reports or drink water.
Lord Chancellor Talus realized no one wanted to say it and that it was up to him. “They were all supposed to have drowned. At ten, our ships were supposed to come upon thirty-one thousand of our runaway refugees dead in the water. Dugall’s civilian ferries would still be there and out of anger our navy would retaliate. Sea Dogs were supposed to arrive an hour or two later to witness us engaging in a military strike on a defenseless Dugall. Candala would be forced to withdraw their protection of us and the Empire gets what they want, the Senate sanctioning a full-scale invasion.”
“Thank the Divine for Admiral Gupta. Senate can’t ignore thousands of eyewitness testimony.”
Chancellor Moore cleared his throat. “Drops of Truth aren’t admissible in the Senate.”
It takes a moment for the regent to finally realize and an awkward silence filled the room as her eyes suddenly grew wide and lips tightened from anger. Slowly, she looked at the councilor and asked with a hint of restrained anger, “You used the Valencia Technique on all of them?”
“Yes,” Council Nomak answered unapologetically.
“Unimaginable horrors are inflicted on our people and you just erase it from memory. No accountability. No responsibility. Nothing. How do we gain international justice now?”
“It’s the law to offer Valencia to victims of horrific abuse to give them a legitimate chance of moving past it and have an actual life.” Councilor Nomak said, “I thought you’d understand, being a holy mage. We offered it to everyone and thirty thousand agreed. We didn’t force it on them.”
The regent stared at the councilor with hateful eyes for a long time but eventually sighed. “You’re right.” Her body relaxed. “You’re right. But the implications are troubling that their choice was not an exercise of liberty but from a belief we’d still deny them justice even with memory intact. Great fortune Admiral Gupta had the foresight of bringing the Sea Dogs to witness Dugall breaking the peace treaty. Perhaps we can still get justice for that transgression.” She rubbed her left thumb and forefinger together in a loose fist. “How’s the fabric market doing?”
“Bombs only just happened on the eighth, your highness, and today’s the thirtieth. Rubble is still being cleared out,” Philip, Chancellor of Housing, said. “But those made homeless by it are adjusting well to temporary living in the palace. There was too much structural damage, we had to close the general wing of that hospital. But thanks to your highness’ royal magic the three hundred inflicted are all still alive.”
“Your highness,” Chancellor Moore said. “Deputy Vincent has discovered enough evidence to open an investigation to determine if Dugall attacked us. We were originally going to discuss tomorrow about making a motion to the Senate.”
The regent smiled trying to hide the frustration. It would undermine the sudden and unexpected obedience of the board if it was revealed hours after the bombings, she had ordered Vincent not to investigate Dugall despite the evidence.
She rubbed her left thumb and forefinger in a tightening fist. “Whomever is responsible did it to gauge our response.” She gestured to the middle of the room with the Drop of Truth, “It’s a trap. Publicity was meant to rile our sailors up and be out for blood. Investigating another member requires Senate involvement. That means them coming into our kingdom secretly looking for ways to justify invasion most likely under the guise of liberation. So, is it public you suspect Dugall bombed us?” She shook her head. “The decades of experience in politics each of you have dwarfs mine considerably. If I could figure this out, how could you not?”
“Your highness, with all due respect, a fleet of Sea Dogs are in the gulf preparing for barrier bombardment and the Senate is sending more fleets. I do strongly believe if we follow the evidence to prove Dugall attacked us before and it will stop the impending invasion.”
She took a moment to truly look around the room and saw everyone was trying to hide their fear. Death was just outside the barrier. It wasn’t incompetence, she realized, the investigation was an act of desperation. None of them believed the Senate would listen.
“Apologies.” Her voice softened. “For me, I raised the barrier just four hours ago when everything was still…manageable. You are all doing your best to protect the kingdom. Dugall may claim we bombed ourselves to frame them. Or maybe the two events are not related. Maybe the closer we got to the deadline someone in the House wanted to incapacitate me just enough to keep the barrier intact but incapable of raising it? If you want to continue the investigation, you may do so internally. Anything outside our borders is off limits on this matter.”
A guard knocked on the door. The prisoner had arrived.