Lunaropolis-30/10/999-13:00

Arqu is decorating the banquet/debutante hall with flowers, untsels and covers for the tables, and lighting the chandeliers for the up-coming debutante ball for crown-princess Illa. 

Shortly before completion.

Illa enters.

Arqu prostrates himself, in his clothes fit for a peasant.

ARQU: “Your royal highness, due of honor, I am of service to you in your need.”

The day of Halloween was a fear for all but especially to those who opposed the Empire, the day of executions as it is known, the birthday of crown-princess Illa too fell on that day. Lunaropolis was the capital of the Meyarini Empire, home of the royal family and the crown-princess was to receive her family heirloom that very night, the wand, its exact origin has been lost to time but legends say that it was forged by the gods themselves and given to the first empress of the Meyarini Empire.

ILLA: “No need to worry, I’m just to see the progress…”

ILLA (continued): (speechless)“Woah.”

The room that had been designated, the old throne room, was redecorated white paint and golden rim finishings, two long tables sat perpendicular to the door with a stage for the orchestra in the left side, and the centerpiece of it all was a large space cleared presumably as a space for the dancing.

Jùdiǎn-1/1/1000-08:30

Arqu wakes up in a…

ARQU: “Ugh, not another containment cell.”

Sitting up, he tried to remove his gauntlet but, again, it seemed to be attached to him;

ARQU (continued): “This seems familiar.”

Commenting on his clothing of which he saw himself wearing in the mirror, a navy blue tunica, black belt overtop, greaves, poleyn, cuisses and a black cloak with white rims over all that. Looking behind him, he saw an open-top crown, frowning, he put it on. A light reflected on something shiny on the floor and on closer inspection, it was a wedding ring, his wedding ring, putting it on, he saw a thin, black tattoo run down the length of his arms.

ARQU (continued): “That’s new.”

Pushing the iron bars apart, he looks up and down the corridor.

ARQU (continued): “Huh, there’s no one here, I-”

He was tugged from behind and dragged across the corridor, up a flight of stairs, through several more corridors, passing many disgruntled people, a and finally to a doorway with no door where he was thrown into.

ORIQUA (Prosecution solicitor): “Sorry about the no-door situation, we’re running low on supplies.”

Arqu was startled a little by that voice and seemed puzzled at the room he was in.

DR. WILLIAM PRESTON (Judge): “Hopefully we can fix that soon, moving on, court-clerk.”

ASHWIN THOMPSON (Court clerk): “Y-yes sir, what is your name?”

ARQU (Defendant): “Arqu; contraction of Astræus.”

ASHWIN THOMPSON (Court clerk): “Astræus , nicknamed ‘The serpent king’, engaged to ‘Illa Chetaihau-Dägavon Umerennyy-Prazeodim’ at age fourteen, you are charged with aggravated assault, aiding and abetting, arson, bribery, burglary, conspiracy, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, homicide and involuntary manslaughter constituting to the ‘4th statute of felonies’ sections seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty seven and twenty eight, and that you, Astræus, throughout ‘The war of the quadruple entente’ together with Illa Chetaihau-Dägavon Umerennyy-Prazeodim and the royal cabinet, committed these felonies, how do you plead?”

ARQU (Defendant): “Guilty but before you sentence me, may a state my ‘victim impact statement’?”

XIAN (Witness): “Why should we trust you?”

ARQU (Defendant): “Look, if you don’t trust me then at least you can have preventative measures, does that sound fair?”

ORIQUA (Prosecution solicitor): “Go ahead.”

ARQU (Defendant): “The Meyarini tribes-”

I can’t believe I slipped up on that.

ORIQUA (Prosecution solicitor): “Empire.”

ARQU (Defendant): “The Meyarini empire is planning another attack at 13:00, it will be a bombardment followed by a rush into the city centre, if we-”

XIAN (Witness): “We? Not after you broke my arm.”

ARQU (Defendant): “If I can have a closer look at it then maybe I can fix it.”

The whole court erupted in laughter.

ARQU (Defendant) (continued): (Under his breath)“Ugh, not again.”

ARQU (Defendant) (continued): “Dr. William Preston, may I be allowed to demonstrate healing on witness Xian to prove that I can indeed be trusted with the information that I purposefully decided to not withhold from the court, if I can’t then you can kill me in any method you may wish, if I can then may I assist you and your fellow compatriots in reconvening, restructuring and rebuilding?”

DR. WILLIAM PRESTON (Judge): “Permission… granted.”

XIAN (Witness): “Why do I have to be the scapegoat?”

Arqu steps out from behind the stand and approaches the witness stand.