CHAPTER FIFTEEN SELENE
“The vote went the way you expected, Arch Magistrate,” Olivia says, looking pleased with herself that it’s turned out that way.
I reward her with a benevolent smile. “That's good, although you mustn't call me that, my dear. I'm not the arch magistrate any longer. I'm just a prisoner here in Ironhold.”
Even after the vote, that's true. I have the freedom now to come and go as I please, able to head down into the city without having to take the elaborate precautions I've been employing so far to make sure I'm not spotted.
But ultimately, I'm still a prisoner, still little better than one of the slave gladiators from the old days, bound to serve and fight until I have those five neat stripes across the circular brand on my left shoulder.
I'm wearing the training gear of a gladiator, because I do train hard here. Retaking Aetheria will involve plenty of skillful magic and careful political manipulation, but at some point, I will be forced to fight for what I want.
And of course, I need to be ready for my fights in the arena.
“What about the rest of it?” I ask Olivia. “Have you arranged for people to come with everything I need?”
I focus my magic on her as I ask it, pulling on the threads of power I've used to ensnare her mind. Although one of the tricks of psychomancy I’ve learned is that it's not about the total domination of each individual.
Instead it's about small suggestions, woven into the things they already want.
Olivia is a shallow, vain thing, who seems to want little more from life than enough power to ensure she gets endless pleasure and chances to show off her wealth.
Honestly, I could probably have brought her to my side without using magic if she hadn't been so afraid of what I might do to her and others around her.
Psychomancy has eased the way in that respect, taking away her fears and nudging her towards the things I want.
“Of course,” Olivia says. “They're doing the work now. I've paid for everything.”
The more mind magic I use the more convinced I become that I should have learned it years ago. My time in exile has been well spent at least. I was powerful before, but now I have all the skills I need to advance my position within this new, so-called Republic.
“You're very good to me,” I tell her. “Shall we go and see how their efforts are coming along?”
Olivia nods enthusiastically, sliding her arm through mine and falling into step with me as we head through the fortress. Guards step back from me as we pass, making no effort to impede me as I walk around the interior of Ironhold.
I head up into the spaces that used to be reserved for noble gladiators, those who committed themselves to fighting in the colosseum for honor and glory. My rooms are up here these days, the most comfortable ones the guards have been able to find. They've been very generous in that respect.
We go to a room furnished with elegantly carved furniture taken from around the rest of the fortress. A dress is laid out on the bed, in white, trimmed with gold. I can tell from Olivia's excitement that she's the one who got it for me.
“The colors of the Republic?” I say, raising one eyebrow.
She steps back from me, looking worried. “Did I do the wrong thing? I thought purple would be a bad idea.”
Purple is the old color of the emperors. Wearing it where anyone could see me would be as good as claiming that I wish to be empress. Whereas this feels like a more conciliatory statement that I want to work within the Republic. And I do, at least for now.
“It's perfect,” I assure her. I take a moment to change into the dress, and I can feel Olivia's eyes on me as I do so. Her desire for me, coupled with her need for wealth and power, makes her much easier to manipulate than some others.
We continue to go through the fortress, to the spot where her people have been working. They've taken a room and filled it with elegant couches and gilded tables. There are servants there, waiting with wine and food. Drapes have been hung to lend the place a more comfortable, convivial feel.
There are already plenty of people there on the couches.
Some are nobles. Some are ordinary citizens, carefully selected for their wealth or their connections, the things they might be able to do within the city.
A few are fighters, either in the colosseum or the underground fights that thrive because of the lack of law and order in the city.
They mingle together, and I know Olivia has made every effort to make this comfortable for them all.
She really does have a gift for throwing parties.
Some of them stand and applaud me as I enter, although most watch me as if wondering what I'll do next. This isn't a room full of those I've controlled. There are limits to what even I can do with psychomancy, and I haven't met most of those here face to face before.
Olivia has selected the spot where I'll sit carefully, a couch just like the others rather than a throne, but one placed at the head of the room, the others looking in towards me.
I take a seat, leaving Olivia on another couch nearby.
She looks pained, as if not being close to me is difficult for her now.
I've tied her to me quite closely with my powers, after all.
“My friends,” I say. “It's good to see you all. It's wonderful that you were prepared to make the journey from Aetheria out to the fortress like this.”
“Well, perhaps next time you can come see us in our homes,” a nobleman named Draccus suggests.
“I would like nothing more,” I say, “but I felt it was important to try to make this place into something more than just a place to contain gladiators or a fortress. Ironhold should have another purpose, don't you think?”
I quickly elide over the part where Ironhold currently has other purposes.
It's the place where the city guards are trained, a place where gladiators still work to be ready for the games, a place where officials keep records for the city.
So much is already being done with Ironhold, and yet the Republic chose to put me here while they have me fight for my life.
As I knew they would. Tradition has its own power, and that's a power I can make use of just as much as magic.
“And what purpose is that?” Draccus asks.
“Why, it should become a place of meeting and discussion, of learning and beauty, as much as violence,” I say.
I look around the room pointedly. “There are so many people here who know different and interesting things.
Julia there is one of the foremost engineers in Aetheria.
Tarkus is a mathematician of some renown.
Have the two of you met? I'm sure you might be of use to one another. Perhaps Tarkus can help you with that aqueduct design you were working on, Julia?”
It's so easy to sit there and guide them to one another.
An engineer to a mathematician, a philosopher to a group of nobles interested in such things, one merchant with a warehouse full of silks to another who owns one of the largest dressmaking houses in the city.
As they go to one another I can see them starting to relax, whatever fears they had about me bringing them here starting to recede.
“Hestion, have you met Senator Olivia?” I ask, leading a handsome young gladiator to the couch where Olivia is waiting. I smile and pass his hand to hers. I have no doubt he'll be in her bed tonight, and that will help to keep her happy enough to continue spending her money in the ways I want.
It's strange, having so few things of my own at the moment.
I'm used to having the full resources of the city backing me, to being able to command an army, and pay for whatever I need with the contents of the treasury.
Tiberius was ultimately quite mad, but he seemed happy enough to let me do what I wanted as arch magistrate, at least up to a point.
Sadly, that wouldn't have lasted. He was always going to turn on me at some point, and his cruelty was creating too many problems in the empire.
It was always vital that he should be removed.
Doing it the way I did, stepping back to allow a revolution to happen, merely meant that the discontent beneath the surface could be brought out into the open.
Had I tried to make myself empress in this place, I would have had to fight against too many elements within the city that Tiberius stirred up.
I would have always been a usurper, ready to be overthrown in turn.
Whereas, if I judge things right here, Aetheria will welcome me as its savior.
“…I’m telling you, the democratic system of the Republic can be perfected.”
It seems I'm stepping into the middle of a philosophical discussion. But then, I invited so many philosophers for exactly that reason.
“And what about when the Republic needs to take action quickly?” I ask. “Can that perfect democracy ever respond?”
“Speed is difficult in such circumstances,” the philosopher says, “but that's why we have a First Senator.”
I smile. “Because ultimately, we all know there must be someone in charge. We can discuss things as much as we like but someone must make the decisions. Someone must be prepared to do what's necessary when circumstances demand it.”
I send a whisper of power out among them as I say it, making what I say seem more reasonable to them.
“Will you join me in my villa?” Draccus asks me. “I'm sure it's more comfortable than here.”
“I think I'm starting to make Ironhold very comfortable,” I say. “But I would happily come to visit you.”
I imagine he wants to seduce me, which won't happen but I can use the opportunity to persuade him to use his personal guards for my benefit. I can't bring people here to me and these gatherings are just a part of it, but I will still need to go into the city.
I’ll have guards with me when I do. From the outside it will appear as though they are making sure I don't flee from my custody, protecting the city from me.
In fact, they'll be there to make sure no one tries to assassinate me.
There are those within the senate who will no doubt do so given the chance, ignoring their own rulings on the matter.
And the so-called resistance will probably stop at nothing to end the threat I represent.
I wonder if they truly understand that threat yet.
Do they understand how things are changing in Aetheria?
Does the senate? Olivia is currently sitting happily in the lap of the gladiator, her vote so easily claimed for my benefit, along with plenty of others.
Some of them I have controlled directly, while others have been easy to manipulate with bribes, or rumors, or threats.
Some of them simply vote whichever way key figures tell them to, so that I only have to gain control over a few members of the senate to have a great deal of influence.
They are not the only center of power in Aetheria, though, which is why there are a couple of people in the colors of the gangs in my little soiree. I will gain all the influence I need over every aspect of Aetherian society.
And then… then I will make it what it should have been all along.