[hider=Revelation]
Alasdair was seated in the council chambers as he waited for Katrina to arrive. In front of him sat the coronation mace atop the table. It was currently midday and Alasdair had spent the morning in his sister’s chamber, listening to her weak breathing as she lay unresponsive in her bed. The healers assured him that she was getting better, but Alasdair had his doubts. If his sister’s condition was getting worse, it would be unlikely that they would tell him about it out of fear of being replaced or punished. There had been many instances in the past of grief-stricken royals executing healers for failing to save their loved ones. While Alasdair had no intention of punishing them for a situation that was out of their hands, he certainly wasn’t going to let them know. It was better if they thought their life was on the line to ensure they didn’t neglect their care of his sister. A knock on the chamber’s door distracted Alasdair from his thoughts. It was shortly followed by Alenius’s voice.

“Katrina Nikos of the steel company has arrived for you, your grace”

“Send her in” Alasdair replied. The door slowly opened, and Katrina walked sheepishly inside, eyeing both the emperor and the mace as she entered. This was her first time speaking directly to nobility, let along royalty. When she asked Claus how she should deal with the emperor or any other nobles she might run into, he simply laughed and said, “I just act like a do normally, it seems to throw them off balance a bit”. Katrina had no doubt about that, but she also doubted she would be able to get away with it. She could hardly believe that Claus was able to. She walked over to the far end of the table, opposite to where Alasdair was sitting before giving a low bow.

“Your grace” She said nervously, she was still in the dark about why the emperor had asked for her personally. When she asked Claus, he told her it was something about the coronation gift the steel fist had given him though he was also somewhat perplexed as it why the emperor cared so much about it. Alasdair gestured his hand slightly giving her permission to straighten her back and face him directly. Though she was careful not to make eye contact. Alasdair simply stared at her for a moment, she was younger than he thought she’d be though taller than most girls her age, with short copper red hair and piercing green eyes. She somehow seemed familiar, despite never seeing her before.

“So, your Claus’s logistician, your surprisingly young for such an important position” Alasdair said. Normally Katrina would have responded with one of her typically headstrong and wilful answers. However, she knew better than to speak out of line with an emperor.

“Yes, your grace, Lord Rostein appointed me the position shortly after recruiting me here in Nyhem. He said I had a talent for it” She said trying to supress a small smile, it always filled her with pride whenever she talked about her integral role within the steel fist. Interestingly the emperor wasn’t what she had been expecting. Everyone always made a big fuss over the royalty, everyone lived in their shadow and whenever something big happened in Formaroth it was inevitably somehow linked to them. She always knew that the emperor wasn’t the demi god everyone built him up to be, but this man looked so normal, even boring. He wasn’t ugly, but neither was he particularly attractive. He seemed usually thin for a nobleman, even to the point of looking frail. Even his clothes seemed somewhat basic for the man who ruled all of Formaroth. She couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed, something she didn’t expect when she heard she’s be meeting the emperor himself.

“I see” Alasdair replied, “and what do you think of Lord Rostein himself” Alasdair was curious as to how Claus’s own men felt about their commanding officer. Katrina looked straight at Alasdair with a confidence that replaced her previous nervousness 

“I owe him everything your grace. He turned me into the woman I am now and without him I would still be a mere blacksmith apprentice. As a commander and a warrior, he has no equal” Katrina said with a big smile before quickly adding “your grace”. With this Alasdair stood up from his chair, which in response Katrina straighten up. 

“He clearly has a way of inspiring his troops that’s a certainty” Alasdair mumbled, reaching out and placing his hand atop the mace “I was told by Lord Rostein that you placed the order for this mace” At this Alasdair detached the leather braided hoop from the mace’s handle and slowly made his way towards Katrina “I already spoke to the smith who you commissioned to make the weapon. However, he informed me that this” Alasdair said as he put the braid on the table in front of Katrina “was not part of the original design, I’m trusting you may know of its origins”. Now that he was closer Katrina noticed the dark purple rings under Alasdair’s eyes and it was clear he was incredibly stressed. Though she wasn’t surprised; the pressure of ruling Formaroth would put great strain on anyone, she did not envy his role. It only took her a glace to identify her leather braid though she had no idea why the emperor of Formaroth would be so concerned over such a thing.

“I made the braid your grace” Katrina stammered, uncertain what confessing to her braid meant “I added it to the mace after Watt Smith finished it”. She wanted to ask why he wanted to know, but she knew better than to question royalty.

“Your braid?” Alasdair questioned, looking directly at Katrina as he spoke “Where did you learn of this design” Alasdair said quietly. Katrina was becoming increasingly nervous, but she looked straight ahead, knowing that someone of her status should never make direct eye contact with royalty. 

“It was my mother’s” Katrina replied trying to keep her voice steady “my uncle kept the braids she made when she was still alive. The one I used on the mace was my favourite” Katrina continued, her voice growing quieter as she spoke of the mother she never knew.

“Your mother who was she” Alasdair continued to speak quietly but this time there was a sense of urgency in his voice.

“I apologise your grace, but I don’t know, she died shortly after I was born. All I know was that she worked here in this castle as a servant. It’s strange to think that today I walked down the same halls she probably used to clean” She said with a sad smile. Alasdair’s face slowly changed to a look of sudden realization.

“Look at me” Alasdair whispered. Katrina hesitated for a moment. On one hand she was told to never look her emperor directly in the eye, but she was also told to do what he said without question. “Look at me” Alasdair said firmly. Katrina obeyed. His face was an array of different emotions; shock, confusion, stunned, uncertainty. He had come to the realization of something and Katrina knew it involved her mother. Without warning Alasdair turned away and walked towards to the door.

“That is all, you may leave” He said bluntly as he opened the door

“Did you know my mother” Katrina shouted at him before he left. She knew she was speaking out of term, breaking ever rule she had been told before coming here, even going as far as raising her voice to the reigning monarch of Formaroth. But right now, she couldn’t give a damn.

“That is all” Alasdair shouted back before gesturing to a confused Alenius to remove Katrina from the keep. Katrina considered chasing after him but knew if she did she may very well end up in the Nyhem dungeons. After shouting at Alasdair like that, she knew she was lucky he hadn’t ordered her be taken there already. Instead she chose to comply with Alenius as she escorted her back through the keep. One thing was clear however, the emperor knew her mother and from how he reacted, knew her well. She no longer cared that he was emperor, he knew answers to the questions she had had since as far as she could remember, and she would not relent until he told her them. 

[/hider]