[h3]1 year after the Apocalypse[/h3]
[hr]

“Two and five! Odds!”

Groans and snarls emitted from the majority of the players while a small minority giggled and snickered as they collected equal shares of round and smooth pebbles. Lady Helionna squeezed the bridge of her nose in disappointment and slapped a new bet onto the stone table. Behind her, a pair of guard stared stonefaced down at their lady spending the remains of her family’s wealth so frivolously. Not that they cared much, though - they would be hired by someone else when the House of Philapoly eventually went bankrupt. 

“Make your bets, ladies and gentlemen,” said the dealer with a grin and threw the dice into his cup. As he lidded the cup with his hand and shook it about, the other players began laying out their pebbles. Helionna bit down on her nail - these were her last pebbles. If she lost, she would have to--

“Alright, everyone!” the dealer said and slammed the cup opening down onto the table. “Evens or odds?”

The players shouted their bets: “Odds! Odds! Evens! Odds! Evens! Odds! Odds! Odds!” Lady Helionna knew there was little reason to bet alongside the majority: It was a fifty-fifty chance to win, and if she won with the majority, the output would be less.

“Evens!” she shouted at last and the dealer lifted the cup.

“One and two - odds!”

Colour left her fiery skin as her pebbles were collected. She considered screaming out loud that she had misspoken - that she really had said ‘odds’. Of course, no one would believe that. She was already well acquainted with this particular establishment, and its frequenters were even better acquainted with her, and since the other casino was destroyed along with the rest of the East River slums. Curse that fire rain - it set back her gambling weeks.

Oh, right, the loss of life and the slaves was gruesome, too.

Helionna turned to one of the guards behind her, fingering the golden necklace dangling below her throat. Reluctantly, she gently took it off and offered it to the guard. “See how much the broker will give me for this.”

The guards had never been loyal to her person, this she knew - they were bound by contract alone (or rather, the sums promised in the contract); however, in spite of this, the guard shook her head and said, “My lady, it would be unwise to exchange the family sigil for stone pebbles.”

A pang of guilt stabbed Helionna in the chest and she retracted her hand. Looking defeatedly at her feet, she nodded and said, “Yes… Yes, you’re right. That was… Reckless of me.” She turned to the dealer and gave him a nod. “I will be taking my leave.”

“You are always welcome back at our establishment, Lady Helionna,” the dealer replied with a knowing smirk. Helionna smiled uncomfortably and left, her two guards following faithfully behind.

This particular casino was in a third tier district infamously known as The Pits. It was the slum of the slums, far away from the finer establishments like the wine houses and night markets. In truth, two guards weren’t enough for a high-profile lady like Helionna, at least not ideally. However, every savvy scoundrel in these parts knew her well, and knew particularly well how shallow her pockets were. The creatures that roamed the streets here were either way wholly uninterested in her at the moment, their days already busy enough with survival. The lady sighed, donned her brown, shaggy cloak and moved towards the upper tiers. Flanking the streets were beggars by the tens, Nebulites cast out from the higher tiers, former slaves or… Or those disgusting [i]things[/i]...

She passed one that same moment. Her stomach turned and she felt the need to gag. It was pink-skinned, but not the crystalline, beautiful hue of their former queen or any others who shared such a beautiful complexion. This was a greasy pink, utterly animalistic without a shade of divinity like the Nebulites. It had facial features similar to hers, but they were primal and beastly. Their builds were similar to the Pygmies, but wholly hairless except the top of their heads.

They had shown up not long after Pygmy slaves and emissaries came to Laurienna. She was quite aware of where exactly they had come from - the mothers were quite vocal about their relationships with the apes. Truly, it was only natural that the children would turn out like they did - being the product of an ape and a Nebulite.

One of her guards gargled up a ball of phlegm and spat it onto the child’s forehead. “Off the streets, you disgusting human!” The child barely made a sound and scuttled into an alley. The guard yelled after it: “Know your place!”

Human. The name given to these abominations. It had started as a joke - the first sound anyone made upon seeing one was, after all, a loud ‘ew!’ or ‘hyew!’, or something along those lines. As time went on, it stuck. 

Helionna was glad the guard had gotten the human off the street - it was a dark reminder of what her people had done in exchange for gold and slaves.

It took them roughly fifty minutes to reach the upper tier and the palace. While her house was still a distance away, she had a sneaking suspicion the king was holding council - a duty she ought to attend to. She climbed the stairs up towards the pyramid palace, flanked by another noble who laid on a clay platform carried by eight ikhobos - Talemonese slaves. Helionna knew him well, this noble - it was Andrometan, head of House Terra. He offered her an absent-minded nod.

“Ah, lady Helionna, a beautiful day today, is it not?”

Helionna offered the blue skies a look. “Yes, I suppose it is. Flood season is right around the corner, His Lordship be kind. This should make for a good autumn.”

“So it seems, so it seems,” Andrometan agreed. “Tell me, where is your carrybed?”

Helionna swallowed and looked away. “I-... I felt like walking today. Even the noble houses need exercise occasionally, no?”

Andrometan replied simply with a smirk and patted the bed twice. The ikhobo increased their pace and were soon at the top of the stairs long before Helionna was there. She huffed and gave her wordless guards quick glances - their expressions remained wooden.

A number of uneventful moments later, she arrived at last in the dark throne room. There were cacophonous mumblings coming from all manner of noble cliques around the great hall, all of which formed a crescent around the throne in the room’s far end. Upon it sat the king, Omnipotens the Proud, a boy of four. Next to him stood Prospero, the royal master of wealth and the one currently powerful enough to hold the position as regent in Laurien’s absence. Helionna took her rightful place among the other noble houses, to the right side of the hall and opposite of the wealthy, but not noble. The regent Prospero motioned for all to rise and spoke, “His glorious Majesty, Omnipotens III, the Proud, king of all of Asteria and its people, welcomes you to offer your counsel. Let no word be unspoken; let no lie be told; let respect rule our actions; and our future shall unfold.”

The regent bowed and poked the boy king on the shoulder; he was playing with a toy in his lap. The king looked up and blinked, then said, “B-be seated,” and everyone sat. Prospero smiled gratefully at the king and spoke, 

“The first point to address will be the situation in the slave markets. The royal court has noted that the number of slaves bought and sold has considerably dropped. As all are aware, this commodity is central to Laurienna’s economy, and the loss of the markets would grind this city’s production to a halt. Lord Zius, have you a report?”

A plain clothed Nebulite stood up from where he sat. His skin was black as night and he was bald. He was built well, and there was depth within his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was deep and refined. “The report is much the same, Lord Regent. As you all know, a band of well armed Dari are disrupting the trade route between Laurienna and Talemon. They are also attacking and killing those slavers who are still brave enough to venture out. With the trade route disrupted, and the roaming bands preventing us from catching fresh slaves, these problems will not go away.” 

“I see… So the Dari have still not been dealt with. Where is general Epsilon?” Prospero demanded.

“Last seen leaving Laurienna, I believe,” came a snarky comment from Andrometan, who was still lying on his clay bed. “He was in quite a hurry, too.”

Prospero wrinkled his nose. “Great… Vice-general Enigmaron.”

A tall woman clad in simple clothing and wielding a star-forged spear stepped up and bowed before the king and regent. “Yes, lord Prospero?”

“Congratulations. You have been promoted to general. Double the escorts for the slaver caravans and see to it that your old superior is not allowed to live past next week.” The general nodded. “Will this be enough, lord Zius?”

“It will suffice for now, but the Dari grow bolder each passing day. If they are not crushed completely, then I fear our good city will be their next target.” he said, sitting down. 

Prospero hummed. “The royal coffers can perhaps offer additional bounties if the returns are high enough. Lady Phantasma, how did the last emissaries like the king’s tribute?”

Lady Phantasma, diplomat to the Talemonese, stood up and smiled. “Your Majesty, lord regent - the visitors quite enjoyed the gifts of brides and grooms, just as His Majesty predicted they would.”

Prospero nodded. “I take it demand is high for more?”

Phantasma nodded back. “Very much so, lord regent. The Talemonese ‘oludari’ are very grateful for our lovely sons and daughters, and their introduction have spurred more of the Talemonese to make high bids for a lover of their own.”

Prospero eyed Zius. “Lord Zius, your caravans are responsible for escorting concubines to Talemon. How many guards and carriers would you need to escort twenty?”

“Twenty caravans? A hundred soldiers, at least, if not more.” he said.

“Lady Helionna, what are the soldiers’ wages again?”

Helionna snapped into motion and bowed. “T-three sun dimes, lord regent.”

“Three sun dimes…” Prospero mumbled. “Three sun dimes… Per soldier?”

Helionna nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Prospero sighed and shook his head. “Three fucking sun dimes, by Orvus… It’s a marvel that the soldiers aren’t the wealthiest of us.” There came some chuckles from a number of the nobles and wealthy. Helionna’s guards remained stonefaced. Prospero pursed his lips. “The coffers will look into it, Lord Zius. Until an answer is found, you shall have seventy.”

The man narrowed his eyes and said, “So be it then. Let us hope the trip goes without incident. I would hate to see more Nebulite blood spilled.”

“Mhm, wouldn’t we all,” Prospero agreed. “We shall do everything in our power to ensure that you receive your funding. However, until we can be certain, you will have to make due.”

“Of course, Lord Regent.” Zius said smoothly.

“Perfect. Right, onto the next target on the agenda--”

“Lord regent, if I may,” said the general. Prospero nodded.

“Yes, general Enigmaron?”

“Do we even have seventy guards at our disposal?”

Prospero’s brows furrowed and chatter began to foment. “What do you mean? Of course, we do.”

“Lord regent, I think you are overestimating our numbers,” the general proposed. “The royal army is already stretched as thin as it can. Keeping order is far from a simple task, and--”

“Be quiet, general! Lady Helionna, you speak for the noble houses. How many soldiers can you offer?”

Helionna froze. ‘Speak for the noble houses’ was as far from her job description as one could get. She was a glorified accountant at best, one tasked with monitoring the spendings of her peers.

Not that she could monitor even her own, anyway.

“I-I… I reckon we can--”

“Twelve, lord regent,” general Enigmaron said with a frown.

“Twelve?” Prospero gasped. “And how many of those--”

“Nine are commanding the city’s guards - the remaining three are currently in this very room.” Her eyes shifted to three faces, all of which looked away to avoid her glare. “They are ‘off duty’, to be blunt.”

Prospero sighed. “And what of the conscripts?”

Enigmaron shrugged. “If we offer higher wages, we could--”

“No! The wages remain the same,” Prospero insisted.

“Less than five hundred, then,” Enigmaron replied coldly. “We’ll be lucky if we can even muster that many.”

The chatter in the hall reached a deafening volume. Prospero sat down in the only slightly less beautiful throne next to the king’s and leaned his head on a balled fist. Etherian, another market lord, shouted out, “How will we finance all of this city if the caravans cannot come through?!”

“Take the guards away from nobles. They don’t need them more than we do!”

“What was that?! Do you even know how many would kill us for the gold about our persons?!”

“Then leave it at home!”

The chatter turned to arguments, and the arguments to accusations. The boy king had long since left the room, escorted out by his royal guard. Prospero tried his best to calm the situation, but failed miserably. Helionna took a seat by the wall and laid her cheek in her hand as fights began to break out between the wealthy and the nobility. It was true that they hadn’t the numbers. Over the last ten years, their population had been halved - the worst of it transpiring but a year ago during the apocalypse. They were still just picking up the pieces.

It was then that a tall figure entered the throne room, shrouded in a cloak of night, silencing the room as the guards moved in close. It came to a stop in the middle of the room, but said nothing. 

“What’s the meaning of this, then?” said Prospero and stood up. Helionna approached, hiding behind a number of others. The regent pointed at the figure and demanded, “You there! Reveal yourself or suffer the fate of all those who enter the throne room uninvited.”

[color=plum]”Do not threaten the one who had this city built at her behest.”[/color] the voice rang out, sweet and pure. [color=plum]”Or have you forgotten the one who gave you everything you ever wanted?”[/color] the figure then pulled back her hood, revealing the beautiful face of Laurien. 

The surrounding Nebulites gasped; a number of them fell to their knees; a number of them reached for their weapons.

“Oh, glorious Laurien, you’re back!” sounded general Enigmaron with joyful tears.

“You traitor! She murdered the queen and her closest!” spat another in the far back before being apprehended by a pair of guards.

[color=plum]”No.”[/color] she said, looking at the guards. [color=plum]”Bring him here.”[/color] 

The nobleman was brought to the front. It was immediately evident that he was related to the late Titanon - they shared the strong jaw-line and powerful build. Helionna noted that he had been among the officers who were ‘off duty’. He battled against the guards’ grips, but ultimately faced Laurien unmoving.

“You should have never come back, betrayer,” the officer spat in her face.

But Laurien simply smiled and touched a finger to his head. [color=plum]”Your desire for revenge, is over. Now you will only have love for the one you seek most. An insatiable thirst, for the girl your heart desires. Let him go, he will not harm me.”[/color] she said to the guards. 

The man unclenched his fists. Slowly, he knelt down before Laurien and lowered his lips to her feet. The onlookers were stunned. Prospero spat, “Wha-... What did you do to him? What manner of power have the gods granted you of all people?”

[color=plum]”Me of all people? Is that anyway to talk to a demigod? Especially the one who has cared for all of you, since the first day you entered this world?”[/color] she mused. 

“A demigod? Blasphemic arrogance!” Prospero retorted. “Had His Lordship heard you say that, he would’ve--”

“You will be silent before our queen!” boomed suddenly the officer at Laurien’s feet. Prospero stopped and shifted around uncomfortably.

[color=plum]”Tell me… Who has helped you more, his Lordship, or me?”[/color] she asked, patting the man’s head before her. 

“Th-that would…” Prospero struggled to find words. “That question is heresy in itself!”

[color=plum]”Now now. Heresy is such a convoluted word.”[/color] she said smiling. [color=plum]”His Lordship provided the land you live on, and through his good graces, you have been able to endure. Worship of him, is paramount to the survival of this Empire but… Can you not worship another? There are many gods and goddesses, some who care, others who do not, but the ones who care for you the most, are the demigods of this world. I do not come to take over, or to be a queen. I simply come to ask that you love me, as I have always loved you.”[/color] she said.

“She -was- the hand of Polyastera, it’s true. Whatever she commanded, Laurien did,” general Enigmaron voiced supportively. “No one has done more for us than her. From summoning His Lordship to enslaving the Dari to undoing the rebels against the former queen.” She gave Laurien a smiling nod and bowed her head. “You have my love, o beautiful.”
“And mine,” another noble said and knelt. More and more joined in, until the only ones standing were Prospero, Helionna, and another officer.

Laurien’s gaze fell upon them, but it was neither cruel or angry. She went from Prospero, to the officer and the finally Helionna. She gave her a wolfish smile, before looking at the others. [color=plum]”Rise… All is well. What I ask now is that you spread this love to others, but never forget, His Holiness must come first, for not even I can defend you all from his wrath.”[/color]

The Nebulites all rose and let out warm cheers in Laurien’s honour. The three who hadn’t knelt stared uncomfortably at one another and then tried not to meet Laurien’s gaze.

[color=plum]”You make me all so happy. Now tell me… What is the current state of Laurienna and Asteria?”[/color] she asked. The cheers stopped. Prospero drew a breath.

“We were just discussing that, actually…”

“We are not doing very well, my lady,” Enigmaron admitted. “After you disappeared, no one knew who would take over, and then the Rain of Death happened, and…” The majority of the Nebulites were looking at the floor. “We are but half of what we once were,” she finished.

[color=plum]”Hmm. Concerning, but not completely unsalvageable. You must have many, many babies. The population of Nebulites must rise.”[/color] she said, walking amongst them. 

“That would not be an issue, my lady,” Andrometan chuckled from his clay bed. “We are, after all, quite good at that. With time, our population will no doubt grow, provided the sky doesn’t rain fire again.”

[color=plum]“Unfortunate circumstance that.”[/color] she said absentmindedly as she paused before Helionna. The lady looked down at her feet and swallowed, saying nothing. She moved on from her and paused before the throne, running a finger on before looking at Prospero. [color=plum]”And how are Polly’s children doing?”[/color]

Prospero smiled vaguely. “A-ah. The king and his sister are quite well, my lady. I believe they are both in their respective rooms as we speak. They… They still mourn their siblings from time to time, of course, but we’ll make monarchs of them yet.”

[color=plum]”Good.”[/color] she said simply, walking over to Enigmaron, and then whispering something into her ear. The woman smiled, as Laurien moved on and said aloud, [color=plum]”Solutions to problems come in many different forms… And not always are they so easily discernible. One must think outside of the box, the mind per say, to come up with answers.”[/color] she said cryptically.

“W-what do you mean?” Prospero asked.

She smiled but did not answer right away as she moved to the center of the room again. There she turned to look at the Nobles again and said, [color=plum]”Other times, you must take what you want. By any means necessary.”[/color] She looked between Prospero and Helionna again, [color=plum]”So, what will you do?”[/color]

Prospero scanned the throne room and then let out a sheepish laugh. “I-... I, uhm… I believe we have an agenda to continue, so I will just… Proceed with that.” He swallowed, his eyes shifting to the throne next to him. A wanton pulse burned in his gaze and he barely managed to tear his eyes away from it. “R-right… The financing…”

“Financing,” Helionna mumbled to herself. “... Yeah, I could use some of that.”

The hall turned to her in confusion and the lady suddenly realised she had thought out loud. A supportive hand landed on her shoulder. “That’s nice, my lady,” said one of her fellow nobles, one named Geonosis. “But we are discussing the army now - not your personal coffers.” Helionna lowered her gaze.

[color=plum]”Go on then. Discuss and I shall listen. Pay me no mind.”[/color] she said smiling. 

“Th-thank you, my lady,” said Prospero and sat down on his throne - only, it wasn’t his throne. He had sat himself in the king’s seat, and only after he noticed the troubled expressions clouding the faces of everyone in the room did he realise. He rocketed back to his feet and switched seats post-haste.

“Right!” he thundered. “The funding… Wait, we were past that, weren’t we?”

“Lord regent, are you well?” asked the general with concern.

“W-why, yes, quite well!” Prospero assured, furthering the worry of the onlookers. “What was next, lady Helionna?”

“... I could maybe buy the casino and…”

“Lady Helionna?”

The lady snapped to. “Huh?! Yes?!”

“What was next on the agenda?” Prospero asked again.

“O-oh! Uhm, I believe we were about to discuss the farms?”

“Ah, yes, the farms…”

[hider=Summary]
We open up a post about a noble who likes to gamble or something, and then the nobles have a meeting and discuss things and characters are introduced and then Laurien shows up and says, ‘worship me’ and most gladly do.
[/hider]