My name is Jex. It wasn’t always Jex, but before it was something I cannot remember. The thought was branded out of me with fire and red hot pokers when I was finally bought.

My head was shaved, so that some slavekeeper could burn the Xolan coat of arms into my scalp. A serial number was carved into the base of my neck, and my shoulder too had the Royal Seal etched onto it.

I passed the first ten years of my life being trained to be a slave and then, on my eleventh birthday, I was taken to be named by the Prince.

Being named always sounded like it would be a great moment, but when the day came I found it somewhat dull. I was dragged out of one of my training sessions and taken to wherever the seven year old Prince was playing.

He seemed so confused by what he was doing. He did not wish to be interrupted from his games to name a slave, albeit it being his first.

“I don’t want to,” he said, looking upset.

“Please, your Highness. It is your duty to do so.”

He moaned for several minutes and then stated simply: “His name is Jex.”

And so I was named.

I wish I could say that was the day I established a firm friendship with the Prince and that we have been close ever since. However, that would not be the truth.

I did not see the Prince very often because, although I was a young slave, I was given tasks elsewhere in the palace, or even as a delivery boy outside the grounds in the city of Rixen. We did not actually speak again until I was thirteen and he ten.

2: 1. Betrayal

"Jex!" My slavekeeper, Chike, a young man in his mid thirties called me over. He stroked his stubbly blonde beard and then spoke: "The Emperor requires a slave to play with his Highness. As the last time an untrained slave played with the Prince it did not end well I have decided you shall do. Do not disappoint."

Chike was kind but often stern. I nodded and bowed my head slightly.

"His Highness shall await you in the Orchid Garden."

"Yes, sir."

The Orchid Garden was one of the most beautiful places in the palace. It was there to represent the entire power of the Xolan Empire. The Orchid was the Imperial Flower, so it was only natural there would be a garden filled entirely with the flower.

I was taken to the garden by one of the Imperial Guard and pushed into a somewhat uncomfortable position on my knees. The scent of orchids filled my nose and I was kicked in the side. "Stand," ordered a rough voice.

The more superior slavekeepers were less kind than Chike and often took advantage of slaves like myself. It was something I'd gotten used to a while ago.

I followed this command quickly with a bow and kept looking at the floor.

"Is this my new toy? Does it play properly?”

“Yes, your Highness. You shall not be disappointed.”

“Very good,” answered the Prince gleefully, clapping his hands. “Then you may go. I can play with him on my own.”

There was silence for a few minutes and I wondered what was going on before I was asked to look up. The Imperial Crown Prince Raxikolys of Xola was staring at me, as if he recognized me from somewhere but could still not place where. He was ten years old and would, one day, inherit the throne of the entire empire. His hair was raven coloured and cut to just above the length of his ears, as was customary for boys of his age. After a minute he grinned at me.

“I named you. I named you for a panther. Didn’t I?”

“Yes. You Highness named me when I was ten years old and was due to finish my slave training,” I replied.

He looked pleased. “Your name is Jex. It means ‘darkness’ in Old Artecreagan. Did you know that?”

I had to admit I didn’t. My education had not consisted of much more than learning to read and write a little and memorising the names of every member of the Xolan royal family. A Qumian slave is trained in little more than serving and perhaps a slight history of the country he is to work in.

“I want to go and walk in the city. Come with me.”

“Then I should call a litter, your Highness.”

“No. We shall walk.”

The Prince strode away from me purposefully and I had no choice but to follow him. Whilst he had more freedom than most his age, there was one thing the Prince had always been forbidden to do, and this was what he longed to do the most.

Many years ago, there had been another Prince Raxikolys of Xola. He was sickly and did not survive to see his first birthday. This worried the Emperor and Empress very much and as a result, when their second son was born, he was not permitted to walk alone in the city, lest he be injured, killed or harmed in any way.

I was in no position to stop him from doing as he pleased and was therefore forced to allow him to attempt to leave the palace.

“Aren’t you going to come?” he asked me. “Mother said that the Qumian slave market is in town, and it would be so exciting to visit. I have never been.”

He gave me a grin and slipped behind some guards. I was thankful for my low status as they paid me no heed and let me pass.

We were now in the gardens around the front of the palace. The gates were open at the bottom of the slope and a few guards lingered near them. Despite my complaints, the Prince ran for this freedom and was, inevitably, stopped.

I caught up to him a few moments later as he was talking with a guard.

“Now, your Highness knows full well that you are not permitted to walk in the city. At least, not without a full armed escort,” the guard told him. “If so desired I could call a litter for your Highness.”

Raxikolys scowled at him, screwed his face up and started bawling. He let tears fall down his face as he fell to the ground. This usually worked to earn him whatever it was he desired.

The crying subsided after a few minutes. “I want to go to town!” he screamed. “I want to go walking in the town right now!” He kicked the guard and ran past.

I stood to one side until one of the guards grabbed me. “Find his Highness. Find him and protect him in the city and bring him back as fast as you are able.” He released me, pushing me out the gate into the city.

The Prince was sitting in front of the palace at the bottom of a marble column engraved with blossoms. He looked quite proud of himself. “Are you going to come into town with me?”

“Yes, your Highness.”

He jumped up and pulled at my arm. “Follow me.” Raxikolys hurried down the stairs and into the bustling crowd. I went after him.

In any town in Xola, a rich little noble boy wandering around with his slave was not an uncommon sight. People would have paid little to no attention to us had there not been a shining golden circlet inlaid with diamonds nestled in his hair. There was whispering and a few of the smaller children pointed until their parents moved them along.

“Your Highness?” I asked quietly.

“Yes?” He was looking over a market stall. The merchant in charge looked somewhat confused and frightened.

“Perhaps we should return to the palace? Before your lord father discovers that you have run out into the town despite knowing you are not to.”

“No,” he replied, and pointed at something in the stall. “I want that. Did you bring any gold?”

“Uh...no, your Highness…”

“Oh.” He pouted a little. “I really want that.”

I felt a small touch of guilt. Obviously the merchant did too, or perhaps he just didn’t want an upset prince at his stall because he quickly offered him a free doll. He took this happily and handed it to me.

“This is fun,” Raxikolys told me.

“I’m glad you are enjoying yourself, your Highness.”

He nodded and prodded a passing citizen. “Tell me where the Qumian slave market is,” he ordered.

Perhaps it was because he wore the circlet, but the man fell to one knee. “In the market square at the end of this street...your Highness.”

Raxikolys walked in the direction he’d been told. “Give him silver and thank him for his service!” he shouted at me.

I did as I was bid. “Apologies for his Highness’ behavior. He is not used to the town,” I told him, handing the man several silver coins. I gave the man a quick nod and then hurried to follow the Prince.

“Do you want to see the slave market?” he asked me when I caught up with him.

I wondered about this before answering. I had been born into the slave trade, and this was the very market that had sold me. Did I really wish to see the people who had doomed me into this life once again?

“Only if you wish me to, your Highness.”

“I do,” he answered, moving ahead.

The slave market was large and filled with wealthy buyers. They were shouting out prices at the auctions for each slave. The Prince looked excited by this crowd and squeezed his way through. His size enabled him to pass without much notice.

“Jex! Hurry!”

“Yes, your Highness. May I suggest calming down or you may attract some unwanted attention?” It was harder for me to follow him in the crowd. Nobles do not appreciate slaves pushing past them.

One of them stopped me. “Who do you think you are to touch me like that, slave?” she asked angrily.

I bowed my head, not permitted to respond without word from my master. The noblewoman pushed me to the floor with a harsh kick and turned her head away. “Impertinent,” she muttered, sniffing disdainfully.

“How dare you speak to my slave like that! How dare you treat him like that! He has done nothing but attempt to obey his master. I’ll have you apologise to him,” Raxikolys exclaimed, bursting through the crowd to see what had been taking me so long. “No one is to treat my slaves like that!”

She looked surprised and scowled a little. “I am Lady Seress of Trors and I shall not tolerate such behaviour! Especially not from a little boy such as yourself. You may be the son of some other high lord but I shall not accept this from anyone!” She snorted a little. “Not even yourself!”

The rest of the slave market had halted momentarily to watch this discussion taking place. Arguments in the market were not unusual, but never between a grown woman and a child. Even the children of the highest lords knew when to speak and when to remain silent.

“I’ll have Father execute you if necessary. Apologise to my slave!”

“I don’t care who your father is. Despite whichever position he may hold I am one of the most powerful women in Xola.”

There was a sudden bustle and one of the Royal Guard patrolling the streets stormed through. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.

The Prince looked more relieved to see a familiar face. Or at least one that would acknowledge him as the heir to the throne.

Lady Seress was giving the guard her own side of the story. Raxikolys looked bored as he waited for his own turn impatiently. Waiting for things was not something he ever needed to do. He grew tired after a couple of minutes and starting talking to the guard, interrupting the lady.

“Have this woman apologise to my slave,” he ordered. “I want to go home. I want the litter this time. Please.” His voice was full of fear although he was trying his hardest to act like he was comfortable with the situation.

The guard turned to him now and recognised the Prince. He bowed low and sent commands to other guards quickly. “Of course, your Highness. Lady Seress of Trors shall apologise to the slave immediately.”

Raxikolys looked quite pleased by this but Lady Seress did not. A lady of her standing would never have had to apologise to a slave before in her life. In fact, she would probably not to do it ever again.

“My most sincere apologies, slave. I was not aware you were attending to someone as prominent as his Highness. He is surely lucky to have a slave as obedient as yourself. My apologies again.”

I was, for the first time in my life, curtsied to and given a formal apology. Lady Seress gave another quick curtsy to the Prince and stormed away angrily with her own slave beside her.

He sat down on the floor and waited until the litter arrived. It soon did and he climbed on happily. “I want Jex up here,” he added.

The guards looked at each other, then one of them pushed me forwards onto the litter. I did as I was bid and sat opposite the Prince. He grinned at me. “This was fun. I did enjoy it. Perhaps we shall come out again sometime.”

“I also enjoyed my time with your Highness. Shall I return this doll?” I offered him the doll from the market stall and he took it.

“Thank you. I may never be allowed to go out like that again, so I will keep this doll for always to remember what fun this day was. Thank you, Jex.” He seemed happier than I had ever seen him before.

We were returned to the palace. The Emperor had called for his son and daughter to come to dinner, so the Prince left me with another exclamation of thanks and I was sent back to my quarters where Chike praised me for my work and returned me to work.

I was content that night for the first night in years. Prince Raxikolys was kind and spoke to me as if I were of his own status. I liked him a lot, more than I usually liked people, because he showed me respect and he was the first friend I had ever had.

 

* * * 

 

The next few years of my life passed in a blur. I was sent to clean rooms or cook food or to take care of children born to other slaves. But I never forgot that day with the Prince, and longed to be called to play with him once more.

It was four years before my chance came.

Chike called me over again. “I need you to go and occupy the Prince for a while. The Emperor asked for someone to play with him. Go, be respectful and whatever you did last time to please him so much, do that.”

I myself was excited for the moment, recalling my last meeting with his Highness. Upon reaching him I bowed and then spoke. “Your Highness, what would you like to do this day? We may walk to town if you so wish.”

“Who are you to speak to me like that? You will kneel in my presence and you will keep your head down until I say so,” he answered in a somewhat contemptuous manner. “No, I do not wish to walk to town. I don’t understand why my father insists on sending me playmates. I am fourteen after all. Look at me when you respond. It is much ruder than anything you have done so far not to look at someone of a higher status, such as myself, when you speak with them.”

I raised my head. Prince Raxikolys was sitting down on a bench opposite me with a slave girl on his lap. His hair had grown longer and was now cut below his ears in a messy shock of thick black hair. The circlet remained but it was a new one, larger, with more gems decorating it and patterns etched in the metal. He had a lazy smile on his face and looked contented. “I don’t need you to ‘play’ with me. Father bought me slave girls. They can entertain me as I much as I desire.”

As if in response to this the one on his lap planted a kiss on his neck. He smirked a little. “I believe ‘yes, your Highness’ would be an appropriate response now.”

“Yes, your Highness,” I answered. He was more frightening now, and certainly seemed much more threatening. Something had happened to him between last time and now and I did not like it much. People change, but I had never imagined it would be this much or this soon.

“What’s your name, slave?” he asked me.

“Jex. Your Highness named me. When I was eleven. It means ‘darkness’. I-”

“Yes, I am aware of what it means. Or do you think I haven’t been educated? And of course I named you. My sister doesn’t have the honor of naming slaves yet. I am the Imperial Crown Prince, not her.” He shifted slightly in his seat to adjust the slave girl’s position on his lap.

He didn’t remember me anymore. Not even from four years ago. I bowed my head in respect and hoped he would leave me alone. He didn’t.

“You have been trained well. I’d almost recommend you to Father for my cortège. But I think twenty nine is large enough for the moment. Father says I should tell him which slaves I would like.” He considered it. “Leiye, should I keep him?”

She did not respond. Obviously she was not intended to do so because he put his hand over her mouth. “I think I might keep you. But not now. Not yet. Maybe in a few years. I believe you would rather go visit my sister. She may need someone to play with, considering her age.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

“Mmm. Undoubtably she still plays with dolls. I don’t know. I do not go see her very often. She is somewhat vexing. Anyway, go play with her now.”

This curt dismissal was unexpected, but I did as I was told and left to find Princess Cherina. She was, at this time, eleven years old and still retained a sense of childish happiness that enabled her to imagine being away from everything that was going on around her.

They called her the Princess of Flowers.

“My lady?”

She smiled when she saw me. “You’re here to play with me, aren’t you? Come, sit and you can have whatever doll you’d like.”

I sat beside her, which I would never have been allowed to do ordinarily. “My lady, are you sure? What sort of game would you like to play?”

“I play with dolls. What is your name?”

“Jex, my lady.”

“My brother named you, with a name like that. Did Father send you?”

“No, my lady. Your lord brother sent me.”

Cherina nodded at this. “He has been doing so a lot lately. Now, you may play with this doll.” She handed me a doll which I recognised. “Do you like it?”

I did like the doll very much. It reminded me of all that time I had spent with the Prince in the city. After all, it was the same doll that street merchant had given his Highness when the two of us had gone out. “I do,” I answered, starting to feel unhappy.

“Oh, well you can have it then. My brother wanted to throw it out because he said he’d grown too old for it. He said he didn’t want it anymore and so I could have it. Raxikolys gives me everything he doesn’t want anymore and everything he’s broken, like that doll. Or whenever ‘his Imperial Highness’ is not pleased by what his loving subjects sent him.”

This statement made me shiver a little. To think that someone had promised something as beautiful as eternal friendship and then break that oath so easily hurt me. It hurt a lot and was not something I had ever experienced before.

“For example,” she continued. “On his birthday the people of Xola honored the day with great celebration. They sent him many gifts, such as this ball game set. He did not like it. My brother dislikes most things that are not exorbitant. He therefore gave me the gifts he did not like and had the slaves write letters of appreciation to the few citizens whose gifts he had actually enjoyed.”

We played dolls for hours and she did not mind once that I was too old to play or that I was simply not good enough. She only offered me words of praise regarding my lack of skill in the subject.

In fact, we were only stopped by the Emperor himself appearing in the Princess’ bedroom. I was taken by surprise and had to bow quickly. It caused the Emperor some amusement and he laughed. “Come, rise now, boy. If my daughter likes you then so do I. She has excellent judgement.”

I looked up and smiled. Emperor Keysil was not cruel either, especially not when it came to his children and I had almost forgotten this.

Raxikolys followed him in and sat sprawled on a sofa uninvited. He snapped his long, neatly manicured fingers at a slave girl and ordered her to fan him. “Father desires to speak with you, Cherina, so leave your stupid slave alone. Besides, I want him.”

“Then why did you send him away?”

“I do not need a slave to play with. I am much too old for one. And I’m the Imperial Crown Prince, so I can have him by default.”

“You are so monotonous, Raxikolys.”

“Silence or I’ll have Fa-” He stopped himself mid-sentence, scowled and looked angry with himself. “Slave girl! Faster!” he ordered to detract attention from himself. “I had my personal slaves spend three hours making my hair this perfect and it needs airing. Faster.”

Keysil laughed again. “Settle down. And you,” he turned back to me. “You’re welcome to stay whilst I talk with my daughter.”

I nodded, moving away from them and standing to a corner of the room.

“Cherina. You are eleven years old.”

“Yes.”

“Father’s going to marry you off,” Raxikolys sneered at her. “I’m not being married off because-”

“Because you’re the Imperial Crown Prince. Yes, I know,” Cherina finished for him. “I don’t want to be married off, Father. Not yet.”

“No, Cherina. I shan’t have you married off until you’re older. I only wished to inform you that the King of Raemi expressed an interest in marrying you to his son, Prince Lorraine. He is thirteen at the moment, so age wise it is an excellent match. But no, I shall not betroth you until you’re older.”

He gave Cherina a smile and started on his way out. “Raxikolys, you have a lesson to attend now. Regarding how to deal with petitions. The slaves will bring you food for your Low Sun meal in the Throne Hall, where you shall take this lesson.”

“I am not in the mood for lessons at the moment,” answered Raxikolys. “Have Cherina take them whilst I spend my day with my slave girls and their newer skills.  I had to have them retrained. How dare you buy me untrained slave girls! In future all my slave girls shall be fully trained to please me and only me before they are given to me. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Raxikolys. And all your lessons shall be taken by you and only you because your sister may not take your lesson as she is not due to become the Emperor of Xola. You, on the other hand, are the Imperial Crown Prince, as you love to say so much. You shall inherit the throne one day so you have to take lessons in ruling. And I shall buy you a new slave girl.”

He frowned a bit. “Very well, Father. Risel said slave girls from the South of Qumi are the best. I want one of those,” he was saying as he followed the Emperor out. “Why don’t I have one of those yet?”

“You should go…” Cherina muttered. “I probably have lessons too. Keep the doll.” She smiled and let me leave. I did as she bid me and started on my way back to the slave chambers.

I passed the Throne Hall on my way. Prince Raxikolys was sitting on the Throne like he would when he was Emperor and was picking at the pheasant he’d been brought with an annoyed look on his face even though they’d allowed him to keep his slave girl with him. He noticed my passing and gave me a quick glance decorated with a condescending smirk.

Chike sent me straight to bed as there was a lot of work I had to do the following day. My bed was little more than a mat on the ground but it was better than some slaves had. At least the Emperor was kind to us.

I lay awake for hours thinking about my day. I felt betrayed. I had been betrayed. I looked at the doll in my hands. It was covered in rips and gashes. It was like an aged warrior covered in battle wounds.

This had been a sign of friendship between us. Now it was nothing. There was no friendship left.

3: 2. The Blazing Fire of Xola

For the next year I was called to play with and attend to the Prince and the Princess quite often. The Princess was still kind to me and we grew closer and closer each day, her giving me dolls and other gifts at times. The Prince only gave me looks of disdain and pride. He was cruel to me and had me whipped almost everyday for a variety of crimes that would, under normal circumstances, not be considered crimes. These included not letting him defeat me in each and every game, not bowing adequately enough and just generally because he disliked me.
Either way, my life was going better than it had before the Princess had decided I was an excellent friend for her. 
After a few weeks of being sent to play with her she had a change of mind regarding our activity.
“Jex, I am going to teach you to read and to write. Can you at all?”
“Only my name and country, my lady. They did not teach me much else during my training.”
‘OK.” She called a slave over. “Please could you fetch my tutor?”
“My apologies, my lady, but your tutor has a day off today.”
“Very well,” she answered, considering a moment. “Please ask my brother to come instead.”
There was a flash of fear in the slave’s eyes, then he bowed. “Yes, my lady.”
He left and Cherina turned to me. “I am fetching my brother as I shall have to beg him for his own tutor. He shall not allow me to simply take it.”
This was something I greatly liked about the Princess. She explained everything to me, as if she were worried I might not understand.
The slave returned a few minutes later. “My most sincere apologies, your Highness. The Princess requested I fetch you.”
Raxikolys did not look pleased and pushed him to one side. “I do not take orders from slaves, I give them orders.” He took a seat and kicked the slave. “I was having a manicure. Fetch my slave girl so she may finish the job.”
The slave nodded. “As your Highness wishes.”
He turned his attention back to Cherina. “What did you want? You know that as the Imperial Crown Prince my needs are to come before yours. Before anyone’s.”
“Of course, but may I please use one of your tutors for the day?”
The Prince’s disdainful gaze travelled down to me. “Not for your dirty slave friend.”
“Please, Raxikolys. I am begging you. I simply want to give him the privilege of being able to read and to write, and you do have the best tutors in Xola.” Cherina gave him a small smile, hoping to charm him into agreeing.
“It is exactly for this reason that you are not to have him. They are Xola’s preeminent tutors and so are not to be wasted on...that.” He noticed his slave girl at the door and waved her in to finish his nails. “Besides, they’re much too advanced for some slave. My tutors do require some intelligence in their student.”
“Raxikolys! Why have you become so selfish? You used to be so much kinder to me and to the slaves.” His sister pushed me over to him gently. “They do everything you wish for you and you do not do anything in return. Surely you could be even a little thankful?”
“You expect me to be thankful that they do their jobs? They do not get punished if they do as they’re told. They may consider that thanks enough.” He shifted a little in his seat. “And they are kept fed, clean and clothed with a place to sleep. They do not need to learn to read or write or how to count or speak Old Artecreagan. Father does not spend thousands of Lestra so that you may educate the slaves.”
“But-”
“Silence! Do not speak over me. Father buys the slaves so that they may help you, Cherina. They do as you say when you require assistance and in return they are ensured a home. Or would you rather they were sent to the Erian markets? Or even the slums?”
I shivered a little. The Prince had a point. The Erian Empire was the single most feared place in all of Artecreage. Children from each and every country were told to behave or they would be sent to Eria to be taught a lesson. There was no security, no form of law enforcement, simply one ruler who made each and every rule and made sure that every one of his commands was followed. Some people said he was a madman, others said that he was simply not old enough to rule. Once or twice it had simply been said that he was an incompetent fool, but not one of those people was ever heard from again.
Slaves had it the worst in Eria. They were worked too hard, and they had no hope of ever being freed by their masters. The only escape was death, and that often came soon, out of years of daily torture.
Cherina shook her head. “No, Raxikolys. But I just want them to be able to have a future if they were ever freed. Couldn’t you let him at least just try to learn, and I swear if he can’t then I’ll return the tutor to you.”
Raxikolys considered. “Perhaps. But you’ll have to have my least favourite and you’ll have to have him tomorrow. Father says I have to have lessons this afternoon. I was rather hoping to take a massage but he insisted I take a break from my slave girl.”
“Thank you, Raxikolys.”
And so I was taught to read and to write. Though the Prince may have objected to my learning, he freely allowed me the use of his tutor, who, despite my low intelligence, taught me well. I was soon able to write short phrases, and to read the simplest of words. Eventually the Princess proceeded to lend me some of her less lengthy novels, and I was able to read the whole book with no trouble at all.
It was one day as I was finishing one of the latest books she had allowed me when I felt I had finished cleaning the Prince’s bedroom to its full extent that his Highness came to ask about my lessons.
I finally finished my polishing of one of the platinum and black diamond posts on the four poster and took a seat nearby to read the final pages of the novel. I was still not too advanced in reading and had to do so out loud. Engrossed as I was in the book, I did not hear the steady footsteps coming up behind me.
“Slave! Kneel.”
I did as I was told immediately because I knew that voice and it was not one I wished to disappoint. In my haste I managed to drop the book.
He stormed over to me and held out his hand. “The book, slave.”
I reached out and handed the book to him. He snatched it away and flicked through quickly. “My sister gave you a book? How...generous. I would not waste my good books on a worthless slave like yourself. They were imported from Alari and I shall not allow a detestable servant to touch them.” Raxikolys found himself a comfortable reclining position on his bed. “You can read?”
“Only a little, your Highness.”
“Hmm…” He threw the book down before me and ordered: “Then prove it and read to me, slave.”
Despite not being good at reading yet, I did as I was bid and read. The Prince had lived the decadent life of a pampered and spoilt little brat because he’d been told that one day he would become the most powerful ruler in all Artecreage. As such, he had a horrendous temper if he was not given everything he wanted the moment he wanted it.

 

* * *

The Emperor of Xola died a year later. He drank a wine containing a particular type of fig which caused his death. The nation mourned for the several weeks which led up to the coronation of the newest Xolan ruler.
The other slaves and I had a lot of work to do. We were to shine the walls and floor of the large hall where the coronations all took place. It was a beautiful hall with large windows and billowing banners with the Xolan coat of arms on them. There were marble seats that had to be polished and royal boxes for all the foreign diplomats that needed to be cleaned.
Chike himself was sent to clean the Crown Jewels. He did so everyday for endless hours, paranoid about his work. He was barely ever around now and when he was he was nervous and difficult to be around. He took to shouting if you interrupted him from his duties, refusing to speak most of the time.
A few days before the coronation Princess Cherina sent for me. She wore a thin silvery dress and sat on the window sill. “My brother will be Emperor in a couple of days. He is not ready for these responsibilities. He will make reckless decisions and act on impulse because he has spent his life living on impulse.”
I was confused as to why I had been called to speak with her. “My lady, I am sure his Highness shall make an excellent ruler. He has had lessons regarding each and every aspect of ruling.”
Cherina stood again and walked across the room. “No...he has had lessons, but he did not care for them. Raxikolys was less concerned with lessons than he was with pleasure. He is unprepared. I am going to ask a favor of you. It is not an order, and you are not obliged to do it.”
I nodded. The Princess may only have been twelve, but she spoke with the voice of an adult and years of pain only someone who had always been second in life were hidden in her words.
“I am going to convince my brother to have you as one of his personal slaves. It will be a difficult job, and I apologise for that, but what I need you to do most of all, Jex, is make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. Already he has brought back three of Ros I’s laws, none of which will do any good to the people of Xola.”
I wondered whether I should speak, but she continued without me, staring at the wall opposite her.
“My brother has grown up with all his needs taken care of. He has no knowledge of what it is to be considered second in all that you do. He was always the important one in the eyes of our Father. He did not need to beg for things because he already had everything within his grasp.” She collected herself and shook her head. “Raxikolys is not ready. I know this for sure. His upbringing has prevented him from having a proper grasp on the true workings of the world. He shall continue to assume that he will be favoured, and this will not do him well.”
“I would be willing to do as my lady asks.”
She smiled at me. “I shall ask a slave girl to convince him. Thank you.” And then she hugged me. Perhaps, had I been younger, I would have had feelings for her, but even so there was still a sense of happiness inside me.
That day I worked hard and well, and soon all the preparations were finished. There was less than a week until the great event started.

* * *

The Xolan coronations were always considered the grandest and the best out of all Artecreage. There were five feasts, each with over a hundred courses, spread out over as many days. Once the final feast ended there was a great party for all the guests. The only person who was not to attend these celebrations was the Imperial Crown Prince himself.
He was not to take part in any celebrations, instead he was to spend the week preparing for the coronation in every way possible. He was only to start becoming a part of things once the feasts were over.
The coronation was the next part. The Prince was to be clothed in Xolan Royal Dress and would be paraded down the main street of the Capital City with a large procession of people behind him, both officials and family. Once he entered the hall there would be fanfare, he would be seated on the Coronation Throne and given each of the Crown Jewels before the final piece, the Crown would be placed on his head and he would become Emperor.
Once this was over, there would be a final feast in which the less personal coronation gifts were given and the foreign dignitaries were all to greet the new Emperor. The more personal gifts were given whenever foreign dignitaries achieved an audience with the Emperor during the week. This was a much rarer occurrence.
As a slave, I was not to attend any celebrations. I was to serve food and drink at the feasts and help to clean once they were over. At the end of the third feast Raxikolys summoned me.
He was reclining on a plush purple sofa with his favourite slave girl, the one named Leiye. She was combing his hair with a pearl comb and running her fingers through it. “Leiye tells me you would make an excellent personal slave. As she herself is an excellent slave girl I rather agree with her judgement. I believe last year I considered you for my cortege, am I correct?”
“Yes, your Highness.”
“No, I am to be Emperor. The appropriate term is therefore “Your Majesty”. You shall apologise, I take it?”
“Yes, of course, your High...your Majesty. My most sincere apologies in regards to your title.”
Raxikolys nodded. “I shall not need you much, so you shall return to your usual slave duties as instructed by your slavekeeper. When I do need you, however, I shall call you. Perhaps a slave girl shall come for you. Now, leave, I am rather occupied at this moment.”
“Thank you, your Majesty.”
I bowed and let him be. Chike found me immediately and handed me some cleaning supplies. “Jex, get back to work. The Coronation is to be the greatest event in all of Artecreage at the moment, and every detail needs to be perfect.”
Personally I didn’t really want to have to clean anymore but Chike was insistent. He knew that Raxikolys was not patient and disliked anything remotely below his standards, and these standards were very, very high.
I was tired from spending the day attending to dignitaries and foreign royals. There were so many, and I barely knew the names of any, though I had been trained for several weeks on the names of each and every royal. I was nervous when I spoke to them. Each country had different customs regarding how to treat their royalty, and I found it hard to remember when to bow or kneel and the appropriate way to address them.
Somehow I managed to drag myself to the Coronation Hall and began to clean the place again. A slave girl approached me.
“Jex, is it?” she asked.
I was not normally permitted to speak with other slaves whilst I was working, but I turned to her anyway. “Yes.”
“Excellent. His Majesty was somewhat pleased by your acceptance of the role. He has therefore decided that you may be given the rest of the Coronation Week off from any work. Your slavekeeper shall be informed, of course, and you shall spend the rest of the week attending to his Majesty.”
“Of course. Should I prepare in any way?”
“No,” the slave girl answered. She looked at my straggly blonde hair extending down to just under my chin. “Perhaps you should cut and comb your hair. Your assistance will not be required until tomorrow at the High Sun. His Majesty is allowing you to return to your sleeping chamber until then. He would like you to rest until then. Another slave shall complete your work for you.”
I nodded and handed the cleaning supplies back to her. This was, well, there weren’t any words other than ‘pleasant’ or ‘exciting’ to describe the situation. Preparing for a Xolan coronation was always the hardest part of any slave’s life, and I was getting a free pass out of it.
Chike did not speak to me when I returned to the slave chambers. He simply gave me a nod and let me go. I wondered momentarily whether or not he would still be my slavekeeper after today or if I would be handed to another, more superior, and possibly crueler, slavekeeper.

* * *

The next day came fast. I barely had time to dress myself before a slave girl appeared to take me away.
“Hello,” she said to me, in much more civil a way than I would have expected. “His Majesty would like you washed up before you begin your new duties.” She took me by the arm and led me away with her. “My name is Hessa. I shall come to fetch you each High Sun or whenever you are required.”
“I see…”
I supposed I was glad it was slave girl that had been sent to fetch me. Recently, the slave girls were being treated to much better living conditions than the other slaves, which kept them in a much better temper.
Hessa led me to the room I had come to recognize as the place where slaves were prepared for their duties. Another slave girl came over and cut and washed my hair for me. 
She smiled. “His Majesty prefers clean slaves.”
“I would assume so,” I answered, recalling the many, many times I had been chastised by the Prince in the past for not being a clean slave. “His Majesty has high standards. Are you sure I am capable of meeting them?”
“Of course you are capable, Jex. His Majesty would not have chosen you if you were not.” She finished her work and gave me another smile. “There. His Majesty should be pleased by this haircut. It shall probably dry soon enough, thanks to this heat. You may go and speak with his Majesty in a few minutes. He is very strict on rules of etiquette, however, so I have supplied a slave girl to teach you how to behave. Simply as a precaution.”
And so I continued to be herded around the room until I was stopped in front of another slave girl. She looked much more stern than the others and looked me over. “You look clean enough. His Majesty should approve. Now then, in accordance with the rules of etiquette you are not to look him in the eyes, or at all in the face unless he allows it. You will stay kneeling and only speak if requested to or spoken to first. Understood?”
I nodded.
“Good. You may go now.”
I was sent away to the future Emperor’s chambers for what must have been the millionth time in the past year. It looked the same as it always had, with its dark marble walls and crystal windows.
“Ah, new slave. Excellent. Come here.” I turned in the direction of this voice. It came from the Prince’s dressing room. I walked in nervously and kneeled.
“You know, I haven’t had a new slave in a while. I might have forgotten how to treat them...kindly. Look at me, slave!” He took hold of my chin roughly and raised my head to look at him.
He was trying so hard to speak in the voice of an adult and yet his face was still only that of a fifteen year old boy with such little experience in the eyes it was a wonder he was at all capable of controlling an empire himself.
A look of disapproval appeared on his face and then switched to a smirk as he let go and walked back to the slave girls who were dressing him. “Do you know what my dear friend the Erian Emperor gave me for a coronation gift?”
I shook my head. “No, your Majesty.” I was not sure I wanted to know. The Erian Emperor, Risel I, was known to be the best friend of our Imperial Crown Prince Raxikolys. I had had many nightmares thanks to his numerous visits to Xola, and there had been times when I was almost required to attend to Prince Raxikolys on his own trips to Eria.
Raxikolys called a slave boy over and ordered him to fetch the gift. Upon the boy’s return he uncased it and handed the receptacle back to him. “This,” he said, holding it up, “is an Erian whip. But this is a whip of a rather special kind. It has thirty three tails, each with eleven knots, and it has silver, platinum and diamond inlaid in the knots. There is only one in all Artecreage and it is this one you see before you.”
I stared at the whip. It was, perhaps, the most frightening weapon I had ever seen. I did not wish to ever cross anyone wielding a whip like that, not even to simply disagree on their choice of clothing.
The Prince must have seen the look of utter alarm on my face because he laughed. “You would not want to get hit by this whip, so behave yourself.” He turned back to the slave girls again. “I am dressed well enough. Make me comfortable.”
She smiled and came up close to him, running pale hands down his chest. He relaxed a little and closed his eyes momentarily. “Such good slave girls…slave, are you aware of how many I have?”
“No, your Majesty.”
“Almost a hundred now. They are so useful.”
“I am sure, your Majesty.”
“You will clean my chambers and later attend to me in the garden. That will be all for now.”
So I did. I cleaned the rooms and after I went to the garden where the Prince had me kneel beside him and hold up a platter of delicious foods for him to eat whilst he lay back on a sofa in his typical fashion with one or two of the slave girls resting on his lap.
And so began my new life as a personal slave to the Emperor of Xola. He was crueler to me than he used to be. Perhaps his new position as Emperor had affected him enough that he believed he was permitted to be even crueler to me. Though, in reality, the amount of power he now had over the slaves was little more than he used to. The Imperial Crown Prince of Xola was the second most powerful person in the Empire, surpassing even the Empress.
The Xolan Empress, Sase IV, had been a rather cold woman to most of us, although she had had some kindness. This kindness had mostly been directed towards her only son, and then mostly because of the death of her first child. This had left her ridden with guilt and she had shut herself away from the world for several years. It was only at the birth of the second Prince two years later that she opened herself to the public eye once more and then it was only for a short while before she retreated to take quiet care of her son for the three years before her daughter was born.
Sase was not so concerned by the welfare of Princess Cherina, in fact, it was obviously she cared for her less than she cared for Raxikolys, although this was justified by the fact that the entire fate of our Empire rested on his young shoulders. It was an unfortunate occasion when she was killed.
On the 1073rd Splitting Day, Prince Raxikolys’ 15th birthday, and there were many celebrations in the cities. The main celebrations, of course, went on in the capital, Rixen, where there were a great many feasts and dances. These were to celebrate the passing of Summer into Winter, but also the birthday of the Empire’s Imperial Crown Prince and were therefore much larger than usual.
It was during a procession that it happened. A Caradalian assassin, whose name is still unknown to the state, even after he was caught and killed, had shot her with a revolutionary new weapon that his country had created. They called it a ‘Fire Striker’. No one was particularly sure how it worked, but since Caradalia was the centre of military strategy in the whole of Artecreage no one really questioned it.
The assassin had been hidden in the crowds, unnoticeable due to the large number of people filling the streets. The Empress had been wearing her finest red gown, silk, and the colour of blood although still the most beautiful dress I had seen her wear yet. She often wore such gorgeous dresses but this was certainly the best of them all. I remember the day the designer had brought it for her. She’d needed a new gown for one of the annual balls held in our neighboring country of Raemi. They had brought her several designs but the one she had preferred had been designed by Rykol, one of the greatest designers here, and her personal favourite.
She had loved the gown so much that she had not worn it for the ball but waited for the birthday of her darling son to show off her new gown. The only irony was that she wore that gown as she was shot and that the blood from her wounds flowed down and mixed into the red silk of the dress.
The people of Xola did as custom dictated and began to mourn her passing for the remainder of the year, until Summer came again. It had been a sad day, and it would always remain as such.
They had not been aiming for the Empress, but for the Prince. Every assassin in Artecreage would have aimed for Raxikolys, as the most important person in all Artecreage at the moment, but his mother protected him with even her last breath. And so he remained unscathed and she dead.
That had been a sad day for all of Xola. We had not expected our Empress to die so young, for she was young, only about to turn thirty five. She had been married to the Emperor Keysil I at the age of twelve, and he was only perhaps eighteen, a marriage arranged by their parents. It had been a relatively happier marriage than most political marriages were, but many had disliked the new Empress. And so each day my fear that they would dislike their new Emperor grew stronger.