The air in Valoria had grown heavy, suffocating. Bars and taverns stood mostly empty, and the people no longer created a ruckus, but speaking only in hushed tones. They arrived, took their drink, finished their food, and left in silence. No troubadours, bards, or minstrels sang in the streets. Shops were shuttered or were empty. Justicars marched the streets with a frequency that felt like an occupation. Earlier, the sight of knights in gold and white made the common man feel safe. But not anymore. But lately, people were feeling a cold wave of terror at the sight of them, fearing an arrest of themselves or a loved one.
The number of beggars had increased in last few days. Inflation had hit Valoria hard; even well-off families had stooped to begging or other desperate 'activities' to feed their children- acts they would never have imagined even in their worst nightmares. A strange silence had gripped the whole city, like a deafening calm before the deadly storm that threatened to ravage everything.
It was on one such day that the calm was shattered by a group of children running through the streets, "Troops! Troops at the gate!"
The people who heard them were terrified. Was it war?Was their troubled life about to be shoved into further turmoil? Two Justicars patrolling the sector quickly apprehended the children. All but one were caught. One Justicar slapped the boy hard, the sound echoing off the stone walls, "Stop spreading rumors, you mischievous urchin! They are honored guests, here to attend the trial of the villains who betrayed Valoria!"
A woman rushed forward and fell at the Justicars' feet, "Please, let my child go! He is innocent, naïve. I will teach him!"
Another Justicar pulled her up by her hair, "Yes, he is not the one at fault. It is you who failed to teach him properly."
"I doubt that," the first one sneered, "She likely trained the pup to create unrest. We need to…."
He was cut short as a senior Justicar appeared. He seemed to be in a hurry, his face was full of irritation and urgency, "Markus, Sirus! What the hell are you two good-for-nothings doing, fooling around with these people?"
"Arnold, please, help us…" the lady pleaded, her eyes were full of tears.
"Shut up, filthy woman!" Arnold roared, "You are no longer the wife of our officer. Your traitor of a husband has been stripped of his rank for being an accomplice to the villains. So, you do not dare look me in the eye, and you do not call me by my name." He kicked her in the chest, sending her sprawling onto the hard floor, "That is for forgetting your place, Cynthia!"
He turned his gaze back to his subordinates, "The first contingent of dignitaries has arrived. They are being officially welcomed by the Guard Captain right now. Gather everyone and make them ready to welcome the guests. Their entourage will pass through here, and I want no incidents, or you two will find yourselves among the prisoners on the day of the trial! NOW GO!"
Markus and Sirus rushed to obey, moving like men chased by a tiger. As Arnold hurried to the next block, Markus paused by the bleeding Cynthia, He bend over her and whispered in her ear, "Go inside with your pup and stay there. We will come tonight to check on you… to see if you are alright." He grinned like a hungry wolf. Cynthia scrambled inside, clutching her son with one hand and her bleeding head with the other, as the two guards laughed.
By the time the Veridian envoy reached the marketplace, the scene had been forced into a false display of celebration. People had gathered in their finest remaining clothes, waving anything colorful they could find.
The splendor of the entourage was spectacular. In the lead were the Vanguard- four Throne Guards riding in a diamond formation. Behind them, a Herald and two trumpeters carried the banners of House Throne, their gold-thread embroidery were displaying glory of Veridia under the Thrones. Sir Kaelen Strong followed on a fine white horse, looking like the ideal knight in shining golden armor. Behind him rode the official representatives- Baron Torin Sienna on a sturdy warhorse, and Count Leofric Van-Ashbourne on a spectacularly decorated elegant mare.
The Valorians were stunned to see two Beastmen among the dignitaries. Jax Nightclaw rode to the Baron's left, and Zara Sunstreak rode to the Count's right. Eldred Alsnow followed on a calm mare, looking like the weight of the world's knowledge rested on his old shoulders. The main body of twelve Throne Guards marched in a perfect 3x4 block, followed by the support staff and a rearguard of four more knights.
The sheer wealth of the golden armor was enough to leave the starving crowd breathless, but it was Count Leofric who broke the silence.
He reached into a satchel made of red velvet at his saddle. With a bored, casual movement of his wrist, he sent a handful of shimmering Silver coins and gleaming Gold coins spinning into the air.
"A gift from the Throne of Veridia!" the Herald bellowed, "May your bellies be as full as our coffers!"
The resultant effect was like throwing a candy in anthill. The false forced decorum made of starving citizen of Valoria vanished instantly. The hushed voices of the marketplace turned into a desperate hue and cry. Men, women, and even the children who were scared of the Justicars earlier forgot about their existence and threw themselves into the dirt, clawing at the cobblestones to grab the rolling coins.
The Valorian soldiers were caught completely off-guard as well. Markus and Sirus stood frozen in fear and surprise, their mouths open as they watched the gold and silver bounce off the stones. For a moment, even they looked tempted to drop their halberds and join the scramble; one Silver Sovereign was more than a month's pay in this current economy.
Arnold was watching from the side. He could feel his heart pumping unusually fast. He looked at the gleaming Veridian gold and then at his own tarnished white-and-gold plate. He could sense a bitter jealousy rising engulfing his heart. But his brain knew, it was an insult- a public display that Veridia's 'charity' was more powerful than Valoria's 'order'.
It seemed not only the Count and the Baron, even a maid, who was riding beside Count Leo, was in spending spree, as he was treating the children with handful of Veridian Shines!