A few hours had passed before the carriage came to a stop. I was very nervous and scared throughout my journey. The deprivation of my vision and hearing had compounded my panic. As the carriage stopped, I was brought outside, and my blindfolds and the magic cloth were finally removed.
At the front stood a wide gate made out of heavy wood and iron, guarded by soldiers with spears. As I was led through the Palace's tall vine-covered walls, I saw in front of me one of the largest, most lusturous palaces I had ever seen in my life. This dulled any other palace I had ever seen on Earth.
A palace made of white marble stood on top of an around 2-story-tall flight of stairs, and there were tall towers at the corners that looked out over the city. The walls were smooth and light-colored, shining a little in the sun.
Corinthian-designed columns stood in rows along the front on top of those stairs, holding another floor. The upper floor had another set of columns, supporting a roof. The roof was made of red tiles that sloped downward, and multiple colorful statues of armored people stood on top, watching over the palace. Carvings decorated the walls—pictures of battles, animals, and mythical figures. Flags and banners moved gently in the wind.
There were many windows, but most were small and high up. I assumed this was made in order to keep the inside cool and safe.
The palace emanated power, as if it were built to last forever. It showed the strength and pride of the Empire in every stone and statue. Laid out in front of the colossal marble structure was a flight of white stairs. There were multiple avenues spreading out of the stairs, surrounded by statues and miniature gardens. The main avenue had a large water fountain standing in the middle of it.
Many people of varying clothes were walking around the main building. Some wore uniforms similar to Claudius's, many wore uniforms that were similar to the guards escorting me. Among civilians, some people wore clothes made of silk, while others had simpler, sometimes torn clothing. I assumed them to be nobles and servants.
I was led up the stairs and into the palace.
Inside the palace, everything felt grand and important. The floors were made of smooth marble, sometimes in different colors and shapes to make beautiful patterns. The walls were covered with paintings and carvings that showed gods, battles, and stories of the past. Tall columns stood along the halls, holding up high ceilings painted with gold and bright colors. There were exotic plants that decorated almost every room. Unlit oil lamps hung from the walls or stood on tall stands.
From each room I was led into, I could see the center of the palace from the windows, the center comprised a courtyard without a roof. In the courtyard, a stone path led to a large table and a set of chairs that stood in the middle next to a tree that seemed to bloom golden flowers. The flowers were shining in the sun. There was water flowing in canals gently around the courtyard. More flowers, bushes, and smaller trees surrounded the table. I saw gardeners working in the courtyard, tending to the flowers, bushes, and trees.
Some rooms inside had mosaic patterns on their floors, tiny colored stones placed carefully to make pictures of animals and people. Curtains made of fine cloth hung in doorways, and large statues accompanied by paintings stood in corners or beside walls, watching over the space.
As I walked, servants passed by quietly, and soldiers marched around, gently stepping on the ground. Nobles stood inside some of the rooms discussing with one another.
This view shook my senses. It was as if they had purposefully removed by blindfolds to intimidate me with this grand sight, to show me the Empire's power and greatness. It was designed to make you feel less important.
I was finally led to the Emperor's throne room through a large golden doorway. The room was larger than any other I had passed through. All the statues and pillars were golden. Looking at the windows, I figured it was on the very back of the second floor of the palace. A red carpet lay in between two rows of the golden pillars, it stretched from the doorway, through the hall, then up a few stairs and onto a large golden throne covered by purple cloth. On top of it was the Emperor. The Emperor had golden hair, olive skin, and wore a golden toga. He had a golden necklace surrounding his neck, his arms were adorned with thick golden bangles. He had brown eyes and a small nose. His presence alone demanded respect.
'I could be killed if I made any wrong move. I must not create a commotion, for now,' I thought.
I was led in front of the throne and made to bow, then kneel before the Emperor. I had guards, 4 of them, surrounding me. His advisors stood beside him. Eyeing me down.
One of the advisors, wearing a yellow toga, stepped forward and yelled:
'Before we proceed, I must remind you to show proper respect to Emperor Lucius Cornelius by addressing him as Your Imperial Highness. I also need to warn you, Foreigner, that our Emperor has the power to see through lies. Any attempt to deceive him will result in your death. Do you understand?'
'Yes, I understand,' I answered in a weak voice.
'So be it. This court is now in session.' Declared the Emperor.
'Tell us where you hail from,' the Emperor demanded.
'Your Highness-'. A guard kicked me in the back. 'Your Imperial Highness', the guard whispered, correcting me.
'Your Imperial Highness,' I continued. 'I come from another world,' I said.
'This Foreigner, it seems he has gone mad.' Yelled another advisor, wearing a red toga. 'Guards, kill him!' the advisor said.
As the guards lifted their spears, ready to stab me, they looked at the emperor for his approval.
'WAIT!' said the emperor
'This man,' He said, 'This man is not lying'
'But how can that be?' asked the advisor wearing the red toga.
'Advisor Verus, I must remind you—these proceedings are not yours to command. It is neither your place to question anything before me nor to issue orders to my guards. Should you forget yourself again, I will see you cast into the jaws of a beast, and let that be the end of your insolence.' Yelled the Emperor.
'The emperor has a sophisticated way of speaking,' I thought
'I humbly apologize for my impertinence, Your Imperial Highness,' the advisor muttered, bowing before the Emperor
'For now, I will call you traveller, since you have travelled through worlds,' Said the Emperor.
I looked up at him, hoping that I would be shown mercy; maybe his curiosity about another world would put me on his good side.
One guard hit me in the head. 'Don't look at his face,' he whispered.
'Regardless of your origin, be it this world or another, you have committed a grave sin: the assault of a knight of noble lineage.'The Emperor announced, frowning at me.
Looking at his frown, I had a feeling this was not going to go well.
'And since you are not of this world, you cannot be a child of the Goddess Arcea, who created this singular, one and only realm for her chosen children: humans, to rule over it by her will. Therefore, by our laws, you are not recognized as human. In truth, your very existence may rightfully be deemed an act of blasphemy.' The Emperor declared.
'Tell me, then—what punishment befits such a transgression?' The emperor asked, his head now facing towards the advisor named Verus.
'For any non human that performs any offense on a human, the price is death. And the price of blasphemy is serving time in the arena; as such, he should be executed by death in the Arena. Your Imperial Highness' replied Verus
You will fight for the public's entertainment until you die.' The emperor stated with a slight smile on his face.
'Wait, why would there have to be a necessary law about whether something is human or not?' I asked. 'I mean, look at me. I am human, in the flesh. No different from any of you. I don't understand why I cannot be treated as human, and I don't know why my existence is blasphemous?'
'I have no time for this, please explain it to the traveller, advisor Cassius'
'Surely, Your Imperial Highness,' said the yellow toga advisor, he faced his head at me and said, 'Our laws are based on our faith in the goddess Arcea, the goddess who put humans as the rulers of the world of Archaenium.' The advisor named Cassius looked at me with a stone-cold face. He then continued
'About the need to separate human from non-human. Like I said, humans are the rulers of this world, by the will of the goddess. There are many other species that resemble us, dwarves that are shorter than us, and elves that live longer than us. Beastmen, who bear animal characters alongside human-like characters.' He paused, then spoke on.
'There is a need to separate what is human from what is not. The very first clause in our scriptures and our laws states that all humans are the first creations of the goddess, and thus are native to Archaenium. Only those that were first created by the goddess can be considered human. This separates us from the other human-like races of this world.' Cassius looked at me with a stern look, and said:
'You dear traveller, are not even from this world. And thus, you cannot be called human. And there's also the fact that you look completely human. You resemble humans in every way, more than any elf or dwarf could, but are from another world. It threatens our claim as the natives of this world, and our faith in the goddess. Therefore, your presence in this world is an act of blasphemy. Do you understand?'
I was too dumbfounded to reply. This was a lot of information to take in.
'I now declare the conclusion of this session,' The Emperor announced.
I stood there in awe, shock, and fear of what was to happen. The emperor had never planned to show me mercy. In fact, he had stripped me of my humanity and also found an excuse to give me a humiliating and painful death within a matter of minutes. He was not only a sadist, but also smart and calculated.