Preeminence

Ch. 01: Silver Tongue

The frigid hallways of Zapolyarny Palace seemed to have never seen the light of day. The chill threatened to make you shiver, and as soon as the sun fully set, there was no telling how much longer it would be before it rose again. As you walked through the darkened halls, your steps were quiet and measured, in complete contrast with the heavy footfalls that echoed throughout the palace.

You kept close enough to the walls that the cold air didn't feel like anything more than a mild discomfort, but far enough to keep their icy surfaces from biting into your skin. Every once in a while, one of the guards or servants walking by would cast a glance your way and give a short nod, as if they knew why you had come to the palace late in the evening. You ignored them. You had come to the palace to fulfill your task, but there was nothing else about this place that made it worth your time or effort to stay any longer.

"Master, surely it would be faster to hand it to the servants?" The Noh mask hovering beside you inquired. "It would certainly save you from the tedium of walking."

Her voice was soft and sweet, perfectly reflective of her motif. A wooden mask, carved to encapsulate the nature of a young maiden. Golden accents contrasted sharply against the jet black of her surface, making her stand out in the darkness of the dingy halls. Her static expression betrayed nothing, other than the fixed innocence she was destined to possess.

"That is not how we do things," you replied, not even bothering to glance her way. "We have already arrived."

You paused in front of a set of double doors leading to the throne room. With a single knock, the doors slid open for you with a groan, and you were greeted by the sight of an empty throne. Below the stairs leading to the throne was a cloaked man, wearing a mask that concealed the right side of his face. His uncovered eye followed you as you effortlessly lifted yourself into the air, floating towards him and stopping a respectable distance away, still slightly suspended off the ground. You did this without missing a beat, as if it were a normal occurrence for you to do while you're here.

"We have been expecting you." He said, his voice echoing across the silent chamber. Despite his apparent lack of emotion, his tone gave an impression of authority which demanded respect. In other circumstances you might have felt intimidated by such a person, but by now you were used to such manners.

The Noh mask quivered, bringing attention towards herself. "Greetings, Lord Pierro. Master humbly requests to be in the presence of Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa."

Pierro shook his head, the motion seeming almost mechanical. "Ah, Komote. I'm afraid Her Majesty is not available at the moment. If you have any item of import to be delivered, kindly hand it over to me and I will see that it safely reaches Her Majesty's hands."

The mask, Komote, said nothing. She turned to you, as if awaiting your orders. You didn't bother hiding your contemptuous stare. This wasn't a matter you particularly wanted to deal with right now; however, Pierro was demanding your attention and you were unable to leave without fulfilling your request.

You suppressed a sigh and held out a hand towards him, revealing a small peculiar object in the shape of a Queen piece resting on your open palm. It was clear that he had anticipated this, because he simply reached down and plucked the object from your hands. It seemed to glow faintly in the dim lighting, a soft turquoise hue reflected off of Pierro's mask as he examined it. He studied it for several moments without speaking, and though it was hard to read his expressions under such a visage, you were pretty sure you detected a hint of amusement.

"Rosalyne must have had a lot of faith in you to entrust such an important object." Pierro mused out loud, finally looking back up at you.

You remained silent, unwilling to offer a response to such a remark. There was no need to engage with him further on this subject when you couldn't care less about other people's business. After all, why should you? Why should anyone?