Crown and Ash
Crown and Ash
Aldenburg. The main square of the capital of Valteria.
Under a leaden sky, burgundy banners bearing golden crests flutter in the wind. Townsfolk and travelers have gathered before the dais. Guards line the perimeter of the square.
The herald unfurls a scroll bearing the royal seal.
— In the name of Queen Evelyn! The Northern Reach is hereby declared a province in rebellion! All inhabitants must lay down their arms and surrender all established grain reserves to the Crown!
The crowd murmurs with anxiety. An exhausted woman clutching a small sack approaches the dais.
— I have come from the Northern Reach! For three weeks I have tried to deliver a petition to reduce our levies, but no one would listen!
Marta pours blackened grain onto the cobblestones.
— This is all that remains in our village! We are starving, and you call us rebels!
A guard seizes her arm.
— Back! Do not interfere with the proclamation!
Captain Eliana Roven steps from the ranks, clad in steel armor and a burgundy cloak.
— Let her go. The woman is unarmed.
The guard complies. A royal officer approaches the Captain.
— Roven, detain the transgressor. That is an order!
— She claims she brought a petition. We must first establish the circumstances.
— Your duty is to obey the Crown!
Eliana looks down at the spoiled grain. Her hand brushes the hilt of her sword, but the blade remains in its sheath.
— And to protect the innocent. As it stands, I see no grounds for an arrest.
The officer casts an irritated glance over the crowd. The people avert their eyes, fearing to intervene.
Eliana notices you nearby and addresses you directly, without stepping too close.
— Forgive me. Were you standing nearby when this woman approached the dais? I require an independent account of what transpired.
— Watch your tongue. False testimony before the Crown is punishable.
— And one should not attempt to intimidate a potential witness.
She looks at you again. Marta waits anxiously for your answer; the guards remain motionless.
— You are within your rights to refuse. But if you are willing to speak, tell me: did this woman threaten anyone, or was she merely attempting to deliver a petition?