The King's Freedom

[Nentsia]

Dein 1587

Zemaita
Kingdom of Nerysia

The sun had just gone under as a motorcade travelled through the capital of the Kingdom. The black, armoured vehicles carried the Royal Standard on the hood, signifying that a member of the Royal family was being escorted. Police escorts cleared the roads for the 20 royal vehicles, heading towards the National Assembly building at high speeds.

The illuminated Gothic buildings of the Nerysian capital were reflected in the black metallic paint of the royal cars as they drove through the historic center of the city. If a member of the Royal family was on the way to the legislature, it was probably the King himself. But King Algirdas, son of Aspar, was 70 years old and shunned publicity, preferring to wield his influence behind closed doors. It could also be his son and intended heir, Prince Azirkas, who had the authority to act in the name of the King. Prince Azirkas and his wife were frequently seen in public, attending ceremonies, religious celebrations, or making political announcements. He was a tall but skinny man, usually dressed in full uniform, with a well-kept brown-haired beard, short brown hair, and big eyes that stood out from his rather long, rectangularly shaped face. His narrow face was a reflection of his narrow mind. Prince Azirkas was disliked because he didn't just look like a police-man in his black uniforms with his polished boots, he also acted like one. He was also keen to correct those around him, impose political discipline on everyone, and even reprimand his wife when she read books that he deemed politically subversive. Pretty much everyone in the Kingdom dreaded the day that Azirkas would become King, for it was impossible to like the man, who to some extend seemed to enjoy being hated. For him, the hatred of others served as a form of confirmation that he was on the right course. To Azirkas, human beings were nothing but a bunch of cattle, shitting and eating as they see fit, and he saw himself - as (future) Monarch - as being tasked with instilling and maintaining order. Being disliked was part of the job.

It was indeed Prince Azirkas who emerged from one of the vehicles after they had arrived at the parliament building. The Prince was quickly welcomed by Chancellor Ricimer, the man through whom King Algirdas often operated and controlled the political system. As Chancellor, Ricimar was the chair of the legislature. He also sat in the Crown Council, the advisory board of the King. Executive and legislative powers were strictly separated under Algirdas. The National Assembly and the Senate, chaired by the Chancellor, approved budgets and could block and initiate legislation. Executive power was concentrated in the Council of Ministers and the Crown Council. Both were composed at will by the King, and answerable only to the King. In practice, this meant that the King and the Crown Council governed the country and developed its policies, the Council of Ministers was charged with implementation, and the legislature was allowed to debate the plans, but seldomly blocked them. True opposition parties were banished a long time ago - there were only varying shades of loyalty.

The fact that a member of the Royal family visited the legislature, instead of the legislators being summoned to the Palace, usually indicated that Royal family had an announcement to the nation - therefore symbolically addressing the representatives of the nation.

Once standing before the representatives of the Assembly, everyone in the room went silent – not knowing what to expect.

The tall Prince Azirkas, in his black royal uniform with all its golden braiding and decorations, stared into the chamber with his big, hollow eyes and his long face. ‘’Esteemed members of the Assembly,’’ he began with a loud and stern voice.

‘’I stand here with a message from our Sovereign Lord, King Algirdas, son of Aspar. I have been ordered by the Sovereign, my beloved father, to personally hand the Chancellor of the Assembly the following Royal Decree.’’

With his slender hands, he then held out an envelope, which was taken on by a herald who then took the letter across the floor to the bench where Chancellor Ricimer was seated. Ricimer, a thin man with a pale, wrinkly skin and his black hair combed back – highlighting his receding hairline – opened the letter. He turned even paler, to the point that some worried he was suffering a heart attack. He rose from his 700-year old wooden bench and read it out loud before the Assembly.

‘’His Majesty the King, Lord Sovereign of the Kingdom of Nerysia, Algirdas, son of Aspar, hereby orders the immediate dissolution of the National Assembly, the closure of its building, and the cessation of its activities, until further notice. The King expresses his gratitude to the Members of the Assembly for their hard work and commitment to the Nation. Signed…’’

Chancellor Ricimer looked up from the letter, then to Prince Azirkas, and then to his peers on the front rows of the parliamentary benches. The room quickly filled itself with the sound of whisper and buzzing as the members realized they were blatantly being cast aside. A man in the back rose from his seat. ‘’This is Tyranny!’’ he yelled. Prince Azirkas seemed rather amused at the scene. ‘’The King cannot do this!’’ yelled another short but fat man.

‘’We want to speak to the Majesty in person!’’
‘’I shall never give up my seat!’’

Some people started screaming and yelling, but the majority of the people seemed to accept their fate with resignation. Some members were visibly content with the decision – having never thought much of the Assembly and its role. But the people who mattered, like Chancellor Ricimer, were simply stunned. Eventually he rose from his seat again. ‘’Order! ORDER I SAID.’’

Everyone was silent again. Some were still standing though. ‘’With all due respect, Your Highness, but has His …Majesty… given any reasons or explanation for this unexpected Royal Decree?’’ Ricimer slowly turned his skull towards Prince Azirkas, who smiled arrogantly at him.

‘’Chancellor I can only assure you that His Majesty has taken this decision after lengthy consideration, and decided in all His wisdom that this was to be decided. That should be enough explanation. I hope that you do have faith in the judgment and wisdom of our King…’’

Chancellor Ricimer was now as white as the moon. The blood vessels in his forehead were pumping as he was fuming with anger. He rose from his seat again, crossed the floor in a few short but determined steps and walked over to Prince Azirkas. ‘’I am not playing games here. What is going on? I could still summon the King in person before this chamber,’’ he hissed at Azirkas.

Azirkas’ smirking face disappeared. ‘’You want to drag an old man to this floor because you’ve become too arrogant to accept a message from the Heir to his throne and his only son?’’

Ricimer turned around. ‘’You’ve all heard me. The King has dissolved the Assembly. Everyone is hereby dismissed and ordered to leave the building and do not return until further notice.’’

Then he turned back to Azirkas. ‘’I request an audience with the King for tomorrow morning.’’

‘’Your request has been noted.’’ Azirkas replied with an irritated voice.

Moments later, the Assembly members poured out of the building, while Prince Azirkas entered one of his Royal cars. Chancellor Ricimer wandered through the corridors of the building’s floors to instruct supporting staff and administrative personnel to go home until further notice.

Once he got to the highest floor however, two men appeared. They walked towards Ricimer who initially thought they might be from the security. Once he got closer to them, he noticed they were wearing doctors’ gloves. Ricimer panicked, and tried to run away as fast as his old legs could carry him. But his legs proved too old and he tripped, fell down to the floor and probably broke his wrist. The two mysterious men picked him up from the ground.

Outside, below the building, Prince Azirkas was looking at his watch while sitting in a stationary car. Then he heard a strange scream, followed by a slap. Azirkas noticed in the corner of his eye that an object had come down and fell on the ground. He turned his head, and saw a man lying on the ground, bleeding, with his arms and legs visibly broken.

‘’Drive.’’ Azirkas then told his driver.