It Went Without Saying

A Tale of Political Justice

It wasn't unfamiliar territory for an Agrandian to be walking in, as they had held an alliance with the Persuvians for thirty decades to the day. However, it seemed as foreign as the surface of the moon to Deravi, the former Grand Vizier of Agrandi, for he now walked the halls of the beautifully designed palace as the newly installed Prime Ministrar to his home country, and as such walked with new responsibilities to complement his bolstered personality.

The present setting is in the palace of Persuvia, the most regal of the twenty one palaces built in the major cities throughout the land. This particular palace stood at the capitol hill of the land, and attracted the frequent attentions of the nation's leader, Cistarys. The aforementioned leader was hardly a trim and fit model for the people he presided over, his weight becoming as exorbitant as his lavish dress, which was not helped by his ever-growing appetite for food, spirits, and women of every breed and colour.

Prime Ministrar Deravi, on the other hand, was an icon if there ever was one. His figure was perfectly honed to one that could rival gods, and often did in the fictitious tales the townsfolk told daily in the town square of his capitol. He displayed modest behaviour when he sat at his dinner table, and on more than one occasion turned away extra helpings of his own dinner food in the interest of giving his guests more room on the table upon which they could enjoy more of the food his cooks were famous for. The people adored him in every way, and gave humbly when asked for donations to complement their mandatory taxes.

The same could not be said in Persuvia, simply because taxes were oft left unpaid; this was due to so many tax collectors being killed out of anger and frustration while making their rounds about the overcrowded and crumbling cities. It was evident that foreign conquest of the numerous national armies was the only form of income for the nation, though the results of such income were seen only by those privileged enough to traverse the palaces Cistarys lovingly fashioned and regularly utilized for his foreign dinner guests.

Deravi was never one to let his opinion show in any matter outside of those that warranted his political thoughts, and made sure to maintain his silence when visiting the obviously failing empire of Persuvia, which once used to be highly regarded as the greatest neighbour to Agrandi, in both economic standing and general hospitality.

On this fateful day, Deravi met with Cistarys for an intimate dinner, a political formality and time-honoured tradition for new leaders of neighbouring countries.

"It is once again a wonderful pleasure to welcome you into my unworthy place of rest and indulgence, my dear Deravi," the giant jolly Cistarys shouted from across the room, standing only long enough to bow to his revered guest. Deravi returned the gesture with a polite nod, as was expected from the leader of a nation as great as Agrandi.

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine," he spoke with great kindness to his host. He took his place at the opposite end of the short rectangular table. Two of Cistarys' advisors sat at the table with them, waiting for the two great and powerful leaders to eat before joining them. The multi-coloured dishes the attendants brought to them shocked Deravi, who had never enjoyed such a lavishly over-done dinner as this, even on the most luxurious of sacred day feasts in his home country.

"So tell me," Cistarys began with a disgustingly juicy bite of a chicken leg. "What are your directions with the nation going to be? Are you sending your people to bring conquest to the world, or peace? Greater gold in the coffers or spending it in whatever ways you deem worthwhile?"

"I haven't given it much thought, as I've been mostly concerned with ensuring my staff and advisors are accustomed to my being the new leader," the Prime Ministrar replied, starting slowly into his tall-stacked salad of many leaves and meats.

"Ah, yes, I did hear that you rejected the tradition of removing all the old staff and installing new employees to aid you. Why was it you did that? I would've taken the liberty to bring a whole new perspective to my rule. Leave a lasting legacy, you might say."

"I found that if I did that, the loss of the benefit of an experienced staff would be on my hands. After all, my father certainly chose some intelligent people to fill those positions."

"I guess I can respect that," the host replied, wiping his hands on the tablecloth on either side of the plates in front of him.

"I have found support from my advisors in some plans I have worked out that will bring change not only to our own home, but to our neighbours as well. I should hope you will find them agreeable as well."

"Is this so?" Cistarys snapped his well-oiled fingers and an attendant brought him a fresh set of plates, covered in a new course of the meal. Deravi was surprised at how fast his host had finished the food set before him just moments before. Cistarys joked, "Then tell me of these plans so I may better prepare myself to rush in to your aid when you need it."

"The plans will bring a peaceful end to the conquests that our predecessors relied on for expanding territory. We all need to ensure that the states we rule are being cared for properly before adding a greater drain to our resources. In doing this we will fortify our economic progress and increase the general well-being of the people we live among."

"Hah! Maybe you live among them, but I am certainly aware of the luxuries my position affords. I had to work to get here, just as you did. Don't forget that in an effort to win a popularity contest with the subjects below you - you are the ruler, not them." Cistarys waved his finger to illustrate his point, obviously satisfied with the life he was living. "Now, about these plans, suppose my people are happy already. Need we participate in these new ideas of yours?"

"It would be to their great benefit. After all, a happy public can always be happier, and the assured satisfaction of the people ensures a stable government." Deravi worked to get to the bottom of his salad, but made sure the others at the table finished theirs first.

"Alright, so where do I fit into all this? What do I need to do to make sure our alliance remains unchanged and stable?"

"Your part in this grand plan is most certainly an important one, but you needn't worry - it won't change your routines much. You will still find yourself without going to extra efforts to aid your nation."

"Good. I've done enough work to get this position, and now I'm taking the pleasures it affords me."

"You are certainly entitled to those pleasures," Deravi commented off-handedly as he discovered the bottom of his salad dish. The attendants took it away and brought him a proper plate of meat, its origin undeterminable from how many spices and plants it was buried under.

"Will I be able to enjoy the spoils of a stronger market from these new plans?" His eyes moved up to ensure Deravi could hear the words over the sounds bones Cistarys was breaking in the domination of his dinner.

"Why yes, I do believe you will. However, this will require planning on your part. You'll need to direct in writing how you plan to have your yearly expenses arranged, right down to the smallest detail."

"Very well, I'll call for my scribe once we're finished here."

"It seems these plans will also bring about the introduction of open borders between Persuvia and Agrandi, encouraging more trade of more goods that people on both sides may be otherwise unable to get."

"Oh? I wasn't aware we didn't have open borders to begin with," Cistarys called over the chewing in his immense maw.

"Yes, the borders between our respective nations have been closed for several years now, but that will all change, and I'm sure you'll find the results to be to your nation's benefit."

"Well then, let's say my nation comes under attack from foreign invaders, being the senseless uncivilized barbarians they are. With its removal of conquest, will these plans help us defend ourselves?"

"Most certainly, Cistarys," he replied to his host. He took a great chunk of meat from the breast of whatever beast lay before him and indulged his mouth with the sweet juicy sustenance. "These plans will certainly ensure your nation is ready and prepared for invasion and attack on any and all fronts, as they will be physically fit. Everyone in both public and private employment will be sound in mind and body as needed to properly ward off attacks from anyone who may overstep the boundaries of their welcome."

Cistarys responded with a great swig of his wine glass, draining it to half without stopping for a breath. "These plans sound wonderful, dear friend. Just when do they begin?"

Deravi's eyes shot up, staring down his host under dark eyebrows of determination and unwavering justice. "Now."

He immediately stood up to his full height, his calves shoving his chair back behind him by a foot, and Deravi drew his beautifully crafted longsword from his hip, bringing the point to Cistarys' nose. The shock didn't befall the target's face until he put down the last piece of chicken on his plate and finally heard the panicked breathing of his attendants.

"What is this madness?"

"This is not madness, Cistarys. This is the end of madness - yours." The sweat began to roll from under Cistarys' golden turban. "You see, your nation's borders have been left unopened for years because the peoples' cries for freedom have been left unheard through the impenetrable walls of your palaces. When you are buried - or burned alive and then buried, depending how you choose to handle yourself in the coming minutes - your nation will immediately increase their general happiness and well-being a hundredfold, as the direct flow of gold from the markets to your private coffers will cease to exist, and the wealth will be returned to the people, where it rightly belongs."

Cistarys' breathing became arrhythmic, his panic setting in. Deravi walked around the table to get closer to his host, and continued.

"But you needn't worry about your people, they will be just fine without you. You see, without you, they will have the money to buy the food they need to maintain their strength to do the work that will rebuild this empire to its former glory. With that work, the people will become fit again, and will be ready to fend off their nation from any wolves that may come to their doors, though at present the only wolf anywhere near them they need worry about is you. Like I said before, your routines will remain largely unchanged with the advent of the new plan. You will remain as sedentary and useless in death as you have lived the last decade of your life, only you won't ever need to feel hunger or thirst again from that self-destructive whale of a body you've developed."

He paused for a breath and noted that the rest of the people in the room, save for Cistarys, were more relaxed, even beginning to show the same hope for justice that Deravi was holding.

"Now, I would say that you should call for your scribe now if you're interested in enjoying the spoils of the bolstered marketplace activity Persuvia is about to see, though most of your share of the spoils will undoubtedly go toward your burial expenses, as the people will never agree to giving their newfound wealth to you for any other reason."

Cistarys returned Deravi's stare, and kept his hands down on his lap, obviously having been beaten in a battle he wasn't aware he was a part of until it was too late. "You think you're clever, but you don't know what you're doing. The power has gone to your head already, just think of what it'll do to you when you're my age."

"The open borders will ensure that your people get the food they've been deprived of from your local tariffs on food production, and my people will get the benefit of unloading their surplus food to Persuvia as a donation of good faith to a people in need of dire assistance."

Deravi continued to watch Cistarys' eyes, at last pushed to the end of his rope by the disgusting mess of mindless self-indulgence sitting in a heap in front of him.

"What's that? You don't care about the people you rule over? Well, that went without saying."



Hours later, the severed head of Cistarys was placed upon a pike in front of the grand palace, and the live returned to Persuvia in a great festival where the oppressed people were returned to a freed existence, and the oppressed government officials took control and reversed all the terrible self-absorbed decisions their former "leader" had perpetrated. In time, Persuvia would be annexed by Agrandi with no negative response from either side, and the two nations would unite in an unending unity of fellowship and brotherhood.