[Mkguild] Life IV: Everything in its Right Place - my comments

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

AN:Trying something a little different here, bare with me,
 
LifeIV: Everything in its Right Place
 
Jack
BeforeI continue my day for you my friend, I’d like to take a slight
aside.  Because to understand just why watchingpeople go to work
fascinatedme so much, you need to understand what I was trained to do.
Becausebeing a noble?  It doesn’t train you inmany things besides
collectingtaxes.  And I like to think I was quitegood at collecting taxes.
Nowin the Sathmore Empire being a noble is one part authority to two parts
ballet.  Everything the nobles do is considered areflection of the
Emperor,because we are the Emperor’s fingers.  Wetouch the whole Empire
andlike a good hand we choke the life out of it.




>>>>Oh that last line is a good one!









In411 Emperor Palaiologos authored The Book of Noble Conduct.  What it was
wasa list of ways nobles were expected to behave in and out of the court.
Forexample, anytime I carried out any official function, I had to wear
blueshoes with eagles embroidered on them. Blue being the color of
nobles,eagles because I was in line for the throne (fourth in line by my
count).  They were incredibly uncomfortable, but byImperial law I had to
wearthem.




>>>So you are not uncomfortable - you're royally uncomfortable.





Thedress and ritual with which we conducted Imperial buisness was a
massivepain in the ass.  But it was done toremind the people they had
nothingto fear from the Nobility.  The Noblesmay be above them, but the
Emperorwas above the Nobles.  The dress and theritual were a way of
showingtheir was order in the Empire.
“Andthat is why you will put on those bloody arm bands.”  My father said
tome.
“Butthey hurt!!!!” I whined.  I was nineyears old.  My younger brother
wasonly three and right now I envied him. Today I was going to get to sit
besidemy father while we patrolled the city. Today was tax day, everyone
inthe city went to a designated booth and paid their taxes.


>>>Arm bands?







TheBook of Noble Conduct said the Lord of a city must patrol it that day,
toremind people of their presence and why they need to pay their taxes.
Theycan refuse, but their Lord may choose to send the army to force them.
 
SoI was in my golden and blue dalmatic, my cloak, my bright green girdle
fringedwith gold (we in Sathmore love us some gold) and now my father was
addinggolden arm bands.  My dalmatic wasalready covered with brand new
pearls,weighing my chest down.  The girdle alsohad pearls, making it
heavytoo.
 
>>>What's a dalmatic? It's a girdle? 







Addinto that a bunch of arm pinching gold bands and you’ve got to be
wonderinghow easy was it for me to move.  Well itwas very easy once you
gaveup on trying to breathe.
 
Andthat was before the medals, ribbons and decorative sword were added!
Anotherthing you need to learn about Sathmore, our nobles love awarding
eachother for being nobles.
 
Do you jingle when you walk?  :)







Mypants also had golden rings on them, embroidery and pearls up and down
theside with eagles all along them.  I’vegrown to despise eagles.
Finallythe servants placed the last rings around my arms.  My father,
standingbehind me, nodded in approval.
 
“Excellent.”  He stepped closer.  The two of us reflected in the mirror, I
couldn’thelp but notice how similar I looked to him. Except he had more
pearlsand no eagles.  My father turned to aservant and gestured.
 “Tighter on the girdle.”
 
“Ofcourse Lord Leontes.”  The servantgrabbed the green fabric and
yanked.  I could see spots beginning to swirl aroundmy eyes as my lungs
screamedfor air.
“It’sabout as good as it’ll get.” Leontes said. “Next year decorate the
bandswith rubies.  I want our dress to reflectour wealth.  The pleebs
mustrecognize us as their betters.”


>>>>>> He sounds like a real jerk







“YesLord Leontes.”  One thing the servantshad learned was how to
mindlesslyagree.  Doing so kept you in a job.
“Idon’t wanna collect stupid taxes.” I whined, pulling on the girdle.  My
fatherclocked me on the side of the head with his ruby ring.
“Silenceboy.” He snapped.  “What you want isirrelivent.  You are to be a
highLord of the Sathmore Empire.  You mustpresent yourself as such.”  I
bitmy tongue before I could stick it at him. Last thing I needed was
anotherwap.
Aswe exited the Manor, my father’s guards followed us in a circle.  Being
theguy who collects taxes makes you unpopular. Being an absolute bastard
makesyou unpopular.  And my father combinedboth elements!  Our guards had
onmultiple occasions spared him from assassination.  I would have the
firstattempt on my life later that year actually.
Whenyou’re in line for the throne you’ve always got people trying to bump
youoff so they can hop up the line.
Atthe stables our horses were already secured. My father somehow had
secureda colt that looked identical to his stallion. Down to the same
whitemark on the forehead, it made me look even more like his clone.
“Idon’t wanna ride…”  My hands shook as Iheld onto my fresh reins.  “It’s
toofast!”  We were trotting along at roughlythe speed of tree.  I like
horsesas animals, I just don’t like riding on them.




>>>>>>Good stuff so far. And the book of nobles is real?
 
AN:Yes The Book of Noble Conduct is a real thing.
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