The city of Golden Stones met them with fluttering red and yellow banners, banners hung on high walls, and crowds of festively dressed commoners, poured into the streets to meet their ruler and his victorious army. Alessia, peeking out from behind the curtains of the brightly painted palanquin, was blinded by the magnificence of this huge human anthill — wide pavements, tall buildings, decorated with golden quartz on the facade and just crowds of people — she had never seen so many people in one place! And it is not even the capital! The city was an important strategic and trading center on the border of the Adalard Empire, but as Radovan assured her, it was just a faded shadow in front of its capital, the beautiful pearl of the Iberian kingdom, Nimoy, which he could talk endlessly with a proudly in love with a sculptor who adores his creation .

“Nephew, welcome home,” a tall, dark-haired man, with silver-plated temples, cordially spread his arms to meet the motorcade. Most of the troops camped outside the city walls, only the commanding elite and the few soldiers coming from this part of the country were allowed to enter the city - Radovan did not tolerate unrest and did not want to subject the citizens to the burden of keeping his army in an enclosed area, no matter how disciplined was

“Uncle,” Radovan easily jumped off the Black Wind, who was impatiently kicking with his feet, and quickly knelt down, bowing his head to the elderly man. He gently lifted him and hugged him tightly. Then, stepping back, he leaned heavily in a ceremonial bow and handed a bunch of heavy keys to Radovan.

“The governor has returned to the city,” he shouted in a high, loud voice, “long live Tigran the Great!” - the crowd huddled in the square near the palace, watching the meeting, rejoiced. “As long as our Jehan is with us, no misfortune can threaten us - may Tigran be glorious!” - he continued shouting laudatory speeches, stirring up people's adoration. Radovan proudly stood by, taking this love for granted - he was their master, their emperor, for the sake of their well-being he could sacrifice anything, but in return he demanded a lot - absolute devotion, unquestioning obedience, readiness to go to death at the first call. He was painfully merciless in this love for his homeland — he protected, he groomed, cherished as a woman, but he also used, mercilessly he had when she melted wax in his hands, giving rise to new wealth and remaining equally insatiable.

“Well, now that the ceremonies are over, you can relax,” Radovan remarked calmly, patting his uncle in a friendly way, “will you let us sleep, Doguvan?”

- What are you talking about, son, always glad to see you. You do not often indulge the old man - he exiled me to this honorable exile ... I never saw each other in two years, then twice in four months I was honored with such honor. Have you decided to change the governor? - he gently scolded his nephew. His words could indeed have been taken for the humorous indignation of a middle-aged man, tired of long loneliness, if it were not for the powerful power that penetrated through his whole figure and the piercing gaze of narrow eyes that looked attentively and intensely from under bushy eyebrows.

“That you are an uncle,” Radovan laughed in his tone, “and this was not in our thoughts.” Who better to cope with the difficult task of preserving my borders? And who to trust if not the next of kin?

The elderly man flashed his eyes in response and nodded slightly, showing respect. Both understood that this exchange of feigned courtesies was only the beginning of a renewed dispute over and over again.Doguvan was too ambitious to be so long removed from the life of the capital, but did not dare to enter into direct confrontation with his nephew, rightly fearing his power. Fifteen years ago, when Radovan’s father died, his younger brother hoped that now it was his turn to enjoy power, while his nephew, who had barely come of age, would indulge in entertainment with women and hunting. But to his surprise and the soon-felt awe, Radovan stood firmly on his feet and did not sway from the burden of the reign that had fallen on him overnight. He did not need the advice of either relatives or statesmen who served under his father. He plunged into the administration of the state with all the passion of a young, inquisitive mind - understanding everything on his own and rarely relying on other people's opinions.

When one of the princes rebelled, wanting to secede from the empire, the twenty-year-old emperor stood at the head of the army and immediately broke the resistance, executing the traitor with his own hands. Doguvana still distorted at the memory of the day when his nephew, whom he was accustomed to be considered a boy, with a naked torso and impassive eyes, did not pay attention to the splashing of blood and pieces of flesh that covered his sticky flexible body with precise blows of the hammer crushed the bones convict. The screams of that still stood in the ears. As if Radovan had not heard his plea for forgiveness, as if basking in the sun in his pain and despair.

Then it became clear to all that the heir, despite his youth, would not allow himself to be controlled. Doguvan was clever and learned well the lesson presented to him and other representatives of the arrogant nobility. But this did not diminish his desire to find a gap in his nephew's armor. He could not be absolutely unapproachable, and he should have had weak points, knowing about which he could count on benefits for himself. But neither the wonderful gifts, nor the beautiful concubines, nor the opium, or the bloody amusements arranged by him, seemed to touch the heart of the ruler. He did not refuse anything from the offer - enjoying both women and food, and fights in the arena in his honor, but nothing weakened his defenses, did not soften his temper. He was truly the son of his father, as if he himself did not belong to the tyrant who had died in the grave.

Doguvan devotedly bowed his head, did not dare to contradict orders, but he internally burned with envy and anger, leaving no hope that one day he would find a way to beat the pride of a proud boy who had become his master. Therefore, now he was perplexedly looking at the decorated palanquin surrounded by warriors, which proceeded into the courtyard of his castle in the middle of the procession that accompanied the ruler. Having remained outside on the pretext of taking care of the honored guests, giving the old seneschal the honor of escorting the gentleman to his chambers, the governor looked with amazement at the thin figure wrapped in a gas shawl that slipped out of the wagon accompanied by a maid. From a distance, the woman’s faces could not be seen, but as far as he knew, Radovan’s wives never left Nima. So the woman was another mistress. But isn't it too much honor for a simple whore to bring her to her relative's house? Radovan could not know that it was against the secular rules - to dishonor the house of a respectable man by the presence of a woman of easy virtue! Especially since he, as a joyful owner, of course, would have offered him a woman for a bed from his numerous harem. He had just noticed a couple of stupid slaves, recently brought from the islands of the two-faced Vulcan - he still did not give up trying to put a woman under her nephew, that she could inflame him so much that she would not be exposed from his chambers right after the end, but having conquered trust, would become an invaluable source of information for his master.

The fact that the nephew brought his concubine with him spoke of her value to him, since he did not want to part with her, leaving her in a camp outside the city. This as it was destroying his carefully conceived plans, and opened the way for new opportunities.Rubbing his hands from impatience and from the thoughts that had not yet fully formed in his head, Doguvan called out the returning seneschal.

- Have you already posted jane?

“Yes, sir, in the western chambers, as you ordered,” the long-bearded old man slavishly leaned in, ringing his keys at the waist.

- And the woman?

- The emperor ordered her separate chambers next to ...