Chapter 10: Spark in the Amber (1)
Aston von Rosenmahl's POV
"The noble lie binds the majority in chains for the sake of order. The destructive truth tears them into the abyss of chaos. Neither leads to happiness of all. Rather, they are mere reflections of false freedom."
––Aston von Rosenmahl
My bluish eyes still shimmer as I idly twirl a golden Cont coin between my fingers. It bears the likeness of the first queen, Elisia, the very namesake of this continent. The blue blood staining my knuckles has been wiped away completely, along with the splatters on the floor and any other unsightly traces. I examine the seal of the Löwenherz family before breaking it apart with my free left hand. Like a brittle biscuit, it snaps in two. Setting the gilded coin aside, I turn my gaze toward the murky scenery outside the window.
A blue sun. A cold mist. A sky shifting between blue and green, nearly turquoise in its ethereal glow. Upon closer inspection, the waters below mirror that same eerie hue, a blend of deep green and blue. The last of the Reds are being driven from the dozen galleons, their bodies unceremoniously discarded onto the docks. More ships loom on the horizon, their blackened sails billowing against the turquoise-colored sky. My gaze drifts from the Cont coin to the letter before me. I exhale softly.
For a single piece of gold like this, Reds will toil for half their lives, yet here I am, playing with it like a mere child.
I scoff at my own frivolity and let my eyes settle upon the bold strokes of carrot-orange ink, stark against the deep blue paper. The cursive script is elegant yet firm, almost alive in its presence. The blue sun only accentuates its clarity.
...
Dear Aston von Rosenmahl,