Scarlet Symphony: A Renaissance Love Story

The King sat in his throne room. He'd been sitting there for a week. He was exhausted. His advisors had left him, his subjects feared him, and he had few allies left. And now he would have to face the Shadow Lords alone.

He knew them well, it was him that had given them their name: The Shadow Lords. They were men who followed the law and paid taxes, but their heart was not with the King but with their own selfish goals. Their goals did not always align with the King's lawful rule of his kingdom, so they stayed in the shadows where they could plot against the King in secret.

The King had first noticed their rebellion when crops started to fail and bandits began to plague his people. It became clear that one of these shadowy lords was selling grain and weapons to the bandits while another was shipping weapons to foreign lands to be used against the realm. These two men, along with many others, made up the Shadow Lords. The King banished those he could find, but there were so many of them that he couldn't catch them all. He sent out word across his kingdom stating that if these shadow lords came out into the light then they would be pardoned for their crimes. Now all he had left was to wait for them to show themselves.

Several hours passed and then a hooded figure walked into the Great Hall from a door on the side wall. The figure drew closer and a lantern was lit behind him, illuminating his face for all of the hall to see.

"Greetings my liege," said an old voice from within the hooded robe. "I am here as you requested."

The old man stepped forward slowly and carefully until he reached the center of the hall next to the throne which sat empty save for one other figure: One of the King's greatest warriors known simply as The Blade Master. He was seated on a stool next to where the king would usually sit, wearing heavy armor that covered every inch of his body except for his eyes and mouth. Even though he wore this armor, no one doubted that The Blade Master was anything short of deadly fast or powerful; most agreed that he hadn't lost a fight since before they were born.

"Good evening, sir," said The Blade Master in a polite yet gruff voice, betraying his frustration. "You're late."

"My apologies, sir," replied the old man politely. "We encountered difficulties leaving our meeting place."

"You've often had trouble with your meetings lately, haven't you?" asked The Blade Master flatly. "I believe I recall sending you aid during your last meeting. Where is my aid?"

"It arrived a bit late, sir," replied the old man hastily. "But we are here now, ready for this war!"

"Then why did it take you so long?" pressed The Blade Master. "Did you have trouble getting your marching orders? Did you have trouble planning your strategy? Did you have trouble getting your supplies together? Did you have trouble making sure everyone was clear on their roles? Did you even know what your role was?"

"Y-yes, sir..." stammered the Old Man. "...We always know our role..."

"So then why are you always late?" pressed The Blade Master. "Why do I always need to send help? Why do I always need to send someone to pick up new recruits?" Before the old man could answer 'Yes' or 'No', The Blade Master continued, "Because none of you can do anything worth doing without me sending help! You're supposed to be my spies, yet I end up doing all your work for you! You're supposed to keep an eye on things so I can stay away, yet instead I'm constantly sending someone over there just so I can get more information! This war won't last more than two days if we don't start fighting soon!" He spat in disgust.

As this exchange took place, a hooded figure who'd been dozing against one wall woke up, startled by the shouting. "SISTER!" shouted The Blade Master angrily. "You've been asleep again! What good are you?! How many times must I tell you?! Go back home!"

The sleepy figure, revealed to be the Blade Master's sister, jumped up immediately despite her desire for rest, and brushed herself off as quickly as possible, even though she was still dressed in her pajamas. She then hurried away to deal with matters herself, knowing that she couldn't ignore her brother's call to action any longer.