A Dangerous Destiny: The Pure One Book I

Part III: Chapter Thirty-Three

Well here we are. Part III. And with part III comes...a new POV. Here's a character you haven't seen since Henry came home from battle, but he has been mentioned since then... Teren Mather. Who is he? ( do you remember?) More importantly...How does he fit into this story? Let's find out...;-)

Teren

Teren's footfalls echoed loudly in the large empty banqueting hall. The opportunity to host a large number of the royal court was a true privilege and honor, but the preparations required were exhaustive, not to mention expensive. His home had been filled for weeks now with various craftsman and servants bustling about. But today was a day of rest. Aside from their general household staff, there were no others wandering the halls and that was a relief. Teren was a relatively private man and preferred a quiet life when not called to duty. Though he recognized his new position and household demanded that he become more involved in the social events enjoyed by the elite citizens within the Capital, he was none the less glad for this momentary respite.

Teren's service alongside Henry Bastario had brought him great reward now that the man had taken the crown. True to his vow to one day repay his friend for his valor, mere weeks after Henry's coronation Teren had been promoted within the army to the rank of Major General with a sizable increase in pay, and bestowed a noble title that gave the Mather family true ownership over their country estate and the land surrounding.

His wife had been thrilled by the news. Carlotta's family name had once held great status and many no doubt believed she had married beneath her station in being forced into the Mather line. Though they had money enough to keep food upon their table and maintain a comfortable life, Teren had always believed that nothing would even erase the tarnish the Mather name carried, given its infamous association to the Hapsben crown, and always regretted that his wife and child would have to bare that burden. Carlotta had always been a dutiful spouse, never once complaining of the match made between their fathers, but Teren knew how very important his promotion was to her. A true chance to raise their family's worth within the Empire.

But Teren's success had grown even further in the months since the unmasking of Cecil Dirham as a traitor to the crown. Henry had been eager to eliminate as many of Dirham's former allies as possible and put, in their place, men he could trust. Not three days after Dirham's execution, Teren had been awarded the title of High Prison Commissioner, a position of true prestige, and given a sizable mansion within the Royal City as gift, to ensure he and his family might reside comfortably in Auresir while he fulfilled his new position. Of course, his new title was not without risk.

Aside from the stigma attached to the retributive side of the judiciary system, there was danger involved in overseeing the Crown's most high profile prisoners. The position's previous occupant had met an exceedingly unfortunate end when investigations into three prison escapes were judged as a sign that the man had been in league with Dirham.

Swiftly tried and judged guilty of high treason, his execution had drawn quite the crowd and lasted an uncomfortably long period of time. Hung, drawn, and quartered, the man's head still sat upon a pike near the western gates to the city. It was certainly not the end Teren wished for, but the appointment to his new position had come from the King himself, he saw the acceptance of such an honor to be worth the calculated risk. Teren had no intention of repeating the mistakes made by the former Commissioner after all, and thus reasoned he had little to fear. Indeed, taking in the high vaulted ceilings and general grander of his new residence, he could feel nothing but an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride in the reward he had garnered for his service to the King.

The party, now only a few short weeks away, had been his wife's idea. "We must show the court our new standing," she had informed him soon after they had become situated in their new home. "All should see the great favor our King has bestowed on you. It is the only way to gain respect within the Capital."