Imperium is covered in the black vail of grief.

Nobles from all over the Empire, including representatives

from the Republic of Spring, who have traveled a great distance to pay their respects; former Senators
of the deceased Kingdom of Terra, who have come out of obligation to the memory of the father rather
than the deceased; even the Queen Hope of Terra Spera has put on her mourning attire and come to
Imperium; Arthur Green has ceased his campaign against the remnant of the Hawkin-Calaed Kingdom to
be here; Emperor Aspero’s children, even Aquis the newly wed, are gathered together; then there is
Stephanius Supero.

Stephanius Supero walks among the shadows of the citadel where the funeral is held. He takes note of
all the guests that have attended this funeral before reflecting on the great challenge that lies before
him: where to bury the Emperor. He ponders the Mausoleum in Terra, the resting place of all Terra’s
kings and sons. He considers Imperium, in order to establish a new tradition of burying the Emperor in
the capital. As he thinks aloud a hand grabs his shoulder and Emperor Aspero steps beside his friend and
servant.

The Emperor instructs Stephanius Supero to bury him next to his love, Empress Jade Themis. Stephanius
Supero starts to put out the guests in the chamber, but Emperor Aspero’s eyes remain locked on the
casket at the front of the citadel. He leaves the shadows and walks down the aisle. The guest rise as he
walks past. Stephanius Supero watches coldly.

The Emperor falls to his knees before the casket of his wife and weeps. Aquis, his eldest daughter rushes
to his side and comforts him. Disgusted by this spectacle, Stephanius Supero leaves the citadel. He turns
with Honor Paladins and orders the citadel to be cleared. The guests leave, all except the Emperor, his
children and Arthur Green. The Emperor recovers himself and stands before his children and his closest
friends, he announces that he will return to the field and destroy the Hawkin-Calaed Kingdom.

Stephanius Supero is instructed to transport the body of Empress Jade Themis to the Themis estate and
oversee her burial. While Stephanius Supero is away from Imperium, Emperor Aspero and his general
council begin to put together a plan for the final campaign against the remaining forces of the Hawkin-
Calaed Kingdom. Stephanius Supero returns to Imperium as the plans are finalized.

He reviews them alone with the Emperor. As Stephanius Supero is looking over the maps he begins to
point the locations of the battles to come. He predicts the outcome, the casualties and comments on
alternative action. He stops at the siege line map of Fretz, the last major city. He looks at the Emperor
who is staring back. The Emperor nods gently and says, “you see it too. I already know and have made
peace with it.” The Emperor sends Stephanius Supero away.

Stephanius Supero is purposely given a small command for the campaign against the Hawkin-Calaed
Kingdom. He is separate from the main army led by the Emperor and the auxiliary reserves led by Arthur
Green. Stephanius Supero is left with a small advance guard.

Stephanius Supero ruthlessly leads this advance guard and slices through the defense lines. After being
slowed down by prisoners, the Emperor orders that all prisoners be execute and no quarter be given.
Stephanius Supero objects but obeys.

As the invasion force nears the capital the king of the Hawkin-Calaed Kingdom offers a ceasefire to
discuss peace with the Emperor. After being convinced that the time will allow the army to resupply,
Emperor Aspero accepts these peace talks.
Stephanius Supero oversees the resupplying of the main force. The talks in Fretz don’t last long. The
Emperor and his delegation leave the city after taking careful note of the layout. The Imperium army
returns to its onslaughting campaign. The resistance increases and the advance is slowed. Stephanius
criticizes the Emperor’s harsh tactics when dealing with prisoners to this sudden resistance. This
criticism is not well received.

Stephanius Supero is relieved of his command and stationed elsewhere. As Stephanius Supero
hopelessly watches the battle he realizes that the once sharp mind of the Emperor has caved in from the
pressure of anger and grief. Tactics and strategy have been replaced for brutal force tactics, and they are
taken their toll on the Imperium force.

Overcome by the casualties, Stephanius Supero takes command of a tatter Paladin Dieval. Through
staggered advances the Dieval breaks the lines, the road to the Capital is now open as the rest of the
Hawkin-Calaed army routes.

Stephanius Supero is order to appear before the Emperor as the siege lines are established. The two
meet alone in a tent. There Stephanius Supero confronts the Emperor and his tactics and how he has
removed Stephanius Supero from his side. As Stephanius Supero speaks the Emperor begins to cry. He
admits that he has changed, that he is tired of the war, the bloodshed and killing, that he is tired of the
tactics and strategy that has prolonged it, he only seeks a quick end. Stephanius replies that the Prince
Aspero knew a quick end to a war was not through force tactics, but cunning. As the Emperor recovers
himself he orders Stephanius Supero to return to Imperium.

Emperor Aspero states that of all the servant he has had, he has indirectly or directly caused their death.
He doesn’t want this for Stephanius Supero so he has kept his distance from him and now wishes to
send him to the safety of Imperium. If Stephanius Supero doesn’t leave the Emperor Aspero will be the
death of him, directly or indirectly.

Stephanius Supero asserts that this will not happen. This prompts the Emperor to give a speech where
he questions whether Stephanius Supero is willing to kill to save his life, whether he is will to prove that
he is right. Stephanius Supero doesn’t answer, he just leaves.

The siege of Fretz begins.

Emperor Aspero orders no quarter to be given and that the city is to be sacked and burned to the
ground. He orders the Queen to be captured alive. The Emperor oversees the bombardment of the city,
after multiple breaches are made in the walls the Emperor orders the city be hit with fire rounds from
the catapults.

As the city burns the Imperium forces swarm the city. The Emperor personally leads his Paladin Guard to
the Royal Palace and a fighting begins in the main study of the palace between the Kings Guards and the
Paladin Guards, the Emperor and the King are in the middle of the fight. The Emperor gains the upper
hand.

At this critical moment an arrow from outside sails in and pieces the Emperor’s armor under his arm.
The wound causes the Emperor to lose his advantage. He is eventually disarmed. Emperor Aspero pulls
the throwing knives from his armor and throws them at the king, they are easily deflected, but the king
is distracted long enough for the Emperor to pull a dagger and slice the throat of the king. Although
wounded and heavily bleeding the Emperor tries to reenter the melee in the palace, but he is forced by
his paladin guard outside to safety. He refuses to leave the city until the queen is brought to him.

Nearly two hours pass before the queen is led before the Emperor. With hatred and disgust in his voice
the Emperor calls for his sword. He dismounts his horse and painfully walks where the queen is kneeling
and begging for mercy. The Emperor attempts to put all his remaining strength the decapitate the
queen; however, he is too weak. Using his sword as a cane, he returns to his horse and mounts it with
help of a paladin. From his mount he looks at the barely breathing queen. An arrow enters her back, she
is put out of her suffering. The Paladins form a defensive square around the Emperor and attempt to
determine the location of the arrow. The Emperor’s eyes are locked on the blooded corpse of the cause
of this war… the former bride to be of Dalton Chason, a Princess of Calaed and queen of the united
Hawkin-Calaed Kingdom. He was pleased at the outcome, but preferred it was drawn out more.

The Emperor retires from the enflamed city. He enters a medical tent at the siege camp and lays down.
Stephanius Supero enters the tent and begins to clean his hands. The Emperor is surprised that his
doctor, servant and friend had not obeyed and returned to Imperium. Stephanius Supero carefully
removes the armor and examines the wound. Stephanius Supero, an Echonian and the only one that
knows how to accurately shoot an Echonian Arrow, informs the Emperor that he can’t remove the arrow
and save the Emperor because it is an Echonian Arrow and the barbs prevent it from being extracted.

The Emperor lays there dazed at this news. He starts his speech again, Stephanius Supero cuts him off
stating, he has killed to save his life, he has killed to prove he is right. There is a silence between the two.

The Emperor breaks the silence by instructing Stephanius Supero to gather all the knowledge and
records of the Prince Aspero and the Emperor Aspero and burn them so that the world may forget his
name. Stephanius Promises to gather the records. The Echonian then asks the Emperor how he shall be
remembered in comparison to the previous servants. The Emperor looks at his friend and tell him “You
are Wisdom, the one that was always with me until the very end.” The two talk as they use to when they
were younger until the Emperor’s breathing fails.

Stephanius Supero assumes command of the army and sees that Fretz is razed to the ground.
Stephanius Supero also instructs that honor burials be done for all those lost. He returns to Imperium
and presents to Ventus the armor, the sword of Aspero, the sword of Dalton, the Cape of Dalton, and
the crown of Aspero. Ventus is crowned Emperor.

Stephanius Supero, now renamed Wisdom returns to the Themis estate and begins his writings of the
Chronicles of Aspero. As he ponders the ending of the final Chronicle, Emperor Ventus arrives at the
estate. The Emperor inquires of Wisdom how his father died. Wisdom scrolls the last line of the book
and points to a seat. Wisdom looks at the son of Emperor Aspero, passes him the first Chronicle and says
“I would rather show you how he lived.”