Page 1 of Crown of Steel

PART I

REJECTION

“Alpha Fraternarii.Our world. What started as a sacrifice, a way for our ancestors to survive the carnage commoners forced upon us during the French Revolution, has evolved into the devotion of a sacred brotherhood. A second bible. A way of life and a code of law.Ourcode of law. The one we must obey.”

“Obey.”The cloaked figures who formed the brotherhood echoed.

“And obey we must.” Elder Jacques hummed as he led the initiations. The words sounded like a silky, firm command as he strolled through the dim light of the cool, airy space. He too was completely blanketed in a dark cloak and a hood that was draped over his head.

Darkness seeped in through the windows, countless square metres of glass, as if they were captured in a transparent sphere. Only to go up higher, deforming its shape as they reached for the universe. For the obsidian cosmos that was waiting for them at the ceiling, filled with dense air and stars.

In his gloved hand Elder Jacques carried a wooden cane, one he pounded into the ground as he suddenly came to a halt. He tipped up his head, only to reveal a golden mask that lit up in the flickering of the fire. “We obey. Even when we feel that this path, is not the path we would have taken. Because we are brothers of Alpha Fraternarii.” He spun around, surprisingly fast, and lifted up his arms, the cane pointing toward the sky. The three hooded figures that were lined up right in front of the Elder watched along with those who stood behind them and formed a broken circle, had their heads tipped behind their colorful masks. They too looked at the stars, at the bats that flapped around, their squeaks formingan ominous backing track to the soft piano playing from the corner of the Atrium.

“We are loyal. Are we not, brothers?”

“Loyal,”they boomed. And then they all held their breath as they gawked at the cane that landed right between two of the hooded figures that stood right across from the Elder, the curve of the wooden ending teasing between their two shoulders. Mocking. Choosing, without picking.

“We have respect, right?” Elder Jacques murmured. No one replied.Instead, the place turned eerily frigid from their silence, the soft melody of Chopin being the only sound left as the pianist held his tune.

Silence before the storm.

“There is no more respect,” the Elder mumbled, his tone a strange combination of remorse and agitation.

A harsh creaking sound of the door, then someone entered the room, the faint rustle of a cloak the only indication of his languid approach.

“Monsieur Z.” The Elder didn’t look up, his stare locked on the cane.

“Elder Jacques.” The man’s voice was barely more than a high-pitched scratch. “Thank you for the invitation.”

“Bien sûr.” Finally the Elder turned his masked face to tip his chin at the newcomer, his dark, glimmering eyes void of any emotions. And yet… His gaze swept across the room and toward the far corner to where the pianist was still playing. Dark lace blinded the musician’s eyes, but it didn’t stop his fingers from flying over the instrument, his body swaying slightly to the music.

“He’s mine.” One of the hooded brothers right in front of him took a menacing step forward, blocking the Elder’s way. His voice was nothing but a smooth rumble, but it was enough for the musician to miss a note and for the hint of a gasp to echo through the room.

The Elder stared at him. “Then who.” Not a question, but a command. He resumed whipping the cane from one shoulder to the other. “For the Alpha Fraternarii is nothing if we can’t follow our traditions. For centuries, our brothers initiated, funded and directed the largest corporations in this country. We successfully implemented a governmental system that keeps the commoners happy, or happy enough—” A handful of cloaked figures in the outer circle muffled a snicker at that insinuation, making the Elder’s lip twitch faintly. “But we have always leaned heavily on our rules. If we want to pull the strings and keep everyone in check outthere, we need to make sure that inhere, new brothers are initiated according to our rules to obey. It’s for our best interest. Now—” He increased pressure, and the caneleft a soft thump on each shoulder it touched. Eenie meenie miney mo… “Which one of you will it be?”

Nothing. No one dared move in the Atrium. This situation had never occurred. Never before had the most powerful family in the brotherhood been challenged. Until now. Because this matter and the entire reason for tonight’s gathering, was all about that family.

There was another screeching sound of a bat just outside, then some more rustle of garments. And then one of the brothers took a step forward, head dipped under the heavy weight of the cloak. His intentions were clear, but before those words could leave his lips, he was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled back by the other figure. “I’ll go instead.”

“Non.”

“Si.”

Under their disguise, these two men shared a striking resemblance, their hearts and minds intertwined. Out there, they had each other’s back. But right now, in here, they were about to be punished for something that hadn’t even happened yet.

The ways of the Alpha Fraternarii were extraordinary.

“Well, well, well,” the Elder crooned, and with a loud thud the cane rested on the man’s shoulder. “Aren’t you a lucky one. You two—” He jutted his chin toward the two remaining figures. “Go and join your brothers.” After one final hesitation, the two brothers retreated and restored the outer circle of bodies, leaving the third one on his own.

The Elder used the head of his cane, a golden crow, to push the man slowly backward and propel him onto a chair that was decorated with the same, indistinguishable lilies as the ones hanging around in the Atrium. The very ones that curled around the many windows.

“I need you to listen carefully, brothers,” he soothed, then crooked his finger to yet another cloaked figure, the one know as Monsieur Z. At the gesture, the man languidly came forward. “Alpha Fraternarii received a most unusual request by one of our founding families. We have been asked to allow a new member into our brotherhood. Someone they have only recently welcomed into their family, and whoneeds to be guided onto the right path.” Monsieur Z slowly approached the chair, head ducked and chest heaving.

“This pupil will receive an invitation shortly. An invitation to join our initiations and become a brother,” Elder Jacques continued.

Monsieur Z stopped right in front of the seated figure who looked more like a golden apparition in the shimmer of moonlight.

“This pupil might be a deviation,” Elder Jacques boomed, “Because he was born with the blood of a commoner. But he has been taken on by one of our most valuable families! So we shall treat him with honor.”

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