Emperor Yuri's Assassination

The wound in his side ached each time he pulled himself forward, but he must make it to his servants quarters. As he crawled along, his arms pulling his immobile lower-half forward, the only sound has that of his grunts and the fabric gliding across the wood floor. The moon was the only light shining through the windows, it was the dead of night. He called out for help, but nobody came, his vision began to blur as he became too tired to continue moving. Footsteps scuffled down the corridor, toward him. "Emperor!" the people screamed. "What has happened!?" Yuri was too exhausted to answer, the darkness closing in around him, his hearing damping their questions. He thought he might sleep.

. . .

Judas thought he had it all. During the war, he had immense power, and prestige. Thousands of soldiers, and even the Emperor, would heed his every command. Ugh, that feeble, weak emperor disgusted him, but he dared not show it, for Judas was living quite nicely. Then, the war ended, Yuri had brokered a peace with the Russians, how pathetic, sacrificing his peoples land, they should have fought on. But that was no the worst part, no. The worst part was his fall from power accompanying the end of the war. No longer was he a high-class member of society, no longer did people heed his remarks. They despised him, he could tell, but he dared not show it.

Judas knew the people did not enjoy losing any more than he did, so he capitalized on this, and his popularity. He began a campaign to be known in every household, no, to be worshipped in every household. He promised he would bring this nation back to its proper state, with the typer of infrastructure it had only seen during the Timurid's rule. He knew Emperor Yuri was still alive, and some would accuse him of being unethical, sneaky, but he own over the hearts of many, many he knew, would vote for him when the time came, and Yuri passed on. So Judas waited, plotting how he would consolidate power, but he dared not show it.

However, the time never came. Since 1390 Judas had waited for Yuri's death. The man was in his 70's, but still kept on. Soon, 1395 came around, and the Emperor fell ill. For a year he was teetering on the edge of death, but he came back, unexpectedly. How spiteful.

Before Judas knew it, Yuri was 83, and it was 1401, and despite falling ill another time, Yuri had not died. This was bad for Judas, because, although he knew the majority wanted him, people began to see Yuri as an invincible figure, one who would not die. Judas, in this time, even had a wife, and three children, but still, Yuri showed no signs of death. Then, in 1403, Judas could wait no longer. He contacted those he trusted, a network of people, and told them his plan. His people infiltrated the house staff and the Royal Guard in the Frujho mansion, the emperor's most beloved estate. Within a year, the palace was under Judas' control, and that's when he made his move.

. . .

The woman knew what had to be done as she rounded the corner, closing in on Yuri's room. In the later years of his life he had grown accustomed to the company of younger women, as a way of keeping up his vitality. It was an innocent habit really, as all they would do was keep him company. But, when Judas learned of this habit, he knew it was the easiest way to dispose of the Emperor. He had told her that she and her family would live out the rest of their days in considerable wealth if she would do this for him, and never speak of it.

She clutched the knife at her side, what option did she have, she was just trying to provide for her family, besides, this man's time was way past due. She slowed down as she neared the door. She waited a couple minutes outside the door, panting with anxiety, before regaining enough of her consciousness to do what needed to be done. "Hello emperor," she whispered with as much nonchalance as she could muster under the circumstances. "It's me... I've come back for you." She heard rustling inside the chamber, and took a step back.

"Welcome my dear," Yuri said as he opened the door, "Please come in." The moonlight illuminated the chamber slightly, leaving shadows dancing in the corners. Yuri walked over to a long wooden table, with two candles in the middle. "Have a seat if you would like."

"Actually," she slipped off her outer robe, revealing silk undergarments. "I had something else in mind." She walked towards him, his eyes fixated on her. She stood in front of him, and held his head in her hands. He eagerly stroked her face. They locked eyes as she removed her hand from the back of his head. Yuri took his hands off her and pulled their faces together, locking lips as they did so. She grabbed the knife, and with a fitness that astounded herself, jabbed it as hard as she could, into the side of the Emperor.

The Emperor, shocked, broke off their kiss, and blankly stared at her, his mouth forming an circle, seemingly in question. She now took hold of the knife handle with both hands, and drove it into Yuri even further, a grimace covering her face as some blood splashed back and hit her bare chest. She stood there for a while, as Yuri's breathing became forced, and his eyes droopy, until he fell back, his body releasing the knife into her hand. She dropped the knife, and ran, not out of fear or disgust, but out of apprehensiveness, she had just saved her family, but what would become of her? She turned a corner, and hid in a nook in the wall, waiting.

. . .

Judas strolled around the palace, the morning fog was just beginning to disperse as the sun began to pierce the haze. Yuri had been killed last knight. He would address the people this morning, and tell them that the Emperor had died, murdered by a girl, probably one of the girls he called to his chambers. It was mid-December, so elections would begin in under a month anyways. All that was left was the girl, and then he would rule his nation.

As he rounded a corner, he saw the girl, passed out in a nook, a bloody knife by her side. Judas, careful not to wake her, took the knife and quickly strode away to fetch the guards. No doubt she would be dead soon. She would take the fall for Yuri's murder, without knowing it. The first action Judas would take would be to have her killed. Not only would it help the people trust him, it would improve their opinion of him in their eyes. Judas just needed to tell the guards that they should frame her. His plan was coming to fruition.