On the Way (1)

The Bureau of Court Affairs was a division of the Department of Court Inspections, which fell under the Ministry of Justice. Though the bureau oversaw the inspection of Eunuchs and Maidens, Emeravwe soon discovered that this was not the extent of its function.

On the morning she and Akpokene reported to the bureau to begin their training, they were greeted—along with other Maidens and Eunuchs who had qualified—in the bureau’s instruction hall by the Aye and Eunuchs who would be their instructors. They explained that the reason they were tested on Xxene’s history, politics, and economy was not because these subjects would be useful when inspecting the Maidens’ and Eunuchs’ Quarters, but because they would prove invaluable as they carried out additional tasks in the bureau.

They revealed that the Bureau of Court Affairs’ principal function was to conduct initial investigations on cases which implicated court personnel, but that occurred outside the palace. Thus allowing the Ministry of Justice to take preemptive measures to mitigate any damage to the court.

As the nature of their work was one which required meticulous attention, and whose results carried great consequences, they were told their training, too, would be thorough.

An instructing Eunuch explained that they would undergo six months of training, which would consist of both theoretic and practical instruction. Their education in Xxene’s politics and economy would continue, and they would also be instructed in how to conduct investigations and court inspections. At the midpoint of the training, they would be tested in both a written and practical exam on all they had learned up to that point, then, at the end, they would be given a final exam, and only those who passed both would be awarded official appointments to the bureau.

Emeravwe felt intimidated by how rigorous the training sounded, but gritted her teeth in determination. She had made it this far, and the road ahead was one which would lead to the king, and the betterment of her station.

From that day, after attending her classes on the Four Classics of Xxene and Mannerisms of a Maiden, Emeravwe reported to the Bureau of Court Affairs for additional lessons on the state of Xxene’s politics, economy, and on how to conduct investigations and inspections.

The Eunuchs and Maidens attended all classes together, but were split into two groups for the practical portions of the training. The Aye who instructed the Maidens informed them they would be tasked with inspecting the Maidens’ Quarters up to four times a year if they were accepted into the bureau, and taught them how to go about a proper inspection.

Through her studies at the bureau, Emeravwe also furthered her understanding of Xxene and its people.

She had learned from the Four Classics that Xxene was a monarchy based on a caste system. The king sat at the top, followed respectively by the Onorogu, Onéki, Ehwoéki, Ehworegha, and at the very bottom were the Ivyogbere. The Yaroy were a subclass of Ivyogbere, and the Wuhwuh belonged to no class.

She also knew that the gem embedded in one’s forehead was representative of their caste; a tradition that had been passed down from the era of the Four Tribes and embedded in the caste culture.

Upon their birth Onorogu were bestowed rubies, Onéki emeralds, Ehwoéki yellow apatites, Ehworegha tree agates, the Ivyogbere the carnelian stone, and those born to the Royal House wore both the ruby and purple sapphire.

Now, Emeravwe discovered that this social structure also served Xxene’s political and economic structures. It put the Onorogu—under the Orodje’s command—in a position of power. Allowing them to control how much the Onéki could trade, what goods and services the Ehwoéki could render, and how much levies were demanded of the Ehworegha.

During this time, Aslan’s help again proved valuable to Emeravwe. She informed him of her training and all she learned, and they discussed Xxene’s policies and caste system, as well as its implications.

“Do you not think that this practice limits an individual?” Aslan asked her one night.

“Well,” she began thoughtfully, “maybe not the Onorogu, but someone of the Ehworegha caste would immediately be deemed ignorant and fit for nothing but farming because of the gem on their forehead. And people without gems, of course, are ostracized altogether,” she said, thinking of the Yaroy and Wuhwuh.

Aslan nodded. “But one would not be wrong in making that judgment of the Ehworegha.”

She eyed him questioningly, and he said, “The Ehworegha do not have the luxury of education as the Onorogu do. They are born and raised on farms, and cannot afford the tutelage of scholars. Most of whom are Onorogu and Onéki, who would not lower themselves to educate Ehworegha. The only skills and knowledge they have, then, is often of farming.”

“But how can they better themselves if those who have the resources cannot be bothered to share?”

“Exactly.”

Emeravwe paced contemplatively before the bench. “Then again, it is not in the Onorogu’s best interest if the Ehworegha better themselves. Who will farm their lands if all the Ehworegha are off getting educated?”

Aslan stared thoughtfully into the night. “Do you not think that the Ehworegha, and even the Ivyogbere and Wuhwuh, deserve an equal opportunity to prosper?”

His words fell on silence.

Emeravwe saw that Onorogu benefited the most from Xxene’s caste system, but she also knew that anyone could fall victim to it—including Onorogu. The system placed emphasis not only on caste, but on lineage. If one did not have the right gem or proper background, both were grounds for them to be disdained.

This was something she became aware of through the years. For though her gem set her apart from other Maidens, it carried little weight because she had no family to give it distinction.

Whether the other castes deserved the same opportunities as the Onorogu was something Emeravwe could not afford to care about in her situation. She felt like an Onorogu who was not even treated like one. She could not help but feel a sense of despair when she thought about Xxene’s system and her ambiguous place in it, and she wondered what might have become of her if she had not entered the palace.

Emeravwe came to enjoy her training with the bureau more than she anticipated, and before she knew it, they reached the midpoint of the training period and were given their first exam. As they were told, it consisted of a written and practical portion wherein they were assigned a mock investigation. Both Emeravwe and Akpokene acquired the necessary marks and continued with the training.

But though she quite enjoyed all she learned, Emeravwe did not forget what brought her to the Bureau of Court Affairs. She was always on the lookout in case the king decided to pay a visit.