The Old Emperor

I walked through the imperial gardens, smelling the spring flowers. I looked back on my reign, and remembered what I had done. War and famine had plagued my rule. I thought I had done well; that the decisions I made were sound and justified. Yet, all seemed to turn against me in the end. I looked into the pond and saw not the bold, ambitious emperor that once was, but an old, tired man. A shadow what had come before. "It's funny..." I said. "How everything went perfectly wrong." Guards saluted me as I walked back into the palace. I smiled, as memories of leading grand armies came back to me. A time when the empire was both respected and feared. Now, it was the laughing stock of the world. The mere thought of it made me angry. I saw my sword on display. "One of the finest weapons in the empire." I told myself. "Perhaps..." I thought. "I shall use it one last time..."