Secrets & Treasons

Eight pure souls | Royal problems

***

He was finally alone. Alone in his immense royal apartments. It had been almost 27 years since he had set foot there and he felt like a stranger. At least he was alone. He sighed.

Adjuva de Myntis moved closer to the windows and sat down on the benches carved against the walls of windows. With a distracted finger, he followed the tracks that the rain made on the delicately worked stained glass windows. Irony made him smile in the void. The Walk of the Sun, in the rain! This did not augur well!

The return trip had been more than depressing. They had been back in the city for about three days, and after the ruthless protocol rites had been performed, he finally had time for himself again. Just a little respite before it began again with the Renewal Coronation and Oath to his Community. The sole prospect of those both rituals made him shudder.

Not to mention that story about the Quest. He felt anger growing back inside him. He let it grow without resistance. It was as if he had the time - and the desire - to devote himself to a marvelous and exciting Celestial Quest now that he was back on his Walk! It had only taken him three unfortunate days to feel how much the Walk of the Sun, his Walk, had changed.

He could not yet determine if he should blame himself or his granddaughter for this. Undeniably, she was a member of his family and of his rank. She had been able to imbue the entire march with her seal. Oh, it was so harmless, so tenuous, that a less sensitive and experienced mind would not have seen it coming. Light changes in the Royal Edicts, sometimes simply a question of punctuation; new laws, and inventive taxes. And again, he had only got a glimpse, by chance, at some official papers and edicts. He wondered what snakes he would dig up if he ventured any further. What he was going to have to do, of course, was his obligation as monarch. He felt very strongly that he would not like what he found. How had this escaped him? Why didn't Aurea tell him? Or at least implied it? The conclusion was obvious: he would need to summon Morthor II immediately. Morthor II was Janis's brother, and he certainly wouldn't like to do anything that displeased him or that directly implicated her, but he didn't know how to lie. He physically couldn't. Honest and straightforward, he was. And with his defending body, he would teach the King the secrets that they were trying to take away from him.

He was about to pull the cord to ring a servant when the front door opened by itself. It was Rojan de Celva. Adjuva signaled to him to approach without hesitation.

_ Rojan, Rojan! You've come just in time. At this moment thinking alone is not for me: my mind is heating up from too many conjectures. Stay by my side and let's just talk. It seems to me that things were well reformed in Walk of the Sun, what do you think?

_ Reformed? No, I wouldn't go that far. The years have passed and life has followed its course, no wonder. Some changes were inevitable; even necessary. Janis made them in your absence and on your behalf. Is that what grieves you?

_ I am not grieved, the King said sternly.

_ That's not what I wanted to say... Come on Adjuva! Since our return I don't understand you anymore! What's going on? I can see that you are worried. The loss of the Walk of Prophecies is a catastrophe, but it is not a tragedy! Slindya died in the fiery flames of the Volcano, but nothing prevents her from rising from her ashes! You are still the King of the Walk of the Prophecies for three years! We are not going to give up that easily! We are going to rebuild the city of the Four. And it will be even more resplendent.

_ It's a beautiful tale that this one, Adjuva said, aloof.

_ It is not one! Adjuva! I assure you! said the young man with passion.