Abyssal (ManxMan)

Audience

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Audience

He felt a light filtering into the room, and for a brief moment, he thought it was the sunlight hitting his room's window and casting a rectangular spot of sunshine over his face. But then his eyes fluttered open and he saw the jellyfish speared to the ceiling, and he experienced renewed disappointment and homesickness that wiped away every ounce of sleep from his eyes.

Sighing, he looked at the maid standing by the foot of his bed, ready to serve. She wore the same plastic smile and uniform she had on every day she came to wake him, her arms crossed in front of her at the wrists.

If he didn't know better, he'd say he was stuck in some kind of simulation that reset itself every time he went to sleep. It had been exactly a week since he magically teleported himself to Astria, and it was the same every morning. Nothing changed. Wake up, have breakfast, practically beg to have an audience with the King Regent, be refused without a proper explanation, sulk for the rest of the day, have lunch and then it's suddenly dinner time, and then find himself tucked away in his bed, looking up at the ceiling and wondering how the day had wasted away.

But today would be different.

He sprung up and threw the covers aside, slipped his cold feet into the slippers placed strategically at the side of his bed, and accepted the robe that the maid held up for him. He washed up and was sitting at the breakfast table, the maid pouring him his favourite variety of kelpie tea, in less than five minutes. He was eager to finish with the mundane routine and then be left alone, at least until lunch time.

Today, General Ryodan had promised to take him to a mentor who could teach him much about the Spirit of the Sea. The General promised to break him out of the East Wing, albeit briefly, to meet someone who Ryodan assured was pretty knowledgeable in all things concerning the golden merman and its associated lore.

Apparently, not only was the General going to break him out of the East Wing, but he was going to break him out of the entire Palace; this would-be mentor lived outside the Palace in the city.

Kai was excited to say the least. He couldn't recall the last time he'd anticipated something this much. He was finally going to be out of the East Wing, if only for a few hours. He was in no position to be picky; he'd take whatever little freedoms he was offered. This one meant he'd be one step closer to achieving his ultimate goal; getting back home to his mother.

As he sipped from his tea, he stole glances at the guards by the door. Their gazes were fixed ahead, but Kai knew they watched him when he wasn't looking, and felt it on his skin like lasers.

He understood why Ryodan wanted to be discreet about this, why he wanted their break out to be quick and quiet. His disappearance would alert the guards, who in turn would undoubtedly run to their king to report it. Kai suspected the Regent wouldn't much like his own General running about with the Prince behind his back. That was what Ryodan made it seem, at least. Ryodan also wanted it to be done today before he was sent on another fool's errand by the Regent, distancing him from Kai indefinitely. The General was convinced Zolban kept sending him away so he wouldn't meet with the Prince and spill the beans.

As he made a show of eating his breakfast -he was too nervous to actually eat- a knock on the door sounded. The two guards opened the double doors and another guard stomped in, arms at his side, shoulders wide. Kai noticed this guards' armor was slightly different than the two guards at his door, accentuated by two red lines down the side of his breastplate.

"His Majesty King Zolban of Astria!" The guard bellowed, startling Kai into dropping the food morsels he was nibbling on.

He visibly paled and his throat constricted as he remembered all that Ryodan had revealed to him about his uncle, including how Zolban might try to assassinate him in order to keep the throne. His heart started pounding to a tribal beat, and he felt genuine fear for his safety.

According to Ryodan, Zolban wanted all threats to his throne eliminated.

He was a threat to his throne, technically.

Kai wanted to tell him to keep it, to take it all for himself, that he didn't want anything to do with the Astrian throne, but he didn't dare say a thing to alert Zolban or threaten his alliance with Ryodan. The General wanted to see him on the throne, Zolban wanted to ensure he never got on it, while all he wanted was to leave the depths of the sea and return to the surface.

Zolban strolled into the room, his heavy boots striking the marble tiles.

He started to stand, but the King held up a hand and said, "Please. Sit."

The servants and the guards took that as their cue to leave the room, leaving just the two of them. On their way out, the guards closed the door with a definite click.

He looked back at King Zolban and was momentarily by the light reflecting off his bejeweled crown. Dressed in his kingly, gold-woven robes, the King was the image of royal magnificence. Kai looked down at his sleeping robes. Though the robes were made of the finest silks and fabrics, they were still a long way from the tailored splendor that his uncle was wearing.

He just didn't see himself pulling off those heavy looking robes and walking upright in them. He'd stick out like a sore thumb, and not just because he was half human. He lacked the royal decorum and etiquette needed to pull them off.

Zolban -and Marius for that matter- carried himself differently, so assured of his sovereignty and of the power and sway he held. Though Kai knew nothing of Zolban's reign over Astria, he looked like a capable enough ruler. After all, he'd worn the crown all these years since his father's demise; he was the experienced one of the two.

What hope did he have to match Zolban?

In other words, it was not too difficult to understand why some of the elders and councilmen were against Kai. He was woefully unfit to play the part of ruler.

No, Kai could not rule in Zolban's stead, in his father's stead. He'd learn to teleport from this hellish nightmare back to his mother's embrace no matter what it took or who he used.

Kai's mother's face flashed before his eyes and his heart squeezed in reaction.

Every time he thought about his mother or any harm coming to her, he froze, so he'd purposely and aggressively concentrated only on his mission. There would be plenty of time to worry over whether Marius or some other enemy had gone after her to check if he'd returned home.

"May I join you?" The King asked, motioning to the chair right next to him.

"Yes, please." Kai awkwardly straightened in his chair and then watched as his uncle slipped into the chair fluidly and with nary a sound.

Why was Zolban here?

A sudden suspicion made his spine go rigid with dread and alarm.

Had the King Regent discovered his General's plan to break Kai out and take him to a mentor?
He scanned Zolban's face for any indication that he was indeed onto them, but the Astrian King wore a stoic face, hiding his emotions and intentions well.

As if reading his mind, Zolban said, "I received word that you requested to have an audience with me."

Zolban gazed at him with mildly curious eyes -and something else. Was it amusement he thought he saw or something else?

Without hesitation, he said, "Yes, I requested multiple times to meet with you."

"Do forgive me, nephew. I have been busy with some matters."

Nephew. The word sounded foreign to him; all his life it had been just him and his mother. And he hadn't expected Zolban to drop the endearing term.

Mistaking his stunned expression for dissatisfaction, his uncle asked with slightly furrowed eyebrows, "Is anything bothering you? Are these rooms not to your satisfaction?"

He shook his head. "Oh, they are. I'd just like to be able to leave them."

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

I've been in so much pain this last week - I sustained an injury and it's killing my mood to write :(

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