The Kings Personal Joker (boyxboy)

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three

[Demos's POV]

The palace was a mess while it was being searched, such a quiet place seemed to be turned on it's side, the servants inside spilling out into the corridors, hurriedly washing through the halls and soldiers filtering out into the grounds.

Otherwise well maintained, perfectly groomed and cleaned century old thriftless grounds seemed for the moment to be overrun. 

But while part of me reviled it, feeling abused by the lack of quiet, imposed on by the flood of people, the other part thought briefly that in a way I preferred it to the strange inlay of unseen people from before, which would naturally return before the next day. 

The passages in between the walls that my grandfather had thought so clever, so necessary to avoid the eyesore of servants and workers in the excessively gilded halls flushed with red or blue carpeting and lined with family members on the walls, their grave expressions decrying me as I passed by.

There was some overzealous bowing as I entered the throne room and sat down without acknowledging it, my advisors peering closer and edging toward their seats, sitting as I raised my hand and lowered it.

Such false semblance of power, before they started waving their flagpoles about and stomping their feet.

"One feels, Your Majesty," They said only a few issues in. "That Lady Thera is truly a remarkable character."

There was some agreement, the second chin of Abacus wobbling as he nodded emphatically.

"She impresses all who come upon her and is reliable in both her charm and composure. She has all the skills a lady must, and more, elegant and healthy."

I turned to look at him with clear disinterest in my eyes.

"What one means to say... Your Majesty," Another advisor joined in. "Is that Lady Thera is not only a woman, she is the perfect example of a Queen. We think it would be difficult to find another such decorated female with both such elegance and intelligence... which as you know, is absolutely necessary in the royal wife."

Another murmur of agreement.

It would not be hard to find another Thera, or woman to replace her, because they did not value her at all. These wily, daft words of sweetness for her were only meant to raise her status in my eyes. 

If they knew just how dull I found her they might even grow ever yet fonder of her.

"I will not marry Lady Thera. None of you can change my mind on this." I replied, keeping my voice low, bleeding all the apathy I felt into the room.

There was a reply of annoyance only in expressions and quiet looks passing between the aging men as they observed me.

I once stood a child between these men, when they looked down on me along with my father and ordered me to go and find better things to do than bother them. Now they bothered me and I could not get rid of them.

"War is upon us I fear..." The oldest advisor spoke gravely. "The outsiders are raising arms against us, they crawl along the border and rumours are spreading inside the walls, trying to slander the King. There must be a sense of security, of celebration, I believe most of us have realised that there would be much good fortune in a timely marriage."

I tapped on the table and ignored the tea whose steam slowly curled and rose in front of me as  a ribbon turning skyward. "And pray what rumours are those?"

Another joined in. "One announces that the King thinks war is imminent, and worries that if Euphranor is lost his queen would fall prey to the invading country, to be punished along side him."