Blessing Moon

Twenty-Five: Father Knows Best

Anxiety spiked Oslac's stomach as he waited outside his father's office. Just being there without being summoned was enough to get him reprimanded, never mind the fact that he was coming to him with knowledge he shouldn't have. He lifted his shaking hand up towards the closed door and left it hanging there for what felt like hours as he fought against himself to knock.

Don't be a coward! She needs you! he thought to himself and forced his closed fist forward to rap on the polished wood.

"Come in?" Oslac heard the King's voice answer. It was clear from the inflection within his words that he was not expecting any callers and was confused by the interruption.

Oslac let out a calming sigh and slowly opened the door. He barely made it over the threshold until his father spoke again.

"Oslac? What are you doing? You know you are not to bother me!" he said with a scowl, then returned to the parchment lying on his desk and added with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Get out! I did not summon you."

"No, Father, this is important." The irritated glare that flashed from the king's eyes made Oslac's heart fall to his stomach. "I m-must speak to you."

Oslac watched his father scrutinise him with a scowl, his scorching gaze moving from his hairline all the way down to his toes, making him feel exposed. When his intimidating stare returned to Oslac's eyes, he let out an impatient sigh and put down his pen.

"Then speak," he said coldly, clasping his hands on the desk in front of him.

"I know where to find Bay... erm... the missing girl," Oslac announced, then mentally kicked himself for not practising what he was going to say beforehand.

"Missing girl?" the king repeated and looked to the ceiling briefly before returning his gaze back to his son with narrowed eyes. "The Draoicis-Lus girl?"

"Yes! I know where she is!"

"How did you even know to look for her?" The king asked in a low voice, then slowly rose to his feet, whilst leaning his hands on his large desk. "You've spoken to the prisoners, haven't you?"

"I..."

"What have I told you about the dungeon?"

"I am not allowed down there, but..."

"No, Oslac! I set these rules for a reason, not for you to ignore!"

"But, Father..."

"No, don't talk, listen! Didn't we, only weeks ago, celebrate your Deis-parat? You are a man now, the future heir to the throne. You cannot run about the palace like a careless child, you have your own responsibilities." He then straightened up, still looking down at his son and said in a cold whisper, "Maybe you are not ready, should I take back the knife? Do I need to treat you like a child for another couple of years?"

"Father, stop!" The courage that Oslac suddenly displayed shocked him as well as the king. He swallowed hard, decided to ignore the widening of the king's eyes and continued to fight his corner. "Yes, I spoke to the prisoners. I had to! Beanni is my best friend!"

His father said nothing, he paced away from the desk and looked out of the window. Dawn was only just peeking from its slumber and it cast a warm, subtle glow upon the man's pensive expression.

"Beanni?" he pondered without turning from the view of that morning. "The girl is called Beanni?"

"Yes sir," Oslac matched his father's much calmer sounding tone. "I have been meeting her after public history school. She is important to me. Important to the whole of Natanstrelle if the ancient prophecy is true." Those last words made the king turn away from the window and look at his son with eyes filled with wonder. "Father, she's in trouble." He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before adding, what he knew to be, an important detail that his father would not be able to ignore. "I saw her with three people wearing mauve cloaks."