The God's Game

Lou Lou

"They executed someone yesterday" Raven said. " A blind servant from Arcton Palace"

Loulou

Two years ago, on a cool summer evening ,River dragged himself to his sleeping chambers after a long day of toiling in the workroom. That's when he saw a man , possibly around thirty years old ,standing awkwardly at the door of his room.

River's first thought was that he was going insane from being in isolation for so long. How else could this man have conjured in his living quarters?

As River walked up to the man he saw that he had a messy ,short balck hair and choclate colored eyes. In the hindsight there was nothing remarkable about him. He looked like a normal servant.

"Good sir," River called out to him,making the man flinch a little "You are not supposed to be here"

The man's brown eyes darted around and then he turned to his side and bowed.

" This lowly one was appointed to serve My Lord"

River was dumbstruck "Who sent you here?"

"His Majesty "

When he talked River could catch a glimpse of a black sigil on his tongue. It appeared that the Northern King had branded this man before sending him here.

"That's a pillar by the way , Im standing over here "

The man turned nervously. He appeared to be almost blind. As he spoke he squinted his eyes real hard, as if he was trying to see River with more clarity.

"Do you know who I am? "

The man's eyes widened like he was not expecting him to ask such a question.

"If I speak of My Lord's position or name , the sigil will instantly kill me " he answered.

River scrutinized the man. "Are you aware that one day you might lose your life, simply because you know of my existence ?"

"I am aware, My Lord"

At first, River kept distance from the man, whose name he found out to be LouLou. It was partly because he did not trust him and partly because he did not want to get attached to someone who was going to get killed one day on his account.

But the life in the East Wing was a painfully lonely one. River had already spent two years in complete isolation. Valour had gone to East boarders. No one came to East wing anymore.

In the echoing corridors , solitude had became his only companion. The stillness was broken only by the distant echoes of his own footsteps on the marble floor. He had picked up the habit of reading in the library and designing artifacts just to keep himself busy..just to stop himself from going insane.So River was grateful for the company of another soul, regardless who he was and what his motives were.

After sometime he realized Loulou was a person of pleasant and mellow temperament. He was easy to get along with and had a great sense of humour . After few short months later their master-servant relationship developed in to a friendship.

Loulou was River's first ever friend.

Loulou was allowed to be out in the main palace. He was the one who would go around and collect news and political gossip for River. What is happening in the Kingdom? Are there marriages or funerals? Is everything peaceful ? Which Royals got in to scandals? How are civillians doing? Is there any news from Valour ? He would sit on the floor by River's feet as he talked and laughed , at times mimicking the shrill voice of a gossipy maid, at times doing an impeccable impression of Mireya Huxley being pissed at her lady in waiting.