Kings [A Medieval AU]

Chapter Three - Plans and Arrangements

Phil sits on his throne, leaning on his closed fist while blue magic, resembling strands of cloud, flows around his other hand. His advisor, a middle aged man with greying hair, stands nearby with his hands folded in front of him.  The throne room is unusually empty, no peasants around to tend to or servants going about their tasks. 

"Anything to report?" the king asks.

The advisor inclines his head.  "A letter arrived from your brother, Martyn. Shall I read it to you now or leave it in your quarters?"

"My sleeping quarters, please."

"Yes, your majesty. As well, we have a meeting arranged to discuss our attack on Tenebris. That will happen whenever you call for it."

"Excellent. Anything else?"

"That's all, sir."

Phil nods and stands from his throne, cloak swirling around him. Sunshine pours through the stained glass windows, sending pools of multi-coloured light dancing across the throne room. He strides towards the doors, but before he walks through he turns to his advisor once again.

"Gather all who are coming to the meeting. We will commence in a few minutes."

"Yes, your majesty," the advisor replies, hurrying off.

Phil turns on his heel and heads into the hallway, allowing his feet to carry him outside to a small, open-air corridor, pillars lining the stone path. From here he can see the stables, where horses graze in the yard and stablehands go about their daily chores. His mother stands by one of the pillars, observing the stables with a curious, faraway look in her eyes, and Phil approaches her.

"Good morning, Mother," he greets as he takes his place beside her.

"Good morning, Philip," she replies, glancing over at him with a small smile.

"Are you going to attend the meeting that's happening in a few moments?"

His mother exhales and shakes her head. "No, dear, I will not. That meeting is your business. I am no longer queen, so I will not involve myself in the discussions intended for the king." She laughs a bit. "Unless, of course, they are discussing your marriage options. Then I must attend."

Phil groans. "Mother..."

"Are they discussing your marriage options?"

"No!"

"Then I stick by my previous statement. I will not be attending."

"Alright." Phil leans over and kisses his mother's cheek. "See you later."

With that, the king heads off towards the meeting room. He walks through the halls of his castle, passing servants and guards and a multitude of other castle employees. They all nod to him or shuffle by, unable to meet his gaze, and Phil's heart thuds painfully. Sometimes, he wishes that just one person would see him as a friend instead of their ruler.

He pushes open the door of the meeting room and moves to his spot at the head of the table, everyone standing until he sits down. Once everyone is seated, Phil leans back in his chair and gestures towards his head advisor, who takes that as his cue to begin.

"Today, we will discuss our plans to take over Tenebris, a kingdom that lies south-west of our location. We plan to do this because of a lack of food in Divum and an accusation of corruption in their patriarchy. A trade agreement will not go through because we have nothing to trade."

"What about our allies?" Phil asks. "Can we not make an agreement to get food from them and spare Tenebris?"

The advisor shakes his head. "I have already consulted our allies. All of them are in a similar position to us and cannot afford to give away any food without receiving something in return."

Phil exhales and leans on one hand, biting his bottom lip. In his silence, the general of his army stands. His dark hair frames his narrow face, eyes blue and sharp.

"Tenebris is a smaller kingdom than ours. If we take a small troupe, we can capture their king and deal with him more easily."

"How many should go, your majesty?" the advisor asks, turning his gaze to Phil.

"I will go, along with twenty soldiers on horseback and ten servants." Phil turns to the general. "How far is the journey?"

"Four days to get there if you travel with haste, sire. Eight days in total."

"How long will it take for enough provisions to be prepared?"

This time, the head cook answers with a small smile playing on her lips. "One if they work with haste."

Phil inclines his head. "In that case, the cooks shall spend tomorrow preparing provisions. The horses shall also be made ready for the journey, and everyone who intends to travel with me should make sure they are packed by the time we leave. We disembark the day after tomorrow." Phil glances around the table. "Is that all?"

"That's all, sir," the advisor replies.

"Excellent. You are all dismissed."

Phil stands up from his seat along with the rest of the table and heads off towards his sleeping quarters. He climbs up the stairs, the hum of conversation that usually fills the castle fading away the closer he gets to his room. It's quiet up here, and as he opens the door of his bedroom he's greeted by the soft evening light that filters through his window. The letter from Martyn, his big brother, sits on his desk, and he discards his cloak and crown before picking it up and tearing it open. The biggest news is that him and his wife are expecting a baby, which makes Phil breathe a sigh of relief. As long as he doesn't have to worry about having kids, he's good. Other than that, Martyn tells him about life and asks about Phil's life in return, and the king writes out a response before sending it away with a guard. Once that's complete, he changes into his nightclothes and crawls under the covers, falling asleep to the sound of late autumn wind whistling outside his window.