The King's Playground - A Vast World

Chapter 1: Home, bitter home - Part 7

Through stone they maneuvered to reach the throne room, grandiose and unmatched, and hid behind richly decorated curtains. The Gaisgain ambassador was already in the room, greeting the King and the prince of Nahamira with unnecessary compliments. Sarh'Illana was nowhere to be seen. Abel had given one of his knives to Malika, and she knew how to use those in case of things going South.

The ambassador started explaining to the king that he had caught thieves passing as beduins talking about the attacks, and Abel sighed. "I knew it" He whispered to Malika who rolled her eyes to the sky. They gave names to the king, sure of their discovery and obviously proud of it. They started turning the discussion towards their prize, as if this was a mere task and not the life of two of the pretenders to the crown we were talking about. Abel had enough. He stepped forward, signing to Malika not to follow him. Some things needed to be said.

"I know one more thing!"

Abel had busted through the curtains, revealing himself to the king and the prince. He stepped fiercely towards the throne, holding the letters he had found.

"I have proof I know who mandated the thieves, and who is behind these attempts to overthrow the crown!"

He had declared boldly those words in the complete silence that his apparition had thrown on the room, poking at the king's greater interest and enabling intense gossip among the Gaisgains. They seemed panicked, shocked even. Abel bowed down as soon as the group of white men were behind his back.

"Will you allow a masked, unknown individual to challenge our says like so, your majesty?" Said the translator in his approximate Nahara.

"Abel alkhayin is no unknown man to the crown," claimed Al'Hamir. "He may be masked, but this may as well be the only face he's ever worn... What kind of lies do you claim to bear as truth tonight?"

"There is no lie, your majesty," said Abel slowly. "Only proof, only truth, and one only traitor, who may I say, did a better job than me at it."

Al'Bendal Hamir clenched his jaw, his face twisted in rage. He might as well be about to order Abel's decapitation at this point, the man could see it clear as day. He had once again mastered the art of pissing off the crowned prince of Nahamira. However, the king was way more inclined to hear every piece of information about whom could have tried to assassinate his son and his pupil. He raised a hand towards his son, ordering peace, before taking two steps towards Abel and holding out his hand.

"I will look at the documents," announced the king. "No clues shall be ignored.

"But, your majesty," tried the translator, "we have already solved the mystery!"

"Not entirely, it seems. You are not at fault for missing part of the puzzle, you already did a lot to help solve this mystery."

"Father," interrupted Al'Hamir, "may I remind you of what happened last time we trusted this man?"

"Have you ever trusted me?" Rioted Abel. "Al'Bendal Hamir, do not forget how you got me to work under your milice. I can hardly believe we were born on the same year with how child-like you act!"

"How dare.."

"Enough!" Boomed Al'Quawin. "Your life and which of your daughter are at stake, Hamir!"

He took the letters that Abel handed and tuned back to sit on the throne. He read lightly through most of them, looking for the most important and incriminating ones. He the rose his eyes towards Abel, inspecting his face.

"From what I can read, you really looked deep into this affair. May I ask what brought you in front of me tonight?"

"My loyalty to my friends."

"Wasn't aware you had one of those..." Mumbled Al'Hamir.

"Wasn't aware I was talking to you nor asking your mind-slowing opinion, your majesty!" Snarled Abel

"I said enough!" Barked the king. "This is no place and time for such a thing! Do not address each others again before me or else there will be three heads off their respective shoulders tomorrow! Now Abel, do tell what you meant by that."

"Many of my friends were engendered in this madness. When they asked for my advice, I told them I'd rather help than let them die because of what other plot had risen."

The king gave a small nod, signifying that he understood while Al'Hamir was outright boiling in his seat, eyes furious and fist tight in front of his mouth to contain his anger. Abel rose an eyebrow at him and the man snarled in silence and turned his gaze to the walls.

The king shooed the Gaisain ambassador away, promising him a reward one day or another. He now had all the focus of the masked spy, while his son was reviewing the letters. Abel was now short of words, pondering if he should or not reveal what he knew about Malika's upbringing with Al'Hamir in the room, but thankfully the prince was stupid enough.

"Who does this maniac this she is? How dare she pretend such things! She did nothing but condemned her own blood and..."

"Peace, Al'Hamir!" Bellowed the king. "Sarh'Illana does not deserve such uproar. She will be judged and imprisoned in the silence and ignorance as she should."

"Why is it that her head may not fall?" He roared. "And lower your questioning look, alkhayin, because there will be no more of your sniffing around the royal family. Enough of you feeding on the secrets of those who govern you!"

"I am no longer under your governance, Al'Hamir."

"Only because you managed to flee before I could hang your head on my wall..."

His stern and accusing walk towards Abel was stopped short by the hand of the King grabbing firmly the fabric on his son's chest. Abel neither flinched nor moved, seemingly as arrogant as ever in the face of the crown that shone above Al'Hamir's enraged face.

"I saved your life, and this of your daughter, whom might I add, deserve this crown of yours so much more that you do. Tonight you may have lost your life. I paid my debt"

"You tried to kill me not years ago, and I know that you only saved me by procuration. You paid nothing."

"If you still beg for my head, I'll sadly inform you that your perfect panther won't be there to help. Your millice is no more."

"Hamir, this is no fight that you can win by fighting."

Abel's bandaged hands came to cross his arms on his chest, and Hamir knew that even if he was injured, his father was right. He could not fight Abel alkahyn. The king summoned consorts, and let the two men face to face, in the silent promise that they'll still be alive later on. Hamir, having made his choice, grabbed Abel by the arm and took him some steps away from the trones.