Roderic staggered only slightly as
he followed his escort through the corridors.
As always, it seemed that the sun rose too early over the palace of
Ara’keim. Even more annoying was his
father’s unexpected summons, which came before that sun had a chance to rise. He would have certainly preferred more time, at least
to properly nurse this headache and the soreness he felt. All were a well earned gift from last evening’s
festivities. Parts of which had been
more enjoyable than others.
Between the abundance of drink,
and chance encounter gone wrong, he couldn’t say which contributed to his discomfort
more. Though at the suggestion of the
one that got away, the pretty flower he had found later in the night, did help to
dull the pain of the bruises he had received.
Thinking of Anne sent a fresh spike of pain drilling through his skull. That encounter could possibly have gone better.
She looked beautiful last night.
When
had that happened? How
long had it been? Roderic winced at
the memory of how quickly a candle's flame once took that hair, and the following hate that
burned in a young girl’s eyes. It was still there, and could I have acted anymore, the fool?
“Did my father say what this was
about?” He called out to the tall lean
man who had awakened him, and was now leading him to an unknown destination and
fate. Well it wasn’t exactly
unknown. Roderic had spent his youth
with Zareth, exploring every inch of this palace and the surrounding city.
“I’m certain that I do not know,” he
responded with the same even tone he had used when answering the last several
times. Roderic knew the monotone voice
wouldn’t change a single pitch or vary the response to much, if asked again. Merric was his father’s personal servant,
loyal as a dog, and devoid of what most would call a personality. He would only say what he was told to say,
and nothing more. Still, it didn’t hurt
to try, and it was likely the only amusement Roderic would get this morning.
“So you’re certain?” Roderic prodded,
curling a half smile.
“Quite,” Merric replied.
“Really… I guess, quite, is pretty certain.”
“Indeed.”
Roderic got nothing more, though he
did ask a few more times just out of spite.
Their route meandered on through the palace. Wherever they were going, it was not a direct
path to their destination. This could
only mean that his father wanted him in a specific place at a precise time. It was that, or he had taken into account
that Roderic, would need time to walk off the effects of his––less desirable
behaviors.
After an hour of walking in circles,
Merric glance back at him. If Roderic
hadn’t known better he would have believed the man was amused, but that would
require an actual emotion. No, he was
just assessing Roderic’s state. Shortly
they came to a stop in front of the King’s audience chamber. It was not the usual place his father chose
to chew him out. This time however he
had no idea what he had done. At least
he wasn’t certain of what his father may have learned he had done. His best guess circled around the incident
with princess Anne’s guards last night.
He and Zareth had only sent three to the infirmary wing. It was hardly a thing that would raise his
ire.
“You may enter,” Merric stated,
turning to face him.
Roderic stepped forward, putting
them only a few inches apart. He looked
the other up and down, chewing on the words he wanted to say. Roderic’s best curses would be wasted on this
man. Merric never flinched. Even now the taller man just stared straight
ahead, not meeting Roderic’s eyes.
“You do know that we’ve made seven passes of
this door, while you’ve led me about this morning,” Roderic stated.
Merric suddenly blinked. Then oddly out of character, he looked down
and met Roderic’s stare.
“We had time for eight more,” Merric
replied. “The need did not seem
necessary. Do you disagree?”
Roderic’s mouth opened but then
close. He would swallow that particular
curse too, and save it for one who could at least appreciate it. Instead he raised a hand to Merric’s shoulder
and brushed some imaginary dust from it.
With a crooked smile he turned toward the door. From the corner of his eye, he saw Merric
wave the signal. Two guards stepped in
and opened the double doors as Roderic approached.
He stepped into the audience chamber,
and saw his father sitting with two others.
When the doors closed behind him, his father turned his direction and
stood. Roderic instantly knew this was
not going to be good. Absent from his
father’s lips, was the scowl he had expected, the scowl that most of their
meetings usually demanded. The King
instead gave him the grandest of smiles.
It was not a fatherly smile for a beloved son, and if he had seen that
one, he would know his death was imminent.
No, this particular smile, Roderic had seen many times.
It said, “I am King Tiber
Arcanius, and you will perform a service to my kingdom.” That service usually got more than a few men
killed, especially the one who received that smile.
At that moment the two guests
stood, and Roderic knew for certain that he was in trouble. The visitors wore floor length coats, of a
colorfully multi-patterned design. If
only they had been gleemen for his upcoming Naming Day, he might have felt a
little better, but they weren’t. The
long pointed ears and the eyes of glowing silver said but one thing.
Elves!
The Elves had not come to
Ara’Keim for over three generations. In
the histories it spoke of the times they did come, and those times had always
been the worst. His father eagerly waved
him forward. To Roderic’s credit, he did
not vomit, but his headache screamed louder than ever, and he sorely wanted a
drink.
End
of Part #3
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