The afternoon breeze was swift calm and fresh, making the branches and leafs on the trees dance solemnly to its pulse, seeming to entertain the warm disconsolate day. The air around the Inner-Courts of the Palace was crisp and thin, and the emperor moved through the cloister and entered the orangery by the edge of the inner courts. The atmosphere in the orangery felt warmer than the outside, and the sweet smell from the ripened oranges on the trees filled the greenhouse, making it pleasantly comfortable to be in.
The emperor drew nearer to the growing orange trees with his knight following closely behind him and watching the emperor's back with a severe look on his face.
'Let the nurserymen know that the warm season is slowly coming to an end, the Palace would soon welcome its usual cold climate; they ought to prepare the grounds for the trees to continue striving' the emperor put forth and the knight nodded his head sharply in response.
Then the emperor turned and stood to stare into the eyes of the gentlemanly valet.
'Say, isn't it too quiet lately especially after everything that is happening? I mean…when I first passed the Bid, it was seeming as if everyone wanted to tear me apart and pull out my tongue for some reason or the other, the King's Court wouldn't even let me rest with their never-ending arguments in the Council Chamber…' the emperor wondered, gesticulating seriously with his hands.
'The Old King also, with his constant visit through his servants, the Empress, she also did come to talk to me about it when I passed the Bid. But now, it seeming as if everyone's just decided between themselves to keep silent about it'
The emperor continued complaining and then raised his head to meet with Ethan's heavy-lidded eyes, staring tiredly at the emperor.
'What?' the emperor questioned with pouty lips as he eyed Ethan sternly.
Ethan then sighed wearily.
'What else do you want them to visit and try to talk to you about again? Since they started coming here to see you at your Inner-Court, you've never changed your mind still, so just tell me why they'd persist in visiting you about it?' Ethan explicated sarcastically that the emperor just hissed and turned his back again to him.
'But I don't still get it, I expect something at least to happen. Even The High House and The High Council are no longer speaking about it…'
'You're worried that things are progressing too smoothly' Ethan tossed in and it seemed to hit the nail on the head. The emperor froze for a moment before turning to look helplessly at the knight's face. The knight then smirked politely and stood up straight, with his hands crossed behind his back.
'They're definitely scheming something; The High House. Jezer, the man appointed to the crown prince, I found out that he's grandson to the Overlord Enoch.' Ethan conveyed.
'So, you mean I ought to pay more attention to my first son. I understand that, but what about the rest of the princes, their Escorts? You remember really well what Tahan came to express to me last night, and I am very sure you're also aware that if anything should happen to his brothers, it's likely to greatly affect the crown prince' the emperor continued thoughtfully and the knight nodded agreeably.
'Given the love he has for his brothers, the crown prince would definitely not accept anything that should happen to any of them' Ethan put in and silence prevailed between them for a brief moment.
'What about the Old King? I know he's been unwell lately and wasn't able to do much, but seeing the way he wouldn't stop sending in his servants to pass on his messages to me, he's definitely also interested in this' the emperor carried on but this time, the knight could notice the grave darkness beclouding the emperor; he was becoming afraid.
'You…fear the Old King' Ethan said slowly and emperor swiftly swerved to him and jolted him on his chest.
'Why shouldn't I be? You and I know the extent that old snake could go to have things his way. You witnessed it yourself!' the emperor retorted, with a distasteful frown. Then he turned away from the knight and looked straight up to the glass roof overhead them with the dim sunshine permeating through it, and his expression gradually began to turn grey with nostalgic remorse and guilt.
'Just as it happened 20 years ago' he muttered.
Azel pulled himself gently through the palatial corridors of the main Palace towards where the princes' quarters were located. The Second Prince's quarters was at the beginning of the palatial residences and trailing after and downwards was the other princes' quarters but without a definite arrangement pattern, both in structure and position.
Azel wheeled himself towards the Second Prince chambers, his mind wandering on nothing in particular. And just then, the Second Prince figure appeared beside them and walking leisurely with him towards his own courts.
'You made a furtive personal appeal to the emperor, to get the Mountainer to become your Escort' Azel spelt out suddenly and Sylven straightly halted from walking as he became thunderstruck as to how Azel had found out about his secret appeal to the emperor. Azel smiled to himself and continued pulling towards the Second Prince's chamber.
'Lord! Nothing surely does gets by you. I can swear that that was the stealthiest thing I have ever done within the Palace' the Second Prince confessed puzzlingly as he continued moving with Azel.
'Well, your mistake was making the appeal within the Palace, although my sources mainly stretches wide through The Capital, but when it comes to the Palace, even the rocks tell me what is happening' Azel carried on and Sylven was just left to shake his head in profound disbelieve.
'I guess the appeal was carried out very discreetly because if words had gotten out that the emperor made a private appointment of a desired Escort for the Second Prince, I don't think things would still be quiet as it has been to this point' Azel said and they turned into the purple-painted fortress, drawing close to the quarters of the Second Prince's courts.
'It's high time you told me who exactly and what exactly is this source of yours that never fails to report everything to you…'
Sylven stopped talking as he noticed Azel had also suddenly paused from pulling himself gently by the wheelchair. He looked down to Azel and saw him staring intensely at something far off. Sylven shifted his gaze to see what Azel was gazing at and noticed the looming regal and delicate figure of the fourth Queen, in her corseted queenly garment and the golden veil over her shoulders that symbolized her Imperial rank. As she fully appeared into their sights, the Second Prince straightly bowed his head to her and after tapping Azel's shoulders softly, he moved into the courts, leaving them both behind.
Azel remained still, looking deep into his mother's gilded eyes that couldn't hide the remorse and emotions that was welling up deep within her.
'Phin I…' the fourth Queen tried to speak but immediately ran out of words and she bit down on her lips, with her hands trembly and her eyes flickering uncontrollably.
'It wasn't your fault mother.' Azel put in in a clear unexpected manner, and the fourth Queen raised her head to look at him with inquisition.
'I said it wasn't your fault, then and today. I don't blame you for anything and I am not angry at you for anything' he said explicitly and as the fourth Queen struggled to get the words out of her mouth, he smiled to her with assurance and turned to enter into the Second Prince's courts.
Cael strode around the little fountain that was in the middle of the courtyard and through the cloister that was pathed between masterfully trimmed bushes and flowery grasses. He watched the tall citadel of the domicile made especially for the Princes' Escort. The halls were bigger, the terraces larger, the grounds more spacious and the entire courts more garnished and beautified than that of the lodge-house they were previously accommodated in. They were each given a room for themselves, more commodious with a larger window and a wider bed.
Cael was fascinated by it all and when his mind wandered back to the Mountain Tribe, to the small hut of the old man living at the edge of the village, the tiny crammed room they both had to share, and the little floor mattress that was their bed. When he thought back on all of this, he couldn't still believe the extent he had gone, the point he had reached and even how closer he now was in achieving his goal here in the Palace.
He abruptly stopped strolling around the courtyard and raised his head to look up high into the azure-tinted skies and bright clouds. Soon enough, the opportunity to take another step towards his truth might come knocking on the door, he might soon take his second step towards the truth, and then everything would make sense then. People would know the truth, justice would be served and his father; the wicked rumors and malicious hatred that had been thrown even at the mention of his name, the truth would be unraveled then and all of it brought to an end, far erased from people's hearts. Cael knew that even though what had already happened in the past cannot be reserved, his dead parents cannot be brought back to life and all the innocent lives that was taken as a result of these lies, but the truth must come to light, that was all he wanted to see, wanted to achieve, and what he wanted others to know; the truth.
'I am almost there, father' Cael said within himself and closed his eyes slowly for a brief moment, and when he opened them again, he noticed a little whitish-pink and flowery petal, dwindling downwards in a gradual and wobbly manner as the swift breeze carried it tenderly towards Cael's face. Then Cael raised his hands to let the petal fall flat unto his right palms.
He took a great while to observe the petal on his palms, constantly twisting his head to this side and that side.
'Lotus? A lotus? I don't remember seeing any tree as such within the Palace' he said curiously and continued watching the petal.
'You…'
An unsteady and stammering voice came suddenly from behind Cael and he swerved himself quickly about to meet with a vibrant and timid presence of a young man, dressed in a deep green satin robe, with an embroidered tabard over the satin robe, decently and nobly resting upon his shoulders. The young fellow in front of him also appeared to be subtle with the way he carried himself that also reminded Cael of Ham, back in the Mountain Tribe.
'Oh…we…, have we met before?' Cael asked swiftly with a finger pointed to the fellow in front of him who immediately had on a wide friendly smile, happy with the fact that for the first time in a long time, someone had actually noticed him, even though sparsely as to that.
'Yeah, somehow, I…I was in the assembly at the Palace Square, I'm Master Heber's patron, you can call me Temoa' the fellow introduced joyfully and Cael began to nod affirmably at his free and alive spirits.
'I'm Cael…'
'…son of Jephthah, the Second Prince's chosen Escort and the only Mountainer selected for the Bid. You needn't not to introduce yourself, there isn't a single soul in the Palace who doesn't know about you by now.' Temoa tossed in still smiling. Then he sighed with relieve as he looked over to the citadel and the whole area surrounding it.
'It's soon going to get lively around here. To be honest, I was already getting tired of the solitary and boring life I had to live in this big castle, just skimming through Imperial scrolls and waiting for a decree to be passed' he groused and then turned to look again to look at Cael.
'You live here?' Cael quizzed un-hesitantly and Temoa shook his head in a swift manner to his question.
'Not originally. I and my Master were appointed to be instructors over the chosen escorts, in short, my Master was indorsed to become the escorts' chief instructor and I, to be an assistant instructor. Ahh! You don't know how glad I am because of that!' he exclaimed
'Anyways, it means that we might have to permanently settle here with you all, to make sure what's to be done gets done and vice versa'
Cael stood motionless and continued watching the young man in front of him, listening attentively to every word he has to say. Cael knew he wasn't like Jorai, who with his sharp-wittedness and smart intellect, could get whatever information he needed, nor was he like Haniel who would definitely have any information, both the ones he needed and the ones he doesn't, he could get them all from Jorai. And there was Mikneiah and Unni, only the heaven knows where they source their information from, but Cael was not like any of them. He didn't have a sure way of getting up-to-date news; the bathhouse had become less crowded of late because all the rest of the thirty young men had been dispersed all over the land and The Capital, and the remnant of them seemed not to be the talkative types of young men, who could divulge updated news to him through their heated chatters during baths.
So, having someone before him who was willingly revealing to Cael the things he didn't know and needed to know, he, Cael, was more than grateful and delighted to keenly listen to this fellow-Temoa.
Then they both began to stride around the massive fortress, Temoa cheerfully introducing to Cael the places and chambers that were also within and around the citadel; the Library, the Scriptorium, the Archival Room, the vestibule, long halls and the inner apartments. They stopped at the temple in the large fortress and Cael watched as Temoa paid homage before the temple before turning to continue showing Cael around the fortress.
'Hmm…I guess it would soon be time for the afternoon meal. The pendulum clock's going to announce that very shortly, you should hurry back, if you don't want to miss it' Temoa observed finally as soon as he was done introducing Cael to the places in the fortress. Cael stood and respectively bowed to him, showing his gratitude, and Temoa smiled charmingly again at the polite fellow before Cael could turn his back against him and scurried back towards the eating place.
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