Chapter 04
613 5 45
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

Helios

 

I sighed as my valet adjusted my collar. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get excited about the idea of attending formal dinners nor the clothes that went with them. The ladies would get to wear much more elegant attire, while I was left with my surcoat and breeches.

Normally I insisted on dressing myself, but when it came to the more social events, Mother always overruled me. She wanted me to make a good impression tonight.

Once my valet was satisfied that I looked presentable, I left my room and made my way through the palace to the front entrance. That was where I’d been asked to join the rest of the family to greet our guest.

I’d only been told a few minutes earlier that our esteemed guest was to be the newly crowned King of Surisia, an allied nation across the North Chiral Sea. He’d brought his daughter with him, a princess by the name of Iara.

The Surisian kings had a strange custom of being permitted to rule for a mere ten years before a new one was chosen. Not that this was the only strange thing about them. Everyone knew that they weren’t actually human, but instead resembled a combination of man and animal. Some called them ‘beastmen’ but the scholars had proven that name to be inaccurate: surisians were just as capable of intelligence and civility as any Aeidian.

The entry hall of the palace was a grand affair with gilded cedar doors, artfully engraved with griffins, dragons and other extraordinary creatures. When I arrived there, I was greeted by Gaius who flicked a nod in my direction. Once my parents noticed my appearance, my father inspected me with a critical eye while my mother gave me a small smile.

Grandpapa arrived not long after, sweeping through the palace as if he owned it – which he did. Being the King of Aeidia suited him, I thought, even though I’d never know him as anything else.

Being the King, he was the most remarkably dressed of us all with a surcoat embroidered with the royal family crest woven from the finest thread that money could buy. Our sigil was half-white and half-blue shield, emblazoned with a golden manticore in the centre. The creature was standing on its hind legs with its lion’s mouth open in a snarl.

It was impressive, and I’d always felt a twinge of pride whenever I saw it.

Atop my grandfather’s head rested the crown of Aeidia. It was a heavy thing, crafted mostly from silver and gold and edged in precious gems.

When I was younger I’d had a chance to see it up close. Of course, at that age, I hadn’t understood the symbolism behind it – it had just been a pretty piece of headwear. Now, though, I realised that it represented a lot of power, prestige and history.

Eventually, the crown would fall to Mother, and from her to Gaius – unless Selene were ever to be found alive. The line of succession in Aeidia always favoured the girls ahead of the boys, so the eldest daughter would be the next Queen, even if she had an older brother.

Just as I was finishing up my line of thought, a carriage appeared at the end of the driveway, pulled by a couple of well-bred and brightly decorated horses. Carriages were an uncommon sight in Aeidia, given the state of most of the roads in our nation. Those with the Creation Facet were a rare breed and most of their time and energies were directed towards fortifying our southern border from the Khir’ul Empire.

The reason that our alliance with Surisia existed at all was due to the aggressive expansion that the Empire had been making over the last few decades. The smaller nations of the continent of Ertia had found it prudent to assist one another rather than allow themselves to fall to its might one by one.

I was nervous, waiting for the carriage to arrive, and I wasn’t sure what to do with my hands. The other men around me seemed to be standing with them behind their backs, but that felt all kinds of wrong to me. Still, I copied them and waited for our guests.

The carriage pulled in front of the door and a footman stepped out, rushing to open the door and assist the occupants down.

My first glimpse of the Surisian King was a surreal experience. The man that stepped down from the carriage was tall and broad-shouldered, with an exquisitely detailed long jacket and ruffled undershirt. His hair was long and greying, but well-kept and pulled into a ponytail behind him.

The things that most threw me off-balance were a pair of angular, dark-furred feline ears. They twitched a little as he turned to greet us, his wide smile betraying the presence of needle-like canine teeth.

As the foreign King approached, my grandfather strode up to him and offered out his hand. “Ah, it is good to see you have arrived safely, Margur,” he said. “Please allow me to formally welcome you to Aeidia.”

Margur, the King of Surisia dipped his head as he accepted the proffered handshake. His voice was deep, rumbling and with an exotic accent when he spoke, “We thank you for your generous invitation, Argus. Your country is… most beautiful.”

His Aevan was excellent, which was fortunate because I had no idea how to speak whichever language they used in his homeland.

His eyes settled on me just briefly and he nodded in my direction with a faint smile before turning back to the King of Aeidia. The two men continued greeting one another, but my attention was swiftly drawn back to the carriage. Another – very feminine – person was stepping down from within. The footman offered a hand to assist her down to the ground but she batted his hand away.

As she emerged into the twilight, I saw that she was wearing an impeccably tailored, deep-red evening dress with rich ornamentation along the seams. She was young, approximately my age if not slightly older, and shared the same cat-like features as the King. I could see her ears were lying a little flat against her head while the material at the back of her skirt was being buffeted by a tail that flicked slightly from side to side. Even though I didn’t know much about Surisian body language, I was getting the impression that would rather be anywhere else but here.

Gaius took a step forward as if he intended to greet the Princess, but Mother beat him to it. She reached out a hand to offer it to the young woman in greeting, flashing her a polite smile. Since they were both equal in station, such a lack of formality wouldn’t be seen as a breach of etiquette.

“Princess Iara, it is good to see you,” my mother began, her voice low but welcoming. She was also wearing a richly decorated evening gown. Hers was cut in a more Aeidian style, with wide sleeves and a low neckline. It never surprised me when I saw our mother looking resplendent – she was incredibly beautiful to behold.

Her luxuriously long auburn hair and delicately thin frame, combined with her high cheekbones and confident smile always made me so frustratingly envious. I saw a hint of the same features whenever I used my illusions to change my appearance, but of course, they weren’t real.

As our guests were led inside, the rest of us followed along behind them. I couldn’t take my eyes off the strange movement of Iara’s tail and how it interacted with her gown. She caught me staring a couple of times, her eyes narrowing and my cheeks turning scarlet.

We all made our way through the corridors to the dining hall, the air carrying light conversation as we walked. Gaius sidled up to me, his voice barely a whisper as he said, “She’s quite something to look at, eh?”

I cast a worried glance towards the foreign girl, noticing her ears twitching. My nose wrinkled as I scowled at my brother – but he just gave me one of his obnoxiously arrogant grins in return.

He deserved a good thump in the arm, but he was fortunate that wasn’t appropriate behaviour when we had visitors. So, I had to just endure the torment, averting my gaze from those places it shouldn’t be.

The meal itself was quite lavish, so I knew that grandpapa was trying to curry favour with this particular nation. Our dining room had been built to impress and was all a part of the eating experience. Thick, finely woven, tapestries adorned the walls depicting mythical moments in our country’s history.

One portrayed the legendary birth of the Kingdom when Queen Cyrene had claimed our independence through a protracted, bitter war. Another was ornamented with the grand family tree of House Aeidel, where both my name and those of my siblings were proudly displayed in gold thread upon a midnight black background.

In the centre of the extensive, narrow room was a table that was equally impressive. Crafted from rosewood, mahogany and polished oak, its entire surface had been etched and painted with illustrations of Aeidia’s wildlife.

Most of the discussions around that table were the typical pleasantries: enquiries about various family members and the usual court gossip.

Princess Iara was not doing a good job of hiding her boredom. She’d made it quite clear that she’d rather be elsewhere all evening. I had to admit that she did look beautiful, though, and the dress absolutely suited her. This was making it hard for me to not stare since someone had decided to seat us opposite each other while we ate.

“We hope that you will both be able to attend the ball this coming weekend,” my mother told our two guests, with a sidewards glance towards me. She knew how much I hated those events and I had to suppress a groan. Across the table, I heard a quiet sigh, and I locked eyes very briefly with the princess, our misery shared for just a moment.

Inevitably the conversation turned to me and with it all of the other eyes around the table. I could feel my pulse quicken and I swallowed a rising lump in my throat.

“So, Prince Helios,” the Surisian King began, “I hear that you are maturing into quite a fine young mage.”

“Um. I’m sure that I am not quite as fine as most would claim,” I answered back, uncertain where the conversation was heading.

“Humble too I see,” he grinned, displaying sharp fangs. “We have brought you a present all the way from Surisia as a symbol of friendship between our peoples. Unfortunately, it is not something that I can wrap as a gift, but I shall arrange for it to be transported here tomorrow.”

He turned back to the King and resumed their discussion, including making the necessary arrangements for delivery of the mysterious object.

A little confused and somewhat curious, I wondered what their gift to me might be but I was genuinely taken by surprise. It wasn’t uncommon for me to be the centre of attention, even though I hated it with a deep, burning passion. My status as the Marked mage of Aeidia was certainly not going to allow me to be taken lightly.

I was doing everything I could to not glance up at Princess Iara as we ate, although I could see her watching me from time to time out of the corner of my eye. Whenever I surreptitiously turned to look her way she would make a show of looking elsewhere and utterly disinterested.

Gaius tried to make conversation with her, but she gave him single word replies if any at all. Her father was giving her unamused glances, his tail beginning to twitch and flick unconsciously.

As we moved on to dessert, the discussion turned to more political matters. The two Kings deliberated over the build-up of forces that had been happening on the Surisian side of the continent, and they speculated that it could mean a resumption of hostilities within the year. 

The typical promises of military support were made, which put a damper on my mood. I was at that point in my training and development that I’d be expected to be a piece in whatever games these two monarchs might end up playing.

Eventually, the King finished his meal and signalled for the dishes to be gathered up and the table emptied with a clap of his hands.

 

~*~*~

 

There was a hustle and bustle about the palace as we emerged from the dining hall. Boxes and bags were being carried around by servants in uniforms that I didn’t recognise. I quickly realised that they must have belonged to the Surisians. They had been allocated an entire wing to themselves, which was likely far more than they needed, but grandpapa was generous with his friends.

While the other members of my family were retiring to a private room where entertainment would be laid on for the evening, but I didn’t feel like hearing any more jabs or teasing from Gaius. I quickly made my way back to my room to get out of my ridiculous outfit.

As soon as I’d slipped into my bedroom I shut and locked the door. I didn’t need to deal with other people right now, and I knew that someone would be calling on me, wondering where I was.

After changing into some of my more comfortable clothes, I didn’t feel like socialising anymore. There wasn’t much light coming in through the windows, but a servant had been by to light my fireplace. I placed another log onto the low flames, poking it until it settled into the embers. Of course, I could have done this all myself but I was banned from using magic inside – illusions didn’t count as far as I was concerned.

I found a book that I’d been reading on the history of Aeidia and settled down in my bed to read. The history of our country was something that I found absolutely fascinating.

One part of an ancient civilisation that had once thrived on Ertia was located where the Kingdom of Aeidia now stood. Our capital, Aeva Magna, was built upon the ruins of one of their largest settlements. The scholars still debated what had happened to bring about their downfall, but there were a few theories.

Just as I was getting into the speculative chapters I heard a knock on my door. I hadn’t been expecting anyone, but I closed my book and slipped it onto the ornate rug next to my bed.

When I unbolted and cracked the door open, I peered out to see who it was. It surprised me a little to see my mother and I half expected her to berate me for not being with the rest of the family. Instead, she gave me a warm smile and asked, “May I come in?”

I was too startled to do anything but nod my head and step aside for her. She seemed delighted about something so maybe there was some good news? At least she hadn’t shouted at me yet.

She thanked me politely and swept in, taking a seat at my desk to regard me. Her evening dress caught my attention again when she crossed her legs and I momentarily wondered what it would feel like to wear.

Grimacing, I closed the door behind her and plodded over to the edge of my bed – she’d waited for me to be seated before speaking.

“I know that you sometimes find it hard to be around others for long periods,” she began, raising a hand to placate me. “That’s why I’m not going to instruct you to leave your room and to entertain our guests.”

Even though she’d not outright scolded me, I still felt like a misbehaving child. I set my jaw and stared at her vacantly, trying to express my displeasure through body language alone.

She rolled her eyes at me and cracked a half-smile in reply. The times when it was just the two of us were rare, and honestly, I wish we could have more of them. It was easy to feel neglected when your parents had duties that involved the running of an entire nation.

“Thank you,” I eventually managed to say, and she dipped her head.

Then there was a pause as I waited. Her hands were restless, refolding themselves in her lap a few times before she began whatever it was that she came here to tell me. It was nearly half a minute later that she broke the silence.

“How much do you recall us telling you about your sister’s disappearance?” she asked, her eyes roving over my face.

“Not all that much,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. “Only that it happened when we were both still in the cradle.”

I hadn’t been told much about what happened. It was only because I’d been able to piece together the small pieces that they had been willing to tell me that I’d worked out that she’d been stolen. In my defence, children can be quite slow.

“Well, one thing you were never told is that we know who took her,” she went on, her gaze wandering from me as she spoke. Her voice was edged with venom, and tinged with growing anger, “All of these years and we’ve known exactly who is responsible, yet they have always been out of our reach.”

One of my eyes twitched. How could they have known who was responsible and never had them arrested and executed for their crime?

“I can see the question burning in your heart, Helios,” she smiled, looking back at me and noting my expression. “How can this be? How could the most powerful and influential family in the entire Kingdom have not caught this fiend and taken back our beloved daughter?”

Her expression filled with controlled anger and she pressed her lips tightly together. I dared not say anything – instead, I nodded my head.

“Well,” she said, clenching a fist tightly, “I shall tell you. At first, we were beside ourselves with despair, ordering every soldier in the Kingdom to look for her. It took a long time for even a hint of where she might have been to surface.”

I listened, my forehead wrinkling in concentration. She’d never gone into this much detail before and I wondered what she was driving towards.

“So, your grandfather ordered troops be sent to have him arrested immediately. However, he was nowhere to be found. Every time we thought that we knew where he had hidden, by the time anyone arrived, he had moved on. In that first year, he found a way to evade our soldiers every time. It was as if he had luck on his side, or perhaps a spy in the palace.”

Her voice was beginning to break now, and I could tell that tears wouldn’t be far behind. I gestured for my mother to come and sit with me on the bed, opening my arms out for a hug. She hesitated for only the briefest moment before yielding and we held one another under she felt able to continue on.

“It has been years since we’d heard even a peep from him. He was so good that I was beginning to think that we’d imagined him this whole time,” she went on, but I was focussed completely on her words. “But now, something has changed.”

She pulled back to regard my face, her own cheeks puffy and streaked from crying, “Someone has finally revealed where he has been hiding, and our soldiers march on him as we speak. He will have no chance to escape this time.”

I was still processing what this meant, and I searched her eyes for answers, “So does this mean that we’re getting Selene back?”

Her smile was modest but filled with optimism, and I found it quite infectious, “I do not know, but I fervently hope for that to be the case.”

Like her, I couldn’t stop myself from beaming at the news. “If there is anything that I can do to help, please let me know,” I said, and she reached out a hand to lightly pat me on the head.

“Nothing, for now, my dear. But if we do happen to discover her whereabouts then I hope that you will greet her warmly and with open arms. She will have been through much, no doubt, and will need a loving family around her.”

I nodded, but couldn’t help but feel a stab of worry. If she did come back after all these years, what would she be like? Would she even know how to be a Princess? Would I have to stop sneaking into her room to try on her clothes? All of these were very important questions.

45