Amber Waves - 17. Chapter 17

AARON

He hadn’t expected the delegation to be so large. Or for the seats beside him to be so hotly contested.
Aaron walked around the table, examining the placecards that told people where to sit. A large candelabra hung over the oak table, with hundreds of glittering lights. Against the wall, a fireplace crackled with faux flames. The palace hadn’t burned wood in it in decades, but it still offered a very real warmth that threatened to make the makeup on Aaron’s face run. Twenty well-crafted chairs sat around the table, just enough for the strangers who would be dining there tonight, mingled with the lords of Amber’s council.
He paused at the seat left of Amber’s. The dowager’s seat. Tonight it would be claimed by Lord Isan, an elven ambassador from Ceos. His human counterpart would sit across from him, neither one favoured by the queen.
Someday he’d be in Amber’s seat, the centrepiece of all this spectacle. People were already clamouring for position beside him — Amber mentioned that a human had the privilege of sitting to his left. The right naturally belonged to Itumak. Aaron wasn’t stupid; he knew the significance of his decision to invite the neko. After King Finley’s death, Itumak would be the sole neko present, and Aaron was almost certain every elf would be glowering at him.
Well, if they glared at Itumak, they’d have to glare at Aaron as well. And somehow, the prince doubted anyone would be brave enough to do that.
“Is everything satisfactory?” Amber asked behind him.
Aaron tensed, resisting the urge to whirl around. His mother’s flowery speech really got on his nerves, but there was no help for that. They were expected to be well spoken at dinner.
“Yes,” he said. “Can you tell me anything about Lady Erica?”
Amber stepped up to the table, examining the placecard to Aaron’s left.
“She’s twenty years old. Ceosan Fencing Champion in 1437. Her parents are the Lady Merith and the Lord Saerin, formerly of Mydara.” Amber frowned, setting the card down. “Beyond that, I do not know, besides that her parents are Merchant-Knights of Ceos.”
“What are those?” Aaron frowned.
“They are the wealthiest family in Ceos. This affords them the honour of a knighthood and seats on the Ceosan council, with the expectation that they assist the city with matters of money and trade. They have a certain set amount of gold they give to the city each year in payment for the honour. Did Master Ilan not mention any of this to you?”
Aaron shook his head.
“I’ve been preparing in my room,” he said. “Lady Erica is half-elven?”
“It seemed the most appropriate choice,” Amber replied.
“You’re not planning on marrying me off, are you?” Aaron joked. Such a thing hadn’t happened for centuries. Still, there was no denying the politicalness of the seating arrangements. Neko on one side, human and elf on the other.
“If I was, it would be to Lord Khuyag,” Amber chuckled.
“Oh gods… Whatever I did to anger you, I apologise in full.”
Amber smoothed out a small wrinkle in Aaron’s suit.
“You have the lotus links in?” she asked.
Aaron rubbed his wrists, where a pair of golden lotus flowers held his sleeves tight. He nodded, lowering his hands.
“I’m not sure they’ll do any good. No one can see them,” he said.
“There are going to be cameras,” Amber reminded him. There were always cameras. “One missed link, one button off, and you’ll be the talk of Astara for weeks. News stations will argue over whether you meant to offend your guests, or if you’re just lazy.” She tapped one of the flowers. “A symbol of Khorsa won’t be as polarising as one from Sarelin, but it will still be readily seen as a neko symbol. You haven’t had many public dealings with nekos, beyond sentencing Itumak and King Finley’s funeral. This will remedy that.”
“The Ceosans will be here all week, correct?”
Amber nodded, stepping back.
“And for that week, we need to be at our best. Captain Darren told me he would be rotating Itumak through your personal guard, so you’ll at least have a friendly face. Cling to that during this time.”
“And what of you, Mother? Who do you turn to?” Aaron asked.
“State secret,” Amber smiled. “You’ll be fine, Aaron. Trust me.”
Someone cleared their throat before Aaron could press. The elf merely nodded — he trusted Amber knew what she was doing. She had been doing this for near a decade now.
Itumak stood in the door to the dining room. He wore a blue guard uniform with shining brass buttons running down the front — his second best uniform — and he looked just as uncomfortable as Aaron felt. The fur on his ears and tail was neatly trimmed, and his face shone with the makeup Aaron shared. The neko wouldn’t be a prominent part of the ceremony outside, but he would be a part as Aaron’s guest. That meant he got the same treatment that the prince did. The cameras spared no one.
“Your Majesty, your Highness.” The neko bowed stiffly. “The Ceosans are pulling through the palace gates.”
“Thank you, Itumak.” Amber smiled at the neko. “Let us go meet our guests.”

AMBER

“Prince Aaron, I’m told you are the voice behind all the werewolf reforms.”
Amber lifted her glass of wine to her lips, obscuring the involuntary grimace. Aaron’s reforms were bound to come up sooner or later. She just hadn’t expected the conversation within the first five minutes of dinner. It did not bode well for Aaron; the lords of Ceos were out for blood.
“You are correct, Lady Merith. I feel a grave injustice has been done to one of Astara’s people, and I am working to remedy that.”
“It is rare to see one championing the wolves’ cause so openly, and rarer still for their champion to be so high in office.”
“I believe Prince Aaron has done a marvellous job thus far,” Lord Sarin spoke up, much to Amber’s surprise. “It is a wonderful project to cut his teeth on, and it shows he is not intimidated by those around him; an excellent quality in a prince.”
What was his angle? Clearly Lord Sarin was buttering Aaron up, but for what purpose? Amber let the question stew in the back of her mind. She was highly unlikely to get her answer tonight, and when it came, it was sure to be a surprise. But she’d keep an eye on the man.
“Of course,” Lady Merith said smoothly. “Winning support for the wolves must be a very challenging task.”
“I hope to someday have a lord of every race in Astara on my council,” Aaron added. “I believe everyone should have a voice.”
“Do you include werewolves as a race, then?” Lady Merith asked with an icy smile.
“I do. That is not to say I am unaware of the challenges a wolf faces as a member of their base race, but at the same time, wolves share a commonality between each of them.” Aaron set his glass aside, dabbing at a spot of wine before continuing. “It may not be correct to say they are a race in and of themself, but I believe presenting them as such may aid their fight for representation.”
“I find it interesting that you would base your rule on acceptance of a small group among your people,” Lady Merith said.
Amber took a deep breath. She let it out slowly, silently. Aaron was on his own, in the deep end. If the queen tried to help, she’d only be cementing an image of him as ineffective, weak.
“Lady Merith, if I may. I’d like you to imagine a history where the elves and the humans were at war. Not much different from our history, to be sure. Then add the nekos to the continental stage. Only this time, they join arms with the elves, and the humans are pushed back to a single city.” Aaron paused for a moment, giving Lady Merith a chance to picture the scene. “Humans are now fettered much as nekos are in our world. Would you say humans are undeserving of justice, merely because they do not make up a majority of the world?”
“I would not say so, no.” Lady Merith sat back, studying the prince. “However, I do not see where your history coincides with our discussion.”
“It is quite simple, my lady. Werewolves exist. They make up a portion of the population, no matter how small. My attention has been focused on finding justice for them, possibly to the detriment of others, though that is by no means my objective. It is merely a sad reality that much of my attention must be put towards righting the wrongs of the past, instead of focusing on a brighter future for all Astarans.”
Amber hid her smile behind her glass again. Aaron was fast becoming a great politician, keeping a good balance between his strengths and weaknesses so no one could use either against him.
“Would you say King Finley would share your enthusiasm for reform?”
The smile dropped. That was a low blow.
“Lady Merith, I would ask you to let my father rest in peace. There is no need to use him to support your position,” Amber said icily. “This is a dinner, not a debate hall.”
“Of course. Please forgive me, your Majesty.”
Conversation lulled — how could it not? It was exceedingly rare for Amber to chastise someone so publicly. Lady Merith would not live this down for some time.
She saw Lady Erica leaning toward Aaron, no doubt apologising for her mother’s behaviour. Aaron waved her off with a smile.
“Prince Aaron,” Lord Isan said across the table. “You’ve shown yourself to be a prince of the people beyond any doubt.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Aaron said with a dip of his head.
“It makes me wonder if some of the rumours I’ve heard are true. I am even more curious, given your choice of dinner guest.”
Itumak steadily stabbed into his salad, bringing his fork to mouth without any sign the conversation bothered him. Beside him, Aaron’s smile faltered.
“Can you enlighten me, please? I, unfortunately, do not make a habit of listening to stories about myself.”
“Certainly, your Highness. There are many rumours about your involvement with the nekos. It is only natural; after all, the nekos and the elves are bitter toward each other. Yet you keep one close to you. It has led many to believe you are romantically involved.”
Itumak spewed salad across the table. Coughing violently, the neko laughed. His ears folded back an instant later, horror growing on his face.
“Shit, I’m so sorry!”
Amber winced. Around the table, several lords gasped.
“Fuck, I don’t know.” Aaron grinned, looking around the table. “Does everyone here think he deserves a pardon?”
Polite laughter worked its way around the table.
“I’m sure we are all aware Prince Aaron has only lived in the palace for a year,” Amber spoke up, working to keep a jovial tone. “Surely his companion can be forgiven for the occasional crass word; after all, neither of them were raised among nobility.”
“To answer your question, Lord Isan,” Aaron added. “Itumak was my closest friend in the orphanage we grew up in. I could not bear to be parted from him, so my mother graciously provided him a place in the Palace Guard. However, our friendship is merely that, a friendship.”
“So you two are friends then? There’s another rumour that you two had a falling out,” Lord Isan provided.
“That rumour is true,” Aaron allowed. “Not long after we came here, the two of us had a disagreement, as childhood friends, and indeed any friends, are wont to do. We have since apologised to each other, and our friendship has continued.”
“Would you say you are for interracial coupling, then?” Lord Isan asked.
“Interracial couplings have been normal for over a hundred years, Lord Isan,” Aaron pointed out. “They are a fact of life, and not something I consider necessary to think about. Indeed, Lady Merith and Lord Saerin are human and elf, and they are lords of the realm. For myself, I do not plan to be mated anytime soon, so the question is moot.” Aaron took a breath. “However, I will indulge your hidden question. If I should find love, and that love happened to come from a neko, I would have absolutely no qualms about pursuing that love.”
Way to go, Aaron. Call them out. Don’t let them push you around.
“With all your campaigning for werewolf and neko rights, I wonder if you will have time for the elves,” Lord Isan said.
“There is no reason why more rights for werewolves and nekos would mean less for the elves. I have and will work hard to ensure everyone on Astara has the hand they need to live a life they can enjoy and be proud of,” Aaron replied.
Amber couldn’t have been more proud of the elf in that moment. Captain Darren had certainly chosen well when he found Aaron.

ITUMAK

His foot was sore. His jaws were sore. And still there were another two courses in the meal.
Lady Erica’s foot pressed against Itumak’s from across the table. She’d been making eyes at him all night, and it was honestly getting a little weird. After the afternoon’s experimentation with Aime, Itumak knew for sure he’d be keeping to male bedmates for the foreseeable future. He certainly didn’t want to risk offending one of the richest women in Ceos.
“Aaron.” Itumak grabbed the prince’s attention. He muttered in Niwo, trusting Aaron remembered enough of it despite neither having used the language in over a year now. “I think she wants to fuck me!”
Aaron glanced at Lady Erica out of the corner of his eye.
“Yeah, probably,” the prince replied. “You looking for a wingman? Didn’t you get enough from Aime?”
“Too much,” Itumak grumbled.
A tight smile grew on Aaron’s lips.
“Lady Erica, my mother mentioned you were the Ceos fencing champion,” the prince spoke up. “I’ve always been curious about the sport; it seems like a lot of work to be good.”
“Oh, um… it is, your Highness,” Lady Erica sucked in a breath, shifting in her seat.
Itumak let out a relieved breath as Aaron engaged the half-elf. He’d have to find a way to repay him. After a long night out on the town. There was really no other way to deal with the stress of the evening.
To his relief, the half-elf stopped playing with his feet. The rest of dinner passed quietly, a relief after Itumak’s earlier mishap. He still cringed thinking about it — thank the gods Aaron had deflected everyone’s attention.
“My apologies, your Highness, your Majesty,” Lady Erica said, dipping her head toward Amber. “I’m feeling a little light-headed from the wine. Sir Itumak, will you assist me to my room?”
Itumak’s eyes widened. Don’t react don’t react don’t react. He was reasonably sure his ears weren’t betraying him.
“Of course, my lady,” the neko said. What else could he say? He was just a lowly guard, elevated to dine in the presence of greatness.
Rising from his seat, he offered his arm to the half elf. Lady Erica hooked her arm around his, and the two departed from the dining room.
She was a little wobbly. Itumak kept a firm hold on Lady Erica’s arm to ensure she didn’t fall. The guest rooms weren’t too far from the kitchen. He just hoped Lady Erica already knew which room was hers; Itumak certainly didn’t know himself.
“You’re very strong,” Lady Erica breathed, resting her head against Itumak’s shoulder.
“Um… thank you, my lady.” He was so screwed. “Do you know which room is yours?”
“Guard Itumak.” Thank the gods for small miracles. Itumak turned, catching Captain Darren’s eye.
“Good evening Captain,” the neko said, trying not to seem too relieved. “Lady Erica requested my assistance in reaching her room.”
“So Prince Aaron informed me. Unfortunately, he has requested your presence with the utmost haste. No doubt to discuss your… mishap at dinner,” Captain Darren scowled. Crap, he was going to get in so much trouble for that. “I can escort the Lady Erica to her rooms while you attend to the prince.”
“But I was hoping Sir Itumak would aid me,” Lady Erica said, looking between the two.
“My apologies, my lady, but Guard Itumak has personally been requested to attend to the prince. He cannot ignore the summons,” Captain Darren said, offering his arm. “I am more than capable of escorting you safely to your room, and can attend to you if you need anything more.”
Reluctantly, Lady Erica took Captain Darren’s arm.
“I hope I’ll see you in the morning, Sir Itumak,” she smiled disarmingly.
“It would be my greatest pleasure, provided Prince Aaron does not take my time first.” Itumak bowed. “Good night, my lady.”
He waited a moment as Captain Darren led Lady Erica down the hall. Strange, her wobbliness had vanished.
Shrugging the half-elf’s odd actions off, Itumak hurried back to the dining hall. He had a shitload of thanks to pile on Aaron. And if he was lucky, the prince would allow him to head off the palace grounds for the night.
It took a bit of searching to find Aaron. Finally, Itumak cornered the prince near the Wolf Barracks.
“What are you still doing here?” Aaron asked, looking the neko over.
“Well, some prince asked for me. I thought I should find him before he decides to behead me. I mean, I did fuck dinner up.”
Aaron chuckled.
“Don’t worry about it. It took everything I had not to laugh. It’s good for the so-called elite to get a taste of common life every once in a while.”
“Yeah, probably,” Itumak grinned.
“Now, what are you still doing here? Go out and enjoy the bars for both of us,” Aaron waved the neko off. “You better run before Captain Darren catches you. And try not to get too drunk; he’s already going to nail you to the wall tomorrow.”
“Yes sir.” Itumak threw a mock salute, before passing into the barracks. Within minutes, he was dressed in more casual clothing, and rushing off to the Wolf Den.