For The King - 5. Chapter 5

He had an entire suite of rooms to himself. An enormous bed with the finest Korainan cotton, a gilded chamber pot, even his own private study complete with a fireplace. Yet Adan would have given them all to be back in Zyrel with Master Dennet.

"You are scared," Roku said, sitting on the bed beside Adan.

"I am a prince. Master Dennet and Master Jacob are dead. I am alone in a strange place and I do not know what is about to happen. Roku, I am so terrified, it is like there is a giant on my chest."

"You are not alone. I will not leave you," Roku said, gently stroking Adan's hair.

The prince leaned into the tiger, closing his eyes.

"I can do this. We can do this," he whispered. "I know how to run Zyrel. I never realized they were teaching me that. But I can. And running a kingdom… it cannot be that different, right?"

He felt so lost, so alone, even with Roku by his side. Adan raised a hand, drawing on his energy. Roku's eyes glowed briefly, clearing to a deep green. The tiger blinked rapidly, clearing his eyes.

"Sorry," Adan said quietly. "I like to change things when I am upset."

"There was no harm done. You altered my eyes?"

"I made them green," Adan nodded.

"I like blue like the sky," Roku said hesitantly.

Smiling slightly, Adan sent his magic through the tiger again, returning his eyes to a vibrant blue.

"I can not change anything on myself yet," he said.

It had been one of King Adonis' stipulations. He was not allowed to reveal he was a human transmuter until it was known beyond a doubt that he was the heir to the throne.

"You can play with me as much as you want," Roku said with a smile.

Someone knocked on the door to the room, startling the two. Adan stood from the bed, crossing the room. The door opened, revealing King Adonis standing outside.

"The lords are arriving," the king said. "You should join me. After all, tonight is to honour your Ascension Day."

Adan bowed at the waist, and his father chuckled.

"Adan, you bow to no one," he said.

“I do not know if I am ready for this…”

“No one is ever ready for this,” the king replied. “But I will be by your side.”

“And Roku?” Adan asked.

“He will be there with us, of course. But it is bad manners to keep the lords waiting.”

Roku moved to stand behind Adan, touching his arm reassuringly. The tiger’s scent washed over the mage, a mix of a light perfume from that morning and a more natural scent. It calmed Adan instantly.

“I told you I am not going to leave you,” the tiger said gently.

The trio stopped before a pair of large double doors, two armoured guards standing on either side of the barrier.

“Your Majesty,” the guards said respectfully, before opening the doors.

“Announcing His Majesty, King Adonis the second!” a man’s voice called, before King Adonis stepped forward.

The king paused a moment later, gesturing toward Adan and Roku. Taking a deep breath, Adan followed his father through the doors, Roku close behind him. King Adonis said something to the man announcing them, the herald blinking in surprise before calling out another announcement.

“Announcing His Royal Highness, Prince Adonis the third! Accompanied by his familiar Roku!”

King Adonis beckoned Adan forward as the air filled with the roaring whispers of over a hundred people.

“They do not know you. You have been away learning for nearly fourteen years, but your return has been promised on this night,” the king said quietly, wrapping a reassuring aroma around his son's shoulders.

Adan gulped at the sight of a sea of faces, all staring at him. The large ballroom was filled with light, glowing from various crystals placed strategically around the room and on the ceiling. A set of doors allowed a cool breeze from outside, the air flowing with the mix of various perfumes that made Adan want to gag at their cloying sweetness.

Roku’s hand touched his lower back, hidden from view, and the mage took a deep breath.

“Smile,” Roku breathed. “You are happy to be here, celebrating your Ascension Day.”

Adan forced a smile on his face, looking around the room.

“We are pleased to welcome everyone to the celebration of our son’s ascension to adulthood."

The king was confident in his speech. And why wouldn’t he be? He belonged up here, talking to his people. Adan had never expected to be in a situation like this. But he could get through this. He had to get through this.

Roku moved slightly behind him, rewarding the mage with his scent again, and Adan’s smile became more natural. He could do this.

The eyes continued searching him out, but Adan found as the night wore on, he noticed them less. It became easier to tune them out, to focus on the specific lord wishing him well and trying to cozy up to the new royal.

A young woman approached Adan and his father, a blessed interruption in the long line of lords who had been wishing him well all night.

“Prince Adonis, this is Marel. She is the Lord Chamberlain’s daughter, and has been studying under him to become the first Lady Chamberlain,” King Adonis introduced.

“I didn’t realize a woman could be Chamberlain for the royal house,” Adan said.

“There is no law saying the Chamberlain for the royal house has to be a man,” Marel replied. “It is an honour to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Marel will be assisting you in running Zyrel,” King Adonis smiled.

“I will be returning to Zyrel?” Adan asked his father.

“As Dennet wished,” King Adonis nodded. “You will remain here for a time, but yes, you will return to Zyrel. Marel will leave for Zyrel when you tell her to. That will give you time to tell her what you want done there.”

“I will leave you to your party, Your Majesty, Your Highness.”

Marel bowed to each of them in turn before leaving them.

“Father, I must confess, I do not know how to be a prince,” Adan said quietly.

“Walk with me,” Adonis smiled.

They moved through the hall of nobles, everyone moving aside with a bow. Roku followed closely, acting as a guard. The familiar let out a low growl as a woman grabbed his tail, and the offending hand quickly dropped away.

Passing through the outer doors, Adan took a deep breath of cool mountain air. A pair of nobles bowed low before stepping inside, leaving Adan and the king alone.

"Forgive me Father. I… I do not believe I can do this," the young man admitted quietly, staring out at the hills surrounding their mountain. "The atmosphere is unpleasant, and everyone already seems to want something from me, though none actually know me."

“It is rather stuffy in there,” Adonis chuckled, staring out at the dark abyss off the side of the mountain. “Adan, no one is born knowing how to rule. It is something you learn. And being away from the palace, your studies in that aspect are expected to be lacking. Still, I do not doubt that you will learn quickly enough. You are a bright person. And you have myself and Roku to turn to if you have any questions or misgivings.”

“Roku? You do not know how to rule, do you?” Adan asked, turning to the tiger.

“No. Though I remember one of the stories I read at Zyrel had a king who was of the common people.”

“You have a small advantage in that you could have an advisor whose loyalty is never in doubt, should you choose to use him. And you do not have to learn everything about rule at once. I am not dumping you off the deep end to rule on your own,” Adonis said. “Roku has already given you good advice. Smile, keep your emotions hidden behind a diplomatic mask at all times. You never know who might be watching.”

“I suppose it does not matter that I really don’t want to be a prince.”

“Unfortunately, it does not. But it does speak well of you that you seem to only see the responsibilities of the position. You are forgetting the benefits of being royalty. If you want something, you only have to ask and it will be brought to you.”

“Does that include food? Because I have not eaten since last night,” Adan said.

“As a matter of fact, it does,” Adonic chuckled. “Let us find what kind of food you enjoy. You will find no better fare anywhere in the kingdom.”

Adan sat at a huge table filled with food, Roku by his side. The lords of the realm sat around the table, many looking disappointed that Adan was at the corner of the table, between his familiar and his father. It had been his idea, to not show any favouritism. One the king had approved of.

No one ate until Adonis and Adan had started, a custom Adan had learned from Dennet. The man really had done a lot to prepare him, even if Adan hadn’t realised his role at the time. But thinking about his teacher just saddened him.

A finger traced lightly over his right thigh, startling him. Roku was staring down at his food, eyes closed, and Adan suddenly felt a small rush of energy. It wasn’t much, but it reminded him he needed to seem happy. Not once did his familiar look at him, but Adan got the message all the same.

Tapping Roku's thigh lightly under the table, Adan focused on his dinner, trying not to seem too interested in any one dish.

The king leaned over slightly, a twinkle in his eyes.

“Relax,” he said quietly. “It is just a dinner. The fate of the kingdom does not depend on you using the right knife.”

“I feel like it does,” Adan replied.

“You are allowed to have likes and dislikes. Just… be diplomatic about how you show them.”

Even with the reassurance, dinner was fraught with anxiety for Adan. He ate sparingly, barely enough to feel full. Adonis took pity on his son, making excuses for him to leave the party. It was nearly over anyway, so Adan didn’t feel as bad. He was just overwhelmed by all the attention, the pressure to perform well.

A servant met Adan and Roku outside the dining hall.

“Your Highness, His Majesty wanted me to take care of you for the evening,” he said with a bow. “In the morning you will select a manservant for yourself.”

Too tired to argue against having a servant to himself, Adan just nodded and followed the man back to his rooms. He found a warm bath had been drawn through a strange pipe into a large basin, ready for him to slip inside.

“May I help you with your clothing?”

“What?!” Adan blurted, staring at the servant in shock.

“Forgive me Your Highness. It is a normal part of a manservant’s job,” the servant said, lowering his head.

Behind him, Roku growled quietly.

“The prince has myself to assist him,” the tiger said.

“Thank you for bringing me to my rooms. You may go,” Adan said quietly.

Bowing swiftly, the servant fled from the room, leaving Adan and Roku alone together. Adan closed himself in the water closet, carefully removing his clothing. Clothing that cost more than he had ever seen at one time.

Sliding into the tub with a long sigh, Adan sank beneath the water, letting the liquid loosen his body. It had been a long day full of stress, and he was not looking forward to a repeat performance.

His hand rose in the air, twisting in an arcane gesture. Dirt fell from his clothing, dropping to the floor as the clothes landed on a counter beside a full length mirror. A gem sat on the dresser, blue light emanating from it to bathe the room in a soft glow.

A gentle knock came at the door.

“Adan, are you okay?” Roku called.

“I just need to relax for a while.” Adan replied.

“Okay. The bed is warmed already for you. I will leave you to your bath. I do not want to get in the water again.”

Adan chuckled quietly. Roku would have to get over his distaste of water eventually. But for now, he could be a little dirty. Adan could clean him up later.

A small bar of soap lay on the rim of the tub and Adan picked it up. He could feel the roughness of the lye as he worked the soap against his skin, scrubbing away the dirt of the day. It was almost a relief to be scrubbing himself, as though he was washing the events of the day away, returning to who he was. That wasn’t a prince, no matter what everyone else thought. He was just Adan, not heir to an entire kingdom.

Nearly five minutes later, he rose from the tub, body glowing pink from his work. Taking a towel from the counter, Adan paused at the whiff of perfume coming from the fabric. Even the towels were fancy, scented in a way Master… Lord Dennet… would never approve of.

Sighing quietly, Adan dried himself, setting the used towel flat on the counter to dry. He put on his underwear, looking at the fancy clothes from the day. There was no way he could wear those to bed.

The mage went back into the bedroom, looking at the enormous bed that was his. At least there would be space for both him and Roku. But the tiger wasn’t in the room.

“Roku?”

Adan heard a muffled scrape from behind a door. A moment later, Roku opened the door, looking at Adan.

“Oh. What are you doing in there?”

“They set up this room for me, I think,” the tiger said.

“Really?”

Adan looked through the door, spying a large soft rug near an empty fireplace. A desk sat on the other side of the small room, a book laying open on it. Another gem glowed on the desk, bright light flooding the room. A small bowl was set beside the gem to cover the glow when necessary.

“There is no bed in here. I think it is just a study,” Adan said.

“I think the rug is the bed.”

Adan scowled.

“Do they think you are a simple house cat?” he fumed.

“Perhaps. I feel most familiars are viewed that way. I am sure it was a shock for them to see me standing upright,” Roku shrugged. “But then, you might be right, it might simply be the study.”

“Well you are certainly not sleeping in here tonight. I will not have it,” Adan said firmly.

Nodding, Rokus set the bowl over the gem on the desk, cutting off the light. He followed Adan out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Roku?”

Adan sat on the bed, facing his familiar.

“Thank you for your help tonight. I do not believe I would have gotten through without you.”

“I have faith in you Adan,” Roku smiled.

Adan smiled back, laying back on the bed. He crawled under the covers, Roku joining him a moment later.

“You are not alone in this Adan,” the tiger whispered.

“Can you hold me?”

He shouldn’t ask that of his familiar. But who was going to know? Dennet was right. He shouldn’t give up what made him happy for the sake of others. And right now, he needed the comfort of arms around him, of being supported by someone.

“All you had to do was ask…”

Furry arms wrapped around Adan, holding him close. And as Adan closed his eyes, he felt safe, secure.