Chapter Nine #2
“One has only to look at us to know we are kin.” Aye, that was true.
We were our mother’s sons. “The Exalted Cloisterer has prayed over the serum for longer than required to assure it is steeped in holy truth. When your name is added to the lists of nobility, we cannot have whispers of ill handling of the testing among the nobles and vills owners. They will be surly enough to find a half-human wearing the coronet of a prince of Melowynn. They still grumble about having Lady Merrilyn and V’alor as royal consorts, but there is naught they can do about it other than whisper and frown. ”
That got me from my lazy watch of Jaculi soaring over the castle parapets. I stared at him, the king, my possible brother, with open shock.
“That is not possible,” I croaked out then cleared my throat. “To be a prince true, I would have to be the offspring of the king, as your children are, and I am not that. I am, at best, the son of a noblewoman. No more and no less.”
He turned to gaze at me. The call of a dragon overhead echoed off the seas.
“You are far more than just a son of a noblewoman. You shall inherit the vills of Renedith as the eldest son of the daughter of Umeris Stillcloud. That will make you nobility, grant you wealth and prestige, and assure your right in the court. As my brother, I may, and will, cite royal prerogative. I plan to use my authority to grant you all the titles you were robbed of and make you overseer of the lands that should have been yours had our grandfather not been a bigoted fool.”
My mind was blank. “Surely you do not wish to place a crown on my head, Aelir. The people will revolt.”
“The people will know you are my brother, blooded and true, and they will accept it.”
“You’re delusional. I’m no properly raised son as you are, Aelir.
By the witches tits! I’m a privateer, a rake, and a half-breed.
I don’t follow your faith. I drink to excess, swear, fuck anything that will spread its legs, and steal from your coffers.
You might better try to fob Prescott off as a prince! ”
“He would be a genteel addition to court,” he replied with a smile that made me nervous.
“The final results will be known by evening prayers. I will ask you how you wish to have the results announced. I would like to make the news known with a royal proclamation on the morrow, addressing the people of Celear, as well as sending out ravens to all the nobles to explain your new role at my side, if that suits.”
“Aelir, no, I am…this is…I’m not a good candidate. I have no knowledge of the court or its frippery bullshit.”
“You can learn.” He looked back at Pasil. “Bring him in, please.”
Pasil disappeared into the ballroom as I stared at Aelir in utter disbelief combined with mounting fear.
Surely he did not expect me to fit in with the fobs and snogs of the ruling class?
Had he been drinking? I could smell no wine on his breath.
Perhaps he had hit his head, and his thinking was fogged.
“Learning the intricacies of court are lessons learned when young but can also be passed along to a newcomer by someone with intimate knowledge of the ways of the complex politics and etiquette required to be accepted. To that end, I have arranged for a seasoned courtier to guide you through the rough seas of this transition.”
“Your Majesty,” Pasil softly said. We both glanced back in time to see Le’ral step out onto the balcony, his dark eyes going wide for a mere blink when he saw me before he inclined his head to Aelir. “Grand Advisor Fylson is here as you requested.”
“Thank you, Pasil. Fylson, you remember Coelum?” Aelir was practically beaming as he spun to speak to Le’ral. I held onto the cool stone rail as I worked at appearing unfazed by the man’s proximity. Even the faint smell of his scented soap made my prick twitch.
“Indeed, he is a hard man to forget once met,” Le’ral said, his half cape of deep red fluttering in the increasingly brisk winds. “You summoned me?”
“I did. The testing is nearly complete. We should have the results by evening prayers.” Le’ral nodded along politely as Aelir spoke, his gaze darting to me and back to the king.
“Most of us in the inner circle of the monarchy are rather sure of the results. Once they are announced, I would like you to take Coelum under your wing. None in Celear, or Melowynn for that matter, know this kingdom, this court, and the people who comprise it better than you. I would have you train my brother in all he will need to know to be accepted by the nobles.”
“Ah, well, that is…an unexpected surprise, Your Majesty.” Le’ral’s eyes locked with mine. I raised both brows, hoping to convey the fact that no one was more surprised than I at the moment. “Perhaps it would be a wise consideration to place Captain Cadere in private lessons with the twins’ tutors?”
“He is far too old to sit in the nursery with the twins. He is in need of a court mentor as well as a teacher well-versed in governance. Perhaps we could bring in Mahouk Nouradi to impart his wisdom and vast skills in diplomacy.”
“If I may interject myself into this discussion of myself,” I said, slipping into the plans for my life.
“I am, as noted, a grown male and fully capable of making decisions that impact me. While I appreciate your kindness, Aelir, and your wish to gift me all that was taken from me—if that is proven to be the case—I am not wholly sure I can step into the fancy slippers of the rich and powerful.”
Dark clouds began to blow in, sending the dragonling downward to land on the slate roof above us to watch us with interest.
“With Le’ral’s hand, you will be. Trust me,” Aelir gave me a pat on the arm, “oh, and so the ballroom is acceptable?”
I tore my sight from Jaculi. “Yes, it’s very nice. I like the blue and silver motif, but I feel we should discuss everything a bit more as I—”
“Excellent! We’ll have the ball to welcome you to the family in a fortnight. That should give Le’ral and you time to learn the basics of dances, the proper dining routines, and the gifts of small talk among the court.”
A large drop of rain hit me on the head as the king sailed off to attend to kingly things such as balls and ravens and pushing pirates into silken slippers.
“Well, this is an interesting development,” Le’ral said as the skies opened up.
The ship rocked side to side, waves as large as castles washing over the rails, sweeping those who served my father over the sides, never to be heard from again.
Lashed to the mainsail, I was unable to help, struggling against the powerful limbs, screaming at the undead creature that piloted the Cloud’s Shame to no avail.
Papa didn’t hear me, for he was dead. Tears streamed down my cheeks, washed away instantly by saltwater.
“Papa! Papa!” I bellowed, the tentacles wound about me, cinching harder, cutting off my air, as the bloated corpse of my sire whistled a song well known to my young ears.
“Hoist the sails and let winds decree,
No chain on land can anchor me,
Through blackest squalls and mutiny,
My faith lies with the sea!”
He bellowed the lyrics out so loudly that the winds of the tempest we sailed through carried them to me, blowing them around and around my head.
Papa winked at me right before his rotted nose fell from his face to land at his boots.
“Papa! Papa! Papa!!”
“My Lord, wake up.”
I jolted awake, nearly ready to leap to my feet to avoid the desiccated nose lying by my small bare foot, when I saw who stood over me.
Le’ral and Ambassador Nouradi, both quite concerned.
I wiped at my sleepy eyes and took in the room.
Right, yes, a formal dining room with a table set for a meal.
Servants in the corners stared at me with wide, frightened eyes as they waited to begin serving.
A light lunch. Yes. It all came back to me.
Lesson eight in the course of two suns. This one dealing with accepted meal etiquette and what was considered proper for a luncheon discussion.
“Sorry. I…I dozed off.” I sat up, pleased to see my face had come to rest on a clean plate.
Fukkate. “I’ve not slept well the past two nights.
Too many caramel pastry bites before bed,” I added with a lopsided smile to lighten the mood.
My two tutors exchanged looks and sat back down, one on each side of me.
Lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and the rain came down in bucketfuls.
A typhoon had blown into Celear from out of nowhere the day Aelir had shown me the ballroom where a ball to welcome the new prince was to be held.
The winds were fierce, snapping flagpoles and tumbling small boats around like toys.
It showed no signs of lessening. Rumors of a blighted sea were reaching the ears of my first mate, who passed that onto me. “Please continue.”
“Perhaps you should consider a sleeping draught before bed,” Mahouk Nouradi suggested, settling back into his chair. “My son is a very skilled cleric. I can request a small bottle for your use. Surely all of this change in your life has lingered in your dreams.”
“Thank you, but a few shots of rum will do me just as well as any draught,” I said, righting the napkin on my lap. I would not think about that nose, or my dead father, or the gargantuan tentacles that held me to that mast. “So, we were going over the proper way to eat soup.”
Le’ral nodded at the servants. “As we’ve covered already, if the royal family is dining, all members of King Aelir’s family will enter the dining room first. In terms of import: the king, the queen, his consorts, and the twins, if they are in attendance.
Generally the children are not. They eat in the nursery, but after they reach their majority, they will enter before you.
As the king’s half-brother, you shall enter after the fully blooded royals. ”