Chapter 11 #3
“Necessary?! Your malformed princess is mad. Drakon cannot do what she demonstrated, nor will he ever be able to. He’s barely sentient! I have already agreed to put him down, but I never agreed to slaughter every last one of my serpents.” Batea roared.
“Your serpents will destroy the whole of Trisia. Millions will perish. Everyone I love died because of Drakon!” Aurora roared back, pointing at Batea. “The only madwoman here is you!”
“ENOUGH!” Theron shouted. “Batea, my wife is not malformed, she is a fairy. Now back to your side palace. We will speak later. And you.” He turned to Aurora.
“Commander Nireus will escort you to your rooms in the inner sanctum where you may rest for the remainder of the day. He will also assign rooms for your Viridian followers in the outer court. But if you think to cause mischief in my court, you will be banned from ever stepping foot in it again. Understood?”
“What I understand is that you are a man without honour. I won’t forget what you did today, Your Majesty,” Aurora hissed before she turned away and allowed Nireus to escort her from the throne room, Lord Leukos close behind.
Batea spit in disgust as Aurora left, turned on her heel and stalked out of the throne room shortly after, refusing to meet Theron’s gaze or speak another word to him.
“Does anyone else wish to throw a tantrum?” Theron asked the few who remained.
Canthus chuckled and gripped Theron’s forearm in a more relaxed greeting.
“Welcome home, Your Majesty. What orders do you have for me?”
“Keep an eye on the Viridians and especially the border. Queen Flora seeks to use Aurora to take the Dragon’s Flank, and I believe that includes using her potential demise as a way to do it.
Inform Nireus she must be heavily guarded at all times, even while in the palace.
Also, Orithyia has come to Altanus. Keep a close watch on her every move.
The sooner I can find cause to send her away, the better. ”
“As you command.” Canthus bowed and left to see to his duties.
When it was just Theron and Polydorus, his cup bearer knelt before him.
“I must apologise once again for my errors, Your Majesty.”
“No, you need not,” Theron said, motioning for Polydorus to stand. “Much of my correspondence was intercepted by Flora and Orithyia while I remained in Boreas. I find myself in need of an update on what has happened in my absence.”
“It was much as you’d expect. Dualists tried and failed to attack the palace.
The sabre-rattling noble houses manoeuvred Batea into participating in ill-advised actions against said dualists.
Nireus’ and Canthus’ soldiers kept the palace secure in your absence.
Altanus was never in any real danger of being seized.
But while you were away, Batea handled herself…
poorly. There have been dangerous whispers.
As you know, the effects of the spire continue to be felt.
Crops continue to be blighted, cattle are sickening, and people closest to the tainted waterways are dying of mysterious illnesses.
No number of sacrifices to the spirits seem to appease them.
There is talk of dethroning you. Whether these are merely disgruntled nobles mouthing off after one too many drinks, or a more serious plot, is something I have not yet ascertained. ”
Theron sighed. He had a great deal of work ahead of him.
Plots to dethrone him were as common as weeds. Such was the life of a monarch. Polydorus would keep him informed as to whether he truly needed to worry about the latest one. In the meantime, he had ancient artefacts whose mechanisms he wanted understood.
“Invite the best scholars in Aureum to the palace and give them the ancient spear and shield to study. It would be a relief to have brought at least one thing back from Boreas which does not seek to destroy me.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
“Anything else I should be aware of before I retire?”
“Lady Ino was incensed when she was informed that you had wed.”
Theron snorted.
“And when she finds out it was in the temple of Passion, I expect she’ll be frothing at the mouth.”
“That does…complicate matters, Your Majesty,” Polydorus hedged. “I have heard rumours that she is your fated. Is that true?”
Theron sighed, leaning back in his throne.
“Yes.”
“I feared as much. When our spies returned with word that you wanted to get an oracle out of Boreas, I began suspecting something more was afoot. Are congratulations or commiserations in order?”
“Both.”
Polydorus’ lip twitched. It was as close to a smile as the man seemed capable.
“I will have the good wine sent to your rooms tonight.”
Yes, tonight, when he spoke to Aurora in private, he would need a good deal of lubrication to begin the conversation he dreaded having.
That of how to go about treating her madness.
Thankfully, Polydorus hadn’t asked about that particular issue yet, though he suspected it was for Theron’s benefit, not because he didn’t wish to know.
“Best send a few bottles.”
Theron feared he would need every last drop.