Fay Tale - Chapter Fifteen

The king of Eirendyr gazed at his crown prince with an expression of cool suspicion. Seris met the gaze with green eyes limpid with innocence. Bremen sneezed and nearly fell off his perch on the back of Anand’s chair.

“To summarize,” the king began, “You wish to take on the full responsibility of the court these coming five days.”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

“To what end?”

“From the goodness of his batty heart, of course,” the cat said.

“Because it grants my lord the king the length of time necessary to work on his projects undisturbed,” the prince replied, not rising to the advisor’s bait. “As I mentioned earlier, I am not unaware of the many projects which call for your royal attention. Allowing me to preside over the court in your stead, would go far in freeing your burden of responsibilities.”

“How am I to be sure you will not use less desirable means to sway the opinion of my court?” the king asked.

“You can’t always get your way by throwing carriage doors at people,” Bremen added, and the king tapped the feline’s tail as a warning to be silent. Another sneeze interrupted whatever comment Bremen may have seen fit to add regardless.

“I openly admit my actions on that day were ill-planned and overly emotional,” Seris returned. “It is because of them that I have realized I need more experience in the ways of a more human court. Angelis is gifted in diplomacy not only of foreign courts but also our own. While he has guided me well these past years, I believe I have become complacent. I allow him to guide me without seeking to discern for myself what the situation requires. Given your acceptance of my proposition, I would gain much from the added experience.”

“Not to mention validation of the king’s ability to put up with you,” Bremen muttered into his own tail, hoping to keep the horrible scent wafting from the prince from reaching his sensitive nose.

“Which you are sorely in need of given your recent conduct,” the king replied, breaking the eye contact with his prince to glance at his documents.

“As you say. My conduct has been…questionable,” the prince allowed.

“Questionable is a generous word.”

“Yet to retain our appearance of strength we must continue to be a united front before both the nobility and the outer kingdoms,” Seris countered. “Allow me to run the court for the five days I seek. It will prove that though we have had our differences, we are still united in power.”

“It is not a very subtle message,” the king replied as he flipped to the next page in his document.

“Subtlety is not always what the situation calls for.”

“It is certainly not your strength.”

“I might feel insulted had I not watched you parade an ogre before the whole court for the shock of it all.”

The prince and king revisited their stare down. Bremen crouched on the back of the chair, tail lashing as he watched.

“I will inform the court. You have four days not five. I suggest you make the most of this opportunity,” Anand said at last.

Seris bowed deeply.

“Thank you Your Majesty. You will not be disappointed.”

He bowed again then made his way out of the king’s study. Bremen waited until the door closed before tapping Anand’s head with one paw.

“Well?”

“If he wears a stronger scent, I will be in danger of fainting,” the king said dryly.

“At least then you wouldn’t have to smell it!” the cat growled. “I can’t stop sneezing!”

He licked his paw vigorously then scrubbed his nose against it in a vain attempt to clear away the strong odor.

“Perhaps he believed it would be enough to dazzle our senses and make us more amenable to his suggestion?”

“If only to get him out of the damned room!” The cat licked his nose then peered down at his friend. “I still don’t see why you said yes. He’s obviously plotting something.”

“Obviously. Yet I believe it is also accurate that he wishes to make up for his poor performance of the past months. I see no reason to forbid it for I would be grateful for the extra time. Additionally, the court will see it exactly as he said,” the king replied.

“Proof that while you are completely in control of him, the prince still holds enough of your trust that you allow him to have the run of things while you are busy,” the cat said.

“Precisely.”

Bremen sighed then scratched irritably at an itch with a hind foot.

“You are dissatisfied,” the king noted.

“I thought he would hold out a little longer before coming to apologize. I’m disappointed.”

“Perhaps he is learning.”

The feline made a noncommittal noise before oozing himself down into the king’s lap.

“Or perhaps Angelis took him to task for his increasingly erratic displays.”

“Now that I could see. He can rival Lady Aisha’s tongue when the mood strikes him.”

“Then we shall hope for the best while keeping watch for the worst.”

“Like always.”

“Yes. As always.”

Anand spent a few moments rubbing Bremen’s cheeks before returning to his work. Bremen purred himself into a light sleep where he dreamed of chasing bats through an endless castle corridor.

~~~

Seris rapped quietly on the door leading to the princess’s suite of rooms. A few moments later the door inched open and he slipped inside.

“How goes the clean-up?” the dark-haired prince asked his brother. Angelis coughed as the strong smell of the perfume wafted in his direction and quickly took a step back.

“He was able to make it into Liliana’s nursery after you left.”

“He still alive?”

“For the moment yes.”

Seris couldn’t decide if he was grateful or disappointed. Angelis’s eyes had slitted at the reminder of his attack on the Guardian, however, so he quickly moved the conversation along.

“Were you able to check on the wound.”

“He would not allow me access to it,” the blond prince said. “He insisted it would heal on its own...given time.”

“He has four days.”

“He said he would manage in three, provided we left him alone.”

“If he can recover from that sort of wound, I’d almost be tempted to wish I were an ogre,” Seris said, glancing at the spot on the floor where the green blood had pooled.

“The blood has gone though the scent lingers,” Angelis said, answering his unspoken question. “We are fortunate none of the guards in this wing possess the heightened senses of the Folk.”

“Then why in the name of the King-Under-the-Hill did I have to wear this blasted scent?” Seris snapped. “I can barely breathe!”

“Do not complain, Seris, for it is your inability to think before acting that causes your current discomfort,” Angelis replied without pity. “The guards on our wing may not be of the Folk but were you to encounter any on your way to see the king how would you explain the scent of blood upon your skin? Some of the more sensitive among them could detect it even were they to come across your path days later. This is the best and most easily explainable situation.”

“Yes of course. My brother seeks to punish me for my bad behavior by making me a pariah in polite society.”

“Do not test me, Seris!” Angelis snarled, his fangs and claws unsheathing in his fury. The younger prince quickly retreated, letting his gaze fall to the ground submissively. “You would do well to consider your own words to the king. It is deceit you meant them for, but to follow them would be to your great profit!”

With a final snarl Angelis stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Seris was tempted to growl back, but knew Angelis was right. That didn’t mean he planned on apologizing for lashing out at the ogre who had been all but choking his bonded brother to death.

The crown prince sighed instead then walked over to the door behind which the ogre had retreated. It was a small storeroom which currently housed old toys and odds and ends from the previous nursery of some long-ago child. Seris jiggled the handle experimentally and was reassured when it remained locked. He took a step back then paused.

“A locked door is an open invitation to my daughter,” he muttered and drew a small dagger out of its sheathe. He jammed it into the lock then snapped it off in the keyhole.

A subliminal growl emanated from behind the door. Seris was half-way across the room, claws unsheathed, before the sound had even died away. He strained his ears for any additional sounds from behind the door but everything was quiet.

Too quiet.

The vampire quickly exited the bedroom, promising himself that Lily would sleep with him for the next four days.