“True,” Chef chuckles, “your presence here scares away my help.”
“I’ve told him to work on that,” Keane smirks at his brother.
“No chance in the Old World,” Chef laughs, bounding back down to his kitchen. He brings back a small stack of nice wooden plates and cutlery for the group, his whole ambiance swaddling us with his happy and providing nature as our table relaxes again to the smell of cinnamon sugar and black pepper mixed together.
I glance to Keane over my ale, knowing that it was he who requested Chef to prepare the trout for our group.For me.He catches my gaze and gives a small nod, lifting his ale in salute. I grin at his playful brown eyes and take another large swig, the lot of us moving through our breakfast easily in Knowledge fashion. Our hands meet each other’s over conversation, our ales inching lower with every bite as the men leave no food untouched. Eventually, Keane glances to his brother, the two of them rising from their seats and announcing our group’s departure. The table takes a collective exhale as we all stand up with the Princes, everyone doing their best to ready themselves to meet with the King.
Keane leads our small group to the third floor of the castle, a floor used for housing visitors on one end and meeting rooms of different sizes on the other. We follow him and his brother to the very end of the west wing and only stop when we reach the last door, watching as Keane pushes it open without knocking and beckons everyone inside.
I’m the last to enter with Golem, my step hesitant as I stop abruptly to take in everything around me. The room is shockingly familiar with its circular walls, the space of it reminding me so much of the King’s study on the fourth floor but only larger. In fact, I think we may be in the same tower of the castle as the King’s study, just directly below it.
The three beautiful high arching windows greet me first from across the room, but in lieu of King Zander’s desk resting below the windows, a large and intricately carved mahogany table is set for ten underneath it. Desmond is already directing the men around the table, pulling out seats for each of them on the far left side.
I glance to the right of them, to a plush green rug that has brown settees settled on top. All three pieces of furniture are formed into a half square to face the large meeting table, the room forgoing a fireplace and instead opening up for gathered conversation. There’s no sweeping bookshelves like those that graced the King’s study, but there is, however, in the same corner as I remember, a large wooden staircase that juts up like the limbs of a tree, the tips of it disappearing into the shadows of the tower above.
Keane’s hand greets my lower back as he pushes me forward, pulling me out of my trance at the door. My feet carry me forward on their own accord, something they’ve been doing a lot lately, as I glance to the large table in front of me. Desmond catches my eye and nods at the chair next to him, the seat stationed directly to the left of the head of the table. Mybrows furrow in question but I do as I’m bid, feeling as Golem takes a quiet stance behind me. He moves away from the three arched windows and into the shadows, his arms folding gently over his robes as Stormfall remains sleeping on my shoulder. I reach a hand up to his beak and stroke it gently, knowing that he’ll need to be awake for the conversation to come.
Keane quietly closes the door and walks towards the staircase, stopping at a small table that hosts various glasses next to it. He grabs two large decanters, water and whiskey, then walks them over to our quiet group before placing the drinks in front of Cal. He heads back to the small table and grabs a few small glasses just as the sound of heavy boots fill the room.
Our table promptly stands from our chairs, watching as King Zander descends down the towering staircase. Keane is the only one not standing at attention as he continues with the drinks, pouring a single glass of whiskey without looking up to his father.
My heart races as I shift in my stance, the anxiety and tension taking over again with every one of Zander’s steps. Keane finally turns to his father at the bottom of the stairs and holds out the whiskey in offering, his shoulders set proud and straight as he gives him a curt nod.
“Son,” Zander walks forward with a smile.
He’s wearing a beautiful green tunic with gold etchings of roses throughout, his brown and white peppered hair falling gracefully above his sharp Discerni features and the cut of his ears. He leans into Keane and takes the drink, his kind blue eyes watching his son’s face for a few moments before smiling again.
“Father,” Keane replies, turning back to the table as Zander looks around the room. His eyes immediate land on Desmond, a flare of deep affection flashing behind his gaze as he walks directly towards him.
“Des…”
Desmond gives his father a small nod, the hint of a rare grin gracing his lips. He is so obviously Zander’s son, even though he isn’t, and the way the two of them look at eachother puts a smile on my face.
The King stops in the middle of the table and takes in Holis, Mana and Cal, his eyes passing over each of them in approval before giving all three a genuine smile.
“And the men who have watched over and protected our girl from the beginning…”
I shift slightly on my feet at the sentiment, watching as Cal gives the King a broad grin in confirmation before bowing deeply. Holis also grins to his King and nods at the comment, his brother doing the same with just the hint of a smile. My eyes immediately dart to Keane who is still standing at the far end of the room, trying to catch his gaze but frowning at the way he’s watching the Knowledge men in their greeting to his father. His brown eyes are narrowed with a hard, thoughtful look behind them, and in the moment I’m not sure what to make of it.
I glance away from Keane with a pounding heart as Zander continues his slow path around the table. The King watches me carefully,thoughtfully… the silence in the room growing almost unbearable as everything turns heavy and tense. I stare back into his kind blue eyes, eyes that have remained the same since our last meeting, and take in the gentle gaze that wants to bring me back to friendly familiarity.
But everything, and I meaneverything, from the past weeks’ travel begins to build in my mind as I look into that gaze. My thoughts are quick to remind me that he is the sole reason why we are here this morning and sitting around this table, thatheis the reason why so much has happened in the past month. He’s lied to me and set me on a path without proper consent, and he’s the reason why so much confusion and anger have rocked not just me but the people around me that I care about. So though his gaze looks just as I remember, I can’t help but scowl at King of Disce in return.
My body anxiously angles towards him, the emotions of hurt and confusion etched into my features as he takes a step my way. It’s completely improper for me to be looking at him like this, but I genuinely cannot stop the anger bursting forward from all the secrets he’s kept.
“Alexis…”
Zander says my name softly as a deep sadness forms behind his eyes. I falter in my furious gaze and stare back at the kindness that looks so genuine in its apology, his glance forcing me to take a deep breath and push my heavy thoughts away. I take a few moments to myself and remember who this man is to me and what he’s provided since taking me in. I would be an orphan if not for His Grace, and the King has never once been anything but a kind and friendly figure to me since arriving in Bardot.
Of courseI forgive you.
Zander smiles at my thought and releases a small breath. He gives me a strong nod and then narrows his eyes in hopeful conversation, the look he sends telling me that he had his reasons for withholding information but he does not plan to any longer. I nod to my King and bring my finger up to Storm’s beak, stroking it harder this time as Zander looks on with a curious glance.
“This is Stormfall,” I smile as Storm’s talons grip me softly, eyes still closed.
You need to wake up, I tell Storm, testing my suspicion.
Stormfall grabs my shoulder in annoyance before he takes a deep breath, ruffling his wings against his body before his chest puffs up proudly. He opens his yellow eyes and glances first in my direction, the look he gives me telling me he’s not happy with this morning interruption.
