The tongue is shielded by teeth and lips — as if nature knew words should come before wounds.
"The winter has begun" said Isiah –the king of the world as he looked at me "my pace feels slower than usual as if the oceans have become heavier."
"Oceans do become heavier in winter your grace" I answered as I stabilised myself in the calm, and cold ocean "this winter has been exceptionally cold."
"Curses from seven hells to Narsiccus. What news could possibly require my immediate attention, Raymond?"
"Head councillor is rarely this agitated with the news from his spies my lord. It might actually be something important."
"Narsiccus, my son and then Vikram. Visit after a visit. Hope I can get done with Narsiccus soon enough" Isiah kicked off the coral-slab floor and levitated into the ocean that pulsed through the palace's open corridors. It seemed like he was testing the density of the ocean. His eyes shone red like rubies as he twisted himself in the water. He peered at me, still levitating "ocean is quite heavy today? Is the goddess weeping?" He rode himself back on to the floor.
"She rarely weeps my lord" his drapes fell down on to the floor as he stopped gliding in the water and started walking in it. "They say the goddess first wept the day we sank beneath the surface to build our kingdoms in the oceans with its regal corals and reefs."
"You believe that jape, Raymond?"
"I lived one hundred and seventy-five years my lord. Enough time to make a man believe that world existed on the land before, where sun rose at west".
Isiah guffawed through his thick black beard. He was still carrying the young lustre even in his age of ninety-five. "The ocean is deeper Raymond, deeper than we imagine. So deep that most of the world imagines the sun," he laid a hand on my shoulder. Supported himself to prevent knocking himself down "can you imagine thinking sun itself a myth Raymond?" He came back into his senses immediately after that comment "Most of the world is filled in darkness Raymond. It is God's work we are doing, handling it all with a handful."
"This is a dynamic equilibrium we achieved your grace" I replied.
"A small nudge and everything we hold dear is at stake." Isiah retorted back with a deep sigh. I served under five kings in my lifetime, but Isiah was the only one who you could reason with. A tyrant with brain, a ruler that can actually lead.
The rest of the walk to the council hall was quiet. Isiah went into a weary silence. He still has got the strength to rule for at the least a four decades, but his frowning brows were telling a different story. He is getting weak.
Finally, we reached the door to the council room. The large doors barring the room were pushed by the soldiers. The flaps beside the doors rose before they were pushed to stabilise the pressure. Still soldiers struggled by the sheer weight of the water locking it.
A gush of warm ocean water rushed out as the flaps opened and stabilised themselves. The doors were opened enough to let me and Isiah to pass through.
Entering the hall, everything was in order. The high seat reserved for the king was empty and was waiting for his arrival. The seven seats reserved for other council members were empty and only Narcissus's seat was filled with his presence.
"Is this meeting reserved only for me, Narsiccus?" Isiah asked Narsiccus as he paced himself ahead of me to decorate the high seat.
Narsiccus rose up from his seat "Yes, your grace. Though I am rather disappointed on seeing the gracious presence of ser Raymond here" he answered with a slight nod.
"I am our grace's head steward, councillor" with a hand on my hilt of the sword I answered him "my presence is inevitable."
Narsiccus tried his hardest to resist his smile. "The sword hasn't been unsheathed since the day I was born ser" he continued with a slight mocking bow "guess that makes you the most potent to hold that position".
The sword has been an ornament of sorts. An ornament to indicate the days of my glory. Four decades and a half it has been. But I certainly wonder if the head councillor was only forty-five years old.
Isiah raised a hand indicating our mouths be shut. "Take a seat both of you" he pointed our respective seats with his hand. He gave a gentle nod to me after I took my seat. 'You are the only potent king's guard Raymond', he used to say, and the nod suggested me of those words. I nodded back in humble approval.
"Please begin Narsiccus." Isiah urged.
Narsiccus took a quick glance over the room. Inhaled deeply and took his stand "It is about your younger son, my lord," his fingers weaved over each other "he has two sons of age for the throne."
"My younger son is far from the Kingdom-Principalia. And he probably feathered some bastards, who… by law… have no right of the throne." King's red-eyes shone like blood diamonds, out of rage on the mention of his younger son. "Is this the urgent matter councillor?"
"Yes, your grace," he continued, ponderously "but the lineage are no bastards. They are noble born."
Isiah laid himself back and kept his left hand on his chin, "please elaborate Narsiccus."
"Your younger son had loved and married the Ambika Bharadwaj, the only daughter of Vikram Bharadwaj."
"But Vikram had never brought this to my notice," Isiah slammed his right fist onto the arm-rest of high seat, "this is treason."
"Ambika married your son after she was exiled by her father for seemingly falling in love with a maggot," Narsiccus was placid while he was spurting these words "Vikram took your son, who hadn't inherited your eyes as a maggot."
"He spited me so much that he even accepted the accusation," Isiah eyes went pale and dangled onto the fossil-stairs that lead onto his high seat.
"I summoned Vikram your grace," Narsiccus let his hands loose. He inhaled enough air and continued warily "Your son is planning a civil war and we need our most loyal—"
"Enough councillor. Arhan would never commit to such folly," my voice cut right through the ocean like a dagger made of air. Isiah raised his head slightly in a weary disappointment.
"Not everything is solved through diplomacy ser Raymond."
"Yes, and this is not one of those Councillor Narsiccus."
"Is that why Vikram here then, Narsiccus?" Isiah intervened.
"Yes, your grace."
"Why wasn't he in the council hall then?"
"I was waiting for your presence your grace."
"Raymond, I want you to go and summon him here, personally, right at this moment." Isiah looked at me with utter helplessness. I could see him being crushed, crushed by the weight of responsibility and absolute love for his kin.
"Yes, your grace." I responded immediately.
My eyes wandered onto Narsiccus. His demeanour was upright and curt and most importantly; his eyes were searching mine. Our glances exchanged briefly and all of a sudden, I could see it. I understood why he didn't want my presence in the council hall.
'Ser Raymond, why do you hate to draw the sword?' a quick voice of young Arhan filled my head. How young he was? How potent he was? But we both saw the cost of his potential. Isiah and I realised his hunger for power at a really young age. We could've nipped the bud of his hunger at a very young age. Yet, we did a mistake. We poisoned the child. Narsiccus knew, my love towards Arhan. He also knew that, where I used my emotion, Isiah would use his intellect.
I took a deep breath and turned around. Then slowly regret dawned on me. I can't just let this happen. 'Ser Raymond, why do you hate to draw the sword?'. Can't just let them lift the sword against this little one. No.
I turned back again to face Isiah. With a hand on my hilt, and a raised chest, I exclaimed "Lady Maria! She should also be present to decide the fate of the young lord, your grace."
"Spoken like a true guardian," –Narsiccus mimed a whisper. I ignored it with a twist of my mouth.
"Your grace, please, allow me to summon Lady Maria too. She needs to hear about her son." This request threw Isiah off guard and Narsiccus didn't seem to like when Isiah started to consider it.
"But how?" Isiah peered at me, with a slouched back "What am I supposed to say to bring her here?"
"Grace, let Narsiccus go and lead Vikram to the council hall, while I go and summon Lady Maria." This was a risky proposition. Narsiccus will certainly try to antagonise Vikram more and try to start a manhunt for both Arhan and Ambika. One my side, I can try to convince Lady Maria. That is all, Lady works in ways I can't comprehend, hope this gamble plays well.
Narsiccus was immediate to take the bait, "that will certainly work my lord."
Isiah glared at us with contempt and disdain, "please summon them, I want this ordeal to end as fast as it can. I need to attend my elder son."
We took his leave. The guards opened the door. The guest quarters were to right of the council hall, and family quarters were to the left. Before we parted our ways, right outside the door after they've been closed, Narsiccus called to me.
"Ser, Raymond," I slowed my pace and turned back to face him.
"Yes, councillor."
"Why? Why do you have to protect him this much?"
"I am not you Narsiccus. Isiah took you as a ward and raised you, alongside Arhan. You were like brothers to each other. You might've forgot your brother, but I haven't forgotten my duty as a father figure."
"Then let me reiterate my question ser, why is Arhan so special? You raised me too, didn't you?"
This boy has a way with the words. He caught me off-guard. "A question for a question is seldom an answer Narsiccus," I wanted to know, is the grudge still held? Is that why he wants Arhan out of the picture so desperately? "The reason you hate Arhan, was it –"
"Lady Maria might be waiting for you ser," he cut me off with a smile, both wary and weary "please, the king has things to attend after this council."
"I loved you both equally," I tried to pat his shoulder. He averted my hand and turned back sternly "the sole reason why I can't let you both slit each other's throats, Narsiccus."
He heeded no attention to my words. He was halfway down the hall by the time I turned back to go my own way.
'He is set on this' my voice rang loudly in my head, 'gods, please save me from drawing my weapon again.'
END.