Knocking woke me up. I got up, put my tunic on and opened the door. There was nobody there. I frowned and closed them. Then I opened them again, stood there for a while and finally decided I ought to head downstairs. I descended the stairs with caution as they appeared slippery and unsafe. It was hard to see as there weren’t enough lit torches. At the bottom hall I found my company and a servant who came to fetch us and who, I presumed, knocked on my door. They all looked at me and I blushed!
“Are we finally all here?” the servant asked with a high pitched voice. He was old, ancient even. He wore white pants and a thick black tunic. He seemed annoyed, something I found amusing.
“Yes,” answered Tiberius with a bored voice.
“Our court is assembled and is waiting for us outside. You’ll be formally greeted and then we shall continue to the dining hall where you will – well, dine! Porosians don’t like to talk business while eating, so please keep that in mind! Thank you.”
The servant opened the gates and we stepped outside. A small mass of people greeted us with a loud cheer. Some laughed with forced laughter, some cheered, some clapped. They stood approximately twenty steps from us. The women wore long, pompous gowns of vibrant colors. Their faces were covered with white powder, so white, they appeared dead! I liked how they wore their hair though, playfully braided into different shapes.
The men were clean shaven, wore light dark tunics and tight trousers. So tight their manhood was quite visible. The uncomfortable bulge kept staring at you. Most of them had long hair and some, who I assumed were bald, wore wigs.
The king stood in front of the crowd, trying hard to appear apathetic to his court’s enthusiasm for his dear guests. He failed. The whole thing was absurd. We stood there and acted our role. We bowed and smiled, although the ludicrous behavior took us all by surprise. The king then raised his hand and the clapping stopped. All went silent, but some still let a laugh or two slip.
“Our dear guests, again I welcome you to my home! I hope you’ve enjoyed your nap! Ha!”
“We did, King Orpheus!” answered Tiberius with a loud voice. I felt like he was mocking them. If he was, they were completely oblivious to it.
“Good! Please,” he stepped forward and extended his hand to Julia. Poor Julia.
“Follow me, please.”
Julia took his hand and they started walking towards the western tower. We followed. The whole of court was walking behind me, giggling like children. It made me feel uncomfortable, but I tried my best to appear indifferent. Then someone pinched my behind. The giggling intensified. I didn’t react to it. Then another pinch and again, the obnoxious giggling. Angry thoughts rushed through my mind: Have your fun. By the end of next year you’ll all be dead. I wished I could yell those words to them. But even if I had, those mad people would not have comprehended their meaning. They were walking corpses, living on a completely different plain. Their thoughts had nothing in common with reality.
The dining hall was a somewhat large chamber with ten fire places, but only a few of them had fire in them. The table was round and huge. There were about thirty of us. Julia and Tiberius sat next to the pretentious king. I got seated next to a middle-aged blond woman and some old man, who was half deaf. He kept yelling: "What?" to my every pleasantry. After some time I ignored him. The food had already been served when we came in. Fruits, meats, vegetables and bread. When we were all seated and the court-people started eating without much theatricals, we followed. The older woman introduced herself to me:
“I am Iris, the queen-mother.”
“I am Antonius Catero, a pledge of the Cohort.”
She gave me her hand and I kissed it, without blushing, may I add! Her hands were soft and young looking, yet to my lips they still felt old. I raised my eyes to her and observed hers for a quick moment or two, trying to gather as much impressions as I could. She had blue eyes, the bluest I had ever seen. The blonde braided hair was shiny. She had a straight dull nose, and her lips were narrow. She seemed tired, bored.
“Rather peculiar your Lord took a bunch of pledges with him on such an important trip. Wouldn’t this cause some resentment among the Knights and Captains?”
“Vetulonians aren’t prone to resentment. Our Lord feels experience is the best teacher. And we pledges have much to learn.”
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“Well put, young man! I like your modesty. I only wish my son would be more modest… I didn’t do well with him, as you can see for yourself.”
“What do you mean?” I acted a fool.
“Oh, come on now… Look at him…”
I glanced towards the king. He was explaining something to Julia and Tiberius, waving his hands about. Every now and then he burst into laughter. That was not a king. That was a boy.
“Hm hm,” I mumbled, not sure what to say next.
“And it’s all my fault,” the queen almost whispered with a sad voice.
“How so?”
“Well…” she sighed and then continued. “I was very young when I married his father. It was a political marriage, you know how those are. We never truly cared for each other... And I was a young girl, so young… And lonely… There was this young nobleman, he was a member of the king’s guard. Handsome. He had green eyes, green like two ponds in the middle of a forest. Wavy blonde hair. His voice was commanding, so commanding, yet comforting. And we fell in love. We hid in chambers... Dungeons beneath this bloody fort... Lonely staircases… But you cannot keep a secret of this kind for too long. I don’t know how or who saw us, but somehow people found out. And one day he disappeared. As if he never existed. I asked my husband, the king, Oh what happened to that fellow? And he replied, He tripped and fell, broke his neck, such an odd thing. Then he laughed, and it was a mean laugh, the meanest I’ve ever heard. It still makes me tremble if I think about it too much.”
“What happened next?”
“Life went on,” she sighed again. “But... I was pregnant. And I knew for certain it was not the king’s child I was carrying.”
“How could you have known that?” I asked with naivety and blushed.
“Well, the king… Didn’t care for women’s company. I've been told you Vetulonians don’t make a fuss about who loves who, but here in Porosia, it is frown upon, very much so!”
“What did the king do?”
“Nothing. He had an heir and didn’t even have to touch me. So when Orpheus was born he accepted him as his own. But he knew… He was a very pragmatic man.”
“Why then kill your… Lover?” I blushed.
“Well, rumors, for one. Paranoia as well. Being a ruler is a dangerous game and you always have to watch your step… My husband died when Orpheus was still a child. A hunting accident they said, although I have my suspicions. And I was left alone to rule until my boy was of age. But I didn’t focus much on Porosia, only my son, my son, my son. You see, he was the only thing that was left of my one true love. And in time my overbearing affections corrupted his soul. I love him to death, but look at him. Spoiled, full of himself, he’s almost like a… Caricature… Full of… What do you Vetulonians call it? Ego? He’s unfit to rule. And it’s my fault. It’s my fault… My life is a failure.”
“No life is a failure, my queen.”
“Oh, young Antonius… I wished it was so. But it’s not. I failed, I failed my son and I failed my kingdom. Why bother pretending otherwise? Especially now… If I had focused my attention on the well being of my nation, things would have gone the other way. Now? There will be rivers of blood. War is upon us. And it’s because of me. I failed as a ruler, and I failed to raise a ruler. You’re perhaps wondering why I’m telling you all this? Well, I've got nothing to lose anymore and... I have a favor to ask of you. I found a lump on my left breast. The same lump killed my mother, so I know what happens next. I have nothing to gain anymore by pretending I did fine in life. I did not. I see that now, finally, in the autumn of my life. Nothing sobers a person more than a reminder that they will soon perish. I tried talking with priests, to receive some comfort, but our religion is a false one. It aches for power, not the redemption of one’s soul... But... I have read you Vetulonians have a magic potion that makes you talk with gods, the real gods. And they give you great insights, even comfort? Is it possible to get a hold of this brew? I need some guidance, to see if I can do something at last, now, at the ending chapters of my life. If something doesn’t change, my people will suffer and my boy’s head will end up on a spike…”
She seemed numb and tired and the spark in her eyes was full of sorrow and grief.
“I believe we can accommodate you, but I’ll have to speak to my Lord first.”
“I understand that. Thank you!”
“You may not like what the gods will tell you.”
As soon as I uttered those words, the king burst into laughter once again, pounding his fist on the table. Jesters came into the dining hall, jumping around, making fools of themselves. The queen turned her tired face towards mine:
“I wish my son was more like you. You appear serene and responsible. Your mother must be proud.”
Before I could respond she excused herself and left the dining hall with quick, small steps.