“She won't be coming in to work today, unfortunately.” His Majesty Scotty announces his disappointment to his fat cow about Chiko. “What's the matter with her?,” inquires the loyal servant. His Grandissime doesn't want to tread on this slippery slope by providing information that could either be misinterpreted by himself, or by anyone in his inner circle. He's well aware of the tensions between Chiko and Kiki, but he can't pretend that this is the cause. He himself doesn't know what to make of the situation, except that he has nothing to reproach himself for. At the same time, he feels responsible for the conflict. Chiko is close to him, since she swears by the city and is constantly by his side, while it's just the opposite for Kiki. Kiki doesn't live directly in the orchard, but it's just the same. On the other hand, Chiko spends too much time in the kinglet's study; she shouldn't be so involved in the upper echelons of governance; her status doesn't allow her to be. What's more, Chiko meddles too much in sections of matters that are not her responsibility; not to the point of being reprimanded for meddling, though. And therein lies the rub. A gray area that sows discomfort in His Excellency d'Alba's body: a sharp tension that he feels all along his spine and that makes him arch his torso unnecessarily to bring his posture back to an angle that satisfies him.
The loyal servant doesn't give up; she wants to know all the ins and outs of such a situation. One of the little kingdom's servants is already on sick leave. Telma, the commissioner for diplomatic affairs with the ten neighboring principalities, broke her leg two weeks ago; the slightest movement causes her excruciating pain, justifying her absence. Telma is understandable, but Chiko is another story altogether. The fat cow insists: “Not feeling well! What does that mean?”
The kinglet's silence baffles the loyal servant, who decides, on balance, to stop finding out more and leave. His Grandissime must now confront Kiki and tell her about Chiko, without revealing any more than he did with his fat cow. Present at the castle that day, he finds her in a resplendent state that has the effect of disconcerting him. A ray of sunlight penetrates the room from a dormer window, creating a kind of halo of light around Kiki's hair, conferring a sort of virtue. “Would Kiki already know about the whole affair and be happy about it?,” wonders the wren. But he's got it all wrong. Kiki knew nothing about it; in fact, she was stunned to hear the news. Lately, His Grandissime no longer knows how to juggle his intuitions; nevertheless, he believes that his treasurer is not bluffing. She's completely honest in her ignorance and swooning. The kinglet feels it's imperative to strengthen his complicity with Kiki and build a relationship of trust. If only she were more present at the castle, everything would be easier for both him and her.
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This thoughtful reproach of Kiki's is stirring up trouble in the Kinglet's conscience. These negative vibrations have been becoming increasingly frequent for some time now. Yesterday, he believed himself to be in full confidence; today, a kind of apathy has overtaken him: he feels insensitive to the little things in life that once gave him pleasure. For example, Her Noble Prefect occupies less and less space in his mind; even masturbating, which he indulges in daily, is of no interest to him. All these details of his intimacy are disrupted by a growing fear that gnaws at him day by day. He can barely stand still for more than 5 minutes, and has to stretch his legs all the time, making his attention worsen. He is no longer present. His memory often fails him.
From a very early age, His Majesty Scotty has known deep down that he is a repository of great talent. This confidence in his divine potential is intrinsic to him; it's second nature for him to have this unshakeable faith in his destiny. If he is king today, it's because he is the chosen one. He proudly wears around his neck a white medallion marked with two crossed purple tetrahedrons; this Star of David guides him ever further towards light and fulfillment. His maternal grandmother gave it to him as a gift when he reached the age of reason. Now he feels this essence of love when he thinks of his grandmother; he knows he'll never be alone.