Halcyon Days
by
K'Arthur

20th Day of Shadow Decan, ND 1992

If I were to choose a day that my life really started, I would choose this one. It was my tenth birthday and my parents were very eager to have my Birthday Score read. The whole week had been filled with parties in my honor, but that day Father held a banquet for the Fon Master who had come himself to read my Score. This was really special because normally I didn't get my Birthday Score read by the Fon Master. Normally it was just some Maestro but because I was ten this was important. Or so Father said.

The banquet for the Fon Master was boring. I had to sit next to Mother and smile at bunch of old people. Some of them brought me presents, but they weren't fun presents. I'd been getting presents all week and none of them were really good except some swords someone gave me, but Mother wouldn't let me play with them. Today, one man gave me a chest full of gold cups. Another brought me some fancy plates. Mother seemed to like them a lot, but I didn't. She made me pretend that I liked them, though. So I did.

When everyone was finished eating and dancing and singing, my parents and the Fon Master took me to the chapel inside the palace. Just like he did all the other times on my birthdays, Father gripped my shoulder as the Score was read. The Fon Master put his hands together over my head, closed his eyes and prayed for a moment. When he stepped back to look at me, he didn't look very happy. He said something to my father in that old language that I don't understand and then my mother pulled me out of the room.

I wasn't too happy about that and I told her so. I asked her what the Fon Master said, but she just shook her head. Her face looked really white and she kept hugging me.

"Mother," I said, after she had grabbed me for a hug a third time. "What is wrong? Why can't I hear my Score?"

She shook her head at me and just said, "I'll tell you when you're older, Peony."

I hate it when she says that. It's pointless. I'll never learn anything because I'm never going to get older.

Finally Father and the Fon Master came out of the chapel. Father took Mother's hand and they walked ahead of me back towards our rooms. I don't know what the Fon Master did. I didn't really care, either.

When we got back to our rooms, Father gave an order to Matheson, one of his trusted guards, to take me to the drawing room. I didn't really want to go, but Father and Mother looked sort of ill. I watched them go into their chamber and shut the door, leaving me with Matheson.

Matheson did what Father asked. He always did. He was really boring like that. I couldn't do anything when he was around.

I sat on the couch in the drawing room and tried not to look bored. I don't know why they call it a drawing room if you can't draw on the walls. I tried that once when I was five and Mother wasn't happy. I think the two maids that had to clean it were even angrier, though.

"Your Highness," Matheson said, producing a large box from behind one of the wingback chairs. "His Majesty asked me to give this to you."

I got off the couch and started to unwrap it. It was about time I got a decent present on my birthday! My parents knew better than to give me plates or cups. It was a really neat present, too. It was a fon machine that looked like a tiny version of the warships that I'd seen in paintings. I turned it over and saw that it had a crank, so I wound it up and set it on the floor.

It raced right across the carpet, making all kinds of sounds that battleships must make. (I don't really know because I've only been on our family's private yacht and not one of those neat battleships!)

I wanted to go back to my room and play with my other toys but Matheson said no. He made me sit there for almost an hour. But at least I had my new battleship.

Then Mother came into the room. She looked like she had been crying. Her eyes were all red and puffy. She took my hand and led me back towards our rooms and told Matheson to come, too. We went into her and Father's chamber. He was there and he was looking sad, but he also looked very serious. Two of his favorite advisors were there as well. They also looked very serious.

Mother sat in her favorite chair—a huge, cozy pale blue one—and held me on her lap. I'm kind of big for that, but she seemed upset so I didn't argue. Matheson stood at attention until Father sighed and told him to relax by saying "At ease." I like commanding the guards, but I don't do it as well as Father does.

"My son," Father said, his voice sounding scratchy. "I'm afraid that your Birthday Score revealed some things that your Mother and I have long feared."

He paused and I watched him closely. My father never seemed nervous, but I swear I heard his words trembling.

"The Fon Master has predicted that in the coming year my son will be killed by those who seek to put my younger brother family's on the throne now that he has a son of his own," Father continued, speaking more to his advisors than Mother and I. "I will not allow this to happen, but I cannot strike against my own brother until a threat is witnessed. For now we just have this prediction and I have not seen any indication that my brother would be planning a coup, and quite frankly I find it hard to believe."

Jerico Frings, one of my father's best generals, rubbed his forehead. I know him better than some of Father's advisors because sometimes I am allowed to play with his son, Aslan. Jerico frowned and then said, "I will assign some members of special operations to keep a watch on him."

"Yes," my father replied. "But we will need to secure my son."

I wonder how they are going to "secure" me. I already don't leave the palace unless I'm with Mother and Father and a whole bunch of guards. I have my own guards and maids and no one ever really comes to see me—except Aslan.

"I have a suggestion," said Admiral Troyzan, a pretty woman with red hair who commanded our Navy.

"Go ahead, Lysette," Father replied.

"Let's send His Highness somewhere in secret. We will tell the people of the country that he is studying abroad, but in reality he will be kept under the tightest of guard in a remote place where no one would even think to look, much less attack."

"Do you know a good place, Admiral?" Jerico asked.

"Keterburg," she answered.

"That frozen island in the north?" Mother asked as she pulled me closer to her chest.

Lysette nodded. "It is a resort town, Your Majesty."

"Yes," Mother said, petting my hair like she used to do when I was little. "I've been there, but it just seems so far away."

"How will we ensure his safety?" Matheson asked.

"He will not travel as the crown prince," Lysette said. "He will be only known as the son of a wealthy merchant. We will confine him to a manor in Keterburg and staff it with the best and most trusted of Your Majesty's servants and guards."

"When will I see him?" Mother asked as if she already knew the answer and didn't like it.

"Not until he comes of age," Father replied, but he sounded really different. Like he was sighing his words instead of saying them. "That is when the threat will be considered lifted."

"Frederick!" Mother gasped. "That's ten years! You can't lock our son up for ten years in some wilderness!"

He looked at her and his eyes were glassy. "Adelina…the alternative is much crueler, wouldn't you say?"

Mother sobbed and her grip on me tightened.

There was a long silence while everyone looked at each other and then looked at me. I knew I didn't have any say in the matter so I just kept quiet.

Then Matheson spoke, running his hand through his black hair. "I offer to go with His Highness, Your Majesties."

Father nodded to him. "I trust you implicitly, Graham."

"I'll go as well," Lysette said.

"Your face is too well known," Jerico pointed out. "You would attract too much attention even in a place like Keterburg."

They kept talking about me and who was going with me and how we were going to get there but I stopped listening. I looked up at my Mother and she closed her eyes. I don't think she liked the discussion either. After awhile, Father told her to take me to my room and get me ready. He stayed there with his generals and kept talking.

When we got into my room, my Mother started to scold me about the toys all over the floor, but she stopped for some reason and just fell to her knees and hugged me. I was really getting tired of the hugging but I hugged her back. I didn't really want to go to that Keterburg place. I liked the palace and my toys and seeing Aslan.

"I'll be okay, Mother," I said, not knowing if that was true but I think she needed to hear me say it.

She smiled at me and kissed my forehead. Turning to the two maids who were starting to pick up my toys she told one to bring her scissors and the other to find some traveling bags. The one with the scissors came back first and mother thanked her and told her to start putting all my toys into their chests. The maid didn't look too happy. She's always picking up my toys because I never do.

Then Mother sat me on the stool in front of my dressing mirror. She sighed and spoke to me quietly. Her voice sounded like she needed a drink of water. "Peony, when you leave us tomorrow, things are going to be very different for you than they were here in the palace. You can't use your name anymore and your servants will no longer call you Highness. But this is all for the best, my son."

"I understand, Mother," I said, even if I didn't really understand all of it. Especially why my uncle would want to hurt me.

She rubbed her eyes. "Use my father's name from now on."

I didn't particularly like Klaus as a name, but since my full name is so long and I can't use Peony any more, my grandfather's name would have to do. I nodded to her.

"Someday you'll be able to be called Peony again," she said, more to herself than to me.

Then she took the scissors and clipped out the blue fonstone that I wore in my hair. I frowned. Father put that my hair when I was barely a year old. He wears one, too, but his is on the left side and mine is on the right. He told me it meant I was to be the next Emperor and that when I had a son, I would put one in his hair, too.

Mother took off her necklace and threaded the stone through it. She started to put it back on, but the decided to put it around my neck. "Promise me you'll never show anyone," she said.

"I promise," I replied. I was happy that I could keep my fonstone because it means a lot to me.

The next few hours the maids packed what Mother told them to and I sat on my bed holding my new toy battleship. Then Matheson came into the room and said, "It's time, Your Majesty."

"Now?" Mother protested. "At least let him stay one more night."

"Adelina," Father said, stepping around Matheson. "It is safer to move him at night."

Mother started to cry and Father put his arm around her and then the two of them hugged me. I felt like I was going to cry, too.

Then Father said, "Be strong, my son."

I nodded to him. I felt the tears running down my face but I really wished he hadn't seen them.

Mother kissed my forehead and told me, "Farewell, but not goodbye. We'll see each other soon."

Matheson took my hand and we walked away. When I glanced back, the two of them were holding each other and my father's cheeks were wet.

I waved over my shoulder, trying to tell them that I would be all right, but even I'm not sure I believed that.