Chapter 9
A dark, bloody sun chased after its nocturnal pearl as dusk simmered along the horizon. The light roamed through the tattered market square, dwindling on the edges of the marks scorched into the uprooted cobblestones. Villagers dragged themselves from their work huts, black draping from their shoulders for the ninth day of mourning since the fire; deep lines of sorrow etched onto their ever deepening frowns and the slightest twitch of their hands that had to grasp onto the nearest thing to remind themselves they were still here.
As the villagers began shifting to their homes in the remnant scraps left on the edges of the square, the fallen seasonal pole being avoided altogether, the docks were jostling with life. Dockworkers fumbled to and fro on a small ship, gathering sets of crates and ropes from the guards. Feet battered chaotically upon the boarding dock, blinking away the sea salt stinging their eyes, as the ship's captain stomped off the ship. The crew instantly drew away from the portly man, his eyes shifted through the crowd until they landed on the foot of the docks.
He weaved through the dockhands quickly, gnawing mercilessly at the straw between his teeth as he approached the king. The captain took large strides towards Elias, his grease covered fingers ready to shake his hand until a deadly glare scattered his thoughts. The captain gulped under his past regent's glower, stumbling back with a bowed head.
"Your majesty," he said, his voice a hushed grumble stirred with liquor. The glare merely turned into an arched hint of un-amusement. The man flushed, quickly clearing his throat as he swayed a hand towards the ship. "We're almost ready to depart."
Elias nodded at him, his eyes tracing over the ship bobbing lightly along the waves. He absentmindedly walked down the dock, Ingvar and the captain on his heels, noting the faint splinters of wood that stuck up from the ship's sides and the weather beaten maiden rooted to the ship's figurehead. Her dark, vacant eyes grew lost in the run down cracks that crept down her forehead, one inching from the corner of her eye down her cheek like a frozen tear. Elias hummed and turned to the captain who was rambling on about their course.
"Captain," Elias said. The man flinched, black streaks of grease striping his hair as he smoothed it back down. "Are you sure you don't want another ship to borrow for the journey?"
The captain bit back a scoff, patting the side of the ship lovingly. "Your majesty, my darling has sailed through hell and back. She can handle anything in the North."
Elias nodded slowly, unbeknownst to the small hint of ice nipping at the captain's wrist with a flick of Ingvar's finger.
"Are the supplies I've given you sufficient?"
"Y-yes," the captain stuttered, shaking out his hand. He quickly added, "Thank you, your majesty."
Elias sighed, giving the man a sheepish smile as he bowed his head. "I should be the one thanking you. After all, I'm asking you and your crew to take the time to travel to dangerous waters."
Red dusted the man's flabby cheeks, thankful that he had forgotten to shave his forest of a beard. The captain scratched the back of his neck and coughed roughly into his hand. "W-we're just truly honored to be serving you, your highness."
A crash shattered the captain's train of thought, skittering his next line of sentiments astray. Whipping his head towards the boarding dock, the man snarled at his men. Two dockhands, a bulky man leading up towards the ship and a straggly teen down at the foot of the dock, inched up the boarding dock with a large crate between them, yet the crate now had a dent in the corner of its wood.
"You idiots!" he thundered, snatching the straw out from his mouth as he stormed towards the foot of the boarding dock. The two dockhands winced, eyeing the dented crate warily until the captain towered over them. The captain's hand whipped the back of the older man's head, hissing, "Do you have any idea how expensive this is? Especially when it's a gift from the king?"
"I didn't drop the bloody thing," the man retorted, glaring at the straggly teen. He jerked a thumb at him. "Mr. Muscle did."
The teen flinched, his eyes veiled by the cap he pulled over his head. The captain moved over to him, towering over the trembling boy with a snarl. He raised his thick hand towards the boy, his fingers curling into a fist when a hand gently lowered his arm. The captain huffed and whirled around with a snap on the tip of his tongue that froze instantly. Elias flicked his gaze from the captain to the boy idly before pressing down firmly on the man's arm.
"Now captain," Elias said. The man winced as his arm was jerked down to his side, making his shoulder pop. He fought back against the urge to tremble at the pinch of pain creeping down his arm as Elias continued, "There's no need to get so worked up over a little crate. Besides, it was accident. I'm sure it won't happen again."
Elias glanced at the boy who quickly nodded.
"I-it won't happen again sir," the boy squeaked.
"My apologies." The captain darted his tongue over his suddenly dry lips, swallowing thickly. "My nerves just got the better of me. If you excuse me, I best go check on the rest of the supplies." He jerked his head towards the fallen crate where a swarm of dockhands instantly gathered around it and heaved it upon their shoulders.
Elias watched the captain disappear in the crowd of his crew, wincing as he rolled his shoulder. He fought against the urge to smirk and turned towards the boy.
"Are you alright?" Elias asked.
The boy flinched at the gentle voice, nodding, "Yes. Thank you, your highness." The boy rubbed his arm littered in scabs. "I really didn't mean to drop the crate. It was just…heavier than I expected it to be."
Elias tilted his head to the side, lightly patting the boy's shoulder. A small smile wrinkled the corners of his lips as he eyed the jittery boy pressing his chin deeper against his chest.
"Don't worry," Elias said. He bit back a chuckle at the pink simmering beneath the cap. "Soon this day will be far behind you."
The boy's jittering ceased as Ingvar strolled up behind Elias. The elder man leaned towards Elias's shoulder with a cluck of his tongue.
"Speaking of behind us," he mused bitterly, tilting his chin up at the hill of the dock.
Elias peered up, squinting under the dark sunlight to find silhouettes rummaging down towards the dock. He blinked at the men quickly racing down towards the port they settled at, swarming through the crew of the ship instantly. Elias's brows knitted together as a voice rumbled behind him, "I hope you don't mind an extra hand, your majesty."
The young king frowned, gently patting the young dockhand's shoulder once more before he scurried off towards the ship. Elias sighed, the wind whistling by him, "King Westerguard."
He glanced behind him to find the king nodding down at him with a smile. He stepped towards him, eyeing the ship with a smirk curling the corner of his lip.
"Lovely ship," he said. "You know, my men would be more than happy to bring about one of mine down—"
"Why are you here?"
The king blinked at the abrupt question, noting the faint iciness billowing below the surface of his words. He straightened his shoulders.
"I just wanted to lend my best men for this mission," King Westerguard said as burly men dressed in the colors of the Southern Isles moved through the ship swiftly. "They'll do more than their best to make sure you're…" he gave a tentative glance at the thin man shuffling through papers as he stumbled through the dock. The graying hair lining the bald spot on his head swayed with the rough breeze, making his thick shoulders shudder under the autumn chill. The king forced a smile upon his lips, "…royal regent is in good hands."
Elias's frown deepened on his lips. He crossed his arms over his chest, blowing a strand of ivory from his eye. "Convenient considering how you stormed out of the meeting when I made my announcement."
"I really am sorry for that," the king chuckled weakly. "You truly know how to put an old man to shame in your manners. I'm sure you're teacher taught you that."
"Ferdinand will be a fine a representative," Elias said, his tone hitching on the last word.
King Westerguard raised his eyebrows until his eyes glittered wickedly. Lacing his fingers behind his back, the man towered over Elias with a grin.
"Your highness," he said smoothly. "If I may be so bold, I'm going to go off on a limb and guess that your sudden coldness to your closest ally has something to do with my nomination of Prince Anders."
"No." The corners of Elias's mouth buried his frown deeper upon his lips. "That was the cause of your coldness."
"Then I suppose it was your decision that made him speak out of turn?"
Elias's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, drawing out the words through clenched teeth, "You know what you did."
"Oh," King Westerguard's grin flicked up into a smirk. "I was only getting acquainted with my future son. Such a delight he is."
Something cold in the pit of Elias's core stirred, slowly creeping through his veins like a viper recognizing its hunger and spotting its prey. Upon reflex, his muscles relaxed; forcing him to breathe evenly.
"We did not discuss the final arrangements of the engagement," Elias said. "Your talk with him startled him to say the least."
"Then what do you call overturning his nomination when so many of us voted for him, hmm? It sounds like to me that you're being a bit too overprotective."
"As I explained at the meeting, after you left, he is too inexperienced for such a dangerous role." Elias's jaw clenched, the iciness starting to creep into his bones. A dash of venom seeped into his words as he absentmindedly snapped, "Knowing your role as a father, I'm sure you understand."
The elder king's smirk shriveled into a tight line. He blinked, drumming his fingers along his large arms. King Westerguard sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Forgive me," he said. "I didn't mean to pry into personal affairs. He is too young for his own good." The king swayed his hand back towards the ship. "My offer of men still stands as long as your captain wishes it."
Before Elias could reply, the captain leaned over the railing of the ship. He cupped his hand around his mouth, shouting, "It's alright, your majesty! I can always use the extra hands."
The young king nodded at the captain, then turned back to King Westerguard. "Very well," He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "If it will ensure the safety of my regent, then I don't see why not."
King Westerguard nodded, clapping the young man's shoulder. "Glad to see we agree on something," he chuckled. A ghost of a smirk etched along the outline of the elder king's lips as he said, "You know, your majesty, you're right. As a father, I do know the risks of such roles in this world of ours, however," he leaned closer to Elias, "the prince isn't really your son, now is he?"
Elias's muscles tensed under the hand clenching his shoulder. The iciness began clawing at the cage of his chest, nipping at the bone as the man smirked.
"Such…eagerness should be molded to serve you, yet you keep that locked in the confines of your castle."
Elias's tongue untangled itself from the darkness looming upon it, forcing out, "It's just until he's ready for the world, your lordship."
"Of course." The man's chuckling rang through Elias's ears. "But let me give you this one piece of advice, hmm? A little king to king, father to brother tip." King Westerguard casted a quick glance at Ingvar's impending glare, then quickly whispered in a hushed voice, "A bird can only be suffocated for so long before it finally decides to stop breathing itself—or seek the hand of another."
The iciness pooling within Elias splintered upon his chest, its icy tendrils inches away from erupting from Elias's fingers when he felt another hand swat the elder king's away. The large hand was replaced with a cool one that squeezed around his shoulder lightly. The web of ice instantly crept back into the core of Elias's being, his breath suddenly becoming lighter, as Ingvar nodded to King Westerguard.
"My lord," Ingvar said smoothly, "any talk of fatherhood is far from my king's mind right now." He gave the man a tight smile that failed to reach the smoldering glare in his eyes. "And, last I remember, far from your mind last night, hmm?" King Westerguard flinched, his face growing ashen as a snarl tore across his lips. Ingvar swayed his hand towards the docks. "Now, I'm sure your men are awaiting your final orders. Why don't you go to see to them?"
King Westerguard ran a hand through his hair, straightening his shoulders before begrudgingly nodding to the two of them. He cleared his throat and stomped down towards the edge of the port.
"Those poor girls of his," Ingvar clucked his tongue with a shake of his head. "Pity God gave them a behemoth as a father."
Elias gently shook Ingvar's hand from his shoulder, running a hand through his wind tousled hair. He ran his hands over his face, groaning, "You didn't have to do that."
"Of course I did," he smiled softly, dusting invisible dirt that lingered on Elias's vest. "That's what family's for."
Elias couldn't help the twitched of a smile twist across his lips until he brought his head up. He watched from the distance as the ship brought upon its last load of supplies. The ship's sail rolled down from its mast, the wind catching it in its grasp to flap it wildly among the breeze. Elias vaguely caught an ant like silhouette waving up at him from the ship's railing before sinking to his knees. The young king chuckled at his mentor's lack of sea legs and sighed. His gaze lingered on the horizon the ship began to sail into, diving towards the miniscule dot of gold that tried to burn through the dark sky. He watched for a moment longer as the battered cherry wood sliced through filmy gray waters before Ingvar's hand rested upon his arm.
"It will be fine Elias," he said. "I'm sure Ferdinand will be able to pass on his knowledge efficiently as he did for you."
Elias nodded, Ingvar's voice flying over his ears as King Westerguard's words echoed in the back of his mind. He sighed deeply and glanced over his shoulder at the castle's towers scratching at the sky.
Speaking of family, he thought bitterly.
The grandfather clock's chimes bounced throughout the castle walls as the shadows crept away from their masters into their land of night. Elias's frame wandered through the halls, holding a candle in hand to fend off the shadows. His silk draped shoulders slouched while he murmured mindlessly to his self.
His gaze flickered from one portrait on the wall to the next, his murmurs falling silent as he forced his self to turn corner. His lips thinned out as he pushed off the wall towards the hall and swallowed thickly. Elias's tongue brushed over his dry lips, cursing to his self how dry his tongue instantly became as he stared at the white door before him.
He brought the candle up closer to the door. The soft flames danced over faint outlines of figures in every color crawling up and down the wood. Their presence became washed out from years of paint concealing the door time and time again. Yet, Elias brushed his fingers over a pair of figures scribbled near the center of the door; a pale blue smudge intertwined with a green one with black circles scattered around them.
As the doodles grew clearer in Elias's consciousness, the candle nearly fell from his fingers. His heart ached at the mirage of a small child scribbling away upon the door, glancing down at the vacant spot beside him where his partner in crime was supposed to be. Elias leaned his forehead against the door, his fingers crumbling the front of his shirt as he breathed heavily. Ice tingled in his palms before he shook them out.
"Pull it together, Elias." He snapped at his self, heaving in a deep breath. He sighed and pulled away from the door. Elias lifted his trembling fist, knocking softly on the door with his lungs burning at the breath he refused to let out. His knuckles grazed the wood hesitantly before knocking once more.
"Andy," he choked out around the knot in his throat. "I…I missed you at dinner. Though I guess it was good that you missed it since Kai made her famous fish mousse," he chuckled nervously.
The silence stretching between him and the door made him shrink in on his self. He rubbed his arm, his tongue caught in his mouth; absentmindedly counting every moment he let silence dictate his conversations with his brother only for it to end with the two lashing each other with salt slicked words that would start the silent fuse all over again. He shook his head.
Not this time, he thought.
"Andy, I know you…dislike my decision on the regent…and what I've discussed with others without you knowing," he said. He glanced down at his trembling hands to catch the slightest film of ice upon them while soft flakes of snow began to drift through the hall. His teeth gritted together, forcing a blur of words to fall from his lips without him hearing them. After all, it was difficult to hear with a heart screaming in your ears. "I just…you're…" Elias kept blowing at the strand of hair falling over his eye before pushing it back. His hand leant against the door to support his self. "I—"
Whatever he was going to say froze and shattered instantly, for as his hand pressed his weight onto the wood—the door creaked open. Elias arched an eyebrow, blinking quizzically as he called out, "Andy?"
He boldly, if he didn't say so his self, stuck his head into the room, bringing the candle into the darkness before him. Elias's brows knitted together tightly as he stepped forward, squinting through the night drenched room. He stepped over piles of clothes that were thrown from drawers and the occasional crust covered dish left behind on the floor until his leg bumped into the edge of the bed. Elias brought his candle down towards the bundle tucked under the sheets, his fingers tingling as he outlined the frame.
Elias gulped and glanced over his shoulder at the door. The darkness shielded the opened door from view and he sucked in a breath. He leaned closer to the headboard of the bed, not even bothering to brush away the lock of hair that fell over his eyes.
"Andy," he whispered, his fingers tightening over the edge of the blanket as he peeled it away. His heart clawed at his chest, nearly peeping out over the man's tongue to glance at the boy beneath the covers. Yet, his heart merely froze, tumbling down the rabbit hole of his being.
Instead of the rat's nest of golden, red hair, a bundle of pillows stretching from the head of the bed to the bottom greeted him. A cry of the boy's name caught in his throat until he swallowed it down heavily. He forced his fingers to remain steady around the shaking candle.
Idiot! He screamed to his self. You idiot! How could you not anticipate this?
As Elias let his own words batter at his conscience, his mind carefully sifted through the past week's events. Whirls of meetings, gentries, papers, and burnt homes flew through his mind until he paused. His memories centered in on the evening's earlier sequence, zooming in on the docks where a crate was dropped. And on a boy nervously jumping from place to place as he beat his self up for a heavy crate.
"Got you."
Elias quickly fled the room, racing through the halls and down the staircase of the palace. Thin slivers of ice skittered across the walls as he zoomed down towards the foyer where a set of guards were marching through. One of them arched an eyebrow at the jittery king, shifting his baton under his arm.
"Your majesty?" He asked, his voice caught beneath his thick mustache. "What are doing up at this hour? It's awfully late and…"
He trailed off, catching the flickering steely fire beneath ice, blue irises. He gulped as the deadly glare faltered once more and the king's mouth moved.
"I need to go."
The guard blinked, turning to his companion who merely shook his head.
"Your highness," the man started, "I don't understand—"
"Go!" The harshness in Elias's voice made the guards jump. The king sensed this and heaved in a breath. "I need to go to the docks. Now."
"A-alright," the guard swallowed dryly. "Just let me gather your party and—"
"No." Elias tightened the shawl around his arms. "You two are sufficient." He nudged by the guards, stomping towards the back doors of the palace that led out to the sea.
The two guards snapped out of their daze, quickly racing after the young king with barely lit lanterns. The autumn air whirled by the three wildly as soon as they stepped outside, yet as the guards fought to suppress their shivers, Elias's flesh brushed off the coolness with a darker cold of his own. The three weaved through the dock houses and ships dotting along the bay of the fjord until they came to a tavern at the end of the ports. Elias's eyes narrowed at the wavering sign that creaked on its hinges.
"You two stay here," Elias ordered.
"But your majesty," the guards protested until a wave of snowflakes fluttered from Elias's hand. Their words lumped into their throats.
"I'm a king, not helpless." Elias replied, heaving the tavern door open.
He slipped into the small hut as a wave of liquor and rotten fish greeted his nose. The jolting waves of voices and energy instantly fell silently at the arctic chill that teased their bones. Elias felt a hundred pairs of eyes burn into him weakly as he sighed, the temperature growing warm once more. The young king weaved through the scattered tables and chairs overflowing with men, talking in hushed voices. He scanned through the crowd of people, silently cursing to his self until he turned to the bar at the back of the tavern. The man settled in front of the bar jumped, quickly bowing his head.
"Y-your majesty!" He stumbled, the glass cup in his hand nearly dropping to the floor. The others at the bar shied away from the ivory haired man, feeling bitter iciness emitting from him. The man behind the bar cleared his throat, feebly asking, "What brings you here my—"
"I'm looking for a boy." Elias snapped. "Barely eighteen; thin, no muscle; tattered shirt and trousers; wearing a gray cap." The man flinched at the unkempt tone spilling from his majesty's words when Elias blinked and breathed in deeply. He sighed, gentler than last, "Have you seen him at all?"
The man's shoulders slumped, scratching the back of his head as he squinted through the room. His eyes widened as he nodded his head to the back corner of the tavern. Elias turned around; his heart skipping a beat at the boy nestled in the corner.
"Kid's been here since the last ship left dock." The man said. He wrinkled his slanted nose. "Not a pretty drinker either."
Elias nodded towards the man before storming to the back of the tavern. The prying eyes of the men were blocked off from the icy storm in his mind. He soon came to the back corner where the boy gulped down another mug of ale. The mug skittered along the table as he hiccupped meekly, barely noting the shadow that towered over him. The boy glanced up from under his cap and flinched at the man glowering at him.
"Y-your highness!" He croaked, his voice slurred as he shifted uneasily in his seat. "What are you doing here?"
Elias remained silent, glancing at the endless sea of small glasses that stretched into large mugs scattered over the table. Drops of water clung onto the sides of the small glasses while thin pool of amber lingered in the larger mugs. Had it not been for the stony mask Elias wore, his eye would have twitched.
"So," He drew his glare back down on the boy, chuckling darkly, "this is where you go when your plans don't work out, huh?"
The boy's brows furrowed beneath the cap. "I'm sorry?"
"Where do you go to next?" Elias continued, a dark tinge mingling in his voice. "To your ice mistress? Or even better—a brothel."
"Your highness," the boy flinched, shrinking against the corner of the tavern. His cheeks flushed. "I-I don't understand—"
"Enough!"
Elias's fists slammed against the table, his bark devouring the voices of in the tavern. The boy swore his heart leapt out of his chest, wishing for the tattered scarf around his neck to swallow him whole. The men in the tavern ogled at the corner as Elias leaned over the boy. His icy eyes narrowed dangerously low as he hissed, "Get up."
The boy blinked, his mouth opening to ask a question when the man snatched his arm. The boy bit back a hiss as his fingers twisted his arm firmly and drew him close to him.
"When we get back, rest assured you will never leave the palace grounds again." Elias hissed, wringing the boy's arm for emphasis. He ignored the strangled cry and continued, "You will never leave the palace walls. You will never converse with anyone outside. You will never do anything asides from attending to your duties." Elias's glare deepened on the gray cap as the boy whimpered, trying to shield his self away from the man. Elias's teeth gritted, his free hand whipping out towards the cap. "And no more disguises!"
He yanked the cap from the boy's head and felt his blood run colder than ice. A set of unruly, red hair tumbled from under the cap, cupping the freckled cheeks of the boy. Elias's breath caught in his throat as he stared into dark brown orbs. Elias felt his knees buckle, shakily peeling his fingers from the boy's arm. The boy cradled his arm to his chest, nervously staring at the young king who staggered back. Elias ran a hand through his hair, his lungs clawing for air that he forgot he needed.
"H-how," he gasped, his breathing growing hectic as he gawked at the boy. "You—you're not—I…" Elias's hands trembled, his body dumping its weight against an abandoned table behind him. He shook his head, tangling his fingers through his hair. "This…how you let this happen!"
The boy flinched, bringing his arms up to his face as the man brought his hand up. Yet, slam was delivered to the wall. The boy blinked at the young king, startled as he watched him slowly unravel with each murmur growing into a yell.
"You idiot." Elias cursed, staring at his hands that began to swirl with the rest of the world. "You fucking idiot!" The men in the tavern held their breaths, watching their stone faced king come apart with each batter of his words. Elias slammed his shoulder against the wall, his nails biting into his palms as his rambles went on. "Stupid king! Stupid king is what you are!"
The boy forced his trembling at bay and tentatively reached out towards Elias. At the violent twitch of his shoulder, he drew back, coughing forcefully into his hand.
"Y-your highness?" The boy asked. "Is this about what happened at the docks?"
Elias's mouth froze in his rant against his self and spared a glance at the boy. His heart swelled instantly and he forced his gaze down at the floor.
"I'm sorry," Elias breathed, shaking his head. "I thought you were…someone else." Elias's gaze shifted over the startled eyes of the tavern and bowed his head at the boy. "Please forgive my behavior."
The boy shook his head, his tongue catching along the dip upon his upper lip.
"I," he started uneasily. "I didn't see anyone unfamiliar in the crew, save for the Southern Isles men." His lips thinned out. "But…"
"But, what?" Elias brought his head up to him. He fought against the urge to shake the boy to cough out what he was going to say, knowing he had already crossed one too many boundaries tonight.
The boy rubbed his arm.
"It's probably nothing, really."
The boy flinched at the cold hand propped against his shoulder. He stared into wild eyes as Elias gently squeezed his shoulder.
"Please."
The boy gulped, shifting where he stood.
"The crate I was handling really wasn't that heavy," he started. "I carry those crates all the time, but this one was supposed to be filled with whisky for the Northerners and much heavier than usually." The boy paused, licking his lips. "So of course I dropped it, but when it fell, the crate…"
Elias's fingers dug into the boy's shoulder mercilessly, leaning closer to him.
"What? The crate what?" He rasped.
The boy darted his gaze around the room, the pair of icy orbs burning into him until he met them again. He sighed at the waves of anger and worry stormed beneath the king's eyes.
"When I dropped the crate…it groaned."
A/N: Warm hugs for all!