Spirit of Nature Interlude 2 - The Princes of Elamia
Moses grimaced as he watched the young woman go, the sword strapped on her back. She and the young priestess didn't have to deal with the politics of this country, and the fact that they left this early was preferable.
He glanced at the painting of his ancestor. Eshmun's gaze was piercing, almost judging, as he walked down the crimson hall and moved to the dining hall, where his brother was pacing up and down. He ignored Aaron, walking towards the door at the end of the room and up a flight of stairs. The steps behind him announced that Aaron followed.
They reached a door, wooden and strong, with a guard stationed in front of it. He bowed to them as they entered.
Amram was lying in bed, looking fragile and ready to fall apart at the slightest touch. Moses felt a lump in his throat and swallowed heavily. The king's eyes were glazed over, and his breaths were shallow. Aaron began pacing again, a nervous gesture and way too loud in the quiet room. Despite his hardened facade, Moses knew that his brother wasn't better off than him.
"Would you stop that?" Moses muttered, glancing at his brother. The young man didn't stop, glaring at Moses and grinding his teeth together. Moses moved up to the bedside, grasping his father's hand, holding it. It was cold. "Father."
"Moses," Amram said, his eyes unfocused. "Has Spirit Skitter left?"
"Yes, father," Moses whispered. "She left to Pavilion."
"I'm glad," he said, coughing. "I'm glad, that I was alive to see when the spirits returned, to see them honor our halls with their presence. I did all I could for this kingdom and their people, and I want you to continue as you see fit."
Moses heard his brother scoff, though a glance revealed that the younger prince was just as worried, and Moses could see Aaron's knuckles go white as Aaron pressed his nails into his palms.
"Aaron, are you here?"
"Yes, father." Aaron moved up to the bedside as well, kneeling down. Moses could see him shaking.
"I can't see your face," Amram said. "But I have my family around me. If your mother could see you now… I am so sure, she would be proud… of what you have become."
"You will join her," Moses said. "And we will follow you in the years to come, and let our children rule."
"I have raised you like she would have wanted," he said. "I have continued to rule beyond my time, because you were too young."
The man drew a short breath, closing his eyes. Moses' grip on his hand tightened.
"I am glad you could call me father by the end of it." Amram smiled. "But you have to promise me not to fight."
"We would never," Moses said. "We will honor the traditions. I will rule as you did, Aaron will be the most honored priest…"
Amram's breath had gone still, and Moses let go of his hand. The prince stood up and wiped his eyes. He could hear Aaron growl.
"Walk with me," Moses said, walking out of the room. The guard outside the door was shaking slightly, and Moses could hear sobs from the man in the armor. Aaron followed him, and they ended up in a private study, away from prying ears.
"What is it?" Aaron asked.
"We cannot tell them yet," Moses answered.
"Why?"
"You know why," the older prince said. "You do not agree with me as a king, and I do not see you being a priest."
"Of course I don't," the younger prince scoffed. "You are too soft, too gullible. The way you rule would lead to our ruin."
"The way you walk is a path of war," Moses snapped back. "Reunification? Do you know how many kings have fallen attempting to do just that? The moment one raises their banner, everyone else will rise up against them!"
"But they did not have what we have!"
"What?" Moses asked. "A spirit, is that it? Do you believe that Spirit Skitter is going to work for us, walk a path of blood with you to bring back a kingdom that the world doesn't need? The people are happy!"
"The people are traitors!"
"Then strike me down!" Moses shouted, slamming his fist on a table. Papers were thrown off it and fluttered to the floor. "Kill me here, and you will be king! Kill me like our father's brother killed him-"
"I am nothing like our uncle," Aaron snapped back, shaking his head in disgust. "And implying such is an insult I cannot ignore."
"Then what? Will you go and bring war by being a priest?"
"No," Aaron said. "And I cannot leave either, because I love this country too much."
"Spit upon our father's last wish?"
"Our grandfather's last wish," Aaron corrected. "A pitiful old man-"
Moses struck, his fist meeting prince Aaron's face and sending the younger man to the ground. He scrambled to his feet immediately, glaring at his older brother. Moses' gaze was furious, stopping his brother from doing anything else. Moses pointed at a painting at the wall, of Amram and his family.
"He will be remembered," Moses said. "The wise king! Amram the Pious! If you take the throne, all you will be is Aaron the Bloodthirsty!"
"A pitiful faith for a kingdom that used to rule these islands as a whole!"
"A pitiful kingdom in comparison to the empire that rules above us!"
"Then go kneel before your emperor, I do not need the throne to make Elamia whole again," Aaron grabbed his crown, throwing it at the ground as he left. "I will reach for the power to do this myself!"
"Then let Strife take you, warmonger!" were Moses' last words to him.
###
Aaron was glaring at everything that moved as he walked out of the castle, a man moving out of the alleys to follow a step behind him.
"Are you sure this is wise?"
"No," Aaron said.
"Then why didn't you take his life?"
"Because I am not my uncle."
"You truly aren't," the man behind him said. "'The people would be too suspicious', or 'He would have expected it at this point' would be more like him. He was a smart but violent man."
"You're a shitty advisor."
"I serve the crown, it was his mistake to trust me."
"Then why do you help me?"
"Because I serve the crown, and I worry. Had you killed him, you wouldn't have lived long."
"Because I would have been a traitor to the traditions? A kinslayer? I am no longer a prince, and I do not care about the traditions.
"Despite what you say, you remain of this lineage."
"I renounce my title, all that holds me is my blood," Aaron muttered. "Go serve my brother. Serve your king."
"As you wish, my prince."
###
In the end, Moses was reduced to pacing now that his brother had left. He had honestly expected something to happen, and gave the sword to Skitter so that Aaron could not try fooling the priest.
He regretted that now. But the situation couldn't have ended differently. Aaron's crown was on the table, next to him, and it would be a great outcry when he explained that his brother would not be joining him on his pilgrimage before the coronation.
He shuddered. He would have to break the news himself. The men had been sent out with messages to gather the people. He could run some damage control by doing it personally. He could hear them arrive.
People gathered, their voices coming together and audible all the way up to the place he stood. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before stepping forward, into view of the crowd.
The faces of his subjects stared up at him, standing next to the stairs above them, near the entrance to the castle.
"Citizens of Elamia!" he began. The people cheered and he lifted his hand. They quieted down. "Today is not a day of celebration, it is a day of mourning!"
The chatter became louder again.
"My grandfather, King Amram, is dead."
The words carried over the people led to an outcry. He remembered those faces, those shouts, those cries. They were the same he had seen and heard as a child when Amram told them about Moses' father's death.
"He died peacefully, with a smile on his lips," he continued. "And left with a prayer, happy about seeing the spirits that our ancestors praised in flesh."
He could see some people crying, while others stood completely still.
"And my brother, Prince Aaron, was hit hard, and left the kingdom in search for something. The high priest of Elamia will be succeeded by his son…"
The crowd got loud again, angry. Angry and sad.
"Please."
This time they didn't become silent.
"Please," Moses began again, lowering his head to the crowd. "I know I cannot replace my father, and I know that my brother broke tradition… but let us move forward. Let me help this kingdom, in faith and in wealth, so that we can enjoy the visits of the spirits once more. Will you swear an oath to me as you did to my father?"
"All hail the king!" a voice cried out of the crowd. He recognized her, Iman, one of the spirit's followers. Her voice sent more shouts of his new title. "Yes, your majesty!"
The man smiled at her, appreciating the help. The dam broke and the crowd cheered for him. He would not wear Amram's crown until the coronation in Pavilion, however. Before that, he had too much to prepare for.