silverchain.
chapter nineteen: a conclusion is never a conclusion
Amiti had always taken pride in his observant and careful nature; rarely did he let a moment slip from his comprehension. He enjoyed analyzing and considering, both in the heat of the moment and in the cool aftermath. Despite these traits, even he could not keep up with the speedy course of events done in preparation for his wedding.
He hardly saw Karis, as the women both of Ayuthay and of the other lands were constantly fluttering around her, making sure that everything would be perfect. Sometimes he would catch her eye and see her exasperation, and then he felt guilty. If not for his royal birth, all of this fuss would not have to have been made. She could have had a quiet village wedding like she probably wanted. Soon after this wave of guilt, however, she would smile at him, his head would spin, and he would decide that it was worth it for the both of them.
The preparations were hardly more enjoyable for him. The court was quite displeased with the short engagement that the pair had decided upon, and the consequences the king suffered were severe in his eyes. Drills, fittings, regulations—he half-wished to elope with his "lady love" (as a few certain Adepts insisted on referring to her as) and be done with it.
The much-awaited day, however, arrived quickly after the buzz died down. Before he was entirely aware of the change, it was the morning of the day, the fated day. They were to be wedded in the afternoon, and a small reception was being held in one of Amiti's private chambers, with only his closest friends from his journeys and his home. The familiar faces were many, and his heart was joyful, but whether it was the timing or simply destiny, the young king simply felt off. The prospect of marrying Karis thrilled him, but something about the day they had chosen seemed ill-fated in his eyes, although the change had been slow and imperceptible. Still, he was determined to marry her at the time prescribed.
She was quite on the opposite side of the room from him when the news came. A messenger boy, quite out of breath and almost blue in the face, burst into the room, brandishing a scroll addressed to "His Royal Highness, King of Ayuthay", as it was announced. Amiti felt his stomach lurch.
"It's from the one they call Arcanus," wheezed the boy.
Amiti's eyes narrowed, but across the room, Karis's widened. She quickly made her way over to him, and even in his bedraggled state he had to marvel at how lovely she looked in the fitted robes, made for her by the seamstresses at court. Royal life would treat her well, he thought, although she would like to be on the move.
"Amiti," she said quietly, although the messenger boy had already withdrawn from the private chamber, "Alex is..."
"My father," he replied softly, keeping his torrential emotions from spilling into his expression. The room (quite full of adventurers accustomed to eavesdropping) looked shocked. Some clearly had no knowledge of his parentage, while others looked merely confused that he was aware of it himself.
He could not keep from looking at both Matthew and Baghi. One was shocked at the revelation; the other looked resigned and questioning. He knew that he owed them both, and Karis besides, an explanation.
"Nobody gave me this knowledge," he said, loudly enough for the guests' hearing to remain unstrained. "It was not that difficult to figure out, you know. Everybody was always mistaking me for him, and I do admit the resemblance is uncanny. I apologize for not sharing the information with those of you who were unaware, but I have found no time to share my private affairs." His stress of the word did not escape most of the assembled.
Karis's eyes were dark and unreadable, and Amiti's stomach squeezed with trepidation. His practiced stare did not allow any of these emotions to come forth, however.
After a minute of almost dazed silence, Eoleo spoke up. "So you gonna read it or what?"
His lips tightened. "I'm going to read it." Breaking the seal, he unrolled the scroll in his most dramatic manner. If they wanted a show, they could have one. He did not intend for his wayward father to ruin this happy day, however.
Scanning the letter quickly, he nodded once and closed it. Gesturing for a servant to come forth, he allowed the man to take the scroll. He was not planning on taking any chances. "He merely wished to offer congratulations."
His voice did not crack. His eyes did not waver. The years of diplomatic training he had undergone had served him well, it seemed. As if a spell had been broken, the partygoers resumed their nibbling, sipping, and polite discussion.
The wedding was beautiful, all would later agree. Amiti was majestic and handsome, so they said, in his kingly robes which suited him much better than "outside-world" clothes ever could; Karis was queenly and gorgeous in her gown of purest white. They made a stunning couple, the service was neither too long nor too short, and there was plenty of wine served at the afterparty. Everybody was quite pleased with the event, the couple included.
Amiti was considering all of this hearsay and personal observation when he felt the bed shift. The woman lying next to him had risen, and without moving, he knew what she was retrieving.
"I was unable to fool you, I see," he said drowsily.
"I didn't buy that for a second, no matter how good you are at lying," she replied, sorting through the drawers.
"You won't find it that way."
"Maybe I'll just read your mind," she threatened.
"Go ahead." He ran a hand through his aqua locks.
The weight returned to the bed, and he found himself face to face with his new wife, who looked ready to make good on her threat. Amiti knew that his courtiers would recommend this as the time to show his kingly superiority and authority by right over the woman who should submit to him.
"It is in that locked box. The key is under the bed."
Within a minute she had lit a lamp and opened the scroll (in a much more practical manner). Her intelligent eyes scanned the writing. After a minute, she sighed. "Will we ever be done with adventuring?"
"I thought you enjoyed it...dear," he replied, mouth twitching up into a smirk.
"This is a crisis!" she grumbled, shaking the scroll at him. He raised his eyebrows.
"I suppose it's up to those in power to fix it. Oh...that would be us."
"You're too sassy. I'm going to have to train you better than that."
"I assume that you can do that on the road. We will definitely need to travel for this."
Karis discovered that night that a king makes a very amusing noise when hit with a pillow.
&fin.