Chapter 67: Children
"King, my queen," a deep bow was executed as soon as Izaya and Shizuo stepped into the hall and he followed up with a polite nod towards the house's head servant.
A quick yawn was suppressed quickly and the softest hint of a chuckle reached his ears.
"See? You did sleep."
A quick jab to the side was all the king received as Izaya shot a quick, but playful glare.
"Darling can you please remain quiet?" he whispered quickly as his eyes trailed to the grand hall.
The location of the banquet was not Izaya's home, but the mansion of a trading partner, he had already realized as much.
Seeing as their own neither owned a dining chamber as broad as this nor the means to accommodate this many people at once, Izaya had already expected the unfamiliar surroundings and their beautiful characteristics.
Because even if his father had no idea how to rule a land or treat the people living in it, he certainly knew how to boast off wealth he didn't possess.
A chandelier, looking too pretty to have been suspended much earlier than today, was the jewel of the room. Holding at least a hundred candles it provided not only the main source of light but also reflected it at every nook it got. Its main substance of creation originated from gold, covered in an infinite amount of glass and jewelry.
Izaya could only guess how much money was wasted on the object serving nothing but prestige.
Same accounted for the meals being served and the people invited.
After having married Izaya off as his daughter his father had received more wealth than he was able to spend in a single lifetime and it showed.
Eyes looked around Izaya spotted nothing but high standing dukes and prestigious merchants who had earned their standing by opening their own trading routes.
In short- there were a lot of people nearby that would judge the royal couple for every word spoken and step taken.
Just upon entry Izaya felt the way the chatter doused in uncomfortable silence. The air turned avidly much quicker than expected as no one dared to even glance in Shizuo's direction. It was more important than ever to act like a proper queen, for Shizuo's sake.
Izaya kept forgetting at times, but Shizuo's reputation as the new king really was shit in any location that differed from the castle's ground and close lands.
"My King, my queen, it is a pleasure being in your presence."
An old merchant, probably the most experienced one, had slowly drawn up to them. Watched by everyone else he had been chosen to approach the king first for one reason or another, but definitely against his will.
Izaya could see it.
His hands.
Shaking like leaves.
Sweet music, offering the option of a dance or enjoyed chatter tried to ease the mood back into one of joy, but gallantly failed with all eyes on their current conversation.
They probably feared for their lives now that Shizuo had appeared and Izaya quickly smiled.
"The pleasure is all ours," he replied with a voice made of honey and ginger.
This was not the time to act strict, or sophisticated. This was a chance that needed to be taken. A soft nod directed at the old merchant was executed and even Shizuo seemed to have understood that modesty was the main character trait he was supposed to show today as he mimicked the action.
Obvious relief about not having lost his head and life yet, spread across the merchant's lips and he quickly returned the smile before leaving as fast as he had appeared. But their interaction was far from enough to convince the vast amount of people present.
"I feel watched," Shizuo whispered and Izaya snorted quietly, "That's because you are."
"My king, my queen, I hope your ride has been a smooth one."
Turning to the right another lord of high status approached them. Izaya didn't know many of the nobles present, but he recognized the host of their banquet as who he was derived merely by his attire.
Compared to the rest of the guests he seemed fairly underdressed and more exhausted on top. His attire had obviously been thrown together in a quick attempt to keep up with his father's demands.
Organizing this occasion had probably been as short of a notice as it had been grand and Izaya already felt sorry for the poor man. His father had never been one to exert patience or leniency, and if the results were not to his liking then he would make sure to follow up with consequences.
Looking at the way this lord's face had crunched up with barely hidden trouble, Izaya took over the course of the conversation.
"You sound like you expected us to meet some trouble," Izaya concluded sharply, and as expected he seemed to have hit the nail on the head as the lord flinched visibly.
A moment of hesitation rendered him silent before he quickly cleared his voice.
"...t…truth to be spoken-" he started, and wiped his forehead with avid anticipation of their reaction. "Pardon, I forgot to introduce myself. I am lord Karch, the head of this mansion and host of the banquet. I was asked by your father to arrange this feast," he quickly reenacted the proper order of his introduction and Izaya accepted it with a quick nod.
"Talking about my dear father, I have yet to see him. Has he already arrived?" Izaya asked and his eyes scanned the room for a potential pair of venomous eyes. He had been the number one person he didn't want to meet, and his sight was anything but a pleasant one. But not seeing the bastard around was even more menacing than knowing his gaze laid upon them.
"That's the issue my lady," lord Karch suddenly spoke and his expression scrunched into an even more bitter one. "The bridge connecting my domain with your father's… has apparently broken down."
… broken down?
Izaya had expected a lot of answers and possibilities, from a late arrival to an offer ordering them back to their study or a meeting in private to be set outside.
But this?
"Broken?" Shizuo repeated what Izaya failed to inquire and the lord quickly nodded with a troubled expression.
"Yes, the duke is perfectly healthy and hasn't been present at the time. But I'm afraid the bridge appears uncrossable as of now. And your father-" looking towards the queen the lord faded out, afraid to speak of his failure in front of the gruesome king and the yet to be known queen. He was afraid what kind of consequences inviting the king to a banquet without one of its main hosts would present.
But his words were clear as fine river water and Izaya finished what he couldn't tell.
"He will not be able to appear," Izaya asked, albeit his question sounded more like an assessment of the situation and the lord quickly lowered his head into a deep bow.
"Yes. Sadly. I really do apologize for this unforeseen mishap."
A moment of silence passed as Izaya processed this new piece of information.
His father wasn't going to appear.
Meaning that bastard had no chance to try and blackmail him. No chance to search for his sisters either for a prolonged time since the bridge was about the only connection from his own lands to Istal. He was caught like the fat and filthy rat he was and probably fuming by now- and that idea triggered nothing but sweet malicious joy.
Looking at the lord Izaya realized he was still awaiting punishment of some sorts for an event he couldn't have possibly foreseen and Izaya offered a generous smile.
"You needn't fret," he answered quickly and the lord raised his nervous gaze to face the queen. A queen that seemed much brighter than he had expected her too.
Was it the smile? The way she seemed so forgiving despite the bad news?
He didn't know, all he knew was the sheer relief that filled his mind as the woman spoke.
"I was planning to enjoy myself with my husband today anyway and as long as he is here I will be sure to be entertained."
Relief grander than anything this man had ever felt left his lips as he finally sucked in the breath he had held. A smile, richer in joy than anyone's present, beamed off his expression and he nodded quickly upon getting to keep his life. "Any desire you have I will be most pleased to assist," lifting his gaze to Shizuo, he seemed to remember that he was talking to not only his queen and quickly added, "Of course the same accounts for you, my king."
A nod was given by Shizuo, not wanting to stir any trouble or give away his own relief upon receiving the news, but lord Karch was quick to leave and the king left to his own piece of relief.
So he wasn't here.
The bastard that had ordered Izaya to kill himself during the wedding night.
And he wasn't going to turn up either.
Shizuo couldn't say he was disappointed by that fact.
A whole bridge- Shizuo knew which one the lord had been talking about. He passed it a few times on his campaigns beyond Istal. It had always been old and cracked at every movement. Hearing it finally broke down came as no real surprise.
It would take at least a few days to reconstruct or repair the bridge, albeit the former option was probably going to be the more intelligent option.
A soft chuckle, unexpected but lovely nonetheless left Izaya's lips as soon as the lord was out of hearing range.
"Serves him right," Izaya whispered, making sure that no one but Shizuo heard the words.
"Are you sure? Now you won't find out what he planned," Shizuo reminded, but Izaya seemed far from displeased by this turn of events.
"You might not believe it, but I prefer an evening without that bastard," he snorted, and Shizuo felt his own lips draw into an unexpected smile at the words being used. Because as bad as swearing was in the presence of these nobles, it really managed to bring forth the truth of joy that Izaya felt.
"Language," he reminded Izaya quickly and as if having tasted a forbidden fruit his queen covered her filthy mouth.
Quick glances were casted to all sides, but thankfully, mainly to Shizuo's magnificent reputation there was not a single soul close enough to listen in.
"Don't worry I don't think anyone heard you," Shizuo whispered and Izaya snorted quietly. He really had to keep his composure. Especially in a setting like this.
"Craigh is already on the lookout," Shizuo suddenly informed and Izaya blinked.
"Despite the broken bridge?"
Shizuo had nothing to offer but a quick smile as he shook his head. "You think a broken bridge can stop him from a mission?"
Right.
It wouldn't.
Izaya knew the knight well enough by now to know that he might as well be jumping across the entire damned riverbed considering the nature of his horse and the guy riding it. There was surely no obstacle that could keep this ginger from fulfilling his duty.
"I couldn't tell him much but just said he should visit the nearby villages and search for children living in poverty," Shizuo whispered and for once Izaya was left slightly perplexed.
"To do what?" Because with no further intel, how was he going to know what he was supposed to look for?
"Give them food. Hand them a helping hand. All in the queen's name," Shizuo shrugged, "If your sisters are among them and remotely as smart as you they will know where we are and either follow Craigh or pass along a message only you will understand."
Heh.
Izaya was aware that Shizuo had gotten to know him better than he liked, but his sisters as well?
"It's almost like you know them," he chuckled at the accuracy of that idea and the king smiled.
"You trust them to survive on their own despite having been raised as nobility. The way they contacted you despite the cost of paper, ink and the delivery of the letter tells me more than I need to know." But despite the positive words, Shizuo's expression fell for a second. "But I have to remind you how large Istal is," he whispered, "There is a good chance Craigh will return with no news."
That outcome was actually much more likely, and despite not wanting to crush Izaya's hopes he couldn't quite get around to reminding his queen of that fact.
He had expected Izaya's expression to sadden, maybe grow a bit frustrated- and yet none of that seemed to happen as all he showed was a radiant smile.
"That's fine. As you said, they have been getting by fine so far. A few days more won't change that," he shrugged, much more optimistic than Shizuo would have thought him to be.
But he was right.
And his attention seemed to have already shifted elsewhere.
Eyes of hundreds were layered upon the kingly couple, and they had yet to approach any of the fearful nobles and merchants.
Arm wrapping around his own, Shizuo was met with quick surprise as Izaya pulled him towards the center of the room.
"Now that we are here, and without any task to complete, shall we improve your reputation instead?"
to be continued~