Requiem for a King [MxM]

Onward

Jaredeth moved to the lone window in his office and stared at the garden beyond. "How close are we on completing the dock extension?"

The clinking of metal against porcelain reached his ears as Evalline stirred sugar into her tea. "Everything's been going well so far. It should be completed within the week."

Jaredeth nodded. "Good." Very good. A larger dock meant more trade, and he hoped to venture into new routes far south if Avaly became a haven city. "Once that's out of the way we can get to working on—" A polite knock on the door cut into his words. "Who is it?"

Havers poked his head in. "A thousand pardons, your majesty, but we seem to have a bit of a situation."

He exchanged a look with Evalline. "What is it?"

"Prefect Marius is here and demanding to speak with you at once. And I'm afraid all efforts to turn him away have fallen on deaf ears."

"I see." Jaredeth turned with a sigh and pulled his coat from the back of the chair. "Evalline, I apologise for cutting this meeting short. Please, continue to help yourself to the refreshments and leave at your leisure."

"Of course, your majesty," she said with a polite bow of her head.

"Havers, would you be so kind as to ask Torrian for the box? He'll know what you're talking about."

Havers nodded. "Right away."

Jaredeth left his office and banked a right into the grand hall, where paintings of Avaly's past royal families graced the walls. His eyes always drifted to his and Elaine's, mounted side by side. She was smiling while he looked stoic and wise, as a king should.

The hall took him to the castle's main foyer, where chatter drifted in from the outside. He took his time shrugging into his coat, meticulously fastened every button, and checked his reflection in one of the tall decorative pots. He was lounging in an armchair when Havers and Torrian came into the foyer; the latter carrying the box.

"Do you need backup?" Torrian asked as he handed it over.

"Even if I say no, you're still going to come." Jaredeth stood and exited the foyer into the small vestibule. There, he found two castle guards shifting nervously on their feet. They bowed their heads as he drifted by.

He breached the double doors of the castle's main entrance onto the steps and a warm, salty breeze buffeted his face. The first person he spotted was Prefect Marius, dressed in white and gold regalia. Two other priests flanked him—one, a wiry young woman whose hand drifted too close to the sword on her hip, the other a bored-looking young man who seemed more interested in the grass growing between the cracks than whatever Marius was on about.

Jaredeth cleared his throat loudly. The guards snapped to attention and saluted smartly while Marius sniffed and narrowed his eyes. The box was heavy in Jaredeth's grasp, and as much as he wanted to drop and lets its contents break, he held fast.

"Young Jaredeth." The Prefect drawled, eying him up and down. "You've grown. Where's your father?"

"Dead," Jaredeth answered without missing a beat.

Marius sniffed. "No wonder this place has fallen into such disarray. The Cathedral, burnt to the ground, the bell tower, destroyed. Have you found those responsible?"

Jaredeth resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We have no earthly clue who burned the place. The Bone Dragon destroyed the tower. You're free to sweep up its remains and take it with you, should you please."

"Really..." The Perfect drew his head back as though Jaredeth had slapped him. "After all the Divine City has done for Avaly, this is the reception we receive?"