The King of Whitewall

Chapter XXI

The King of Whitewall

“After entering through the inner wall gates, one first encounters a crossroad; to its left and right, there are two-lane streets, separated by a grassy median, which follows the inner perimeter of the wall. This is an efficient way to move troops and supplies to any point along the wall during an attack. The wall circles the citadel in a horseshoe shape; its ends culminate at the mountain face behind the fortress. The fortress sits atop a hill that juts out from the aforementioned mountain, and inside the fortress lies the kingdom’s palace, where the royal family lives. To get to the castle, one must take the central avenue from the crossroad all the way up to the fortress.”

That was the description Galakei had given Enji when they crossed the gate. From the carriage windows, he could see the different government buildings and guilds on either side of the avenue. Ahead was the fortress, which had another set of walls. Walls, within walls, within walls? To Enji, it was excessive precautions, but then he remembered the world he was in.

The carriages stopped at the palace’s gates, where several palace wardens and attendants diligently placed stools, opened the carriage doors, and took whatever luggage the guests might carry. A head warden, appointed as their guide, told them to follow him. On the outside, the palace had a plain-looking stone facade. The inside was more luxurious but still fell short compared to Galakei’s mansion, in Enji’s opinion.

When they reached an imposing double door, they were told to wait to be summoned.

Eithea had instructed them in basic palatial etiquette, including when and how to bow, how to answer questions, and what was considered an insult to the royal family.

The double doors opened.

All the preconceptions Enji had of how the throne room looked had to be thrown out of the window. There were no throne chairs up on a dais, with a monarch gaudily dressed and wearing a gold crown, and carrying a scepter.

What Enji glimpsed was a semicircular table, where fourteen stern-looking people were seated. There were men and women of varying ages, all of whom were good-looking. So, Enji was at a loss in identifying who would be the king. Behind and on either side of the half-circle table stood more people, guards, and probably nobles.

One man stood from the table, his function equivalent to a chamberlain. “The magnificent Grand Mage Galakei [Kilai] Deadleaves and her companions may approach the center!”

They strolled in, on the vanguard, Galakei and Eithea, followed by Enji, Elpinia, Silma, and Skia, then Nilsei, Popa, Lia, and Maka, and at the end, Sol and Pol. Kasus remained outside.

Enji heard some nobles murmuring among themselves; the acoustics of the place made them clearly audible.

“That black attire... he’s back!”

“He’s too young to be ‘The Black Demon’ of old.”

“Their son?”

“He must be the Mage’s apprentice!”

“Hey, aren’t those blood drinkers?”

“That girl has nice boobs.”

“Dirty four ears!”

Enji kept his eyes forward; he didn’t want to see the nobles’ faces. Finally, they entered the semicircle.

Sol, Pol, and the girls, except Elpinia, took a deep bow. Elpinia and Enji just bowed their head slightly.

“Why is that four-ears not showing respect?!” A young man at the table’s end stood pointing to Eithea, who had not bowed the same as Galakei.

Enji glanced at Eithea, who was looking at the young man as if he were some insect. Please don’t cause any trouble! Enji pleaded internally.

“Sit down, Natro,” a woman ordered in the same tired voice a mother would tell her child.

“But...” He fell silent and sat, gazing daggers at Eithea.

The chamberlain spoke again, “Our lord, King [Rilai] Lith.”

“Welcome to Whitewall,” one man spoke.

Now Rilai? I have forgotten to ask what Kilai means. Enji looked at the king. He was a relatively young man; Enji had given up on pegging ages to the people of this world after failing so many times. The king was dressed rather casually and was not sitting at the group’s center. At the center sat a beautiful woman. Going back to the king, his hair and slim mustache were of a vivid red, his eyes green, and his voice sounded normal.

Again, the chamberlain spoke, “Please introduce yourselves.”

“I need no introductions, since I am the one and only, the magnificent, and gorgeous Galakei [Kilai] Deadleaves.” She did an elaborate and ridiculous curtsey.

“You pompous bore,” Eithea, with arms crossed, muttered.

“Woman, show respect to the Grand Ma—”

“Naatro,” the middle-aged woman, holding her temple with a hand, uttered without looking at him. The man, again, shut up.

“Long time, Menidas.”

“The same, Eithea,” the king replied in a serious tone.

Enji gawked at Eithea. That’s too casual! I hope he doesn’t start ordering ‘off with the head.’

Natro, his face purple, seemed to be on the verge of exploding.

“For those who don’t know me, I’m Eithea, just and simply Eithea.” She flipped her silver tail.

“Elpinia [Kilai] Whitevalley,” she said when her turn came. She smiled and did a little curtsey, even though she was not required to do so as a high noble.

Some muted murmurs came from the nobles.

It was Enji’s turn. “I’m Enji Kilai Hasegawa of Tokyo Prefecture of the nation of Nihon.” Galakei had advised Enji to inflate his title and his country’s greatness to impress the nobles at the court. Japan was not a kingdom, and even if it had kept an emperor, the empire was dissolved after the war. The best he could do was to add the Prefecture of Tokyo to make it sound important.

“What does the name Nihon mean?” The king leaned on his elbows, showing interest.

Enji gulped and searched for words. “Nihon or Nipon means ‘the land of the rising sun’ and outside our nation it’s called Japan.”

“That means that your country lies to the east, right?” The king stared at Enji.

Enji, not knowing what to say, glanced at Galakei.

“Or to our west, that would put us at their east,” Galakei replied instead of Enji.

“I see.” The king leaned back on his chair.

I never asked, but they seem to know that this world is round.

The rest of the group finished their introductions.

The chamberlain rose again. “You were all summoned to receive your rewards. Lord Enji Hasegawa, step closer!”

Help! Why do they have to start with me? “Present!” He took a step forward and replied, like he was at school, out of force of habit. Ack! That was stupid!

The chamberlain unrolled a parchment. “A great deed has been rendered in favor of our kingdom, with much sacrifice from individuals who respect our king and nation. Of such individuals, one is at the forefront of praise, for without her help, our kingdom would have suffered a great calamity. We must praise th—”

“Lomas, you are boring our guests. Let me take it from here.”

“Yes, my liege.” Lomas sat down.

With interlocked fingers and elbows planted on the table, the king spoke, “The help of Lady Aslei [Kilai] Whitemane proved invaluable in dismantling and capturing the band of conspirator nobles who wanted to depose me and put a puppet on the throne. Mitage Deepford will be hanged as a traitor, the same as several other nobles allied with him. According to the reports we received, you, Lord Enji [Kilai] Hasegawa, had an essential role in accomplishing this. By setting the circumstances, you encouraged a duel with Morage Deepford, which led Mitage to come to the capital. Hence...”

Enji gaped at the king. What circumstances? He was the one who wanted a fight! I have nothing to do with this!

The king continued, “Documents outlining the coup and conspirators’ names were obtained from his mansion. Lady Aslei mentioned you as the principal piece in this operation.”

What? Enji was sweating bullets.

“Lord Enji, what do you want as a reward? A domain, titles, riches, perhaps more women?” The king glanced at the girls behind Enji.

Ack, it’s not a harem! Galakei has told Enji that he was allowed to negotiate his reward. After pondering for a few seconds, he replied, “Could I ask for a small favor? There is an adventurer named Simier, imprisoned after the duel. Can he be pardoned?”

The king gestured with one hand, and a man who was standing behind him approached and whispered to his ear. The king nodded a couple of times.

“He’s not an adventurer, he’s a mercenary hired by Mitage, the same as those mages you defeated, ordered to kill you.”

“Yes, he could have done so, but he saw no honor in it, and his role was only to prevent Morage from getting hurt. When those tugs that appeared after attacked, we stood shoulder to shoulder as comrades.”

“You believe he’s an honorable man and not an assassin?”

“I believe so.”

“Eithea, what do you say?”

There were murmurs all around. Some questioned what the four-ears role was.

“Simier is a man of principle.”

The king made a gesture. “Simier shall be pardoned and compensated for the inconvenience.”

“Noted, my liege.” The chamberlain wrote on a parchment.

The murmurs grew larger. The chamberlain had to intervene to restore order.

“Now, you still need to receive your reward. Do you want to become the North Eastern Canton domain’s lord?”

Huh? Repeat that! I must have heard wrong. Enji just blinked, trying to make sense of what the king said. But that’s Lady Aslei’s home. If I don’t say yes, they will put another pig like Mitage in charge. Enji had heard from Galakei about the plight of the people of Bluegrassland and how much Aslei had suffered because of it. “Shouldn’t Lady Aslei be the domain lord?” he shily ventured.

Another round of murmurs.

“Don’t you want to be the domain lord?”

“Too much hassle.” Enji spouted what he felt.

The king sat straight, eyes wide open, and then he laughed. “No lord that I had ever appointed had said that to me.” He wiped his tears. “You are right! It’s a hassle. Yes, Lady Aslei would be perfect, even if she would later come to detest the job.”

The murmurs became voices of protest. “My liege, she’s not from the Canton!”

“Aslei is an outsider!”

“She has no claim to House Deepford!”

“All of you, quiet!” The woman who had kept Natro under control rose from her chair and glared at the nobles. “If I hear another peep from any of you, you’ll be kicked out. This congregation is not a debate session; this is for our King to grant favors.”

There was silence.

Man, that lady sure packs a punch.

“Seeing there is some opposition, let me ask my advisors. Who is opposed to naming Lady Aslei the domain lord?” the King asked.

Six of the thirteen, who were sitting with the king, laid a black gemstone on the table.

“Stated your reason.”

They looked at each other, and their eyes finally converged on one man. He rose. “My liege, to inherit Deepford, a male heir is required, and with Mitage’s two sons implicated in the coup, there’s no one left to claim the title.” Natro, the acting leader of the opposition, stated.

“Lady Aslei can claim the title,” the king calmly refuted.

“But her race always bears females!”

“This time is different. Lady Aslei will bear two boys.”

“Is there certainty?” another of his advisors asked.

“Lord Enji’s magic revealed the unborn twins inside her.”

Huh? What magic? All I told her was what a sonogram was!

“Now that the matter of the domain has been settled, let’s move to Lord Enji’s reward. But since Lord Enji still doesn’t know what he wants, let’s postpone this for later. Agree?”

When Enji realized that the king was asking him, he rapidly nodded.

***

“Must we attend tonight’s function?” Enji asked.

“Absolutely, you are the guest of honor, and this function is to exchange impressions with the nobles,” Galakei replied.

“And where are we going now?”

“The royal family desires to get to know you less formally, so they requested a meeting.”

“I see.” Do I have to answer more questions?

The palace warden guided the group through several hallways.

“This is the private section of the palace reserved for the royal family,” Galakei explained. “We are being escorted to a reception hall.”

They passed several maids and attendants, who, upon seeing Galakei and Eithea, bowed with reverence.

Galakei sure is famous!

After a few more turns, they arrived at the reception hall and were ushered in. The place was similar to the one in Galakei’s mansion, minus the excessive luxury she seemed fond of.

In the room, two women were with the king. One was the tough lady who reprimanded the obnoxious nobles, and the other was the pretty one who sat at the center of the group, never speaking.

The king rose from his chair and, opening his arms wide, jovially bellowed, “Welcome, everyone!”

Enji winced. Is this the same king?

“Welcome, you can sit anywhere. Refreshment and snacks will be served shortly.” The tough lady smiled and gestured with one hand for all to come in. “I’m Menidas’ mother, Malia, and next to me is his wife, Queen Noridas.” Noridas curtsied. This was mirrored by the girls in the group.

At the moment, three girls and a boy entered through a lateral door. One of the girls shouted, “Auntie!” and she threw herself into Eithea’s arms. The other two girls and the boy showed more decorum and greeted the king’s guests first, before welcoming Eithea.

“These are my children.” The king stood behind them. “My son, Jonidas, and my daughters, Lilia and Millia, and the one with my sister is Silia.”

Wait! Auntie, the king’s sister? But Eithea is a fox! Enji looked at the royal family, searching for fox ears and tails.

“Now that it has come to light, let me apologize for not telling any of you,” Eithea bowed her head. “I’m half sister to the king.”

Oh, that explains it. The hell it does! Enji glanced at Galakei, who was smiling.

“That stubborn girl renounced her royal status and disappeared from the palace to go adventuring,” the king’s mother, Malia, reproached Eithea.

Eithea sat down, and the third princess, Silia, sat on her knees. “If I have not done so, a civil war would have resulted.” She explained that before King Menidas was crowned, the nobles and populace were divided into three factions. One favored Menidas, the other, Eithea, and the third one also wanted to put Eithea on the throne, but only after having her marry one of the nobles as king consort. Eithea sought to avoid the bloodshed that the war would bring by renouncing her title and escaping the castle. Also, she didn’t want to marry someone she hadn’t chosen.

Malia twisted one of Eithea’s fox ears, eliciting a little yelp from her. “This tomboy dragged with her the most promising mage of the kingdom into her wild escapade. Following their delusions, they disguised themselves as adventurers. Eithea dyed her hair, and Gala posed as a boy, wearing the same attire that Lord Enji is wearing.”

Enji already knew that Eithea and Gakakei had been adventurers, but the rest gaped at their mistress and at the mage in disbelief.

“It was fun.” Galakei, smiling, stated.

“Look at what that fun has done to you!” Malia slapped Galakei’s head. The group’s jaws dropped even further. “If both your mothers had been alive, they would have died of grief.”

Eithea hid her face behind her niece, sitting on her knees. Galakei stared at the floor, ashamed of looking at anyone.

The king, to change the subject, went to Enji, grabbed him by the arm, and led him to one of the sofas. “I must thank you, Lord Enji. From the beginning, I intended to name Lady Aslei as the domain lord, but you guessed it and played along with it.”

I did? “You give me too much credit, King Menidas.” Enji tried to smile, but it came out fake.

“But, you won’t be left without a reward; one of Mitage’s villas, a small one, will be transferred to you. The one closer to Lady Galakei’s mansion.”

Enji glanced at Galakei, and she nodded. “I humbly accept.” I didn’t consult with them. Enji looked to where the girls were currently engaged in conversation with the queen.

“Is there anything else you want?”

Enji thought for a few seconds, his face lit up, and he replied, “Can I be excused from attending tonight’s function?”

The king laughed. “I don’t see any problem. Those nobles just want to gain favors or try to align you with their faction. You just saved me from attending, too.”

“Menidas!” Malia reprimanded the king.

Who wears the pants—I mean, the crown? “Thank you.”

“There’s something we need, Eni. Magic stones, several big ones.”

The king turned to her. “Some new experiments, Gala?”

“My apprentice uses them for his spells.”

“Those were unique spells I saw at the duel. You are very talented, very, indeed.”

“You were watching?”

“Of course! When I heard that the Grand Mage and a fox-eared woman were involved, I wouldn’t miss it for anything!”

“Insisting yet again on those spellstones, how soon can we get them?”

Enji thought Galakei was going to be yelled at when the king’s expression turned serious.

“Gala, what’s going on?” Menidas asked.

“We are venturing into the labyrinth to rescue some guild mages. We are going to rescue an Elf!”