Each year the Kingdom of Khearia throws a festival in remembrance of one of their most beloved kings who had tragically perished along with his wife and second son. His first son, Prince Fabian, was the only one to survive. Witnesses claimed his cro...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"An amphitheatre?"
ㅤ"You never been?" Alex asked in surprise.
ㅤTheatre was the kind of entertainment that even commoners could indulge in. It was a standard part of life, people couldn't work all the time, and they needed to unwind somehow. Alex wouldn't have considered the possibility that it wasn't something James had gone to at least once.
ㅤJames was regarding the entrance with a cocked head, scanning the queue that lined up outside. Above the tall entrance was a heavy stone with King Godfrey's name chiselled, the structure having been built in his honour.
ㅤ"I wasn't really one for entertainment," James replied.
ㅤBut, that wasn't quite true. "You like dancing, though."
ㅤJames' expression brightened at the thought. "I do. I always have done. It's like sparring in a way, just without the violence."
ㅤAlex couldn't see how dancing and sparring were comparable whatsoever, but he didn't argue that point.
ㅤIt seemed James' life mostly revolved around a handful of activities; killing, boozing and soliloquising. But, Alex couldn't criticise that, his own life mostly revolved around his own job too. He must've seemed quite boring and rigid to others, but he had reasons to be that way.
ㅤOther than James' desire to break him, he didn't know what the other man liked in him.
ㅤ"I've written some plays," Fletcher told them, admiring the sheer scale of the building, a stone giant built into the natural curve of the terrain, following the houses uphill. The amphitheatre was screaming out for attention, begging to be admired, like a greedy model.
ㅤ"Why waste your time doing that?" James questioned, cynically. "Novels would make more money than that."
ㅤ"Well, only nobles could afford novels," Fletcher said, "which is exactly the issue. King William often commissions me to write plays because it's good propaganda and it's cheap enough that it spreads amongst commoners. Entertainment and mockery are the best tools to sway public opinion, hence it's illegal to make fun of royals."
ㅤ"My wife and daughter love your stuff," Thomas told the scholar. Fletcher beamed. "When Emily was four she would have tantrums if the play about the bear wasn't on."
ㅤ"You don't think that one was too violent for a toddler?" Alex asked.
ㅤThomas sighed with a tender smile, looking exhausted; an expression that only a parent could muster. "The part where the bear bites the protagonist's head off is her favourite, she squeals and claps in front of everyone. It's embarrassing."
ㅤ"A lot of kids are quite morbid," Fletcher said. "It's normal. Besides, it might not be a bad thing for them to get acquainted with violence quite early. They'll experience it anyway later in life."
