Emil woke up this morning feeling like he was on top of the world.
He has checked and double-checked the Castle security, both in the reports in front of him and personally. Everything needs to go smoothly for the upcoming banquet. Even the emergency protocols have been reviewed among his men, ready for implementation.
A knock resounds from his small office door, and a soldier enters.
"General, the king requests your presence," he says, handing Emil a folded card.
"Meet me in the ballroom" it reads, followed by the king's signature at the bottom.
"Thank you," he folds the paper back, "you are dismissed."
Emil finishes his cup of tea and after making sure that all his papers are accounted for, leaves the room.
A corridor away from the ballroom, Emil notices a young servant staring at one of the portraits decorating the hall.
The servant startles at noticing him. He bows her head, "Good morning, general, sir."
Emil stops by him, "Good morning to you, too." The boy is one of the recent hires. "Forgive me for assuming but are you lost?"
The servant fidgets, twisting his hands as they are clasped on his lap. "I-"
"No worries, the halls of the castle are not easy to navigate for a newcomer." Emil smiles, hoping it doesn't look too forced. "Where are you headed to?"
"The kitchens, sir. I have been tasked to get drinks for the people working in the main ballroom."
"Hmmm," he faces the way he came, "Take a right from there, straight, then left."
The servant mutters the instructions under his breath facing the direction he pointed then smiles. "Thank you, sir. I'll be on my way."
He beams at that. "Go ahead, though do tell your older sister to show you around properly next time."
He turns red at that. "Will do, sir."
"I'm joking. Thank you, too, for your service." He tilts his head in greeting.
The young boy bows back and leaves.
After watching the servant leave his sight to turn right, Emil finds himself before the portrait of King Priam, the Liberator. The man had on a red, heavy cape on his shoulders, a sceptre on his hand, a crown on his head, and the most intimidating frown Emil had ever seen.
No wonder the boy got lost. If the identical halls weren't enough, then the sneer or blank faces of the current King Hector's ancestors would do the trick.
Well, their ancestors considering Emil's mother is the sister of the former King.
And while the current royal family aren't the original rulers of Venetia, they do make up most of the portraits decorating the halls. Most of the First Dynasty's portraits are displayed in a different room or destroyed in the rebellion that put the current royal family in place.
Emil rereads the card in his hands, even if just to escape the prying eyes of his great-great-grandfather.
"Meet me in the ballroom," the text says unchanging. Emil continues on his way, noticing the increasing sounds as he nears the entrance of the ballroom.
The grand ballroom is filled with castle servants and contractors working in and around. There are men and women cleaning the windows, hanging ornaments on the pillars, and laying cloths and ornaments on the tables surrounding the floor. Runners are going in and out of the room's many entrances to provide more decorations and refreshments for the workers. In the middle of the ordered chaos, is the king himself.
YOU ARE READING
Stagnant
General FictionRei laughs, "To be fair, I thought I had it that time." Her happiness is contagious. Whether it says more about himself or her, Emil is not entirely sure. "Happens to the best of us, it was my seventh or eighth festival before I caught my first fish...
