Black and golden robes bore on James' body, draping over his shoulders and falling in folds down to his feet. It encased him heavily; a dragging weight.
ㅤServants tweaked it, ensuring its perfection, whilst James mannequined in the centre of a mirror. They fixed his hair, shaved his jaw, and adorned him turgidly, all without muttering a single question.
ㅤJames faced his reflection.
ㅤHe was nothing like Prince Julian. No vibrancy. He was so colourless and muted, his hair a greying pale like dead, shrivelled daffodil, not the resplendence it should have been. He hardly stood out from the background, fading, like a cheap imitation.
ㅤHe lowered his gaze.
ㅤThey'd tried to take Eris but he'd held on to her, even if she appeared untidy and well-loved in comparison to him. She didn't suit the richness he'd been garnished in.
ㅤ"You look good," Alex said.
ㅤJames looked up and Alex was gazing at him in the mirror.
ㅤ"You clean up quite nicely, yourself," James replied.
ㅤAlex's garments weren't too different from his normal uniform but these were ceremonial; crisper, shinier and more extravagant with artful engravings and inefficient finery. Blue didn't suit him.
ㅤ"Excuse me... Lord? May I—"
ㅤ"No," James snapped at the servant. They were not allowed to touch Eris.
ㅤAlthough none of the servants knew James' identity, soon, everyone would. It was already sickeningly obvious: Eris, Prince Julian's famously gossiped relic sword, was tied to his woven belt and his left arm was mostly bare, the burns cracking and grouting his skin.
ㅤHe knew, even without the introduction, that some of the senators in that room would understand immediately. And there was nothing he could do about it.
ㅤ"James..."
ㅤAlex's kind gaze was not one James wanted to see. If Alex could've been colder, like Eris, more selfish and less pathetic, it would've been easier for him.
ㅤThat kind of look made James want to return to their bed, rousing awake in the privacy of the dark with their bodies clinging to one another, their drowsy minds a step behind remembering the world outside. That perfect point in time— James wanted for it to have lasted an eternity.
ㅤIt was a dangerous hope. James had spent most of his life avoiding such tragic ideas.
ㅤ"Let's go," Alex urged, smiling.
ㅤJames nodded.
ㅤSomehow, it felt like James' soul had retreated inside himself, looking through the lens of his own eyes like a window. His hands... He scrutinised them as they walked, but they felt like a dream intruding in an imagined space. Not his body, not the floor, not his feet— they were all hallucinations.
ㅤThe choking retraction of James' heart hurt a distance away. Fear had captured his body but his mind hadn't quite agreed.
ㅤWho was the one panicking? Was it him or was it Julian?
ㅤ"James."
ㅤ"Yes?"
ㅤ"You..." Alex chewed something back. His face was scrunched. "You'll be alright."
ㅤJames couldn't force a smile. He didn't have one in him.
ㅤ"Nothing lasts forever," he said instead.
ㅤForever, no; it was only for the rest of his lifetime. It was his eventual demise that offered comfort. It, indeed, would not last forever.
ㅤSuch a miserable thing felt so painfully unfair.
ㅤ"We're here."
ㅤThe corridor was a soullessly empty one with only two guards stationed at the slightly open door and another familiar face.
ㅤ"Ino?" James hadn't expected her.
ㅤ"You look unwell," she responded.
ㅤDespite the pomp of the event, she was still wearing a black dress, although this one had dark shiny thread embroidering a lace-like pattern. Her hair was tidier, too.
ㅤA rumble of applause startled James, the inquest commencing within the senate.
ㅤ"Why are you here?" Alex asked.
ㅤ"For Eris," she replied. "I'm probably the most reliable relic expert that exists. So, I'm here to present my insight."
ㅤ"Ah."
ㅤWhilst Alex and Ino peered through the gap in the door, James hid behind it. Only a layer of oak was separating him from that room.
ㅤ"You know, I'm surprised we even got to this point," Ino murmured. "I somehow doubted your prince would ever see this through..."
ㅤAlex sighed. "Aye, well, a lot has happened."
ㅤShe hummed, eyeing James from the side. "I'm sure."
ㅤKing William's booming baritone voice was like a punch to the gut and James hadn't expected to hear it. It leaked through under the door, pooling at his feet.
ㅤ"I'd like to thank the Royal Committee for accepting our request for absolute privacy during this issue, despite all doubts. I must voice my concerns about the troubling developments my men have sacrificed themselves to uncover. It was with their lives that we were given this precious opportunity to put the wrongs right and we are indebted to these heroes. I once again thank the Royal Committee, deeply, for allowing the dead to speak here today."
ㅤ"We appreciate His Majesty's gratitude," a voice replied. "However, I'd like to personally express my moral reservations that my colleagues allowed this to happen. A lockdown goes against the democracy of the people and the commoners' rights to information has been grossly undermined." There was a pause. "King William, you are lucky you have friends in the Senate. But, I warn you that the Royal Committee, nor the Senate, will treat you kindly if it is felt our time has been wasted at the expense of our moral conscience."
ㅤPolite applause followed afloat with many whispered murmurings. James stared at the ground as it blurred, wishing to sink into it.
ㅤTime persisted, discussion unravelling amongst the senators and concerns raised over the nature of the inquest. As King William justified himself, James let the noise roll off him and lose all meaning entirely. Nothing reached him. He became a shell.
ㅤThen, a light pressure on his shoulder ripped him back.
ㅤ"James."
ㅤAlex's face creased with concern. He held both of James' arms, his grip fierce, and leaned forward. His hands dragged up and cupped his cheeks. They were warm.
ㅤ"Yeah?"
ㅤAlex was scanning him, his lips pulled into a flat line. Eventually, Alex slowly pressed their foreheads together, his thumbs stroking James' face. James' eyes fell shut, gasping, his shoulders slumping, breathing in Alex's mint-wood scent.
ㅤ"Are you ready?" he whispered.
ㅤJames swallowed hard, finding his voice. "No," he admitted.
ㅤ"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
ㅤ"You're not allowed to say that to me."
ㅤ"You came back." It was said gently.
ㅤJames blew out a breath. "Yeah," he acknowledged. "I did."
ㅤA man came through the door and James gently nudged Alex away.
ㅤ"You have a few more moments," the stranger informed them. Ino thanked him when James and Alex didn't.
ㅤKing William's speech rang out, determination cutting through. It wasn't so much the contents of the king's oration rather than the time running out that shook James. Right next to his end, he gazed out, but the windows around him were so cruelly blocked he couldn't even view the world he'd left behind, unable to marvel at the sky one last time as himself. The very last of his freedom died in a small dark corridor.
ㅤThere was a stretch of silence in King William's speech, suddenly. James slowly turned to look at the door, his breath held, the hairs on his neck prickling.
ㅤ"If you recall the exemptions we were kindly granted only yesterday," King William carefully continued, a pitch quieter than before. "I have something to present to the Royal Committee and the Senate to explain that."
ㅤAn awful assault struck James' chest, his heart wildly trying to tear out of his ribs.
ㅤ"Your Majesty, I must question what relevance any of this has to King Fabian."
ㅤ"You will all understand," was the king's response.
ㅤThat was it.
ㅤAfter fifteen years, James had finally run out of time.
ㅤ"Are you ready now?" Ino asked.
ㅤUnlike Alex's softness, Ino was cold, her gaze unconcerned and steady. She reminded James of Eris, in a way. He had no response for her.
ㅤIno batted Alex to the side, out of view, whilst the heavy steps of soldiers approached and swung open the door. The choking air inside the Senate flooded the hallway and the open space beyond glared through that rectangular hole. There were senators on various levels and only a chunk of them were visible, yet James knew that all of their attention was on this little entrance.
ㅤThe silence rang deafeningly, swollen in his ears like water. His hands trembled but he clenched them shut, nails digging into his palms. He staved off whatever destruction it was that was smouldering within him.
ㅤ"Go," one of the guards prompted.
ㅤIt took another moment, the senators murmuring questioningly from within. Pulse throbbing, James kept his back straight and his chin up. Holding onto a breath, he took the first step forward.
ㅤHis footsteps echoed against the marble, but he crossed the threshold and dreamt himself forward. His gaze was stubbornly fixed on his unfocused fore as he revealed himself, his figure on display for all to see. Dozens of eyes were trained on him as he walked past. He stopped next to King William in the centre of the round room of the Senate.
ㅤ"Glad to see you mostly uninjured," King William murmured.
ㅤJames nodded.
ㅤThis was the moment. James dragged his eyes up to the Royal Committee who sat a level above everyone else.
ㅤThere were about ten of them, glaring down expectantly. They were just a few men beyond the hundred or so senators that dissected him. Some of Duke Straton's and King William's men sat in, too, finally viewing the fruits of their efforts and sacrifices.
ㅤHe should've suffocated but the more James retreated inside himself, the less he felt.
ㅤFacing the Committee head-on, he didn't bow, remaining tall.
ㅤ"I greet the Royal Committee," his voice came out loud and smooth.
ㅤAlthough his heart frenzied in a tantrum, assaulting and tearing him up from the inside as violently as it could, it didn't reach him. It was a distance away; James' mind had walled it out. He was calm, serene.
ㅤ"I am Prince Julian."
ㅤOutrage, protest, shock; it was all thrown into the air. Vocal disbelief disrupted the controlled tolerance and discussion became bloated among the crowds. Hushed gasps washed below like crashing waves.
ㅤ"King William!" one of the committee bellowed above the agitation. "What kind of sick joke—"
ㅤAnother cut him off. "I assume Your Majesty did not come here today without evidence." The man glared down at James. "Granted, he may look impressively similar to King Fabian. But, you should know that's not enough."
ㅤSenators jeered in agreement whilst many sat back in silence, observing before passing judgement. James had finally found the courage to view them all, even if his stomach churned. There weren't many friendly faces to be sought.
ㅤ"Order!" the Committee's chair banged his hand against the table. "Not another word from the senators!"
ㅤ"Might I remind you of the exemption," King William pressed on, ignoring the discontent. "As you may know, Prince Julian, as a boy, came to be in the possession of Duke Chamberlain's relic!"
ㅤ"I recall," the chair confirmed. Others nodded and murmured in agreement.
ㅤ"Prince Julian still retains that very one."
ㅤJames didn't need to be told what to do. He untied Eris from his belt, holding her up for everyone to see.
ㅤ"Duke Chamberlain, have you inspected this relic?"
ㅤ"Indeed, Chair Artair," the duke responded, situated on the front stands next to Ino. "Sixteen years ago I visited the Arkingham Palace to test the late King Leonardo's two sons for relic compatibility. The youngest, Prince Julian, the one we present to you today, was chosen by the sword Eris. She is that very relic. I'd also like to add that this man knows things only Prince Julian could possibly know— in addition, he did not come forward himself, rather, we hunted him down."
ㅤ"One matter at a time," the chair waved the duke off. "We hear your testimony, however, the issue of bias must be called into question."
ㅤ"Of course," King William was quick to respond. "Which is why we've brought a neutral party: Saintess Ino from the Moria temple. As a relic holder, herself, of Sofus, she is more than qualified to confirm—"
ㅤ"We are well aware of who Saintess Ino is," one of the committee interjected, scratching his chin.
ㅤJames looked over at Ino but she seemed unmoved by the dismissive attitude.
ㅤ"Saintess Ino?" the chair asked.
ㅤIno smiled and nodded, putting out a friendly disposition in the face of hostility. "I swear not only on my life but in the eyes of my God. That sword is the relic Eris."
ㅤThey seemed sceptical. The Committee leaned in to quietly discuss the matter amongst themselves, nodding and quietly protesting. The chair caught James' eye and James stared back unyieldingly.
ㅤIf anyone thought James would render himself subservient, they were mistaken. He'd killed people like these before. And, if was dared, he would do it again.
ㅤThe discussion gave licence for the rest of the Senate to explode into discussion. All in white robes, their territorial affiliations were marked with red, blue and green, with the few independents shouldering yellow. It would've been colourful if James had done this years earlier.
ㅤHe wondered what the Ankaid senators thought; knowing the brother of their king was alive and well. They'd probably forgotten him until now. What a shock it must've been.
ㅤThat was when the questions began to build. James heard them flittering around.
ㅤIf Prince Julian was alive, why didn't he say so? Where had he been all this time? Why hadn't he approached his mourning brother? Did King Fabian know?
ㅤWhy had he hid until now?
ㅤThese mutterings wrapped around James tightly as he stood in the midst of all of them, strangling him of air.
ㅤAfter fifteen years, people were so easily stabbing into all the unbearable secrets he'd kept. What had it all meant if this was the result?
ㅤ"The Senate will be put in recess!" The chair announced. "We will recommence on order. King William, Duke Chamberlain, Saintess Ino, and the alleged Prince Julian, please come into the Committee's chamber with us. The rest of you are dismissed!"
ㅤWith a slam of a fist, the session was suspended and the space became deafeningly rowdy. James had become the subject of wild gesturings and argument. He was unflinching under the scrutiny.
ㅤ"Come on, son," King William urged. "They're going to ask you some questions and inspect Eris. This is what we want."
ㅤOn his way up the steps, James turned around and got a quick glimpse of Alex. He was sitting next to Thomas at the end of his row. They were both quiet and still, unlike those around them. They stared at him.
ㅤJames averted his gaze, unable to muster a smile, and went through, the chaos festering behind them.