章節 22: Planning
Meanwhile, Duke Seymour traveled towards the palace, bearing the harsh weather and the cold night. Like everyone else, he too, had been stunned to know that the King had finally found his Queen. But soon, it turned to joy. He was one of the few people who knew the King's identity and what kind of a man he was. Unlike how the subjects of Rothnia portrayed him to be, he was not a devil or a vicious man. On the contrary, he was a kind man who secretly looked after the entire kingdom.
But what made him a devil was that he was not a human. His identity made him a monster, and Seymour knew King Kieran did not mind being called a devil by his people. He preferred to be the King who the people feared so that they would never cross him, rather than a King who was kind and gentle towards them, lest they should try to take advantage of him.
Many people were already vying for his throne, and it would only be easier for them if he turned less devilish. So, the man remained a monster to everyone, including the Duke, who respected and dreaded him at the same time.
"I was waiting for you," Kieran commented as soon as Seymour entered the courtroom. There was no light inside the room, and Seymour had difficulty finding his way inside. He could only rely on his touch to feel the way around him.
"Your Majesty, I am unable to see anything. Would you mind..." He did not even have to continue when the torches in the courtroom lit up at once, filling it with light.
The King was seated on his throne as Seymour had always seen, holding a chalice, his silver mask still intact. And as to what the chalice contained, Seymour knew clearly. He watched the powerful man before him take a sip and run his tongue over his teeth before he licked his lips in delight. His red eyes were gleaming in joy, and Seymour understood the reason for it.
King Kieran was happy. His long-awaited wish finally got fulfilled today. He finally found his Queen. He got the woman he had once lost years ago.
"Your Majesty, congratulations on finding your Queen." Seymour did not forget to wish him, and Kieran smiled at his words.
Seymour was one of the few people who accepted who he was, not judging him and loathing him for his identity. Also, he was loyal not only to the throne but to him as well. He never thought of going against him or his orders, and Kieran was glad he had him in his Council of Ministry.
"I see that only a few people were happy at me finding my Queen. Say, Seymour, is it bad that I found my Queen?" Kieran swirled the liquid in the chalice slowly before taking another sip. He closed his eyes, relishing the drink to his heart's content.
"No, Your Majesty. It is not. It is a matter to celebrate." Seymour replied immediately, his expression completely honest and genuine.
"Do you know why I trust you this much, Seymour?" Kieran started, deviating from their initial conversation. "You are true to your words. Never have I found you to hide your thoughts, and everything you speak is the truth. I am quite fortunate to have you as my minister." Kieran did not hold back from praising the man, and Seymour did not know what to say other than to thank him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you for finding me capable and worthy."
"Now, let us get back to why the people are unhappy about me finding my Queen. Why do you think so? Is it because of the prophecy?"
Kieran waited for Seymour to answer. But all he got was silence, and that answered him. "So, it is about the prophecy." He emptied the contents of the chalice before he placed it on the table and got up. "Humans sure know how to be scared of matters that do not even concern them." He let out a sarcastic laugh that sent chills down Seymour's spine. Though he was confident that the King would do nothing to him, that he would never harm him, he was still terrified of him and nothing he said or did could stop him from fearing him.
"Who is our Queen, Your Majesty? Do I know the Lady?" Seymour tried to change the topic of conversation, and there was a visible sparkle in the King's eyes as he spoke about the Queen. He was exhilarated just to think of her, and Seymour now realized who could control the man who held the highest authority in the kingdom of Rothnia.
"I am not sure if you do. I only saw her today at the ceremony. I am yet to find out who she is." Kieran had only focused on the girl and her alone as she had taken his heart away at first glance. The moment his eyes met hers, his cold heart started beating again. The woman he had lost years ago was in front of him, and for the first time in years, Kieran had felt joy and solace.
"Then, what would you like to do now, Your Majesty? How are we going to find the Lady? Our kingdom is large, and it would be impossible to find her here." Seymour stated in worry, and Kieran thought about it with his eyes narrowed.
"Why do we not organize a ball and invite all the women of agreeable age for marriage to attend it? I can find her easily there." Kieran suggested, and Seymour thought about it before rejecting it immediately.
"No, Your Majesty. We cannot only invite those families that have young ladies. It would portray a bad impression of you in other people's minds."
"Duke Seymour, do you think I care about other people's opinions?" Kieran did not allow the man to continue and smiled satirically. He had indeed stopped caring about what other people thought about him long ago.
"Did you see if she was seated or standing in the crowd during the ceremony, Your Majesty?" Seymour tried to narrow the search, and Kieran finally realized what he was trying to say.
"At one time during the ceremony, she was seated. Why do you ask?"
"If she was seated during the ceremony, then the Lady belongs to an aristocratic family. We can easily find her on the last day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. But..." Seymour frowned when a strange thought entered his mind.
"But?" Kieran prompted, wondering what the man had in mind.
"But if the Lady does not attend the festival on the last day, it will be another matter altogether."
Kieran thought about it carefully while Seymour too tried to come up with something good and it did not take long before an idea emerged in the young King's mind.
"Seymour, invite all the aristocratic families to attend the last day of the Mid Autumn Festival." Kieran's voice suddenly changed, and his eyes gleamed in delight.
"Your Majesty?" Seymour looked at him perplexed, unable to comprehend what was going on.
"Tell them I have an announcement to make and it is mandatory for them to attend the festival."
"But..."
"It is my order." Kieran's voice boomed in the courtroom and Seymour trembled faintly, his heart almost jumping out of his chest.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will send the invites immediately."
Kieran turned to face the man who was waiting for his instructions. "I want you to look over the arrangements yourself. Make no mistakes, Seymour. Make no mistakes, for I do not tolerate them. I have finally got my love back, I cannot allow her to leave me again."
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