by Eric Swanson
Davin occupied a seat in the Royal Suite at nearly every game. His father rarely accompanied him.
“No,” Davin said. He leaned in closer to Micah again and spoke quietly. “They’ll see the King.”
Calm came over Micah for a moment and they walked toward the Court Hall together.
The doorway cut into light green granite was decorated with gold plated lacing. The gold lattice-work was about a foot wide and gleamed against the Pillar’s rotunda lighting. Standing beside the entryway was a massive blonde man. His stoic gaze swept back and forth across the rotunda. A smile slipped across his face the moment he saw Micah and Davin walking toward him.
“Hello!” The man’s face lit as he stepped toward the pair and away from the doorway. Aquis was one of the largest people in the world. He came from a family of near-giants and his size did his lineage proud. Standing well over seven feet tall and weighing almost 350 pounds, Aquis was a mesmerizing sight. “My Prince.” Aquis bowed, reverence interrupting his joy. Davin accepted the respect quietly and smiled once Aquis’s eyes met his once more. “Are you going to the game tomorrow night, my liege?”
Davin turned toward Micah, a smirk laid on this face.
“His Grace will be there, Aquis. Along with the King himself.” Micah’s eyes told the truth of his words.
Aquis’s face lit once more with recognition.
“Will the Royals, perhaps, require a member of the Royal Guard in their company?” He stepped aside as they passed into Court Hall, a hopeful look cast their way.
“Indeed, we may.” Davin said. “No one better than my trainer to attend with us... We should find time this week Aquis. It’s been too long.”
“I am at your disposal, my Prince.” Aquis bowed, a proud smile on his face.
Before joining the Royal Guard, Aquis enjoyed a brief, successful career in the Ceran Antisar league, winning a championship in his third and final season. His physical style of play made up for a lack of finesse and his fans loved how Aquis protected his more graceful teammates. Davin immediately attached himself to the new Guardsman and nearly begged to be trained.
As the heir to the Ceran throne, he had but to ask. For seemingly endless hours, the pair crisscrossed the court, sometimes as many as four balls bouncing off walls between them. It was during these sessions that Davin’s burgeoning athletic prowess was discovered.
“Too bad you can’t compete,” Micah said to Davin.
“I’d win too often.” Davin said, a sadness creeping over him. He knew his opposition would never give their best against Davin, for fear of bringing shame to the crown. “After all, I’m the Heir to the Throne.”
As Davin spoke the word, they came upon the Royal Throne itself. The walls of the room were made of a dark granite, which made the set of white granite seats at the front of the room nearly glow in contrast. The Throne was one solid piece of stone, high-backed and roughly cut, with armrests carved into the sides of the chair.
Smaller versions of the same sat on either side of the it.
They all sat empty as various functionaries and members of the Court wandered the room, discussing matters surely of great importance.
Silence fell over the room as King Artax and this High Guard made their way into the Court Hall.
“Long live Artax the Just, King of Ceran, eighth in his line.” The Court Caller was a thin, graying Ceran. His voice was deep, clear and carried around the room with a slight echo. “Royal blood in his veins and ancient wisdom in his heart. Artax the Just!”
Davin joined the Royal Procession as his father, mother and sister stepped onto the Throne platform. They sat, children on either side and Artax nodded to Davin with a smile. As the King scanned the Throne Room, his saw Micah and gestured for him to come near.
“Your highness.” Micah bowed as he came before the Royal Family. His hood slipped back and light fell upon Micah’s chin for a moment before he shifted to right himself. Each of the four shared Micah’s black hair and sky-blue eyes, though Queen Hanani’s skin was a shade or two darker.
The similarity of the five was the product of generations of carefully researched genetic manipulation. Long aware of the dangers of inbreeding, the Royals of Ceran took to incorporating new genetic material into their stock through marriage. The offspring of the King and Queen were altered in utero, just after conception, to carry the aesthetic markers of Royal Blood: black hair and shining blue eyes.
“Honored friend of the Pillar,” Queen Hanani addressed him first. Her gentle face put anyone at ease. Known as the Poor’s Queen, she spent much of her time arranging care for the most disadvantaged of Ceres’s people. “I trust you are well.”
“Yes, thank you, my Queen.” Micah bowed once again and returned her smile. “It seems the Prince has set his mind regarding my schedule tomorrow evening.”
Micah winked at Davin, whose smile spread wider.
“Do we have your permission, my Queen?”
Hanani nodded once. “You do.”
“Now that we’ve established where the true authority lies in this room,” King Artax began, his voice the same as Micah’s in volume and pitch. “Let’s just grant them an escort and be done with it.” The monarch smiled, his eyes moving between Davin and Micah. He leaned nearer to Micah. “Those roasted tree nuts. The sweet ones. Clear out the vendor halfway through the game and bring them back to me. Pay him ten percent more than his rate.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“What of your diet, father?” A soft voice asked. Princess Susa, two years younger than Davin, sat to her mother’s left. She was a copy of her mother in nearly every way, slightly shorter and a bit thinner. “Weren’t you advised to eat fewer of those nuts at your last visit to Doctor Kellai?”
“Won’t be the last word of advice from a doctor I ignore, my dear.” The King regarded her warmly and turned back to the rest of the Court. “What comes before the Throne today?”
Several rows of benches form from gray stone were to the right of the raised throne platform. Micah made his way to a place in the first row and nodded to the Court Caller as he sat next to him. As Micah sat, the Court Caller rose.
“The Royal Court calls Sanballat, honored courtier, son of Veelah, to the floor.”
From the back row of the benches, a tall, thin Ceran rose and walked toward the Court floor. His gray eyes regarded Micah in much the same way someone might an uninvited wild animal in the house. The revulsion on his face cleared quickly and a more neutral expression accompanied a brief nod.
Micah nodded in return and Sanballat passed him before he stepped behind a gray stone lectern.
“Hello, Sanballat.” King Artax said. “What do you have for us today?”
“Unfortunately, Your Highness, I bear no good news.” Sanballat’s dry tone washed over carefully chosen words. “The Separatist problem in our city and others has grown dire. Brazen, violent attacks upon civilian populations make clear the Separatist objectives and how far they are willing to go to achieve them.”
Sanballat spoke before the Royals with an ease few equaled. His comfort in the Court Hall came from familiarity. As the son of a lifelong Courtier, Sanballat began attending proceedings at a very young age. His watchful eye saw those who came before the court flustered and unclear rarely appear again. While his contemporaries idolized Antisar stars and warriors, Sanballat asked his father Veelah to introduce him to the great orators, legal minds and thinkers of Ceres. Sanballat’s father was one of the earliest supporters of Hybrid integration into Ceran society. Sanballat fought his father on the Hybrid matter beginning early in life, long before he realized that a subtler approach was required to achieve his objective.
“What have your conversations with Po yielded?”
Sanballat paused for a beat. Ziu Chin Po, an elected leader of the Hybrid community and the only Hybrid member of the Ceran Senate, agreed to regular meetings with Sanballat in the hopes of bridging several gaps. Po was a zealous advocate for his people but also
thoughtful and clear-minded. Sanballat spent most of their meetings discussing weather, traffic and gardening tips from his wife. Always cordial and engaged, he intended no true progress come from his talks with Po.
“Regretfully, not much, Your Highness.” Sanballat’s face fell slightly, mournful. The next word from him came with a tone that suggested a struggle in speaking it at all. “Senator Po is a wonderful representative of his people, Your Grace, though not regularly engaged with the Separatists. Thankfully, Po speaks for the more civil of his people. He has a clear mind and a heart for their struggle to find a place in our society.”
“Do you doubt they have a place, Sanballat?” Queen Hanani spoke, drawing the attention of the near silent gallery crowd.
Susa’s brow rose as a smile crept across her mouth. She turned her top lip and softly bit the smile away.
“My Queen,” Sanballat cleared his throat to buy a moment. “I believe we must address the issue of the Hybrids who themselves doubt they have a place in our society. By choosing to stand apart and to deliver their message of partition with violence, they dilute the message itself.”
Micah shifted in his seat. Moments like this came often in the Hall, especially with the increase in Separatist activity. If ever one has been discussed in a room without their presence acknowledged, they shared Micah’s present unease.
“Our quandary is clear, Sanballat.” The Queen said. Her words joined the ambient noise in the hall, no one else dared speak if Hanani had more to say. “What resolution do you propose?”
“If I may, Your Majesty?” A new voice to the discussion came from the bench behind Micah.
Without turning, Micah knew the voice. The sound flushed his face with anger, as the voice had earlier this morning. Like Susa moments before, he stayed his expression after a brief slip.
“Of course, Barrister Tobiah.” The Queen gestured for him to join Sanballat before the Royals. “You are always welcome at the Court Lectern.”
“A privilege of which I will endeavor to be worthy, my Queen.” Tobiah bowed after taking a place beside Sanballat. After a moment, he began. “I have proposed a resolution to the Hybrid issue in the past: Segmentation. We allow the Hybrids to operate a society of their choosing, in naturally geographically isolated area. Ideally-- ”
Micah drew a breath and opened his mouth.
“Barrister Tobiah, I’m going to stop you there.” Queen Hanani spoke firmly with a cool smile. “For the past four hundred years, the Hybrid people have been the instrument of our salvation.” She turned slightly, angled to Sanballat. “Your father, Sanballat, was one of the most ardent supporters of full Hybrid integration into our society. The Blocks were the defining achievement of his life. Do you intend to make your life’s work the dismantling of your father’s?”
Tobiah shifted on his feet for a moment, uncomfortable with his rapidly waning status in the discussion. Sanballat stood beside him, unbowed by Royal criticism. A thoughtful expression on his face gave way to a rare smile from Sanballat.
“Often, parents and children fundamentally disagree on key items that make up a worldview.” Sanballat’s gaze drifted to Susa for a moment, then back to her mother. “Marriage, for example.”
Susa’s face flushed and her eyes fell to the floor briefly. As before, she swiftly righted herself. Her betrothal was a topic of conversation in the Royal Dining Hall often in the days leading up to Susa meeting her fiancé for the first time. Marriage for romantic love wasn’t a foreign concept to the Crown, but it was a rare luxury. Queen Hanani’s marriage to Artax solidified the Pillar’s hold over the far Western continent and the Royals found warm welcome thereafter. Peeksar, the crown prince of the island kingdom of Cleef, was promised to Susa as a husband nearly two decades in advance of the wedding day (in fact, a few years in advance of either’s birth).
Peeksar was known as a kind and thoughtful prince. An artist; he worked mostly in charcoal. The whimsy of his drawings was known across the planet and the juxtaposition of playful illustrations in such a muted medium made his work famous. While they had never met, the betrothed pair exchanged messages, some from the Prince containing drawings of Susa from recordings of her public appearances.
In many of the messages, Peeksar expressed reservations about their impending union. Of course, those reservations only found a voice after weeks of more formal, staid messages back and forth. His reservations were always couched in excitement for joining her family, uniting his island nation under the global Ceran royal banner officially and getting to know Susa better.
Susa genuinely liked Peeksar, thus far. Love was another question with a different answer.
“One’s duty to their station, family and people is not a negotiable matter, Sanballat.” King Artax joined the conversation. “The isolation of an entire race should be held to another standard. The Pillar stands with the Hybrids living and working around it daily.”
Sanballat bowed slowly, his face locked in a cool expression. “Of course, my King. As you know, I stand with the Crown always.” He turned to leave the podium and Tobiah remained for a blink of the eye before shuffling off quietly, whispering gratitude to the Royals.
“My daughter,” Hanani said, laying a hand on Susa’s shoulder. “A love that begins with betrothal might not have the mystic appeal of romantic attachment, but that love grows over time. It becomes something stronger as the two of you grow together in your walk.” Hanani turned with a warm gaze to her husband. “All that aside, my dear, it isn’t as though the love of your life simply walks into your life and immediately steals your heart. That theft takes time.”
A quiet fell over the Court Hall as the proceedings stalled. A few Court observers (members of the Media Pool), glanced around the room hurriedly. The pool competed against one another often to predict the next party to speak after a short silence.
“Your Highnesses, I present Garreous, esteemed member of the Pillar’s scientific community.”
At the mention of Garreous, Susa’s expression shifted from one of veiled boredom to a smile and a tiny mischievous twinkle in her eye. The young monarch straightened in her chair, smirking still.
From a corridor at the back of the Court Hall, a young Ceran emerged. Shining emerald green eyes scanned the room, his expression tensed at the sight of the Royal Guard, the King and Queen and their gaggle of observers. A few turned to watch Garreous approach the lectern, but most simply awaited his arrival by staring straight at the Throne and its occupant.
“Hello, young Garreous.” King Artax nodded, a warm expression on his face. “It’s been some time since you’ve come to the Hall.”
“My studies occupy the balance of my free time, Your Highness.” Garreous spoke with a measured tone, lest he address his King too casually. Did he just insult or dismiss the King? Garreous rushed to fix his misstep, words coming a beat too quickly. “But I would come at your invitation anytime, of course.”
A small peel of half-laughter came from Susa before she tried to cover it with a cough. Over her small fist covering her mouth, she locked eyes with Garreous for a moment and just slightly raised an eyebrow.
“Garreous, my child,” Queen Hanani began, leaning toward him just a bit. “Your family has been a friend to the Pillar and the Crown for years. There’s no need for nervousness.”
“Of course, my Queen.” Garreous straightened after a brief glance around the granite-lined Hall. He smiled and leaned closer to the Royals over the Lectern. “There are far more people in this room than I expected, Your Majesty.”
“No novel occurrence, Gar.” Davin said.
Early in life, Garreous was a serious, thoughtful child. His prodigious intellect led to opportunities to study side-by-side with some of the keenest minds in the capital. A short time into his young academic career, the Royals took notice of Garreous and invited his family to live in the Pillar Block. Proximity, personalities and age led to a close connection to both Davin and his sister Susa.
“Tell me of your st
udies, Garreous.” The King said.
“Certainly, Your Grace.” Garreous cleared his throat and fell into what Davin called “Professor” mode. He spoke clearly, but parenthetically, adding verbal footnotes as he laid out his theory. “Popular theory suggests that the speed of light is, in fact, a sort of Cosmic Speed Limit. This presents an interesting theoretical challenge in the sense that success in our endeavor would establish a new scientific status quo which would call into question many other basic assumptions science makes regarding the nature of universe, and perhaps, even life itself.”
Most Court observers understood a scant portion of Garreous’ explanation. As he spoke, a reverent quiet washed over the crowd. The farther the ambient noise level fell, the wider King Artax’s smile spread. Davin’s expression closely matched his father’s.
“Let’s tackle faster than light travel before we begin challenging the nature of our existence, Garreous.” King Artax attempted to nudge Garreous back toward a line of thought more Court observers could follow.
“Of course, my King.” Garreous cleared his throat, squared himself to the lectern and pressed forward. “Our greatest challenge may actually come with success.” A fresh wave confidence came over Garreous as he attacked a complex subject in which his understanding had no equal on Ceran.
As Garreous discussed the science behind faster than light travel and the possibilities it may create, Micah became quietly lost in thought, fantasies of space travel in his mind.
“—if I’m right, of course, Your Majesty, it could be wonderful for our entire race. We could avail ourselves of a gift which may beget benefits too numerous to catalogue.” Garreous said. He looked away from the King for a moment and saw Micah’s hood out of the corner of his eye. “The Hybrids as well, certainly, would benefit.”
The young Ceran turned his attention to Micah and his hood in an acknowledgement of the fact that Garreous had been nervously anticipating spending time with the Hooded One. Known to be a Hybrid to a small segment of the Royal Inner Circle, little else was entirely public about Micah. “I look forward to further acquainting myself with the Hybrid community in the future.”