The Celestial King

by L Ward

  It was a tiny rainbow on a sun-shower day, a cool breeze in the baking sun. Nath’s efforts had prevailed and the people were rising for him. “I thought I’d lost them,” he said and stared at his hands in disbelief. “They compared me to Dad.”

  “They said you’re greater than he was,” said Will.

  The room shifted and darkness crept from the corners, stars glittered to life and happiness radiated from the King.

  ∞∞∞

  News collided with the palace like an asteroid hellbent on the planet’s demise. Undermouth’s face glared back from a signal shard and Evan’s heart met his teeth.

  “Well, Nathaniel, I’m surprised at you. When I saw a lunarmancer had ascended I thought you’d be an utter pushover. I was wrong,” his eyes glittered and his small sharp teeth flashed a grin. “You don’t heed warnings well which is why I’m giving you one last chance. I propose a ceasefire until you join me in my palace for, shall we say, a trade agreement. Your crown for my mercy; once I have your country in my hands I will happily allow you and your Consort to live. If in this time you attack any more of my facilities, I will not hold back my forces. There are beings beyond your imagination that will take your palace by force. You have until the full moon’s rise, don't forget.”

  The signal cut and Nath rolled his eyes. “It makes no difference. Now is the time for deliberation and preparation.”

  “When are we leaving?” Evan asked, hoping to the gods it wouldn’t be too soon.

  Nath was quiet a couple moments turning the shard over in his hands. “Closer to the time. I want to play my cards right, and with luck I may get some intelligence into his palace. It has been impenetrable before, but I have a feeling security will become lax for this occasion. They’ll hope I turn up as soon as possible, they want me to be hasty and that’s something I refuse to do.”

  “I’ll go with you,” said Evan.

  Will looked at him sharply. “Me too.”

  Nath’s eyes widened. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t go with me, Evan.”

  His face fell and his brows furrowed as he searched his husband’s face. “Why not?”

  “Because if I go there it needs to be alone. Anything could happen and I can’t risk losing you too. Regardless of what he thinks, the palace will fight back and you'll be safer here. If I should die on the mission you will be alive to take the crown.”

  “No reason why I can’t go then,” Will said haughtily.

  Nath shot him a look. “You can stay here and guard him.”

  Will’s face struck unimpressed and he huffed angrily. “You can’t honestly think you’re going alone.”

  “What? I take others and put them in immediate risk of enslavement or death? This is Undermouth’s palace, not a lab or a border HQ. It will be heavily guarded.”

  “Which is why you need us, Nath,” Evan pleaded, shuffling over and taking his hand. “You can’t go to a place like that alone.”

  “He’s right, Nath.”

  “I’ve nearly lost both of you more than once. I’ll be damned if it happens for real this time.”

  “So we just sit on our asses here, do nothing, and wait for you to die? Undermouth isn’t gonna let you walk out of there.”

  “Of course not, but I don't plan on dying without dragging him down with me, and if that should happen I'll go to my grave with certainty that my crown will abdicate to Evan.”

  “Let us fight at your side. You know my gifts are invaluable when it comes to saving lives,” Evan was close to pleading.

  “He can supercharge me,” Will jumped in as though suddenly remembering the weirdly intimate power they’d shared.

  Nath glanced.

  “Back in the labs, he combined his solar energies with my pyrotechnics and it felt like the sun was bursting out me hands,” said Will.

  Nath was awestruck. He got to his feet and searched Evan’s face. “You never said your powers had grown so strong.”

  “Haven’t had a chance,” Evan laughed watching Nath’s eyes dance in the firelight.

  “Tell me about it.”

  Will explained the surge of immense power and the fusing of their energy as Evan wove an intricate web of magic and projected it through Will’s blood.

  “And to think I'd suspected you of tarnishing your soul to obtain such power,” Nath breathed, looking at Will with impress. “It’s amazing what the two of you can do when you work together."

  Evan smirked and Will shot him a disapproving look he strongly suspected was fake. In fact, Will had only seemed pissed about his mention of Dante, not anything else. “It was easy to channel through him, he’s really receptive.”

  Will shot him a look so dirty a cocaine-addled hooker would find it distasteful.

  Nath burst out laughing and said, “then perhaps the two of you do it again. Power like that is invaluable.”

  Will hesitated a moment, glanced at Evan, and a hardened look crossed his face. “Of course, your Majesty.”

  “As for me I need to go to my office and start making plans and dealing with the undoubted overflow of work…” Nath sighed, glancing at the time. Morning was thin on the ground and everyone was itching to speak with him.

  “I’ll handle some interviews and the nobility if you like,” Evan suggested.

  Nath looked as though ten tons of garbage had been lifted from his shoulders. “You’re the truest lifesaver of them all.”

  Chapter 35

  Will

  He was exhausted, borderline irritable even, as he shook off the last noble asking after his father or pestering him about shares or the mission with Nath. He just wanted to get this crap out of his head and spend some time in the calm away from all the bullshit and his increasingly dramatic life, and while his father was away doing god-knows-what, he was going to pay someone a visit.

  “Ahh, you’re back! It’s as though your family are making a habit of disappearing,” Dante’s smile could light the world and Will was overjoyed to bask in it.

  Will smirked and stepped into the Dante’s private lobby. The apartment was a smaller version of his own but still grand even by palace standards. The walls were lined with abstract paintings and curious miniatures of everyday objects. He followed Dante into the cosy sitting room, wooden furniture lined the room and a fireplace crackled inside a jet brick hearth. The air smelled of orange peel and spice. He leaned on the back of an armchair. “Homeland influence?” he nodded to the large patterned rugs and small potted plants.

  Dante looked happy. “I’m pleased you like it,” he stepped forward, and then they were kissing. His lips held a softness and warmth that made him immediately want to lay on the sofa and discover a little more of Dante Alvarez. “Did you come for another Spanish lesson?”

  “I came to ask you on a date,” said Will.

  “Oh?”

  “There’s gonna be a court ball this weekend to celebrate Edinburgh and London,” Will said slowly.

  Dante’s face spread in a handsome smile. “Two wonderful victories thanks to you, Prince Evan and His Majesty. Impressive.”

  Will tried very hard not to flush. He was used to being showered with compliments over his looks, his intelligence and his wealth from every angle of his life, but it felt different coming from Dante. It… actually meant something, and he hadn’t felt opinions of others mattered since Nath. “It were nothing and I don’t deserve the credit.”

  “I’ve heard you are not usually such a humble man,” Dante said, raising his eyebrows challengingly.

  Will’s internal organs cringed and folded themselves up like t-shirts. “You’re right. I’m just trying to look good for you.”

  Dante laughed again. “So you are asking me to a very public function: a ball.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you are aware there will be cameras watching you?”

  “It’s not like we’re gonna start fucking on the dance floor.”

  “You’re fortunate to be a good comic,” Dante grinned. “In that case it i
s a date.”

  Will smiled and shoved the earth-shattering terror to the deepest depths of his mind where it hopefully wouldn’t resurface in the middle of the night and give him a panic attack.

  Dante cocked his head, confused.

  “Hope ya haven’t eaten 'cause I’ve summoned food,” he grinned cheekily.

  “Once again the luck strikes you, William. I was on my way to Court before you arrived.”

  “Fuck Court. I’m sure you’re bored of that place by now.”

  “I cannot say hearing Sir Winscott speak of the intricacies and obstacles in a bill to ban colour-change potions since a Chinese warlock did- how you say? Black face, and went on a signal portal.”

  Will cringed. “Bad move.”

  “He was a famous lawyer and has now lost his job,” said Dante. “Potentially a very offensive move if he meant racism by it, but I don’t think colour-change potions should be banned because of it.”

  “I honestly haven’t heard of anyone doing shit like that since before I were born,” Will raised an eyebrow. “Must’ve been a joke.”

  “Yes it was, or so he says. Then he made a comment about Hispanic people and proved himself racist.”

  It felt odd to confront something like this. He knew it still happened around the world, some countries much worse than others, but it’d never happened to him and from the look on Dante’s face he should be just as disapproving, so why wasn’t he that mad? “Always some nutter about. What did he say?”

  “Compared us to a large Australian rodent. Some of his words were translated as big, brown and useless.”

  “Nice.”

  “You don’t seem irritated,” Dante looked at him curiously.

  “I’m not.”

  “Why?”

  “No point. He’s in the dog house where he belongs and I’m still rich.”

  Dante looked stricken and stepped back. “You do not protect your people?”

  Will blinked realising he was sinking in hot water. “I don’t care what race people are.”

  “You are Spanish. In fact, your blood is not English and you do not look English so how can you even call yourself so?” Dante was starting to look upset.

  Backpedal.

  “That’s pretty racist of you, Dante. I might be of Spanish blood and looks but I was born in Yorkshire, I grew up in this country and I like it here. I am English. To me it’s as much my heritage as my Spanish one, only I’ve more experience living here.”

  Dante looked stricken. “I apologise profoundly. I didn’t mean to offend you. It was unacceptable behaviour from a man of standing who joined a modern Court to make such remarks,” he sucked in his bottom lip.

  Will could feel Dante’s irritation and coughed awkwardly. “I know, he’s a dickhead, but it’s only one dickhead’s opinion and if I wanted to I could say something racist about him.”

  “That doesn’t make it right,” Dante frowned. “My father has experienced some racism in the past when traveling, but I haven’t. It came as a shock.”

  “He probably didn’t know you’re Hispanic,” said Will.

  Dante stared.

  “It’s kinda easy to assume you’re white on first glance because you’re fair with blue eyes; not a stereotype. I’m not trying to offend you or anything.”

  “I am speechless.”

  Will felt the awkwardness drifting like snowflakes. “You dislike people mistaking your identity and I understand that. I’m proud to be Spanish but I’m equally proud to be English and some prick isn’t gonna take that away from me because he ran his mouth. He loses more by talking shit than I do by getting upset by it.”

  Dante stared at him for a surprisingly long time before he cleared his throat. “I wasn’t disrespecting your Englishness, Will. I’ve learned a lot from you since moving here.” The little smile was back and Will relaxed. “I am unused to Court life.”

  “I can promise you people like that don’t come by too often.”

  “I should hope not or perhaps my father will send me back to Spain,” Dante teased.

  Will wanted to laugh but the thought of Dante leaving was terrifying. “Be on your best behaviour, then.”

  “Ah, that is what he said before he caught me kissing my teacher.”

  This time Will did laugh.

  Food showed up half a second later and they relaxed around the small dining table to eat. The mood lightened and Dante asked a lot of questions about English mannerisms and the upcoming ball. It was like teaching an overexcited puppy his first trick and he loved every second of it. Tedious as courtiers could be, Dante wasn’t one of them and it was extraordinarily refreshing.

  After dinner they went for a moonlit walk in the courtyard, bathed in a luminous silver glow. The air was crisp, chilly and tasted fresher than it had in a long time. Will looked up at the millions of stars winking like fresh cut diamonds in a sea of ebony and gently took Dante’s hand in his own. Nobody was around and it felt like the world was their oyster for a while.

  “You still haven’t spoken much of your mission,” said Dante.

  Will swallowed. “Haven’t you read the papers?”

  “Yes but I want to hear about you.”

  He smiled. “Nath tricked the Privy Council and we snuck out to shut down the labs. It was… devastating. The things they were doing in those labs were sick.”

  The only sound for some time was their footsteps.

  “I’ve never been to a formal ball before in this country, do guests wear costumes like in France?” Dante asked curiously.

  Will glanced at him and cleared his throat. “Sometimes. Do you want to wear one?”

  Dante laughed. “No,” he said quickly. “Forgive me if I’m bad at changing subjects.”

  “I didn’t want you to change it,” he met his eye and something passed between them. “One of our comrades- Mr Daniels- died in the blast we triggered, and Evan lost consciousness, we thought he was dead too.”

  “But I’ve seen him. You are all okay?” Dante’s eyebrows rose and panic flooded his features.

  “We survived and went to Edinburgh the following night. Nath was too powerful for the guards and we dominated the city. London was a different story. We were tired and it was too dangerous to penetrate their barriers.”

  “And now His Majesty is to go to the Dead Country once more.”

  Will hesitated. “Yeah.”

  “And if he goes intending to fight then you will go with him,” Dante continued.

  The back of Will’s neck became hot and he swallowed an odd ball of nerves. “Yeah.”

  “I will ask no more,” he held up his hands. “It isn’t my business. I am just a gentleman of the court.”

  “You’re more than that to me,” Will breathed. He brought his hands to Dante’s face and kissed him fiercely and without care. The brightness of the world and all of its rightness rushed him like a stampede of unicorn blitzing a magical forest.

  Dante sucked on his bottom lip and he was lost to the world. “Perhaps you’d like to come back to my apartments tonight,” he said softly.

  A shock of nerves erupted in his belly and he grinned. “Wanting in me boxers, are ya?” He teased.

  “It isn’t just your boxers I want to be inside,” Dante’s grin was earth-shattering and he linked their fingers tightly.

  Fucking hell. His mind was in overdrive and in no time at all they arrived in side Dante’s rooms.

  Chapter 36

  Evan got the shock of his life when he went into the royal gardens to smoke some weed on his break and strutting up the path was Gerard Starstone. He performed a double-take and almost dropped his micro bong.

  Gerard stopped a few paces away and frowned. He looked immaculate as ever but his face was strained, lined and his eyes were bloodshot. He stared at Evan in a mixture of confusion and dismay. “Back now, are ya?”

  He was taken aback by the abruptness. “I’m sorry to hear your father is ill.”

  Gerard’s brow furrowed and he glance
d at one of the windows behind Evan.

  “I hope everything’s alright now.”

  “Far as I know it is. I presume His Majesty is in his office?” He didn’t wait for a reply, instead he executed a quick bow and marched past Evan into the palace. Servants ran to greet him and several gardeners stopped trying to combat the tangleweed bush that had sprouted six extra branches to wave at Gerard.

  He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Evan took his smoke and hurried back inside before he’d finished exhaling.

  By the time he reached Nath’s crowded office he stank to high heaven of weed.

  Sir Winscott shot him a surprised look.

  “It wasn’t prudent of you to disappear at such a time, Gerard,” said Nath.

  “I hope Your Majesty excuses my dreadful absence,” Gerard bowed. “I had urgent matters to attend to in Carlisle. Problem at the HQ.”

  Nath stared. “Marianne seemed to believe you were visiting your father.”

  “She was mistaken, good old Dad likes his adventures and usually comes back a bit mucky round the ears,” he smiled. “There was some bother going on with staffing at one of my HQs. Nasty business when potioneers fail their safety measures.”

  “How horrible,” said Sir Winscott.

  “My return isn’t nearly as important as the King’s,” said Gerard, staring at Nath. “What an ambush.”

  “Now comes preparation for the finale,” said Nath, rubbing his hands together and observing Gerard with caution. “How much do you know of the events?”

  “Likely as much as any civilian,” said Gerard. Faint glimpses of blue and yellow slid through the air around him.

  Evan plunged comfortably on the sofa, too slow to follow rapid conversation and much too busy examining the leaflets jammed in Sir Winscott’s cloak pocket about apothecary waste and the environment. It reminded him weirdly of Cass’s uncle Roderick, his shop was in the heart of London and had likely by now been destroyed, or looted at least. His eyes wandered to Sir Alvarez and shock struck a match in his belly. The man was pale, shadows blackened his eyes and his lips were pursed in a tight line as he listened intently to Nathaniel stressing he had no idea what the ultimate monster could be.