Medso the Advisor

  Had it been anyone other than Dine I would have been dead, yet I couldn't bring myself to serve this unworthy King. Everyday I wished he had disappeared. Was my loyalty to the throne or the imperial family? Up until now I had thot it was the throne…. But maybe my ideals were flawed from the beginning.

  As I opened the door to the king's chamber I found him, unhinged, staring at the books on the shelves on the far end of the room. What was it that he found intriguing for him to not break his concentration?

  "Your highness, we have much to do for you to be daydreaming!" People may call me bold and fearless but the truth was just a resentful heart. I wished he had killed me too, just as he had the others. Why was I kept alive? Why would he not kill me even after all my blatant disrespect?

  Dine's eyes were a deep black, and as more time passed the glimmer had all left leaving it hollow. I should have noticed earlier, then maybe I could have stopped the tragedy from unfolding. His gray hair was not always so, many said it was a omen of disaster for a man so young to lose his brown hair to old grayness. But I had never seen Dine ever call it out or hold a grudge over such ridicule. Perhaps it was his persona of being a hero the kingdom revered that held him back, or maybe he was too bitter to curse anyone till the end.

  This man flummoxed me. It was as if he was an unpredictable wild beast tamed to be erratic.

  His eyes wandered the room before they locked on mine. His lips upturned into a bright smile. "Ah, Medso, I had been waiting. Where have you been?" he asked with no emotions backing his words.

  His way of speaking was as superficial as the surface of water barely staying on top of a hot pan. I had never been close enough for him to speak so friendly with me.

  How disgusting!

  "Your highness if you had the time to spare to wait for me you would very well dress up properly!" I pushed my specs up my nose. My eyes unintentionally glared at him however he never let his bothersome smile falter.

  "I prefer comfort rather than elegance, besides, there hasn't been anything formal," his eyes drifted across the scattered papers on his table, "and there is hardly anyone I want to meet." his voice did not waver.

  "Well, as a King of a nation it is your duty to remain presentable at any moment in time." I insisted.

  He stared at me from the corner of his eyes and did not speak. Have I finally dug my grave?

  He sighed and looked away, staring at the resting sofa at the other end of the room, "Ah, how vexing it is for you to disapprove." He spoke through the crossed fingers in front of him. With a jerk, he stood up from his chair and walked past me. I turned and watched him walk out of the room.

  I did not understand why he would not punish me. Maybe I could get away with anything?

  A vivid memory…

  Dine's sword dripped blood as he walked past the quiet chambers of the office. I had given up hope and waited for my demise. Every footstep made my heart beat faster and louder, and called the death nearer.

  I had held my breath for how long I wondered, I simply existed hiding under this very desk.

  The bloodied boots that recalled the ominous sounds, came to a halt in front of me.

  At the moment I had forgotten how to breathe, my head quietly rose to see his face.

  There I had seen horror, eyes as empty as a hollow jug and a face as pale as a ghost drenched in blood. His ego showed no remorse or regret for all the lives that were lost, there I had witnessed a beast!

  As the beast glared at me, he scoffed. "What a pity you are in…" his voice did not roar but echoed through the walls of the empty palace. And just as he had found me he left without another word.

  This vivid memory replayed in my head thousands of times. I could not forget the beast I had seen.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Perhaps the fear I had felt had ingrained itself in my head, preventing me from going to an extreme.

  However I did not understand why I was spared. I was not close to Dine nor was I part of his kin. Was it because he needed someone to work the kingdom, as he knew nothing of it? Why was I averse to him?

  A memory of a long time ago flashed in my head.

  A memory of Dine's childhood, a boy of merely the age of 7, in his tattered clothes. His smile often bloomed flowers to hide the tears that flowed into the rivers, a boy of no origins. Perhaps I pitied him…

  And perhaps that pity had been turned back onto me.

  As my thoughts accompanied me, Dine had once again entered the room, looking perfectly elegant– a King.

  "I welcome you, your highness!" I greeted him, which he did not return. He had taken his seat and followed through the papers on the table. Then he gathered them into bundles and waited for me to begin speaking.

  "Sire, we need to prioritise the dam that has accumulated water this rainy season. If measures are not taken the cities of Ramvuy and Bonsar will flood and it could be disastrous." I reminded him.

  "What do you suggest we do?" he asked calmly.

  "Well I suppose we could drain the dam a little, and channel the water to the nearby villages that require irrigation. I have received news of certain areas lacking water for irrigation." I spoke. A king deserving of the throne should know that, how revolting!

  "I see….” For a while Dine did not speak. “That requires certain preparations– labour, cost, construction material-” A sigh left his mouth, he reclined on his chair “Can Ramvuy and Bonsar spare such preparations?"

  I nodded my head.

  He looked at me silently. "Very well I will leave it to you Medso, my trusted advisor."

  Trusted? How preposterous!

  A knock threw us off. "Come in!" I declared.

  A maid with the name of Eva entered our chambers, she had been coming over for the past week to serve a tea Dine loves under the orders of Queen Ren.

  I looked at Dine, it was only when Eva presented herself, did I see the glimmer shine in his deep black eyes. I remembered the first day she had come over declaring that she was ordered by Queen Ren to serve tea brewed in Hasmornd, I was appalled.

  But when I had seen the beast's eyes soften to that of a kitten I had truly questioned my fear towards him and his rationality.

  Our conversation stunned as Eva started her preparations on the gueridon trolley. She also placed a few desserts on display.

  "Your highness, I have made a new blend of tea with honey, would you like to try that?" Eva asked. Her tone was low and sweet, smothered with shyness and benevolence unfitting of a maid.

  It was clear as day that she found Dine very attractive, which perplexed me. A maid is not to show her emotions on her sleeve! Who had hired this incompetent person, I often questioned myself.

  If the throne was handled by a sleeze there is bound to be more like Eva. That is detrimental to the image of our kingdom, does the King not see it?

  "Ah, that I would love to, is that the Queen's recommendation or your suggestion?" Dine asked with a smile sickeningly sweet.

  I watched as Eva's cheeks slightly blush, was Dine really entertaining a maid?

  "Ah… it was.. Queen's order, but my suggestion" she fidgeted.

  How outrageous! For a King to act so frivolously with a maid of low standing, is unacceptable!

  What was Queen Ren thinking, sending this incompetent maid to serve the king?

  I watched her place the tea cup on Dine’s desk along with the dessert platter.

  I cannot bear to see this! It is not even tea time, and Dine surely is enjoying this! I need to stop this.

  "Ahem! If you are done, leave! We are in the middle of an important discussion!" I spoke sternly.

  Eva quivered and looked at me as if oblivious to all the exchange that she was committing. With one speaking a word after that, she dropped her gaze looking dejected

  I watched Dine's face unaltered from my command towards her. Clearly, he was just toying with this maid’s feelings which she had no knowledge of.

  "Then I will take my leave," she placed her hand on the trolley, bowed and left.

  As the door closed behind her I looked at Dine with disapproval. "A king does not act so triflingly!"

  He looked at me and didn't speak, after a long silence he responded, "Ah, such a pity, if you were a little more giddy, you would have ladies falling over you for your looks far outmatch many among the nobility, but here you are- insisting a life of celibacy." His eyes displayed a sense of disappointment as he rested his face atop his palm.

  Such absurdity! How could he claim such nonsense? "And when have I declared celibacy, your highness? Are you sure you are not making up baseless claims?" I asked, annoyed at his comment.

  His eyes widened, an expression of shock spread across his face, along with which there held a subtle tone of sarcasm.

  "Oh my, I absolutely did not know!" Dine's clear tone ridiculing me, somehow infuriated me.

  "Your highness there are more press-"

  "Hahahaha" he laughed and my fury made me sheepish. It felt as if he was toying with me like a child.

  "How amusing you are Medso, since you are so impatient, why don’t you prepare a list of fields near the dam, the area and the manpower required?" and with that he took all the papers I had kept on his table and looked through them. “And Also, Prepare a carriage!”

  “Carriage? May I ask why?”

  “We are leaving for Ramvuy that's why.” he gave a plastered smile.

  “Excuse me.. Now..?”

  His smile widened as if teasing me “Well it depends on how long it takes you to pack your luggage..”

  My mouth was agape for he started laughing out loud looking at me.

  I truly do not understand this man.