A young man stood silently on a high balcony, overlooking the peaceful city below. His hair was a striking white-blonde, and his eyes were the pale blue of ancient ice.
Many had called him handsome. Fewer had dared to call him terrifying– but all who caught his attention described the same crushing presence, like the weight of a thousand stones on your shoulders.
Tonight, that same presence was still, contemplative and preoccupied by thought. A problem had arisen– nothing unfamiliar, but for whatever reason, this time he intended to approach it differently.
There would be no solving it with a snap of his fingers, as per the usual. No– he would observe. Wait. And dismantle it from within.
This man was King Sora, the tyrant ruler of Laurelian.
The problem: a new band of rebels plotting to overthrow him.
Behind him, a voice broke the quiet– cautious, shaky.
'Um… Your Majesty… forgive me for asking… if you would be so kind, would it be okay if…'
Sora didn't turn around. The boy behind him, who was shorter, and noticeably nervous, spoke with a trembling voice.
His light brown hair fluttered in the soft wind, and freckles dotted his anxious face. He avoided looking directly at the King, hazel eyes flicking anywhere but at him.
'Spit it out, Anthony,' Sora said coldly.
'Ah… yes, Your Majesty. I was wondering if you might be able to repeat the instructions to me. Your humble servant is still a little unsure of some details…'
He's so scary, Anthony thought. Every time he summons me, I have to be perfect. Polite. One wrong word, and he could end me on the spot. Please, please don't be annoyed.
'Fine. This is the last time. Do not ask me again.'
Sora turned at last, his expression unreadable.
Is he angry? Annoyed? Does he even care? I wish I could tell. I wish that just once he would have a recognisable emotion on his face. But I don't think I'd live to ever see it happen.
The very first time Anthony had ever seen Sora, he'd been taken aback by how… unhumanlike he was.
A perfectly flawless person, dressed in pristine white clothes. He had a distant, yet icy kind of look. Anthony had expected to see at least a small smile on his face. Maybe even joy.
But he was met with calmness. Not a gentle kind, but the kind one may feel when gazing at something ever so slightly disappointing.
It had unsettled him deeply, and it still did.
'Your first objective is to blend in with the twelfth year students,' Sora began. 'You look the part. Just act accordingly.'
Anthony gave a tiny nod, trying not to interrupt with even a tiny sound.
'Then, gain their trust. Watch for signs. Secret gatherings, hushed conversations. If you suspect someone is involved with the rebels, approach naturally. Pretend you sympathise. Make it clear you oppose the current regime. If they lead you to their hideout, memorise names, faces, details. Report back, and I will take it from there.'
Anthony bowed low. 'Thank you for your grace. The operation is… clearer now.'
Will he let me go now? We've been going over the finer details so long I had to ask him to repeat the basic stuff again. It's almost seven, it's Friday, and it's freezing up here. I want to escape this damn balcony. Just let me leave already!
'Once you have finished your final preparations, you may rest until Monday. If you need anything, speak to Kieran. You may go.'
Thank god. For once, he was being let off easy, with nothing extra to do. Maybe the King was in a particularly good mood today. Eh, probably not that far, but I'll take it.
Trying not to let relief show on his face, Anthony bowed again and stepped quickly through the ornate double doors leading into Sora's office.
The room beyond was grand– not a single space, but a series of smaller areas, connected by open doorways.
At its centre stood Sora's desk, neat despite the many papers stacked around it. In the day, sunlight poured into the glass wall behind that separated the inside from the balcony. But by night, the main area glowed from the light of an elegant chandelier.
The surrounding areas were dimmer, and less cared for. Lit by cool toned lightbulbs, they seemed like they were almost underwater. Sora rarely used them for anything other than storage for his many documents and books.
Anthony quietly moved through the office and entered the hallway outside. Only then did he finally release the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
There was something suffocating about that room, especially when Sora was in it. You just instinctively felt like you were in trouble. Even if all you were doing was receiving orders, the air felt heavy. Oppressive. And at night, or when the sky was overcast, it felt like the light of day would never return for you.
I swear, Kieran doesn't feel fear at all. When I go there, I can hardly breathe. When he goes there, he acts as though he and Sora are old buddies and that office is just a friend's living room. I know he's an awesome and friendly guy, but I'm still surprised at how Sora just allows it.
Anthony remembered the day Kieran had found him in an etiquette class and dragged him to the King's office.
Sora had seemed a little annoyed when Kieran boldly knocked on the door with Anthony in tow. When he let them in, Kieran greeted him with an easy smile, and casually flopped down on a sofa, telling Anthony to demonstrate what he'd learned in class.
Anthony did everything with utmost care, trying his best not to let his friend down.
Sora had only nodded with detached courtesy, but Kieran beamed proudly. 'Look how quickly he's learned, Sora! He's now the most polite person in the palace. That's a pretty good achievement, eh?'
He's addressing the King by name out loud?! When Anthony heard it, he'd panicked internally. Oh no! What if he has him beheaded for that?! I don't want him to die!
But Sora didn't react.
'Indeed,' he said. 'As polite as you should be. He is a fast learner, as expected. Now take him back to wherever you found him. I have work to do, unlike you, it seems.'
'Aw, don't be like that,' Kieran protested. 'I finished everything early, just to see him! Don't you care about him at all?' he demanded indignantly.
'It's your job to look after him. If you really have completed everything, which I highly doubt, go check on the lower levels. Now do as I said, and get out of my sight.'
'Hmph! Alright, alright.' Kieran stood. 'Come on, Anthony. Since I'm impressed with your stunning efforts, you can accompany me on the tour our King has ever so graciously assigned to me.' He confidently waltzed out of the office.
'Yes, sir.' Anthony turned back for a moment. Sora was standing, with a distant expression, as though he was a world away. But when their eyes met, he frowned slightly.
'...Aren't you going to follow him?' Sora asked. He probably meant nothing serious by that, but Anthony suddenly felt like a puppet bound by its strings.
He had quickly drawn in a breath, trying to drag out the last vestige of courage inside him.
'Oh… yes, my King. My deepest apologies if you found my staring offensive. I-I'll be going now, Your Majesty.'
Anthony had quickly hurried out, heart pounding. Kieran was waiting for him outside.
'That was terrifying,' he whispered. 'I was so scared that he'd be angry at me if I messed it up. And when you left, he asked if I was going to follow you. I don't know if he was implying anything, but I almost had a heart attack…'
'Was it that bad?'
Anthony nodded.
'Sorry. I really should've warned you better, given you more time to mentally prepare. He can be… a lot. Very intimidating when you're one on one. Y'know, that's how I felt when I first met him. But cheer up– we're going downstairs to meet the palace staff. Don't worry, unlike him, they're all super nice. You'll like them!'
Anthony felt somewhat reassured at the fact that even someone like Kieran had been afraid of Sora, at least at one point.
Over time, he slowly got used to being in the King's presence, and the intense tension that came with it. These days, all he needed was a few minutes to breathe, and he could get over the experience. He still wasn't as fearless as Kieran though. But out of the entirety of Laurelian, who was?
Okay, remembering time is over. Now get back to the present, Anthony told himself mentally. I've finally got some free time. I could go see Kieran, or I could just rest. Hmm… Actually, I think I'll go for a little walk around the palace. Take my mind off things a bit.
The hallway was as silent as the grave. Reserved for the most important rooms in the palace, the top floor was highly restricted. Only a handful of trusted individuals were allowed here.
Not that there was room for many people anyway. Unlike the lower floors that were filled with halls and open spaces, the top floor was smaller and tighter. There were no fancy decorations, nor showy displays of wealth. Just smooth walls and the soft, soundless carpet underfoot.
The hallway itself was somewhat oval shaped, looping cleanly around the top of the palace. The east-side corridor overlooked the garden terrace and the sea; on clear mornings you could see the waves roll by, beautiful as a painting. The west side had a view of the city, often foggy in the cold months.
The rooms uniformly lined the outer edge of each corridor, and more filled the space between the two sides. No names marked the doors, but everyone passing through learned which was which quickly.
Sora's rooms were on the west, of course. Facing the city. To Anthony, that felt fitting, somehow. Kieran's were on the east, and so was Anthony's, much to his relief.
Honestly, if I was on the west side, I'd be afraid to sleep.
Though the palace was magically heated and there was no need for extra layers, he still found wearing jackets comforting. Anthony rounded the bend where the corridors met and walked past a series of doors until he found the one to his bedroom. Once inside, he instantly relaxed.
Alright, jackets, jackets. Which one? Anthony had plenty– a whole wardrobe full of them, in fact.
Both days and nights in winter could get pretty cold, so Kieran decided to gift him a bunch of clothes.
To prevent me from getting sick, he said. Kinda odd when he knows it's not like I'd get sick anyway, he thought, a small smile forming on his face. He probably just wanted to give me a present. Such an amazing friend, that guy is.
Now, should I pick this one or that one?