Christopher roused himself from his thoughts and looked up at Talon to find him still waiting like an impatient dog. Christopher visualized what Talon would look like panting like a real dog and let out a small laugh. Then he sighed.
“Would you please stop calling me 'my liege' all the time and just call me Chris from now on, Talon? I'd greatly appreciate it,” he pleaded.
“It would be going against my orders to do so, my liege. I am very sorry, but I must do so, so as not to upset His Majesty,” Talon replied.
Down to the tone and everything. He tsked. Can I call ‘em, or what? I knew exactly what he was going to say. Well, you gotta hand it to him, Talon is terribly predicable. That trait has merit in this day and age. It’s almost like he’s some sort of machine with only a few responses, or something. Gotta admit, I could get used to that.
He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I was wondering if you would be so kind as to fill me in on all the latest war news. Seeing as you are a veteran soldier and the Master General of our army, I figured you might just know a thing or two about our next enemy. So, tell me, who are we gonna take over next, Talon?”
Talon looked uncomfortable, but his tone was as mechanical as ever. “There have not been any new war developments since the war with Lhytkra that took place two years ago, my liege. I am sorry to disappoint you, but there has not been any reason to attack anyone lately.”
“Lhytkra?” Christopher asked excitedly. “Isn’t that the one that started out as a trade dispute, but they wouldn’t back down?”
Talon nodded. “The very same.”
“And so we invaded and took out their army in one big battle then made them surrender?” Talon nodded again but said nothing. “Then we took over their whole country and made their citizens swear fealty to my dad? I bet that added a bit to our tax revenue, eh?” The last part was mostly said under his breath, but he figured Talon probably heard it anyway. The man had better hearing than a hawk.
“Yes, my liege, that would be the one. I’m sure the battle aided our treasury, but that was not the main reason for it, my liege,” Talon replied, flashing him a stern gaze.
“Hey, weren’t you the one who won that battle for us?”
“Well, sort of,” Talon let on, a glint of excitement in his eyes, “but it was a coordinated effort and there were many involved in the strategizing and the final victory.”
“Will you please tell me about that battle, Talon?” Christopher asked, showing his pouting, pleading face. “You know how I like to hear about all that blood being splattered on the ground and all the decapitations and limb severing and stuff. Please?”
“I am very sorry, my liege, but it would be wrong for me to tell you of such horror stories,” Talon told him, a tinge of regret in his voice. “Your young mind is much too fragile to be tainted with such evils, and it is a constant battle for all of us to keep your mind clean and pure. And we cannot be messing that up, now can we?”
“Aw, man,” Christopher whined. His pouty face never worked on Talon. “Yeah, I guess you have a point, as much as I hate to admit it.” Then, another idea struck him. “Well, if you can’t tell me about the battles, then why can’t we have one so I can watch it instead? I mean, I like to hear about all the battles, hard though it might be to hear them, of course, but I imagine watching one would be even better.”
“Well, my liege, if you must know why we can’t have a battle right now, it’s because-”
“Never mind, Talon,” Christopher said abruptly, rolling his eyes. He’d heard Talon’s explanation plenty of times before and was in no mood to hear it again. Not today. “Just forget I ever said anything.”
“If that is what you want, my liege.”
“It is. Hey, look, I’ve got to get ready for this dull banquet I have to attend tonight, so maybe you could just leave me alone for a while to think, eh?”
"As you wish, my liege," Talon said, bowing. He immediately turned and left. Not that he was going far. He’d undoubtedly hide somewhere near the door to Christopher’s bedchamber as he always did.
Christopher went into his room and shut the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught some slight movement and a flash of something crimson waving about in the corner of his room, but as quickly as it had come, it left.
Probably a curtain swaying in the breeze. His curtains were crimson.
He let out a huge yawn and sat on his bed. He felt extremely tired all of a sudden, the arguments of the day undoubtedly taking their toll. “I think I’ll lay down for just a moment before the banquet.” His eyes closed within moments of his head hitting the pillow.
* * * * * * * * * *
Christopher and his two guests, Adam and Talon, entered the grand ballroom about ten minutes to six, a little bit ahead of all the nobles. Not ahead of King Richard, though – he was already sitting in his immaculate chair when Christopher and his guests came in. They left the door open to allow
