The noise was little help for his migraine. It was an insidious sound, drilling into his ears and grinding deep through his head.
No braziers had been lit. Much of the throne room was shadowed and gloomy, but with enough ambient light that Isec could see where he was going.
Beams of the afternoon sunlight streamed through the stone-arched, stained glass windows. The geometric patterns in the glass allowed the sunlight to cascade brilliantly in all sorts of shapes across the throne upon which King Tobius rested, its spearhead-shaped backboard pointing upwards ominously.
Isec went down the long throne room towards the king. The silence was deafening, only broken by his gentle footsteps. Tobius refused to look up at the man approaching him, instead keeping his head down resting in the palms of his bony hands.
To the king’s side, looming like a haunting spectre, Sen Dorval stood. Thick-browed and broad-shouldered, the bodyguard watched Isec as sharply as a hawk, his expression as dark as his demeanour.
“King Tobius,” Isec greeted, kneeling before the throne, and bowing his head in a great gesture of respect.
Tobius looked ahead, briskly flicking his fingers to signal for Isec to stand up. “What do you want, Batir?”
Tobius’s tone seemed as impatient as it had been earlier in the day when Isec had first addressed him upon his return to Andervale.
Isec cut right to the chase. “My king, I need to speak with you about Wesley.”
“What’s the idiot done this time?”
Isec thought for a moment, knowing that Tobius, despite loathing Wesley at times, was an overprotective father as well.
How do I word this to him?
“I… I worry about him,” Isec said, clearing his throat.
Tobius glared at Sen Dorval, then back at Isec, perplexed. “With conflict breaking out once again between Caldaea and Ashen, my city filled to the brim with refugees, and the fucking sky ripping itself open, you think now is a good time to tell me that you are worried about the prince?!”
“I hold concern for his state of mind, and the danger he presents to those around him. In particular, for his new wife,” Isec said boldly.
Tobius shrugged. “And what of it? You think I give two shits about Ciana Blacktree?”
Isec shut his mouth firmly, realising that that approach was not going to work.
Isec felt his own restraint loosening in frustration. “Look Tobius, the prince had me do some despicable things after you left… he had me bring him whores to his chambers, where I found Ciana beaten and bruised.”
“She is a womb for my grandchild, the future heir to this very throne. Nothing else!” Tobius slammed his closed fist against the throne’s armrest.
Isec shook his head in dismay, stunned by what he was hearing, how his king was talking about his daughter-by-law. It was unbelievable.
Things, however, were beginning to make more sense to Isec over time.
All the rumours he had heard over the years about Tobius and how he had treated Wesley’s mother, Alina, before her untimely death suddenly flashed back into his mind.
The whores. The horrific mistreatment of Ciana that Isec had witnessed. The crude words that Tobius and Wesley used to describe women. Queen Alina’s mysterious death, found beaten and bloodied with no clear perpetrator.
It was like seeing a trail of clues leading up to one explanation that Isec did not want to believe.
“Like father, like son,” Isec said under his breath.
Tobius’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?” he said with a boom.
“N-nothing, my king.” Isec knew that battling the king with words was not a fight he would win, even if he was in the right.
“Watch yourself, Batir,” Tobius spat, pointing his finger straight down at him.
Isec heard the throne room doors open from his rear as a lone, silhouetted figure pranced towards them.
“Ah, speaking of my son,” Tobius said.
As soon as Isec realised it was Prince Wesley, he turned his head back to avert his eyes, not wanting to even catch a glimpse of the boy who had humiliated him.
“Hello, father,” Wesley said, hands clutched behind his back, standing before the throne like a trained dog. “I heard the meeting with Emery Blacktree did not turn out as well as you had expected?”
“Scheming bastards attacked Tellersted. We barely escaped with our lives.”
The bitterness in Tobius’s voice was clear. Saliva dripped from his mouth as he cursed Ashen.
“They will pay for all of their treachery, father,” Wesley assured.
“What, and you’re going to be the one to break them with the hammer of justice, are you?” Tobius sneered.
Wesley began to twitch. “I want them dead as much as you do.”
“Oh, I know you do, boy. Their prince took away your plaything and you want her back!”
Tobius was chuckling maniacally. He was the only one in the room doing so.
“Don’t call her that.”
“What? Your plaything? You hear this, Dorval? My son thinks he can tell me what to do!”
Tobius looked to the enormous guard, cackling away. Sen Dorval barely even moved, let alone made a noise or said a word. He just stared back, unblinking.
Wesley appeared to be more and more uncomfortable. Isec chose not to interject, lest he become the focus of the viciousness once again.
“Father, I… I have begun to put together a new plan for our House while you were away,” Wesley said.
Tobius snorted. “Thinking of cutting off the prince’s other arm?”
“I believe I can help make a difference for Caldaea.”
“How’s he gonna finger your precious Jodie with no hands?!”
Wesley grimaced but somehow chose to ignore the words of his raving father. Isec was surprised. Wesley was normally quick to lash back.
Isec felt so uncomfortable that he considered leaving
