During my childhood, I remember a conversation I had with my father. It first began when I had emerged victorious in the family competition, Raide. At first I thought he would simply tell me good job inside his study and reward me with a weapon of my choosing, but he called me to sit on his lap. Shocked at the sudden gesture of fatherliness, I quickly and respectfully approached him. He lifted me up, with his lean muscular arms and placed me on his left lap.
My heart thumped as I sat on his long thigh, it felt different being treated like this, put I stayed seated. His arms sat on the arm rest on the magnificent throne that was in his study. A big mahogany table with spreads of paper and an atlas on the recorded world sat there. Rows of books and ancient parchments sat on the bookshelves that occupied the left of the relatively big room.
I had subconsciously began scanning the room trying to calm my thumping heart but to no avail. After what seemed to be an eternity, he posed a question to me that I found weird at the time, he said,
Jedaiah, do you know why make you fight with your siblings. He spoke in a low deep voice as he slowly projected is question.
The way he spoke was soft and calm as though he were handling a frail creature but i found it oddly comforting, I answered, "because it was the way of our forefathers and their forefathers."
Seemingly amused by my answer, I knew I had answered correctly. But my father slowly shook his head.
'Strange.' I was confused, in what way was my answer wrong, Mrs Selibel couldn't possibly teach wrong history. So why was I wrong?
Seeing the confusion that painted my face, the being that sat enthroned, cast his gaze, flickering with amusement and another indescribable emotion toward the chandeliered ceiling. A small smile adorned his face as he saw what he saw. He spoke whilst being in that position saying words I could not hear, as though the world could not permit me to hear the words but I understood them. It was a strange phenomenon that stuck with me for the longest of times.
Hearing that strange phenomenon take place again, instinctual fear gripped my soul.
"Its simply, ******"
I couldn't hear the words, not one word of the secret but I knew I understood them. I could not say them, think them, nor know them but I understood it. If one were to ask me to repeat what I heard, I would not be able to say. It was not because of some secrecy nor strange vow, but I simply could not say what I heard. It was strange, so very strange and horrifying.
***
The warm night that blanketed the entire world receded as the world welcomed a brand new day. The golden sunrise was meet with maids responsible for managing this estate already up and about. The chefs responsible for producing good food had also welcomed the day with hard work. Slowly but surely the world was roused up by the golden warm rays from across the eastern horizon.
The members who reigned supreme from this estate had already awoken, prepared themselves had gathered inside the banqueting hall, each seated in their respective seats.
Rainbow colored stained glass windows, of floor to ceiling height adorned the second floor of the estate where light entered the most. Towering pillars, with etchings of gold and silver stood solemnly across the banqueting hall. In such a magnificent space, a wooden table adorned with the whitest silk sat. Chairs of juniper wood occupied both sides of the table, as a carpet of golden color housed both the table and the chairs.
The seven wives of the king sat opposite each other the last facing the eldest daughter. The five daughters of the king sat following the same manner the wives followed each following their birth right. Then the eight oldest heirs sat at the far reaches of the banquet table, each to their birth rite, the last being Jedaiah, the first born of the seventh wife.
Cocky smiles, calm expressions, interested glances, staid gazes, emotionless glances and pure smiles, all gathered around the table elegantly dressed with proper posture worthy of the Telemenpha name.
Noticing all this, the first wife of the king spoke in a calm and poised voice, breaking the silence in the room.
"Its good to see you all, I hope you have been well since the last gathering and have been diligently preparing for the arrival of the king."
Her voice beckoned to all that sat at the table. Hearing her voice, a smooth and fettered answered back to her slightly haughty.
"We know Ariadne, nobody in this whole region doesn't know. Afterall, he would be returning triumphant from the war. I should be asking you if you're prepared for his majesty's arrival. He will after all be expecting a report of all things from you."
I know Seline, I just wanted to break the ice. Calm and poised she spoke to the Seline, third wife of the king.
If you know then pick a better way to break the ice, sigh. Seline quietly retorted her smile ever present.
"Speaking of ways to break the ice, I heard that Reyn's first born has awoken from his long slumber."
Gazes turned at the figure who spoke, she had long purple hair, a small face that housed doe-like eyes with obsidian black pupils, a small nose and thin lips that looked tantalizing with a small mole on her chin. Her most prominent feature was her bosom that seemed beyond natural size covered up in a strapless purple gown.
The maids had began serving the food, unperturbed.
Seeing that people were curious, Reyn, mother of Jedaiah, calmly looked forward facing the exquisite windows behind the eldest daughter and calmly answered the question with staid expression.
"The boy is fine, he seems to have lost all mobility regarding his limbs but a restoration spell should return mobility to his limbs." As though she were giving out a report she calmly spoke, but different issue lay at hand as various expressions were elicited by the report she gave out.
"Uhhh, Reyn , don't you think you're ignoring the main issue, like you know... his encounter. I think that's what Ophelia is asking about." The pleasant placating voice of the fourth wife, Eve, stopped Reyn from dodging the question.
They were curious, would their family member who had fallen asleep for five years ever have the possibility of becoming strong or rather simply survive in this part of the world, they were curious if their family had produced an unimaginable genius or a failure beyond compare. Their questioning gazes bore down on Reyn as they waited for an answer.
The siblings who had kept their silence due to hierarchy began mumbling to themselves, till the eldest daughter spoke.
"Mother Reyn, please forgive my impudence, but I also would like to enquire about the current situation of my younger brother? Is he able to have a close encounter? Will he be able to survive the oncoming storm?"
Disciplined she spoke directing her question to the report giving wife.
Seeing that her guise had been exposed, she silently sighed to herself.
'Why did you wake up Jedaiah? Why?' Fending of the feelings of hopelessness she felt for her son, she spoke the truth that had burdened her heart.
"It is impossible. Even he were to have a close encounter fully healed, he would turn astray and become a different person altogether or he would open a door to another plane." Her voice bitter and burdened she spoke without stammering, the horrifying truth she had kept to herself all this time.
Pain and confusion where etched on the faces of those who heard the current news, some faked the negative emotion while others genuinely felt bad, but ultimately they shared a common point.
They felt pity for him
I see.
The beautiful Ariadne spoke. A mournful silence had settled on the room...
Munch, munch, munch.
The gouging of food disturbed the tension as gazes fell upon the source of the noise. It was non other than the topic of the discussion.
Munch Munch Munch