To the Inn

"Liam, would you please inform Lady Melisande that I will be in attendance at her party?" you say as you check yourself over in the looking-glass. "You need not inform her personally; just see to it that a message is sent."

"Certainly, Sire. If I may take my leave, I will do so."

"Granted."

Because Captain Navarre waits in your parlor, once Liam leaves you are alone in your bedchamber. Looking over your image in the glass, you find yourself struck by a strange feeling, a realization which still hits you sharply even though it has been ten years. I am the King, you think to yourself, and it seems as unbelievable now as it did when you first saw the reflection of a King in that glass.

And thinking back on it, was it not due in part to Melisande that you became the King? You remember the night before the choosing of the coins, when the one who plucked the golden coin would become the new ruler of Elyssia. You had gone for a drink at the tavern, which had been mostly empty by the time you arrived; everyone in Elyssia seemed to be at home imagining a moment when their hand clutched a gold coin among thousands of coppers, and thus laid claim to the throne. Even then, you knew that given a bit of luck you could select the right coin quite deliberately; if you managed to lay a hand on it within a few seconds, it would be heavier than the coppers. This was obvious to you as a blacksmith's apprentice, as you were used to working with metals of differing weights, but if it had occurred to anyone else they were keeping as quiet about it as you.

Melisande has a way of getting people to speak of what lies in their hearts, however, and soon you were telling her that you were fairly sure you could become the King if you wished, but that you had no such desire; to rule was a task best left to men of standing and nobility, not a simple craftsman. Melisande had disagreed quite strongly, however; she made it clear that she thought you would make a fine King indeed, much better than the strutting noblemen who lusted for power. And she was persuasive... enough that you spent most of the night lying awake, wondering if what held you back was a lack of will, or a lack of courage. And when your turn came before the cauldron, and you felt the weight of gold in your fingers, you made the fateful choice. You have learned much since then, and perhaps the most important thing you have learned is that every King is as you are: just a man.

The sound of the nine o'clock bell shakes you from your introspection. You adjust your cape so that it hangs over one shoulder, as you prefer to keep your right arm free and to cover your sword hilt - not because you are not proud of the sword, but because at times like these you prefer to send the message that you do not wish to draw it.

"Sire," Captain Navarre says as you exit your bedchamber, "Liam tells me that you wish to take Lady Melisande up on her invitation."

"Indeed, Captain," you reply. "I've decided that I should get to relax and enjoy the festival as well, at least for
a few hours. Would that Trina could accompany me."

"I will summon her, Sire, if you would prefer Lady Trina as your guard for the morning as well as the afternoon."

Your heart misses a beat - mindlessly, you spoke of Lady Trina not as if she were one of the Kingsguard, but rather as a woman you would like to bring to a party! "Not at all," you say, doing your best to recover quickly and give no sign of your misstep. "I simply meant that I imagine she might like the opportunity to take her mind off the troubles which must be weighing it down; I am concerned for her well-being. But, I imagine that Lady Trina will not be able to rest until the matter is settled."

"That is her nature, Sire. I would have offered her leave for the morning hours, had she not made it clear to me that she did not wish any special treatment at this time. She understood that it would not be appropriate for her to command the investigation into Abdul's ****, but otherwise she wishes only to continue her duties."

A quick glance at Navarre's face reveals no sign that he thought you meant anything else by your remark other than what you explained; but then, it is HIS nature to reveal only as much of his private thoughts as he intends, and no more.