The Study

Heading back to your chambers in silence, you start thinking about your day. It had not been the toughest one, but these long conversations and discussions and negotiations had quite the exhausting effect on you. Entering your study, you look down on your self while draping the royal cloak over the armchair next to the large bookcase. Perhaps you should train more, steel your muscles and improve your reflexes. It would at least be a good distraction from the tedious work at court.

You always liked the study of your father. Most of the books here were locked in special boxes to ensure nobody could steal or destroy them. For a while, you wander aimlessly, searching through the long index to find what you are not sure to search in the first place. As you return, a think, leather-bound tome in your hand that smells of dust and ages past, you find Akina sitting in your chair, her legs propped up on the desk. She grins as you cast her an disapproving glance. You furrow your brow, she does as well. "Get off my chair," you say, relieved to see her. "Bryce! Did that stuffy old man never taught you how to ask politely?" she retorts with a playful tone in her voice, as if unpleasantly surprised with the breach of etiquette. When she gets up, you get a nice look at her long, trained legs and her ass. Akina and her kin had served your father well, or so the lithe and dangerously cute had told you when she first introduced herself to you. With that skin-hugging leather armor she was wearing, you guessed that she could make her looks a weapon just as well.

The beastfolk stepped into the shadows and gives her report, her voice barely audible. "We get new reports about that Traders of yours soon enough. I send out three of my own kith there and will be joining them soon. The report about the bandits should come back to you once we made contact with the rangers, druids and bark-folk of the Forrest. I suspect it to be in six days, which would be in advance of any group of mercs or heros you send there. About which, I am going to pull a resume about candidates and make them find their way here, if you desire so, milord. Usha will be your contact for these matters, she is far enough in her training." Prancing up and down, she finds a curious piece of string and studies it for a moment, before flicking it aside and continuing on. "While I am away, trust Usha to do what I would do." The purrs and rests her hand at your shoulders. "You're way too cramped and stiff for a human, young Bryce," she purrs, "I suggest you do something about it soon. Besides, I might find enough to have you many sleepless nights soon enough. Be weary of the guards, watch your back, think of the poison and the dagger in the dark." She massages you while she speaks warmly, caring. "I'd hate to lose you, milord. If we both do our best, that won't happen. So walk the silent path. I will be in touch."

The candle flickers once, and then she is gone. You look at the tome resting on your desk and open it, thinking about what she said.

Perhaps she was right and you should do something about your safety. Many would love the chance to pull a young king like you at their side or get rid of him. Either way, it would not end good. To distract you, you begin to research about everything on trade, economics, politics and such philosophic matter you can find. You light another candle, and hear the door creak from the other room. Finding your dagger right where it should be, you look up from your tome.

"Who's going there?"