Meeting King Alexander of Merlen

"Your highness." A man wearing the same colors as Dion came running through the hall. "Your excellency, we did not know that his highness would be joining the banquet tonight."

Nicholas observed the man before him, he was not as tall as Dion, but it was clear that he was a warrior.

"Of course his highness would be joining the banquet! It's in honor of his mother, the late Lady Liira. How could the Corporali Prince not be there?!" Dion asked in an angry tone.

Nicholas continued to observe the man in front of him as several others rushed down the hall to join them.

"I need a word with his highness." Dion pulled Nicholas into one of the storage rooms and closed the door firmly behind them.

"Do you remember who they are?" Dion asked Nicholas in a hushed tone, careful not to be heard by those outside.

"No." Nicholas said as he shook his head and frowned.

Dion sighed as his mouth formed a straight line, clearly worried about the people in the other room.

"They don't know what happened to me? Do they?" Nicholas asked as he glanced back towards the hall.

Dion slowly nodded as Nicholas could see his strained expression.

"Tell me, how did I act before?" He asked Dion as he tried to figure out the best way to move forward.

Dion hesitated to answer Nicholas' question, it was as if he was hiding something.

"Dion, tell me." Nicholas married his eyes at Dion, who simply sighed and shook his head.

"I prefer this version of you so much more." Dion chuckled softly. "You felt weak, I don't know how exactly to explain it but you seemed so unsure of yourself in public. It was as if you were so fragile that you would break at any moment."

"And now?" Nicholas raised an eyebrow.

"You seem more sure of yourself." Dion shook his head, confusing Nicholas. "You know what, your Highness, just pretend to be weak, like the world was taken from you. We can not delay any longer, your father, the king will send people to collect us if we take too long."

"What about the people outside? Won't they wonder why I don't know their names?" Nicholas asked Dion.

"I shall make up an excuse for you, tomorrow, we will tell some of them the truth." Dion said as he guided Nicholas back to the group.

"Your highness." One of the men that had joined them said with a deep bow.

"His Highness is still not at full strength, Connor." Dion told the man. To Nichola's surprise, everyone seemed to simply accept Dion's word as truth and didn't dare say anything else.

"My father will want me to be at the banquet by now." Nicholas made his voice seem as weak and tentative as possible in order to keep up appearances.

"Come, sir." Dion led Nicholas by the arm, through the long and eerie hall.

As they made their way to the banquet, Nicholas snuck glances at the rest of their entourage.

They all seemed to keep their heads low as they traversed the halls. All were clearly Corporalis Mages, they had the same eyes as Nicholas and Dion.

A young man soon came running towards them, panting as his eyes lit up at the sight of Dion and Nicholas.

He bowed and averted his eyes from looking directly at Nicholas, but he didn't hesitate to make eye contact with Dion.

"His majesty sent me to get his highness, he said that Prince Nicholas must be there for his mother's death anniversary." The young man said as he breathed heavily from sprinting from the banquet hall.

"The king is that eager to have his neglected son there?" The man called Connor asked. Clearly there was some hate between the king and the Corporali mages.

"He's already threatened to throw one of his wives out of the hall for disrespecting her name. He isn't in an agreeable mood." The man frowned as he glanced at a seemingly frail Nicholas.

"Let's not delay then." Nicholas said as he walked ahead of the group.

Dion and the others were quick to follow his lead, increasing their pace as they eventually made it to the doors of the banquet hall.

The doors were at least twenty feet tall with elaborate golden carvings of the many kings and princes of the Cruor bloodline, the king's bloodline. It showed them in battle as they fought for the crown.

From there they stood, Nicholas could hear the sound of music and laughter. He couldn't help but wonder how his father could be in such a foul mood if everything seemed happy at the other side of the door.

"Are you alright, your highness?" Dion asked Nicholas.

The prince nodded in response as Dion approached a herald to announce their arrival.

From what he could faintly recall about Merlen court life, he wasn't supposed to simply enter the banquet hall.

A herald had to announce his arrival and it was up to the king or the highest ranking member of the royal family if he was to be allowed in.

He had always timed his arrival after his father's, he knew that if one of his older brothers were inside, he wouldn't be allowed entrance.

They may be bonded by blood, but there was no love for him there.

The only sibling that he had a true visible connection with was his younger brother, the kind prince Marcus.

"His Royal Highness, Prince Nicholas of Merlen, Fourth son of the great King Alexander of the House Cruor." Nicholas heard the herald announce as his head snapped up.

The king had obviously allowed for his son to enter as the giant double doors swung open, pulled by two guards on each side.

"Nicholas!" The man that Nicholas recognized to be his father said as he waved him over.

Nicholas walked forward with the rest of his group, stopping below the elevated platform where the king and his wives sat.

King Alexander was not too young, he was roughly in his late fifties, his hair was black, just like Nicholas' and Brie's with streaks of white showing his age. He looked strong and well built, but he seemed pale to Nicholas' eyes, as if he were sick.

"Father." Nicholas responded as he gave the King a deep bow.

Dion and the others did the same, bowing even deeper than Nicholas.

"Come, come, sit next to me and your uncle Feroy, leave your ministers, they can see to themselves." The king said, dismissing Dion and the others.

As Nicholas and Dion parted, he saw a look of concern flash through Dion's eyes.

"Be careful of Feroy." Dion whispered as he bowed to Nicholas then the king and led his group away.