Chapter 9 Ellor

He sits, tapping on the breakfast table, fiddling with the mat and waiting. The clock on the wall ticks by, counting down the seconds before Ellor's father blips into the room. Lord Elken always arrives for breakfast five minutes before it is served, and Ellor never sees when he walks into the room. But this morning, the king is determined to be prepared for his father's presence. It is Lord Elken's birthday today, as well as the day that Ellor and Leoria have planned to announce their engagement to their close connections. Leoria told him that she had already shared the news with her mother and father, but has not informed her older sister or anyone else about their plans to wed in wintertime. The only problem is that Lord Elken despises surprises, much preferring surprising rather than being surprised.

The mahogany clock ticks another minute, Lord Elken should be here any second now. Ellor remains laser focused on the hallway door. The handle on the door begins to move, and the king perches upwards, fixing his slouched posture.

"Your majesty, you've been invited to the coronation of King Magnus of the Eastern Regions of Anima!" The butler announces, bursting through the door, Ellor slouches in his chair again, disappointed. "Aren't you surprised?" Butler Terran smiles and sits on his chair in the corner of the room, waiting for Lord Elken to walk into the room, which he does shortly after the whole hullabaloo about the coronation. Unfortunately, Ellor doesn't catch him walking in, like always.

"You appear to have something to share with me, go on." says Lord Elken as he sits down at the head of the breakfast table. He's sporting a red velvet waistcoat which heightens his bloodshot eyes. His hair is decidedly uncombed, and he is both unscrupulously intimidating as well as looking as if he spent the night in a rabbit's den.

"The coronation, are we to go?" Ellor asks, avoiding eye contact.

"I would say no, but wouldn't it be pleasant to be tremendously bothersome there?" Lord Elken replies, digging into his raspberry preserves. "But no, there's something else, Ellor." Lord Elken leans his head on his fist, almost puzzling, before going back to dining.

"No, there's positively nothing," Ellor replies, chewing on a sausage so as to avoid telling his father about the engagement for a moment longer. He must know, Ellor thinks, there's no reason for him not to know. He opts to share his news in a hasty way, "Well, except for the fact that Leoria is to be the queen." Lord Elken looks up from his dish, almost spitting raspberry preserves into Butler Terran's face. A footman pauses when serving, his eyes widening as he gives both Ellor and the housekeeper, Mrs. Nadra, a knowing look.

"What?" Lord Elken exclaims-asks, almost standing out of his seat, with his hands on the table. "Who consulted me about this, am I getting dementia early or did no one consult this with me?" He widens his eyes at the butler, as if asking him to pick a side.

"Well, he is the King, your lordship." Mrs. Nadra chimes, picking up Lord Elken's emptied plate. Lord Elken doesn't reply, he just leaves, looking to be heading towards the library. Ellor doesn't follow, and continues sipping his coffee.

After breakfast, Ellor plays golf with Alvin, and later calls on the House of Rose.

"Your majesty! How marvelous you are here, do come in," the Duchess of Rose gestures for Ellor to enter the estate's main house. There, Anya, the second Duchess of Rose, is playing with her son and daughter. Her husband stands, staring out the large bay window at the back of the sitting room. Leoria is sitting with her sister, chatting with her niece and nephew.

"Your majesty, it's been long," Anya says, lowering her head slightly out of respect. Her dark curls are worn similarly as Leoria always wears her's, with slim braids and very little hairpieces. Mother gestures for a maid to close the curtains before she sits on the pink loveseat nearest to the fireplace.

"I have news, that's why I sent for you to come, Anya." Leoria says.

"Does it have something to do with the King calling on you regularly?" Anya asks, propping her daughter up on her lap.

"Maybe, why don't you ask his majesty himself?"

Ellor sits next to Leoria, almost being summoned by her words. The bright sun bursts through the curtains, blazing onto his hair and making it appear to be golden. Leoria reaches into her pocket and pulls out her flowery ring, placing it on her ring finger and showing it to her sister.

"Oh! Leoria, you're not..your majesty, and you," Anya gasps, bouncing her daughter up and down before placing her onto the loveseat. "When do you wed?" she asks Ellor, her eyes glazed over in excitement.

"Don't get over excited, we don't intend to marry before December, after the King of the Gjellu regions has his coronation ceremony." Ellor replies. The same occurrence of events proceeds when the sickly Duke of Rose finds himself downstairs and dressed. He smiles and shakes Ellor's hand, before lumbering his way back to his bed.