Gala

A fully-appointed house with all the comforts of home was theirs to explore. The three rooms were perfectly adequate for their requirements. The first chamber was taken by Caville, while the second was taken by Xavier and Vienne. Even though all the princes were planning to share a room, Asiris chose to sleep on the couch.

However, the afternoon had only just started, so it was still too early to be in bed.

When do you anticipate our meeting with the king, then?" Looking out the window, Micah inquired.

"Maybe tomorrow, at the latest," Peter said while munching on his porridge. Then, Asiris stepped down the flight of stairs, continuing to wear the white outfit that had been his travel attire.

"We will be escorted to the king at the gala so we can voice our concerns."

Although the lads gave this data some thought, something piqued their interest.

Somewhat reminiscent of a cloud formation, a shadowy line hung menacingly in the distance.

If you have binoculars, why not? When Micah inquired, Peter threw a pair to him.

As Micah drew closer, he noticed something unexpected. Who are these "Ikes?"

Fearing for his safety, Asiris snatched up the binoculars and verified the terrifying picture.

"Oh no!" he cried out in a panic. "The king must be consulted immediately!"

"However, we are unable to do so," responded Micah. It will be during the gala that we may inform him. And who knows? They could even be camped outside the walls.

Though he proceeded to keep looking, Asiris consented.

"Please notify the others, and I will notify the general."

They quickly made their way upstairs to tell their friends the terrible news, just as he had promised.

The discovery equally stunned them.

They hurried downstairs and discovered Asiris talking on the phone.

"Hello, General Visch," Asiris summoned with an air of understated civility.

Asiris yelled into the phone, "The Ikes are coming to your kingdom!" in response to the inaudible response. Get ready right away!

Asiris was irritated because the general appeared to dismiss it as a delusion while they were on the phone.

After a moment, he turned around to observe Caville, Xavier, Vienne, Peter, and Micah's expressions of surprise.

"Sure, what went down?" Vienne inquired. "Came to an agreement?"

"No, absolutely not!" Complaining and clearly upset, Asiris spoke up.

Just wow.

"Indeed, in our elation at finally seeing the king, most people believed we were hallucinating!"

Worried, Asiris began to pace, hands on hips.

Caville went over to him in an effort to comfort him as he clearly felt frustrated, showing sympathy.

"No worries, we can promptly inform him at the gala—we'll have the power to thwart their plans."

Then Asiris gave a subtle nod.

At least until the gala, let's get ready to meet with the king.

***

They got into their finest gala attire as night fell.

"So, how am I coming across?" In a formal manner, Asiris inquired of Peter, who was not the most knowledgeable.

"You seem fine to me," Peter remarked anxiously, a wide grin on his face.

Despite missing the hint, Asiris graciously took the compliment. A quick pulse raced through his body as he spun around in shock.

As Caville ascended the steps, her body was exquisitely emphasized by her dress, which flared at the bottom and sparkled at the top. "Hello," Asiris said, taken aback.

The abrupt shift in his tone baffled Caville. She spoke up to Asiris, asking, "Are you sure you're okay?" in an effort to prise him out of his daze.

Asiris cleared his throat and responded, "Certainly, I am." "So, can you tell me where Jack is?" He ought to have arrived by now.

They happened to hear an engine rumbling up to the home at the same time. "Well, look who it is," Xavier remarked as he adjusted his riot-hued suit. Jack got out of the first of two cars as they walked out the door.

"You guys got ready so quickly; I was under the impression you were going for a trendy tardiness," he said.

"Obviously not," Asiris shot back, racing to get to the vehicle.

"Whoa, whoa, relax," Jack pleaded. "Allow me to unlock the car door for our visitors."

He ushered them inside by opening the door. Upon their completion, he escorted them to their destination by locking the door and starting the automobile.

They stood near the palace on the city's high hills.

It seemed like an eternity, yet it was only ten minutes until they showed up.

More vehicles were let through when the gates opened a second time. Guests in dapper suits and women in long dresses filled the area, rather than militarized soldiers with terrifying weapons.

"It's as if we're in an entirely different realm," Vienne exclaimed, her jaw dropping.

"With the soldiers and intimidating guns, it was better," Xavier replied with a self-assured grin. A group of well-dressed men and women stood guard at a door as they parked.

Okay, according to Jack, this is the spot. The doors opened themselves the second he pushed a button on the wheel.

"Show off," Asiris taunted, stepping out of the car to chase Micah.

They got out of the car in the end, and as soon as they did, everyone's eyes were on the door.

Jack told the group, "If you can follow me," as he walked them to the entrance. As they entered, the room was filled with the ear-ringing sound of jazz.

Jack helped them make their way past the throng and into the gala.

And now they were partying. While checking for potential listeners, Jack said, "Now, listen." Keep going until you reach the end of the hall, and then turn right to reach the king's office. The guards will check your itinerary to make sure you have a meeting, and since you have, they will let you inside the king's hall. Is that clear?

An unintended chorus of "yes" erupted from the gathering.

Okay? He stressed that if there were any issues, to phone him.

As he disappeared into the crowd, they could no longer see him.

“Okay, let’s go,” Asiris said.