Kareivis: Warrior

CHAPTER 7: THE ROYAL BALL

Muhali was somewhat of a recluse and because of it her parents had given her an entire wing of the palace all to herself. The house of Kareivis was built at the highest point in Inthia and at the far south was the edge of the mountain where Muhali’s arehful was. Before one could even reach it, the first point of entry was the exit to the palace itself. Then there was the long bridge that led to the main entrance to her arehful. Right behind her arehful was a breath-taking gushing waterfall that looked like a cloud. Her arehful was rondavel and was made entirely of crystal glass except for the roof. As per her wish, the crystal glass gave the illusion of appearing like aluminium glass during the day. And in the evening, it would be clear like the crystal it was. The moment she entered the room everything switched on. To the wall on the left side of her room was a vast array of arsenal and combat armour put on display. Some were from Inthia, others were from Channidae and Shaylaian and others were from other places such as the Badlands, Zeme (Earth), etc. The display cases had retracted inward and consumed most of the left side of her room. And to the right was her research area. In the middle was a chair; around the chair was a lime counter with holographic monitors all around it. And right in front of her was a bed, at the head of the bed was a built-in cabinet full of books that she had collected from Zeme. A few steps from the bed there was a small panel that made a small opening to her washroom. This room had flowers that had attached themselves on the walls, it was entirely lime in colour and the steps descended into the bath pool that was built into the floor. She put on her bath suit and went into her washroom. When she came out, she just sat on her bed starring at the weapons that were on display. Her eyes were devoid of life. She looked like a corpse almost. She had a lot of questions but no answers. It was not easy for her to make connections or form bonds. And when she did, it was even more difficult for her to express herself. All these things she had managed with him. She wondered what type of being she was that it was so easy for him to choose status over love. She did not want or need much from him, just his unconditional loyalty. And with regards to her status, she would’ve gladly stood by his side and defended their relationship with every ounce of strength she had. Why though? Why did he have to choose the opinions of those antiquated fools? Why was the reality of being separated from his so-called love bearable to him? Had he lied about the extent of his feelings for her? If he did lie, how did she not detect the lie? Could she be that easily fooled? In that moment a hand gently touched her shoulder and a voice said: “I heard you call to me, and so I came all this way to share your burden with you. Since the day that boy promised you his heart I have been by your side, I witnessed your strengths, your humiliation, your triumphs, your humility and your remarkable character.” As he was speaking, she could feel his back against hers. And she recognised his voice as the voice of the prince she saw in Shaylaian. Right then she turned around and curled up into a foetal position, while she clung to his hand as if her life depended on it. He could feel her entire body trembling and he felt his hand drowning in her tears. She didn’t make a sound she just lay there holding on to him, grieving the loss of the love she thought she had gained. He took her head and put it on his lap and stroked her hair ever so sweetly and softly.

“For as long as I am alive…” he started saying after a brief period of silence. Then he continued: “I will be your strength when you have none. I will be the one who defends and protects you. I pledge my life and loyalty to you. I do not care what your status in society is. For as long as it is within my power, I will not allow a single tear of yours to touch the ground. This is my solemn vow to you.” As soon as she heard these words from him, the river of tears that was flooding from her eyes just stopped without warning and the deep pain that she was feeling suddenly reduced. They began sharing stories about the connection they have always felt toward one another from their childhood to date. They told one another of all the moments they witnessed in one another’s lives. Just then Zionas appeared before Muhali and informed her that there was someone at the outer entrance of her arehful. With the announcement of company, Asmenu vanished from the room. Muhali slid her hand across in the air and a monitor appeared; she saw standing at the entrance was a young woman by the name of Rehsa. Rehsa was one of her attendants, she had sharp almond shaped eyes. She had short hair that was always pleated on the left side, with bangs coming right above her eyes. She had a humble yet no nonsense air about her. She also always wore on her left arm a band that had an object that looked like two feathers. It was a sign that she was the chief attendant to the royal princess of Inthia. After seeing Rehsa, Muhali instructed Zionas to open both entrances for her. Rehsa then entered the room with a host of attendants, she bowed her head,

“Greetings my princess, we are pleased to see you have returned well. It also pleases us to see that you have already been to the washroom. The Queen mother has tasked us you’re your preparation for the coronation.” As she said this, she swung her hand backward and all the attendants created space for the one who was carrying Muhali’s gown. Princess Muhali was always wearing armour and training and working with the technicians. Since her armour also changed her hair and made it a short bob, she never had the time or the opportunity to be presented before people in the form of a young lady. The Queen mother, who was mother to her father, knew this and she wanted her grandchild to look her best. In her warrior form Muhali was a natural beauty who didn’t have to worry much about getting dolled up. After the attendants were finished with helping her to get dressed, she was the most beautiful young woman in all of Inthia as well as the colonies. Rehsa was extremely proud of her work. Zionas appeared before Muhali once more and informed her that her escort had arrived, and when Muhali let him in she saw that it was her brother Skydas. He had taken off his mask, he was wearing full royal attire and had hidden the true colour of his eyes, he put his hand across his chest as he took a deep breath in awe of how beautiful his sister was, “…it would be my honour to escort mano perlas to the royal coronation. The guests have all arrived and our parents are waiting for us.” He bowed his head and stretched out his hand toward her, she put her hand in his and she replied: “In that case let’s make a memorable entrance then.” The coronation was being held in the royal hall which was normally used in briefings of the king, the commanders, and the chiefs of the colonies as well as the heads of the clans. Before they stepped out into the crowd, Zionas appeared and announced their arrival: “My Lord the King of Inthia, I present to you and the people her Royal Highness Princess Muhali and her escort his Royal Highness Prince Skydas of the house of Kareivis.” Muhali looked like a true Princess, draped in yards of fabric that flowed from each direction; her dress which was gold in colour hugged her body revealing every curve that she had. Her face was adorned with golden make-up and her body smeared with golden shimmer. She radiated as if she were a source of light. Her lips were nude and supple. Her hair its natural form, long and curly, thick and chocolate brown and swayed side to side as she walked alongside Skydas to join their parents. When the people turned to see Muhali their jaws dropped to the floor. Varens more so than anyone else, his eyes opened wide as he saw this beautiful woman that he had never seen, and he put his hand on his chest as if he was keeping his heart from falling out. She looked like a golden goddess to him and everyone else. And once more Lietus only scowled at Muhali with jealousy and hatred. It was the tradition of Inthia that there would be a grand performance before the commencement of the coronation. Muhali and Skydas had planned a surprise performance as a treat for the guests. In Inthia dancing was held in the highest regard. The ancient drums began to sound as Muhali, and Sky took to the floor. The entire hall became silent in anticipation of what the royal siblings were up to. They aligned perfectly with one another, looked at the crowd and bowed out of respect and honour. They raised their heads, looked at one another as they began to clap their hands and stomp their feet. Their dance told an old and ancient story that was only known and told to Inthian royals. The story was about a pureblood prince. He was an only child. His parents had betrothed him to the fairest pureblood in all the pureblood colony planets. From the moment he saw her he immediately loved her. Soon after the prince and his betrothed performed the santuokos teissue (marriage rights). And shortly after that their son was born. After the birth of their son the prince went on a long trip. He ended up on Zeme (Earth). There he met a girl. The daughter of nobody and as far as she was concerned, he was the son of nobody. The encounter resulted in the birth of another son. When the princess found out she reported him to his parents. Instead of reprimanding him they accepted his illegitimate child as part of their family. In a fit of rage, the princess took matters into her own hands and ended up killing the mother of the child. She even went as far as wiping out the entire village where the girl was from. And as punishment for that deed the King and Queen put the care of the boy in the hands of the princess. The guests were captivated by the intrigue and power of the royal performance. After the dance the crowd clapped wildly and there were roars of approval. Muhali was slowly winning over more pure bloods with her own capabilities instead of her status. Sky and Muhali went across the room chatting with various political and military figures. After some time, the King stood up from his throne and everyone became silent,

“My people the time has come for us to present to you the royal council that will succeed us. The royal siblings have collaborated and have decided on the families that will be serving the throne. I present to you Prince Skydas of the house of Kareivis, who will be the commander of the royal guard. I present to you Masters Kilnus and Varens of the house of Kilnus, who will be the commanders of the royal army. I present to you Yona of the clan of Zhinda who will be the royal intermediary between Inthia and her colonies. I will give them some time to get acquainted. After that, I will present to you the crowned princess of Inthia.” As the king was speaking, the royal attendants presented bracelets to the new council of Inthia. The bracelets served as symbols of their responsibility to the people and to the throne. Lady Lietus and her mother could not believe what had just happened. They had assumed that, because of her relationship with Vesma that she would be given a place in the royal council. But they had not lost hope yet, because there was still one more position left, that of the royal advisor to the throne. This position had traditionally been given to the Queen of Inthia but since the King had a daughter that would succeed him, the position would have to be offered to someone else. Just as the members of the new council were getting to know one another, Zionas appeared before Muhali and requested her presence in the chamber of Tryst.