Orbis: The Necromancer

The Princess that sits on the garden

Walking down the circular stairs he eventually reached the main door of his tower and opened it with a firm hand.

The light of the world outside invaded the dark and grim interior of the stone tower, in front of him laid a long bridge that leads to the insides of the great palace. Beautiful marble bricks reflected the sun so effectively that they almost blinded him, but after blinking a couple of times his eyes adjusted.

Closing the door behind him with a loud thud, he walked the bridge while his eyes looked at the many stone houses and watchtowers of the city below, their orange rooftops and open windows with hanging clothes.

Soon he stood in front of the door that connected his tower, on the right side of the palace, with it. He opens it.

The contrast with his shabby tower was tremendous, long and fine glass windows adorned the corridors, and expensive carpets and curtains were all red. Exquisitely made flower pots made out of ceramic. Shields and spears hanging on the walls along with paintings and a faint smell of the many fabrics surrounding him.

A view to amaze the nobles and peasants alike, yet nothing that impressed him anymore. Unmoved, he continued his path forward.

The palace was big enough to host one thousand guests at most during parties, while it could hold a court of five hundred for an indefinite amount of time. Below its imposing frame laid a complex set of tunnels, where food and water were stored. in case it is ever needed.

Servants went about their daily duties, caring for the many plants and cleaning the dust of the countless curtains and carpets. While the first guards appeared standing near doorways or walking between their guard posts, making sure no one that was a possible threat was within the walls.

Their steel armor plates and expensive crimson capes were the best out there, the steel polished so much it too reflected the rays of the sun. an attempt to pretend their armor was made out of silver, and a convincing one at that. Details resembling feathered wings appeared on shoulders and joints, while a single big ponytail of red silk was on top of their enclosed helmets.

He reached an open space inside the palace, one of the three inner gardens, this one located on the sixth floor of the great building. And it wasn't long before he realized he would have to take a little detour.

For someone else of the royalty demanded his time as soon as she laid eyes on him.

"¡¡DAS!!" The princess stood from her ornate chair in a flash and waved at him with an excited expression on her face. Her voice was girly and a little too high-pitched, but then, she was only fifteen.

The young princess and heir to the greatest kingdom of mankind, Lioth Blutlöwes. Her light brown hair was carefully made into a bun, adorned with long silks to keep it in place, her skin fair and flawless as expected of someone in her position. dressed in only the finest silks and a pompous white dress with a few red details. Jewelry hanging from her neck and ears. Her emerald eyes almost shinned light of their own.

Das smiled fondly and walked up to her, sparing a glance at her guard, who was never so thrilled to let him close to their protege.

The guards dressed very differently from the ones patrolling the corridors, their bodies were hidden beneath a long and white leather cloak, the hood hiding their heads while white and empty masks hid their faces, and the only thing visible from their bodies were their eyes. attentively watching his every move.

Not allowing their stares to intimidate him, he focused his attention back on the eager princess, who rushed to him once the distance was close enough and embraced him in a tight hug.

"I missed you!" she squeezed him hard and he returned the gesture shily.

She was almost his height, something that was not a surprise, being a little over five feet tall himself. he was rather short.

"I missed you too my princess, but..." He held her shoulders and gently moved her away, or tried to, as she held his cloak with a firm hand "You are about to become an adult, this is very improper, my princess."

Undefeated, the princess held on to him and matched his passive expression with a pouting one. But soon after, she let go of him, folding her arms in front of her and taking two steps back.

"I haven't seen you in months! and as your future queen I order you to let me hug you all I want!!" She pointed at him with her index finger.

"If that is your wish, my princess" he lightly bowed to her, most properly.

"Ugh" she looked at him in disgust "Please, refrain from the formalities Das, sometimes I forget my name with everyone calling me The princess" Eagerly, she embraced the young archmage once more.

He hated to admit it, but the young princess always managed to ease his nerves. They had practically grown up together, played the few times they could when children, and bothered each other since he can remember.

"Sorry Lioth, I don't wanna accidentally call you like that in front of someone I shouldn't" He gave her a tiny, nervous laugh.

"Don't worry about General Edel, he is away at the border fighting the scaly men" She released him and turned around, returning to her chair.

"Skalanners," he remarked knowingly, stepping closer to her.

In front of the princess was a small circular table and on top of it laid several books and a cup of tea, freshly made.

"I see you have finally taken a liking to read!" Das leaned forward to see what was she diving into and his excited grin soon was replaced by a judgemental stare at the embarrassed princess "Lioth, you are too old for those fairy tales" he added, almost mockingly.

Lioth groaned loudly as she hugged a nearby book tightly to her chest and looked back at him with puppy eyes.

"The other books are BORING!" She shouted high into the sky "I'm done with reading about war and finances! Aren't my subjects supposed to take care of it once I become queen? And the history books are the WORST, what do I care about what a bunch of dead people has done anyway?"

Das gently tapped the top of her head with his staff.

"They are important, history teaches us what has been done so we can do better or not at all, for a future queen, you must learn those lessons or your subjects may suffer the consequences"

"Speak to me in Geradosian!" The princess replied looking at him in confusion and irritation "Don't pretend to be a wise hermit until you have grown a beard, baby face"

"Do your homework or in the future, you will mess up. dumb princess" He said giving her a tiny mocking grin.

He reached out and took the book from her hands taking her by surprise, raising it as high as he could to take a good look at it. Made out of fine leather, he wasn't surprised when he saw the name of the work.

"The story of the Kobold King, really Lioth? This story is for the ages of five and lower!"

"Shut up or I will cut your head off!" She angrily snatched the book from his hands "I will order my guards, I swear by the Light!"

Das let out a burst of heartfelt laughter, which only aggravated Lio's pouting and embarrassed blushing but while he did so, his eyes meet those of the spectating guards, whom he knew wouldn't hesitate to carry that order.

And effortlessly succeed in it.

"I'm gonna tell the old man that you were making fun of me!" She stuck out her tongue at him "By the way, where is him? He hasn't come to see me yet"

Das looked aside, his laughter immediately coming to a halt.

"That is his staff right?" She asked pointing at the weapon in his hand.

He had forgotten about it, it even amazed him that he managed to do it. For him, it wasn't something he would break down and cry about, on the contrary, the news of the death of his father, while shocking at first, was nothing he wasn't expecting already.

But Lioth was different, she was young and naive, filled with hope and dreams. Knowing a growing silence would only make her ask more, he resolved to let her know right now.

"He passed away, Lio" He answered, directly and without beating around the bush. His voice was steady, cold even.

Her eyes widened in shock and she quickly looked away from him, her head hanging low, her hands tightly grabbing her dress on her lap.

"No...it's, too soon" She whispered. Trembling.

Das stared at her for a moment, he knew she was crying and this, filled him with anger, the tears of a young girl his father was a tutor of, yet, he never received the tears of his own son.

"He is with The Lightbringer" He offered a comforting hand on her shoulder.

But Lioth turned to him and hugged him once again, shaking and trying to hold in what few tears hadn't escaped her eyes. Das then petted her head with care.

It was a hard scene to take part in, someone that didn't share his blood felt more grief for the passing of his father...than he did.

They remained in that position for a good while, until the princess felt calmer and she distanced herself from him.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. You must feel awful" she hastily cleaned any leftover tears with her hands before looking up at him.

"No need to be, I already mourned him. I'm fine" He offered a fake smile, that she in her naiveness swallowed without a second thought. Brightness returned to her face ever so slightly as she focused on one of the books on her table.

"Mom used to tell me once that being sad for those that depart is wrong, one should be joyful for the memories and honor them by smiling at them" She looked down at her chest and with her free hand she held a golden locket.

"She is a wise woman" Das turned around, he had spent too much time with the princess already, besides, keeping the facade may prove difficult " And if you wish to be like her read books appropriate to your age!" Without looking back, he began walking away from the garden.

"Where are you going?" She asked looking at his back. curious and slightly disappointed.

"I have a meeting with...your Father"

Lioth looked concerned for a moment, frightened even, but with a swift shake of her head she relaxed, it was only a formality after all, but she had grown used to her father only ever calling someone when punishment was to be given. No exceptions.

"Come see me later, okay?" She asked, with a little sadness in her voice.

"Of course, I will" He stopped walking once he stood inside the hallways of the palace.

He turned around for a moment and genuinely smiled. He just now realized how pretty was the garden, with tall bushes covered in roses and hanging pots in such great numbers it was difficult to count them all with a simple glance.

And in the middle of all that beauty sat the princess, now distracting her mind with her favorite book, an image worth being painted and keep forever in one of the many hallways and corridors of this great palace.

He was struck by it, almost mesmerized.

But it was enough of that, he had a duty ahead of him. So he returned his attention forward and keep walking ahead. He had to make haste to reach the biggest room in all the palace and probably the most important.

The throne room.