Make Your Move Katherine

You Need to Calm down

Oscar

"Eric, I need to speak with Ju now-” Oscar was informing Eric over the phone when he heard a small explosion followed by the sound of glasses shattering, coming through the earpiece and he held the phone away from his ears. He knew the glass shattering sound was Eric when his body had clumsily hit bottles off the table or shelf…whichever one he was nearest to. Just as he knew that his mage, Ju, had been behind the booming sound a split second before.

“-today- within the next two hours,” Oscar finished and hung up not waiting for a reply.

Nuwa had not been available last night and he had settled for one of the females sent up to his chamber. He could have smelt her blood and knew she was compatible with his venom and had taken a sip for he was hungry. Ju had taken her after so this was just him checking in on the woman. The mage had been curious about how he had known- even he was too.

Getting up from his seat in his balcony, he stepped back inside his bed-chamber, reaching into his pants pocket at the same time for Katherine’s cell phone. Feeling nothing, he pushed his own cell phone into the same empty pocket and dipped his other hand into his other trouser pocket. Coming up empty-handed again, he didn’t falter his steps as he walked towards the huge doors of his bathroom as he searched his jacket pockets now, one by one. Stopping in front of the heavy, wide doors, that would have taken him inside his bath area, he stepped back and patted down his thighs once more. He was on his way to replace the seized phone on top of the cupboard to the left of the face basin. He didn’t use the one next to the face basin, because the maids frequented there on a daily basis and besides that, the other cupboard was taller than even him which made the top, maid-free...temporarily of course. He once had to keep it in his robe while they cleaned and thank goodness, he had walked in on time that day or they would have found it.

And Oscar wasn't sure what sort of questions would be asked or if he would be able to answer them- not that he needed to but still. It would have put him in a very awkward situation even if no questions were asked…he would have been embarrassed regardless.

He cringed as he remembered the baffled look on their faces that day when he had questioned them on what days they cleaned. He also remembered after his strange questioning when a maid had rushed out and Julie had hurried in apologizing, for she was under the impression that they were doing a sloppy job.

Oscar checked his jacket pockets again and for good measure patted his pants for the third time. Clearly, it wasn’t in his pockets, and a furrow appeared on the young king's forehead.

Removing his jacket, he threw it over the back of a chair and ignoring the maid that swooped down immediately to pick it up and not in any frantic frame of mind, he reached into his pocket again and pulled out his cell and dialed Anthony’s number. Holding the phone against his chiseled cheek, he fidgeted with his tie, stepping aside as the maid stretched out her hands to assist him. He ignored the looked that passed across her face before she bent her head and disappeared somewhere out of his vision. The guard picked up on the second ring and hearing the background sparing sounds of his men, King Julian knew Anthony was in the ‘yard’.

The yard is where the training of the castle guards took place. Since as far back as history allowed on books, this is where the protectors of the castle and the royals, received their extensive military training. Oscar ensured that all armable personal were trained under his and Anthony’s scrutiny as did King Drago prior to him before they were set to protect their country’s safety. There is no room for erring in his kingdom when it comes to defense and protection.

This was very careless of Anthony, Oscar thought as he figured the guard should have remembered even if he himself did not- to give him the phone. It is why he had chosen Anthony and kept him close, to pick up on an error he might make and notify him before it was observed- for a King should be immaculate in his ways. There is no room for a King if he makes mistakes…the people might as well rule themselves then.

“Bring me the phone,” he said rather calmly, and as he said the words something clicked inside his brain. Anthony’s next words had his chest swelling as he took a deep breath in.

“What phone, Your Majesty.”

For just a second, Oscar thought that Anthony was lying to him and he sneaked it away for her. Was his captain planning to help her escape?

But only for a second. Calm down Oscar, he coached himself.

“She took the phone,” he said almost tonelessly and hung up, gripping his phone tightly as he swings around, ready to run to her quarters to fetch it. But his guards eyeing him as he half-ran across his room had him stopping in front of the door as they slowly opened it for him.

Not that they could stop him, it is just that he preferred his privacy, and them knowing he was keeping his wife’s phone was not something he wanted to see on the news. Not like they would even dare to talk about him but still…one should always play it safe.

As king, he should be trusting towards his royal guards but still, as king, one should never be too trusting. It was hell at times thinking this way. The strain one had as a leader of an entire nation… But since meeting Ju, his mind had been a bit at ease.

See, Ju had placed one of her enchantments over his castle that made every one of the guards and servants; except for his chosen knights, forget everything about the castle until they returned to its compound. He had asked her to do a pishogue; a spell that ensured they forgot about any and everything to do with his personal life but it was taking a strain on her to come up with such a difficult task as she could only do that by individuality. He couldn’t very well have her standing for hours every day, draining his staffs' minds, now, could he?

He had much more important matters at hand to have her wasting away at gossip.

And it did work like a charm for his privacy was intact. The staff came in and left to mind their own privacy until they showed up again for active duty and their memories returned. Ju was so skilled in weaving her magic that nobody even noticed that their memory failed when they stepped out.

Of course, there were exceptions besides his knights, like Nuwa, whom he trusted, and when they invited guests over and no mishaps happened. His wife was under a different sort of exception. See Katherine was already under a spell, Ju had informed him, so this current one won't work on her...and she was the worst person to have her rational thoughts. So, she had to be heavily guarded all the time. The former King had one placed on his future daughter-in-law, his father had told him but Drago's mage had vanished into thin air. Ju figured that mage was alive, for the magic still worked on Katherine but where was he?

See, Ju was a believer in her magic and felt in her bones the man was alive. Plus, she said she doubted that the pishogue would work after the mage died. That’s why they were killed- to break spells they had cast but sometimes it did not break when the mage died. Still, mages were hunted and killed. So, Oscar had to ensure Ju, was safely guarded as a royal- heck even more so. His country could survive without his relatives but not Ju. She was too important that’s why she resided at his castle.

And what spell was she under exactly? Ju thought it was a protection spell as her spell didn't affect Katherine's mind or body. They had scrutinized her every move in and out of the castle and her memory hadn't evaded her.

Oscar's father had informed him when he questioned him about the former mage that he had disappeared a few years ago when his mother died. But Ju suspected that his father had her locked up somewhere for treason. Ju was under the impression that the former King's mage had something to do with his mother's death.

Of course, it was all speculation for no paperwork could be found and nobody seemed to be aware of the man's whereabouts either. He just vanished from the castle one day, never to be seen or heard from again. But Oscar trusted his father’s words.

Oscar's heels clicked on the marble floor as he hurried to his wife's quarters, his royal guards behind him. There was no time to lose for he knew the woman he married had a sharp brain and he had no idea what damage she had done to his country's safety in the last few minutes.

‘That conniving little demon.’ Why had he not disconnected the castle's access to-

"Your Majesty," Oscar heard Anthony's voice behind him panting and he abruptly stopped, turning to his left, where the royal guard was racing up the wide staircase. Oscar hated those steps for they took forever to climb...whether up or down. And he was always sweaty after, that's why he had the elevators installed years back. His father had protested at first but a trip to the city had him changing his mind when he saw how advanced everything was. See, as King, one had orders to follow and barely left the castle at all so King Drago had been way behind the times.

Now his father was old and appreciated what his son had done with the new updates to the old buildings. But Oscar now regretted the free internet access he had made available to all.

"Yes, Anthony?"

Everything that had come out of Anthony's mouth since Katherine had been here, was all for her benefit. The king was irritated.