The Guardian King

Chapter Six

~ Phoenix

To the guardian world I was King Phoenix Rainier; stoic, unyielding, and steadfast. I’ve also, at times, been called arrogant, pompous, and unapproachable. I couldn’t deny, those were fitting adjectives. I am who I am, unabashedly. But despite my brash nature, no one questioned my leadership. At a mere twenty-three years of age, I’d been the youngest in guardian history to successfully complete The King Trials. Regardless of my success in proving my right to rule, no amount of esteem could make the Frenchwoman who gave me life, see me as anything other than a boy.

*

I had a standing appointment with my mother every Sunday morning. She saw my visits as an opportunity to provide valuable counsel and input. I, on the other hand, saw our time together for what it really was; her dissection and critique of my every action. On a weekly basis she pointed out my flaws and offered corrections. My mother’s judgment had little to no effect over me since I became king. The only person’s standards I held myself to, were my own.

*

This week’s rant focused on my personal life; a topic she often circled back around to over the past decade. In her lofty opinion, it wasn’t proper for the king to set such a poor example by remaining single. Guardian’s were stronger in pairs. Therefore, I had a duty to select a companion.

***

My mother’s chateau balcony, offered a breathtaking view of Ilia, particularly, my castle in the distance. The sight served as a reminder, when she was in the midst of one of her tirades, that I’d achieved what she never believed I could. With her deep brown eyes, my mother peered over the edge of her teacup. Her ebony hair perfectly braided and knotted in an elegant chignon. The lack of laugh lines on her face spoke volumes about her personality. My mother was not one for humor and only found joy in discipline; hers as well as mine.

*

In addition to Maman’s displeasure over my single nature, she’d also discovered I’d been using my endurance ability to work days at a time, forgoing sleep. She disapproved of what she did not understand. I knew my own limits. So, I did what I always did in times like these; let her judgmental lecturing pass over me. I sipped my tea, wishing it were something much stronger, as I let my mother drone on.

*

Almost an hour into our visit, an unexpected warmth entered my chest. It caught me off guard, yet after the sensation grew, recognition hit me. The same warmth took root in me months prior when I first discovered my angel. With a deep breath I relished the instinctual knowledge my one true queen was in the city. Finally.

*

My abilities were at their strongest within the border of The King’s Realm. However, it still amazed me the distance in which I could sense her. Our bond was strong before even being fully realized.

*

Maman’s aggravated voice interrupted my thoughts. “Est-ce que tu écoutes même, Pheonix?” (Are you even listening, Phoenix?) she said in French.

“Je suis désolé, Maman,” (I’m sorry, Mother.) I replied half-heartedly.

“I am concerned, darling. I’ve never seen you so distracted, not to mention irritable.”

“As I’ve told you repeatedly, Maman, there is no cause for concern.”

“If that were true, your father wouldn’t have felt the need to call me.”

“Dad called you?” I asked in surprise.

“He did,” she answered. “And as you know, he only speaks to me when he deems it absolutely necessary. So, you understand where I am coming from. If he is concerned, I know there must be a reason.”

“When have you ever agreed with dad about anything?”

“Do not deflect, Phoenix. You cannot keep going on like this.”

“Maman-” I began, but she cut me off. “Listen to me, you may be king, but you are still my son. I refuse to watch you work yourself into an early grave. You need a companion.”

*

I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my bearded chin in annoyance. “You seem to be laboring under the misapprehension my having a companion would in any way detour me from work.”

“It’s a start. You need someone who will soften you. You are too rough around the edges, Phoenix. Too bold. Too impulsive. Is this the kind of king you want to be remembered for? Abrasive, cold, and aloof?”

“It doesn’t matter what people think of me. What matters is I serve them well.”

“You are too shortsighted, Phoenix. It does matter what they think.” My irritation grew to exasperation, causing me to run both hands through my lengthy hair.

*

I closed my eyes for a brief moment and summoned the image of my angel. Her timing could not have been better. Knowing she was finally within the borders of Ilia meant I could proceed with my plans. “Do not worry, Maman,” I said calmly. “I’ve come to an important decision recently, one I think you will be pleased with.” I gave her a knowing smile.

“Go on,” she encouraged. I twirled the ancient ring on my right index finger and hesitated just long enough to tease her. “Phoenix Benoît!” she chastised. I cleared my throat and revealed what she’d been hoping to hear. “I have decided to bring back the companion’s ball.” My mother’s eyes grew wide with excitement. “Vraiment?” (Truly?)

“Oui,” I answered with a satisfying nod.

*

“Oh, Phoenix, that is excellent news!” My mother exclaimed. “Why did you not tell me sooner?”

“I was waiting for an opening.”

“Do not sass me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“When is the ball?” she asked happily.

“Soon. I haven’t nailed down a date with Daphne, but rest assured, you will be the first to know when I do.”

“Very good. Let me know if you need any help with the guest list. I know many eligible women who would make you the most suitable companion. Nothing like that Lamond girl you were so infatuated with. I never understood what you saw in her. I’m just relieved you finally came to your senses.”

“You never miss an opportunity to remind me.”

***

I left Maman pleased with my decisions for a change. I pondered how long her satisfaction would last, as made my way to the front door where my head shield awaited. “Have a nice visit, Your Majesty?” he asked. His sarcasm did not escape me. Few people in my command dared speak so freely with me. “You just love the fact there is one person on earth who can make me squirm, don’t you?” I responded facetiously.

*

Though Knox stood a couple inches shorter than myself, he more than made up for it in muscle mass. The man was exceedingly well-built. His pitch-black hair, dark narrow eyes, and numerous tattoos decorating his deep-brown flesh gave him a deceptively menacing presence. In reality, he was one of the friendliest people I’d ever met. “She means well,” he pointed out as he escorted me to my car and opened the back door.

“So you tell me every week.”

***

With a deep inhale, I stirred from sleep as the car tires crunched along the pea-stone path. I combed my fingers through my mess of hair and rubbed the fatigue from my face while the car came to a stop. Upon stepping out of the vehicle, I stood tall and autonomically refastened the top button on my black sports coat. The coat was my best attempt at dressing up for my mother. For a king, I was unapologetically casual in appearance. Comfort mattered far more to me than style. Thankfully, my rugged good looks allowed me to easily get away with my trademark dark-blue jeans and black cotton t-shirt. Only the silver ring on my index finger gave any hint of my position.

*

“Welcome home, Your Majesty,” a footman expressed as the palace doors opened and I crossed the threshold. My booted footsteps vibrated through the marble corridors as I made my way towards the center of the castle. Up the ornate staircase to the second floor I arrived at my office where my secretary waited. “Thank you for coming in on your day off,” I told her. The woman in her early hundreds, with salt and pepper hair, had been my secretary from day one of my reign. She kept my schedule straight, as well as many other things. Her job description went far beyond a simple secretary; she was a full blown event coordinator. Every party, ball, conference and summit went through her meticulous planning. Daphne was, in a word, irreplaceable.

*

“I am always at your service, Your Majesty,” Daphne loyally reminded me. With her clipboard and pen in hand, she followed me into my office. “I am curious though,” she said, “what led you to summon me immediately upon leaving your visit with your mother? I take it she was unable to convince you of the benefits in taking time off work?” I froze in the middle of the circular room, before slowly turning to face her. “Daphne,” I spoke in a low warning tone. “How did you know the subject of my mother’s chiding?”

“Magnolia and I enjoy the same salon. We occasionally run into one another and get to chatting.” If I knew my mother, which I most certainly did, it was no coincidence that she frequented the same hair salon as my personal secretary. It explained a lot about how well informed the woman always seemed to be. I locked eyes with my secretary, in a manner that made my seriousness clear. “Find a new topic of conversation or find a new salon.” She knew I would never dismiss her over such an offense, but she also respected my authority. “Understood, Your Majesty.”

*

I removed my sports coat and flung it over the chair near the old brick fireplace. “As for the reason I asked you here today,” I began, “I’ve decided it’s time the castle saw the return of the companion’s ball.” Her eyes widened in surprise as she replied, “I see. And just when did you plan on hosting?”

“Saturday.”

“Which Saturday?” I merely sent her a devilish grin, causing her to exclaim, “This Saturday?!”

“That’s correct.”

“B-but the guest list alone will take days to organize.”

“No it won’t. Send invitations to every available female in the registry of reasonable age. In addition to their families of course. As well as the entire royal court.”

“That must be over a thousand people!”

“That sounds about right,” I responded flippantly. “Not all will be able to come.”

“I suppose that is true, but still, there will be hundreds of people in attendance.”

“Then you had better get started.”

*

Daphne knew I valued and appreciated her unsurpassed skill. I could count on her to carry out any and all of my whims without complaint, well… without too much complaint. But it had to be done. Now that I knew my angel was near, and her abilities awakening, I couldn’t afford to take my time. Danger lurked around her. I had to bring her into the safety of my inner circle without rousing suspicion.

*

Once Daphne set to work putting my will into action, I focused on the next item on my to-do list; a very pointed conversation with my father. After two consecutive unanswered phone calls, I switched tactics by dialing another number. “Phoenix,” came the cheerful, female voice on the other end. “How are you?”

“I’m well, Audrey, thank you.”

“Lilly was just asking about you. Would you like to talk to her?”

“I’m afraid I can’t at the moment. Are you near my father by chance?”

“So you are the caller he’s been ignoring?”

“That’d be me.”

“Just a sec, I’ll pin him down for you.”

“I’m very grateful, Audrey.”

“Anything for my favorite stepson.” A moment later, she said, “Here’s your dad.” I could hear his sigh before he even took the phone from his second wife. I also heard her tell him, “You owe him an explanation, Obie.”

*

“Phoenix,” my father said by way of greeting.

“Dad,” I responded. He sighed again, just before he went straight into an explanation. “Your mother is the only one capable of getting through to you.”

“We both know that is not true. Just because she is too obsessive to cease offering her unsolicited opinions, does not mean she is successful in her efforts.”

“What do you want me to say, Son?”

“I want you to help me understand why you felt the issue was so dire it warranted speaking to the woman who broke you.”

“First of all, I forgave your mother a long time ago, you should too. Secondly… I’m concerned. Over the past three months you have been even more distant and distracted than usual. You even missed your sister’s birthday.”

“I made that up to Lilly.”

“That is not the point, Son.”

“I know. What I don’t know, is why you didn’t express your concern with me directly.”

“Would you have listened?”

“Maybe.”

“Liar.”

“Look Dad, I’ll tell you the same thing I told Maman this morning, there is no cause for concern.”

“I wish I could believe that. You’ve been working non-stop lately.”

“For which I have my reasons.”

“Reasons you refuse to divulge.” I gripped the phone tightly in frustration.

*

After a brief pause, I pursued my goal from a different angle. “I’m hosting the companion’s ball this weekend,” I announced. The sudden change in subject left my father momentarily speechless. Seconds passed before he replied, “What is this about, Son?”

“Were you aware there’s a new guardian in the area?”

“No. … Wait, are you referring to the unknown?”

“Her name is Ember Ellison.”

“Ellison? … Is she-”

“Jonas Ellison’s daughter. Yes.” More silence fell as I let the realization sink in.

“Phoenix,” he spoke my name with warning.

“Not over the phone, Dad.”

*

I pictured him uneasily scratching the back of his head as he considered the new information. ”Who knows?” he asked.

“About the connection to me? No one, but Phyn. Gemma knows a little, but not the full story.” He sighed and said, “Annalise must have left right after he died, if there is no record of their child.”

“According to Phyn’s research, her mother raised her as a human in a misguided attempt to protect her from our way of life.”

“That’s a shame. However, I fail to see the connection to the companion’s ball.”

“You know how hostile our people view outsiders. I decided to host the ball as an opportunity for our kind to welcome a lost guardian. I need to help her assimilate, while at the same time reassure the public that this unknown is not a threat.”

There was a long beat of silence on the line, before my dad eventually responded, “Why do I sense there’s more at play here?”

“Trust me, Dad. I know what I’m doing.”

“I don‘t like this.”

”You don’t have to like it. You simply have to trust your king. Do you trust your king?” He let out another sigh and answered, “Of course I do.”

“Good.”

*

I returned the phone to its cradle and glanced at the clock. The hour was later than I thought. I should’ve already had an update from Phyneas. Anxious for the results of Ember’s testing, I reached for the phone again. But before I could dial, my office door swung open. “Sadie.” I addressed the woman who dared cross my threshold without permission. “Where is Phyneas? He should be with you.”

“Tending to the unknown,” her voice thick with unmistakable contempt.

*

“Have you brought the information I requested?” I asked. Sadie sauntered into my domain as if she owned the place. “I have,” she responded, holding up the yellow folder. “But I’m curious; what is it about this girl that has you so interested?” I left every ounce of emotion out of my tone as I replied, “She’s an unknown. It is my responsibility to aid her in joining our people where she belongs. It is also my responsibility to determine why she was unknown in the first place.”

“Did you forget, Phoenix? I know you better than anyone.” I narrowed my eyes and rebutted, “You don’t.”

“I do, try as you might to deny it. And I know there is more to your interest in this girl than you let on.”

“Hand over the file, Sadie.” She slapped the folder on the desk and I wasted no time in reading up on Ember’s test results. “Telekinesis, nice,” I uttered to myself as I skimmed over the report, but then frowned.

*

With a furrowed brow I looked to Sadie and said, “Where’s the rest?”

“The rest of what?” she asked, a little too innocently to be genuine.

“The rest of her results? This is not all.”

“No. It’s not. I suspected you knew it wouldn’t be. Do you want to tell me how?”

“Do you think I lucked into being king? My instincts are well-defined. I only wish I’d heeded their warning of your traitorous nature.”

“Phoenix-”

“That is King Phoenix to you!” I angrily got to my feet, giving my words more impact. I noticed her take a fearful half-step backward as I continued, “You lost the right to refer to me so personally over two years ago.”

“My apologies, King Phoenix,” she answered, attempting to regain her composure.

*

“Where is the rest of Ember Ellison’s report?” I asked again. Sadie reached into her bag and withdrew a single sheet of paper, which she passed to me. I snatched the page out of her hand and scanned the contents. “What the hell is this?” I demanded to know.

“It’s what you asked for.”

“It’s inconclusive? What kind of game are you playing at, Sadie?”

“Despite all the horrific things you think of me, it doesn’t change the fact that I take my job very seriously. Your little unknown guardian has a sixth ability that’s never been possessed by anyone in our very long history. It makes her dangerous.”

“You would make that leap.”

“It’s not a leap. She has an ability that cannot be identified by our system.”

“Just because she has an entirely new ability, does not make her dangerous.”

“Don’t be so naive.” My fury flared, but I reined in my emotions as I lowered my voice to a threatening growl, “Watch the way you speak to me, Sadie. Need I remind you how fortunate you are to still be residing within Ilia? Not to mention retaining your position on the high court?”

“No… Your Majesty.” Sadie bowed and proceeded to storm out of the room. Good riddance.

*

With my palms pressed firmly on the desk, I hovered over the file, studying every detail of Ember’s results. New questions arose as I tried to make sense of what it meant for Ember to possess an unfamiliar ability. I didn’t like the uncertainty it added to our potential future. Before I could stress over it too much, my phone rang.

*

“Phyn,” I answered.

“Nic, thought you’d want to know.”

“Know what?”

“Ember lost consciousness this afternoon, right after testing.”

“What?” I breathed out as I let myself fall back into the chair.

“She wasn’t out for very long and she seems to be alright, but…”

“But what?”I demanded impatiently.

“It wasn’t normal.”

“Explain.”

“I think she had a vision.”

“I’ve just seen her results. Precognition is not listed among her abilities.”

“It’s not one of yours either as I recall. You of all people should know, when The Creator wants to get a message across, He finds a way.”

“Point taken. Did she say anything when she came to?”

“No. Gemma took her back to Beth’s place to rest. She was exhausted.”

“She’d just consumed concentrated vita latrare; she shouldn’t be tired for days.”

“I know. I told you it was weird.”

*

I let out a deep sigh, unsure whether this new development would affect my plans. I’d waited for her so long, I couldn’t abide the torturous idea of delaying destiny. But it suddenly occurred to me how much her life had changed in a single day. She needed time to adjust. Unfortunately, time was a luxury I could not afford to give. I needed her close, for both our benefit.

*

“Nic, are you still there?” Phyneas asked through the phone.

“I’m here. Thanks, Phyn, for being there for her when I cannot. How’d she do?”

“She did great. She’s tough. Gemma said her nerves were through the roof, but she refused to let it show. She is special, Nic.”

“I know. I have always known.”

“I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“Don’t apologize yet. I have a long way to go to fulfill my vision.”

“It’s in God’s hands. What’s meant to be, will be. And according to you, this is meant to be. She’s here now, so no more stressing.”

“You make that sound so easy.”

“With me on your side it should be. I’ve got your back, Nic.”

“I know. But this… this is big. I cannot leave anything to chance.”

“You aren’t. You are leaving it to me, and Gemma too. Trust me, we won’t let you down, Majesty.”

“I know.”

“Then tell me what comes next. What do you need?”

“You aren’t going to like it.”

“When has that ever stopped you?”

“True. Get over here, I’d rather tell you in person.”

“On my way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note:

Chapter Seven coming Wednesday, January 11th.

Thanks for reading!

- In case you missed my previous note, you can find my Pinterest board where I’ve assembled visual pieces to accompany this story. Simply look me up on Pinterest: E. K. Michaels.

:)