Retrieve the Kingdom

Bestowed Privilege

It was their Science class, the last subject of the day. While their teacher was lecturing, a familiar female teenager knocked on the door of their classroom. She opened it after as all of the attention went to her. 

“Good afternoon, Mr. Van~! Can I excuse my littl—Cledwyn to your class?” She approached the professor as she hands him an excuse letter. “What for?” The teacher accepted the excuse letter as he reads it. He puts it down as he looks at the boy in the middle row. “Mr. Cledwyn, you can take your leave now.” 

The smirk formed in Cledwyn’s face as he packs his things and gets his bag. He walks out of the room proudly, and even taunting Phoebe while he passes by the row where her chair was. 

Belle was gonna ask a question but their professor continued talking. She decided to ask about it after class. As the professor calls it a dismissal, she noticed Phoebe was a bit uncomfortable and pacing out of the class. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” 

“Something is definitely wrong, Belle.” Phoebe looks at her, she was concerned and uneasy. “Cledwyn’s father is getting his law counselor position this afternoon, and you know what that means?” Belle looks at her confused as she shrugs. “Cledwyn has another reason to mess with me, or even another excuse or whatever. As far as I know, he will use his dad’s new position to do something, and we will not like it.” 

“Doesn’t it mean that he is the son of a ‘law councilor’ means he will behave? Maybe this is his chance to redeem himself.” Phoebe laughs at her statement, “That boy is hopeless. And redeem himself? As long as he gets his ego boosted, his desires granted, and the power by himself, he will do everything. And apparently, being on the good side doesn’t grant that easily. You know him, he wants it done."

“Look, he already has some more people to please. Especially his dad is already one of the handlers of the kingdom’s law.” The girl beside Belle shook her head in disagreement. “Do you think that he will care? Almost everyone in the class already and secretly hates his guts. And, I don’t trust that his dad will have a good reputation anyway.” 

“I am not from Hastey, I am just a stranger here, but, they said his father was good and maybe one of our hopes, you know.” Phoebe went silent for a moment until she remembers the archduke’s words last night. “Well, he might be good, we don’t really know what’s inside of his mind. But, sir Bermin said last night the king either choose someone who is dumb enough to be manipulated or has the same conscience as him.” 

“Does the king even have a conscience?” They both giggled, but they returned to their serious conversation. “As the time that his father is already titled an honorary law councilor, chaos will ensue sooner or later. I don’t really know what to do with him, since he has the biggest ace against me. You know I got some things going on with the king, and I don’t like the sound of Cledwyn being close to him.

“Oh well, let’s just see when something happens.” Rapid footsteps were heard behind them, they turned as Andrei was there catching up. “I thought you were at the ceremony?” Phoebe asked as they walk with their male friend. “I don’t care about it, I am not even important there. Well, my brother is, since he needs to watch everything that happens in the castle and learn the art of becoming a king.”

A thought came to her mind as she smiles. “What are you thinking again, Phoebe?” Belle looks at her as she looks at Andrei, “Can we hop in your ride?” 

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Phoebe. You know that the king’s blood boils whenever he saw us. And, we are unwanted guests.” Belle said as they arrived near the castle. “It’ll be fine, we are just gonna sneak and just take a peek at the event.” 

The carriage went past the castle gates, since it was a trusted carriage, the guards didn’t check inside. “Park at the side, please,” Andrei said as his coachman nods and parked at the side of the castle, where only a few guards are guarding. There were little to no guards in the area, which is perfect for sneaking. 

“I’ll go first, I need to be seen going out of the carriage. Since ever one ditched that I was in the castle the night I rescued some of the victims, father has been suspicious of me, or at least it added some suspicion. As the carriage makes it turn, you’ll hop to the other side and run towards where I am. But do not make any noise.” 

Two of the young ladies nod as the prince went out of his carriage. He took a walk to the platform to a pillared big gateway. As he gave the signal to the coachman, he turned to the side pretending he was gonna park it now. The rattling of the carriage covered the footsteps of Belle and Phoebe. They rushed inside as Andrei closed it a little bit. 

A maid approached the prince as she hands some clothing. “Change your clothes and undo your hair.” The maid leads them to a nearby empty room for privacy as they changed their clothes and let their hair flow on their backs. They went out of the room bringing their bags with their school uniform in them. 

“Just cover your face with your hair and we can’t get in trouble. Mika won’t say anything about this.” They decided to go to the throne room where the event is commencing, the voices can be heard through the main door as they sneak on one of the paths leading to the room other than the big door. 

They hid among the curtains as the three of them watches the ceremony. Andrei decided to show himself. He leaned on a pillar on the throne room and watches. They were far at the back and some people are covering them. His dad was busy anyway in his speech. 

“I know this is a small event, but I just want to say thank you for accepting my offer. Even though this is a great honor to be in your positions, many have tried but failed, and many have been offered, but denied. Along with the privileges you have is the responsibility you need to do. I chose you ten to your respective positions because I know you can, and I hope you wouldn’t let me down.”

Multiple voices emerge from the room, they came from the 10 who were standing at the front of the king, facing their backs against the small crowd behind them. Phoebe spotted Cledwyn among them, who was standing beside his mother and sister. He was undeniably happy and undeniably have something mischievous in his mind. 

The king did his speech to bestow the positions officially to the ten men that he chose to be the servant of the people, but most of the time, they will be his manipulated underlings. One by one, they step forward as the king says their names and their new titles and jobs. 

“May I present you, the ten new servants of the kingdom. Under the name and honor of the first-ever leader Eshecaea and the power and mercy of God Alvi may be with you.” The throne room, even filled with small people was filled with resounding claps and radiating in happiness and victory. But for the eyes who know the truth, it was radiating of mischief and betrayal. 

The archduke moved forward as he looks at the crowd. “I am happy to congratulate you ten and their families. It is really such an honor to be working with the highest commands and being able to help the kingdom to uphold its honor, dignity, and grace in the name of Eshecaea. I am happy to meet you today, and I am happy to work with you sooner or later.” 

In reality, the archduke was a bit disappointed and a bit suspicious about these people. Another problem along his way and his allies. But apart from that, he hopes one of them will be on his side, just like the other councilors and people with ranks that he has good connections with. He is even more afraid of what power does the king will now hold with these newly promoted people, and why did he even choose them. 

“I am feeling that Cledwyn is smiling crazily now,” Phoebe whispers as she squints, looking more to the suited black hair male beside the cheery student council head. “Well, it’s normal for having your father promoted to a very big position with a very big influence on the kingdom’s status. And, especially he has more plans that will eventually fail.” 

“I hope so… We don’t know if fate is by our side or even luck. We don’t know when we will this end, or will this ever end.” Belle sighs, “I guess we need to do the best we could ever do.”

Phoebe could even see how happy the king was. On his left side was his brother who is smiling, she can’t tell if it’s just for show or Bermin is really smiling for something. On his right is Prince Andres, who is on his normal, edgy look. 

“Where is your mom, Andrei?” She whispered as Andrei decided to go in the curtains since it’s risky to speak out there. He looked at the two girls and sighs, “She is almost out of the castle. I can count the times where she just sat right beside my father. There was a time that he almost locks her in the castle. But now, he just lets her and does her things. I don’t know about it, but it might be her addiction to travel and buy things.” 

“That’s strange. She supposed to be around the castle and just sit being tended by maids which you have a lot of.” Andrei scratches his nape, “Yeah… The extra maids were because of her. I mean, I wouldn’t mind having maids in every corner of the castle because this is a huge castle and it’s pretty creepy to only have few people. But, she overshot it. And, they are becoming useless since she is going in her travel galore and go home at nighttime. My dad is firing some of them which my mom opposes to because she still needs them, but apparently, she’s not at all because she’s on the other side of the town. I don’t know, she’s so confusing.” 

“That’s a pretty complicated family you got, Andrei.” The prince chuckles sarcastically, “You have just known by now, Belle?” She rolls her eyes, “What I mean is, we don’t really know the inner workings of your family. We only know you have a father who is making every people existing suffer. And also a brother who is like a doll showing almost no emotions at all. You have a pretty screwed up family at first, now it’s a complicated screwed up family.” 

Phoebe silences them as they heard people starting to walk near the main door. Both of the girls hide their faces with their hair by facing sideways as Andrei distance himself a little bit. 

The crowd was leaving the throne room. There was a happy family among them. “Congratulations, father~!” Cledaire said as she hugs her father. “I know where my skills and charm were inherited.” Both of their parents giggle as the young man just on the other side of Cledaire rolls his eyes. “And you know what this calls for, celebration!”

Belle and Phoebe peek at them behind the curtain. “What a happy family they are.” They kept looking as Phoebe froze as she heard a voice behind her. 

“Phoebe, what are you doing here?”