MEGAN

I barged furiously into his office. It had already been 3 hours since I began waiting, and the guards kept saying, “he’s Liege is too busy to see you now”. Too busy indeed, I was done waiting.

    “How long do you intend to leave me waiting outside?” I shouted.

    Ignoring me completely, he continued reading the document he had been reading when I barged in. He didn’t even look up.

    I took deep long breaths, reciting a mantra in my head as I paced about the office in an attempt to calm my anger.

    How dare they do this to me? It hadn’t even been a week since Archie was appointed the head of the children’s department, but he was already changing all my policies. I said nothing when I was removed as head of the department because of the mess I made at the ball. People would say I wasn’t held accountable if nothing was done to me so when I received that cursed memo informing me of the news, I went jogging and made sure I exhausted myself in the process. If I was burnt out, I wouldn’t have any energy left to hurt someone because of the rage I felt. I even learnt a new mantra to help calm me down but I have had enough. Archie has gone too far this time. He has made a direct attack at me. The memo I got this morning was a clear declaration of war and I was not one to back down from a fight. If he wanted war, I was ready to give it to him. I had gotten ready to go to his office and give that man a piece of my mind before it occurred to me that all memos passed through this office, and if it got to me, someone else saw it first and approved it. That someone has been ignoring me ever since I got here.

    I glared at the subject of my affliction. He still hadn’t acknowledged me yet. He just sat nonchalantly on his unnecessarily enormous chair, flipping through the pages of whatever nonsense he was reading. Filled with rage, I walked over to his desk and flipped it over. The sound of the crash alerted the guards who rushed in with drawn weapons. The expression of horror on their faces after analysing the scene prompted me to realise the gravity of what I had done. I had just flipped over the table of the king of Urania in my anger.

    “Leave us,” Charles ordered the guards who had rushed in earlier.

   Placing the book he had been reading earlier on his lap, he turned to me.

    “Give me a reason to spare your life,” he said very calmly.

    Fear gripped me at the tone of his voice. I had gone too far this time.            

I bowed my head submissively, “Forgive me my Liege. I must have been out of my mind” I replied.

    He sighed “What is this all about?”

    “My liege, you appointed Archie head of the children's facilities.”

    “Do you disapprove of my decision?”

    “I wouldn’t dare.”

    “Then why are you here?” He asked

    I ran over to his side and knelt on both feet.

    “He sent a memo to me this morning. I have been banned from visiting those facilities without his approval. My drugs have been banned from the facilities as well. I can no longer sell to those facilities. Why would you approve something like that?” I grabbed his hands and shook slightly

    “Archie is a practical man. He has the best interest of the facilities at heart. I saw no reason to oppose his decision.”

    “How can you say that? This is obviously a direct attack at me.”

    He snorted “After the little scene you created the other day, don’t you think it’s understandable for him to retaliate this way?”

    I still hadn’t figured out the trick Archie used to get himself out of that situation. I had thought of all the possibilities but no one had made any sense to me. If that parasite wasn’t his accomplice, who was. Does he have another mole in my house? Archie was becoming tricky, something he never was. He has always been so upright. 

    “I have worked so hard to get those facilities to where they are now, how could you let him just cut me off that like. You know how important those breeders are to me. I can’t even do business there now. Do you have any idea how much am going to lose financially?”

    “I think its best you stay away from the breeders from now on”

    I flinched “What?! What do mean by that?”

    “What do you think?” he asked looking directly into my eyes

    I had thought Archie had been the problem, but it looks like his highness didn’t want me near those facilities either.

   I busted into laughter at this realization and drew away from him slowly. So, it was okay to have me as the head of the facilities when he needed me and get rid of me when he didn’t.

    “Why?” I asked, staring out through the window.

    “I don’t need you there anymore. There are other ways to make use of you. Besides, you have had control of those facilities for centuries, you’ve already had your turn. Why are you so reluctant to let go of something that never belonged to you”

   The reminder that I was only a dispensable tool hurt me deeply. How could he treat me like this, after everything I had done for him?

    I wiped away the tears as they ran down my face. This wasn’t the time to have an emotional breakdown, at least not in front of him, he would only get more irritated.

    “I understand”

    “Good. I can’t have you be so narrow-minded. Think about the bigger picture. That is the only way to stand beside me”

    “What is the bigger picture your highness,” I asked turning back to face him.

    “Urania” he replied “You are my 1^st healer, not my only healer. It’s unfair to others that you are solely in charge of everything. Besides, Archie is the better choice for those facilities. You more than anyone know about the fertility issues we have been struggling with. But throughout all these centuries, all you’ve done is worsen the situation.

    I snorted, “I had no idea I was such a horrible healer, my love”

   “You are not the 1^st healer because of your talents, you have your uses.”

    I knew that. But why did he have to remind me?   “You are right your highness. Forgive me for getting so emotional. Archie is indeed exceptional. Who knows, he might just find a solution to the fertility issues we have been struggling with.

    That got his attention. “Do you think so too?”

“I hope so. If anyone can find a solution to the problem, it would be him. The issue with the breeders needs to be resolved. The future of our race depends on it,” I replied.

“Since you know how valuable he is, why are you trying to piss him off? I asked you to bring him to me not make an enemy out of him.

“Your highness, that pretentious bastard would never agree to work with us. The only way to bring him to our side is to leave him no choice,” I replied defensively.

He nodded in agreement. I could tell from the look in his eyes that I had got him. This was the perfect way to cure his obsession with Archie. When Archie failed, which he would, I would no longer have to hear his praises all day. The infertility issue wasn’t an illness. Uranian women were all born that way. It was hereditary. There was no curing that.

    “And his ward?” he asked.

Why was he asking about her all of a sudden?   

    “What about her your highness,” I replied.

    “Arnold thinks she has great potential.”

     Arnold was one of his seers. This wasn’t good.

    “Did he really say that?”

    “He did indeed, among other things.” He replied with a knowing smile on his face.

    What had Arnold seen about Eve? I wondered on my way home. The seers had the gift of seeing the past, present and future, but their gifts came at a price. It burnt out their source each time they used it, making it fatal to them with continual usage. This was why the usage of their gift had been banned centuries ago by the former king.

    If Arnold had seen something about her, it would explain why Charles was very interested in the lass. I needed to do something about it.

* * *

    My appeal to visit the breeding hall was finally approved. I put on Archie's favourite colour, a blue dress, and went to see him. I needed to look my best to deliver Charles’s instructions.

   Archie was seated at his table when I walked in. there was a huge eye bag under his eyes like he hadn’t slept for days. The guard who led me in announced my arrival and retreated out of the office immediately.

    I took the chair opposite his and placed the memo written by the council on his table. He picked it up and read it quietly before placing it back on the table. I wasn’t sure what I had expected from him, but I had hoped for a little drama. It was a signed order from the council to find a solution to the rising infertility rate but he had just dropped it on the table like it was nothing.

    “Well?”

    “Is there anything else?” He replied harshly.

    “What do you think of the council’s decision? I tried to explain to Charles that he was giving you an impossible task but he wouldn’t have it. He expects much from you, hopefully, you don’t disappoint him.”

    “Did he send you here to tell me that?” he asked pointedly

    “Of course not. I say that out of concern”

    “I see nothing to be concerned about” he replied

    I leaned back into my chair “I have been working on a cure for a very long time to no avail. Of course, I would be concerned for you”

    “I find it hard to believe you were genuinely working on a cure. You were probably too occupied with your little experiments.”

    “So you admit to taking my documents.”  I couldn’t believe he had willingly brought up the topic on his own. “I still haven’t been able to figure out the trick you used this time.”

    He snorted “I don’t need to use tricks Megan, good always wins.”

    “Don’t insult me. I only do what am asked to do” I replied.

    “I saw those documents myself. If you say you were only following instructions, you took your task way too seriously. How do you even sleep at night?”

    His face shunned with disgust for me and it hurt. It really did. Why couldn’t he understand me? Everything I do is done for the good of Urania. Everything. I had come here to watch him panic not have him question my morals.

    “I would inform the council that you have received your task in good faith,” I said, changing the direction of the conversation.

    “I intend to do the best I can. The guards will see you out.”

    Two guards walked in shortly after and offered to escort me out of the premises. I had been dismissed. I walked out as gracefully as I could. There was no need to make a fool of myself a second time. I would wait for the right time to get him back. All I had was time.