Ⅵ Mordecai of Sestero Ⅵ

The King’s tea room was the most elegant place in all of Sestero. Fine china filled the mahogany and glass cabinets that surrounded the walls, which were painted in indigo and white artwork. The table was polished with pure gold accents on each edge. Advisor Delilah poured tea from a silver pot into the King’s cup. The steam rose calmly into the atmosphere. 

King Mordecai read every letter he received as if it contained secret knowledge between the lines. He held the one in his hands up against the sunlight coming in through the window in case there were any hidden markings that could only be seen through the thin paper. “Delilah, what do you think General Felicity means by, we are keeping the hostages in the royal dungeon?”

Delilah breathed an amused little laugh. “I think she means they’re keeping the hostages in the royal dungeon.”

“I see.” Mordecai placed his hand over his mouth and chin and nodded. “Perhaps you’re right, or perhaps… they’re hiding something.”

Delilah’s eyes burned with a frustration the King never noticed. They rubbed their forehead and cleared their throat. “What would they be hiding, my King?”

Mordecai overthought everything. Once he got started, there was no predicting where his mind would wander off to. It got lost a mile away, found itself, and made everything worse. “I think it could be a forged letter from the hostages themselves! They want to trick me into thinking they’re being kept in the royal dungeon, when they’re really being held in an entirely different dungeon. That way, when I visit the dungeon they’re really being held hostage in, they’ll escape and try to kill me. I won’t let that happen of course.”

Delilah sighed and set the teapot down on an embroidered doily. “The hostages will be locked up and kept far away from you regardless of which dungeon they’re being held in. Why don’t you take a break and enjoy this rare tea from the mountain peaks of Tritero?”

Mordecai looked over the letter one last time to be certain it wasn’t laced with poison. He removed the damp washcloth from its bowl on the table and wiped his hands before lifting the shining silver teacup. “Thank you, Delilah. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Die, thought Delilah with a peaceful smile. It wasn’t an insult, it was a simple fact. Mordecai would be useless without their tranquil wisdom that involved reacting to nothing. “It’s my pleasure, my King. Ever since my gepatro rescued you from those brutes in Oktero I have thought of you as my own little brother. I am the luckiest advisor in the world to have helped raise our most capable King.”

Mordecai smiled, satisfied with such an ego stroking response. “I am the lucky one, Delilah, to have been given such an opportunity.” He raised his cup. “To our kingdom.”

Delilah raised theirs in response. “To our kingdom indeed.”

Despite the luxurious rooms of his castle and kingdom, Mordecai’s favorite place to visit was the outskirts of the great walls, where apripeach trees grew tall with their pastel rainbow leaves breaking free to float through the wind. He remembered being young and carefree, raised by the peaceful communes of the Nau before he was selected as heir to a dying lineage on the throne. Under normal circumstances a member of the Nau would never be considered, but due to his adoptive gepatro’s role as former advisor to the monarch, it was an easy way in. 

Suddenly, a bush rustled a few feet away from the fearful King. He drew his weapon, a large curved cutlass, and pointed it in the location. An average King would walk with bodyguards to make sure he wasn’t attacked, but Mordecai didn’t need bodyguards. He wanted to prove his confidence in his ability to prepare for any impending attack and destroy it.

“Show yourself!” His fierce tone cried.

The hidden figure stood up from the bush and threw her hands up innocently. “I had to pee!” Demeter explained. 

“What are you doing out here beyond the kingdom walls? Don’t you know how dangerous it is?” Mordecai warned.

Holy shit, it was the King. Demeter stared at him awestruck for too long. Mordecai got impatient waiting for a response and added a-

“Well?!”

“Oh, yeah! Definitely dangerous. I was just ah, releasing a squirrel back into the wild!”

Mordecai furrowed his brows and put his sword away. He puffed out his chest and put his hands on his armored hips. “A squirrel? How strange. Regardless, I shall escort you back into the kingdom at once. This is no place for a gentle spirited Nau servant. Only the strongest and bravest of warriors can make it in these parts.”

Demeter looked around. All it looked like to her was a pretty forest with rainbow colored leaves and a bunch of squirrels chattering through the branches. But this was the King she was talking to, so she wasn’t about to question him. She clasped her hands and gave him a courteous bow like she’d seen the Nau do often. “You’re so right, King.”

Mordecai took Demeter’s arm in his and pulled her towards the main gate. The guards lifted it up for the two of them and they walked into the cobblestone streets. “Tell me your name, peaceful servant. I will put in a good word with my advisor for your noble squirrel mission.”

Demeter gulped and forced a smile. She honestly never wanted to speak to Delilah again so long as she was forced to live in Sestero. She was already trying to come up with an escape plan. All this peacekeeping was making her restless. “Demeter. Thank you, your highness.”

“Demeter.” Mordecai repeated softly. Like honey on the lips. He admired her for a second as they walked towards the palace. “What a perfect name for a lovely person.”

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Mordecai sat on his golden throne listening to the pouring rain above the castle. He toyed with his curls, letting one spring down and up against his crown as he frowned at the ceiling. What if it caved in from the weight of the water? Oh gods, what if it started hailing?

He reached for an apripeach slice on his silver tray and bit into it. “Delilah,” he called for his advisor while he chewed. “Have I mentioned Demeter to you yet? She is quite a fair lady.”

“The one saving squirrels.” Delilah’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “Yes my King, you have told me twice. She seems… nice.” The compliment tasted like acid. “However I do not think you should be so trusting of a new face.”

“A new face? Why, she’s a part of the Nau is she not? How much more familiar can one be?”

The corner of Delilah’s lips turned up to a mischievous smirk. “Oh dear Mordecai. You mustn't forget what happened to our beloved gepatro. Even the most familiar faces can turn out to be deceitful.” They came very close, whispering next to Mordecai’s ear. “You know, I have reason to believe Demeter isn’t who she says she is.”

Mordecai put the other half of his apripeach down instantly. “What are you saying?”

“I tell you, she arrived from a ship that came from Oktero. I suspect she may not be a true member of the Nau.”

Mordecai pounded his fist on the arm of his throne and huffed. “That is quite a conspiracy! Indeed.” He pointed his finger up and shook it thoughtfully. “She may have been trying to attack me all along. I should have sought your advice long before such things could have taken place. Just to be certain that she wishes to murder me, I will request to meet with her alone tomorrow.”

Delilah blinked at him and rubbed their head. Sometimes they referred to Mordecai as the definition of pure genius. They were very good at lying.

The next morning, Demeter woke up to find Delilah cross stitching in the armchair in their bedroom. Demeter jumped and pulled the blanket up to cover herself in surprise. “Delilah?”

“Good morning my dear friend!” Delilah put down their cross stitch hoop and came to Demeter’s side. “Rise and shine. The king requests a personal meeting with you shortly. I will wait to escort you in the hall.” They patted her hand and exited. 

Demeter was getting tired of her privacy being invaded by weirdos. Her mind spun a million miles per hour as she pulled herself out of bed and went through the few options she had for clothing. White robe? Cultish. Purple gown? Too much. She pulled out a simple yellow skirt and blouse. It complimented her features nicely, but was it too nice? She thought back to what the King had said about her and shuddered. If he came onto her, what could she do about it? Groaning, she threw the dress on and tried to brush it off.

Mordecai was pacing the floor in total panic. The fireplace was lit and he started worrying that Demeter could throw him into it. Instead of putting it out, he added another log and brushed his hands together. Now she would know that he wasn’t afraid of the potential. Only a truly strong and brave King would risk burning alive in the presence of an Oktero spy. 

Delilah led Demeter into the room and shut the door. Afterwards, they leaned against it to listen to what would be said. Mordecai was worried about flames, but Delilah was worried about the flames of influence.

Mordecai turned around as casually as he could to make himself look comfortably competent. “Hello Demeter,” he said, leaning on a wooden rocking chair so heavily it rocked forwards and sent him falling into a heap on the floor. 

Demeter slapped a hand over her mouth as she stared at the King, clumsily pulling himself back up from his fallen position. “It’s- it’s a pleasure to be here, King Mordecai.”

Mordecai brushed himself off and scoffed. “It is a pleasure- for you- indeed! It takes a lot of trust to wind up in a private meeting with yours truly. So you can tell that I have a lot of trust in you Demeter. Do you think I’m right to assume such things?”

Demeter’s lips parted. She clasped her hands and swayed a bit nervously. “I guess I can only hope that you trust me.” She responded.

“Well if I did assume such things, I would be wrong! That is why I don’t assume that I can trust you. Of course, I trust you anyway because that’s what kind of King I am. Fearless and decisive. Tell me, does that fact make you feel less confident- hypothetically speaking- in your ability to destroy me?”

Demeter shut her jaw with a click of her teeth. She couldn’t get over this guy. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms. “I would never destroy you, my King, but yes. I am quite confident that no one is able to do such a thing.”

Mordecai laughed with satisfaction. “Splendid. As you are well aware, I have dodged many attempts on my life throughout my career as a King. Just last week I stabbed an assassin to death for attempting to poison me. Some would argue that apripeach seeds do not contain enough arsenic to be lethal, but it takes more convince- convincing- convincement to fool a bright mind such as mine.”

Demeter nodded and hoped it didn’t look too condescending. He was terrifyingly reactive in a soft, adorable kind of way. It was hard to believe this was the same King who sent out armies to slaughter random tribes in Oktero. “I am definitely aware.”

“And do you know why they attempt to kill me?” Mordecai scoffed. “They claim that I am an illegitimate, incompetent ruler! Blasphemy. I was raised to be a fine leader, hand-selected by the dying monarch before me. You can’t get more legitimate than that. I think-”

Delilah let the door slide open very slowly, which created a nauseating screech as the hinges moved. “Oops!” They laughed and gave Demeter a stare that said death. “Silly me. Mordecai, I’ve come back to let you know there’s been a disturbance in the fourth wall. Forgive me for interrupting you.”

“A disturbance?” Mordecai gasped and rushed to Delilah. “What kind of disturbance? Is it a fire? A bear?”

Delilah patted his shoulder and led him back out into the hall. “Just come with me, I’ll handle it with you.” They promised, flashing Demeter a threatening look before they turned their back to her. 

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