The Magnitude of One's Heart

Chapter 1

     It was a surprisingly slow day in the Dark Cacao kingdom, with the snow surrounding the dark, intimidating citadel falling quite softly, for the region was quite far from winter; however, the signs of its impending roughness gradually approached closer. Affogato had made leaps of progress with his plans in securing the throne, from gaining many of the locals' trust to eventually having an altar in his possession used to curse the residents behind the walls, including the citadel's lonely, aloof king, with a thick haze of incense. Everything was falling in place, and all he needed was a catalyst to reach the throne.

     Of course, there were drawbacks to his plans. The First Watcher became increasingly suspicious of his motives every passing day, yet Affogato didn't pay much mind, or better yet, didn't have much time to care. After all, she would be taken care of in due time, and Affogato had to prioritize the present if he wanted to live luxuriously in the future.

     Speaking of which, although today was passing fairly slowly with a lighter workload, to Affogato's dismay, he had to attend by the king's side to briefly greet another person, some historian curious of the kingdom's past. Normally, partly through Affogato's influence, Dark Cacao would refuse others from entering the citadel, including guests, in preparation to protect the area from the surrounding Licorice Sea. However, Affogato managed to coax the sad, old man to allow this scholar to enter the kingdom for a few days to use this opportunity to his own advantage. Perhaps if the poor historian saw the state of the kingdom with its lonesome, neglectful king, even people far from this region could be up in arms over the matter. With the Dark Cacao kingdom's reputation sunk deeply, Affogato could find a chance to secure the throne. Unfortunately, the king decided to schedule this event on a slow day where Affogato could have taken time to relax or even boost his own reputation. No matter, it was too late to dwell on that now, Affogato thought as he made his way to the throne room with a sly grin.

     There on the throne, that seat which Affogato was working day and night for, sat the undeserving Dark Cacao. He looked about as dormant as his kingdom, his unreadable eyes slowly opening and tracking Affogato in his view. Was there ever a time the king felt prideful? Or was this gloomy appearance simply a part of his nature? Affogato neither knew or cared, only concerning himself with getting Dark Cacao out of his way. For now, he did his job as the king's right hand and stood to his right. The silence was loud and awkward, with the king staring ahead sternly and cautiously although his guest had yet to arrive. As Affogato glanced at the other, Cacao glared back, causing Affogato to immediately look away, acting as though he wasn't staring at him. He could have sworn he heard a cricket chirping somewhere. Cacao kept his glare momentarily before the doors to the throne room opened again.

     "Your Majesty, Sir Eclair has arrived," The Second Watcher spoke at the doorway with a bow. At least it wasn't the First, Affogato thought with relief.

     The Watcher stepped out of the way and let this "Sir Eclair" arrive. Before Affogato had time to fully grasp the situation, the historian had slowly walked in and caught his eyes. Affogato could barely register the conversation that Eclair and Dark Cacao were having, instead inspecting him with his gaze.

     To say this scholar dressed quite nice would be an understatement; he most definitely dressed lavishly, showing off his high class. His outfit consisted of shades of green and off-white, a stark contrast to the attire of most of the Cacaonians, yet it seemed fitting against the purple and dark brown ambience. His hat seemed coated with an expensive syrup, matcha perhaps, adorned with whipped cream feathers of high quality. He wore these cute, puffy velvet sleeves that were embroidered with gold, wrapped with a small white cloak. Both made his upper body appear slightly wider, yet his corset accentuated the curve of his torso, thus also making him appear smaller. His hair was long and silky, seeming to have the utmost care and attention paid to it, reaching the floor yet remaining intact. Eclair had on a single monocle, likely used to assist with his occupation of research and analysis. They were definitely dealing with someone who took their field most seriously. Yet, out of all of those things, nothing came close to being as compelling as his smile and his deep, olive eyes. Of course, his expression seemed formal, yet there were times where he would take small glimpses around the room as he conversed before the king, small breaks of Eclair's front where instead of a polite smile, there appeared a subtle grin seeping of eagerness through the gaps of his collar. You could see it in his eyes as well; ironically, for someone with bitter colored eyes, every few glances he took would result in twinkles of sweetness trickling from his sight. He couldn't contain his excitement. His mannerisms also made him completely different from the Cacaonians, seeing how fidgety he became over his determination. Typically, almost everyone in the kingdom Affogato knew would be strict and bitter, so seeing this person filled to the brim with sweetness and boundless curiosity intrigued him in more ways than one. Granted, the Cacao kingdom didn't trust hospitality and sweetness, which was ironic, since Affogato indulged in those often and planned on ruling in this fashion. Oh, how he hoped his future subjects would be as sweet sounding as the one in front of him.

     As Affogato continued staring at the other from afar, Eclair eventually took notice and in response gave him eye contact back and a small smile momentarily, continuing to speak with the king. Dark Cacao, however, was no fool, and did not miss this moment. He took this as an opportunity to introduce Eclair to his right hand.

     "I see you've noticed my advisor Affogato. He shall guide you with what you seek during your stay."

     Affogato slightly jumped at the mention of his name. Ah right, focus on the present! He was quite surprised to not be informed of him helping the scholar. Although normally he would've resented doing any more work at this point, something about being near this person made this less of a heavy task. Affogato bowed in Eclair's direction, something he was tired of doing, before leaving the king's side and approaching the other. He reached out his hand, signaling a handshake between the two.

     "It is quite the honor to meet you, Sir Eclair," Affogato politely spoke with a small smile, seemingly different from his usual grins.

     "Oh, the pleasure is all mine sir," Eclair responded, staring directly back at those mysterious white eyes.

     As they shook hands, Affogato took note of how Eclair's hand felt. Even though he was wearing gloves, he could tell that Eclair's hands were fairly soft, yet callused on his fingers. He must be diligent when it comes to writing. With the closeness between the two, Affogato was able to take in Eclair's features better. While Eclair smiled, there appeared small dimples that could only be seen if one was close enough, since they were slightly covered by his collar. Speaking of his smile, there was something quite radiating about it, leaving a lingering sense of warmth in Affogato as he turned away to face the king again. Quite ironic, considering the cold that always infested these walls.

     "Shall we make our leave now, your Highness?" Affogato asked as he contemplated this warmth.

     "Of course. I expect you to return by nightfall to fulfill the rest of your duties, do I make myself clear?"

     "Yes, your Highness," Affogato said as he bowed, Eclair bowing beside respectfully.

     The two then left the throne room, with Affogato leading the way. His intrigue led him wanting to speak with the scholar of matters aside from what he was tasked, but he needed to be patient. There would be more than enough time to discuss these things in the coming days anyways. And good things come to those who wait.