Gods and Guardians

Chapter 5: The King's Dinner

Feud between two kings means feud between two kingdoms, for the king is the kingdom and the kingdom is the king. For this reason, the kings of the past always guarded against this.

There was a problem now. But the problem was cold; so cold that it froze contemplations. Distance continued to grow, like Mother Earth shearing the lands and widening the seas to stop the fighting. Dasirus was not trying to salvage the situation. Dravan, his Kainon counterpart, wasn't trying either.

For a few teneries now, they have spoken to each other only in silence. It was about Meinz, but where Meinz's ostracism was loud, Dravan's and Dasirus' were quiet. For now, only the two kings knew what was going on.

Unlike many halls in the palace that had columns designed with historic reliefs, the dining hall towered like a giant cave. The high and mighty ceiling was hidden in the darkness of the night, as the light from the flaming torches and candles would not reach so far. The marble floor tiles reflected golden light, giving the room a tranquil atmosphere. The columns punctuated the walls, with the intermediate walls covered in a stark contradiction of flowery designs surrounding scenes of war. The table was oval and oblong, surrounded by ornate mahogany chairs.

The crystals of the sea mentioned earlier are nothing but illuminating crystals the size of a hen's egg or sometimes even of a molded fist. They are called crystals of the sea for their mode of derivation. They are obtained from a sea animal often found on the banks of some seas around the islands. The animal, itself called a Sea Crystal, carries the crystal as snails carry their shells, using it to illuminate their path underwater. The crystals' lights are renewed every day by exposure to the sun's rays, but they grow dimmer with age. A typical life of crystals is 8 to 12 months. Ornate light carriers grandly filed along the center of the table, respectfully among the assorted foods. They each bore the crystals in their eleven branches.

The sun had gone to sleep, and the King's dinner was just beginning. Lords with their wives, mystics, generals all chatted lightheartedly over the table. Dasirus and Haneya sat at the head of the table. Opposite the king and Queen sat the princes, Maxis the prince of Kainon with them, sitting hand in hand with Kiyanna. Maxis was a smallish man, a little below 7.5 aces. This evening, his sloping hair was drawn back, giving his moderately bearded face an unusual kingly allure. Well, he was Dravan's only child and heir to the throne of Kainon. He exuded an air of responsibility that was handsome even as his looks.

Almost half of the attendants were vegetarians, but it didn't seem so at first sight of the table. There were many trays of roast beef and chicken; pork and turkey. Fish lay in soups covered in glass dishes. Among the fruits were watermelons, grapes, berries, and apples, as many Islanders love to take fruit after an evening meal.

Kiyanna and Maxis rose together and walked to the king's end. She leaned over and whispered something to her father, and his eyes almost popped. Queen Haneya, elegant as always, squeezed Dasirus' shoulder.

'What is it, my Lord?' But the look on Kiyanna's face had said more than enough. She beamed at Kiyanna and Maxis. 'Kiyanna and Maxis just announced their intention.'

'Congratulations,' Haneya said. 'Your mother would be proud of you.'

'Thank you.' Kiyanna feigned a shallow smile. Kiyanna wasn't the most hospitable person towards her. Haneya knew she could never be like the late Queen Abigyl, and she had never tried. Even though she couldn't measure up in many ways, she knew she matched the late queen's elegance. The new queen won the Zainox beauty pageant before marrying Dasirus. She turned her attention towards Maxis. 'Your Highness is a lucky man.'

He made a slight bow with his head. 'Thank you very much, your Royal Highness,' he said. She could see he meant it wholeheartedly.

Maxis could see something in Dasirus' eyes. A glint of uneasiness he could not explain. Although he didn't think Dasirus would ever object, he was sure bending to Kiyanna's wish to turn this dinner into an engagement was appropriate anymore. He knew there was some kind of tension between Dasirus and his father, Dravan. Kiyanna's idea was that their wedding would force them to come together. Now Maxis was not so sure.