Eclipsis: Water

Chapter 29

The tour of Lune started on the floor Junto and Ondine were on. He briefly showed her each room - all bedrooms and bathrooms that were unoccupied, and each far less glamorous and spacious than the one that Ondine's father had  assigned her.

As Ondine poked her head in the door of each one, trying to look as though she were interested in the decor, she felt eyes on her from the guards near the stairs - particularly the fomorian who had answered her call just minutes ago. Though intimidated, when she caught them looking, she would stare right back in the hope of portraying herself as some sort of authority. She wasn't sure if it was working.

Junto informed her that the floor above them was the roof, as well as where some of the Moon guards were stationed. Ondine noticed that he took special care to emphasise the "s" in "guards" - she assumed it was in case she considered the roof as an escape route. In fact, she had beforehand, but crossed it off the mental list now that she knew she was sure to be caught. She decided to strike up a conversation about Calder once Junto was leading her back to the dining-room for lunch.

"You and my father are close, I assume?" She made sure to ask as innocently as she could.

Junto's long, shaggy hair gently hit the side of his face as he turned to her. "We are not really 'friends', if that's what you mean, miss. I am His Highness' personal assistant, so close professionally?.. I would say yes."

"Is there any reason why? He chose you to be his assistant, I mean. There are a lot of guards in this castle."

"Indeed," he nodded. "I think you'd have to ask the King himself why he chose me."

"He told me," She said quickly, feeling as though her words were spilling out. She bit down on her tongue. "He said... That you're the only Moon who knows what he looks like."

The kappa was silent for a moment, and all that was heard was the quiet sloshing of the water against in the dent in his head. "Yes, that's correct."

"Is that because..?" Ondine's voice had dropped to a whisper, and she leaned down further towards his height so that she was not overheard by the guards. "Because he's a Sun?"

She had said the wrong thing; Junto's beak clacked loudly. "Apologies, miss Ondine, but he is no longer part of your world. He is a Moon."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," Ondine felt annoyance prick at her heart. "I guess I'm not quite used to seeing him as King here."

"That's quite all right. But to answer your question, yes. Think about how his subjects would respond if they knew the truth. They would immediately know you were his daughter, too."

"So there'd be an overthrowing?" She questioned. "I'd be killed?"

Junto shrugged. "Perhaps, perhaps not. I think a fair many would be outraged, but His Majesty is very powerful. Everyone knows how many people he killed the day he sought revenge on the former king. They just think he was a prisoner who had escaped his cell."

"You have power over him, don't you think?"

"Whatever do you mean, miss?" The kappa's expression had morphed into a frown.

"Well, that's a very big secret to keep. If you told even one Moon about him, it would change his life in a devastating way. It might end his reign, or worse."

"I would not do such a thing to His Majesty," Junto snapped. "Are you suggesting that I would?"

"No, no," She put on her gentlest voice. "I was merely pointing it out."

They had reached the tall doors of the dining-room.

"Apologies, miss Ondine," Junto said, rushed. "I did not mean to speak to you that way. You may tell the King so that he can see what punishment would fit best."