Abyss - Book Five of the Alpha Series - MxM

Chapter 11

The ballroom is surprisingly full. I'm unsure what I expected; perhaps I hoped nobody would show up. There are two levels, and the second one is separated only by a banister rail so those above can look down on those below. Our guests were not waiting long, as my court had arrived, and Loan was already having a riveting conversation with an entourage of multiple ambassadors.

"Presenting, his royal highness, Prince Nicolas." The master of ceremonies declares, I force myself to straighten with a nod to the crowd's applause. 

"Take a breath, " Ana gently reminds me. I obediently inhale. "You can do this."

There was a difference between knowing and doing; my stomach twisted in knots at the weight of the situation before us. This was more than rising to the throne, this was to ensure that we had the support ready to go to war the moment my crown was replaced with that of a King. 

As we make our way through the room, there is a barrage of accepting congratulations and due wishes on my upcoming crowning. Some people are older and remember me from my childhood, and some have been following my tour as one of the leading forces in the battle to overtake Ziduri. It truly surprises me how much of the battles are common knowledge.

It's a struggle not to remind them that for months, I sat in my castle with no aid, that my family had been slaughtered, and it was as if the entire nation refused to speak about it. 

Was my father truly so hated in the end? 

I'd already come to accept this as a fact, yet I struggled. The fickle nature of people never ceased to disappoint me.

 Did they think I did not remember the rumor of the bastard child of Lord Darius? 

Did they think I couldn't feel them staring at my red hair?

There's little for me to add; all I can manage is to accept the praise, for it seems the details of combat were too horrific for such a crowd. The wealthy have been watching our advancement, much like a show or a play. It was as if, to them, it had hardly even happened beyond a handshake and an agreement. They did not have to witness loved ones turned savage or run for their lives from the rabid. 

They did not have to send foot soldiers into the depths of an Elven fortress, knowing most of them would die. 

They did not have to rebuild a kingdom on the back of a poor reputation and a broken spirit. 

Yet they spoke as if it were effortless on my part, as if they could know. 

"Prince Nicolas, I heard your men were quite the sight on your arrival. I hope you found yourself uninjured after such an unsettling attack." A duchess questions, fanning herself, making me hold back as the heavy scent of perfume hits my nose. 

"Of course, my men are well trained, but I'm also not helpless. It was a shame, more than a hindrance, ruined good clothes for the sake of a cause that I can't get my mind around. Though I am surprised at the presence of a rebellion against the crown so close to the capital." I allow, earning a few surprised expressions and awkward shuffles. 

I'm unpredictable to them, and I make them uncomfortable.

I grow tired of the recycled political talk, and yet, this seems to be all these people are capable of. Any attempt to talk about the war and the upcoming stand against the empire is met with redirection to talks of advancement and roads, the opening of more churches, and political candidates who deserve backing.

Everyone wants something, be it money or land. There was continual disappointment that I had no family left to marry into, which sent me on a spiral I was not ready for. I had not expected to bring people frustration with my predicament, that I would be hard to get close to, for I had nothing to offer but my own hand.