Contentions

Chapter 1

"Sire, a formal ceremony will bring joy and morale to the people. To just have your coronation without any sort of gathering isn't proper. I beg you to reconsider."

Prince Dala'kar looked back up at the bookshelf in front of him, closing the dusty dull blue book he was reading, and glanced over his shoulder at his adviser, the High Scholar Du'lan.

"The ceremony will also serve as an unnecessary distraction," he replied, his silky deep voice calm as he spoke. "The Emeresians have mobilized troops all on our eastern border. If they act during the ceremony, we will be at a disadvantage."

"And by not having the ceremony, you will already have warned the enemy that you suspect their plan," Du'lan countered, his eyebrows furrowed together and his jaw set hard. He leaned towards the prince so that his white and red embroidered mitre slid down into the middle of his forehead, his eyes staring at the prince's, almost unblinking.

Dala'kar studied the older man for a moment, trying to understand him. It was difficult for him to read people; that was his only true fault, the only real weakness he admitted.

He turned back to the bookshelf, reaching up to place the book back on the higher shelves he took it from, and turned back to face his old friend.

"Then what is your plan, High Scholar," the prince replied dully, "if Emeresian troops march into the capital in disguise as normal citizens, right under our very nose?"

The older man relaxed. His blue eyes turned towards the castle library's far left window-lined wall, his thumb grazing over his freshly shaved, wrinkled chin.

"Perhaps we could station troops around the perimeter of the city and at certain points throughout the city, looking for anyone who seems out of the ordinary?" he tried, peering over at the prince.

"That would leave the castle undefended, would it not?"

"I suppose you are correct. That is not an option," the old man sighed.

"Perhaps we could have the coronation elsewhere," the prince suggested without thinking. As soon as the last word left his lips, the prince inwardly scolded himself for his stupidity, and his body tensed.

The old man smiled. "Of course, that would be the best course of action. We could have the coronation around the Vernanala. The cliffs make it geographically safer, of course, but it would be symbolic as well! Many of the kings of old were crowned upon those cliffs, long before the Sesea Palace was built -"

"It is a fortress. It will suffice for what we need," Dala'kar interrupted, knowing he had been talked out of having the private ceremony he desired. He pushed his dark black locks behind his ears, sighing inwardly.

The High Scholar nodded. "The Vernanala is 130 miles south, along the southern coastline. We will need to leave very soon if we intend to have the ceremony there before your thirtieth birthday."

Dala'kar motioned for a servant standing in the room to approach them. "Make arrangements for my party to leave for the Vernanala by morning. Make an announcement to the people that the coronation will be there instead. Also, make sure Captain Ustan knows to keep his men here. Only my personal guard will travel with me."

The servant nodded, immediately leaving the room.

"Do not worry too much about this issue, my prince. Focus only on the coronation for the moment," Du'lan said softly.

"Is that your intention? To distract me?" Dala'kar turned back to face him. "The Emeresians are up to something. So soon to mobilize after the death of my father..."

Dala'kar narrowed his eyes. "It is too suspicious for them to not be involved at all."

Du'lan quietly watched him for a moment, analyzing him in a way that always bothered Dala'kar. "My Prince, please do not be too quick to act on assumptions. They have not attacked us yet."