The Golden Child

~Elias~*

I breathed in and out, watching the spectacle. Wondering what ridiculous smoke and mirrors trick they pulled off this time to make it seem real. Wishing more than anything to talk to the sad, scared girl behind the powers.

All of this shouldn't have bothered me. Every time I voiced my concerns to my father, he would snort and say that one day the girl, Syren, would make my life a living hell. Because she wasn't a girl, but a goddess. I still didn't believe him. He just says those things so he can keep the populace under her thumb, and through that, his thumb.

Anius, my advisor, alerted me to a council meeting. I groaned, but stood anyway. I would rather be outside in the woods, in nature, but I didn't have much of a choice. I followed Anius through the door of the royal caravan and my guards and I set off across the city, people peeling out around us.

How I wanted to go among my people and find out their needs, to speak with them, to talk to someone other than Anius or my father. How I wanted us to quit wasting our money on golden towers and use it to feed starving people on the streets. How I wanted us to shift our attention from forlorn golden goddesses, and put it towards making Calanyun great again.

But instead I stayed sheltered, the people hating me. Instead we made golden silk dresses and used up our money of pretty girls with pretend powers and gilded cages. I felt bitter towards my father, and wished that I could be king already, as he was a poor excuse of a man who offered shiny towers that were cages, and grand parties for all, if only you could become a nobleman.

I had plans for when I was king, and none of them included focusing everything we had on one person.

But before I could become a great king, I had to attend council meetings. As Anius and I entered the council chamber, I looked at the sad state of those in charge. Henry Bashaki, he main general, with a potbelly, no chin, bald head, and no real military time, couldn't raise up his soldiers to do anything except gorge themselves on roast pigs. Anton Deliader, a fool who though he could steer the king in any direction he chose, was fast asleep, and only woke when I entered. Bridget Nirah, the only lady on the council, was in charge of budgets, but spent a thousand dollars a year on beauty products for herself. My father, who cared little what happened to his kingdom but lots about what happened to his precious golden child.

Other than them, it was Anius, who wasn't even aloud to have a say, and myself, who 'wasn't old enough to make good decisions', according to Anton. At that, my father had grunted, which Anton took for a yes.

"Are we ready to begin, sires?" Anius asked nervously.

"I suppose," my father grunted. "It's budgets today."

We all groaned, and then Bridget, who had been picking at her nails, rose and passed some papers to my father. "Budget reports," she said sadly.

"I see another thousand dollars was stolen. Bashaki, don't we have security down there?" My father said with a sigh.

"We do, your highness, we do, but not good enough, I need another hundred and fifty four dollars." Bashaki reported.

"Isn't that the going rate for a roast pig?" I asked.

Bashaki reddened, and Anton glared at me and said, "Seen but not heard, boy! Seen but not heard!"

"You dare speak to my son that way," My father said quietly. His anger was starting. "You have tried to control me. Tried to influence me. But who is king here? You or I? You are not in charge of me. Leave. You are fired!"

Anton's face paled, then reddened, and he cried, "You will regret this!"

My father snorted, and told Bashaki to tell all the guards that Anton was no longer welcome here.

In short, It was an interesting council meeting.