The Song of the Keepers

Chapter 31 A Request Granted

Isabella cleared her throat pointedly and I recalled my manners.

"Er, um, I mean, your highness."
I stuttered out, bending at the waist into a stiff bow.

Ranen looked thoroughly amused, the council, on the other hand, did not. The Prince waved his hand, signaling that I could rise. I crossed my arms behind my back, standing sharp at attention.

"Now that Keeper Hadassah is present, will you share with us what it is you have come all this way to discuss?"
Isabella asked in a perfectly disinterested tone.

Only her eyes betrayed her true curiosity; a curiosity that I also shared.

"Ah yes, thank you, good councilmen and women, for seeing me on such short notice, and being so amicable to hearing my proposal."

By the matching expressions of irritation on the council members' faces, it didn't appear that they hadn't been given much choice in the matter. When you still pretend at least to serve the King, you can't exactly turn away his son.

"Not so long ago, I was studying my family history and came across an interesting passage regarding King Mateo."
Ranen began, in the most diplomatic of tones.

I don't think any of us expected for his proposition to begin with a history lesson.

"He is most remembered for his institution of the Tournaments, but an often overlooked detail is that he was the only King in my family line to have a royal guard."

Isabella stared straight head, while I caught other council members exchange glances.

"He also had the longest life and reign of any monarch to date. In fact, he was replaced by his son Frederick not in death, but in a self-chosen retirement. He lived another fifteen years after his resignation as King, peacefully on the island of Kalta."

I hadn't known that a monarch could choose to retire, I thought it was similar to a marriage, 'til death do us part and all.

"These facts are accurate your highness, it is also known that Mateo was the longest-reigning ruler because of the instability of his father's health. Not many Kings can claim to have been crowned at 8 years old."
Lynn pointed out.

I recalled suddenly my conversation with a certain librarian in Los Eres on King Brantley, who in his five-year reign, had destroyed whatever religion was once present in Itova. He had the followers hung and burned any religious texts he could get his hands on, effectively terrorizing the people of Itova. He was eventually removed from his position, after having been diagnosed as certifiably insane. He was replaced by his eight-year-old son, Mateo.

"The length of his rule was indeed affected by his abnormally young entrance to power, however, there is a good reason to believe he owed much of his success to his exceptionally excellent royal guard."
Ranen countered.

"The Keepers have provided the Amir kings with excellent protection for centuries!"
Phillipe objected.

"Oh, of course, do not mistake me for insulting your esteemed order."
Ranen replied, completely unruffled.

"However, recent events have set me to pondering what my own reign will look like, someday. I pray this day is a long way off, but assassination attempts have a way of making you contemplate what once seemed to be far off in the future."

I don't think anyone in the room knew where he was going with this, or how it involved me.

"I should like to follow in the footsteps of Mateo, and establish for myself a royal guard."