The Falling Of Day

II

Gavril hated the days where he was woken before the sun had started to set.

Being the prince of Night he-like many other people in the city-had grown accustomed to waking up as the sun started setting.

He was only woken up on the days where he had business with one of his provinces, they often did not function on the same solar cycle as the royal city.

He roled out of his bed with the intent to role back in, promising himself that the meeting would last no longer than an hour.

"Your Highness, I apologize for interrupting. Your father is sending a word to ask you to hurry to the advisor meeting. He says they have been-"

"I do not care what they have been doing, I will arrive when I see fit." He waved off the girl with his hand and rolled his eyes.

She must be new, he thought to himself.

No one was idiotic enough to not only rush the prince but also to bother him at such an early hour.

"Well, I am positive that if this matter was of life and death we would have all been dead due to my son's foolish laziness." The king spoke as Gavril made his way to his seat at the opposite end of the table.

The meeting was held in a large room with large windows opening to the much-hated sunlight, with an unknown breeze causing the wood of the large bookshelves to moan and creak displaying their age, the breeze also brought a swift movement to the thick drapes that Gavril wished to pull over the light seeping in that he found to be bothersome.

Gavril was wearing a devilish smirk on his face when he decided to respond to his father.

"Well if you are not dead then why did you send that thing to summon me," Gavril countered his father, knowing how this would end.

Crossing his arms over his chest.

He stared at the lords of Dusk, and Autumn, then to the Lady of Winter.

The lords and lady were Gavril's court. Each had taken their parents seat at the table when the prince turned twenty and his father insisted. The four of them have spent their childhood fighting, drinking, and getting into trouble.  

Some would say that they were friends but the kingdom knew that Gavril did not have friends, but they were the closest thing to friendship he had.

Gavril looked to father, that same evil smirk dancing on his face.

"Spit it out father, I would like to return to my slumber." Most would never dare speak to the King of Night, but his son knew that the king was old, and soon to be passing his crown onto Gavril.

So he allowed his son's antics as if to assure he would have a pleasant life after his son's move to King. Even if it was only for a little while.

"Princess Saskia is turning twenty and queen Ambriel has requested our presence at the celebration."

"No," Gavril spoke, "I would rather die than willingly spend time in the Day  Kingdom."

Lord Umbranos of the Autumn chuckled. 

He was the closest to the prince in age, he was freshly twenty-seven years old, only a year older than the prince.

His informal outburst was not foreign although Gavril would harshly mention it later in the day.

"Why not?" The young lord teased the prince, another bold move on his part.

"Well, Umbranos if you want to be around flowers and pink gowns and that Goddess awful daylight then, by all means, I am sure you have the King's blessing but I have much more important things to do." Gavril stod as he spoke rising from the table.

"Son, I was not asking. This is a sign of diplomacy and you and your court will be in attendance."

Your court, his father had referred to the lords and lady in front of him as his court.

It was a subtle hint of how the king was feeling.

Sick.

Gavril knew his father's time was burning low and although he would never in his life admit it, he was two things.

Sad and Scared.

After his father's passing he would have no family, he knew that he shouldn't care, but he would mourn his father just as he mourned his mother that had died giving birth to him.

Gavril took his father's silent message and decided that he would be a good son for even the last bit of his father's life. It would be now.

"Alright I shall go, but I do not promise to be on my best behavior." He said smirking to Umbranos

Gravel looked to the others seated at the table.  Nixya, Lady of Winter was the youngest and only female at the table sitting with the same reserve and cold look on her face as her father had held when he sat at the table. Being the only female in the court made for the automatic assumption that she was weak, Gavril had known from a childhood of her tackling the boys as if they were nothing proved that idea wrong and she was not afraid to tell anyone that.

Next to her was Lord  Ceraeus of Autumn. He was the oldest of the princes court, and he made a point to remind everyone.

Although he was typically opposed to formality, his father's passing and his taking of the title meant he could no longer run through the red and orange fields his Province has year round. Gavril noticed how stressed he looked. A dull look on his monolid eyes that once held a mischievous glint to them.

Gavril didn't care, he had simply observed that his friend looked in need of a drink.

"If that is all," Gavril turned his focus to his father, "my court and I have preparations to make for this party." 

He spat out the word party causing Nixya to flinch and Umbranos to deeply chuckle.

King Noctaus was -as Gavril would say- nervous, the prince hadn't set foot in the Day Kingdom in a decade or two.

He was not the same five year old boy who had attended the celebration for Princess Saskias's first day in the world.

That made him very nervous.