Chapter 2: Meeting Asteria Eliphas

The sun was smiling across the blue-painted sky. The aroma of budding flowers surrounded the entire palace. It was indeed a blissful day for everyone, but not for Alaric.

                It was the day of his meeting with Asteria Eliphas, the chief minister’s daughter.

               “I didn’t know that the Chief Minister has a daughter,” he told Danko. They were strolling towards the court. “Do you know her?”

               “She is quite famous among the nobles, your majesty,” Danko answered. He swallowed his breath before continuing what he would say. “I do not know if I should tell you this, though.”

               “What is it?” Alaric asked the servant walking behind him. The hesitation in Danko’s voice was a giveaway. He knew it couldn’t be good.

               “She is an arrogant, violent, and unladylike woman.” Danko made sure he would understand his words. “She was greatly disliked by most of the nobles.”

               On the other hand, Alaric seemed to be not surprised by Danko’s words. “I expected that much. Her father is not an exemplary role model, to begin with,” he said while touching his forehead out of worry.

*******

               Reaching the court, the ministers lined up to welcome him. Alaric looked around and didn’t see Chief Minister Eliphas among the ministers.

               “He just wants to have a grand entrance,” he thought. He strolled up to his throne and sat.

               “The chief minister has arrived,” the messenger announced. At that moment, Alaric’s heart started to throb. 

               The chief minister entered the court alone. He walked towards the throne. “Greetings, Your Majesty,” he addressed him. There was a conniving smile across the older man’s face. “Meet my daughter, Asteria Eliphas.”

               A woman donning a long black robe entered the court. The robe she wore at that time covered her face. The ministers were all clenching their hands, their feet shaking.

               Alaric saw the minister’s reactions. “This woman has quite a terrible reputation, I see,” he said to himself. He put his hand under his chin and rested it. He wanted to look very uninterested as possible. 

The woman removed her robe, uncovering her face. 

               The people inside couldn’t choose what they felt when they saw her face. It’s like they were looking at the beautiful scenery or witnessing a miracle of a deity.

               Her jet-black hair and hazel eyes perfectly matched her snow-white skin. She has rosy lips and a small nose. Her slim body fitted her height, which wasn’t too tall nor too short. 

               “It is my great honor to meet you, your majesty,” said the woman. The ministers thought that her voice was very angelic, too. They couldn’t take their eyes off of her.

               That was the same case for Alaric, who was stuck staring right at her. He couldn’t believe that the woman in front of her was Chief Minister Eliphas’s daughter. It made no sense to him.

               “Your majesty,” the woman said once more.

               Her voice took Alaric back to reality. “It-it’s lovely to meet you finally,” he said. His voice was shaking from trying to find words to flatter her. “I heard a lot from the nobles about you, and they said that you are of great beauty.” 

               The woman’s reaction to what he said left him, and the ministers dumbfounded. “Really? They said that?” she asked in disbelief while laughing uncontrollably.

               At that moment, they were convinced that she was the chief minister’s daughter. They had the similar laughter — that such blood-curdling laughter.

               When the woman noticed that the people around fell into an awkward silence, she started to speak again, “Oh, apologies, I couldn’t control my laughter. I appreciate that people say I’m lovely, but having the nobles say that? Oh, come on, that’s a stretch.” Then she began to laugh again with that shrill voice of her.

 “She is indeed arrogant,” Alaric said to himself. “It was such a waste that a beautiful woman like her was acting like that. She looked like she didn’t come from the nobility.”

               The woman stopped laughing when Chief Minister Eliphas glared at her. The court was still quiet.

               Chief Minister Eliphas then grinned. “You are free to call for another meeting once you have decided, your majesty,” he said, trying to end the discussion right there.

********

The ministers took their leave from the court, one after another.

The woman also took off. The only people remaining were Alaric and Chief Minister Eliphas.

               Once all the people were gone, the older man started to speak, “Marry my daughter, your majesty. This is the only way to save your throne,” his low voice was threatening.

               Alaric was taken aback by the chief minister’s words. Confused, he asked, “What do you mean?” 

               “I still have almost a year to govern this nation. I am the regent. I could hand the throne to Prince Marcano, that is… if you want me to,” the older man answered with his terrifying signature grin.

               Alaric’s gut trembled. “Prince Marcano? He would surely grab any chance to seize the royal power,” he thought.

               The chief minister took one more glance at him before he went away. Seeing him confused, the older man laughed. “Keane Clementine could be the king,” he added.

               Keane was his cousin and the only son of Prince Marcano. The man was highly talented. 

               At that moment, cold sweat dripped from Alaric’s forehead. 

*******

               Sitting on an armchair inside his chamber, Alaric was drinking his second bottle of wine. He had been like that since he succeeded on the throne, drinking every night to sleep. His mind was too full of anxiety to hibernate without the help of alcohol.

               The door opened, and Danko emerged from it with a look of enthusiasm across his face. “Your majesty, good news,” he said while panting.

               Alaric halted his drinking. “Well, what is it?”

               Danko moved nearer to him, then whispered, “The knight has been found.” Then he looked at him, smiling.

               His eyes widened. “Really? Did you extract any information from him?” he asked with curiosity in his eyes and voice. 

               “He said that our man constantly changes his location, but he knows where he is right now,” Danko replied with a low voice in fear that a spy of the chief minister could be lurking around, but then his eyes became gloomy. “He said he could lead us, but it would take a half year to reach him.”

Alaric then felt hopeless, defeated. “How could I reach him with my situation?” He put both hands in his face, then growled a little out of frustration. “The coronation is in two weeks, and besides, the Chief Minister wouldn’t let me out of his sight.”

                “Play with your cards and gamble,” his servant told him, trying to console his miserable spirit. “A perfect revenge takes time, Your Majesty,” Danko added.

               He looked at his servant with a wary but fantastic gaze. Then, an idea occurred in his mind.

Gamble and play your cards.

“I think I know what to do,” he told himself.

********

               There was a typhoon that day.

The thunder was rumbling angrily in the sky.

Alaric felt the universe was sympathizing with the decision he was going to make.

               Chief Minister Eliphas was staring at him while standing before his throne. “Have you made your decision?” he asked, not wasting any of their time.

               Alaric’s legs began shaking. He thought he was fortunate enough to be sitting on the throne then. His breath hitched from his throat. “I will marry your daughter,” he told him. His voice was stained with hesitation and fear.

               The older man’s grumpy face lightened up. “Goodness gracious, what an excellent decision,” he exclaimed, not bothering to hide even an inch of his delight.

               “In one condition,” he yelled out the words he was dying to say.

               Chief Minister Eliphas raised his right eyebrow. “What is it?” He asked with obvious contempt.

               He clenched his fist tightly to suppress his anxiety. “I would like to begin an expedition with my chosen knights,” he answered. “It is my wildest dream to experience one, and I would like to make it come true before ruling the kingdom.” 

               The chief minister saw the desperation in his eyes. “Very well, your majesty,” the older man grinned. “You have a year to fulfill your dreams. Leave the kingdom to me,” he said.

               Alaric felt mixed emotions — fear, anger, hatred, but most specifically, hope. Even if it was just a glimpse of light he saw, he’s willing to do anything to grasp it and defeat Chief Minister Eliphas and everyone who took advantage of his weakness.