Path of the King - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

The trip down to breakfast was awkward, to say the least. Anet’s vice-like grip on Isi’s wrist and shoulder did not slacken in the slightest as she led the way to the blue dining room, forcing her to march in front of Anet or risk serious injury. Well, theoretically at least. I doubted Anet would actually hurt Isi all that much––the two had known each other for half their lives and had been close friends for most of that time. 

Plus, Isi was not exactly helpless herself. She couldn’t truly keep up with a Vorontsov in close quarters, but she was both a capable magus and skilled martial artist. Her proficiency with reinforcement would probably be enough to save her shoulder and she had just enough witch blood that she was quite good at movement magecraft and self-healing. 

No one spoke as we made our way through the mostly empty halls. Anet’s heels clicked loudly against the polished stone floor, mostly drowning out the soft shuffle of Isi’s sandals and the pad of my bare feet. I trailed along just behind the two of them, focusing on my even stride and breathing. From time to time I’d intentionally add a small hitch or shuffle, particularly when we passed by one or more servants diligently cleaning or going about their business. They paused to watch us, bowing to me as we passed before returning to their work. 

It was probably a pointless precaution, but it cost me nothing to be careful. There were a lot of things that I didn’t want getting back to my parents, or anyone else for that matter.

It didn’t take long to reach the blue dining room. It was small and plainly decorated compared to the main dining room where my family welcomed guests or even the one where we typically ate when it was just us and close allies, but still quite lavish by any reasonable standards. 

Two servants were waiting for us when we arrived, kneeling on either side of the double doors with their heads bowed and their hands folded in their laps. Their simple beaded usekh marked them both as regular maids, and they briefly prostrated themselves as we approached before rising to their feet and opening the doors for us. 

As the name suggested, the entire room was decorated in shades of blue. The floor was made from pale blue marble, the blocks arranged such that the veins of the marble formed diamond patterns. Two of the walls and the ceiling were dominated by an enormous mosaic made from chips of lapis lazuli, turquoise, opal, and sapphire. Finally the last two walls were made of glass, revealing a breathtaking view of the gardens and the valley beyond.

The table at the center of the room was triangular and set with only two places, both of them facing the windows and offering a stunning view of the slowly rising sun. Anet waited for the maids to close the doors behind us and only then begrudgingly let go of Isi. My Hephaestion hurriedly took two quick steps towards the wall and out of Anet’s arms reach, briefly rubbing her wrist with her other hand before folding her hands behind her back and lowering her gaze to the floor. 

I pulled out Anet’s chair and she gracefully sank down onto the padded cushion, crossing her legs as her new sweater’s hem rode up her thighs. I took my own seat and Isi quickly slipped into her place just behind and to the left of my chair. 

Anet took one look at her and folded her arms over her chest. “None of that,” she said firmly. She glanced over her shoulder at the two maids. “Another setting,” she ordered.

One of the maids, the younger of the two, glanced over at me and began to open her mouth, but was quickly cut off by the other. “Of course, young mistress Anet. Just one moment.” 

She hurried out of the room and I turned my attention to the remaining maid. She was quite young. No more than sixteen or seventeen, or perhaps even fifteen. The beads on her usekh were blue and yellow, with only the clasp behind her neck being made from gold. I doubted she’d been working in the main house for more than a handful of weeks, and the faint tremble of her hands told me this was probably her first time interacting directly with a member of my family. 

That was probably supposed to be an insult from one of the senior servants. Probably Ahmed, one of my sperm donor’s favorites. The man was my half-brother and, like me, had been born defective. His mother was a powerful witch and his father a magus, but, like it sometimes happened, such things and magic circuits did not play nicely together and he had been born with neither gift. 

Perhaps in another life such a thing could have ended up bringing us closer together, but I was still a true-blooded Hephaestius and he was a bastard. He’d never forgiven me for that insult, but there was little he could really do to show it. This sort of petty ‘revenge’ was just like him. 

Even if she’d finished all of her basic training, a maid her age should have had at least a few years of experience cleaning, doing laundry, working in the kitchens, and otherwise learning the ropes before she was expected to interact with anyone who wasn’t another servant. 

“Isidora is always welcome to dine at my table,” I told her, smiling slightly to indicate that I wasn’t upset with her. “And Anet is a close friend.” 

She jerkily bowed her head. “Yes, Young Master. This one understands. Thank you for educating this one.” She really meant it too. 

I watched her for a moment longer, then turned away, smiling ruefully at the innocent earnestness in her voice. That, more than anything else, confirmed that she was very new. None of the older servants spoke to me like that. They all knew just how out of favor I was with my parents and rarely bothered to hide their own disapproval and distaste when they were forced to interact with me. 

My eyes met Anet’s and she inclined her head a fraction of an inch towards the girl meaningfully. I considered the question in her eyes for a moment, then nodded just as subtly. There were certain questions that were much more proper when they came from the mouth of a guest. 

Anet turned towards the maid, her usual disarming smile back on her face. “Sorry, I’m so used to everyone around here knowing who I am. I used to come by practically every day. I’m Anet Vorontsov. What’s your name?”

“Ah––” she glanced over to where the older servant had been standing a few seconds earlier, then back towards Anet. “My–– I mean, this one’s name is Bennu of the Fifth Cast.” 

“Bennu,” Anet rolled the name over on her tongue, “that’s a pretty name. Have you been working here for long?”

“No, young mistress. This one was transferred to The Master’s staff earlier this week from this one’s village school.”

My smile vanished. I looked Bennu up and down, taking in her appearance. She fit my dearest father’s tastes to a T. He’d never been subtle about such things, not even around Dalia. 

“Bennu,” I asked, my voice perhaps a tad bit sharper than it should have been, “how old are you?”

“This one is fifteen, young master.”

I clenched my teeth, biting back silent curses. I knew I was considered somewhat strange for finding such things distasteful. There were girls younger than her getting married every day, sometimes to men much older than my father. But, perhaps because of the influence of my past life, perhaps because I’d seen the looks directed at Dalia when she’d begun puberty, I didn’t like such things one bit. 

The servant’s door slipped open and the other maid emerged carrying a stack of dishes and cutlery. I paid her no mind as she went about setting up a second setting beside Anet. “And who do you report too?”

Bennu was starting to get worried, though she was doing an admirable job of hiding her nerves. “This one answers to Manager Ahmed, young master.”

“And was he the one who picked you out?” 

“Yes, young master.”

I nodded slowly. That sounded just like him. “You report to Isidora now,” I stated firmly. “Move your things tonight. If Ahmed says anything, point him towards Meryt or Gamal. They’ll deal with him.”

Bennu looked slightly overwhelmed and equally confused, but her training kicked in quickly. “Yes, young master. This one hears and obeys. This one is honored by the young master’s attention.”

The other maid, who had finished setting up Isi’s dishes and returned to her spot, shifted uncomfortably. “Young master,” she began, but Isi cut her off before she could say anything more.

“Speak when you are spoken to,” she ordered. “The young master may not be Heir, but he is still your better.”

She closed her mouth with a soft click and bowed her head. Isi and I’s relationship may not have been in a very good place right now, and I was very much my parent’s least-favorite child, but she was still the fourth-highest ranked servant in the entire estate and could make a simple maid’s life very difficult. 

“Good. Now, the young master and mistress are hungry. Do your duty and begone.”

The rest of breakfast was uneventful. Despite Anet’s best efforts, Isi refused to be drawn into our conversation and neither of us were willing to force the issue. Not after she’d finally shown a fraction of the spine I hadn’t seen from her in years. 

We mostly spoke of inconsequential things. My time in Oslo, how my classes were going, and so forth. She also caught me up on what was going on in Egypt while I’d been away. It was easy enough to get mundane news, but things didn’t travel nearly as quickly on the mystical side of things. 

I hadn’t really missed much. A few marriages, some minor policy changes, and a new alliance between a few members of the Conservative faction of the Council. The biggest news was that one of the senior members of the Council had stepped down and been replaced by his son, but I’d heard about that already. 

We fell silent when our food was served, luxuriating in each other’s company and the fine flavors. It was nice to be able to eat my old favorites––burgers, pizza, and pad thai––whenever I wanted to, but the foods of my second life had grown on me as well and it was annoyingly difficult to get good middle-eastern cuisine in Norway. 

After the meal, Anet suggested a walk through the gardens and I was happy to oblige. There were a few things I needed to take care of before I left, but spending time with Anet was just about the most important thing that had dragged me back. This could very well be my last opportunity to just waste the day away with her by my side, and I would make the most of it. 

Isi didn’t join us this time, begging away to deal with the new mess I’d dropped into her lap. I let her go without a word, and this time Anet did the same. 

We left the dining room side by side and by the time we reached the nearest entrance to the gardens, her hand had found my own, her slender, pale fingers intertwining with my thicker, darker digits. 

Neither of us spoke until we were well away from the manor, surrounded by well-tended bushes and the occasional flowering tree. “You’re planning something.”

I raised one eyebrow. “You’ll have to be more specific. I’m planning a lot of things. My schedule for next term, my travel itinerary, the rest of my day…”

Anet aimed an elbow at my side and I nimbly sidestepped, then fell back into place beside her. 

“Something stupid.”

“Hmm, I know taking forty credits worth of classes in one semester is a lot, but I think I can get away with it. Plus, Early 20th Century English Literature is basically a gimme. The Professor is––”

I had to dodge out of the way of another elbow and a follow up kick, but Anet hadn’t put much effort into either one so it wasn’t much of a challenge. I didn’t even need to let go of her hand. 

“Jerk,” she mumbled. “You know what I mean.”

I sighed heavily. “No comment.”

“Keon.”

“No comment.”

She didn’t bother asking me if I’d tell her when I was ready like Dalia had. She knew I would. If things turned out the way I hoped they would, she’d know nearly as quickly as Dalia. And if they didn’t, well, it wouldn’t matter to me anymore, but she’d know soon enough regardless. Some things were impossible to hide fully. 

She thankfully changed the subject, saving me from needing to do so myself. “So, how long have you been working on that,” she asked, gesturing towards my feet.”

I nearly missed a step. Only nearly though. “What do you mean?” I asked glibly. 

She ignored my question. “You don’t quite have it down, but you’re getting pretty good at it. Better than me, even. I thought I recognized what you were doing last time you came to visit, but I’m sure of it now.”

Huh. I wasn’t sure exactly what to say to that, but I didn’t want to confirm her suspicions if we somehow weren’t thinking of the same thing. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Anet rolled her eyes in exasperation. It was a bad habit that she had passed along to my sister, much to our mother’s dismay. “It's a good skill, but I don’t think that Breathing and Walking will be enough to fix your problems.”

There it was. “Probably not,” I agreed. But, as she’d said herself, it was a very good skill to have. There were very few ways for someone like me to actualize mysteries, and this one came with a number of other benefits. It had cost me a small fortune to get the basics out of a former member of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, but it had been more than worth the price. “I hadn’t realized that was something your family trained in.”

She smiled mysteriously, the way she did whenever a conversation moved too close to things she couldn’t talk about. “There are countless paths to walk when it comes to achieving mastery of the self.”

This time it was my turn to roll my eyes. “Right,” I drawled. 

Anet giggled, leaning her head against my shoulder. I squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.

We continued down the path, weaving between copse of trees and hedges sculpted to look like dragons, falcons, and other animals both mystical and mundane. “Breathing and Walking isn’t just something you pick up in a day. Not unless you’re a natural, and I know you’re not. It's something that can take a lifetime to master, if you’re able to do so at all.”

“Anything that is worth doing is worth doing right. And no one has ever accused me of not being sufficiently dedicated towards the things that interest me.” Quite the opposite, in fact. 

“True enough,” Anet whispered. 

She stopped abruptly, and I was drawn up short by her grip on my hand. Surprised by the sudden stop, I stumbled, and she pulled me back up towards her, our chests colliding. She caught my other hand out of the air and held it at her side, leaving us standing face to face beneath a swaying canopy of pink magnolias. 

Anet looked up at me with her big, soulful eyes. Her hair fluttered in the light breeze, sunlight filtering through the leaves and falling upon her pale tresses, making them shimmer like waves of beaten gold. A small smile adorned her ruby lips, revealing just a hint of pearly white teeth. She looked like an angel, or maybe even a goddess, reminding me more of the fine Grecian statues that littered the grounds than a creature of living flesh and blood. 

Despite myself, I felt my heartbeat quicken. With her head tilted back and our bodies pressed together, our faces were just a hairsbreadth apart. I would barely need to move my head to kiss her, and I was nearly overcome with the desire to do just that. I was transfixed, the rushing of my blood echoing loudly in my ears

“You’re not allowed to die.” Anet’s words shocked me out of my momentary trance and I blinked rapidly.

“What?” I stammered. I hadn’t meant to say anything, but the word just slipped out. 

“You’re not allowed to die,” she said again, her voice as resolute and solid as a mountain. “Whatever it is you’re doing, whatever you’re trying to achieve…you’re going to succeed because you’re not allowed to die trying, and that's the only way you’d ever fail. Do you understand?”

Anet and my sister were both far too perceptive. Or maybe three years surrounded by normal, mundane humans had dulled my capacity for subterfuge. It was much harder to be on guard when no one was trying to see through you every moment of every day. 

I didn’t have it in me to lie to Anet. Not like this. “Shouldn’t you be trying to convince me not to do anything stupid?” 

Her smile was rueful. “When have I ever been able to convince you not to do something when you have your heart set on it?”

My mind flashed back to simpler days and I sighed heavily. “I’ve always been too stubborn for my own good, huh.”

“You wouldn’t be my Keon if you weren’t.”

Her Keon. The words sent a small thrill shooting down my spine. I liked the sound of that, but it also reminded me of something else. Something else I liked the sound of even more. My Anet. Mine. And nobody else's. 

“I’m leaving tomorrow.” Anet’s face fell and I quickly continued. “But I’ll be back before the end of the summer.” I would be. To do otherwise would be to disappoint the one person in this entire blasted, unfair, unjust world whose opinions truly mattered to me. 

And that was simply not an option. 

The doubts I’d been carrying with me all this time fell away. Even with all my preparations, all my hard work, all the blood, sweat, and tears I’d shed, a seed of doubt had always dwelled at the core of everything. After all, I was trying to do what most considered to be impossible. Who wouldn’t doubt themselves, at least a little bit? 

But failure simply wasn’t an option. Anet had said it herself; I wasn’t allowed to die trying, so I simply had to succeed instead. How wonderfully simple. 

I nodded. “I’ll be back. And everything is going to be different. Better.”

Anet blinked, the ghost of a question glimmering in her eyes before it was swiftly wiped away. The tip of her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and this time I didn’t have to struggle to resist their temptation. After all, it wasn’t a question of if, but of when. And I could be patient when it counted. 

Soon. 

Soon.