"His Majesty, King Xanxier Otis, the son of Heaven as arrived." An announcement was made immediately the massive door opened.
Xanxier was dressed in plain green luxirious tunic and pants, A golden cape draped on his shoulders. It was an unusual colour for him to wear cloths without his signature of the golden embroidery all over it and more unusual he opted for tunic and pants over his royal robes. His hair wasn't braided, it was tied into a single ponytail at the top of his head, he was looking so regal with his dark veil in place.
Xanxier walked in with Daminas and Kale trailing behind him, his golden cape sweeping the floor. He stopped for a second to take a glance at the announcer who quickly bowed. His eyes swept over the room and he was a little glad Vane wasn't present. They had been avoiding each other since the day Xanxier woke up and cried on Vane's shoulder.
It occurred to Xanxier how embarrassing it was when he finally got out of bed at dawn recalling all what happened when he woke up. He wanted to leave immediately since he doesn't know what to do if Vane comes to see him. He was glad Vane didn't come to check on him till he left.
He found himself thinking about what he saw when he was unconsious. Mostly he thought about Anaksanasan, he was in deep thought and unconsciously chose a plain cloth that was more suited for leaving the palace in a disguise of a rich noble. He was too lazy to change when he checked the mirror to see his image reflecting back at him in a plain green tunic and pants.
Taking his seat on the throne, he rest his back on the backrest and shook out his sleeves resting his hand on the arm as his beautiful index finger tapped on the arm slowly. He could see five people at the center of the room dressed in plain cloths ready to have an audience with him.
"Did they break curfew?" Xanxier asked when the ministers straightened from their bowing position.
Goutra stepped forward. "Yes your Majesty."
"Prime Minister I want you to deal with those that breaks curfew." Xanxier declared. "They may all convene to your office from now on."
It was a hard decision and Xanxier had been thinking about it for some time. It was time consuming for him to be judging the matters brought to him. Breaking curfew was a minor case and Barin had been attending court for five years and Xanxier already valued him high to take the position since Barin was intelligent and would know how Xanxier would deal with cases about curfew.
"Your Majesty! Your humble servant will settle any matter concerning curfew with my utmost abilities, I am gratefull for this opportunity to serve you your Majesty, to serve Autumnshell and to serve her people." Barin turned to Xanxier and kowtowed his eyes misty. He blinked a few times when he stood up.
Xanxier flicked his index finger as a sign to the guards ignoring Barin that bowed to him after kowtowing. Four guards quickly escorted the people out of the room. He narrowed his eyes at Yua whose eyes was darting guitily around the room as he brought out a note from his sleeves. Xanxier raised his hand to support his chin, his gaze on Yua.
"Your Majesty." Yua stepped forward. "The King's market is getting larger and it is affecting the residence closer to it and the population of the residents in Autumnshell is increasing I think we have to demolish and extend the walls of the south to accommodate more and for the people to be safe within the walls." Yua reported as he straightened out the note he was holding.
"Make necessary arrangement for that with the Lord of coins and bring me a written detail report." Xanxier interrupted. Knowing that Yua was about to report on the amount of people affected and the amount needed to make the wall and necessary arrangement.
"Yes your Majesty." Yua nodded at Trazin before falling back in line.
"Wenga?" Xanxier called out, his gaze on the minister of affairs who was exchanging suspicious glances with Yua.
"Your Majesty." The bulky man stepped forward. "A fire outbreak occurred in a small rural village called Mellow and they all survived. The Chief came here to seek refuge with fifty seven of his people." The minister of affairs explained.
This was tricky and the first time Xanxier would encounter a bizarre situation. Normally people that this type of disaster happened to would mostly ask for resources to help them rebuild and they would be adamant on not leaving their homes. With the way it sounded Xanxier could guess they set their houses on fire.
"Refuge?" Xanxier raised an eyebrow. "If I recall isn't this Mellow far north?" It was definately fishy for them to come over from far north passing all other nations just to seek refuge in Autumnshell.
"Yes your Majesty." Wenga affirmed. "Mellow and three of those clans that refused to be part of any province came here and begged for us to accommodate them here and they want to be part of Autumnshell." He elucidated.
"Your Majesty it is one of the reason the lower town is getting congested." Yua added looking guity. "We allowed them in because they are all healthy and not carrying any weapon or disease and guards were assigned to watch over them also we had the permission of Lord Daminas." He was quick to push the blame off him.
It had never been heard of, of clans leaving their homes to be part of a Kingdom. According to their report, Yua and Wenga took a decision in allowing them to stay within Autumnshell walls without asking for his permission. Xanxier couldn't blame them, they dont have to tell him Daminas chased them away when they came to Vane's villa to see him. He was unconscious then which means the decision was up to Daminas.
Yua and Wenga stepped forward and they knelt, their hands planted on the ground. "Forgive your humble servants your Majesty." They cried out.
There were hush murmuring among the officials and Xanxier turned to Daminas that quickly joined Yua and Wenga but he didn't kneel since Xanxier eyes bored into his, silently daring him to kneel. Since Daminas clearly finalized the decision without consulting him means he was also guilty.
"Forgive your humble servant your Majesty." Daminas bowed deeply, his head almost touching his kneel with how low he bowed.
Xanxier turned to Za ignoring Daminas. He hated how low Daminas used to behave, acting like he was on the same level with other ministers. "Za?" He needed Za opinion to know if they would be accommodating spies.
"Your Majesty the reason they abandoned their homes are not clear but Freshland would mostly pass by their villages." Za reported on the details he found out.
"After the war we will help them rebuild and send them home." Xanxier declared. "For now send for each head of the clans to see me in my study immediately after court and Yua and Wenga you may join the others."
The two quickly stood up and fall into line and Xanxier proceed to ignore Daminas that chose to walk down the stairs to bow deeply to him like he commited a crime when he was supposed to stay at his side without even apologizing.
The rest of the report were read to him and Xanxier listened attentively nodding to each report as good. They concluded the end of the report and Goutra gaze directed at Duren.
"Your Majesty." Duren stepped forward. "I was informed about a suspicious woman that came into Autumnshell. I made an investigation and caught her outside the palace and she said she came to see you and insisted she wants to see you but she is a citizen of Freshland."
A citizen of Freshland wanted to see him? Xanxier had no idea why someone from the nation they were about to go to war with would come here to seek for him. He would had categorized her as a spy if she didn't say she came to Autumnshell to see him. Xanxier knew Duren's informant was Za.
"Why?" Xanxier wondered why a woman from Freshland would want to see him.
"According to my investigation with Lord Za, she is Lady Meesa, ward of King Rou Mahaza of Freshland." Duren explained as Xanxier's eyes widen and almost pop out of his sockets.