Candle light burned around a table with Julius at the center, well tied never to move an inch. He gazed at the roof of the building as his heart seemed to beat out of his thorax. Everybody could see it externally from the movement of his abdomen like the respiratory features of a dog after a race. King Corbett and Adriana seated on their thrones watching as the incantation process began. Albat stood alone at a corner while the knights lined up at a corner too. Only the cadiwans occupied the centre of the palace, circulating the table with their hands and heads raised up as if to summone the sky spirit.
The silence observed in the palace could have a deaf man healed from his misfortune. Even the disturbance of the candle flame by breeze rattled the eardrums of everyone in the chamber until the cadiwans broke the silence with the language of the old. Their voices chorused uniformly as they chanted in spanish saying, "Espíritu celestial de lo antiguo, presta atención a nuestras súplicas y sálvanos de la perdición. Revelanos el secreto...."
The sound of the large door of the palace which opened forcefully interrupted them. They brought down their hands and heads as all directed their eyes to the door to see Cyrus briskly walking in with his staff while Bruce followed from behind. Cyrus' garment had the colour of his long grey beards, even his staff. Seeing him, the king straightened up from his throne with a glare.
"Who summoned you, Cyrus, son if Loki?" his voice angrily echoed in the palace. "How dare you interrupt the cadiwans unannounced and uninvited? Are you out of your mind? What power do you have to do so?!" he added.
Cyrus stopped just before the table, looking at the king over the cadiwans' shoulders. To have a great man for an intimate friend seems pleasant to those who have never tried it; those who have, fear it. Albat and Julius were somehow happy to notice the presence of the great book wizard, but Bruce feared what might be the outcome of his presence.
"My Lord." Cyrus began. "You ask of the power I possess; The goal of life is not to possess power but to radiate it."
The king stood up swiftly. "You dare not show your power here!" he took two steps away from his throne. "Now state your purpose as an uninvited guest." he commanded.
"The boy is innocent!" Cyrus' voice echoed.
"And of what evidence and authority did you say this?" The leader of the cadiwans interfered.
"I think people in power have a vested interest to oppose critical thinking. Question yourselves how an innocent boy can survive the soil of the forbidden forest without an aid from a powerful being?"
"That, we want to find out."
"Well, find no more because I put him in the forest with my power to save the princess when I noticed the accident. He was the only one who could save the princess. The king should be thankful rather than looking for reasons where not necessary."
Silence creeped in again in the very chamber. All looked at the king to have his finally say. He had been mute for sometimes, looking at Cyrus and Julius. Suddenly, in the tranquility, he returned to his throne, sat down and said with a low voice, "The incantation process must continue."
Bruce hung his breath while Cyrus shouted, "My lord..."
"Enough, Cyrus, son of Loki!" the king interrupted him harshly. "If what you said is true, the cadiwans will see it. What different does it make? Unless there's a skeleton in someone's cupboard. In my authority, I command the cadiwans to proceed."
"All authority is quite degrading. It degrades those who exercise it, and degrades those over whom it is exercised." Cyrus challenged.
"You claim to be strong, but the strongest is never strong enough always to be master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty. heed to my words and obey me, Cyrus."
"I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good like the one used to save your daughter through this innocent boy. You can't subject him to this spiritual torture."
"I can and I must." The king looked at Nero. "Make this man leave." he ordered him.
When Nero walked closer to Cyrus in order to push him out, Cyrus hesitated and said, "Put your iron hand in a velvet glove."
"Nero, let him be. It's even better he stays so we can know if all his rantings are true." The king looked at the cadiwans. "Please, proceed." he concluded.
Tension returned to the chamber when the cadiwans raised their hands and heads up again. Albat suddenly began to wonder why Cyrus was seriously fighting for the incantation to stop. She concluded that there must be something behind it which she must find out. Nevertheless, the candle light danced to the direction of invisible power when the voices of the cadiwans in Spanish grew higher and stronger until the light totally went off. At that time, they stopped, brought down their hands and heads. Everything and every being stood still in the chamber
"What did you see?" The king broke the silence.
"Everything was blank, my lord." The leader replied.
The king stood up. "That's impossible."
"Impossible because it has nothing to do with the boy." Cyrus interfered.
Bruce exhaled likewise Julius himself who didn't understand a single thing of his true identity. He jumped down from the table and hurried to Bruce when they untied him. Meanwhile, the cadiwans had bowed and took their leave. Just before Cyrus, Bruce and Julius left the palace too, Adriana's voice stopped them saying, "I thank you both for saving my life regardless how and why you did it."
They all looked back at her without saying a thing. Albat could see the way her princess looked at Julius, admirably, lovingly and attractively. She swallowed hard. When they proceeded to leave for the second time, the king called them saying, "There's something about you, young boy that I cannot put a finger on. I'll like you to be my cup bearer."
Hearing that, Julius happily looked at Bruce, hoping that he says yes to the request because working in the royal castle which he had long wished to step inside would be awesome especially beside the king himself every minute and day.
"My lord." Bruce began. "Julius has no good character. He's not worthy to be your cup-bearer." he said.
"What nonsense!" The king returned to his throne. "Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character. Don't worry, he will get to be good under my roof."
"My Lord..."
"It was an order, Bruce, son of Divit."
"I'm honored, my lord" Julius happily interfered. "I will not only be your cup bearer, I'll also be your... your..." he whispered to Cyrus when he ran out of words saying, "Book wizard, what else can I bear?"
Cyrus kept mute and began to slide his long beards.
"I'll also be your... your sorrow bearer; I'll bear your pains and sorrows, my lord. Yes" he began to smile sheepishly, hopping that he sounded convincing. Adriana couldn't help but to smile at his character too, falling for him more and more, and Albat never hesitated to notice it. She was actually getting jealous. "When should I resume my duties, my lord?" Julius added.
"Immediately." The king replied. "Albat will show you your quarters." he added before they all departed.
:
:
It was dinner in the royal castle. The king and princess Adriana seated on a round table with assorted checking, strawberry, wine and other fruits. Beside the king was Julius, pouring a wine in a cup while Albat did same in Adriana's cup.
"So tell me, Julius son of Bruce, what do you aspire to become in life?" The king asked his cup bearer.
"My lord, a physician like my father and getting married to the most beautiful girl on earth that I love." Julius replied hilariously, making everyone to chuckle except Albat who glanced at him.
"I don't believe in love, Julius, son of Bruce." the king objected.
"Why, my Lord?"
"Because where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other. I believe in power." the king cut a chicken.
Julius began to fill another cup. "I also heard that the day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace. Power does nothing but create enemity between kingdoms." he contradicted.
"Have you forgotten women love strong and powerful men?"
"I want to be happy, my lord. I heard love brings happiness not power."
The king smiled. "Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul." he looked up at Albat who remained mute and active on the table. "What of you, Albat, what do you think about love and power?" he asked her.
"Albat have someone she loves already." Adriana interfered smiling. "She received a flower from him the other day." she added.
"Wow!" the king exclaimed. "Who's the fortunate man, Albat?" the king asked her.
"I once asked her but she never told me." Adriana chipped in again.
"Well, I am king, she will tell me." the king kept eating, waiting for the young girl's reply. Already, Julius had been exchanging eye contact with Albat for the impromptu topic raised by the king that wanted to cause a problem. "Albat?" the king stopped eating and looked at her.
The girl swallowed hard and said, "My lord, I received the flower from Maximus, son of Demetrius."
"Really?" The king exclaimed while Julius became sad.
"Father, do you know the man?" Adriana asked her father.
"I am king. I know my subjects. Of course I know Demetrius who begot Maximus." King Corbett smiled and continued eating. Just then, Albat and Julius stared at each other through the candles flame....