Ayden stood where he was for some time, staring at the door that Ser Nome Fey had just closed behind him. He looked around, the light in his room had increased and the time of first light had passed. He picked his glass up from the Blackwood desk, stirred it a bit in his hand and drank. This time the taste seemed worse than before, and it was surprising because he was drinking one of the finest wines made in the kingdom. Perhaps the unfortunate news had left a bad taste in his mouth. Thirsty, he finished the drink anyway and put the glass back on the desk. He then walked towards the closed door and opened it again.
"Lyppin!" he called out, and a young servant of not more than sixteen came running to him. "At your service, your majesty", he said while bowing down.
"Tell Jaron to bring some maps of the southern border to my room", the king commanded, "and tell him to bring the accounts of the 'Vistorian' war from the library as well" he added.
The servant bowed once again and asked, "Is there anything else I could do for you, your majesty?" Lyppin was quite surprised that the king had not asked for a female servant to be sent in his chambers like every other day. He always just bowed at the commands given to him and never usually had to ask if there was anything else. 'Perhaps something is off today', he thought to himself, it was unlikely for the king to worry about maps and war accounts first thing in the morning.
"Yes", the king replied, "see to it that my dress for the court is prepared, I will have to leave soon." This came as an even bigger surprise to Lyppin. He couldn't help but guess that something significant must have happened, that it pushed the king to attend the court so early. Over the years Lyppin had heard plenty of names for his king, "The Child King", "The Lazy King", "The King who sleeps", and what not. But for once in his life, the names didn't seem so funny when they crossed his thoughts, and obeying him didn't seem such a drag today.
"That is all, you may leave now." The king said as Lyppin just stood there. He suddenly snapped back to senses, realising that he had lost himself to his thoughts. He gave the king a quick and awkward bow and took his leave hastily.
Ayden closed the door which Lyppin had forgotten to in his haste. He then walked towards the windows and took a look outside. The room's windows gave a view of the small drawbridge that was built upon a stream, connecting the back side of the castle with the stables. The bridge was drawn down and people were moving here and there, some stable boys carrying hay while others carried saddles, buckets, and dirty shovels. The day was like any other, but the bright green grasses seemed dull today, the horses ugly, and the hard working men tired. The organised order of the things somehow seemed unorganised. Not liking the sight, the king drew the curtains of the windows and walked back to his bed. He slipped his robe down and stood completely naked as it fell on the floor. He didn't bother to pick it up.
Meanwhile, Lyppin was on his way to the library when he saw Maria in the long corridor that led out of the king's chambers. He didn't think it necessary to stop and greet her as the king's order seemed more urgent. But as he passed right beside her, she called him from behind.
"Lyppin, you seem in a hurry today." She said as he turned around unwillingly.
'A foolish thing to stop a man who seems in a hurry, isn't it?' he thought to himself, but didn't say it out loud. Instead, he put on an empty smile and greeted her with it.
"Maria, I must apologise I didn't see you there", he said with the same smile, and in a sorry tone that seemed almost real.
"Its fine", Maria replied, smiling back at him.
"Anything I can do for the sweet lady?" Lyppin asked out of a fake courtesy, and an even faker flattery. He had to since Maria was older than him and it wouldn't be very nice to just put down the conversation, or at least that's what he thought.
"No, thank you very much", she replied, "but you seem to be returning from his majesty's chambers, has the king not asked for me today?" she added.
'Wouldn't I have told you if it were so?' Lyppin was annoyed, but like before he didn't say it out loud. "I fear not. Seems like his majesty has some other works to look into today, he didn't ask for anyone", he replied.
"Oh, I see." Maria was as surprised as Lyppin had been. 'What am I to do now?' she asked herself, wondering what could possibly be the matter that the king didn't call for her as he usually did. Her dismay with Lyppin's reply was clear enough for even a blind man to see it, and being no blind man, Lyppin saw it as clear as day.
As much as he would have liked to end the conversation right there, he wasn't so cold as to just leave her in distress like that. "I remember his majesty saying something about his dress for the court. He said how he would like it if it were prepared by you. I'm sure you have the time for it now", he said. He had saved the task for Jill, for she was the one who looked after the king's clothes and their washings but he had now given it to Maria, hoping to cheer her up. And to his unsurprised self, it actually did. "I shall gladly do so", she replied with a huge smile on her face, that was all it had taken to instantly cheer her mood. Lyppin smiled back, but this time the smile was not empty. Maria thanked him as he took his leave.
.....
The king walked towards the bath-chamber that was attached to the room. The room itself was smaller than his pool in which he usually used to bathe. With hot water, accompanied by Maria and Jill, he always had a relaxing and refreshing time during his baths, but today was different, and he knew it. He didn't crave for a servant's company, nor did he bother to have one of them heat his bath water. He simply filled up a wooden mug from a bucket filled with water and poured it all over his head. The water was hard and cold, much like the day so far. The cold droplets made him shiver once, but as he continued to pour the water all over himself, the coldness of it became bearable. Alone and unaccompanied, he washed himself, his eyes staring at the drain. He watched as the water got sucked into the round hole, and heard as it made a flowing sound. He didn't have any particular thoughts in his mind, no battle plan, no worries of the future, no concern about the 'Redblades', no nothing. But somehow he felt the weight of it all, pushing him down as hard as it could, trying to break him.
It was only when the bucket had no more water left to fill up the mug that Ayden had realized that he had zoned out of his senses for some time there. The bathing was done and he felt no shivers anymore. He grabbed a towel that lied nearby and wiped back and forth to dry himself off.
.....
Lyppin continued on the way to the library, he crossed the long corridor, went through the huge hall made for the king's feasts and dines, and then through an open long passage that connected the king's chambers with the castle. As he was crossing the passage, he saw Jaron down in the courtyard, practising his sword, when he really should have been in the library helping Master Bellton keep the age-old books and the legends.
Lyppin rushed down to the courtyard, in half a mood to give Jaron a proper scolding. In his eyes what Jaron had been doing was nothing more than a waste of time. After all, what good could be sword fighting for someone to be made into a keeper of the royal archives.
"Jaron! Jaron!" he shouted from a distance, walking towards him at a great pace.
"Fuck, here comes mother…" Jaron whispered to his mates with half a smirk. They all let out a laugh and looked at Lyppin with mocking eyes.
Lyppin had half-heard Jaron's remark but he did not want to waste his time throwing around words with Jaron like a fool. "Done messing around, are you?" he asked Jaron, looking him dead in the eyes. The laughter slowly faded and the mockery disappeared from his eyes. Lyppin didn't wait for a reply and continued, "Good. Maybe now you can get to serving the king, or do you want some more time playing around with the metal rod you call a sword?" he said and he just couldn't help it. Even though he did not want to be the spark of an igniting argument, the words came out of his mouth on their own, or so it seemed to him.
"Serve the king, you say? And what does 'the sleeping king' require of me so early in the morning?" Jaron replied with half a smile, "He must not even be awake right now", he added.
"Oh, the 'sleeping' king is very much awake", Lyppin spoke, "And you'd find out soon enough if you don't rush over to his room."
"You better not be messing with me Lyppin", replied Jaron, it was pretty evident that he didn't believe him. "But I'll head over if he actually asked for me." He said as he put down his sword and turned towards the passage that led to the king's chambers.
"He did indeed." Said Lyppin as Jaron started to walk away. "But what good are you empty handed ya' fool" he shouted from behind, "he requires some things from the library, and urgently at that."
Jaron turned back, "And what is it that he requires?" he asked while walking towards Lyppin.
"Some maps of the southern border", Lyppin talked as they both walked towards the staircase that led to the library, "and the accounts of the 'Vistorian' war…" he added. They were now talking calmly as if they hadn't exchanged insults just a few moments ago.
Jaron nodded and then asked, "What's the big hurry then?"
"I'm not very sure myself. But it must be something concerning, I have never seen the king this serious." Replied Lyppin.
"Accounts of a war and maps of a border? Yeah, that sounds like war to me." Jaron remarked, "Or at least a plan of one", he added.
"Might be. You hurry over to the library and I'll try and ask around to see what has actually happened."
"If the urgency is as true as you say then I shall get there as soon as I can." Jaron said as he sprinted ahead of Lyppin to the library.
.....
To be continued.