How dare he! He seethed watching Akir's back disappear.
How dare he!
How could he?
His rage morphed into anguish in a second. He stood suddenly from his chair and left his outdoor oasis. He stalked towards the palace. His mental state is somewhere between blinding rage and genuine hurt.
When he reached the palace doors he halted his guards. "I'm going inside. leave me be I don't want you pesky flies hanging about for a while. Just guard the perimeter of the palace."
He left them there and stalked the halls hardly noticing servants, lords, and ladies of the court staring as he passed or jumping out of his way. He made his way to the interior of the palace. He went inside the sitting room he often used to host his friends, the one where he often hosted Tate and Akir. He slammed the door shut. Breathing hard he looked around to make sure that no servants were inside cleaning or some such chore.
Seeing that he was indeed alone he went to the fireplace and counted the stones from the mantel. Three stones up, five over, and pushed the specific stone inwards. A door materialized before him and as soon as he opened it he heard the satisfying sound of the room's outer door's lock being engaged.
He entered a dark passageway. It was pitch black as the stone facade swung shut behind him. Anyone would be terrified of this tunnel, anyone but him. He'd been traversing it since he was a young man.
He didn't need light, he knew his way by heart.
His feet pounded on the stone loudly. He would know he was coming by now, you'd have to be deaf to miss the footsteps heralding his arrival.
After a few minutes, the passage opened into a large open room. The room was dimly lit, circular, and had open archways at regular intervals leading beyond where the light touched. This was a secret chamber that only he knew about. This room had been hidden for generations and was unlikely to ever be discovered unless the palace itself was torn down and off its foundation. As for how the Emperor knew its location the answer was simple. Magic, it was a room that was bound in magic, Kiy would hazard to guess that it was one of only a couple of places in this realm where such enchantments existed.
He'd experienced it for himself when he was seventeen and took the crown from his father. Once he was officially the emperor he'd had a night where he sleepwalked. When he woke up he was in this room. It was then that he met "the Advisor." The Advisor explained that this room was known only to the monarch of the Lya empire. The magic of the room drew them in and bound them. He could not tell a single living soul about this room or its occupant. He'd tried before and had simply been unable to. No sound had come out of his mouth when he'd tried to tell Akir shortly after he was crowned. It was a convincing demonstration and Kiy had never questioned the advisor on this matter again.
Ever since then just as his forefathers before him, he's periodically come to this room to consult the Advisor. The Advisor was ageless, Kiy had never seen his face since he always wore a dark robe with a deep hood. He had seen the back of his hand once though, and it had been covered in scales. He had his own suspicions about who or what the advisor might but in the grand scheme of things, he didn't have too much time to dwell on the Advisor himself when he was far too busy listening to his advice and predictions.
The Advisor had been clear when they first met that he was no prophet, but he did have a talent for deducing the outcome of various situations. He was highly educated and intuitive, this had always been evident in his understanding of current political climates and his ability to see how best to manipulate them for the glory of the Lya Empire.
"You've come, Your Majesty." A voice came to the pitch blackness. Balls of blue flame were placed at intervals around the wall and the voice came from the unknown space beyond the arches. He'd asked the Advisor once what was through the arches, what lay in the dark? The Advisor had just changed the subject and told him that it was just open space. He informed him that the way the Emperor came in was the only way in or out.
"I want to speak to you." He said in a rush. He began pacing back and forth in front of the passage opening. The hooded figure stepped into the light and Kiy stopped his pacing.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, I was not expecting you."
"I want to know more. More about the end of this." He said, still speaking in a rush. He hadn't realized how agitated he was until this moment.
The Advisor was suddenly right next to him even though he hadn't seen him move. A hand, covered by the robe, came to rest on his shoulder and halted the pacing.
"I'm happy to speak to my master, but first please try to calm yourself. I do hate to see you in such a state." The hand gently pushed him backward and based on past experiences he fell trustingly. His backside hit soft cloth and the chair that had materialized behind him seemed to almost fold him into an embrace.
He had to admit, the effect was immediately calming. No sooner had he sat down than a cup of steaming tea was held out to him on a saucer. He took it and began to sip the familiar beverage. He'd never had this anywhere else but here. The advisor had once told him that it was a rare tea that only he knew how to make.
Now an outsider of this situation would think that the Emperor should be more cautious. He didn't know this man's origins, age, or face. However, what he did know was that he'd never been wrong. According to him, he'd also told Kiy's father that he would not rule long, he'd told him that Kiy would kill him and that there was nothing he could do about this. Of course, this would just be hearsay if it hadn't been for his father's dying words before he'd ever met the Advisor.
He still remembered that day. He'd been dressed in a fine white suit with gold trim, they'd been celebrating his late mother's birthday. By the end of that day, the suit had to be thrown away because it was more red than white. He'd killed his father that day, he'd put an end to the tyrant who had abused and tortured him all his life. He'd done it himself.
He still vividly recalled the feeling of sinking the knife into that man's heart with all his strength. The strange feeling of it. He'd thought it would be like cutting through butter but it was nothing like that, there were no words to describe what stabbing a person with your own two hands was actually like.
His father had looked up at him, the light in his eyes fading, and said with a painful last laugh. "He said you'd do this. Said I couldn't stop it. He was right. I've tried to stop it your whole life, but here you are. Here we are. He was...right." Those were his last words, which at the time had seemed strange yet meaningless. It wasn't until after his coronation when he'd met the Advisor that he understood those words.
Whether the Advisor was on his side or not was unimportant to him, what was important was the fact that he never lied.
"So tell me, my liege. What brought you here so abruptly?"
"Akir..." He growled not knowing what else to say, not knowing what he really wanted to say.
"Ah, I've told you many times that if you try too hard to hold onto him he will come to resent that."
"I'm not holding on too hard. I'm just doing what is necessary. He is my vassal, my closest friend, and the only family I have. Yet, he would keep what is rightfully mine from me! His life, rightfully mine, his wife, mine, his children, mine, but he dares to resent me for this fact. Have I not always taken care of him? Have I not always kept him and his closest to my side? I've given him so much freedom. He owns his own house, can walk outside whenever he wants, and can make love to that wife of his if he so chooses, I wouldn't even protest if he wanted to create more children. What more does he need!?" He seethed.
The Advisor hummed sympathetically. "I know it has been hard on you, Your Majesty, but it cannot be changed that to hold him any closer to you would be to destroy him. I know he's your favorite toy so let's keep doing our best not to break him."
Kiy leaned his head back on the chair wearily. "I should have chained him to me the day I took the throne. He's my brother, the one I chose, my only family. Why does he want distance from me? I should have done what I wanted. I had it all ready. A set of nice apartments in the west tower. I would have given him everything he needed. The best clothes, food, and women, I would have taken him outside for fresh air every day, and taken him with me when I traveled. His life would have been so simple, so much better that way. All he would have had to do is advise me and live a carefree life of luxury." He took another sip of the tea. "I shouldn't have let your words stop me."