Icarus walked towards the conference room with Julian right by his side. The Dark realm was composed of seven noble families, and each of those families ruled over a faction of the realm. Each faction provided a representative, and whoever is chosen becomes a member of the council. It must not necessarily be the head of the family, but in most cases, the family heads often elect themselves to represent their own faction.
The members of the council were already seated by the time Icarus arrived, and on their faces were looks of anger and disappointment.
The conference room was a large hall, and at the center of the room, a long and imposing table crafted from polished oak served as the focal point. It was adorned with gilded edges and elaborate carvings, a symbol of the kingdom's wealth and craftsmanship.
Surrounding the table were high-backed chairs, upholstered in rich velvet and embroidered with the royal crest. Each chair was a throne in its own right, a testament to the importance of the council that convened within these walls.
An exquisite, intricately woven carpet stretched the length of the room, its lush fabric muffling footsteps and enhancing the room's opulence. It led from the entrance to the head of the table, creating a path that could only be walked by men of great importance.
Icarus sat at the head of the long table, his expression stoic as he made himself comfortable. Julian stood behind him, his usual sly smile plastered on his face despite the overbearing tension in the room.
"You called for me? What is it this time?" Icarus questioned with an air of nonchalance. He was already aware of why they'd called him, and he didn't really care. None of these people were aware of his situation, and he definitely didn't want any of them to be aware of it.
Every person in this room was almost as powerful as he was, and Icarus knew very well that not every one of them was a fan of his. If they somehow managed to learn that he was gradually losing strength, he was certain they'd plan a coup d'état and overthrow him.
People born to noble families were often times stronger than the regular citizens. And should the king not have an heir before his passing, the strongest family representative alive will take on the role of leadership.
"You launched an attack on the pure realm, killed their king and abducted the princess, would you mind explaining why?" Alexander Plutarch, head of the Plutarch family inquired. Out of the eight seated men, he was arguably the strongest right behind Icarus, and the best swordsman in the entire realm. He was the man who had tamed the blade, and no one rivaled him when it came to swordsmanship.
"They had something of mine, I merely went to retrieve it." Icarus replied.
"The princess? Are the rumors true? Have you really gotten yourself a bride?" Christopher Callias inquired. He was the youngest in the room, and the only person Icarus truly respected out of the other seven. Not only were they age mates, the both of them were once students under Alexander Plutarch, and Christopher was nothing less of a prodigy. It was no surprise why he was chosen to be the representative of the Callias clan rather than his father.
The other elders exchanged uneasy glances after hearing what the young lad had to say. Despite being the youngest and most inexperienced in the room, Christopher's words weren't easily neglected.
"Is this true, Icarus?" Alexander asked, his eyes wide with curiosity and confusion.
The equally confused king glared at Christopher with inquisitive eyes, but after a moment returned his gaze to the eyes of his inquisitor. It was careless of Christopher to blurt out every nonsense he picks up in the streets, but given the option of saying the truth or agreeing to this rumor, Icarus would rather take his chances with the rumor.
"It..It is true. I went to get myself a bride from the other realm."
"Your Majesty, this is outrageous! Marrying a foreigner would scandalize the entire kingdom. Our people will never accept such a union." Mirabet Greenwood scrutinized. She was the only female in the group, and was the head of the Greenwood family. Her faction rarely participated in politics, the only time anyone ever saw her was during very important meetings. They were secluded people, and were respected by many.
"I do not care what the people think. I've made my choice, and will not go back on my decisions." Icarus replied, his voice cold and devoid of emotions. Marriage to another being who was not a member of the realm was considered abominable. But those rules did not apply to Icarus. He was the king, and he had the power to bend the rules to his liking.
"We won't allow it. The royal bloodline must be kept pure. We won't allow a half breed to lead us." Alexander said, and the rest of the council nodded in agreement, all except Christopher who sat quietly after realizing that half of this problem had been created by him.
"What you allow, and what you don't allow are of no importance to me. I've made my choice, everybody will have to learn to live with it. And if any of you try to pull any stunts with my wife to be, I'll make sure they do not see the light of dawn ever again." Icarus threatened as his domineering aura engulfed the atmosphere.
He rose from where he sat and turned towards the door, Julian still following closely behind. "I believe there's nothing more to discuss, I'll take my leave now." He said before leaving the pissed men and woman to chatter amongst themselves.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Julian asked as they exited the conference room.
"I didn't have any other choice. It's this or tell them the truth." Icarus replied.
"So what will you do now? What happens when they begin to ask about the wedding and an heir? Are you really going to marry her? Have a child with her?" Julian questioned. His friend might not have realized it, but that was no ordinary lie. He understood that he didn't really have much of a choice at that moment, but it would have been best to disregard all their questions. If anyone could do so, it was definitely Icarus. Agreeing to Christopher's childish assumptions had not been the wisest option.
"Don't be ridiculous, Julian. Of course not. I'll be done with her before then. I'll kill her off and blame it on an accident." Icarus answered with a shrug. Julian smiled, he expected no less from Icarus. His friend was sometimes so simpleminded that he failed to understand the gravity of the situation. But it didn't matter though, as long as he remained by Icarus's side, Julian was sure they'd overcome any situation.
Icarus returned to his room, and found his prisoner occupied with her new maid. From the look of things, she'd just finished dinner, and had changed into one of the clothes Julian had brought for her. With a wave of his hand he dismissed the maid, and once again he was left together alone with his so called 'wife'
"You're all dressed up, wouldn't that be bothersome for you while sleeping?" He asked as he approached the seated lady.
"I'm perfectly comfortable this way." Isabelle replied, her gaze turned away from his alluring one.
"It doesn't matter, take them off now."