Chapter 17

Somewhere in the Kingdom of Vigor....

As he looked outside the window he thought of his plans. His household was busier than usual and he wondered why. Did he give an order he forgot about? Observing people performing their chores always made him relax and in turn he is able to think. He was a man of many talents and one of his best talents was convincing people to do his bidding.

He had a way with words that made others follow his lead. First, he plants an idea in your head or makes a suggestion and then makes it look like you thought of the idea from the start. Then he supports your idea which was his originally and asks you to take action to achieve it. And lastly you end up doing what he wanted from the start. A master of manipulation. A gift that has saved him in countless occasions.

Through this gift he was able to reach the king. It does help when you are friends with important people in the Kingdom. King Ambrose,the man controlling the entire kingdom. The richest and most influential person in the Kingdom of Vigor. Most people assumed he would be bad at being King as the kingdom was practically served to him on a golden platter ,however he surpassed the expectations set by his people . When he first met the king, he was the most handsome man he has ever seen.

The king spoke with authority and conviction. He was the ruler and he knew it. He was fascinated by the king's personality, his authority and his power. Although the king was younger than him, he did feel the raw power radiating from his body, that made everyone follow his command.

He coveted that power. No! he needed that power. He wanted to be the most powerful man in the Kingdom of Vigor. And he knew how to get there. It was a matter of playing the game, time and patience.

His plans have been in action for a while now. Through his influence he has gained followers who believed in his ideals and would die for him. People who agreed that King Ambrose was not fit to be king. People who would help him sit on the throne in the foreseeable future. With the land owners tax approved by the king, he has grown in popularity with the other noblemen.

Why should they pay tax for owning land? Was it there fault that there ancestors were clever and purchased land back when they were cheap. Although the king wanted to equalize his subjects , he forgot that his people were not equal. The social hierarchy set by their ancestors must be followed.

How can noblemen be equal to servants and peasants? That was not possible in this age. Even though the King's actions were pure and we'll intended, he only brought trouble on himself.  If people started thinking they were equal they will start to rebel and refuse to follow the rules. He was banking on the new rule angering the noblemen and they played right into his hands. If only the king knew he was helping him get stronger.

Whatever the case, he will get where he wants to be. Whether by the help of the noblemen or the people. He has strategically placed spies in the king's court who report to him everyday. He also has spies in the servants and guards.

The guards told him about an interesting event that happened a few days ago. The king was seen carrying a servant girl to her room. Who would have thought that the king would be this nice and gentle . Who was the girl anyway? He asked his people to investigate immediately and get back to him .

He needed to know if he should perhaps change his plans or not. Tired of staying indoors, he left his boring house and took a walk. He has always loved walking since he was a small boy as it helps him think as well as exercise for the day. 

" Sir! Sir! " He heard shouting behind him, making him stop.

" Yes what is it?" He asked the man running towards him

" We have a visitor from the castle"

He had been waiting for news for a while now. He was worried for a second, his informants were caught by the king but now that his informant was here , there was nothing to worry about.

" Bring him here" he instructed.

His hand went to rub his beard, a gesture he does when he is deep in thought . Will the information he gets today be useful or will it be a waste of his time and money. It's safe not to assume and wait and see . The informant was a young looking man, different from the one sent last time.

" My Lord" the informant bowed his head as is customary when you meet someone of a higher station.

" I don't know you. What is your name?" He asked

" I can't tell you my name for safety purposes my lord"

" You dare refuse me!!" He growled

" I was asked to say that by the person who sent me"

" What is the code name "

" Flurrin"

" I see "

" Can I deliver the message now? My master asked me to get home fast after I deliver the message"

" Tell me"

" The king seems to like a certain girl from the castle"

" What is her name"

" Nalani. However after the incident he has been punishing her severely "

" If he likes her why would he punish her?"

" We don't understand his actions either"

" Some people do that. They are mean to the people they like. I find it weird "

" What do you want us to do my Lord "

" Keep an eye on them. He might be doing this to confuse us"

" Yes my lord"

" Have you actually seen her doing the punishments?"

" Yes my lord. She has been scrubbing the great corridor for a week now. It's very cruel if you ask me"

" No one asked you! Do your job and only observe and report to me. Understand?"

" Yes my lord"

" You may leave now"

" Thank you my lord"

The informant hurried back. He thought of the information relaid to me. What was the king's intentions? Was he actually interested in the servant girl or not. Should he act now or wait until he knows the exact relationship between the servant girl and the king .

" No. You have been patient for all this years. Don't ruin it now" he told himself.

The best way to access this situation is to go to the castle and see with his own eyes.

Maybe then he can make the best decision.

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At the castle.......

Nalani shook her hands for the millionth time. How long was she supposed to do this punishment? Didn't the king think it was enough? She has been scrubbing the great corridor for a week now. The corridor was long and wide yet she did it alone, for a week.

How was this fair to her? Her hands had blisters. By the time evening arrived she couldn't hold anything with her hands. She was always tired and fatigued that she ended up falling asleep at dinner.

She hasn't been eating properly. She has also lost a lot of weight. Can't the king be kind to her atleast once. She quickly finished with the corridor before the king gets out of the throne room and finds her kneeling there. He already expressed his displeasure the last time he found her and said it was a sign of laziness.

She carried her supplies back to the supply closet and went to her room to wash up and prepare to serve the king's dinner. Since morning she was yet to have a moment to rest. She was so tired that she didn't know how long she could hold on.

She took the king's dinner and headed for his room. She hoped that he would be there at the moment so that she can retire to her bed early tonight.  She knocked on the door and the king asked her to enter. It was almost a miracle he was in his room this early. Thanking the heavens for the favour, she walked carefully to the dinning table and placed the tray on the table.

She served his food and waited on the side as required. The king ate in silence while he looked over some papers. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice the servant girl swaying. As he turned onto the next page he heard a loud thud.