They had been sitting there for hours, listening to the elders bicker about the matter of the resistance – they had grown more violent lately and although nobody outside of the council knew; the kingdom was losing influence over its people. The ruler of the kingdom sat lethargically, sprawled out on his chair, his head lazily propped up by his palm while his elbow rested on the arm of the chair. He was bored and the bickering of his advisers was giving him a head ache. His ice blue eyes flickered to his sister who was leant forward in her chair with her elbows resting on the table – her chin resting gracefully in her palms. They didn’t change their facial expressions, but their eyes spoke to one another. As she looked away, his lips curved into a smirk, which he covered with his fingers.
“Are you even listening to me?” cried an angered Yasu, an old member of the council whom Arina and Christopher only wished to drop dead. Arina glanced up at him, he was standing by this stage, glaring down at her as if she were his underling – her lips twitched upward as she lowered her hands so they were flat on the wooden table,
“We think it’s only natural that more limitations are placed on the Special Forces, it’s important for them not to meddle in the affairs of our Armies.” He continued, growing agitated with all the constant bickering. There were few people there, the elders, Christopher, Arina and Zagi.
Christopher rubbed his eyes tiredly, the elders never did make any effort to hide what they thought of him. In their eyes, he was an inexperienced brat who had no right to the throne other than his bloodline.
“So you think you have the authority to disobey the King?” Arina questioned, drumming her fingers on the table.
“And who are you to speak, you’re too young to be in this council, at least your father knew his place,” Yasu snapped.
“He’s dead. He has no other place but in the ground,” she retorted coldly. Christopher rubbed his temples, nobody even knew if their father was dead or alive – her assumptions were dangerous. Anyone could see the impatience bubbling to the surface of his mind. “In the end, the small division of the army was killed because of their betrayal to the crown. We had solid documented evidence of their plans to kill Christopher – and we took action, before it could happen. Placing restrictions on the Special Forces only makes us appear weak and disables half of the recon and security missions we have in place,”
“Enough, I’ve given my final word. Arina is right, as the acting King I have final decision on the matter,” Christopher finally snapped, slamming a hand on the table. Smiling to herself, Arina crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in her seat.
“Koken would have had better ideas for what to do in such a crisis,” Etsuko mumbled – the only female elder, and Christopher shot her a warning glare.
“Koken, as good as her intentions of this Kingdom are, has ancient methods of doing things.” Arina interjected, leaning forward in her chair. “It is time for the new generation to take over the last. That’s the way the order has always been, and will always be. High places on the council won’t stop the inevitable.”
Yasu’s rage was evident as his knuckles turned white, “And you’d know, is that what you said to your Father?” he said coldly.
Arina raised her eyebrows at the man’s words, leaning back in her chair and staring up at him with her cold blue irises, “My father was a great man, who took great care of this kingdom, you should respect his offspring…” she paused as an unreadable smirk crossed her features, “Unless of course you’re implying something else… like perhaps… I got rid of him?”
“That’s enough!”
All eyes turned to Christopher as he stood, slamming his hands on the table for effect. His eyes grew ice cold as he rested his glare on the old man, “Yasu, I will not have you spreading such dangerous lies through this council… our grasp on this kingdom is weak enough with its council going to war against one another,” his voice was low and the coldness behind his words were enough to even make the most hardened men flinch.
Arina smirked at Yasu, like a child whose parents had just sided with them in an argument, “And Arina,” her head snapped to her brother, “stop encouraging him,” he sighed, “My word is final, Arina will have the freedom to continue running the Special Forces as she sees fit. End of story, no questions asked. If you have any arguments, you can take them to Zagi… I’m sure he’ll accommodate your opinions by cutting out your tongues… or sewing your mouths shut.”
Zagi’s eyes glistened with an evil that made the elders shiver, and Arina smirked at them. “Now if that’s all, I have a kingdom to run.”
And with that, Christopher strode out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
…
“Man those elders are annoying.” Chris complained, leaning back in his chair before his desk, his body limp as his arms fell towards the ground.
“The sooner we bury them, the sooner we can get on with ruling this Kingdom,” Arina murmured, from her place on his desk. She was perched on the corner, with one leg folded over the other. Christopher normally yelled at her, but today – he just couldn’t be bothered.
“But we can’t,” Chris retorted, “We’d lose the trust of our people, they’d turn against us. As if the resistance isn’t big enough.” He muttered, draping an arm over his eyes as he tilted his head back.
“They make my blood boil,” she sighed, leaning back, resting her body weight on her arms.
“Really? I didn’t realise you had emotions. The only things I ever see in your eyes are emotionless and despair.” Spoke the lethargic vampire from his place on Christopher’s couch. He’d been lying there since they got back from the meeting. Arina glared at her second in command before hurtling a book at him,
“Go do some work!”
All attention was drawn to a knock on the door, and after Christopher granted the guest permission, Aubree emerged, followed by an unrecognisable female. She dipped her head in a bow to Arina who raised an eyebrow at her twin, before she straightened her back horizontally to the ground as she greeted Christopher.
“My apologies to interrupt, my lord – but I have a new maid, at your request,” she stated in a monotonous voice. Arina cocked her head to the side as Aubree stepped to the side, revealing the light haired brunette. She was pretty. Christopher’s previous maid had gotten a little too attached and had one night tried to crawl into bed with him – proclaiming her love for him. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t flattered… and he probably would have welcomed her into his bed – but she was crazy.
“Thanks Aubree, you’re dismissed.” He said with the wave of a hand. He removed his arm from his eyes and lifted his head upright to get a good look at the girl. She was good looking, and assumed she was new – considering he hadn’t seen her around before. He leant forward and raised an eyebrow at her, scrutinizing her with his blue irises.
“What’s you name girl?”
“Are you even listening to me?” cried an angered Yasu, an old member of the council whom Arina and Christopher only wished to drop dead. Arina glanced up at him, he was standing by this stage, glaring down at her as if she were his underling – her lips twitched upward as she lowered her hands so they were flat on the wooden table,
“We think it’s only natural that more limitations are placed on the Special Forces, it’s important for them not to meddle in the affairs of our Armies.” He continued, growing agitated with all the constant bickering. There were few people there, the elders, Christopher, Arina and Zagi.
Christopher rubbed his eyes tiredly, the elders never did make any effort to hide what they thought of him. In their eyes, he was an inexperienced brat who had no right to the throne other than his bloodline.
“So you think you have the authority to disobey the King?” Arina questioned, drumming her fingers on the table.
“And who are you to speak, you’re too young to be in this council, at least your father knew his place,” Yasu snapped.
“He’s dead. He has no other place but in the ground,” she retorted coldly. Christopher rubbed his temples, nobody even knew if their father was dead or alive – her assumptions were dangerous. Anyone could see the impatience bubbling to the surface of his mind. “In the end, the small division of the army was killed because of their betrayal to the crown. We had solid documented evidence of their plans to kill Christopher – and we took action, before it could happen. Placing restrictions on the Special Forces only makes us appear weak and disables half of the recon and security missions we have in place,”
“Enough, I’ve given my final word. Arina is right, as the acting King I have final decision on the matter,” Christopher finally snapped, slamming a hand on the table. Smiling to herself, Arina crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in her seat.
“Koken would have had better ideas for what to do in such a crisis,” Etsuko mumbled – the only female elder, and Christopher shot her a warning glare.
“Koken, as good as her intentions of this Kingdom are, has ancient methods of doing things.” Arina interjected, leaning forward in her chair. “It is time for the new generation to take over the last. That’s the way the order has always been, and will always be. High places on the council won’t stop the inevitable.”
Yasu’s rage was evident as his knuckles turned white, “And you’d know, is that what you said to your Father?” he said coldly.
Arina raised her eyebrows at the man’s words, leaning back in her chair and staring up at him with her cold blue irises, “My father was a great man, who took great care of this kingdom, you should respect his offspring…” she paused as an unreadable smirk crossed her features, “Unless of course you’re implying something else… like perhaps… I got rid of him?”
“That’s enough!”
All eyes turned to Christopher as he stood, slamming his hands on the table for effect. His eyes grew ice cold as he rested his glare on the old man, “Yasu, I will not have you spreading such dangerous lies through this council… our grasp on this kingdom is weak enough with its council going to war against one another,” his voice was low and the coldness behind his words were enough to even make the most hardened men flinch.
Arina smirked at Yasu, like a child whose parents had just sided with them in an argument, “And Arina,” her head snapped to her brother, “stop encouraging him,” he sighed, “My word is final, Arina will have the freedom to continue running the Special Forces as she sees fit. End of story, no questions asked. If you have any arguments, you can take them to Zagi… I’m sure he’ll accommodate your opinions by cutting out your tongues… or sewing your mouths shut.”
Zagi’s eyes glistened with an evil that made the elders shiver, and Arina smirked at them. “Now if that’s all, I have a kingdom to run.”
And with that, Christopher strode out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
…
“Man those elders are annoying.” Chris complained, leaning back in his chair before his desk, his body limp as his arms fell towards the ground.
“The sooner we bury them, the sooner we can get on with ruling this Kingdom,” Arina murmured, from her place on his desk. She was perched on the corner, with one leg folded over the other. Christopher normally yelled at her, but today – he just couldn’t be bothered.
“But we can’t,” Chris retorted, “We’d lose the trust of our people, they’d turn against us. As if the resistance isn’t big enough.” He muttered, draping an arm over his eyes as he tilted his head back.
“They make my blood boil,” she sighed, leaning back, resting her body weight on her arms.
“Really? I didn’t realise you had emotions. The only things I ever see in your eyes are emotionless and despair.” Spoke the lethargic vampire from his place on Christopher’s couch. He’d been lying there since they got back from the meeting. Arina glared at her second in command before hurtling a book at him,
“Go do some work!”
All attention was drawn to a knock on the door, and after Christopher granted the guest permission, Aubree emerged, followed by an unrecognisable female. She dipped her head in a bow to Arina who raised an eyebrow at her twin, before she straightened her back horizontally to the ground as she greeted Christopher.
“My apologies to interrupt, my lord – but I have a new maid, at your request,” she stated in a monotonous voice. Arina cocked her head to the side as Aubree stepped to the side, revealing the light haired brunette. She was pretty. Christopher’s previous maid had gotten a little too attached and had one night tried to crawl into bed with him – proclaiming her love for him. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t flattered… and he probably would have welcomed her into his bed – but she was crazy.
“Thanks Aubree, you’re dismissed.” He said with the wave of a hand. He removed his arm from his eyes and lifted his head upright to get a good look at the girl. She was good looking, and assumed she was new – considering he hadn’t seen her around before. He leant forward and raised an eyebrow at her, scrutinizing her with his blue irises.
“What’s you name girl?”