Fine silk sheets enveloped me in a smooth, warm cocoon. Dissipating my motivation to work for the next few days. The sudden swish of the heavy drapes parting struck me with dread, and I flinched; blinded by the sun's rays. 

An unfamiliar voice pierced through my mind fog, "Good morning, Your Majesty." Greeted an annoyingly chipper maid. When did she come in? What gives her the right to open the curtains without my permission? Throwing the blankets to the ground, I padded over to the steaming porcelain tub. The scent of lemon permeated the air, improving my mood and clearing my mind. My index finger drew circles on the water's surface. I wonder if he's already dead.

"I'll leave your garments here, Your Majesty." With shaky hands; The not-so-bad-looking woman placed the folded clothes on the table and turned, giving me a full view of her nice behind.

"You are new here, right?"

The woman froze, and without turning around, she responded, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Well, I can certainly see that. Since one of the first rules of proper decorum is to look at the person who's speaking to you. Which, due to your inexperience, I presume, seemed to have forgotten." Turning slowly on her heels, her average brown gaze leveled to mine. "That is much better. You have such pretty eyes." The contact was quickly broken by my rising from the tub. "Oh, that chandelier was given to me by the prince of the dessert kingdom, pretty, right?"

With eyes focused on the chandelier above her, she stuttered, "Y-Yes, Your Majesty."Her chest expanded with the intake of a shaky breath. 

"I would like to make something clear. You do not open the curtains without my verbal authorization. Do I make myself clear?"

"B-but, Your Majesty. The head palace maid explicitly told me it was of the utmost importance that you woke up early today. You need to be on time for your meeting with the foreign dignitaries."

The woman pulled back slightly when I reached over to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Who is the king of this kingdom, dear? The head maid?"

She swallowed convulsively. "No, It's King Uriel the second, your majesty."

Placing my hands on her shoulders. I turned her around and tightened the bow that tied the apron around her waist. "And who makes the rules?"

Her voice shook. "King Uriel the second, Your Majesty."

A sharp smile broke across my face, and I leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Exactly, and I am sorry, dear. I know you are just nervous. My intention was not to upset you. I just wanted to prevent any more mishaps on your part. That head maid likes to overstep her boundaries a little. And what is worse she commands others to please her every whim, even if it causes them trouble. She does this, especially to the new maids. Think about it. Why would she send someone who clearly still has a lot to learn about the ways of the palace to serve the king himself?" Her shoulders lowered, and her head sunk. "But, do not worry, I understand. I will not complain or anything. I would not want to get rid of such a pretty maid. Especially when I am sure you will make a great palace servant one day. Heck, maybe in the future, the head maid of this palace." Letting go of her, I commanded, "Now that we have that cleared up, you may leave." With a heartfelt thank you, the woman turned to curtsy and scampered out of the room.

I can't believe the audacity of these people. Why are they so disrespectful? I wouldn't have to scold them so much if they kept on their lanes. With a scoff, I pulled on my pants. They're all the same.

"Your Majesty, we can't put the citizens at risk just so we can gain a couple of inches of land." High Priest Gustav argued at the royal council meeting several years ago.

"High Priest, will all due respect. We are in a new age. Our military is the best in the east, and economically we are the best we've been in centuries. This is the best time to expand our kingdom." A councilman countered.

"No matter how good our standing is right now. Our citizens still will suffer from the consequences of warfare. Food supplies will decrease. Soldiers will suffer, if not physical, emotional injuries, or worse, citizens will lose one, two, or maybe even all their male family members. Just for the sake of having our kingdom drawn a little bit larger on the map." The High Priest scoffed. This man thinks he knows everything when he doesn't. He just pretends to care about these people just so he can get their praise.

"High Priest, expansion is the best way to upgrade the citizens living conditions. For example, we wouldn't have all the wealth and power we have right now if the late Majesty King Uriel the first invaded the neighboring countries two centuries ago." Another councilman argued. He's right. If great grandpapa hadn't done that, we would've been as pathetic as Walleria right now.

"And at what cost did our great victory come? I don't know if you remember the stories our grandparents used to tell us of the great war. Remember? The hunger? The destruction? The pain, fear, and grief our ancestors experienced at that time?"

Murmuring erupted around the room as the face of the group of men and the councilman twisted with something akin to sadness.

Wait, are they giving up that easily? I can't believe this. My fist raised to cover my lips. What should I do? If I push this, I may lose the support of most of the councilmen, if not all, and it will make me look like a war-hungry tyrant. But, if I concede. I may lose one or two of the councilmen, but in the eyes of the rest of the men and the citizens, I will be a benevolent king who cares about his people.

My wish to make a name for myself and my sagacious self battled in my mind. I wouldn't be in this position if that old man wasn't so keen on opposing everything I do, I seethed inwardly. "Gentlemen," A hundred eyes settled on me. "I agree with the High Priest. My suggestion was insensitive. I understand that now. I am sorry. All I wanted to do is bring more wealth to the citizens of this great kingdom. But now I know, after listening to what the High Priest had to say, that I was being a bad and naive ruler by suggesting it. I would not blame you, councilmen, if that is what all of you think of me."

"No, your majesty! We will never think of you that way. You're an amazing ruler! You have demonstrated that fact right now by relinquishing your wishes for the greater good." The councilman lauded.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The other councilmen chorused.

"They're right. I'm an amazing ruler." I muttered, walking down the corridor on my way to meet the foreign dignitaries.

A group of men sat around the coffee table in my private audience chamber. "Your Majesty, good morning." Greeted a man with a colorful sash over one shoulder.

"Good morning, High Official. How's the family?"

⚜⚜⚜

After knocking on the door twice, a royal knight barged into my office. "Your Majesty, a message from the Supreme General."

With a trembling heart, I took the note from his hands and unfolded it. My heart leaped with joy at the words written on the piece of parchment 'Mission successful. Returning to the capital immediately.' "Send a message to the councilmen that I wish to see them as soon as possible."

"Yes, your majesty." The knight's steps retreated into the hallway, and a smile spread across my face.

I can't believe I did it. I got rid of that stick in the mud, and it's all thanks to the man whose mental state he doubted six years ago.

"You shouldn't have sent him. You should have sent someone else." High Priest Gustav nagged.

"Why? Iskander is perfectly capable of completing this mission, if not the best. He'll find those rebels in no time, you'll see." My fingers flipped the pages on my desk, wishing this old bag of bones would drop dead.

"That boy is clearly disturbed. He needs to rest and heal his mind."

"No, he is fine High Priest. He is just a quiet, reserved man who is a little awkward and odd. But he is not crazy, I assure you of that. I have known him for years, so I know him better than anyone around here, and he has always been that way. I-"

"I'm sorry, your majesty, but I'm immune to your manipulation. So, let's get back to the subject. You need to stop sending that poor boy to the battlefield."

My smile grew at the memory, "He showed you, huh? Do you think he's crazy now? Iskander is the most competent in my military force and a model citizen who trusts his king unconditionally. He's perfect, even if he married that mediocre duchess."

"Um, remember five years ago? Duchess Adelysia's case?" Iskander asked some days ago at the throne room.

My eyebrows furrowed, and I took another look at the substandard duchess. Is this that stick-thin girl from six years ago? No, it can't be. He wouldn't marry such a lowly woman, I doubted, but her familiar hazel eyes showed me he was telling the truth. "This is the girl? The one that you took care of?" What does he see in her? She's cute, and she looks like a good companion; in a lap dog kind of way. Still, what were you thinking, Iskander? Faking a laugh, I uttered an absentminded response before the silence stretched for too long. I wonder... Did she manipulate him into marriage? Is she controlling him? If that is the case, this will cause me problems. I wracked my brains for a way to figure out her hidden agenda.

"So, are you coming? Or should I say," Turning on my heels, I faced the lowly duchess. "Madam, would you allow your husband to accompany me and his brothers in arms for an evening drink?"

With fake selflessness, she bowed her head. "If he wishes, he may go. With all the respect in the world. He is his own man, Your Majesty."

So, you're keeping your intentions very close to your chest, huh? Don't worry. I'll figure it out soon, I laughed.

At the ball, I watched the past servant girl's every move. She's alone now. Moving close to the entrance under the grand stairs, I waited to catch her attention. Come on, look over here. Several idle minutes passed, and I relented and walked into the cellars to grab a bottle of rum.

The clicking of heels hit my ears halfway down the corridor. "Your Majesty?" Discreetly turning my head, I caught sight of the wench that's Iskander's so-called wife. Perfect. Turning into another hallway, I stopped and waited for the brazen woman.

"What are you doing here, young lady?" The High Priest's irritating voice echoed in the hallway. That man really loves to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. I'm willing to bet he gets some odd satisfaction of always being in my way.

After hearing whatever the scrooge of a man had to say, Iskander's pet ran out of the hall. When she was out of sight, the High Priest turned, and with lips pressed into a thin line, he shot me a sharp look. Enjoy it while you can old man because soon you will be six feet under and forgotten. But, I will go on to make my name known as the Naldiah kingdom's most successful king. They will call me Uriel the conqueror.

The voice of a royal knight broke me out of my reverie. "Your Majesty, the cavalry has returned. The Supreme Commander and the generals would like to meet you in the private audience chamber." 

"Marvelous, tell them I'll be right there."

⚜⚜⚜

"That's odd," I muttered, staring at the clock on the far wall in the room full of generals.

"He wanted to make sure that the remains of that traitor were placed in a secure area. Maybe they encountered some setbacks." One general suggested.

"He's never late, so that must be it." Suddenly, the door swung open with such a force that it left a dent on the wall in the shape of the doorknob.

"You liar! How can you betray the kingdom, its citizens, and the High Priest in this way?" Iskander bellowed and stalked forward. Dragging the worried Grand Commander behind him, who held his shoulders in an attempt to prevent him from getting close to me. "It was you who sent those messages to Walleria!"

How can he do this to me? How can he doubt me? We've been friends for years, and this is how he treats me. The general's faces were frozen in an expression of utter shock. "Leave us,"

"B-But, Your Majesty. We can't leave you alone with a clearly hostile man-"

"Leave us!" After an uncertain beat, the stunned generals filed out the door into the hall. "I would never do anything of the sort. Who told you that? The High Priest? That man was out to get me, you know that. He was greedy. He wanted to have more power. He wanted to control me; you saw how he treated me."

"Then what's this?" With a flick of his wrist, a bundle of notes landed on the coffee table with a smack.

So, that old man really knew what I was up to. "I do not know, you tell me."

They're the replies of the Wallerian generals, asking and thanking the High Priest for the intel with the promise that he would get his reward."

"Oh, really? So, you found the proof we needed to show our actions were justified."

"I found them in your office, where the High Priest told me I would find them." He seethed.

"One of the servants he planted to spy on me must have put it there to frame me. How else would he have known where they were?" Disbelief flitted through his face. How can he not believe me? We're friends. "He wanted more power, and discrediting the king was an astounding way to do it. The old man was clever, but his plans were foiled by our Supreme Commander. Who is the shining example of loyalty to his king and kingdom."

Iskander's head shook in denial. "That's not true, and you know it. Why would a man who has served the crown for almost fifty years suddenly betray his king?"

"Loyal people can be overcome by greed, my friend. He has served great kings in his lifetime. One was an already established, outstanding ruler. And the other was recognized as a king devoted to his people and wise beyond his years. He did not like that a young, inexperienced man like me ascended to the throne and he thought he could do it better."

"That doesn't make any sense, Uriel. Because if that were the case, why did he betray the late king Barnabas—your father—all those years ago? Isn't that what you wrote to me in that second letter? You told me he was the one that helped the Wallerian forces to infiltrate and destroy my hamlet in Vria. Why did he do that, then? Did he also covet your father's power? If that were the case, he just made one attempt and then, just out of nowhere, gave up after the success he had with the destruction of my childhood hometown."

"He changed his mind. My father was a highly revered man."

"That doesn't make any sense either. If he was so cruel as to let a lot of innocent people die just to get the power desired. Don't you think he would also get some sick pleasure out of dragging your father's image through the mud and disgrace him in the eyes of the ones who deeply respected him?"

Why is he doing this to me? Why the disrespect, Iskander? My chest compressed with fury, and through clenched teeth, I responded, "That man, who you defend so ardently. Was an obstacle to this great kingdom's potential for growth."

"So, what; you sent those notes to frame the man who opposed you, so you could justify sending me to kill an innocent man to get what you want?"

"No, I sent you to clear an obstacle in this kingdom's road to greatness." I let out a sigh, and softening my tone, I continued, "Iskander, my friend. The kingdom has to grow to thrive, and the only way we can do that is by conquering our neighboring countries. The High Priest was deeply opposed to it. And if I continued down this road of making do with what we have, our citizens sooner or later will end up in great poverty."

"You don't know that. There are other ways to keep the economy afloat rather than war. Besides, you're talking as if you're sure we're going to win, and the thing is, if we try to conquer another country, and we lose, things will get really bad, not just for the citizens. But for you as well."

"That is not going to happen."

Through clenched teeth, he asked, "How do you know?"

"Because you are our Supreme Commander. You will lead us to a great new era for our kingdom. Imagine the glory you will get after your conquest. You will be remembered as Iskander the conqueror, the king's right-hand man. Imagine the status that it will bring to your household, your wife, and your future children!"

"But everything will be at the cost of innocent lives."

"What's with you today?" I blurted out. "Why are you purposefully trying to oppose everything I say? Why do you hate me?"

Taking a deep breath, he responded, "I don't hate you. What I hate is what you've done." In a low voice, he added, "What I've done."

"I have done nothing wrong." I seethed.

"Yes, you have, and I will stop at nothing to prevent this kingdom from going into ruin."

Traitor! They're all the same. They pretend to be your friend. They take everything you gift them with wide smiles. But when they don't like what you have to say, they stab your back and abandon you. "Well, if that's what you wish to do, then alright. Nobody will take your side, though. I made sure of that."

His eyes narrowed, and he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I felt bad at first. You are my friend, you know? Or rather were my friend. But I had to protect myself just in case. We wouldn't want you to garner too much popularity now, would we? You had already garnered a fanbase with the maids the first day you came here. I couldn't let that happen in the more important circles, so I spread some rumors among the nobility. You didn't need more friends anyway. You had me." His eyes gradually grew in size as he processed my words. "And no one would dare question the king's words, so it must be true. You're a bloodthirsty general with no regard for human life but your own. Serving under the king's military just to have a valid excuse to drive a sword through countless people without pity. And I, the benevolent king doing his best to help you curb your urges by using them to help our kingdom."

Blood rose to Iskander's face, and he sputtered, "You miserable son of a-"

The sound of chainmail came from the other side of the door, and I shouted, "Guards! Help!" The royal knights busted into the room. "Detain him! He has gone mad!"

Two knights took hold of Iskander's arms, and the others asked, "What about him, your majesty?"

My gaze moved to the flushed face of the Grand Commander. Oh, right. I forgot he was even here. Oh, well. "Take him too."

⚜⚜⚜

I'm so disappointed. How could Iskander do this to me? My fingers raked through my hair while I hunched over my desk. He was my only friend. I was his only friend, and still, he betrayed me. I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of knocking at my door. "Come in."

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid I bear some bad news."

"What?'' I glowered.

"Supreme Commander Nubilus and Grand Commander Acoma have escaped from their cell. The royal knights found Grand General Brando injured inside their cell."

Heat shot up my veins. He escaped? That coward. He thinks he can just run away from the consequences of his actions. I'll show him. "Send the royal guard to apprehend the Supreme Commander's household."