2 The Decree

Michael

The King and Queen walked arm in arm into the tailor's suite. Michael watched them walk in with a smile on his face as the tailor measured his arms for his new suit. "Mother, Father," he said with a nod.

The Queen was the first to respond. "Oh the tailor is doing such a beautiful job!" She remarked as she looked at the colorful sketch on his tablet. "It will suit you so well. Pun intended." She winked. Michael forced a laugh, hardly containing his grimace.

"It will be wonderful son." His father said with a chuckle. "Your entrance into the court is coming so soon… but it will be my honor to pass the crown to you after you serve in my cabinet."

"Thank you father. I actually wanted to discuss something on that topic." He shifted nervously to the old tailor's annoyance.

His father smiled broadly. "That sounds like a good thing. Do tell, what is it then?"

"I—I've decided on my first proclamation before I take the position. I know I was supposed to have decided months before this but I—"

"No, no, this is wonderful dear. Better late than never." His mother said, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"

"Mother, Father, I've decided that I want to bring in four kids from the island to the kingdom here."

"The island? What kind of notion is that?" His father's encouraging smile was replaced with scoffing. "That is where we banished every adversary of the kingdom when we united! The most wicked people and creatures to have ever graced this earth live there. We sent them there to ensure the prosperity of the United Continent. They are guilty of countless horrible crimes that—"

"But their children, father? Their children have done nothing to us. They are innocent enough. You've seen the things they call schools, their houses... the island is a terrible place. I want to give the children a chance. They haven't yet committed anything to sentence them there. Have they father?" Even as the prince, Michael shouldn't stand against the king in such a manner. He could be imprisoned for such a deed yet…

"No, I— I suppose you are right." His father sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. "Their children have committed none of those crimes. I assume there is more to your proclamation?"

Michael shifted slightly, his eyes wandering around the sunny yellow room full of suits, dresses, sewing machines, and racks upon racks of fabrics, ribbons and thread. "I want to bring four kids into the royal prep school and university. Eventually I want to make it a program, but… I'm starting small. I looked over the census records you ordered two years ago, and chose them already." His father nodded to go on. "I chose Jamison, son of Fahad-Khaled." An uneasy nod from his mother, "Cameron, son of Lady Anwir, and Emma and Gisa, daughters of Audenzitios." His mother jumped, and the tailor suddenly made himself scarce, retreating to a large closet full of supplies.

"Son!" his father shouted, "Audenzitios is the most evil enchantress I've encountered and was by far the hardest to place on that island. I will not allow you to bring her daughters here. They could have the same magic as their mother! They could—"

"Father, the barrier around the island nulls all of their magic. The girls would never have any chance to practice magic. If they even inherited magic, they're children. Teenagers. They are my own age. Besides, what if they are looking for a new life? Father I— I can't help but look over at that desolate and yet overpopulated slice of land and feel sorry for everyone who was never given the chance to live here. Besides, whether we like it or not, they're still our people, and we need to treat them as such." He looked at his father dead in the eye, challenging him to push back again. "Please father."

The king shifted once, casting a glance around the room. He finally rubbed the scruff on his chin once before nodding. "Yes, yes you're right. They are our people. I believe," there was a pause as the king straightened his shoulders, "I believe that we should go through with this. I will help you prepare the proper documentation after the fitting ends."

"Michael," his mother said sharply with a raised eyebrow, "I hope you know what you're doing. And I hope you're not wrong." With one last glance at him, she took her husband's arm and walked smoothly from the room.

Michael had thought over this many many times. He had done all the research he could handle. Reading until he fell asleep on his desk. He drank coffee until he was blue in the face. He'd never been more sure of something in his life. Never more unsure as well. A royal proclamation on these matters would certainly make some in their kingdom become quite upset. Especially the parents of the pampered rich and royals at the school the new kids were going to attend.

A meeting he'd previously had with Duke Mattuckle and his court had not gone well. He had meant to help him with a problem in his province, only to find that he wanted to knock down a few neighborhoods for a nature preserve and encountered a protest. Michael loved the outdoors and forests and nature however… The kingdom had countless acres of preserved land. Animals thrived and had plenty of space, so many species were reemerging. There was actually a greater problem housing the people in the allotted land.

Duke Mattuckle and his wife Sierra would certainly throw a fit if they knew that their son and daughter were now attending school with the descendants of the very villains they had worked so hard to defeat.

He couldn't think like that. The children were innocent. They were innocent.