16 9: Royal Banquet

"This way your Highness!"

As I walked down the never-ending corridors and looked out on the view of Azlantean, my mind was racing thinking of a way to get money to those two girls. But first I realized that I didn't actually have any money. I mean there were the many gold and silver ornaments that decorated my wing, but taking those things would be like stealing.

"Nanny Zelda?" I asked as we walked down the long echoing hall, Sirith still sleeping in my arms.

"Yes, your Highness?" She answered brightly.

"Is there a place where I could get some money?" I was thinking of a pawn shop or a trading den, something along those lines.

"Why of course, your Highness!" She smiled down at me with a curious glint in her eye. "Your private vault contains all your allowance money. And since you haven't used any of it since you sadly have not been at the royal castle, there is quite a lot of gold in there for you."

"Really?!" I asked surprised, I hadn't thought that it would be that easy.

"Oh dearie me, did I forget to mention it?" She giggled. "Ahh... my old age is catching up with me."

Suddenly Sirith woke up and started to wriggle around in my arms. After a few moments of struggling with him, I placed him down on the ground gently. I took a few steps forward to see if he would follow after me, and I was happy to see that he pounced on after me as Nanny and I walked down the hall together.

"I see the Valhallen sabertooth has taken quite a liking to you already." She gently gazed back as Sirith calmly followed behind me with quite a sturdy stride for his small stature.

I smiled up at her, happy that she thought so.

"I've named him Sirith, after Lord Sirith from when the Kingdom was first established."

"How interesting to give an animal a human name..." she glanced down at me with her usual grandma smile on her face. "But then again, you are definitely an interesting young prince. There has been non-stop talking about you since yesterday after you stood up to Duke Irathmus. I must say it was quite a sight to behold."

I glanced up at her and saw a proud expression on her face.

"So I guess that Lord Irathmus isn't well-liked among the castle staff either...?" I realized.

"Oh well... it's not my place to say, Your Highness..." Zelda replied as she looked straight forward, a serious expression on her face. I could see she wasn't comfortable talking about the Duke so I let it go.

"Nanny, I would like to withdraw some money from my vault. Would you be able to take me there?"

"Of course!" She brightened up instantly. "How much money would your Highness like to withdraw?" She asked curiously.

"Well..." I hesitated to tell her but then decided that it was for the best that she knew.

"Just enough to buy two slaves."

Nanny Zelda stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes went wide. I hadn't seen her lose her composure since I had met her.

Her wide eyes shot forward to my face and I stared back up at her, hoping she would make the link and realize what I was doing.

"You mean... you want to free those two..." her whispers sunk away before she could complete her sentence.

I simply nodded at her.

She slowly nodded her head in reply. She cleared her throat and straightened her stance, then carried on walking.

"I was born in Azlantean when slavery was still legal, so I can guess what the girls might cost. But that was a long time ago, so the prices probably increased. To be safe, we should withdraw one hundred and fifty gold pieces."

I nodded confidently but in reality, I was a little shook that my vault contained more than one hundred and fifty gold pieces.

"I will send Tabitha and Flora to go and fetch the amount from your vault while you are eating lunch."

"Great. Thank you." I looked appreciatively up at her.

After a few strides of silence, Nanny Zelda finally spoke again.

"Your Highness, if you don't mind me asking..." she began tentatively.

I looked up at her, signalling that I didn't mind.

"Yes...?"

"Why are you so keen to help those two slaves?"

I frowned, not understanding why I wouldn't be keen to help those slaves. They were in trouble and I wanted to help them...

"You don't know them, you've never met them before. Not to mention what you are doing will definitely cause strife between you and Duke Irathmus..." She sighed away the stress that I could hear in her puzzled tone.

"Why is your Highness going through so much trouble to help them?"

I didn't know really. Maybe it's because I lived on earth and knew the effects of slavery. Maybe it's because I promised that strange secretary that I would make this world a better place. But more than that, I was doing this for one simple reason.

"Because it's the right thing to do."

My answer seemed to satisfy Zelda because she kept quiet for the rest of the way to my bedroom. When the guards standing beside my doors bowed to me and then opened the bedroom, I was shocked to see so many people inside.

My six maids: Miss Tabitha, Miss Calliopis, Miss Amethyst, Miss Flora, Miss Reverie and Miss Eden we're all holding up different garments in their hands. Blazers and shirts, trousers and shoes. All of them looked quite relieved when I walked through the door. Behind them was Sir Amren and Sir Jabari, they were both fully decorated in suave suits.

"Greeting your Highness." They all either bowed or curtseyed to me.

"Good day..." I replied with a nod, wondering what they were all doing here.

"Oh yes!" Nanny Zelda suddenly exclaimed from behind me. "I forgot to mention that tonight a small banquet will be held for the Royal family and close associates." She giggled at her forgetfulness.

I, on the other hand, was not giggling. How many times was she suddenly going to remember important details and not give me any time to prepare.

"We are running a bit behind schedule, your Highness..." Urged Tabitha nervously as she but down on her lip.

"We need to get you ready for the banquet right away!" She urged.

Sigh.

"Oh yes! We need to get you ready immediately Your Highness!" Zelda suddenly sped past me towards Flora.

"While you are getting his highness dressed, I will go to the vault and get the money." She said reassuringly as she scuttled around the room.

I nodded.

"This way your Highness." Tabitha beckoned me over to her. I quickly skipped to her side and was soon surrounded by the maids as they began to redress me in these fancier clothes.

It took hours of redressing and my maids fussing for me to finally be dressed.

They were finally satisfied with me wearing a black and white suit with gold shoulder lapels and royal blue gem broach on my chest. The black to represent the colours of my father's side of the family, and the white to represent my mother's side of the family. And then gold for gold's sake, plus the royal blue to signify the Kingdom.

They had even prepared a good and white leather colour for Sirith, as well as a silk cushion for him to sleep on during the banquet.

Soon Zelda came with two large pouches of gold.

"They each contain 75 gold pieces, your Highness," Zelda informed me as she held up the two pouches for me to see.

"Ah great!" I smiled. "I can't wait to give it to them."

Sir Amren suddenly spoke up. "If your Highness is ready to go, Sir Jabari and I will escort you."

"Thank you Sir Amren. I'm ready." I said as I walked over to his side. Sirith followed behind me naturally as I walked behind Sir Amren while Sir Jabari walked behind me. Then Nanny Zelda behind him holding Sirith's cushion.

We walked in silence for the most part as we passed down the echoing marble halls. The sun had just set, so the bright moonlight was illuminating the long palace corridor we walked down.

"Your Highness," came Amren's low cold voice. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear Miss Zelda giving you a substantial amount of money..." From behind me, I could see Sir Jabari straighten himself and take a few steps closer, probably also eager to hear the reason.

"What do you think of Lord Irathmus, Sir Amren?" I changed the topic subtly but purposefully. I very much wanted to hear Amren's perception of Duke Irathmus. Since Amren came across as someone who was fiercely dedicated to the kingdom and embodied things like honour and righteousness, his opinion of Duke Irathmus was important.

Amren was silent for a few steps, quietly calculating what the best answer would be. When he finally answered me his tone was much lower, almost a whisper that battled with the sound of our footsteps to be heard as we walked down the marble hall.

"I am very glad that his Majesty Alistair became King."

I nodded thoughtfully. So it seemed that most people were not affectionate towards Duke Irathmus.

"Sir Amren, Sir Jabari." I broke the silence once I saw that we were approaching the grande halls of the Banquet Hall.

"I might cause some drama tonight, so please be ready to back me up if necessary." I sighed thinking about all the way this transaction could go wrong.

"Yes, Your Highness." Came Amren's cool voice.

"Yes, Your Highness." Came Jabari's accented tone.