11 State Your Names

The massive door was deep brown in colour reaching up to the ceiling with beautiful carvings on it that was slightly shallow on the door. Most people wouldn't make sense of it but when Kamigani stared at this door she could see the carvings was about a King leading his armies to victory.

They were led to the door by the guards and soon the guards led some people to join them. They were seven in number.

Kamigani noted most were not wearing fancy cloths and they all stood there till the light coming from the far window to there left got brighter and brighter.

They had been standing there for a while with guards standing both on their left and right.

It wasn't long when she heard footsteps coming towards their directions. She turned to see the court officials in their official uniforms walking up to them.

"Make way for the officials" An announcement was made as Kamigani moved to the side along with the people by the door. Two guards by the door opened the massive door and closed it as soon as the last official stepped it.

They didn't wait for long when the door opened and they were ushered in. Kamigani eyes widen when she realised it was the throne room. She never thought there would be a day she would step into this room.

The room was so large with decorated pillars of red and gold and white flowers wrapping around the pillars from the beautiful golden flower vases at the foot of each pillar, the floors were made with marbles and it was so shiny Kamigani could almost see her reflection , the roofs were high and gold, golden chandeliers with unlit candles at the tops.. Golden lantern were also lined at the side and the windows at the ends were also high and the curtains were gold. It was breath taken with the mixture of gold, white and red and she could see she wasn't the only one mesmerized by the room.

Apart from the officials and guards, the rest were looking around. It was as if they just stepped into a fairy tale storybook.

She heard the throne was gold but it was only made with iron and it was also beautiful like the craftsmen and blacksmiths spent years in making it. The floor around it were higher and the two steps to access the higher platform were decorated with white flowers at the end. The wall at the back was pasted with a painting of a King in a shiny red and gold armour riding a horse, his red cape flying in the air, his armies riding at his back, they were all in silver armours and the enemies riding to meet them were all in black like a plague.

"Wow..." Kamigani heard Tutina muttered.

The officials were lined at the side and two men stood apart from them, they were standing few feets from the throne. One was the man Kamigani recognized as the King's guide whose cloth was plain white while the other one's robe was not black and white like the rest of the officials, It was black and maroon in colour.

The massive door at the corner of the throne room identical to the one dark brown one opened and no other person than King Xanxier Otis stepped out.

"His Majesty, King Xanxier Otis, the son of Heaven as arrived." An announcement was made.

A guard without a helmet walked behind him. The King was dressed in a luxurious wine cloth with golden decorations embroidered on it. His pale hair was braided at each side of his head and two long braids flowed down his back reaching his waist, his dark veil was in place and his powerful aura filled the whole room and Kamigani felt like they were all in the presence of a god. She knows she wasn't the only one feeling this way. She caught sight of the man that yelled at the King's quarters slipped in as they all bowed till Xanxier sat on the throne like it was designed just for him.

Kamigani raised her head to see him shook out his sleeves and a long beautiful hand rested on the arm, his fingernails were pure white.

Wasn't he supposed to be dead? Deep down Kamigani was a little glad he was alive.

His eyes glanced over the room and it was the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. It was so blue like it was shinning and it reminded her of the ocean even though she had never seen one.

His eyes shifted to the man at his right side.

"Prime minister I can see you are now well" He said and his rich voice filled the room.

The man bowed. "I'm sorry for not being able to attend court this past few days your Majesty." He said.

Xanxier didn't reply, he only nodded in understanding before looking through the crowd till his eyes rested on Kamigani, his eyes bores into her and Kamigani quickly looked a way before her guilt could be seen written all over her face.

When she glanced to check he could see he was now staring at Tutina. Two guards came carrying a box, they placed it on the floor and opened the lid, it was filled with weapons. They brought out the weapons and laid it on the floor. Kamigani could see her two swords among them, she swallowed a lump in her throat.

Xanxier's eyes met hers and she started panicking as her heart started beating faster.

Did he know? No he couldn't since she had a guard's cloth on and a big helmet. The only thing that could give her away was the extended tail of her cloth which she had gotten rid of.

The way she dressed was just a warrior and anyone could guess she was either a hunter, a bounty hunter, a personal guard or even a bandit.

She took a deep breathing and said a small prayer that they shouldn't match her dressing to an Assassin. She was slightly glad she wasn't dressed in all black.

"Starting from the left, I want you to state your names and the reason you were found outside during curfew." Xanxier said as his voice sent shivers down Kamigani's spine. "... and do not waste my name." He added.

A man hesitantly stepped forward and bowed, he folded his shaky hands behind his back.

"I was...."

"State your name." Xanxier said as his eyes swept over the man like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

"My name is Kai your Majesty, my daughter ... my daughter... had.... a fever... so I had... I had to go out to get... to get something to make her health... better from the physician your Majesty ." He stuttered before taking a step back to join the others.

Xanxier's graze fell on the woman next to him. She realised it was her turn and stepped forward.

"My.... name is Weini my Lord your Lord your your Highness your Majesty son of Heaven your...." Her voice shook.

"Do not waste my time." Xanxier reminded her since she couldn't decide of what to call the King.

"I went out.... to.. get.. some firewood because... it.. was cold." She took a deep relieved breath before falling back in line.

Kamigani couldn't blame her for the way she was shaking. Under the intense graze of the King, she doesnt know how to survive when it gets to her turn, she wasn't sure if she would be able to hold it before falling on her knees and confess.

"My name is Elae your Majesty, I went to fetch a bucket of drinking water because my son played with the one I fetched when I wasn't looking." The woman named Elae said smoothly and Kamigani gave her a silent respect for her composedness.

The man next to her fell on his knees... "Your Majesty my name is Dom and I only went out to spend the night at the Inn because me and my wife had some disagreement.." He rushed out and kowtowed.

He looked guilty like he had another agenda to go out in the dead of the night to an Inn and the way he refused to raise his head was like a sign to hide his guilt from plain sight.

Kamigani could see the King wasn't even looking at him, his graze shifted to Huare and Kamigani could see Huare was at lost to what to do, should she also knee or remain standing.

Huare's took a step forward and bowed. "my name is Huare your Majesty we couldn't find our sister so we went out to look for her." She quickly turn to Tutina at her side.

Tutina stepped forward and bowed. "My name is Tutina your Majesty, she is not exactly our sister, we are only slaves and we look after one another, I accompanied Huare to look for her." She explained calmly like she had rehearsed it a hundred times.

Kamigani wanted to spit out blood at the lies that Tutina said so smoothly with a pitiful face she hardly recognized.

"Did you find her?" Xanxier asked.

"Yes your Majesty, she is right here." Tutina gestured at Kamigani.

Kamigani would give anything for the ground to swallow her up. She turned slowly to Xanxier whose eyes bores into hers.

The excused she had planned flew out of her head and she raked her head for something to say but still no word came out. She turned to Huare for help but Huare wasn't looking at her.

Right there Kamigani had no idea how to get out of the mess she created.

Damn Ayante and the turban man.