Plans unfolding

He's staring.

He has been staring since yesterday, eyes followed every step and questioned it.

It waved off him in rolls, neverending staring combined with thinking.

Frankly it was disturbing.

Every shift was noted, every word was mentally listed.

Even now while he ate sharp eyes stayed on him.

Watched how he delicately cut into the piece of meat that where present on his board.

He was standing right behind him, again left and the other ever present servant at the right.

The other quards right beside them.

Piercing a small patato on his fork Acacius popped it in his mouth and immediately let a small wrinkle show on his face before letting it vanish.

It wasn't necessarily faked but the reaction of immediately turning his features back to stone was.

Mainly for the very attentive spy and for the fact that the king wasn't known for being emotional.

Although in the past he was, another night had passed and with it the third year.

Bursts of laughter as brothers played peacefully together in the snow, their mother and father calling after them to be careful.

A full cooked meal waiting upon their return and hugs and kisses full of love and adoration.

Another year where nothing seemed wrong, another year spent together.

It felt like being torn apart from the depths of his own heart, everything he never got was what he ended up being faced with.

Brown eyes and brown auburn hair so very much like his past.

Yet

A lovely family who shared pain and happiness together.

The jealously and utter wanting he had felt for a life long lost.

He didn't have iit in that life but just the possibility.

And his second life was suddenly paused for a third.

A third with a time limit of ten years, it hasn't even been a week yet and he felt himself yearning for some familiarity.

For his family, mother and father.

For Aethelstan.

Disregarding the small burst of the past he dropped his fork and knife.

The clatter resounding through the room.

He had made it look like he ate more then he actually did.

The pieces cut up so small and divided too different parts of his plate that he could see the bottom in different spots.

"The taste was perfect, give the cooks my compliments."

The sound of backing the chair left speaking up out of question.

"Someone clean it up and then return to the study."

Not waiting for an answer he walked out the thick metal door.

The distant voice of servant one spoke up and said loudly he would clean it up.

The other three falling back in their place right behind him.

Everything was so perfunctory.

Walls and doors as thick as could be, windows high and small above them.

Everything he had believed in was proven wrong when he lived the live of a royalty.

For God's sake he wasn't even allowed to drink wine, to believe that it would corrupt his body and mind weaven in their lives.

And they where right, wine did do just that but even once was not allowed.

And neither was this or that, the list kept growing.

Acacius couldn't do anything without having recieved the needed permission of the council.

A council he needed to confront today before things will get even more messy.

Well that actually sounded like he had a choice in the matter.

He didn't.

One of the twenty members had barged in while he was dressing himself.

This time not a suit, a matter far too important to not look like the royalty he was.

An inner robe combined with loose pants, another robe over it to then be overtaken be the outer robe.

An outer robe so finely made with sparkling gold linings, impeccable black materials designed with the sole intent of looking regal.

A suiting crown with it, light golden while the diamonds on it black. Gleaming in the sunlight.

He had looked in the newly placed mirror and he looked cold, fully embracing who Acacius was.

A gaze he had turned towards the member when he answered positively.

The meeting would happen in the afternoon, now remove yourself before your head will fall.

That's what he had said, maybe not so much in a positive tone but either way very much in the behaviour that was expected as with a bow and an apology Acacius had been left alone with his thoughts and prayers.

More like actions.

Because not seconds later he began dramatically moving himself around the room, robe fluttering and a smile erupting on his face.

In his first life he had bought a cape just because and it felt amazing.

He couldn't help it, the feeling thrilling in his veins.

That feeling long gone as he got called for breakfast.

Never left to his own devices for long.

And even now in his study ,safely seated in his soft chair he could hear the wisphers behind the closed doors.

Except they didn't stay wisphers or where they ever whispers if he could hear them in the first place?

Every second they forgot vigilance and spoke of romours in the surroundings.

Unlike the rules and other imperfect things about royalty that had proven untrue, one thing that was correct however was the incapable quards and servants who spoke behind your back.

Loudly.

You heard it either way. What's the point.

The real Acacius would have said off with their heads fairly quick.

The door opening made him look away from his system database.

Another thing that was lied about going to different worlds was the need of writing your plans on paper or anything remotely closely to plans.

You have systems, impossible and difficult systems that in the past would have never made sense.

So why shouldn't you be able to open a note and type in it?

Hiding a chuckle from his own thoughts Acacius turned to the intruder who once more interrupted his peace.

A peace unbelievable short.

"What are you doing?" Acacius couldn't help the surprised inquiry, watching as servant number one closed the doors behind him.

No words where spoken as the other made it's way right before Acacius's desk.

He looked serious, quirking an eyebrow at the servant as he waited for an explanation.

"I looked over your meals, your highness.

Both yesterday evening and this morning."

Stilling his cover up flipping off the book he laid it down in his lap, hands folded upon it and eyes now only on the other.

"So? What's your verdict?"

The other gulped, uncertainty seconds later replaced with sudden confidence as he was further allowed to speak

"Your highness, I have given your compliments to the chef's however I noticed that you barely ate anything.

An observation that I noticed yesterday evening aswell."

"I was merely not hungry this morning, beside I ate the sweets you gave yesterday afternoon.

A total of eight if I remember correctly."

There it was again the obvious hesitation, it never stopped him though and it didn't now either as a second later his mouth again opened.

"I know you threw them away."

"And how would you know that?"

A staring match unfolded, his own stoic face never giving the other leeway.

"I looked in your bin.

While I cleaned it sir."

Oh? He found an excuse.

"So what. Your worried about me?

Should you really be?

Am I not an awful king?"

"Your highness please don't speak like that.

I am still responsible for your welfare.

You are my king."

"Yes a king sitting on a throne not his."

"All I'm asking is that you focus on your well being.

That's all, your highness.

I'm not fit to deem if your worthy to sit on the throne or not."

"You are not but someone else is."

"Excuse me?"

You heard that, little spy. Your eyes narrowed as you took in the full sentence.

"Nothing remove yourself, accompany me later to the council meeting."

"Yes your majesty, I hope you will watch over yourself more."

"Why don't you do that in my stead, aren't you my servant?"

"Alright your majesty. I shall do as you command."

"It was not....nevermind.

After the council accompany me towards her majesty the Queen."

"Me? Your highness that's....."

"Just do it, you just have to stay outside."

"Outside? Your highness that-"

"Stop contradicting your king."

"It's for your safety."

"Your pretentious worry is not needed. She will not harm me. Leave now.''

At least he thought so? Probably?

He had no idea where he was going with this plan. Oh well Acacius was sure he would figure it out later.

"Forgive me your highness."

With that he was gone, door shut in it's wake.

He's definitely a spy.

A spy for little Asani, Acacius couldn't help wonder how much more there where walking all around him.

Opening his tab called

The reprisal of the Queen's mind he continued typing down.

Ideas that had sprouted his mind from the moment he first heard the Queen was alive.

And now the opportunity this spy had provided for him left him with a direct link to his beloved nephew.

If he could connect the two he could find a way to get away unscathed.

The thing was finding a way to do just that.