Late Night Talks are the Best
Year of the Golden Gilled Boar, 1983, Kliloln, Naesu 25th
Sleeping well has been a problem of late so I was glad when I woke up fully refreshed. It was the kind of sleep where when I wake up, I feel ready to take on the world for another day. It wasn’t another day, yet.
Bummer.
The sounds of mourning and singing reached my ears. I rolled to my side and put my hand up in an effort to sink back into dreamless oblivion. It wasn’t happening, so I got up.
While Jibel slept soundly, Hanni was not in her bed. Taking a peek out the window, I estimated it to be either close or a little after midnight. I poured myself a drink, put on my belt and headed out the room.
The soldiers on guard duty gave me a nod. In front of the door, Cheki sat on a chair, waiting. Just waiting.
“You should be resting.”
“I am to be available should you need anything, Jorj.”
“Well, I don’t need anything. I don’t think I’ll be needing anything. You should go.”
“May I accompany you to… wherever…?”
“No. I’m only going to the grounds. I can find my way.”
“I will be here, Jorj. In case the little one wakes up and needs anything.”
I was tempted to insist. Then I realized that should I dismiss him, Cheki will no doubt be ordered to do other things. The fact that no one else was assigned in his place alluded to the bustle in castle.
“Fine. Find me if anything comes up.”
The sound of activity grew louder as I neared the entrance. A voice rose above the others, enumerating the deeds of the monarch’s during their reign. That caused me to pause, not because I didn’t expect such an activity but because it was the middle of the night.
Who has time to memorize that?
The grounds had more people than I remember from earlier. They were still arranged in two semicircles around a man who was wearing similar garbs to the one I saw earlier, but there was more of them. The number of chairs and benches brought out earlier wasn’t enough. Those at the back of the gathering stood, others sat on the ground. I’ve never been good at estimating the number of people in a crowd but I had no doubt there was, at the very least, a thousand citizens on the castle grounds.
Soldiers did their patrols in groups of four. Just like Litoc ordered, torches and small fires dotted the grounds within the vicinity of the attendees. Even the road outside leading up to the castle had lighting.
On both sides of the gathering were long tables stacked with food. Fruits, bread, pies, meat, even fish. Behind the tables were attendants whose jobs, it seemed, was dunk mugs into barrels and give them to whoever asks for it.
Farther from the tables, on both sides of the gathering, were two roasting spits. From what I could see, I gathered they were roasting one of those roided out cows on one spit and three to four tiny hogs. Smaller spits, closer to the ground, stood beside the large ones. These had fowl.
Anyone was free to approach the tables and take food. The hatchet on my belt must have given me away. Not my height or my lighter complexion, r the scar on the side of my face. Definitely not those. As soon as I was looking at the spread, the servants behind the table exploded into action, in search of a plate. There were no more plates, metal or wooden. Those who had them held on to them, it seemed.
The servants tried to give me a bowl. They apologized when I declined. I emptied one serving plate into another and used it instead. There were no more mugs or cups either so I just took what I had and headed for the hedges to the right of the castle entrance.
I wondered as I chewed on a piece of fatty meat at just how many of the people in attendance were faking it. The church’s cleric was now reciting the story we made up about the how the monarch’s died. There was gasping, and shocked expressions, followed by wailing. The cleric withdrew towards the church tower on the western side of the castle. Moments later, everyone turned their heads towards the entrance.
Jakeli came out, garbed in his house’s colors, accompanied by a retinue of servants donned in outfits of the same shades. He went straight to the middle of the large gathering and performed an exaggerated bow to all in attendance, thanking them for being there, celebrating and mourning with them, among other things. Jakeli then proceed to outline how he planned to continue the late monarch’s legacy. As he reached the part about strengthening the security in major roads, I heard steps approaching from my left.
“Sa. ‘ow’s our man doin’?”
“Good, I guess. He’s following the story, so far. Didn’t expect to find you here.”
“Where else would I be, eh? ‘snothin’ else ta do.”
“I take that to mean everyone’s been told?”
“Ha, everyone that needs tellin’ ‘as been told.”
“It’s off to Osea first thing in the morning then. Tukru coming?”
“’es got thin’s ta do ‘ere. Why’dye ask?”
“Noticed five bedrolls in the chest you had deposited in our room.”
“’sonly fer just in case, ye knowin’? I’ll give them to the innkeeps o’ course but extra might come in ‘andy while on the road. Still waitin’ on a nice wide leather roll.”
“What do you plan to do with that?”
“Figured it might rain in the ten days or so while we’re on the road. ‘ave a tent for the boy, somethin’ like that. Sell it for coin once we arrive.”
“How did Juwen take it?”
“Take what?”
“The news? How you have no plans in taking the throne? How you’d rather be a cart driver? That?”
“Oh, that. ‘e didn’t like it. Broke ‘is ‘eart I’m guessin’. ‘e tried ta talk me out o’ it.” Litoc replied, tone sullen.
“I can’t blame him. Spent all his life serving the crown and upholding its rules. He must’ve thought it a miracle when he saw you back in the castle after twenty years.”
“’e did. Old hound’s been bouncin’ like a child since.”
“Probably didn’t help that you were all over the castle checking stuff and running things.”
“Ha. But I had ta do somethin’ since I’m ‘ere. Not sure what would ‘ave ‘appened if I weren’t ‘ere. Or ye.”
“Why didn’t you just take it? The seneschal is on your side, Jakeli can’t contest your claim, and there would still be people who know you. You obviously care about this kingdom and its people. And you still have the guild.”
“’snot fer me Jorj. I’m better off out there, doin’ somethin’ others won’t.”
From the sudden change in his tone, Litoc was uncharacteristically dejected. I decided to pry. In the least bit, it might help him work through his feelings.
“Tell me what happened.”
“’snot much there ta worry about.”
“Tell me anyway. I’m not sleeping any time soon.” I encouraged, holding up the plate.
After all the staff has been briefed, Jakeli and Litoc went to the old man to tell him about the plans. Juwen seemed to like every aspect of it and praised it, calling it a blessing. It was when he called Litoc the next king that things fell into disarray.
The old man cited the laws of succession, and all things he could throw at the cousins to dissuade them. He apparently even concocted a story and backstory on the fly on how to reintroduce Litoc back into the throne and make it inspiring and believable enough to keep the citizens talking about it for months.
“An’ that’s it. ‘e threw a fit, which is not like ‘im, lost ‘is, ah, what’s the word?”
“Patience?”
“Yes but like, ye knowin? Way ye act even if ye don’t want ta act like it?”
“Composure?”
“Ha. Lost ‘is composure. First time I seen it. In front o’ the next kin’ too. Jak ‘ad to leave fer the plaza so we cut the conversation short. ‘e withdrew into ‘is quarters and wouldn’t see me.”
That explains his absence.
“It’s not easy on his old heart, I guess. Maybe just forgive him.”
“I ‘old no ill against the basterd.”
“Good, because to me, it really just sounds like he genuinely cares about you. Must be tiring to be waiting on royals, expecting them to do the right thing. At that age too. How old is he anyway?”
“Not sure. ‘es older than my folks, that’s fer sure. Seventy somethin’ maybe.”
“Does he know about your activities outside the castle?”
“Lam. Not possible. ‘e would ‘ave dragged me back ‘imself if ‘e did.”
“He got family?”
“Basterd never married. Never understood that. Always keepin’ on ‘bout duty above self an’ all that garbage. ‘tis a shame too, ‘e would ‘ave made a great father.”
“Maybe just go visit him before we go. He might have mellowed out by then.”
“I plan on it. Doubt ‘e’ll see though. ‘e was throwin’ up a storm earlier.”
“He’s old, he doesn’t sleep much. He’d be roaming the halls before you or I step out of our beds.”
“Maybe, but yer right. I’ll go see ‘im anyway.”
At the gathering, Jakeli made another exaggerated bow, marking the end of his speech. Applause followed. The crowd stood up clapping and chanting his name. The thousand or so people’s cheers rose to a crescendo in the otherwise quiet night. A group of people carrying musical instruments came out of the castle doors just as Jakeli was withdrawing.
“I can’t tell if this is supposed to be mourning or a celebration.” I pondered aloud as the musicians started to play an upbeat tune.
“Both. After the cryin’ an’ lamentin’, the singin’ and dancin’ is ‘posed ta be somethin’ like wishin’ the next in line well. Ta live up ta ‘is promises an’ all that.”
Our conversation turned to less serious topics as we watched the citizens dance around and sing to the tunes. From time to time, someone would shout out the names of the late monarch’s or Jakeli’s and all would raise up both their hands and echo the names. Those that had drinks raised their cups and drank. They all seemed to be having a good time. As I considered briefly whether this was the real reason why they came a more grounded question came to mind.
Where do all these people pee?