East Wing

To say that he was shocked would have been an understatement. It felt like he'd run at a door only to find out it was locked. Next came disappointment, souring his mouth like bad milk.

"What do you mean 'the king's orders'?" Kai questioned incredulously.

"Exactly what we said, your Highness. The king has ordered you to remain in the East Wing and has forbidden you from roaming the rest of the Palace." Said the blue-eyed guard.

"But why?!" Why would his uncle issue such an order?!

"Apologies. We do not know, nor do we have the power to ask." It was the yellow-eyed guard who spoke this time.

"Well, I'm going to meet him right now, so-"

"Not possible, your Highness. We cannot let you leave, even to meet his Majesty. The King's orders."

He clenched his teeth so hard, his jaw ticked. Patiently, he tried yet again, "I'm sure this is all some big mistake. If you let me go to my uncl- his Majesty, I can pr-"

"No. These are his Majesty's explicit orders. We cannot disobey them."

"Then call him here!"

The guards -and the servants- looked at him as if he were the greatest of blasphemers.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he moaned as he scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration.

He argued with them for another full minute, but it had been apparent to him from the start that there was no getting past them. Stony faces stared back at him, unbudging.

He wanted to throw his fists around and knock some armored ass, but he restrained himself with great effort. Inwardly seething, he whirled around in a flurry or gold-woven robes and stomped back to his chambers, a line of servants following behind him.

He'd gotten all dressed for nothing.

****

It occurred to him sometime during his restless attempt at sleep that, if he couldn't leave the wing to meet the King, and nor would the King Regent be brought to him by his request, he'd have General Ryodan brought to him so that the good general could fetch the King Regent for him, or deliver his message at the very least. Surely that wouldn't be too great a transgression in courtly manners.

So, the next morning, he went to the guards and asked to see General Ryodan.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, your Highness."

"If you say the king's orders-"

"No, it's not that." The guards exchanged strange looks briefly, but Kai wasn't nearly as blind as they clearly thought him to be and caught them.

"Well, what is it, then?" He was growing impatient and irate at this constant refusal of the simplest of requests.

"He's gone to quench a few riots and disturbances in the Western borders of the kingdom." The blue-eyed guard explained.

"Then summon him when he's back."

"He'll be gone for some time."

Kai's eyebrow shot up in obvious doubt. "And how would you know such a thing?"

"Well..." There was that look exchange again.

Annoyed, he barked, "Spit it out!"

"These riots happen occasionally, but they've been happening a lot lately."

At that, he frowned. It seemed that Astria was not so peaceful and 'blessed' after all. Well, aside from the ongoing war it was fighting with Marius' empire.

"Who's rioting? Nostrazians?" he asked.

"No... Astrians."

Ah. So, there was some local conflict, it seemed. Did Astria have a civil war to contend with as well?

"Why are Astrians rioting?"

Kai realized he had stepped foot in murky waters the moment the guards started to look uncomfortable.

As expected, they avoided the subject altogether.

"It's best that his Majesty and his advisors address your questions, your Highness."

The other guard rushed to say, "Yes, the situation is ever changing. We wouldn't want to accidentally provide you with unreliable information"

Looking from one guard to the next, he said, "I can imagine."

It seemed that this was all he was going to get from them on this particular matter.

"Alright, thanks."

They were immensely too pleased when Kai dropped the subject.

****

Left with no choice but to bide his time until General Ryodan returned, he roamed the East Wing until he'd memorized every room. His boredom and restlessness turned into the demons that mercilessly rode him, day in, day out. Being underwater, there was no way to tell morning from night, seeing as they lived in the perpetual darkness of the ocean's floor. Unlike the Royal Palace at Nostraza, the Astrian Palace, or at least the East Wing had no windows. So, Kai was forced to rely on his biological clock and the comings and goings of the staff to determine bedtime.

He wondered why the Astrian Palace wasn't submerged in water. He understood why the Nostrazian Palace wasn't; the human pets they so 'cherished' couldn't breathe underwater, hence the magical dome that surrounded the Palace. But since there were no human 'pets' to contend with here in Astria, why weren't these mermen and mermaids choosing to float about in their true forms instead of walking on human legs?

On the third day -or was it the fourth day?- Kai began secretly searching for a way to leave the East Wing.

He made it a point to watch the servants as they came and went in hopes of finding another exit, but he soon discovered that they came into the East Wing through the same double-doors the guards were constantly stationed at.

God, did they never sleep?

At the breakfast table, his butler whom he now knew as N'main proposed as he poured Kai his kelpie tea, "Your hair has grown past your ears, my Prince. Would you like me to send for the Royal Barber?"

"I thought you guys were all about the long hair," he mused and reached a hand to pinch a strand of hair that was particularly longer than the rest.

"We are. But, if you don't mind my presumption, I believe his Highness likes to keep his hair of somewhat medium length."

Kai smiled. It was his first real conversation with the elderly butler, who'd maintained a stoic and often silent demeanor up until now. He rather relished the change of behavior. "You're right, I do like to keep it somewhat short. Okay, call for the barber."

N'main nodded and proceeded to serve him his gourmet breakfast over some of the shiniest, most reflective silver platters he'd ever seen.

****

Once the Royal Barber was done shearing his hair, Kai began to get up, meaning to go to the mirror and peer into it, but a servant quickly came to him with a beautiful, bejeweled mirror in hand.

He checked his reflection, turning his head from side to side to view all angles of the hundred-dollar cut he'd just been given. Royal Barber indeed.

"What do you think?" he innocently asked the server.

She blanched, the color disappearing from her face. "M-M-M-Me?" she stuttered so heavily that Kai wondered if he'd offended her somehow.

Was it not in merpeople culture to ask for other's opinions?

"Y-Yes, I'd like your opinion," he said hesitantly, eyebrows pinched.

The servant looked at N'main pleadingly, begging for assistance.

"Okay, nevermind," he said and leapt out of the chair.

As he walked down a corridor, he couldn't help but dwell on the servant girl's strange reaction. It wasn't the first time the servants had behaved so... so... He wasn't even sure what he'd call it. Fear? Exaggerated revere?

No, it was more than that.

He'd felt it for some time now; the watching, the following, the guarding.

He was being watched, it seemed.

And if Kai had to guess, it was by order of his beloved uncle, King Zoltan.

He entered his room and shut the door on the guards' faces. He rested his back against the door and looked up at the roof.

Kai wondered if he'd escaped one prison, only to land in another one.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Thanks for reading. What do you think of the story so far?Find the next chapter on my Patreon for just $1, along with exclusive NSFW chapters and artwork.