Over the next few days, Cage dealt with a great deal of administrative matters meant to ease his mind while he waited for something to happen. For either Jazz and Jinx to return, though he was aware it was too soon, for Madeline Harkiss to convince her father to show up for a meeting, for Trix to show up with news, or for Terrani to get the hell out of his palace with his elite assassins.

So in order to occupy his time, he organized trials for the royal guards, purged the Grand Palace of potential traitors and sat through endless hours with Humphrey in order to plan the coronation.

"You should publicly announce it sooner," the Palace Master kept muttering to himself.

"I'll announce it as soon as I get word on how I should do that." Cage was bored with giving the same answer over and over again, so his eyes strayed to the portraits in the throne room.

He'd left them uncovered after killing Fherras, and though it had been an act of rebellion, he realized the brilliance of it. After all, Fherras had hidden them for a reason. He'd always claimed it was deference towards the dead. What he truly wanted was to make sure the people forgot there was a pattern for the traits of the Pengranton kings. One he did not possess as the second son.

Now, every time anyone came from an audience, they got to see just how much Cage matched the appearance of his royal ancestors. He should call more people over in the throne room. It was where he was supposed to hold court anyway, but that had obviously dwindled given the new situation.

"Three hundred guests will not be enough," Humphrey complained.

"Invite more than. The entire court of Annora, all governors of the Free Cities of Talia and their courts... Make it big and lavish and very entitled."

"That..." The older man scratched his head with his pen. "That is a very good idea."

"Make it free access for the people if you must." Cage stood from the throne and stretched. "And put Fherras' portrait on this wall."

"Excuse me?"

Humphrey's shock was justified, but Cage had thought it through. "He was king, after all. Rightfully so or not." Plus, this way he might appease Edmund, because he did not enjoy the fall out with his brother at all.

"That is true." The Palace Master noted something down.

"Has my brother left his chambers?"

"Ah." The word was soft but Cage caught it. "No, he has not. His highness and the Queen Mother break their fast in their chambers and do not leave them."

Cage let out a groan. "They should at least stretch their legs in the garden." Stubborn people! His mother didn't have a reason for fear and Edmund should know better. "What about Lord Terrani?" Another ongoing problem.

"His legs have been stretching quite a bit."

"Did his men finish searching the palace?"

"I'm not sure." Humphrey tapped his chin with the pen. "But I have allowed them ample access as per your orders."

"Good. Arrange for a state dinner with him tonight." It was about time to invite him to the coronation and send him home for the time being.

A ball of unease formed in his gut at the thought that Jazz couldn't be there for his coronation, but his friend would understand. It was harder for him to understand why he had to play this game.

"Yes, your Majesty."

He'd almost stopped cringing whenever he heard that. Almost. "I'll be out in the gardens if you need me. I need some time to think."

Humphrey nodded and let himself out. Cage soon followed him, glad that he wasn't wearing the crown and didn't have to take a detour to drop it off. He did feel the need to move, but harassing palace guards and training with them too often was not the best course of action. The only person he could truly train with whenever he liked in accordance with protocol would be Edmund. It ailed him that he had absolutely no idea if his brother even knew the right end of a sword when he saw one.

The obvious other options would be Jazz, Jinx or Trix. Or all of them at once. Why had he sent all of them away at the same time? Why couldn't he still have Joey? It still irked him that Joey was the price he'd had to pay for Cecille's plan.

Once he reached the lavish gardens, he started a lap on the main trail. The guards stationed right next to the entrance sprang to attention and made to follow, but he waved them away and hastened his pace. He really didn't want company. The past few days had been exhausting and he needed some time to put everything in order.

His biggest issue beside the information and the impending coronation was the policy on magic. He hadn't yet taken any measures regarding it because he had no idea where to start. He couldn't outright lift the ban, especially when his people were terrified by it and the influx of magical creatures resurfacing after decades.

But a manner in which to gradually reintroduce them to magic eluded him, and he wasn't sure he had anyone who could advise him on that matter.

He froze in the middle of the path. He'd reached the back of the garden and he was sure he'd heard the sound of someone scampering up the wall. Careful not to make any sound, his hand drifted towards the pommel of his sword and his gaze remained trained on the offending section of wall. A part of him was sure there was no danger, but he could never be too careful.

In a matter of seconds, his instinct proved right since Trix appeared on top of the wall and let himself slide on the grass.

"You should use magic to levitate above obstacles. You'd make less noise," he said, by way of greeting.

"Well, no one has hearing as keen as you, your Majesty," Trix said, his mismatched eyes shining with mirth. He glanced left and right as if to make sure they were alone. "I come with news."

"I had a feeling you weren't just looking to climb random walls."

"You'd be surprised how entertaining that can be." He turned serious and moved further in the shade of a Begami tree. "Any word from Jazz and Jinx?"

Cage joined him under the thick shade. "None so far, but I decided to send the Talian envoy home, just in case they show up."

Trix just hummed and Cage could tell he was worried for their friends. "I would trust them with my life, but you did send them deep into enemy territory."

"Didn't I do the same to you?" Even if Trix was from Iride, he already knew that his experience on the streets of Valona had never been a pleasant one.

"In some ways. In others, there are some I'm still familiar with out there, even after all these years." His smile was filled with sadness this time. "To some, I'm still a harmless cutpurse and pick pocket. The fact that magic makes sure I don't age makes it easy for people to forget that time doesn't stand still."

That was an interesting approach. Cage could see it happening as well, but it opened the doors for different questions and possibilities regarding the acceptance of magic.

"What's the word on the street?"

"About a week ago I could safely report that people thought you had no right to the throne. Now, however, most of the good citizens of Valona are confused."

Cage frowned. "How so? What has changed?"

"The coronation for one thing. It was easy to ignore you when you'd just stumbled in. But once the priests of the temples declare you king, it means the gods approve of you. Most common folks don't believe the gods can be wrong."

"But, on the other hand, anyone could claim to be crowned by force."

Trix nodded. "Also true. But here is where you are in luck. Fherras was not as well loved as he thought. The fact that you lowered the taxes and released most of the prisoners from the dungeons has people reluctant to outright hate you. Then there are those who are old enough to remember your grandfather. There are legends regarding your bloodline."

"You've been to the throne room. You know that it's more a question of hereditary traits rather than a legend."

Trix huffed. "Let them believe in these legends. I've been doing my best to spread it around the city for the past few days. It's easier for people to embrace the mysticism rather than think."

"You'd say something like that would make it easy for them to accept magic again."

"Oh, no," Trix said with a laugh. "That's the stuff of misery. The side of mysticism people don't want to embrace."

That was true. The belief of people was often insane and lacking all logic. Depending on if the same thing was good or bad, people would weave an entirely different narrative about it. And this gave him an idea.

"What is your take on the current situation after all this time?"

Trix shrugged. "It could be much worse, but you need to do more for the people to begin considering you their rightful king. And if you're going to war, I will assume that you need the support of your people."

"That depends on the kind of king you want to be." If it came to it, he was ready to save his people against their will. "Do you need any help?"

"Not yet. I'm trying my best to be as inconspicuous as possible for now. Fortunately, I still know how to blend in."

Which was impressive given Trix's height, his mismatched eyes and gloves. "Alright then. If you ever need me, send word through one of the royal guards."

"Do you trust them?"

"As much as I can trust anyone around here."

This drew another grin out of Trix. "You can trust me. You do know that, right?"

"Of course. That's why I've sent you out there."

"You know, you should definitely organize a network of spies."

"I'm thinking it would be odd if Fherras didn't already have one. Maybe you can find out something about it?"

Trix nodded, looking even more excited than before. With unsettling ease, he hoisted himself over the fence again and disappeared into the streets. For a moment, Cage felt jealousy. He used to be the one who had no trouble escaping the stuffy life of a noble. Now, even if he was the king, he felt trapped. What would happen if he would just step out the gate of the Grand Palace and onto the streets of Valona?

A plan began to take shape inside his mind. What would happen if he stepped out? He turned on his heels and began his stride towards the gates. Would anyone even recognize him anymore? Seven years was a long time for most people. Sure, he hadn't changed at all, but the people around him had.

The guards at the gate jumped to attention. They said nothing and he strode past them and out into the street. For a moment, they hesitated, but then they hurried to follow.

"Stay at your posts," he ordered, not even glancing back at them.

He could feel them tripping over their feet, unsure whether to listen or not. He didn't give them the chance to follow and hurried his pace, dipping down a side street. Nothing happened. Nothing changed. A weight lifted off his chest as the smell of freedom surrounded him. Well, it was the smell of garbage, actually, but it still felt liberating to be on the move.

As he continued his way down familiar side streets, he focused on the state of the city. Valona had always had rich and poor areas, most of the people being somewhere in between. Even if he hadn't properly walked the streets in years, he could tell there were differences. Everything seemed dustier, older, as if nothing had been done to improve the city in years. The streets were dirty and there were stone slabs missing from the road. There was definite room for improvement.

He made a mental note to call a meeting with all the barons and check on the status of their lands while looking for other aspects that needed his attention. It didn't take long for the people to start whispering as he passed.

⚜⚜⚜

Look at Cage being all kingly. Also look at him just walking out of the castle for some old fashion interaction with his people 😅

But yay, Trix makes an appearance. And the news is... Pretty good. He just needs to do a bit more convincing of the people. Maybe seeing him out and about will help with that.

Thanks for reading! See you next week.