Talios-Chapter 58: Rip

Eihpos’ gaze meeting her, was bright as they were clear, her lips turgging in a smile. "I am well. How’s was her Highness’s night rest?"

Stiana smiled, her face that of content. "I had a great night bath, so it was a lovely night rest. And you sister?"

Her smile mild as they were authentic, she replied. "I mostly spent them reminiscing, but nonetheless, I had my rest."

"I hadn’t expected to run into you here"

Eihpos smiled her eyes blinked like the slow dance of pure water from a fresh fountain. "I was just passing by."

Stiana nodded, as she held Eihpos arms even more. "Perfect, I was going to see Ajab, it would be perfect that he gets to see his aunt."

"That would be great. I’ve been curious"

"About what?"

"Who he takes after."

Stiana cracked into a laugh, little drops of tears creeping out as she held her tommy.

Eihpos looked at her, not sure what got her cracking up.

Stiana cleaned up her tears. "I’m really curious myself. Come with me." She said as she led her by hands taking the lead. "He should be in his room. It’s only morning, and he seems to love his bed."

"Oh" Eihpos exclaimed in a mock surprise. "He definitely doesn’t take after anyone I know."

Still in the lead. "I wonder what you mean"

"Of course" she responded, as she followed behind, the rest of the accompanying maids behind them, following closely, their heads bowed all the while.

Within the Prince’s place as it was made to be called, was the visinity surrounding and leading to his chambers.

His Chamber doors were opened, with it, the Queen entered and those following her, after her.

Her gaze remained planted in front of her, towards a predetermined location, and so did her steps follow, only getting her attention stoten from it by the greeting from the sides.

"Greetings Your Highness"

She smiled, at the warm greeting from this particular maid—her heads bowed.

"How are you Laih, I don’t seem to see him" said the Queen as she refocused her gaze towards the same location from before—the Prince’s bed. Laih still had a jug leaking steam in her hands, she seemed to have been preparing a bath for the Prince, if a bath was being prepared then at least, the person had to be in bed, so where was he?

The rest of the Prince’s maids were all circling his tube their heads bowed, Stiana had not bothered to go check the tub, despite they being around it, because she was certain, her child definitely would not have showered by that time. But now seeing as his bed was empty she was tempted to go take a look, only to find herself half frozen, half scared off her feet, as her moving eyes fell across a small sized standing desecrated corpse, at a small corner of the chamber, where the Prince’s little parchments remain kept.

There he was, standing, barely straight, not bended either, his hair poking to the roof, the bags of his eyes filled with all the dark clouds that could ever be found on any sky, his eyes showing protest against the very light that it was being exposed to, his lips sagged and his entire being, sluggish. It seemed like the corpse of an individual who had his lover taken from him while it laid in enforced enternal slumber, and even now that it had awaken to enact it’s revenge, it was even more unhappy about it.

"Good Morning Mother." He said. His voice hoarse, yet with strength, not of choice, but of either habit or subconscious trait.

The Queen capped her mouth with both her hands as she gasped, it was for a brief moment before rushing over to his side, he had remained still until she tired to grab him.

His face was already out of shape, the aching frown he now had on top of that, just made reality seem distorted.

Ignoring his frown she grabbed his hands as she bent, sharing the same eye level with him.

"What happened to you?" Her eyes were filled with enough concern to be shared equally amongst a mass.

His gaze remained the same, not bothering to answer the question, he pulled his hands out of the Queen’s grasp, his head in a slight bow before he started making his way towards his maid attendants. As he turned he noticed the peculiar presence of the person who had been with the Queen, she looked familiar for two reasons, one, from the court the day before, the General Yoab and second, she looked like his mother. His gaze swept past her without stopping, no one had said anything, so he had no reason to also.

Seeing his attitude towards her, Stiana got a little worried as she closed the distance blocking him off, before grazing to his eye level again.

"Did mother offend you?" She asked, really concerned.

His voice remained strong, "Why would mother think that?" to avoid having his hands taken from him again, Ajab now had them behind his back, clasped.

"You wouldn’t talk to me. Tell me, what happened?"

"I’m not sure what mother means, I’m clearly talking with Mother. I just need to attend to something, besides doesn’t mother have ’duties’ to attend to?"

Her eyes widened slightly as they dimmed just a little. She would have wanted to hold his hands but with it being out of the picture, she held his shoulders, which caused him to further frown, but she didn’t mind, holding him firmly. "Mother is really sorry she couldn’t come see you all this while, it couldn’t be helped. Could you forgive me?"

"I never said anything. There is nothing to forgive, I’m only saying Mother probably has things to attend to this morning, as do I. So if mother wouldn’t mind." He said as he tried moving away.

"So you’re saying you wouldn’t forgive Mother, no matter what?" Her grip wasn’t forceful, but it wasn’t lose all the same.

"I’m saying Mother did nothing wrong, only having to attend to important things, just like this Prince here is about to."

She squinted her eyes, "Are you accusing your Mother of taking other things as more important to her than her baby?"

His face had lost space for more frowns, yet it squeezed at the sound of that. He fixed his gaze into hers, "Assuming mother is referring to something else, I wouldn’t know, all this one is still saying is, he has nothing to forgive"

"So my baby wouldn’t forgive me?"

"I have no idea who mother is referring to."

"Do I have any other baby?"

"I wouldn’t know since I am not one"

"Says who?"

"Says I"

"Well I beg to differ. So tell me, how should I make it up to you?" Her smiles spewed out, hoping to coarse him into an agreement.

It was brief, too brief to have been spotted, but she caught a glimpse of it —a little glint in his long dark eyes. Before it disappeared.

"Nothing" Ajab said unwavering

She nodded, left her grip and backed him just a little, the side of her face visible from his view, he raised a brow to this sudden pose.

"How about mother allows you all the snack you’d want for a day?"

"Three days."

She turned back, her son held no particular expression, just his fingers sticking out, a striking three.

She held her chin, before sticking out her own fingers, signaling a one and half. "A day and half"

"Two days and half" Ajab responded, his fingers signaling.

"Two days then" she said in a nod.

His eyes darting in thoughts before returning, Ajab nodded. "Two days then." He hadn’t allowed himself smile, but even then, he couldn’t help but frown at the next statement that followed.

"Regulated two days" the Queen said. It might be a way to soothe things but, she wasn’t sure she wanted this son of hers left unsupervised with a full two days free check to snacks.

"Isn’t that even worse than a single day?" Ajab asked. What use was a free two days when it was regulated, that meant even one snack a day would count.

The Queen shook her head. "Not necessarily. It means you get a new taste for a new day. Isn’t that great?" She spread her arms, her smile full of life.

Ajab’s face remained deadpan, "There’s barely anything great about it. Why don’t I go with the single day, without the regulation of course."

The Queen shook her head adamantly. "No. A deal is a deal. We already agreed."

"How? Is mother trying to rip me off"

"Why would I? We really already agreed."

With the duo basking in their heart to heart heated negotiations, the long silent giggle from a particular spectator had long turned into an audible hard to miss hearty laughter, holding her tommy as she blared.

Causing the attention of the two to shift towards her.