The air inside was chilly, despite the entire room itself being lit by dozens of candles. On each side of the room wooden benches similar to what you would see in a church were placed. Every so often, these benches were separated by one of the giant columns carrying the roof. In the middle of the room lay a long red carpet, stretching all the way from the entrance to the podium at the back. Standing on the podium were two thrones made from gold and red velvet, with one being slightly smaller than the other. On the larger one sat a middle-aged man, who was wearing the most luxurious clothing I had yet seen in Fira. He had a large brown beard and his narrow eyes were a deep red, just like Kia’s. But most important was the golden crown he wore. He looked displeased – almost scornful – at us. The tension built up drastically as we walked towards him.
“My daughter, did I not prohibit you from leaving Gehenna? How come, despite that, you still ignore my order?”
Kia clicked her tongue, clearly not amused by her father’s words.
“Glad to see you too, father. I expected you would have left that in the past by now. However, it appears even now you enslave yourself to those outdated rules of yours.”
Fire burned in the king’s eyes. From the sounds of it, this wasn’t the first time Kia and her father were clashing with each other, yet the tension in the air was so suffocating that I thought I was about to faint.
“You would do well to pick your words carefully, daughter o’ mine. Or have you forgotten who you are talking to?”
Both glared at each other with such venomous stares, you could see sparks fly between them. I was worried they were going to fly at each other’s throat if I didn’t step in, but my body refused to move. I was rooted on the spot. Fortunately their staring contest didn’t last long, as Kia turned her head around with the sight of sheer frustration stuck on it like ink on a piece of paper.
“May I assume this to be your guest who I was informed about?”
“The boy’s name is Shako Ikitayashi. I found him unconscious when I was climbing Sharp Peak. He claims he has lost his memories, so – in an act of kindness – I offered him to stay at our home for the night.”
“Dear daughter,” he began, “must I remind you once again that we are rulers of this realm, not its charity workers? You see a young man in need, and your first instinct is to help him. Though admirable, have you ever considered what message do you think it sends if the royal family begins extending its hands to everyone burdened by misfortune? Do you believe our people will grow stronger from it? Or will they simply wait for us to solve every hardship that befalls them?”
Kia remained quiet. The king let out a quiet sigh before continuing.
“Kindness is a virtue, but do not let it cloud your judgment. A ruler who allows emotion to dictate every decision will soon find themselves unable to make the difficult choices. You cannot save everyone, no matter how much you wish to.”
His gaze remained fixed on Kia.
“Every act of mercy comes at a cost. Every resource you spend on one person is a resource you can no longer spend on another. Before you extend your hand, you must ask yourself a simple question: Will this truly help them... or will it only postpone their suffering?” He paused, before adding: “A compassionate heart is admirable. An irresponsible ruler is not. The people do not need a monarch who pities them. They need one who can make decisions that preserve this kingdom, even when those decisions are painful.”
His expression softened, if only slightly.
“One day, this realm may become yours to govern. When that day comes, you will learn that the burden of a crown is not measured by how many people you can save, but by how many sacrifices you are willing to bear for the sake of everyone else.”
He paused for a moment.
“So I ask you again, my dear daughter… have you truly thought this through?”
She remained silent, quietly clenching her fist and biting her lip in frustration.
“I… I…”
She tried desperately to say something, but all she could mutter underneath her trembling voice were a few simple words. I felt bad seeing her like this and couldn’t shake off the feeling that all of this was my fault. If she hadn’t extended her kindness to me, she wouldn’t be in this position. So, without thinking about it, I stepped forward.
“E-Excuse me, Your Highness?”
The king turned to look at me, his eyes filled with displeasure.
“Speak!”
For a moment, I froze. Now that all the attention was on me, my mind suddenly went blank. What was I even supposed to say? I stood there in silence for a few seconds, trying to figure out the right answer. In the end, I decided it was probably better to stop overthinking it and just go with my gut. I took a deep breath.
“I understand that you are angry with Kia for helping me and that you see me as nothing more but an uninvited guest. However, what Kia said is the truth. I have no recollection of what happened before she found me. Nevertheless, Kia decided to lend her hand and help me – despite having every right not to. And–”, I stopped halfway out of embarrassment. “And I would like to repay that kindness in any way possible.”
I know how cheesy this must’ve sound, but I truly meant it. Everything I said came from the bottom of my heart. Both the king and Kia looked surprised at me. For the first time since I had entered the room, I felt the tension in the air slowly subsiding. Realizing this, I started to feel calmer as well. A few tense seconds passed before the silence was broken again.
“I am delighted to hear my daughter displayed great hospitality towards you. Nonetheless, my decision remains unchanged. I cannot make an exception to the rule just because my daughter begged me to.”
“And what if I started working here?”
I don’t know why I asked this, nor where it came from. It was just a thought I had, and before I could stop myself, I blurted it out. Even so, the king was absolutely dumbfounded by it.
“Pardon?”
The king stared at me as though I had just suggested something completely absurd.
“I said... what if I started working here?”
“I heard you the first time,” he replied, his expression still one of disbelief. “I simply cannot understand why you would suggest such a thing.”
“Well, if the problem is that you can’t make an exception for me, then let me earn my stay instead – at least, until I gain back my memories. I’m not that great at cooking or doing the laundry, but I can do simple stuff like cleaning, carrying things, or running errands.”
His stern expression softened ever so slightly.
“You would truly be willing to work for your place here?”
I nodded.
“If that’s what it takes.”
“And you do it simply to repay my daughter’s kindness?”
I nodded again. The king looked attentively at me, as if he was analyzing me. I felt his eyes scan my entire body.
“For generations, our family has trained its servants to be among the best in the world. Know that your training will be brutal and that indolence will not be tolerated. Our royal family only accepts sheer perfection. If I witness but a moment of inattention from you, I will have you thrown out immediately. That said, are you still prepared to work here?”
I waited for a moment, thinking things through. Realizing there was no other option left, I bowed deeply and answered:
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The seconds that followed seemed to last forever. With weighted breath, I waited for what he was about to say next. After what felt like ages, the king finally broke the silence.
“Daughter, please take our new servant to his new bedroom.”
“Does that mean…?”
The king let out a dismal sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Go, before I change my mind.”
For a moment, I just stood there, hardly believing what I had just heard. Then Kia rushed over and grabbed both of my hands. She even gave a little jump of excitement.
“You get to stay here!”
“I guess so,” I said, still hardly believing what had happened. Before I was able to say anything else, my stomach made a loud growl. The room fell silent. Kia looked at me with a slight smirk on her face and said:
“I do not know about you, but I am feeling quite peckish. Would you mind accompanying me to the dining hall?”
I placed my hand on my belly.
“Perhaps that’d be a good idea.”