(Chapter 31)
A cruel King

~*~
Author POV

Location: Batia

"Teivel what do you have to report?" Inquired a man lounging upon a gold embellished throne.

"Father" a deep bow "I have recently discovered that the foreign princes have taken interest in a Batian boy. They seem to take all their time off visiting him" The young man stated.

"And what is the identity of this boy?" The man inquired.

"Jimin Park, he is the apprentice of Claeg the Baker who provides for all our banquets" the young man divulged.

"And would you say the Prince of Aureathen is enamoured with this Jimin?" The man inquired.

"I would yes" the young man confirmed.

"I want you to send out an invite to Claeg, I wish to dine with him" The young man was dismissed with a flick of a bejeweled wrist.

"Yes father" he turned and left through the gold gilded doors.

The invite was sent out that evening by the fastest royal messenger, not that it was needed the bakery only lay around 40 minutes from the Royal Palace.

~*~

"Are you aright?" Jimin asked as Claeg paused in kneading the dough for the morning buns again.

"I have alot on my mind" Claeg stated.

"I can listen for you" Jimin offered.

They were alone, as they were every Wednesday, the other staff didn't work that day, not many customers came directly in the middle of the week.

"I received an invitation to dine with the King at the Palace." Claeg revealed.

"Dine with the King?" Jimin looked both shocked and confused all in one.

"Jimin you know I am of the noble class, a 3rd born son, hence why I'm allowed to do my work here." Claeg divulged.

"Yes, you've mentioned it before" Jimin nodded, confirming his statement.

"I was allies of sorts with the King when we were younger, we took classes together. But I wouldn't call us friends. Dining with him used to be a formality" Claeg continued to knead the dough as he spoke.

"Did you have a fight with him of something?" Jimin inquired.

"No I wouldn't say that, he just became uninterested when I branched away from a noble's job. Running a bakery would be fine, participating as a worker is another matter" Claeg floured the bench again, preventing the dough from sticking.

"Maybe he wants to patch up things again. Being a King must be lonely work, you never know who to trust" Jimin suggested.

"Perhaps, though in all the time I've know Anwir he has never done anything unless to his own benefit, he was always selfish like that" Claeg stated troubled.

But later that night he wrote back, accepting the invitation if only out of curiosity.

~*~

Jimin waited late into the evening the next day, for Claeg to come back. He arrived late, when a moon would have risen in another kingdom.

He looked haggard, but over all he seemed content.

"So how did it go?" Jimin asked as Claeg moved to removed his outerwear.

"He seemed to want to remiss about the old days. He was feeling nostalgic. The food was good too, I swiped you a desert, savour it they were good" Claeg handed him a small chocolate.

"Thank you" Jimin popped the chocolate into his mouth, practically melting at the decadent flavour.

Claeg couldn't help but reach out to ruffle the younger man's hair, it was nostalgic, he was glad to see how fine a man Jimin had grown up to be.

Jimin leant up into the affectionate touch like a cat. Claeg wasn't usually one for affectionate physical contact, so he savoured it when it was offered.

"Now off to bed with you, remember to brush your teeth, leaving chocolate on them isn't good" Claeg ushered him up the stairs.

"I'm not 5, I know to brush my teeth" Jimin grinned rushing up the stairs as he did every night.

"Though sometimes it is hard to tell" Claeg snarked back. Following at a more subdued pace.

They both comfortably went to bed that night, both tired from the day at work, as always.

~*~

"What do you require of me father?"  The boy asked, kneeling at the base of the throne, head dipped down to show top of his head, eyes trained on the floor.

"I need you to steal something for me" the man stated simply.

"And what's that father?" The young man looked up into dark emotionless eyes.

"The Prince of Aureathen's knife. The one he always wears on his hip." Came the response.

"Is there a purpose?" The Prince asked.

"Yes, your going to take that knife and kill the Baker Claeg, leaving the knife behind to frame the Prince of Aureathen. Then finally we can have our war." The King's smile was cruel and the Prince couldn't help but shuddered.

Though he dipped his head down, accepting his fate.

"You're dismissed, do the job well" His father commanded.

He moved towards the door.

"Teivel" the name stopped him in his tracks, it has been so long since he had heard his name come from his father's lips.

"Yes father?" He turned hand still upon the handle of the door.

"Make it brutal, that's how a savage would kill" the Prince nodded, though the idea made him sick.

He left without another word, his hand clenched by his side, face pasty and sweaty.

"I'm sorry" he whispered under his breath, like a sort of prayer. Though he had no idea what he was praying for, the life he was about to take, or his own.

~*~

"Forgive me old friend, but for the sake of the kingdom it must be done" a cruel King stood by his window, he could just about see the lights flickering in the town.

The town were a tragedy was about to unfold and he was the instigator, of which he had no empathy for

After all a life was worthless in the eyes of a cruel King who followed to every end to get what he wants.

~*~

I promised a plot chapter didn't I. I hope you liked it.

Fun fact:
There are over 60 items made in Claeg's bakery, most of them are sweets (Jimin's influence)

Anyway I hope you like the chapter.

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Bye,
Winter