The Beast and The Swallow

If one was by chance dreamily strolling through the imperial gardens on this early summer day, enjoying the chirping of the birds and the burble of the fountains, they might have been suddenly forced to witness a scene most unusual. A group of three rushed along the meandering paths, their hard, careless steps sending gravel flying into the flowerbeds. Two of the people were priests of the Night Brothers Order, at least if judged by their disheveled, quickly put-on vestments. The third member of the party was a clamoring boy, whose collar was securely bunched in the older priest's grip.

"Let me go, grand-uncle!" grumbled the boy and patted the steely fingers, uncomfortably close to his neck.

"So that you can run off again?" Primate Leopold huffed. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"You'll break my neck! You'll strangle me! Oh, the lack of air makes everything so blurry!"

"Shush! You speak too much for someone lacking air. And be grateful it's your collar I'm pulling and not your ear!"

"Disfiguring an imperial heir is a crime, grand-uncle!"

"Don't uncle me! You are acting like a stubborn donkey. Only a coward runs away on Assessment Day?!"

"Who is running?" Leonte twisted his neck and gave Leopold a mortifying glare. "Mother said I don't need to bother attending. I haven't been able to practice lately, so I'm only going to embarrass myself and my teachers. Besides, Ris is the genius one."

Leopold and Ermin exchanged dark glances. Leonte's health had begun deteriorating around the New Year festivities. The imperial physicians had first diagnosed it as a cold, but the boy's condition continued worsening. A few days of improvement were followed by weeks of wheezing coughs, fever, and vomiting. Then, when one night his little body had convulsed for the first time, the verdict was clear. It pained Leopold as he watched this energetic and agile boy becoming weaker to the point of being unable to hold his training sword properly. From mingling with the knights and competing with their pages, Leo had slowly become a recluse. And yet, even in the most agonizing and painful moments, his icy gaze had remained steady and unwavering. On occasions, those eyes seemed almost as fierce and unyielding as the ones of his imperial grandfather.

Right now, that penetrating glare was concentrating all its might on him. Leopold rewarded his grand-nephew with a crooked smile. The boy still had a long way to go if he wanted to defeat the decades of practice the Primate had at weathering the imperial scowl.

'If only you were born a bit earlier,' he thought, his eyes falling gently on the pouting, freckled face. 'If only you were not your father's son. I could have followed you to the depths of the Nether Realms. You. Not Lionel. Not Llewelyn. You.'

Suddenly, the boy wriggling in his hands became quiet. For a moment, Leopold feared a flare-up of his sickness, but then, his own nose detected the fragrance. Mixing with the fresh aroma of early roses, jasmine, and water lilies coming from the ponds and flowerbeds, the smell of burning incense and herbs drifted on the wind. Quiet laughter rang from behind the bushes, together with the droning of chatter and the crunching of trampled gravel.

"It's time to let go, grand-uncle." Leonte's voice came out low and as rigid as his body. "I am not an idiot to make a scene here."

Like commanded by magic, Leopold's fingers loosened. The little prince straightened his clothes and dusted his shoulders, every movement slow and measured. Then, he led the two slightly surprised clerics towards the bushes, but his step halted just before they exited their cover. Leonte's eyes fixated on a crack in the thick foliage. Leopold and Ermin stretched their necks to have a better view.

A spacious sunny courtyard stretched on the other side of the undergrowth. Red, gray, and white marble tiles drew spirals on the ground. At the far side of the oblong garden, a star-shaped fountain spat jets of water into the air. Opposite to it, a pavilion of red and gold silk was erected under the crowns of two trees. The tent's occupants were even more dashing. A gorgeous woman in a flowing emerald dress that complemented the copper tan of her skin was laughing and clapping her hands. Next to her, a golden-haired young man clad in a light mauve tunic was shouting encouragements. The regal old man sitting on the gilded chair behind them also seemed content, if not joyful, his hand tapping on the armrest from time to time. Even the two imperial guards flanking him had expressions full of admiration and pride.

The noble spectators' attention was captivated by a six-year-old child swinging a sword in the middle of the courtyard. Every move of the blade was like a flowing river, every step the form of a deadly dance. Finishing the sequence with a sharp stabbing motion, the boy straightened his back, panting and full of pride. Like a green bird out of its cage, the woman rushed from the tent and showered the little warrior with hugs and kisses. The blond man followed her, and, to the child's surprise and delight, lifted him up and twirled him in the air.

"They make such a picture-perfect family, don't they?" whispered Leo. Primate Leopold saw the fists of his grand-nephew trembling, but couldn't find the words to console him. The prince sighed. "Well, at least I won't be barging in while Ris is performing."

Saying that, Leonte pushed the branches to the side and stepped on the spiral floor.

The reaction of the two guards was immediate. Both of them drew their swords and shielded the old man with their bodies. One of them made a strange movement with his free hand and the tip of a small hidden arrow, ready for flight, gleamed in his sleeve. Primate Leopold rushed forward with his hands in the air.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! We didn't mean to cause a stir."

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"Greetings, Imperial Grandfather. Mother. Imperial Uncle." Leonte's bow and greeting were impeccable. If Leopold hadn't seen him throwing a tantrum just a few moments ago, he would have never guessed that this pale, refined interior hid a fiery demeanor.

The imperial guards put away their swords, but their eyes remained vigilantly fixated on the three newcomers. On his side, Leopold's entire concentration was saved for his esteemed brother. With a body sunken in the embrace of several coats despite the warm weather, and a craning neck that seemed to barely support the weight of the jeweled crown, Emperor Leander II looked even older and sicker than during their last meeting. Still, his blue eyes kept their sharp and right now angry gaze.

"So, my unfilial grandson has decided to finally grace us with his presence," said the Emperor, his voice steely. "You are quite brave to show such contempt before me."

"I wouldn't dare, Your Majesty." Leopold almost whistled at Leonte's calm reply. But just as the boy was about to continue, Princess Zoraidar finally stepped up and hugged her son.

"Please, Your Majesty, be lenient. Our Leo is just a child. Children… Some children tend to be a bit unruly." Her voice was soft and melodious. Her smile - innocent, yet blinding. She turned to Leonte, who had frozen in his tracks, and gently brushed a strand of hair away from his brow. "I was so worried, Leo. We all were. Disappearing without notice on such an important day… I know you were scared of the assessment, but to run away?"

Only the brief widening of Leonte's eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. He pressed his lips, not uttering a word, but to Leopold, the boy's whole world seemed to shatter.

"To have a weak coward as my grandson!" rumbled the Emperor and slammed his armrest. "No respect, no diligence, no honor! I have been too lenient in regards to your education!"

"Calm down, Father!" Lionel's voice was like a cat's purr amidst a dogfight. He put down the very confused Leoris and protectively put his hand on the younger boy's head. "As Zorai said, children will be children, especially when they have to do unpleasant chores. Besides, Leo has been sick lately, so he'd hardly be able to perform up to par."

"Sickness?" The Emperor huffed. "I fought an eight-hour battle with a broken arm when I was barely older than him! It's my mistake for listening to all those quack physicians about his father, and I'm not going to repeat it with him! Strengthening his body will strengthen his health. His father is a walking corpse because I let him idle in bed in his youth."

"What an enlightening standpoint, Father," a new voice interjected quietly, making everyone turn around.

A tall, thin man slowly strode towards them, leaning on a servant. For a moment, Leopold's heart quivered as he observed his oldest nephew. The expensive robes hung loosely on his haggard frame. The chronic illness had destroyed his once beautiful face, leaving it pallid, with sunken eyes, protruding cheekbones, and dark eyeshadows. Just like the Emperor, Prince Llewelyn looked much older than his actual age, but, unlike his father, the spark in his gaze was usually dull and almost absent. Now, however, he walked with a straight back and royal demeanor, and even his step had gained some weight.

Not bothering to greet the Emperor, Llewelyn went straight for Leonte and ruffled his hair.

"Why are you so silent, my boy?" The gentleness in his voice was unmistakable. "If you don't speak up, everyone will remain with the wrong impression that you really disrespected your grandfather by trying to hide today."

"Don't try to protect him!" The Emperor glared daggers at both father and son. "No matter what you try to spin, he has no excuse to miss the assessment."

"Oh, but he does. I sent him on an official errand."

"My Prince!" Princess Zoraidar pulled on her husband's sleeve, but he gave her a sign to step back.

"And what errand might be more important than presenting before Father?" The innocent tone of Lionel's question didn't match the intent behind it. The temperature seemed to drop as three lions bared their fangs at each other.

"I told him to retrieve some records about Norden from the Imperial Library," came the sharp reply.

"A servant's job?" The Emperor was not amused.

"A lesson in finding the proper information and writing a comprehensive report on a given topic in preparation for a diplomatic mission." Llewelyn squinted. "I believe this is a proper reason, considering everything."

"Everything!? What 'everything'?" Fine spittle flew from the Emperor's mouth, his anger making even Leopold flinch. "You want him to become a weakling like you?"

"We seem to have different definitions of strength, Father." Llewelyn motioned towards Leoris, which prompted the child to hide behind Lionel's leg. "Still, isn't it enough for one of my sons to swing a blade for your pleasure. Not everyone can be a perfect mix of brains and brawn like Noah."

"Let your brother out of this! How dare you-"

"Please, accept my apologies, Grandfather!"

To everyone's astonishment, Leonte stepped forward and fell on his knees.

"I know I was wrong. The orders of my liege have precedence before my filial piety towards my father. I overestimated my abilities and was delayed while thinking I could manage my errand on time."

Leo quickly pulled the books out of his bag and laid them on the marble tiles.

"Grandfather, forgive me. I lost track of time while studying the great accomplishments of our ancestors. It is a grave mistake and a breach of protocol, but believe me, Your Majesty, I had no intention of escaping your assessment. After all, I have been training diligently for a long time, in order to surprise you."

"Hooo!" The Emperor lifted a brow, and a glimmer of content ran across his fierce face. "You have trained, you say?"

"Impossible!" Princess Zoraidar clasped her hands before her mouth. "You were bedridden until recently. Leo, my dear, telling untruths to the Emperor is…"

She didn't finish the sentence and lowered her head. The situation was going to get ugly, so Leopold prepared to intervene. However, Leonte was faster.

"Mother, I am telling nothing but the truth. I knew you would worry too much if you knew I was straining myself. But I couldn't just shame you and Father before the Emperor. And I had to give Ris a good example." Saying that, Leonte lifted his head and stared his grandfather straight in the eyes. "I am ready for your assessment, Your Majesty."

"So be it." Leander locked his fingers together and looked over them at the kneeling child. "Let me see whether you are a lion's cub or a stray mutt."