He really shouldn't.
But he had arrived early. While Irakles had taken up residence in the palace for the past half a month, the events of the Senate meant that Meena had insisted he returned to the Mikaelidas manor that night to ensure that she could care for him. Having spent many late nights working before the Senate to ensure everything went off without a hitch, Irakles could now say with confidence that his work had come to fruition. Of course, it was not without its payment. His cough had gotten a tad worst, and it was for that that his mistress had insisted upon his return.
The morning however, brought with it many, many more opportunities.
Waking up before the sun broke the horizon, he had quickly done his morning ablutions, before taking his finest chiton. Made of a silk the color of the Mikaelidas house, it was affixed over his shoulders with fibulae in the shape of a roaring lion. The material was overlaid with the thinner white silk, and fell to his ankles. Leather sandals were strapped to his feet, and the final touch was the crown above his head.
It was an old crown, the kind he wore before Zenon had taken over as King. Worn in a time when he had been raised in the palace, a building that had been his home before his half-brother's ascension to the throne meant he could no longer keep his life as it was. A time when he had believed himself to be the future ruler of Taengea.
Things would change in his hands.
Aeneaus was ready by the time he got to the steps of the manor, and along with the gelded warhorse, was a dozen guards. Irakles was a well versed war hero, unafraid of danger... but he had his reasons for the excessive number of guards for today. The men he had specifically picked out, who believed in his cause, and believed that the young King was a farce on the throne. As the man got on his horse, a smirk was tossed over his shoulders as he spoke to them. "No need to be nice with the young King, boys." It was a free pass to do... whatever they wanted with Stephanos, within reason. For he did not expect his nephew to be nice to him.
The procession made their way softly through the streets of Vasiliadon, and the first tendrils of dawn was just touching the capitol of Taengea by the time the prince finally made it to the steps of the palace, where his scribe and assistant was quick to greet him. "Your study is ready, my prince. The duties for today are-"
"I'll be there shortly, and you may update me then, Ujarak." he murmured, cutting his scribe off halfway. The graying-haired man halted abruptly, and then looked hesitantly at Irakles, who did not bother looking at the smaller man. Instead, his eyes roamed the foyer, a frown marring his forehead as if he was thinking, before asking, "Where is the Queen Mother? And the princesses?"
"The Queen Mother is indisposed, my prince. The... news yesterday, was a shock to her. The princesses have yet to rise."
"And the young king?"
"In his rooms, my prince. As he would be, under house arrest." For a moment, Ujarak wondered if his master had went mad. Irakles was always sharp upon his wits when it came to these matters. Why was he asking? "And the Advisors?"
"Just arrived before you, my prince. They are waiting in the foyer."
Irakles nodded, and waved his scribe away, before motioning at the guards to follow him as he entered the foyer. There, the current acting regeant to the throne smiled as the advisors assembled bowed at him. In turn, Irakles greeted them, but just as they were about to begin the daily tasks however, Irakles held a hand up. "I must apologise, my lords, but may I please have a moment before we begin? I would very much like to visit my nephew... He appeared quite shocked by the news yesterday... and I worry for him." The former general made a show of rubbing his bruising jaw, putting on a sheepish, wry look.
"Are you certain, my prince? He is... dangerous, as proven yesterday." the Chief advisor responded, to which Irakles shook his head. "Fear not, my lord. I have guards... but I must see him for my own eyes. Do go ahead, I shall join you shortly."
Bowing once again at them, Irakles turned around, and then began ascending the stairs to the private wing of the royal palati. It was the wing the royal family would stay in... the wing that he had stayed in. A privilege he had lost the moment Stephanos and his brother had been borned.
A privilege they had stolen from him.
Coming to a stop in front of a room that had two guards in front, he murmured in a soft voice. "And how was he?" In return, the guards shook their heads. Loud shatters were heard upon the young King's return, and the guards which had rushed in were further attacked and were forced to disarm the crazed King. Neither guard trusted themselves to enter, and when Irakles made a move to enter, they stopped him, worry evident in his eyes.
"I thank you for your concern, gentleman. Perhaps... I would allow my guards in first? I am a general, of course," he chuckled when the guards looked ashamed, and shook his head to appease them."But do not worry, I do understand that I am an old man now. Perhaps my movements were not what they were before." A wry look appeared again, subtly referencing how his nephew had managed to punch his jaw the night before. Taking a step back, he waved half a dozen of his guards forward, signalling at them to enter first.
The door was pushed open by the guards, and what would be seen by the inhabitants of said room would be six guards first walking in and standing three on either side, before Irakles made his entrance. The man had to duck a little, his steps slow as he entered. Had Stephanos tried to dive directly at Irakles, he would've been held back by six able-bodied, armed men, all whilst Irakles stood with his back to an open door, as six more men rushed in prepared to ensure that the young King did not get anywhere near the prince.
"Close the door. I do not wish for anyone else to witness my nephew's... unhinged madness. If at all he wishes to be reinstated as King to Taengea." It was with a sympathetic, pained tone that he instructed the guards to close the doors... but the moment the doors clicked shut, the face that turned around to face his nephew wore a smirk, a self-satisfied, joyful smirk.
Irakles leaned on his heels, allowing the ivy leaf crown to glint in the dim lights, a mockery to his nephew and the barren rooms he was now confined in. The man chuckled as his guards manhandled him further away from Irakles, shaking his head wryly as he watched Stephanos's pointless struggle. Only as things began to settle, did he level his gaze on Stephanos as he spoke. "I do hope you're enjoying your quarters, nephew."
But he had arrived early. While Irakles had taken up residence in the palace for the past half a month, the events of the Senate meant that Meena had insisted he returned to the Mikaelidas manor that night to ensure that she could care for him. Having spent many late nights working before the Senate to ensure everything went off without a hitch, Irakles could now say with confidence that his work had come to fruition. Of course, it was not without its payment. His cough had gotten a tad worst, and it was for that that his mistress had insisted upon his return.
The morning however, brought with it many, many more opportunities.
Waking up before the sun broke the horizon, he had quickly done his morning ablutions, before taking his finest chiton. Made of a silk the color of the Mikaelidas house, it was affixed over his shoulders with fibulae in the shape of a roaring lion. The material was overlaid with the thinner white silk, and fell to his ankles. Leather sandals were strapped to his feet, and the final touch was the crown above his head.
It was an old crown, the kind he wore before Zenon had taken over as King. Worn in a time when he had been raised in the palace, a building that had been his home before his half-brother's ascension to the throne meant he could no longer keep his life as it was. A time when he had believed himself to be the future ruler of Taengea.
Things would change in his hands.
Aeneaus was ready by the time he got to the steps of the manor, and along with the gelded warhorse, was a dozen guards. Irakles was a well versed war hero, unafraid of danger... but he had his reasons for the excessive number of guards for today. The men he had specifically picked out, who believed in his cause, and believed that the young King was a farce on the throne. As the man got on his horse, a smirk was tossed over his shoulders as he spoke to them. "No need to be nice with the young King, boys." It was a free pass to do... whatever they wanted with Stephanos, within reason. For he did not expect his nephew to be nice to him.
The procession made their way softly through the streets of Vasiliadon, and the first tendrils of dawn was just touching the capitol of Taengea by the time the prince finally made it to the steps of the palace, where his scribe and assistant was quick to greet him. "Your study is ready, my prince. The duties for today are-"
"I'll be there shortly, and you may update me then, Ujarak." he murmured, cutting his scribe off halfway. The graying-haired man halted abruptly, and then looked hesitantly at Irakles, who did not bother looking at the smaller man. Instead, his eyes roamed the foyer, a frown marring his forehead as if he was thinking, before asking, "Where is the Queen Mother? And the princesses?"
"The Queen Mother is indisposed, my prince. The... news yesterday, was a shock to her. The princesses have yet to rise."
"And the young king?"
"In his rooms, my prince. As he would be, under house arrest." For a moment, Ujarak wondered if his master had went mad. Irakles was always sharp upon his wits when it came to these matters. Why was he asking? "And the Advisors?"
"Just arrived before you, my prince. They are waiting in the foyer."
Irakles nodded, and waved his scribe away, before motioning at the guards to follow him as he entered the foyer. There, the current acting regeant to the throne smiled as the advisors assembled bowed at him. In turn, Irakles greeted them, but just as they were about to begin the daily tasks however, Irakles held a hand up. "I must apologise, my lords, but may I please have a moment before we begin? I would very much like to visit my nephew... He appeared quite shocked by the news yesterday... and I worry for him." The former general made a show of rubbing his bruising jaw, putting on a sheepish, wry look.
"Are you certain, my prince? He is... dangerous, as proven yesterday." the Chief advisor responded, to which Irakles shook his head. "Fear not, my lord. I have guards... but I must see him for my own eyes. Do go ahead, I shall join you shortly."
Bowing once again at them, Irakles turned around, and then began ascending the stairs to the private wing of the royal palati. It was the wing the royal family would stay in... the wing that he had stayed in. A privilege he had lost the moment Stephanos and his brother had been borned.
A privilege they had stolen from him.
Coming to a stop in front of a room that had two guards in front, he murmured in a soft voice. "And how was he?" In return, the guards shook their heads. Loud shatters were heard upon the young King's return, and the guards which had rushed in were further attacked and were forced to disarm the crazed King. Neither guard trusted themselves to enter, and when Irakles made a move to enter, they stopped him, worry evident in his eyes.
"I thank you for your concern, gentleman. Perhaps... I would allow my guards in first? I am a general, of course," he chuckled when the guards looked ashamed, and shook his head to appease them."But do not worry, I do understand that I am an old man now. Perhaps my movements were not what they were before." A wry look appeared again, subtly referencing how his nephew had managed to punch his jaw the night before. Taking a step back, he waved half a dozen of his guards forward, signalling at them to enter first.
The door was pushed open by the guards, and what would be seen by the inhabitants of said room would be six guards first walking in and standing three on either side, before Irakles made his entrance. The man had to duck a little, his steps slow as he entered. Had Stephanos tried to dive directly at Irakles, he would've been held back by six able-bodied, armed men, all whilst Irakles stood with his back to an open door, as six more men rushed in prepared to ensure that the young King did not get anywhere near the prince.
"Close the door. I do not wish for anyone else to witness my nephew's... unhinged madness. If at all he wishes to be reinstated as King to Taengea." It was with a sympathetic, pained tone that he instructed the guards to close the doors... but the moment the doors clicked shut, the face that turned around to face his nephew wore a smirk, a self-satisfied, joyful smirk.
Irakles leaned on his heels, allowing the ivy leaf crown to glint in the dim lights, a mockery to his nephew and the barren rooms he was now confined in. The man chuckled as his guards manhandled him further away from Irakles, shaking his head wryly as he watched Stephanos's pointless struggle. Only as things began to settle, did he level his gaze on Stephanos as he spoke. "I do hope you're enjoying your quarters, nephew."