Page 28 of Gilded Crown

“I was thinking of something like that, but I don’t actually have the crown in my hands, so I’m not saying that’s my definite plan. For now, I think we both need a good night’s sleep.”

***

It seemed that Zylem was going to wait instead of making someone go crazy. Besides, it wasn’t like he had an endless supply of servants to use every night, and the ones remaining might be leery if he lured them to his rooms. Everyone was too shaken by the events.

Jari slept like a rock that night once he stopped listening for thumps.

***

The painting was to be done in an upstairs sitting room with enormous windows. The light was good, and the room was quite large. It still felt too crowded for Jari who stayed against the wall. While everyone seemed fine with the warmth coming through the glass, he started to sweat under his fine clothes.

Why on Ymri’s Dirt had he worn a shirt with a high neck today of all days? Aurelius had given him a few, and Jari had put on the first one he grabbed that morning. He must have lost his brain somewhere. He was tempted to undo the buttons and let the collar gape, but he could imagine Aurelius’s face if he saw that.

Several of the courtiers were gossiping about the two dead servants and the courtier. They’d likely talk of little else for days. A couple said the young courtier must have been troublewaiting to happen, and he shouldn’t have come alone to court if he couldn’t be civilized. Who did drugs with servants? That was low-class. A man said they needed to hire new servants because the ones they had were no good if so many were smoking so much turf.

“I bet if you went in the back and had a look around, you’d find a couple who are high right now,” he declared.

Jari had to shift away a bit to keep from snapping at them. It was easy to talk shit about dead people who couldn’t defend themselves and say the truth. Their families would have to deal with the news too.

He leaned against the wall and tried to look at ease while Mr. Hugo set up his supplies. His servant had helped carry things in, and he fluttered a hand at her while he rearranged things on a table brought in for him. A few courtiers were asking what he charged.

Eurig was quite a sight in his white coat edged with gold and red. Surprisingly, he’d remembered what Aurelius said to wear. Even more striking was the angular gold crown atop his head even though Jari tried not to stare or look interested in it.

The crown appeared so innocent, like any other that a ruler would wear for special occasions.

Zylem, lounging on a couch to one side, almost had a hungry look on his face as he watched Father. He could barely tear his eyes from the crown even when a man spoke to him.

Aurelius looked better in his two-tailed dark blue coat that matched his eye, and his gold hair hung loose down his back. He had Eurig stand by the window in a relaxed pose that lasted for about two seconds. Could he even comprehend that he needed to remain still so the painter could do his job? Some artists had excellent memory and could use common sense to do the lighting and shading, but it would be much easier if Eurig could fucking stop moving.

Mr. Hugo approached the King with the look of a supplicant who’s ready to kiss ass and do whatever as long as he gets paid afterward.

“Your Majesty, if you could please turn your head toward the window a bit. Look out over the grounds and imagine the Kingdom you’ve run for years. Think of how every single Novan loves you.”

That was debatable.

“A King such as you should be proud. Let it show on your face and feel the emotion so thatIcan show it on the canvas and capture your glory. Generations from now, people will gaze at it and remember you as a wise and just ruler.”

Jari was sure the barely perceptible snort came from Zylem.

“You look as though the Goddess Elira herself planted the crown on your head,” Aurelius told his Father.

“She did,” declared Eurig.

“Everyone needs to keep the noise down so Mr. Hugo can do what he does best,” Aurelius said smoothly as if his Father hadn’t made an outrageous claim.

Jari tugged at his collar as he tried to peel his gaze away from Aurelius who swept his eye over the crowded room. The sunlight made his gold hair shine like a halo, and he didn’t need a crown to catch attention. He belonged up on the ceiling with those baby angels in the library. The library that Jari didn’t dare enter since he didn’t want to get harassed over missing books.

Aurelius settled in an armchair farther back in the corner of the room. A cat fairy tried to speak to him, but he waved a hand to shoo away the courtier, clearly not caring.

Mr. Hugo took a pencil so he could do a rough outline. Eurig kept fidgeting. “Your Majesty, if you could stay still…”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Eurig gazed out the window with such a pompous expression, Jari cringed. Quite a few of those watching shifted as if embarrassed to be in the same room.Someone muttered that they should have gone hunting with their friend.

Mr. Hugo frowned and continued sketching. He’d probably need to rely on memory quite a bit. The frown deepened when Eurig turned around entirely to speak to a courtier who raised his eyebrows.

“Your Majesty, Mr. Hugo is that way.”

“Do I look stupid to you? Who makes the rules here?”

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