Chapter 13: Fourth Suit Artificial

"You're not doing it without me."

"It'll be better if it's just me, it'll show I'm not even scared. Let me do this!"

"If that's what you want." He touched his wristband. "Yes, Yasolina. Princess Lindsay has consented to give you an exclusive interview regarding the video. Of course. When would you like to schedule the interview? No, we can't come in now, perhaps in a few hours. Agreed." He pressed the watch again. "The interview will be in five hours.

"Good," Lindsay said. "Now let's make sure he didn't hide any other cameras. We don't need any more surprises."

Just then, Rivuk's wristband made a sound she hadn't heard before, some sort've unfamiliar instrument sounding loudly, almost like a horn. Carak's head snapped to see the prince, his face paler grey than she'd ever seen.

Rivuk shuddered. He put the band to his lips and pressed it. "I'm on my way," he said. He turned stiffly and walked out of the room without so much as a kiss.

"Rivuk?" Lindsay watched him go in wonder. She turned to Carak. "What was that?"

"That was a summons from his father, the king."

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Rivuk flew down the corridor. Whatever his father wanted with him, it would do him no good to delay it by walking. His heart pounded in his chest. This was going to go poorly for him. It had been ages since he'd received a summons to his father's private court. He landed in the foyer of the courtroom next to where Elihim stood, waiting for him.

"No Boz?" Rivuk asked. He'd expected to see his other brother there as well. It was rare for only two of them to be called. He's suspected the call was in regards to the video, but Boz's absence made him question that conclusion.

Elihim shook his head. "I don't think he was summoned," he said. He turned and strode toward the courtroom.

"What's this about, Lihim?" Rivuk whispered, catching his brother's stride as they walked toward the large, ebony doors of the court, which only looked larger when surrounded by the gold and ebony trimmed white of the foyer.

Elihim only glanced at him as the two princes strode in tandem. "I have no idea," he whispered back.

Both of them, handsome princes walking purposefully together in their uniforms would've given any witness the impression of confidence and strength -- things Rivuk knew neither of them felt at this moment as the doors opened for them and they walked into the small room that served as their father's private court.

The room was smaller than the foyer with a deep purple carpet a shade darker than blood. Fine, exotic woods from the forest panelled the walls. The room was set up like a proper court, if with less room and fewer seats in the galleries, feeling cramped with less than a wingspan between the judgement seat and the defendant's box that faced it and behind that, two steep, high rows of polished wooden benches where the nobles would sit when court was in session. Two wing galleries for the public sat on either side, and, in front of the right one, was the stand for the prosecutor. Even empty of people, it still felt small. Like a cage. As it was supposed to.

Their father stood in the empty space between the seat and the box, waiting for them. His expression appeared impassive, but both the princes could see from the set of his eyes he was furious.

They bowed low, their wings just brushing the carpet.

"Your Magnificence," Elihim said, Rivuk staying silent unless addressed, as was his role as the lesser prince.

"Stand," their father said.

They rose, facing their father. A holovideo began playing in the air beside him. Rivuk watched as Lindsay sucked on his tessect, her red lips wrapped around the thin shaft as she gently writhed back and forth, up and down. The image froze.

The king strode over to Rivuk, his expression one of utter revulsion. He raised his white-gloved hand as if to hit Rivuk.

Rivuk winced, anticipating the blow.

The king paused for a moment, then put his hand down dismissively. "You disgust me. I won't dirty my glove with you. You have broken the taboo against a woman taking a tessect into her mouth for the purpose of sexual stimulation. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Rivuk bowed his head, then looked up to meet his father's steely eyes. "It was her fondest wish to. It holds no taboo with her people. My only thought was to pleasing my wife."

"Your wife is eroki. She tarnishes you."

How dare his father insult his wife like that? After she'd been the victim of this horrible invasion of her privacy. Put on display for the whole world to see! He wanted to attack his father in that moment. But to assault a king was a capital offense. If it was to be done it must be completed, or the invisible sword would fall upon his own neck. Rivuk had too much to lose to risk such a foolhardy move over a moment of insult.

"Then how very fortunate it is that I was never expected to shine, your Magnificence," Rivuk answered, coolly.

His father looked like he wanted to hit him even more than when he'd come in. Instead, he turned away from him, his eyes to the floor. "Disgraceful," he muttered.

He turned to Elihim. "And you," the strike came so fast Elihim didn't even have time to turn away, his spectacles skittering across the room, "you need to control your brothers."

So, their father recognized Boz's part in this. He either didn't care or didn't think the meeting would produce the intended effect on Boz's behavior. Probably something of both. It was easier to chastise Elihim for failing to curtail Boz's baser instincts than to try to fix what was broken in their middle brother.

The king's eyes ran down Elihim's body to his midsection where the golden buttons on his white uniform almost concealed the small beginnings of a bulge. "And control yourself. This is perverse, not provocative. I'm ashamed of you."

"Yes, your Magnificence."

"It is your role as first prince to lead the family and you have allowed far too much from both of them. You've been content to rest on the laurels of your birthright and let public attention fall onto your brother while you use the time to entertain dalliances with his first wife. You have brought embarrassment upon this house through your failures."

Elihim bowed his head. "Yes, your Magnificence. I regret my laxity."

"See that your brother is properly disciplined," the king said. "For the breaking of the taboo, the penalty is no less than ten lashes in the public square."

"But, your Magnificence, would a public lashing be prudent?" Elihim asked. "Perhaps a public apology acknowledging the wrong would be more in order. Vuk and his wife are very popular right now."

"Popular for the wrong reasons. They provide titillation for the people, but they command no respect. They speak in minor rebellions. It is time consequences for their actions were seen. The taboo exists for a reason. Ten lashings or more, no less. And you will oversee it. Let the people see who's actually in charge."

Elihim bowed fully. "Then I decree Prince Rivuk shall give a public apology for breach of the taboo and receive thirty lashes with the rod to show the severity of the offense is triple for a member of the royal family as we hold ourselves to a higher standard."

The king nodded. "I take my leave of you both. And Rivuk, do not expect your mother to be even half so forgiving as I. She does not wish to see your face for the next skell and I do not blame her. Your actions have sickened both of us." He turned his back to them as though to walk away, then cast a glance back to Elihim. "And you, do your duty by Aladrin. She's a beautiful woman and you wrong her with your indifference. I expect an announcement in the next Iuna that proves you have."

Rivuk bowed low before him as if to acknowledge his words. Then he and Elihim rose from their bows and walked from the room in silence. Elihim only making the slightest motion with his fingers to bring his spectacles to his fingers. As the large, black doors closed, he slipped them onto his face.

"That was painful to hear," Elihim said. "You sicken them."

"Not much different than normal, I suppose," Rivuk shrugged. "At least it excuses me from the next family dinner."

"Maybe you could use that time to lavish some more physical attention on Aladrin. Give her that long-wanted second child. I'd claim it. It would only be fair." Elihim chuckled.

"I don't think she'd be interested, especially after my public chastisement," Rivuk said. "She's quite the traditional type."

"You don't have to tell me." Elihim allowed a half-smile to cross his tight lips. "A skell off of family dinners... Perhaps I should break the taboo."

Rivuk's eyes narrowed as he remembered Elihim's excitement watching his wife. The fire of rage in him rekindled. "You helped him. You knew what he might do and you helped him get in. Were you watching?"

"Suppose I was," Elihim said coolly. "Wouldn't it be kind of me to take a particular piece of footage that might include potentially untoward actions of your hest towards a prince and make certain it never saw the light of day? I would hate for something in that vein to appear on our father's desk."

Rivuk turned his face away. Elihim had trapped him again. He was helpless to stand against him.

Elihim gave a slight nod as though recognizing Rivuk understood his meaning. "When can you have that apology speech ready?"

He did the math: Lindsay's interview would be in a little more than four hours and it would take her another two to get ready and walk down to the station. It'd take at least an hour to arrange the public lashing. Elihim would want to do it immediately to maximize the effect while minimizing possible negative public response. Right now, they were all in shock, it was the ideal time, and, thankfully, in two hours, Lindsay would be too busy to hear about it. He didn't want her to know. His back could take the hits, but he couldn't take seeing her face knowing she'd caused them. He knew the taboo; he'd chosen to break it -- the only one who should suffer for his choice was himself. He had to protect her.

Once his people had the exclusive interview, any talk of his punishment would fall out of the headlines, relegated to the end of the news broadcast between the weather and the cooking segment. If he knew her, she'd make herself the sweetheart of the city again by supper with some offhanded comment that would captivate them. It was who she was. And she'd never have to know. She could keep doing as she pleased without worry.

He turned to Elihim. "Give me two hours."

Elihim nodded and strode off.

Rivuk touched his wristband. "Carak?" he said. "Keep Lindsay away from the news today." He pressed the band again. "Yasolina, I have information on a story for you. Live coverage, at the square, two hours. In return for this favor, there are a few things I'd ask you to not mention my wife, it would only upset her..."