Heaven's Kingdom Ch. 03

He'd have to talk to her about that later, hopefully with River's help.

To his left stood a guard he didn't recognize. Blonde hair styled into a bob cut, her armor was noticeably thinner and lighter than River's and Scarlett's. She appeared thinner than the average guard. A pair of short swords hung from her hips.

Unlike Scarlett, her face betrayed nothing, her eyes not even blinking as they walked.

Interesting.

Jax said nothing, allowing his guardians to guide him to his meeting. Once upon a time, he only warranted River as his security. She became like another sister to him, ushering him from place to place, always following him when he inevitably ran off or got distracted. Of course, as he grew older, she became less like his sister as his mind recategorized her as the hot girl who always seemed to find some excuse to indulge his somewhat more inappropriate lines of questioning.

Once upon a time, River was not as direct and in tune with her emotions.

It flew completely under the radar of the nobility and castle staff. As the prince's royal bodyguard, it was expected for her to accompany the young scion wherever he went. What wasn't expected was how often she found excuses to continue to stick around him long after duty hours. Of course, Jax never minded. He often asked her himself to stay over and keep him company, finding any excuse he could to keep her around. When she started finding some of her own, things began to really get out of control.

Having her own quarters sit directly beneath his own didn't help much.

It began as simple curiosities. What did she look like under the armor? How heavy were the plates? Anything to get her out of them. She'd indulged him with a façade of a military woman following his orders, though she'd always find a way to go a little further than what he'd ask.

Asking what she looked like under the armor plates inevitably led to her stripping the suit off entirely, leaving her stark naked with only her military mask for cover. Of course, the mask did little against the red of the blush on her face as she put up a show of attempting to cover herself.

Their games only escalated from there.

The rare times when Jax found himself allowed to go beyond the castle walls and into the city always warranted River's protection. Despite his royal status, the sheltered existence his mother insisted upon did confer him more anonymity than what his sisters enjoyed. Only the nobility and the court really knew what he looked like and even fewer of them had ever seen him in person. The general populace, though aware of his existence, never had a face to put to his name.

Still, despite having a babysitter forced upon him, he reveled in the fact it was River.

To her credit, River did little to draw attention to them. In public and outside the confines of her status broadcasting armor, she appeared like any other woman. Her chosen common civilian outfits always displayed her arms, still giving her an aura of danger. She acted more like his big sister, both as a matter of practicality and security. A young teen in the presence of his older sister drew less unwanted attention from others.

Still, stares inevitably got thrown his way by sheer virtue of being a boy in a country now dominated by mostly women. River carefully hovered over him, making it known that any would be suitors or other, less savory advances, were unwanted. If his status as a prince got out, even River would have found protecting him a challenge.

Plus, he found something slightly endearing about her possessiveness of him. How healthy it was, he never knew, but it never carried too much of a negative effect on his life. And at the end of it all, Jax was sure she knew she had him completely.

He missed those trips beyond the castle, just the two of them, when he could be anonymous. When they could just pretend to be normal people. He never quite knew what people assumed when they saw them walking about. Sure, the sibling relationship might have been the first choice but quickly it became less fraternal and a lot more platonic as time went by.

Either way, no one ever guessed that River never wore underwear on their excursions.

Call it a royal order or what not but the fact she complied with it got Jax hot and bothered to no end. He always enjoyed staring at the V of her jacket with the knowledge her bare chest lay just beneath the fabric. At the parks, they would often enjoy each other's company beneath the trees, Jax laying in her lap and slipping a curious hand down her pants. She always put up a good show of scolding him, asking what he would do if someone discovered them, and how inappropriate it was.

Still, she never put a stop it, often closing her eyes and biting her finger to stop any moans. She gave it back just as much as she took it, her own hands slipping into his pants just as often. He remembered the first time she did it, her eyes widening and her face rapidly reddening as she struggled to get the words out to tell him how scandalous he was behaving.

Fond memories of easier times.

Before he knew it, they'd guided him all the way to the throne room. Two women stood at the entry, spears at the ready.

"State your business," one of the guards ordered.

"I bring the prince. Lady Diana requested his presence," River answered.

Jax rolled his eyes. Though confined to the upper levels, he still lived here. People couldn't have forgotten his face that easily. They definitely couldn't have forgotten River's, considering her job.

"Very well, you may enter."

The spears parted and the doors opened. The throne room was cavernous. Tall ceilings reached almost a two hundred meters high. The far walls lay almost equally as far away, each flanked by windows carved into the stone walls. Tall pillars along the outside sprouted up like titanic tree trunks, supporting the weight of the brilliantly detailed ceiling. Beside each one, a guard armed with magically constructed and enchanted bows.

An entire galaxy of stars and nebula lit up the ceiling from an expertly assembled mural. Each star itself was a diamond or sapphire or ruby or emerald depending on the color. Along the back wall, another equally exquisite mural, this one carved into the bare stonework, depicting various peoples and creatures and places all meshed together like the most iconic scenes of an epic story.

The floor itself swirled with the pattens of polished marble and other stones, the surface so smooth and clear one could easily view their own reflection. Overall, the entire space was empty, save for the throne at the far side which was carved from a single massive piece of emerald. Entire citadels and fortresses of lesser lords could fit inside the thrown room with room to spare. Yet this room was reversed specifically for the Queen of Avalon.

The fact the room itself was originally a large cave near where the castle was built thankfully saved on work during its construction. The mountain upon which the citadel sat played host to many caverns, each with a variety of offshoots leading to chambers home to a variety of creatures and monsters. The throne room itself held several portals, all sealed off during construction many centuries ago.

Jax smiled as they began the long walk to the other side of the room. Having studied the castle's plans in his room, he could easily find the places where massive stone tiles covered sealed entrances.

Eventually they reached his mother.

Lady Diana sat atop the throne, one leg crossed over the other, looking down at the small entourage. Beside her were two empty, smaller seats, also carved into the emerald. One had been her seat once upon a time. With the death of the King, she now took the top spot.

Her face smiled down at them from behind a platinum chain veil, her head covered in a dark hood atop which sat the gold and silver tiara of her crown. Layers of beautifully embroidered robes decorated her body, the gold leaf complimenting the black of the fabric perfectly. Jax couldn't see her shoes, if she wore any, beneath the cloth but it didn't matter.

His mother was the most powerful person in the country and at the moment, likely in the entire world and she knew it.

Behind her, perched on a small outcropping of emerald stood her own personal bodyguard, one of the few men left in the military and a veteran of the Long War himself. Zander David stood vigilant, his hand on his sword always ready to strike. No doubt he served the Queen with the same level of devotion and ferocity as River did himself.

Jax smiled.

Well, almost as much devotion. He often wondered who would win in a fight between River and Zander. A curiosity he never really needed the answer to.

Beside him, his guards reflexively dropped to one knee, River herself doing the same, careful not to let her sword chip the marble as she bowed.

"My lady, I have bought the prince as instructed," River said.

Jax sighed. The formality of the whole affair made him want to die. If only she knew what he really did up in his citadel.

"Thank you, River. You may rise," his mother said, her voice low and booming, echoing through the space like a message from the gods.

His guards rose to their feet as instructed. The Queen raised a hand, gesturing to the girls at his flanks.

"You may leave us."

Scarlett and the unknown girl both bowed, "Of course, my lady."

The unknown girl gave him a quick glance, "We will be waiting outside for you, my lord."

The pair quickly exited with surprising speed considering the distance back to the door. The doors closed behind them with a dull thud that echoed throughout the space like thunder. Jax sighed and crossed his arms, staring up at the Queen.

"It's good to see you, my son," she said, "You as well, River."

"Thank you, my lady," River bowed.

"I trust you've been taking good care of my boy."

Jax eyed River, enjoying the small amount of discomfort that crossed her face at the answer. Though likely unnoticeable to his mother, who lacked his sorcery and familiarity with his bodyguard, to Jax she might as well be blushing.

"The best I can, my lady."

"Good. That's good. How are you, Jax?"

"You could come up and visit and find out," Jax said.

His mother sighed, staring down at her feet, "Yes, I suppose I could. Unfortunately, life's kept me very busy between the day to day of the court and handling your sisters."

"You could always confine them to quarters like me."

"Yes, I could. Though I don't think they would take it as well as you have."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

She frowned, "I know these last several months have been difficult for you and I know how unfair it is that Caitlyn and Morgana get to live their lives while you're confined. I am very sorry about that."

"Look mom, I'm going to ask you if you can release me from house arrest. You're going to say no and cite the Bene Dai assassin that's here to kill me and I'm going to be annoyed. So now that we've gotten that out of the way, what exactly have you summoned me here for?"

She cocked her head, "You know of this assassin how exactly?"

Jax momentarily felt a cold chill run up his spine, "There's not much else to do up in my tower. And the only people I get to talk to are the guards. Give me a little credit."

"Then you're aware she made her attempt last night?"

River's eyes shot his direction briefly. Jax shook his head.

"I'm still breathing, aren't I? So obviously it wasn't very successful. Would you prefer I remain in the dark about the attempts on my life?"

"No. I suppose not. Though I've heard rumors you've been directing our spies around the city in an effort to deal with these threats."

"I'd like to have my life back if I could. Are you asking me to stop?"

His mother sighed, "We've been without a spy master since the end of the war. If you need something to keep you from going mad up there, I won't stop you. Just... be careful. Both for yourself and the young ladies you'll be ordering about."

Jax nodded, "Of course. So, what exactly did you ask me here for? It might not look it, but I am very busy these days."

"Oh, I'll bet. I'm sure you're running poor River ragged with all the errands you run up there. No, the reason I called you here is to tell you that I'm leaving for a few months, and I'm taking your sisters with me."

"Leaving? Where?"

"There's a conference being held across the Turquoise Sea. A number of nations are going attend with leaders from all the major powers."

"You mean all the powers left standing."

"Yes, if you must put it that way. To the victors go the spoils and the devil take the hindmost."

"Why? What's the purpose of this?"

"The recovery from The Long War has been slow for everyone. The whole world is still rebuilding even twenty years later. And, also... you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. And your brothers, all the other men who still walk the earth. The populations have been slow to recover, which isn't surprising considering the rather... extreme lack of males in the world right now."

Jax glanced around the room, "Yes, I've noticed."

"The conference is about forming a grand alliance so that nothing like The Long War happens again. It will be a long and arduous process with leaders from the four corners of the world in attendance, myself and your sisters included."

"You're bringing Caitlyn and Morgana with you," Jax deadpanned.

"Yes. I'm going to need them to assist me in some of the finer details of the process since I can't be everywhere. But it will take about a month just to sail there, ignoring for a moment how many months the negotiations are going to be. I will still be in contact via the usual sorcery channels to keep the court in line and busy but... you will be in the castle and in this city alone."

"What exactly am I supposed to do with this information?"

"Obviously I won't be around to stop you, but I would prefer if you heeded my orders and stayed inside the castle."

"What makes you think this one will even let me leave?" Jax said, gesturing to River.

"I know she wouldn't. She knows the threats against you better than anyone which is why I've entrusted your life to her over all these years. But... while she's strong and a powerful sorcerer in her own right, you are still you. You have your father's blood in your veins, only stronger. If you really wanted to, you could overpower her in an instant."

Jax opened his mouth to speak. His mother silenced him with a hand.

"You are the most powerful magic user in the kingdom, my son. Don't think I've forgotten that. If you really found confinement as unbearable as you want it to sound, you'd have escaped it by now and there'd be nothing River could do to stop you. Which leads me to think that she's made house arrest a little more tolerable than it otherwise would be."

A rare break in River's façade formed as she blushed and found an interesting spot on the floor to stare at. Her normally microscopic fidgets became a lot more noticeable.

Jax's face turned red, "Now wait a minute! I don't know what you're suggesting but I-"

His mother gave him a rare smirk, "Honey, I'm not stupid. You've been out of the eyes of the public and the nobility for your entire life but never out of mine. Not entirely anyway. Now I don't know exactly what you do with all your newfound free time up there and quite frankly, it's not my business. However... don't think I haven't noticed the nonexistent turnover rate of your guards when compared to that of your sisters."

"I, uh, maybe I just lead a less hectic life."

"Maybe, but I'd guess there's something about guarding you that keeps people around. And don't think for a second I didn't know what I was doing when I assigned River to be your bodyguard. Nor don't think I didn't notice the obvious happening under my own nose."

Beside him, River stiffened, the color leaving her face. He knew exactly the thoughts running through her head now. One of her biggest fears potentially about to come to fruition. For once in her life, River appeared small.

"She may be a royal guard, one of the best, but I'm still your mother. And I've seen the way she looks at you, my boy. There are many things you can hide. You both may be sorcerers, but I still have an old woman's intuition."

"A-are you going to have her reassigned?" Jax paled.

His mother shook her head, "Never. Now, I know in previous eras how inappropriate what you two have been up to would be. But I also know we live in uncertain times and the old rules can't apply the way they used to anymore. You're in a rather unique and strange situation as both a sorcerer and a man, both rare things these days. I know it hasn't been easy on you and I can't imagine how you feel about it. But I know very well how much this young lady means to you and it would be an act of cruelty to take her away from you."

He breathed a sigh of relief, his hand quickly finding River's and giving it a reassuring squeeze, "Thank you."

"Besides, I really don't want to have to go through the effort of finding another guard who's even as remotely as competent as your River here."

River bowed, "Thank you, my lady."

"I would be a stupid woman to reassign you, dear," she said, "Especially with how fond my boy is of you, I know he'd never forgive me for that. He'll barely forgive me for keeping him in his tower these last long months. All I can do is thank you for being such a wonderful and steadfast companion to him over all these years."

River gave a small smile, "Best part of the job, my lady."

"I'm glad to hear it. He actually listens to you which is something I've had mixed results with in my own personal experience."

Jax glanced up at River, a relieved smile on his face, "I like the sound of her voice."

"Among other things, I'm sure. But that's not my business."

Jax blushed, still holding River's hand. Even without magic, his mother could still read him like a book. Perhaps she sought an outcome like this when she placed him in River's care all those years ago.

"I leave for the conference in two days. Preparations have already been made for my absence so you shouldn't have too much to worry about. Leaving you when there's an assassin on the loose doesn't exactly fill me with confidence but there likely isn't a safer place in the world for you than where you already are so I'll have to deal with it."

"I assume standing orders are for me stay in my room?" Jax asked.

"Just... don't go beyond the castle walls and stay in sight of a guard at all times. I don't feel comfortable about leaving you behind but... if you and River are as close as I suspect, I'll sleep well at night knowing she's watching over you."

River straightened, "You can count on me, my lady. He'll never be out of my sight."

The Queen smiled, "Something tells me never is. Keep him safe, dear, and take care of yourself. Both of you."

"Of course, my lady," River bowed.

"Well, my son, I get to say to you a set of words I have yet to say to either of your sisters."

He cocked his head, "Which are?"

She gestured to River, "This one's a keeper."

Jax blushed, and turned away, "Yeah, she is."

"Now if you find a few more like her, you'll be all set."

"Mom!"

River gave a rare giggle in response, covering her mouth with her free hand.

"Told you," she said between laughs.

"I see you've had that particular conversation with him, dear," the Queen nodded, "Glad you've managed to talk some sense into him."

"Oh my gods," Jax covered his face.

"It would please me to no end if when we return, you've found a few more like River."

He squeezed River's hand, "There's no one else like River."

"Well, cut from the same cloth. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. But above all else, be careful. The Bene Dai are a resourceful bunch and as powerful and well trained as your division of the guard is, you can never be too safe."