Demon King's Gardener

“I’ve heard about how Prince Ergirri Ascended,” Jurao said, “But I don’t believe I’ve heard how you and he met, Kloy.”

“Oh, there’s not much of a story,” Kloy waved a hand, “A prince and the attendant of a petty princelin running into each other at a social event and hitting it off, really.”

“You’re going to be late,” Forvi chuckled, waving toward the door.

“Ah, yes,” Jurao nodded, leading the way out of his suite.

“What happened with… Prince Ergirri’s Ascension?” Braelin asked - walking a few steps behind the King to keep pace with the doctor.

“Oh, that,” Kloy sighed, “Well, my family has been a vassal to the ruling family of Lajaonar for some time. When Petty Princelin Kline decided to come to court here, I was sent with my older sibling Vaene.”

Forvi, having decided to join them for the walk, snorted and said, “You’re not going to skip why they sent you, are you?”

Kloy snorted himself, “I was a young man at the time - and something of a troublemaker in my youth. Some of my parents and other family members believed coming to court would curb my… undesirable behaviors.”

“The way Dad tells it,” Forvi said, “Kloy was a right terror.”

Jurao had heard the same stories from his predecessor - that the current Royal Physician had been highly promiscuous to the point of recklessness, highly enjoyed non-lethal duels, and spent most of his initial time in the castle seeking new partners and thrills. It was often hard to reconcile with the more sedate and professional behavior he exhibited now.

“I could see that,” Braelin said, then asked, “How many parents do you have?”

“Four,” Kloy replied, “Though my okels was only in a relationship with my father, who was also married to my mothers, and they’ve since become estranged - as I am with most of my close blood relatives on that side. I’m surprised you could see me being a ‘terror’ so easily - most people that weren’t here for it find it a difficult concept.”

“You seem very hard to really phase,” Braelin replied, “More than professional experience would make you.”

Forvi snorted again, “I never thought of it that way…”

Kloy hummed, “To continue the story - in my wilder days, I did meet Ergirri - we formed a fast friendship as younger siblings with mutually impressive elder siblings. You see, Vaene can do magic, and Ergirri’s sister was favored to be the next King at the time.”

“And now Aunt Gnavve lives in Lajaonar married to Head Pharmacist Haekkao,” Forvi added, “Funny how things turn out.”

“And Vaene is spouse to Petty King Heysti,” Kloy sighed, “I’ll admit, I’m not looking forward to seeing them again when the Hundred Years Ball comes around.”

“I could ban them from the grounds,” Jurao offered.

Kloy chuckled, “I appreciate that, but you really couldn’t, my lord - it was enough of a point of contention when Ergirri did it, and he at least could offer that Vaene attempted to kill him. I’ll be fine, really.”

“Your sibling attempted to kill the previous King?” Braelin asked.

“Oh, that story,” Minaz said, as the group of them made it to the Heads of Staff Dining Hall.

“What story?” Jouvi asked, “Who’s sibling tried to kill King - ah, Prince Ergirri?”

“Mine,” Kloy chuckled, going to his seat, “I suppose it was long before you arrived.”

“Oh, had you intended to join us, your highness?” Hujur asked, spotting Forvi.

“No,” the prince replied, “I just thought to tell you all I’ve decided to come on board as one of Jurao’s valets - just decided yesterday evening, so I’ll head over to administration to do the paperwork after this.”

“Ah, yes, leave it on my desk directly,” Hujur nodded, making a note of it.

“A prince as a valet?” Festi snorted, “I really thought I would regret taking this position, but I’m kind of glad I forced Dad into retirement for it.”

“If I had found someone equally or more competent, I would have hired them,” Jurao said, also taking his seat, “But you were correct in saying you were most fit for the job despite not wanting it.”

“I know,” Festi smiled with a shrug.

“Hold on, I want to hear this story,” Jouvi said, “Why did your sibling try to kill the former King?”

Forvi laughed, “I thought it would be more surprising, but I suppose this is the least outrageous thing that’s happened in the past few months. I’ll let Uncle Kloy tell his story,” the prince waved as he headed off.

Jurao signaled for the start of the meal.

“As a brief recounting,” Kloy chuckled as well, “My family sent me, along with my older sibling Vaene, as attendants to Petty Princelin Kline when ce came to court here. I was a bit of an errant youth, and my family believed being at court would bring me in line - it is actually relevant to the story, in a way.”

“I’ve heard so many stories about that!” Gavven grinned, “Especially from your generation, Kloy! I only wonder how many are true!”

“Honestly, I was prone to drinking a bit too much in those days,” Kloy adjusted his glasses, “So I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you. Likely most are, though.”

“I’m going to ask you about those later,” Festi told Gavven.

Kloy mainly seemed amused by the attention as he went on, “Ergirri and I became fast friends after we met - and his older sister, Gnavve, was favored as the next King. But when it came time for then King Worgae - Ergirri and Gnavve’s mother - to make her nomination, she chose Ergirri.”

“Mom said that was a headache,” Minaz snorted, “I was too young to remember it, though.”

“Having two candidates actually vying for the position - and both the child of the current King in the longest familial line of Ascension - certainly made tensions high,” Kloy agreed, “The court was more heatedly divided than when our current King was nominated.”

“Oh, so that happens often?” Braelin asked.

“There’s always some amount of contention,” Hujur nodded, “I’ve read through the records, and it’s fair to say that Jurao has actually had a fairly mild court reaction from nomination to Ascension.”

“That’s good,” Jurao nodded.

“My older sibling was friends with Princess Gnavve and naturally supported her,” Kloy chuckled, “While I supported Ergirri - not only due to our friendship but because I truly believed he was more suited for the job. Vaene decided to take matters into their own hands, however, and poisoned Ergirri.”

There were several winces around the table.

Braelin looked around and asked, “Is that… not done?”

“Well,” Festi sighed, “It’s not like it’s illegal or anything, but poisoning is…”

Gnori slammed a fist on the counter, “It’s bad form! Sure, if you’re too weak to physically overpower someone, you do what you have to! But to poison a nominee and not even intend to compete in the Trials yourself is! Is…!”

“It’s like saying you don’t think the person you want to Ascend can beat them,” Vajur scoffed, “Even challenging the nominee to a regular duel without intention to participate is frowned upon for the same reason.”

“And the Demon King is meant to be the strongest candidate,” Minaz added, “Who wants to Ascend knowing they might have lost to someone else?”

“Not to mention how the court would always question it,” Hujur said, arching his brows.

“Exactly,” Kloy agreed with a mild smile, “But before I get ahead of myself - Vaene fully believed Gnavve could beat Ergirri in the Trials. They just didn’t believe Ergirri deserved to participate - they told me something along the lines of… ah, that everyone has their place from the day they’re born, and Ergirri should learn his the way I’d learned mine.”

Despite the smile, there was a distinct lack of usual warmth in the Royal Physician’s face as he recounted that.

“That belief, coupled with their ability to use healing magic and medicinal knowledge, was why they had never thought much about my wilder ways compared to the rest of our family,” Kloy went on, “So I proved them wrong by saving Ergirri’s life with my mundane medical skills and the help of Gnavve, who wanted to prove herself in the Trials.”

“And Ergirri Ascended, and you were appointed Royal Physician,” Jouvi snorted, “Huh, guess Jurao’s Ascension is a little boring by comparison.”

“It’s certainly less dramatic,” Minaz agreed.

Kloy shrugged, “In some ways - I find his highness’s Ascension a bit more of an oddity than Ergirri’s. His was more standard demon fare, if one considers it.”

“That’s true,” Hujur nodded, eyes a bit distant as he recalled, “There have been many pre-Trials assassination attempts, though only a handful were successful - and only one where the favored candidate of the assassin Ascended.”

“Prince Ergirri’s uncle was subject to assassinations,” Jurao recalled, “Which led him to leave for the Human Realm.”

“Yes, Prince Palao,” Kloy said, “In his case, Worgae was the nominee, and certain court factions were worried that if he participated, she - who had long Championed her brother - would spare him her full strength. He never announced such an intention, but the other three princelins of that generation had, so the concern was present.”

“Stories about him in the Human Realm always seemed sad,” Braelin said, “He didn’t really bother anyone the way the other kings that invaded the Human Realm did.”

“The other kings?” Jouvi arched her right brows.

“Seven kings from the Fractured Realm Ages attempting to escape Lavven’s unification,” Jurao clarified, “And later their descendants.”

“Ah, the Seven False Demon Kings and Three ‘Rightful’ Kings,” Hujur nodded, “As we call them, anyway.”

“Vajur and I tend to bore Hujur with military history on occasion,” Minaz chuckled, “They’re what’s led to the Empire’s belief that all demons want to conquer the Human Realm since they tried to establish new kingdoms there.”

“Palao didn’t, though,” Braelin nodded, “I mean, the Empire calls it the Third Great Invasion, but all he did was build a house on,” the human chuckled sheepishly, “Demon’s Peak and live there.”

“Is that in the Northwestern Reaches?” Minaz frowned, “I always heard the Empire got to him.”

“It is,” Braelin nodded, “And well… they sent one Champion, and they ended up getting married, only for the next Champion to come along and kill him. I believe his grandchildren are still living in Lown, though.”

“That’s the country with the Kinfolk Gate,” Jurao recalled.

Braelin nodded, “Kaber is in roughly the middle of the Northwestern Reaches and is the largest country there. Gresma shares the southern coast on its western border, and Jost shares the northern coast on the same - Lown is on the eastern side and surrounded on all but one border by the Sea Crown Mountains.”

“I’m not sure I’d say that’s sad,” Jouvi said, “I mean, he would have been an old man anyway, and going out fighting is ideal for a lot of demons.”

“Maybe,” Braelin shrugged, “It just seems sad he couldn’t live out the rest of his life with his children and grandchildren when he wasn’t hurting anyone. It wasn’t like he went out looking for a last stand.”

“Even by demon standards, that is shitty,” Minaz said, “Killing someone just minding their own business.”

“... you know what a last stand is?” Festi asked.

Now that they mentioned it, Jurao realized the confusion - a last stand was a way many older demons chose to die by challenging another demon or a beast much stronger than they and hoping to die in the midst of a good battle. It was less common now than it had been in the past, but Jurao had still been the arbiter of three last stands himself as a powerful combatant.

It had been an honor to be seen as such a worthy opponent. But, as the King understood it, the practice was not common amongst humans - and some even thought it barbaric.

“... there are a lot of plays about them,” Braelin replied.

Jurao snorted, “Ah - Gaele’s performances.”

“Indeed,” Braelin smiled.