The Denotation of a King

Markus' Perspective***

"Your Majesty, Elanor and the others have arrived at the Elven Kingdom," The scout relays me the message with the use of the scroll sent by Beatrice, the Queen of Elves.

It has said that elves can openly communicate with nature and animals, specifically with birds, which enables them to transfer letters from one location after the other. Given their timely announcement, the Elven race had their eyes already on our nation, and the peculiar goblin, Lake White.

"That's good to hear," I said while motioning the guard to resume back to his post.

After witnessing him off to the entrance gates, the scout suddenly freezes, watching over a panicking soldier guarding the outside fort. At once, both of them approached my throne whilst kneeling to greet me.

"Your Highness, I have received exigent news,"

"Well, then let me hear it,"

Upon hearing my voice, a thundering noise resounds the room, making the castle's floors and walls quiver. The elite men outside armed their weapons and cast protective magic to the intact building, preparing for the worst scenario to happen.

"The King of Spade is here,"

Upon his statement, an ominous blizzard summons at the centre of my royal seat, making a resplendent entrance. An icy breeze touches our skin, even freezing the nearby plants that serve as our decor. Once the twister had stopped, a figure of a young man, with his arms fully stretched at the sides, introduced his name, welcoming everyone that noticed his presence.

I calmly stood up from my chair and heated the ridiculous sleet with my blaze. However, our rivalling elements only clash in the middle, unable to break the magic cast on each side.

After giving it some thought, I coat the servicemen with automatic embers, which will help them withstand the cold.

The soldiers immediately stop shivering as the blanket of flames envelops their skin and soon gather in a formation purely to protect me.

"At ease, gentlemen." By my command, all the guards stare at the white-haired man, ready to attack him.

"Thank you for your warm welcome," A snicker emerges from the bloke's face while drying the crumbs of water melted on his arm from the surrounding ice.

"A pleasant day for you all!" He said while snapping his finger, At once, the snowstorm of ice vanishes from sight, revealing the plain grey floor and the undamaged panels.

"Have a seat, Snow Merlin,"

"I am fine standing," Snow insisted while surveying the King's lair, glancing from different portraits hung on the wall.

His globes stop on a frame with the illustration of my family. The painting placed in the middle of the room decorated the heirloom left by our ancestors.

"What a lovely household you have here, Mr. Markus," Snow's words pierce my ears, but I must entertain and finish this affair.

"What do you want, King Snow?"

"Ah, yes." Snow tells himself while looking at the chandelier above. "What do I want?"

Everyone present inside the chamber has the same confusing remark painted on their faces from the King of Spade's prattles.

"Dear, is something wrong?" Claire, my wife, wanders on the staircase, troubled by the eerie atmosphere from the servicemen.

It was a good thing that Therese is still inside her room, sleeping soundly amidst the occurrence, leaving me to defend only my wife in case something happens.

The guards knew my regards as they instructed Claire to fetch her back to her room, where it was the safest place to hide.

Snow meddles with the sound and leisurely strides over to the wall, eavesdropping on the events happening beyond the panel.

I wanted to retort, but the second wave of blizzard makes an appearance, revealing another individual behind the mysterious fog.

Like the fairy tale told in the legends, her hair was white as snow, nearly glittering compared to King Merlin. She is wearing a maid attire combined with black and silky fabric running through her skirt and sleeves. The hail accompanies her fluttering hair from front to back, allowing the snowflakes to travel around at her will.

Our eyes meet once more. But this time, it was more atrocious with the raging of fire in the lady's eyes, despite the frost lingering on the air.

"Revica Merlin," The name of the woman escapes from my lips as I stare, agape, from her figure descending on the ground.

Gripped from Revica's hand is the devilry staff known to have claimed the lives of those who dared oppose their authority. Some had said that Revica, despite her slim and short physique, is a monster in the battlefield. A demon who cared nothing less but to show her achievements to her master, Snow.

"King Markus," Revica said with her leering eyes glued unto me, judging my character and strengths within a single look. After satisfying her mind, she averts her gaze and shifts her attention back to Snow in an irritated manner.

"The war has yet to start, and here you are barging in front of the Kingdom," She said with a sigh escaping her mouth. The comedic scene was hard for me to believe, but I anticipated they are up to no good forcing themselves here inside my castle.

"We have a treaty, remember?" I said, changing the course of the conversation.

"One second, chief." Snow replied while laying his stretched palm, hinting me to tone down my voice as they continued their talk.

Some soldiers have their anger boiling up into their heads like a kettle. But I advise them to be wary about their actions and avoid performing any oafish acts without my order.

"You need to send a formal message for them to-,"

"Quit nagging, Revica! I cannot afford to lose my cool here," Snow drags her and whispers to her ear as if we could not hear what they are saying to themselves. "I am still a King, you know."

"Yes," Revica uninterestedly replied. "But you don't act one."

I am at a loss for words on how to react in front of these dullards. They may have already forgotten about me or their aim of coming all the way here in my Kingdom, especially when they are the first Empire that had announced the great war.

My mind has clouded me with crude thoughts but, Snow eventually concedes defeat to his maid and acts more mature (questionable) in front of my stern gaze.

"Listen, old man. We will give you another chance." Snow added while handing over a contract and a pen for me to sign in.

"Hand over the Kingdom to me or suffer the weight of your decisions."

_____________________________________________

Back to Lake's Perspective****

"You two are married couples?" I asked while pointing my shaking hands to the two elves with their opposite characters. "I am surprised and shocked to hear that,"

"My boy, those are two words that have the same meaning." Arion corrected while attempting to flee from the latches of his wife.

"And we are madly in love," Sidney added while squeezing her husband, nearly choking him to death.

During our discussion, Elanor briefly lets out a cough, disrupting our entire focus.

"I suppose we must rattle on to the more important matters than these two," He said while rummaging through the file of documents stored inside their pristine shelf. "And placing Grer on a restful rack."

At once, the guards from the outside open the gates and carry Grer on their backs. "Bring him to the doctors," Elanor said, and they quickly head over towards the steps of stairs.

"Congratulations on becoming a viscount, Lake White," Elanor abruptly pronounced while giving me a round of applause, cheering for my procurement.

"I have never heard of a visitor earning a title for the Kingdom that early," The elf mumbles to himself while gazing at the window showing the majestic scene of the Elven community.

"I really wish Markus is not using you for his own benefits,"

"Excuse me?" I asked him a question, unassertive of what to react.

"Nevermind my blabber. It was just a slip from my tongue," Elanor retorts while handing over the bunch of documents that he had found from his discovery.

"You're the lord of the nearby town occupied by the humans." He studies my facial expression, wondering whether my words would reach his reasoning.

"Yes, your majesty," I simply responded, not wanting to give up my post or to decline the beneficial order coming from the King of humans.

"Very well," He concluded while pushing off the papers on the side.

"Is that everything?" Delwyn furiously said while quaffing the tea he has yet finished drinking.

However, before I could even speak my mind, Elanor grabs me by my nape and pulls me closer to his face. His orbs, even capacious than usual, glares symmetrically at me in the eyes, scrutinizing, closely, my response.

"Father, what on earth are you doi-,"

"Silence, Natalia!"

It was the very first time that I heard Elanor's maddened voice shouting to his daughter. His face becomes voided from the usual slouched expression that I see every day.

For a while, silence conquered the room, and the only sounds it had produced were our breaths constricted by the tension.

"Lake White, the goblin," The King of elves said. "Tell me your definition of a King."