Boren strode forward, mother and father were sat in their usual seats in the throne room, and Aarav was at his side. A bead of sweat fell from his brow to touch his eyelash before falling to his chest. It wasn’t the first of its kind, and for every drop he sweated, Aarav had perhaps a thousand. The Slime was a nervous wreck, and Boren had no course but to feel sorry for him. He was the reason the Slime was in this mess. If he had allowed him to go his own way, he would not be in this situation.

“Moth- Queen Isabella, King Borowyn, thank you for granting us this hearing. I will speak in defence of the accused.” Boren spoke loudly and clearly. A few short weeks ago, he would not have had the confidence to talk like this in front of his parents in such an official capacity. However, being thrown into a life or death situation. Repeated skirmishes that left you battered and bruised gave a man confidence. And Boren did think of himself as a man in some aspects, so he would carry himself as such.

“Borowyn, this is highly irregular! I don’t think-.“ Mother cut off when father put his hand on hers and calmed her with his simple gesture. Mother had been beside herself when Boren and Aarav had been escorted in from the city by mother’s retinue of guards. She was ready for the Slime’s execution in the same cold, dispassionate voice he had heard from her when issuing orders.

Sometimes it was hard to connect the loving mother he had grown with and the cold woman he sometimes saw in court. He understood the need for behavioural changes in different settings, but it was sometimes a little striking, even for him. Mother was perhaps the best at it of all he knew. Even his father was not an expert when maintaining a mask. He allowed some of his jovial mood to slip through from time to time.

Then again, Boren, though, perhaps that is also an act, father does have the people’s love when it comes to his rule. Indeed, they were role models in their own right. And by stepping forward, Boren was also doing what he felt was right.

“Isabella, I understand your concerns, but it is also important that Boren speaks for his own transgressions. After all, he is no longer a child.” Then more quietly, he said something to mother which she winced with surprise. The vibrato of his voice had always had a relaxing effect on Boren, and he felt resolve flow once more in his veins, strengthening and supporting him in this.

“Fath- King Borowyn, thank you for allowing me to speak on my own and Aarav’s behalf. I can say this much to start: I left the palace of my own accord and under my own power after being expressly asked not to by Aarav. He believed that the city could prove dangerous and asked that I not risk myself. Upon meeting him outside the walls of the palace, I proceeded to make myself known to him in which situation he told me to stay with him so he could keep an eye on me and keep me safe-“

“Keep you safe? What could such a weakling do to keep you safe? He could have got you killed.” Mother coldly said; she couldn’t lose control in front of all the people here. Apart from the four of them was the big man and the woman who brought them in. Some ten or so guards were stationed at the columns leading to the thrones and two behind the seats of power.

It would be so easy for father to take care of any threat that came, but he had told Boren. “It is a matter of station, Boren. It is not about what one can and cannot accomplish alone. But what one can inspire others to achieve and strive for. As a leader of a nation, that is what is important. And even if you are not in line to the throne, you will play an important role in that. The nation's peace and the nations around us are all our responsibility. Without us, there would be arguments and fighting throughout the five nations on this continent.”

Boren knew that what father meant were war and death, and he would work hard to make sure that didn’t happen. This was the first step to learning those skills and abilities.

“Boren, there is no need to protect this being. Even if they are a member of this house and a citizen if they have to lead you to harm, it is well within our responsibility to remove any threat.” Father said, speaking slowly and calmly in his usual tone. Still, the words came out as steel, Boren swallowed, and he heard Aarav swallow even more loudly as the sweat redoubled. Thankfully he had kept silent this whole time.

“Believe me, King Borowyn, I would speak only the truth, and if there were any fault here, it lies with me. I coerced this person into helping me and then guided him around the city. It was through no fault of his that we ended up near the Library and then walking through the streets.” Boren said, a slight urgency bleeding into his words as he willed his father to believe him.

There was a sudden loud bang, and the doors to the throne room burst open. Mother stood in a flash, but she was even slower than father, who was on his way to the door before anyone else had fully registered the noise. Boren turned in time to see his father catch the collapsing dwarf in his arms as he fell through the doors. Words spilt out of his mouth along with a copious amount of blood. “M…my…Qu…que…en, dea…th, there back….ber…Ber…serk…ers.” Then he went limb, passed out in father’s arms.

“Isabella!” Father boomed. “We need to get him help! Guardsmen!” He pointed to the two men at the first columns in the entryway. “Get Marasa and any other healers that are available. But make sure Marasa is with them. Go now!” The two men were stunned, and the final word from father got them moving. A little dust fell onto Boren’s head. Looking up, he could see that a couple of cracks had formed in the ceiling. Two more guards rushed forward and took the bleeding dwarf from father as he stood and wiped the blood from his hands onto his robes.

Boren could see that father’s face was a mask of worry and agitation. At the same time, not all the people in the room had heard the dwarf’s quiet words he and the queen had, he from being so close and she from having skills in infiltration and listening. They both looked grave.

Father rushed back to the throne and began sending people out with orders. He spoke quietly with mother all the while, and she ran out as well. “Boren, you must stay within the castle walls for now. I know you want to explore the city you grew up in, but please, for once, listen to me and do as I say. We will not stop your training; it may be needed now more than ever.” With that, mother left and soon only Boren, Aarav and father remained.

Father came down from his throne and spoke to the two of them. “Sorry, we had to cut this short, Boren.” In apology, he smiled down at his son and placed a hand on Boren’s cheek. The warmth from his hand flowed into Boren, and he smiled back. “However, I will have to pass judgement here.” Boren opened his mouth a little panicked before stopping at his father’s hand moving to his shoulder. “You trust me, don’t you?” Aarav continued to stay silent, now not daring to breathe. Boren wasn’t sure if the creature breathed at all, but everything needed air to survive, didn’t it?

“Yes, father. I do.” When father smiled once, Boren knew he had said what his father had hoped for.

“Good, I am happy to hear it. Aarav, I hope that I have treated you fairly apart from the oath, I know it was a lot to take in, but I believed it necessary. I hope you understand that as well.” Aarav just nodded, clearly still shell-shocked by the progression of the conversation and his impending fate. “Good to hear; while you may still have some lingering resentment, I believe that this arrangement will work well for you as well. You see, I know,” he looked at his son again at this, “-that you climbed over the palace walls to get out. I do not know more and am not clear on how it relates to what just happened, but I can say with confidence that what you had said is true. I also, therefore, believe what you have said about our mutual friend here. I believe that he protected you as best he could and will continue to do so.”

Boren looked at Aarav’s face as the Slime’s jaw continued to drop at this sudden change in circumstance. By now, his jaw was almost literally hitting the floor.