22: Presented to the King
Lucarad took a step forward and spoke loudly and proudly, “I have come to inform you, that The Hero That Was Promised, the one who will save this world as foretold by The Scrolls, The Savior, has finally arrived to this world!” Lucarad said loudly and proudly, and then bowed to the king and added, “Thanks to me, of course!”
The High Priest’s announcement was met with laughter from the other nobles present.
“Again with that nonsense, Luca?” one of the nobles asked in-between laughter.
Even a few guards couldn’t help but chuckle, although the king and the princess retained a stern expression.
“Haven’t we had enough ‘Saviors’ come through these doors?” another noble asked.
“Those were all imposters! Liars! Thieves!” Lucarad snapped back at the nobles.
“And what makes your presentation any different?” another man among the noble crowd asked with contempt. Beatrice could not see him at all, save his glistening, oiled bald head. “We have seen enough "saviors" to last us several lifetimes! Men, women, catboys, fishpeople, zombies, and cripples... Now you bring this… This... Half-human stripper?”
“Despite the persistent interference from some of the vermin present,” Lucarad continued talking to the king while throwing death glares at one of the noble groups, “I was finally able to perform a successful summoning ritual! Dozens of men and women risked their lives—"
“Sex-crazed lunatics!” a noble shouted over Lucarad.
“Risked their lives to summon forth a hero that will bring us salvation!” Lucarad spoke louder, bordering on screaming, to bring his point across over the annoying noble’s insults. He then reached into his robes and continued speaking passionately, “This event has been described in detail in The Scrolls—”
“The authenticity of which is still greatly disputed by the Royal Scholars,” a short bald man interrupted Lucarad and stepped forth from among the other nobles. The five-foot-tall man wore golden robes. His thin, gray beard dragged on the floor behind him as he walked up the steps and took his place on the right side of the throne. “You dare bring this… This… Thing! A stranger, an unknown monster into the very heart of our kingdom!? Look at her! Some kind of half-male, half-female abomination!”
“That’s right! Look at her! What is that between her legs!?” The nobles nodded and added to the bald man’s accusations.
The man continued speaking, “You risk the lives of everyone present! If your word and those smelly old scrolls in your possession are the support to your claims, then this woman you have brought is just as likely to be an assassin to slay our righteous ruler!”
The nobles gasped and the guards pointed their spears at Lucarad and Beatrice.
“Is this what it has come to!?” Lucarad shouted. “You would point your weapons at unarmed men and women that have come offering you help? Has the noble rule of the Sinatus line fallen so low that it would strike down potential allies, giving in to fear and paranoia? The king I knew would break bread with any stranger willing to fight demons in his name. The Selirius I knew would trust those strangers to guard his back in the battle against the horrors from Beyond!”
“Enough!” The king raised his voice.
Beatrice nearly gasped when she heard king Selirius’ voice. For a moment, she had forgotten altogether the king was still there on his throne. He had no presence. Even now he seemed lethargic, even though he seemed in high spirits after interacting with the strange black powder.
“What do you want from me, Lucarad?” the king asked. “I’m too old and crippled to return to battle, and the treasury is spent. All I have are my useless counselors and spoiled daughters with no allies to sell them to.”
“This woman is The Hero That Was Promised!” Lucarad insisted. “The one who would save this world! The one who shall cure the Taint! Have we really fallen so low that we cannot scrape together even the bare minimum of finances for such a cause?”
“Ha! ‘The Taint’!” the bearded bald guy scoffed. “More of your baseless claims and delusions! Have you not heard the king!? The royal treasure is bone dry and you know it! And If this woman really is who you say she is, she will have no problem procuring funds for your dysfunctional cult of fanatics by doing “favors” for the local populace.”
King Selirius raised his hand demanding silence and asked the High Priest, “Do you know how many “heroes” this kingdom has been through?”
“Yes, I do, but this time—"
“Do you know how many times I’ve heard ‘but this time’?”
“Let her prove her worth!” Lucarad insisted.
The king sighed and closed his eyes. No one dared utter a sound for those few seconds. Then the kind opened his eyes and said, “Very well.”
“Your Majesty!” the short bald guy exclaimed and turned to the king.
“Shut up!” Selirius growled at his counselor and then looked at Beatrice. “You haven’t spoken a word since you got here, young lady. What is your name?”
“M-my name is Beatrice, Your Majesty,” the Succubus said, stuttering a bit from the sudden question from the king. But she quickly regained her composure and kept her cool.
“And are you the savior of this world?” the king asked. “Have you come here to rid this world of all the monsters and demons from Beyond?”
“That is exactly why I am here!” Beatrice lied through her teeth.