Kayeni winced. No, seriously, this was not what she wanted to talk about right now. Her father was already pretty red in the face about Henry.

Yeah. That might have been more of her fault than she realized.

“Ah. Right.” Oh no no no, Kayeni did not want to say this. But the Faesian queen had pretty much dictated it. “Well, the Faesian queen refused to hand him over, and has started threatening with murder and war. Because I think they’ve… adopted him, or something.”

Holy crap. That sounded bad.

Like, really, really bad. Kayeni didn’t exactly have a way to cover. Because the result was, she had left with a senior councilmember and a mission to get Nolian back, and she came back without Nolian or the councilmember.

But it wasn’t her fault, was it?

Okay, maybe it was. Slightly. But it wasn’t her fault that the Faesian queen refused to hand him over. But Kayeni would suffer the consequences nonetheless.

Her father knew her better than she thought.

Actually, no, he knew her exactly as well as a father might know her daughter. But, like all others at her age, Kayeni didn't think that. Oh no, she certainly did not.

But she knew sticking to any sort of half-truth was pointless in the face of her father. Smaller ones, yes. But this bigger matter? Slightly more of a not really.

But it wasn't her fault, she thought. It wasn't her fault that she stuck to her script and the Faesian queen threatened to kill her.

"Father..." Kayeni started, stopped, then started again, trying to form a coherent sentence. "Father, it wasn't my fault. They figured out who Nolian was, and I tried sticking to what we thought the Faesians knew." She couldn't have explained it any worse, really.

True, the Faesians did figure out who Nolian was - and Kayeni did stick to what she had been given - but that didn't explain the Queen's reaction.

How was Kayeni meant to justify for what felt like a madwoman's actions? Why was she so spectacularly pissed at her? Really, some things Kayeni just couldn't figure out either.

(Ugh. Short and not my best. >.>)

"Every. Detail."

The man snapped at her, pounding the throne yet again. "Every single detail! Kayeni! Enough with the half truths, give me the entire story. I want every minute, every second, every word. Enough with the skirting around! I know that you are behind all of this, Kayeni."

He stood up finally, marching over to stand in front of his daughter. "I know. It's time to stop this attitude. You are an adult, Kayeni, I expect you to not only act like one--but to be the HEIR to the throne. You are the only heir to the Galcolian throne and this is how you are acting!"

There was utter disbelief in his words, complete distaste and anger. "I know for a fact that I raised you better than this. I don't know what you said to that boy to get him to leave, but he's gone. I leave you to go and get him back and you get rid of Henry! The man who had the knowledge of what an Enhancing thing was--who had the knowledge and expertise in this area and now we are back to square one!"

He shook his head. "If that blessing didn't need someone under the age of twenty and five, I would snatch it from your neck this instance and activate it myself. But I'm not young anymore. I want to know every single detail and don't you dare give me another stuttering sentence about how you don't know."

King Josef scowled. "Because I know. I know you know and I know that if you don't, your privileges and everything are going to start being revoked. Starting with your reign of power."

(Nah, no worries!)

Kayeni quailed slightly under her father’s furious glare. I didn’t do anything wrong… she wanted to say.

But nothing could save her from the undeniable fact that Nolian was still gone, Henry was also gone, and her father was furious. She couldn’t hide anything from her father, as much as she wanted to try.

“Father… is it my fault that the Faesian queen figured out who Nolian was, and that I stuck to what you and Henry had informed me that the Faesian queen knew?” Her temper rose slightly. It just didn’t feel fair to her.

Then again, the world was built to be unfair. That didn’t mean she couldn’t still think that way.

“Father, I did exactly what you told me to do. That you said that the guards told the Faesians was a criminal. I stuck with that. It’s not my fault that they figured out who he was! Even the terms they had sent to us in that letter I had given you had changed. I can’t be held accountable for their actions, can I?” Not only was Kayeni afraid of her father, but this injustice hurt. How could she be held accountable for what the Faesian queen did? Why was it apparent that she was the one who was solely responsible for everything?

The king paced long into the night. Each footstep back and forth as the anger rolled and boiled in his chest. Crowned princess, the singular heir of the throne--he didn't have a wife and no way to replace her. Despite the furious point in him really wanting to. Oh he wanted to do nothing more than just throw something. Oh he was furious. How had he managed to raise a daughter so arrogant and egoistical. So proud that she couldn't see how she had caused so many problems.

He paced for hours, long into the night. But it wasn't until he finally stopped and sat down. She wanted to have power and responsibility? It wouldn't be as crowned heir. No, no.

He managed to get a few hours of restless sleep before summoning his daughter to the throne room.

For once, he was calm. Deathly calm as he sat in the throne. He was silent but there was rage in his dark eyes as he waited for Kayeni to appear.

Oh he was absolutely furious. But silent about it.

((Oof kinda short--))

King Josef hardly moved an inch at all as the doors opened slightly. His eyes swiveled upward, fixing a cold gaze on the crowned heir as she stepped in.

She curtseyed and he found himself... not caring at all. The fake display of respect was almost infuriating but he would let it slide for now. It had been a long, sleepless night, and he was silent for a long ten minutes.

He took in a deep breath and let it out.

"You're going back to Faesia," he relayed the information, the punishment and her new duties, "you are going to accept that suitorship--apologize to the Faesian royalty. Afterwards, you will be the mentor--you will take Henry's job--for the new prince. I will not take any back talk, I won't take no, this is what you are going to do."

That was all he said before leaning back in the throne. His cold gaze seemed pained, tired and--perhaps worse of all--disappointed. A heavy disappointment that resided heavily in his chest--it dragged his shoulders downward toward the ground.

For once, perhaps, his age was truly showing.