Chương 40: Book 2; Chapter 39; Intrusion (2)

Meanwhile, the man, who had captured everybody's attention, was walking in slow but steady steps in a human-formed passage, towards the newly risen platform. The view was indeed spectacular, especially for someone who had never seen it before – that meant a majority of today's audience. With each step the man made, a few soldiers in front of him would lower to one knee, and a few soldiers behind would rise back to their feet with extreme precision. But only a few inner rows of soldiers would make this movement.

The most outer lanes would stand unmoving, forming a solid wall, and other lanes in between would just lower their heads or bow when he walked by, depending on how far away they stood from this man. It looked like the walking man was making a never-ending wave with each step he was taking, achieving a perfect kneeling and bowing circle around himself. Most people thought it required long training and exercise for soldiers to move in such a union without failure. How little did they know.

In reality, the moving force was only respect. At least that's what they always say. Until now, Rainee wasn't entirely convinced – for this man she felt more respect than all the courtyard added together, but she never felt the slightest need to kneel or even bow to him… People used to say she doesn't respect him, that's why she didn't have the same reaction, but again, how little did they know… Recruits didn't have to undergo any special training to move like this.

By now, she already knew that most people couldn't stand without kneeling or bowing in his presence. All this spectacular scene was occurring naturally, and it was so synchronised only because after being recruited, you need to meet special inner conditions and undergo special training that involved mainly working with your own fears, anger, desire to please, neediness to lie, and many more, until you would be accepted into these ranks.

Only then can you stay in his presence without feeling pressure, but even then, the level of this so-called respect towards him remains at a very high level, and when standing at ease, as now, they would either bow or kneel at his approach and stand back up after he moves away." Who are they?", "How did they manage to come in such great numbers?", "Who is this man?", "Why is everyone bowing to him?" – the questions were buzzing around.

Everyone was eager to ask but not to explain or listen to an explanation, so Rainee kept quiet despite knowing very well who they were. But then Anniet asked her directly:"Who is he? Walking so majestically as if the place belongs to him?"

"If you had to guess, what would be your guess?" – asked Rainee.

"The only thought that is coming to my mind is the King himself, but…" – Anniet started, but Rainee didn't allow her to finish.

"If this is the only thought that is coming to you, then why are you "but"ing it? Yes, he is the King, there is no room for "but"." Anniet looked at her with disbelief, just like everyone else who was close enough to hear her reply. Anniet wanted to say something else, but every time she opened her mouth, she realised that what she was going to say would start with "but," so eventually she gave up in defeat. Soon a whisper began to spread around"King.

It is King himself", "King has come", "No wonder he looks like this", "What do you mean no wonder he looks like this? In paintings, he looks completely different" – and so on. All this buzzing was getting a bit too loud.

"Silence," – Rainee said. Her voice wasn't loud, if anything, it was more on the quiet side, but it had an immediate effect – as if turned off by an invisible switch, all buzzing around her immediately stopped.

"Respect your King." – She added in the same quiet but indisputable voice, and everyone, despite themselves, stood a little bit taller, a little bit straighter, as being a part of the parade themselves.

"And enjoy the moment," – Rainee added in a softer tone. Meanwhile, the King approached the bottom of the platform, but instead of coming up the steps, he stopped there, facing the School's main building. He didn't show any signs of wanting to proceed any further or enter the building itself. Instead, he just stood there with his hands clasping each other behind his back as if patiently waiting for someone or something. While he was waiting, the soldiers changed formation.

The wide corridor that the King walked through was dispersed, and troops arranged themselves in a few squares, nicely filling this new golden-plated arena. All four machines shot back up into the sky and left. That was a clear indication that the incomers have reached their desired destination and are not going to leave right now. Minutes have passed, two, three, five…

Nothing changed – everyone was standing still: soldiers lined up in formation and the King on his own at the bottom of the platform facing the headmaster's facilities. All patient, still, and calm. People who came to witness this invasion started to fill in the newly formed seats around this new amphitheatre. First, children who didn't have much care for unknown etiquette and couldn't be bothered with it. There were empty seats, so they invited themselves.

With no objections raised, adults grew bolder, and soon many seats were occupied, with more people continuing to arrive. Those who didn't dare to take an empty seat stood behind. In some places, people were chatting and buzzing; in some places, they were standing or sitting quietly with calm faces as if also waiting together with the King and his troops. Slowly, all chatter died, and each and every person was patiently waiting together with the King. You could be reading stolen content.

Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Not long after, the School headmaster walked out in swift steps, closer to running than walking. She quickly approached the King and bowed to him.

"Your Majesty, I sincerely apologise for making you wait. Hope you can forgive this inappropriate behaviour of mine." – She said in an apologetic voice. King didn't react to this apology in any way; he just stood with a slight smile on his face, allowing her to finish her bowing and apology.

The headmaster finally straightened herself up, and as there was no reaction or reply from the King, she looked sincerely lost, her eyes jumping from the King's face to the troops, then to the people sitting and standing around, and back to the King. After a little time, she finally managed to compose herself, and her eyes stopped jumping aimlessly around and settled on the King's face with a questioning expression. Just then the King spoke.

"It has been a long time since I have had the desire to meet you, headmaster of this School." He said in a soft, encouraging voice while looking straight into her eyes. He didn't speak loudly, but each and every person watching this scene heard him crisp and clear, as if he were standing next to them. Rainee felt her heart get squeezed by some invisible, unforgivable hand upon hearing this voice again.

"I have heard about your place from many of your ex-students, and also, your own presence can be felt very strongly in this world. Even if it is the first time we have encountered each other at this close proximity, you can be reassured that such energy and character certainly didn't slide by me unnoticed." This time, there was no reply from the headmaster as she was struck dumbfounded by this comment.

"But I can see that, for some reason, time isn't very kind to you." – The King continued. – "In my life, I have never seen such an unjust mismatch between inner and outer appearance. If you would allow me, I am eager to wave off this injustice." Without waiting for a reply or any permission, he raised his hand and moved it in front of her face from top to bottom as if cleaning something off.

Everyone was curious and excited to see what would happen, but there was a bit of disappointment as nothing happened and nothing changed. The King sidestepped, opening a passage for the headmaster, and made a welcoming gesture towards the steps leading up to the platform.

"Please come and chat with me a little bit," – he said, still maintaining the same small smile on his face and warmth in his voice. – "Let me enjoy your company, and I am happy to answer all questions and satisfy your curiosity for the time being." They both walked up these stairs side by side. The platform wasn't high, just about a man's height, and on it stood two throne-like chairs carved in beautiful patterns. The King showed the headmaster to one chair while sitting himself in another.

Rainee watched it, thinking that nothing much had changed in his behaviour. As usual, slightly above people that served him, slightly below people that he was serving, and on the same level with people whom he was treating as colleagues. Soldiers served him, so he was above them. He treated the headmaster as a colleague, so he sat on the same level as her.

As the King, his duty was to serve his people, so everyone else could freely choose by their own will where they wanted to stay, above him, at the same level, or below. Perfect natural order. While watching him sitting casually in this chair, distant memories started to fill her mind and heart.

As a small child, she would often hide herself in a ceremonial room out of everyone's eyes and wait patiently until all the boring business would come to an end, hoping for the opportunity to catch him on his own so she could have him just for herself, even if just for a few minutes. It was not an easy task to win these moments, as there always seemed to be people around him – wanting something, talking about something, complaining, bowing, asking, bowing again, talking and bowing and talking….

Like a never-ending stream. But she was patient and persistent, and luck would ever so often be on her side. When everyone attending a meeting would leave, there were a few very precious seconds when no one would be in the room. If she was just fast enough to jump out of her hideout to run to him and climb on his knees before the chamber man or bodyguard walked in and caught her in the midway, then victory was hers.

No one would dare to approach him to take her off or tell him that there are more important things to do. And he himself would never tell her off, same as he would not stop others from catching her in the middle and carrying her away if she wasn't fast enough. When safely on his knees, she could stay there for a bit, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer, and everyone else would just wait outside. She could tell him anything she wanted, and he would understand it all.

She could ask any questions, and he wouldn't take them for silly or small, but would tell her what she wanted to know in a way she could understand. She would sit and watch these beautiful flower patterns on his jacket and would listen and listen.

Others didn't know this, but those flowers were not just an embroidery as everyone was thinking, they were alive, they would move and dance as real flowers in the wind, some would fade off and new ones would blossom instead, and on rare occasions, even a bee would fly in and out of one or other flower. His lap, at that time, was the safest and most magical place. When Rainee's "audience" was over, he would stand up with her in his arms, walk to the doors, and hand her to one of the people who worked for him.

She wouldn't try to fight or reject, but would wait again for a new opportunity. Before meetings, a proper search would be conducted with attempts to find her, but somehow she managed to hide very well and keep very still, and nobody was able to find her. Once, a meeting was so long that she fell asleep in her hideout. She woke up in her bed, realised what had happened, and started to cry because she was so upset with herself for missing a chance.

After she finished sobbing, the soft voice came from the side of her bed – " My dear girl, is it really worth being so harsh on yourself for one little flop?" – she turned around and there he was, sitting in an armchair next to her bed, waiting until she woke up. Apparently, after the meeting was over, he simply came and picked her up from her hideout, where she was sleeping, and carried her to her bedroom. Not just that, but he stayed until she woke up so she wouldn't miss her special tête-à-tête time.

Now she was thinking about how many of these "opportunities" were achieved just by her own effort and how many times he actually knew that she was hiding there, wanting her special treat, and created chances for it to happen. Rainee was standing in the midst of a crowd, looking at the King with deep affection, not any lesser than at those times when she was a small girl. She stood a considerable distance away, but as she mastered full vision long ago, distance wasn't an obstacle to seeing all and every detail.

She has known him all her life, and he hasn't changed a little bit – if not for an incident that happened at their last encounter, she would still think that he is unchangeable as the world itself. A sudden thought crossed her mind – " Does he know right now too that I am hiding among these people, watching him and thinking about him?" As a reply to her thought, a little bee flew out of the flower from the left side of the King's jacket…