Guards at Your High Table

The smell of dust settled heavily in the air. Dozens of feet shuffled around the edges of the long, high table in the throne room. Voices were kept at a low murmur as everyone waited for the meeting to start.

The young prince, just barely sixteen that spring, eyed the men in the room warily, unsure what to expect. It was the first official meeting he'd been invited to take part in, now that he'd had his coming-of-age ceremony and could be considered a man legally, if not conceptually. His father, the king, had only briefly mentioned their reason for gathering. Something to do with lost farmland, and what was to be done to repair damages. The prince's fingers found the edge of his tunic and fondled it nervously.

Just then, the doors to the throne room burst open with great force and the king came strutting inside. He didn't spare a glance for a single man present, and headed to his chair in a single-minded fashion. This was typical behavior of a king, the prince had been taught early. Never allow anyone to be above you. Always assume the most authoritative position in the room. As a king, you are more important than anyone, so you must act like it.

As the proud old man finally took his seat, he looked briefly only at his son.

"Prince Leo, my son, I am glad you are finally able to join us for an assembly. This will be a good opportunity for you to learn."

"Yes, father." Leo bowed his head slightly.

The king simply grunted in response, then turned to address the rest of the room.

"You all know why we are here. Just recently, floods in the lower southern region of our territory took a great amount of farmlands away. I need ideas on how to make up for the damages."

One man, far in the back of the room, spoke up first, "Your majesty, I understand the importance of making up for lost food, but might we also consider how to prevent further flooding? If this continues to happen in the southern region, I fear damages will continue to grow and we will never keep up with the demand."

"And how would you suggest we prevent a natural disaster from occurring, Baron Wiles?" The king's voice dripped with disapproval. It was clear what he thought of the Baron's comments. But Leo had been thinking much the same thing.

"I have heard that some regions west of us use something called a dam. Apparently it controls the flow of water and holds back spring floods."

Everyone turned to stare at the prince. He was suddenly conscious of his fingers intertwined with the edges of his tunic. He tried to stand a little taller.

The king's expression betrayed no emotion as he stared down his son. Leo felt it a century before he finally spoke again, "I see my son keeps himself educated, even on the affairs of foreign countries... we will discuss the idea of a 'dam' later. For now, however, we are to focus on what has been lost."

The meeting continued on this way, with men shouting out answers and the king turning down every single one. Leo was beginning to wonder if there was any real point to these meetings, until one last suggestion was made.

"Why don't we sell the land?"

All heads spun in the direction of the voice who had spoken. It was a young man, clearly not much older than Leo. He too, was far in the back, which meant his position was also that of a baron, or even lower.

The king raised an eyebrow, "Tell me more."

"We would keep the flooding a secret, of course," the man's smile twisted into something wicked, "But we could offer up that section of territory as a trade for something valuable. Or a gesture of goodwill perhaps, to strengthen political ties. When the state of the farmland is revealed, we simply have to claim unawares and apologize profusely. After the deal has been made, there is little they can do."

The king smiled, "I like this proposal."

But something was bothering Leo.

"What about the people?"

Again, all eyes were on him, but this time he wasn't bothered.

"What about the people, Leo?" His father frowned at him.

"If you give away the territory, or sell it, where are the farmers and their families meant to go?"

There was a collective silence in the room, and then a chuckle from one corner, and then another. Soon, the entire assembly of men was laughing so hard tears squeezed out the corner of their eyes. Even the king thought his son had made a most humorous joke.

"My boy, that was quite funny, but we only consider what's truly important in this room. You can leave such sentiments at the door."

Leo's father shook his head as if he couldn't believe Leo had made the comment in earnest, and chuckled to himself with derision. No son of his could be so stupid, after all.

Leo was ashen. He watched, not really seeing, as the assembly disbanded. The men shuffled about, discussing the meeting amongst themselves as they filed out of the room. Soon, he was the only one left standing at the table.

"We only consider what's truly important"? Was his father saying the people's lives were not important?

Leo had been raised from a very young age to understand his duty to the country he was born to. He was a prince, royalty. He was expected to rule over the land that would one day be his with a firm and just hand. It had never occurred to him, in any of his sixteen years, that what he considers just was not at all what his father considered as such.

The realization was horrific.

Leo stood alone in that throne room for a very long time. When he finally came to his senses, he noticed a few guards still standing at the entrance. It made him think of the guards that had stood next to his father at the meeting. There solely to protect him.

Leo, if nervous and fidgety, was not at all indecisive. He was smart and drew conclusions quickly.

It was that day he made up his mind about his father, and a single thought lingered as he exited the throne room.

"Keep those guards at your high table, father. They prove you're no longer young."