Vigilant did his usual routine when he awoke. He would order the servants to prepare him a bath before he would pray to the gods. His murmured whispers to the heavens were directed to Cirelin and Demos, the goddess of water and god of death. He asked for clear skies and good wind from the first and for the second to watch over his mother. The mere idea of praying for his mother’s soul felt wrong. It would be accepting that she was gone. He would grimace and do it anyway, however, because that is what his mother would have wanted. After praying he would bathe, washing away the events of the previous day. It was like a dark slick fog was cleaned away from his mind, though it was still there. Vigilant could feel his chest tightened as he thought of his mother, but he knew he could not cry. A prince did not cry, especially one who looked to earn the respect of his fellow council members.

The meeting would be a pain.

Vigilant sighed and leaned back in the bathtub as he thought about the upcoming meeting. He would have to take up his mother’s role during them as an intermediary and peacekeeper. Starlit Eyes had been able to play the council members against one another through clever words and political maneuvering. Vigilant could barely convince the castle cook to make him a sandwich after midnight. Once again he would sigh and look around the marble-clad bathroom. It smelled nice and looked quite lovely with gold ornaments and crystal lamps on the wall, but it just felt so empty and cold despite it being summer.

After cleaning himself Vigilant would get dressed in a white military jacket with light blue highlights and he would put a golden band around his head. It was his colors to wear as a prince. The following minute was spent convincing himself to not return to bed or to dive deep into the bookshelf next to the door. He even considered writing letters to the ambassadors rather than going to the council chambers. He could handle the ambassadors, especially the Silvetian ones. They were genuinely charming and good company, which was part of their job after all. Though the Silfy ambassador had always rubbed him the wrong way. It might just have been his denouncement of the Cosean faith or his predatory nature, but whatever it was Vigilant always got the feeling that he was planning to kill someone. It was the look in his eyes, the savage lust for blood. Maybe you couldn’t expect better from ponies that resembled sharks so much, but still.

Eventually, the advisors knocking on his door made the decision for Vigilant.

The walk through the royal palace to the council chambers was a long one. The royal quarters were at the opposite side of the palace to the council chambers, which allowed the monarch to speak with his or her advisors on their way to a meeting. The walk was through twisting hallways with endless sets of doors and balconies attached to them. Banners bearing the royal seal hung from the walls and a blue carpet lined the length of the hallways. Vigilant just walked with his shoulders slumped as mares rushed after him with legal documents and questions. His guards marched behind him as well, yet they did nothing to stop the onslaught of servants and advisors. He would pull his large ears down over his head using a simple spell, his horn glowing a soft blue. His eyes would drift to the mare closest to him, an advisor dressed in a fine white dress with flowers in her gelatinous mane. She was holding a paper in her left paw as she hurried beside him.

“Your highness, the church is asking for your permission to hold a festival in the town of Lout,” she said.

“Please, can we do this later?-”

A voice piqued up from the back. “Your highness! There are rumors of a noble daughter being pregnant with a bastard son! Will you bless the child? As the monarch, your holy blessing would give the child legitimacy!”

Vigilant increased his pace, his heart beating faster and faster as his breathing got heavier. “I don’t know how-”

“Your highness! You need to set the agenda for today’s court!”

“For the love of Cirelin let me think-” his gaze jumped erratically between each of the many advisors crying his name.

“Your highness! Lady Yiltar is asking for permission to build a manor for her daughter on the crowns land!” another mare in the back called.

“Who? I don’t even-”

“Your highness!”

Vigilant started running. Panic gripped his mind.

“Your highness!”

‘Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone,’ his mind cried.

One mare pulled on his tail. “Your highness, I need you to sign this contract for an order of ten warships-”

“I don’t care!” he yelled.

“Your highness, you have to attend the unveiling of a monument to queen Starlit Eyes this afternoon-”

Finally, he had enough.

A large flash of light lit up the hallway and the servants cried out as bolts of magic burned the carpet, smashed the windows, and ruffled the banners. “QUIET!!!”

The prince stood panting, with a snarl twisting his mouth. His eyes glowed dark blue and magical energy crackled from his horn. He was facing his entourage, with the guards quickly getting out of the way. Vigilant took a step towards the advisors with a growl and they backed off with a whimper. For a second he stared deep into each pair of eyes that have followed after him, charging a bolt of magic. The mares squeaked and backed up.

“His royal highness, Vigilant Watch, must participate in a council meeting. Leave,” a familiar female voice suddenly said.

Vigilant would look behind him to see Sacred Shield, dressed in her usual armor with the exception of her helmet. Despite the royal tailor’s best efforts the Silvetian mare refused to get fitted for a good dress, wearing her armor to every state and social event in the city. It was dedication on her part, though it spoke more of stubbornness than loyalty. The servants would quickly scurry away and the guards would give a simple bow before they dispersed as well, allowing Vigilant to take a deep breath and sigh.

“Thank you,” he mumbled to the Felreth.

“You can not cast such spells on your servants,” she said curtly.

Vigilant just huffed and looked to the side. “They deserved it.”

Sacred would eye him with scrutiny. “Maybe they did, yet your mother handled them calmly all the same.”

Vigilant’s head snapped back to face the Felreth's gaze. He would open his mouth to rebut her statement but closed it and looked to the side. Red stained his cheeks in embarrassment. A prince did not throw a tantrum. “She was a mare, a queen. She was meant to have this position. I was not.”

“And yet, here you are.”

Sacred Shield would begin walking towards the council chambers, Vigilant slowly following her with his tail dragging across the floor.

After a quick walk, the two would arrive in front of two grand gold doors. A crown surrounded by a circle was engraved on them, the symbol of the Shekel council. It was quite a rare sight for a stallion to approach these doors, so much so a few of the mares that guarded the hallway eyed the moment in interest.

“No stallion has stepped into this room for over four hundred years...” Vigilant said and swallowed.

He suddenly felt like retreating, it was such an irrational fear he scrunched his face in confusion. His heart pounded and he felt sweat forming on his brow. Why was he so worried? He was the damn crown prince. He was the inheritor of the throne, the country’s next leader. The one his mother had trained for this specific task. She would have just walked through those doors without hesitation.

Yet he was afraid, he didn’t feel worthy to enter such a holy sanctum of power.

“Your highness, the council is waiting,” Sacred said and gave him a light push.

Vigilant didn’t let his gaze leave the door as he walked forward. The doors would swing open and reveal a grand room with a black marble floor and a ceiling painted to depict the founding of the nation. One cosean mare standing tall on a rock, with six ponies standing behind her. Before them, masses of stallions bowed and mares cheered. It was quite the spectacle with colors varying from cool to warm. In the middle of this room, there was a round table with seven chairs around it. Each chair had an emblem on its back to designate which member of the council held what seat. Five mares sat one the chairs, each one eyeing the young monarch as he entered the room.

Four of them looked at his nervous expression and shaking body with annoyance and amusement. One gave him an encouraging smile and waved him forward. The Shamën, the high priestess, was the only one showing him kindness from the table of the mighty. He felt Sacred Shield push on him to move once more and he did so, walking to his own chair. It was made from fine oak, polished until its surface reflected the monarch’s stature better than a mirror. The back of the chair had been cut to resemble a seashell, with a crown adorning it. It had pieces of gold added to its design, distinguishing it from the other chairs in the room. It was also bigger than the other chairs, to elevate the position of the monarch. Once he seated himself Sacred would sit next to him. Seris would give him a nod from across the table before she eyes her fellow council members.

“His royal highness, Vigilant Watch, has joined us for the first time. You will refer to him as ‘sire’, ‘my Lord’, or ‘your highness’. Failure to comply with these rules includes public humiliation, seizure of property, and being forced to pay taxes,” Sacred said with cold eyes.

The five other mares eyed each other as if they were thinking over the Felreth’s words.

“With all due respect, Felreth Shield, the prince is not old enough to govern the nation. His very presence at this meeting is due to the demands of both you and Shamën Vitali. The rules that would normally apply to the monarch during these meetings do not apply to him. He is too young. He should not be here. He has not even finished his education yet, as the high priestess knows...” a mare dressed in a blue military jacket caught the gaze of Servis for a moment, glaring.

She had dark skin with scars littering her body, some of her more nasty injuries hidden behind a dark blue military jacket. Her white mane marked her as a member of the Jiros family, one of the most inflectional noble families on Cosea. They were the shipwrights of the nation. The proud owners of shipyards. The mare sitting before them was Trina Jiros, the oldest daughter of the Jiros family, Deimrün of Cosea. She was the grand admiral of the navy, and much like Vigilant, she was next in line for her mother’s seat of power. Once Trina retired she would just become a Lady. Destined to rule the court and continue her family’s business. Trina had been a very useful ally to supply the navy with cheap and sturdy vessels, but many had grumbled about the corruption and neglect by putting Trina in that position. Trina herself claimed she had no financial ties to her family while she served the nation.

Quite many were not convinced by the mare's words.

"His eighteenth birthday is seven months away! You can not be serious!" Sacred looked astonished at her fellow council member's words.

Trina simply looked at Sacred with a raised brow. "I am quite serious."

"I want to be here..." Vigilant mumbled.

His words fell on deaf ears, with the exception of Sacred and Servis. The high priestess watched him, her gaze shifting from the council members to him. Sacred closed her eyes, grit her teeth, and furrowed her brow. She wiggled around on her seat until she sat up straight, her ears flicking.

“I do quite agree with Deimrün Jiros. While I hold the utmost respect for the crown, the prince is not here to make any decisions. By law, he can not make any decisions in this room until he is of age and has been crowned by the high priestess. I will not comply with these rules,” called a coarse voice from Servis' left.

She was the ‘wall of the east’, the Falkreth of Cosea, general of the army. She was Rin Weis, a Cosean and Silfy half-breed. Her more rugged appearance and sharper teeth marked her as having Silfy blood. A fin poked through the back of her seat like a jagged blade. She wore a brown military jacket and a round brown hat, with six pearls sewn onto it. She was the mare to call whenever soldiers needed to be conscripted or when Cosea faced invasion from outside forces. Rin was also surprisingly quick at arranging military parades.

"Whether or not he makes a decision is irrelevant! He needs to see a meeting like this, he needs to know what he will face as a leader!" the Felreth cried.

Rin nodded. "And he will, in seven months."

“I believe you act quite hastily, Lady Shield. I always say we should follow proper conduct to facilitate an atmosphere of balance and harmony, but these rules you have put forward goes directly against proper conduct when an heir is in the room. Such special treatment was not offered to queen Starlit Eyes when she first entered these chambers,” a white mare with blue mane said.

She had massive stacks of parchment and letters next to her. The two fins on her back marked her as cosean pegasus, as did her smaller stature in comparison to the other ponies in the room. She was Cira Olim, the Beriit of the shekel council. She was the representative of the bureaucratic organ of the government. It was through her diligent workforce that contracts, letters, trade deals, royal charters, grants, and more were signed and carried out. She was also the one to organize the mail system throughout the nation. She was also one of the few mares in the room born to commoners, having worked her way up to a seat on the Shekel council.

Sacred muttered under her breath. "Perhaps we can be the first to accept change then? The prince does not have the same perks or advantages as the queen did when she first got to attend a meeting like this. Queen Starlit Eyes had her mother and her father here to help her. The prince has no one but us to rely on."

Vigilant's head sank and he pulled his ears over his head.

“Maybe we shouldn’t ignore the prince’s authority? After all, his birthday and right to sit upon the throne are just a few months away,” a timid voice finally said.

The final mare to speak was a small cosean earth pony. She held blue skin much like Vigilant and her tail flicked aimlessly as she smiled nervously. The mare was dressed in a simple green dress with a gold pin through it. She was the Coìches, the mistress of coin, and the one who created the budget with the help of the monarch. Her name was Irmith of Cashau, one of the few mares in the room with actual blood ties to the royal family, though distant.

Together with Sacred Shield and Seris Vitali these six made up the Shekel council. Yet, they were already butting heads about if they should even recognize his authority and if he should even be allowed at the meeting. Vigilant sunk into his seat as the arguing continued. Why was he even here? He could have stayed in bed, that would have probably made them happier. The prince looked up to see a sympathetic smile from the high priestess, a kind smile. She was the only one who was quiet as the other five argued about the validity of treating him as a royal.

“He is the son of queen Starlit Eyes! You should be ashamed for even suggesting we should treat him as anything but our monarch!” Sacred slammed her hooves down on the table, exhaling sharply.

Irmith would timidly raise her voice. “What I think Felreth Shield is trying to say is that we should respect tradition, despite the legality of referring and treating the prince as our ruler.”

“I refuse. I will not treat a minor, a stallion no less, like my ruler before the time comes,” Trina would lean back in her seat, the admiral looking quite pleased with herself.

Sacred was frothing at the mouth, horn glowing. “I swear to every god and goddess in the sodding sky, if you do not accept these very simple rules I will find one of your warships, Trina, and shove it so far up your flank it will never see the light of-”

“Silence.”

The bickering council members flinched at the cold and calm tone. If one listened closely you could almost hear the heartbeat of each council member as they looked towards the high priestess. Servis looked over each member of the council with a neutral and distant expression in return. Vigilant couldn't help but bow his head towards her and mumble a small prayer. It was like icicles grew from her body and embraced the others in the room, they couldn’t help but shudder from her gaze. Vigilant would look up and eye Servis in awe as she completely controlled the room in a few seconds while he had been sidelined.

“We are here today to discuss an important issue regarding our nation's moral wellbeing. The filth that the commoners call the red light district has brought nothing but shame to our city and the iron will of the people. It had seduced them with the promises of carnal pleasures and brought people away from the faith. It has torn apart families and turned faithful worshippers into heathens. Even thinking about it makes my heart ache. Imagine all the lost children of our nation, their hearts deceived with dark claws from Dòra. According to rumors, you can find demons and warlocks, the filth of Neptus, in those dark alleys and dank basements. Users of such vile magic must be destroyed, along with the demons they have summoned. The reason why we are having this meeting is to discuss the way we are to rid ourselves of this plague.”

Once she finished Seris would simply lean back in her chair and smile at Vigilant, adding a wink for good measure.

The young prince’s mouth hung open. Such control! Such prose and esteem! The royal chair tilted back and forth as the prince's waggled his tail. Vigilant did not even realize he had his front paws on the table. Such crude behavior. He would eye the other council members as they calmed down and nodded in agreement with the high priestess.

Sacred leaned back in her chair and nodded at Servis. "What few reports we get from the district hints on the port being used by smugglers. Alcohol, drugs, tobacco. It all flows from the port into the city, like sewage."

"Not to talk about untaxed silk, spices, food, seeds, and sugar! The crown loses thousands upon thousands of shells and pearls each year to that port. It is unacceptable!"

“Not to even speak about how filthy the place is. It breaks the regulations around the coloration of their houses and it is a breeding ground for disease,” Cira said and looked over one of the many papers around her.

“Not even to mention the teenage pregnancies and rampant abuse that goes on in there. The guard barracks there have been assaulted so many times my mares had to step in to defend it. It is about time we leveled the entire district,” Rin said.

“Then we are in agreement. The red light district must be wiped from Kos before it can do any more harm,” the high priestess finally added with a smile.

Her gaze then fell upon Vigilant, who had remained quiet and observing the others until then. He stared right back at her. It was like a wall was closing in on him and Vigilant felt himself sweat. “We should evict every pony in the district. As the leader of the church, and future king, I can not let such sinners go unpunished. We will drag them out if we have to.”

He felt his heart throb as the high priestess gave him a proud smile. She would turn to face Cira, the smile never leaving her face. “Beriit Olim, start finding whatever paperwork is needed to do such an act. The prince has ordered it after all.”

"He does not have the authority-"

"It was a suggestion. My choice of words was poor. He is allowed to suggest solutions, is he not? I quite liked his solution as well, so I am using it," Servis said.

The other five mares just looked at each other before Cira responded. “I can find us the paperwork needed to do such a thing, but it will take time. What about the prostitutes and inhabitants after we evict them?”

Servis just continued to smile. “The church will care for them like they were our own children.”

With that, the meeting ended.

The council members would quickly leave to complete their other tasks of the day while Vigilant just followed behind the high priestess. She just smiled at his adoration. “You did well by listening to the room before speaking your mind. You make me proud by serving the gods and your nation.”

“I just follow the script. No stallion shall claim authority over a mare and all that,” he mumbled and looked at the floor.

“And you did well. You will make a great king,” Servis would bow her head before walking away, hips swaying.

Vigilant couldn’t help but stare.

“You came across as weak and submissive.”

The prince jumped and looked to his left, Sacred Shield eyeing him with annoyance. “You did not speak up. You did not assert your control over the council. You did not even think about the situation before you decided the fate of hundreds of citizens.”

Vigilant’s tail rose proudly and he held his head high. “What I did has ensured the spiritual well being of my city. As the monarch, it is my job to defend the faith against such evils that can be found in the red light district.”

Sacred Shield would eye him for a second before she sighed.

“She would have been disappointed.”

Vigilant stumbled backward like he had been slapped, eyes wide.

With a curt nod, Sacred would walk away, leaving Vigilant with an empty feeling in his chest. He would grit his teeth and send a bolt of magic at a nearby banner, burning it badly. The prince would then storm off, muttering underneath his breath.

Night had fallen upon the royal palace. She would have to be quick.

Healer Kira walked through side rooms and through the smaller hallways. Whenever a guard patrol passed she would simply hide behind a pillar or in the shadows. She made slow progress, and the content in her saddlebags felt like it was burning. It was so important. She had managed to understand so much more once she looked into it, and now she truly knew the prince’s life was in danger. Kira had never been much of a fighter, she had dedicated her life to healing after all. Medicine and light magic had called to her. It had been a noble purpose, a just path for a mage in the church. Yet, she regretted not having participated in the lessons on basic combat magic. As long as she reached the prince and if she could convince him to leave Kos everything would be fine.

Suddenly she heard something. Footsteps.

Kira, dressed in nothing but her healer’s robes, would immediately dive into the closest room. She would leave a small crack in the door to see who was coming. After a few seconds, a stallion passed, dressed in guard armor. She tilted her head at him. There were not a lot of males in the guard, which made her confused as to who he was. As the stallion walked away she breathed a sigh in relief and left the small scrub. Now she needed to get to the prince.

All she managed was to take one step until every muscle in her body locked itself.

She tried to cry out in pain as it felt like serval kilos worth of stone was pressed onto her body. It bound her legs like strong ropes, pushed down on her back like a bolder, pulled on her skull like sharp fishing lines, and pressed onto her chest like a rough lover. She couldn’t even see what was forcing her to stand still. It was then she could hear footsteps from behind her. Kira grunted and felt her heart beat faster. She pulled on every muscle in her body but she just couldn’t move.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The more you push against the spell the more it constricts,” a monotone voice said.

Kira felt herself breathe faster and faster as someone rifled through her saddlebags.

“So you do have it… Huh… I thought you would have left it behind or something. Maybe you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”

Kira cried out as more force pushed all over her body. She could barely breathe with the amount that pushed itself onto her chest. She needed to get away! She didn’t want to die, she didn’t want to die! She gritted her teeth and with a momentous effort took a step forward. The prince’s bedroom was so close! If she could just run!

Then she could no longer breathe. She wheezed and tried to claw at her throat, her chest, anything! Something must be constricting her! All she could faintly see was a black glow around her leg.

“Sorry, but I was told to retrieve the letter and kill you. The prince must not know, so all tongues must stay bound. I hope your soul goes peacefully, unlike mine,” the voice said.

Kira fell to her side. Was that tears or blood flowing from her eyes? Like rivers through a valley. She choked on nothing and barely managed to lift her head to look upon her attacker. Despite the spell choking the life out of her she screamed, for what she saw made what air she had left escape her.

Two eyes burning like coal and two leathery black wings.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading the third chapter of king of Cosea. Our hero has survived his first council meeting and the intrigue thickens around the message Starlit Eyes left behind for Vigilant. What can be so dangerous that it is worth killing someone over it? Who was this mysterious attacker? Stay tuned for the thrilling continuation of king of Cosea.