Book 6: Chapter 4: and Book 5 Release!
There was no grand parade welcoming Kay home, which was exactly how he wanted it. It was more a matter of expediency than anything else, but he also wanted to set a precedent as well. Parades and celebrations take time and clog up streets, with important issues pressuring Avalon Kay didn’t have time to wave from a chariot with a slave whispering in his ear that this too will pass and he too was mortal, even if he maybe wasn’t strictly mortal anymore and he didn’t have any slaves. Additionally though, he was trying to think of the future, he’d planned for there to not be a triumphant return with a celebratory crowd before he’d left and the sudden urgency of his return just compounded the reasons behind his initial plans.
In deserved moments when it was called for parades and similar events could be both fun and useful, but setting the precedent of one happening every time Kay returned could cause lots of problems down the line. Celebrating every time he came back to Avalon City automatically made it a big deal that he’d left. It would also be a burden on the citizens to shut down business and travel so often. Finally, he’d look like a grandiose self-obsessed prick. Not that a single event would set that kind of precedent but… there was always the chance that it could. Do it one time and the next time he came back a few people would ask if it was time to go again and then it was tradition. Better to cut it off at the pass now.
They passed through the gates without issue after a normal search. Amanda had insisted when Avalon had still been a tiny village of less than two hundred people that guards should check everyone and their luggage or transports, just in case. Kay had agreed, and the policy hadn’t changed since. He was pretty sure that was how Amanda’s secret subordinate slave smugglers got their precious cargo out to freedom, which was how she knew of the security risks. The guards were polite, brisk, and very thorough and after they finished with the last carriage they all rolled into Avalon City.
They moved through the streets in the area’s set aside for vehicle traffic, passing many people who watched the caravan of carriages make their way toward the palace with interest or confusion. It wasn’t common to have that many coordinated vehicles moving together and their intended destination raised many questions in people’s minds. A few savvy individuals connected the blood guard posted on the outside of a couple of the carriages to Kay and figured out that he was back, but Blood Manipulation had become much more common in Avalon and Avalon City in particular so for most the red armor wrapped around the people guarding the vehicles didn’t scream “the king is back”.
The carriages made it through the defenses around the palace and then they disembarked and headed inside. There were clusters of people waiting to take up their various duties centered around Kay.
“Miri, you can start showing off where you are in the pecking order after we introduce you to the Ministers and a few other people, so stay with me for now.” He go the attention of his guard detail and gestured at the other Blood Guard who were gathering nearby. “Switch with them and go get some rest. Excellent job everyone.”
“I’ll be staying with you for now, your majesty.” Lauren replied. “Tyuah isn’t going to be available for a bit and I need to debrief with her before I go off shift.”
“Alright.” Kay waved the waiting servants and workers forward and they rushed at the carriages, gathering luggage and people alike and whisking them off to wherever they needed to go. The senior members of the delegation Kay had taken with him to assist in trade negotiations and similar high level wheeling and dealing were taken to wherever the head of their departments were, and in some cases directly to the Minister they reported to, to brief those who needed to know about the results of those negotiations and the deals that had been struck. Everyone else got to go home to rest. The seat of higher power came with higher levels of responsibility.
Even with the issues that were going to immediately become Kay’s problems ominously floating in the direction of his office Kay could feel some of the tension he was feeling seep out of his body as he stepped into the palace and began down familiar hallways. No matter what was happening, it was always good to be home after a long trip. There were several offices littered throughout the building that were Kay’s and he could use any of them he felt like for mundane business and day to day operations, but he was sure there would be secret things to discuss so he made his way to the right by his personal quarters which was both one of the most secure spots in the palace but also the office he truly considered to be “his” office.