Chapter 63 - Bitter Banquet

James walked towards the throne. He laughed at his father who was seated and obviously surprised of his high spirit.

"James, you look very happy" the Alpha King couldn't deny that.

"I am on top of the world, father" he bursted out laughing wilder.

"That's really good. This is what I want for everyone in this kingdom. Nothing but happiness my son" the Alpha King joined in the laugh.

James staggered as he walked closer to the throne and he nearly fell on his face. He quickly controlled himself and stood upright.

"I'm sorry father. I think I have drank a little bit much" he smiled and belched. He was not drunk. He wanted to convince his father to think so.

"Shouldn't you be in your chamber resting till your feet will be firm on the ground?" the Alpha King teased him.

"My feet are as firm as my teeth and my head on my neck" he said incoherently and laughed wildly again.

"You really need to rest" the Alpha King affirmed. He obviously wanted him to go back to his chamber.

"Yes. I will rest but I want you to promise me one thing, Father. Just one thing" he raised up a finger and shook his head.

"And what's that one thing that is so important to you?" the Alpha king asked.

"I am happy and I want to be happy" James paused. "I want a banquet where everyone would wine and dine in happiness. That is all I want. Father" he said with a pleading tone.

"A banquet? And do you need my permission for that? You have more than enough resources to throw an elaborate party" he asserted.

"I don't want a solo party. I want a royal banquet where all the royal household and the head which is you to be present. Just to have fun" he frowned his face and belched.

"I think we should postpone this conversation till when you have a clear head. A head as clear as water" he waved at him in farewell.

"My head is clear. I want this please. It will mean a lot to me" he begged his father. "And we are going to discuss some matters like my bride and so on" he persuaded.

"That is a good move then" the Alpha King face lit up like James had said what he wanted to hear.

"Am I granted this?" James asked smiling.

"Yes, of course. Everyone loves happiness. Everyone including the Alpha King. When have you slated to get this done?" the Alpha king was already showing great interest.

"As soon as possible, Father" James blew happily.

"I'm sorry" the Alpha King's voice had dulled. He sighed heavily. "I think you will have to do that without me but do not worry,I will make sure I make great impact to your banquet" the Alpha King promised.

That was not what James wanted. He wanted him to be present so that he would take the sprinkler poison he had prepared.

"What happen? I don't think this should go on without you" James said remorsefully.

"I have some matters that had eaten up my time to have fun. I will be meeting with the elite leagues frequently from now on. You will understand when you become the king and have a lot of people to answer to" he smiled subtly.

"No. That is unfair. The banquet will not be on for a whole day. Just some little time like the time you spend on dinner" James persuaded him. He wouldn't want this chance to elude him.

"Then, why do you call it a banquet if it is just another dinner?" the Alpha King seemed to be interested.

"You will find out when we are there" James winced. His father would surely be there.

"No problem with that. But you should remember I am a king. I don't get surprised easily. You will need to work hard a lot" he warned and laughed out loud.

"I don't work towards surprise. All I care about is sheer happiness all around and I promise you will get that in abundance" he promised. He had become happier by this. One more step closer for the throne to become his.

"Then lets make use of the little time to make great changes. See you at the banquet" he exclaimed happily shaking his legs.

"The happy banquet!!" James yelled to reply. He turned away from the throne and headed back outside.

"The last of your banquet" James murmured and chuckled to himself.

*****************

"Julia, Julia, Julia" Michael sang without looking back when Julia entered into his chamber. He had become very familiar with everything about her even her footsteps.

"You have eyes at the back of your head now?" She pinched his head from the back.

"I don't need eyes to see you" he boasted.

"You are not expecting to hear what I want to say, Michael" Julia said, her voice had become sadder.

"I except a banquet soon. So I'm short on expectations" he chuckled.

"A banquet?" Julia walked to his front. "When and why?" she asked intensely.

"Very soon that is all I know about the when and for the why. You will need to ask James. He is throwing it" Michael also seemed happy about it.

"A banquet, then this makes sense" Julia shook her head in realization.

"Everything makes sense except the one we couldn't figure the sense. Yet" he emphasized.

"I just want to tell you your brother is not resting on his oars. He is taking all the chances he could get" Julia paused and sighed. "To kill your father" she added.

"This seems to have shifted from between me and him to between him and Father. Why did he want him dead that much?" Michael seemed surprised to hear that.

"The same reason he had wanted all this while. If your father dies now. He becomes the King automatically" Julia explained.

"That is what most people believe but it isn't certain" Michael whined.

"Your father shouldn't be at the banquet if you do not want that to happen" Julia warned.

"You didn't know about the banquet until I told you about it few minutes ago. Now you choose who should be there and who should not" Michael nodded in a funny way.

"I didn't know about the banquet but I know about the poison that will be hanging from the chandelier to contaminate the Alpha King's food after his warden has tasted it" Julia rushed. She breathed heavily after finishing.

"Can you just say that again? A poison hanging from chandelier. James always have this plan that sounds dumb to me. The main reason he has been losing in this" Michael laughed. He was amused by the childish sense in what he was told.

"If you don't want him to be crowned King. Your father shouldn't be at the banquet" she sounded the warning again.

"No. He may have another plan that we didn't know of yet. He will just switch when he feels this one is compromised" he said after taking a deep breath.

"So you are going to prepare the remedy for your father after he was poisoned?" Julia asked bitterly. She didn't like the way Michael was thinking.

"If he is going to be hanging a poison from the chandelier. That is even unbelievable and ridiculous" he repudiated.

"You still don't believe me?" Julia sought confirmation.

"I have vowed never to doubt you again" he said instantly.

"What we will do is just to find the poison" he concluded.

"And how do we do that?" Julia asked.

"The chandelier. He must have prepared it by now. We will just replace it with an identical one and he will be surprised in the end" Michael said happily.

"Then, I will find that" Julia assured him.

That would be good. But she had another idea. Instead of changing the chandelier. They could just switch it with each other. The one above him would be switched with the one above the king.

"I think we should just switch it" Julia exploded suddenly.

"Switch it with the one above his head. Then he would die by his own hands" Michael laughed. He stared at Julia in the eyes.

"What is that?" she asked in amazement

"Why do we always think alike. I had that in my head and you say it with your mouth. It seems we have one heart in two different bodies" Michael was going romantic.

Julia loved that but she thought they should be fast and cautious with what James had planned already.

"Two bodies, one heart. You sound like those poets" she flattered him.

"I am not sounding like some poets. I am the poet" he put his hand on his chest. "You want me to flow?" he asked.

"Flow? Like water?" Julia teased him.

"Like water. My love for you will never alter. We will beget a beautiful daughter and feed her with butter. We will live till eternity without feeling bitter" Michael composed while Julia clapped.

"That is not so good but I love it" she taunted him.