All the King's Men - Act II: The First Son, Barakai

 

Barakai pulled the second class robes over his shoulders. They fit quite snugly as they were a bit old. It wasn't that the robes were shoddy, but they certainly weren't to be mistaken for royal quality. The outfit was quite fitting for a citizen of Kim'ra, and certainly no one would mistake him for a prince. By this time of day, Barakai had seen enough of Kanna's three year old toddling and he was becoming violently ill watching the King and Queen go on and on about how spectacular a child he was. Kim'ra was his escape. In blending in with the common folk and watching silently as they went about their daily lives, he was able to escape his own worries. By the age of eleven, Barakai had been sneaking out of the castle and into Kim'ra for about a year. Very few people knew him outside of the castle and in civilian dress he was could blend in easily with the upper-crust citizens of Kim'ra. And so he did on many occasions when he could no longer stand to be around his family. This was one of those occasions.

 

Barakai carefully made his way out of the castle and snuck past the guards at the castle gate like he had done many times before. In the masses of people on the streets of Kim'ra he saw a man who caught his eye in a way no man had done before. His presence alone drew Barakai in closer as if the man was silently beckoning to him. He was wearing a dark cloak with its hood pulled loosely over his head and he seem to be purposefully looking away from Barakai, as if he too had sensed his presence.

 

Barakai walked over to the hooded stranger and just as he was about to tap him on the shoulder the man turned to him and said, “I have awaited your arrival.”

 

The young prince jumped back in surprise. “This man must have me mistaken for someone else.” he surmised. The fact that the man was waiting for someone intrigued the fourteen year old child, he thought of all the underhanded plots that could be at in action in this mans mind. Conspiracy, or opium trading perhaps. Or it could simply be a meeting of old friends. No, something about this mans aura told him otherwise.

 

As Barakai studied the mans face his words told him the strangers intentions. “Prince Barakai, (Barakai was surprised that the man knew him as very few men outside of the castle did) what is your greatest desire.” Without even having to consider the question he answered, “To become King.”

“Ah, but I sense that there is a force preventing this.”

 

“My brother.” He said, again without putting any effort into thought.

 

“And why have you not gotten rid of him?”

 

“If I were to do so the King would surely have my head.”

 

“Ah but don't you see that you don't have to kill him?”

 

“Then how?”

 

“Simply make him wish that he were gone and he will go. He is still of an impressionable age, he can be convinced he must leave.”

 

And this was the epiphany of the conversation. The mans words rang true and the rest of the conversation was spent on discussing how to best convince Kanna to leave the castle. But as the conversation wore on Barakai became more curious as to how the man knew so much about him and what his intentions were.

“And what is your greatest desire?” Barakai asked bluntly.

 

“To see see people get what they deserve.” And with those words the man left with a courteous bow. Barakai thought over the mans last words. “I deserve to be king, so this man must be on my side. At last I have a friend, or at least an ally.” Barakai's thoughts wondered in these patterns as he snuck back into the castle.

 

For the next seven years Barakai filled his brothers head with reasons to leave. He told him of the dangers of royalty, pointed out all his fathers faults and made up evil political plots to scare the boy. He also told him of the joys that lay outside the castle wall's and made it seem as though if he stayed there would be no happiness for him. When Kanna was ten he finally gathered up the courage to leave home. King Balthroy thought his son had been kidnapped and declared war against the neighboring kingdom of Altair, thinking that surely they had stolen him because of his great promise as a leader.

 

One evening, not too long after Kanna's disappearance, Barakai entered his father's chambers and found him crying. Barakai approached his father in an attempt to console him.

 

“Dearest Father, what has saddened you so?”

 

“My only son has been kidnapped by those b******s, the Altairians.” The wise king noticed the slip and corrected himself. “I mean to say, my dear son, that they have taken your brother Kanna. How can I feel joy at a time like this? Do you not think I would cry if it had been you who had been taken? The two of you are my sons and I love both of you dearly.”

 

Barakai found the latter words to be as hollow as a suit of armor retired from war. He thought of them as an apology for his slip, but he knew the slip had contained a secret truth. He began to cry and ran from the room in shame.

 

He cried into his pillow until at last sleep came. When he woke he felt a strange sensation on his hands, and when he looked down he found they were covered in blood. Disgusted, he ran to the basin of water and washed them until they were sore. Barakai composed himself and made his way to breakfast. As he walked the halls, he saw servants running around as if they were mad. When he could no longer stand the curiosity he stopped one and asked him what was the matter. The answer he got shocked him to the bone.

 

The servant sobbed as he tried to speak. Finally he said, “The Altairians have murdered your father whilst he slept. He was found this morning with his own sword sticking out of his back. I am sorry to say this to you, my dear Prince, but there was nothing we could do.”

 

Barakai knew it had not been the Altairians who had killed his father. If he felt any guilt for his actions, the boy hid it well, the only thing an outsider could see was a strong boy of twenty years who had gratefully taken his father's place as king.