graves_hall <% /!UseJournal %>
09/10/2007 12:25:00
hamlin_graves
[info]hamlin_graves
(Thread) Monday afternoon, Graves Hall (Hamlin/Chai)
The prophets convened every ten years like clock work. There was one more to their grouping, the man who has set this all up exactly 300 years ago.

This would be the thirty-first king picked. Only one had died before his ten year term was finished and replaced for the remainder. They had always chosen wisely and though the name floating in their heads this time belonged to the youngest man ever nominated to be king, not one of the prophets seemed concerned.

Hamlin smiled oddly, happy to deliver the news once again. He had been the messenger of the prophets since meeting them in his youth. The prophets and chosen kings were among the few sworn to secrecy about his identity as an immortal (only once was a forgetful spell required to silence an old king whose tongue had grown loose). He would inform them of their post, fill them in on those things they needed to know, and then properly introduce himself.

He thought that this would be a pleasure and he was glad to have invited the man to Graves Hall before he was named king. He'd never been able to ask a king before and now he could share the sacred space of the hall with one. It was an honor and a victory in his opinion. This king… Hamlin felt sure this king would do great things once he settled into his position, not the least of which might be settling bad blood from old wounds.

Yet that was off in the distance and many other things needed to be accomplished before those accounts could be set to rights. He nodded to the prophets, who convened at the river this year. Each year brought a new venue, all foreseen and then communicated to Hamlin who could not for the life of him see in the classical sense. He picked up the scroll with all 5 signatures affirming the choice for the new king. It was an important document that needed to be filed with Parliament before the coronation on October 1st.

Hamlin hurried home, traveled to New Meridian on his flying carpet and pushed the paperwork through the proper channels before the sun had even risen. No one could open the sealed document until the last day of September when the king would be officially announced. Until then it was always cloak and dagger with the prophets dodging questions and Hamlin pretending he didn't know anything about it.

It was midday before he arrived at the hall exhausted and ready for a nap, but knowing that his job wasn't finished yet. Besides, it was only every 10 years that he put in this long and hectic day of listening to prophets council and share visions, filing miles of paperwork, and then informing the new king of his upcoming nomination.

He cleared his mind and touched the wall. It was such an old habit, but it always worked to send the little tug in exactly the right direction. The others would know there was business afoot in the hall, but only Thongchai Saenamuang would be called to him.

 
Comments
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 13:54:13  

Chai was nearing the end of his shift. It had been a relatively quiet day, and Chai was heading back to Parliament to wrap up his paperwork and head home.

Suddenly he felt an odd sensation, a curious tugging within, a feeling the he was wanted. Specifically at Graves Hall. His brows furrowed, but he didn't stop moving as he handed over his paperwork to be filed. This must have been what Hamlin meant. The call that just let one know someone else at the Hall wanted him.

He wasn't sure who, but he surmised it would have to be either Evie or Hamlin himself. Of the other members Hamlin mentioned, he saw no reason for any of them to summon him. As soon as he could, he left Parliament and moved quickly in the direction of Graves Hall. It didn't take him too long to get there and when he did, the doors opened smoothly for him, the hall itself as though re-welcoming him in. Eyes narrowed as he stepped inside, looking around to see who had called him.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 14:19:50  

He was leaned back against the wall, a bottle of his favorite wine (though not the blue, not a good wine to start a new king off with) popped open already and a glass half swallowed.

"Good afternoon Chai," he said. "Sorry to call you away from work, but... Well, it won't matter soon enough."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 14:26:13  

A chair seemed to appear there for Chai to sit in and he took it. Having been on his feet most of the day had him just a bit weary. So weary in fact it took him a moment to quite realize what Hamlin had said. "It's not a bother; I was just about done for the day- what do you mean it won't matter soon enough?"

His eyes fell on the wine bottle. "Are you celebrating something in particular or just sampling some fine wine?"
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 14:31:59  

Hamlin laughed lightly. "Celebrating," he answered briefly while pouring another glass. "I'm never sure how to break the news," he said oddly. "It always starts out awkward and confusing. So I'll cut to the chase. You know it's been ten years and our current king is about to be replaced. What you might not know is that the prophets have already convened and have trusted me once again to deliver the news to the person they've chosen."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 14:40:36  

Chai listened while Hamlin spoke, watching him curiously. It had been ten years. He knew that in the back of his mind; being a Parliament member as he was it wasn't to go unnoticed. And it was September, a few weeks before the new king should take office. It made sense the prophets already convened. What didn't make sense was why Hamlin was telling him this.

"Have they? Well that is their usual method, isn't it? So that is what you're celebrating then?" Chai was in school when the last king was chosen, but it was a fact that Hamlin Graves was the one who informed the king of his new position. His unasked question was left hanging in the air. Why tell me this?
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 14:46:36  

"Yes indeed," he said with an uncanny smile suddenly lighting his face. "We do like our secrecy as a group of people," he said of the prophets and even of himself. "So we tell the new king a little early. Give him or her time to adjust, time to get into the idea of being a leader. Though everyone's been very good at feigning surprise when the official announcement is made. Quite a good bit of acting in all of our past kings," he laughed a bit. "Can you act at all?" he asked, beginning to hint and perhaps attempting to force the question hovering under the surface right out of Chai. He thought he should ease into this one, given the efforts he'd gone to getting him into the hall and ready to accept.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 14:52:31  

Chai gave Hamlin a very odd look, a mixture of confused and accusatory. "I don't consider acting to be among my greatest strengths... Hamlin, are you you dropping hints for the reason I think you are?" It would make no sense, none at all. Kings were never as young as Chai, often in their sixties or more. Some were past child-bearing or siring ages when they took the throne. So why ever was Hamlin making it sound as though Chai had been chosen?
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 14:54:56  

He was trying not to enjoy this too much, but honestly, he only got to do this every ten years. He raised his glass to his lips and took a sip, smiling into the drink. "What reason would that be?" he asked coyly when he pulled the glass away from his body. He figured he might end up spilling it soon, the drink and the big news.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 14:58:09  

Chai moved to stand and then thought better of it. If Hamlin was about to answer in the way Chai expected, he'd be sitting right back down immediately. "Hamlin? Who is the next king? Because I'm certain that is what you called me here to tell me." His voice was almost even, but it held a hint of both curiosity and wariness. Chai steadfastly refused to jump to conclusions, but this conclusion, it seemed, was jumping to him.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 15:01:31  

"You are," he replied, without any more ado. He bowed his head and took a good long sip of his wine to offer Chai some time to absorb the shock. It had taken him a little while too, when he'd first heard the prophet's final say in the matter and all of their visions about it. He's so young, they all said, but no one seemed to argue the clarity of their visions. He's the one.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 15:11:15  

Chai was very, very glad he hadn't been standing. He could feel the jelly-like instant weakness in his knees at the proclamation. The was no need to ask if he was kidding, if this was a joke. These things didn't work this way. And while he had no idea why ever things would align in a way to make him king, he couldn't find a way to argue it.

He was silent for a long time before saying quietly, "I think I'd like a glass of that wine, if you please." The bow hadn't registered, thankfully, not yet.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 15:19:06  

He poured a full glass and handed it to the new king with grace. It was a little early to get into the formalities of calling him your majesty and all of the rest of that fun stuff. "Of course," he said and sipped more of his own. "If you'd like, we can talk about me for a bit, since there's a little more that you should know. I've been involved in this thing from the start," he said, a little vaguely about what exactly the thing was, though he was about to explain anyway if Chai was of a mind to listen.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 15:26:02  

Chai was in a mind to listen, because that gave him plenty of time to react and focus on what this now meant for him. "Please, go ahead." Another chair appeared, making it rather clear Chai wished for Hamlin to sit across from him and speak his mind. He took a slow sip of wine - it was really very good - and looked at Hamlin.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 15:31:36  

Hamlin sat back comfortably, glad for the chair and the opportunity to ramble on about his secrets. He took his time getting comfortable and taking another sip of the wine. "You've heard of my grandfather, the Hamlin Graves who set all of this in motion," he asked, not really waiting for confirmation. Everyone knew him. His name was almost as commonplace as street names. "Well, the fact is I'm him. The original. An immortal," he added, "which is one of the secrets, one of several, you get to keep as king."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 15:35:49  

Chai couldn't help the slightly hysterical-sounding chuckle that escaped him. First king, now this? Hamlin was immortal, the very same man of legend, not his namesake, his grandson. Hamlin Graves himself.

Chai's next sip of wine was more like a gulp. "Immortal. You. You are the Hamlin Graves then?" And this was only one of several secrets. He could only imagine what some of the others would be.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 15:41:38  

"Yes indeed," he said with a little smile. "I faked my own retirement from the limelight, made myself look young again and went back to school. It's all a grand experiment, but most people are happy to buy that I'm the grandson." He laughed. "I never had kids," he said, "though most people don't know or don't care about that."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 15:46:42  

"A grand experiment in what exactly? Why do this instead of continue on as Hamlin the first?" It was pure curiosity that had Chai asking, not any sort of accusaiton that he should have done so.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 15:55:31  

"I thought I'd check out my school," he said. "And I was getting on in age. I'd have to fake my death if I didn't fake a retirement and I thought the latter would be easier. I'm not ready to celebrate St. Hamlin's Day," he joked, though he did hope they wouldn't make a holiday for him, it was already strange enough living in a town named after himself.

"It was easier to pretend to be a student then it was to go through all the channels for a proper visit. I never had a formal education myself, so it was quite the experience. I got to see the inner workings of the school from the bottom up. I even learned some new tricks," he added with a laugh. "It's fascinating really, all the wonderful and terrible changes they made to the original concept of that school. I wouldn't change it for anything."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 15:58:56  

That actually made a great deal of sense. Chai was hard-pressed to say he wouldn't have done the same. The wine was starting to relax him some now, the shock of Hamlin's two announcements settling down over him. "It must be quite and interesting thing to pretty much relive life in a another way. To see the things that change in a way most people couldn't." Incredible even. Mages were well-enough long lived; to imagine an immortal life was almost beyond him.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 16:04:31  

"One day it'll come out that I'm immortal," he said. "I'm not planning on going back and pretending to be my grandson's grandson again. I imagine I'll write a book about it before I decide to move on," he said, referring to death so nonchalantly. It was a peculiar thing about immortals, they could chose to die if they wanted, which some did after reaching the end of fruitfulness in an overlong life.

"But I must say it has been eye-opening. The whole experience. In some respects I'm 345 years old. I feel it and sometimes I act it. But in many more ways I'm still a child, fascinated with the world and magic itself. I hope I never lose that wonder," he said brightly, though there was sadness in his eyes, memories of his losses parading before his new discoveries as if to deny them the right to exist in the same space.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 16:11:59  

"One day," Chai agreed. "One can be immortal, but not immutable. It's an envious thing to be able to constantly see the world in such a way. I'm sure many a people would wish it, though most would not treat long life in the way you have. I think you've found a balance between wisdom and childlike wonder, Hamlin." Chai sipped his wine, finishing off the glass and setting it beside him. "If you don't mind a bit of a topic shift, I think I'd like to ask what else I'll need to know before... October."
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 16:16:58  

"Ah yes," he said, actually glad to be away from the topic of himself for a time. There would be ten years worth of time to share all he knew with Chai. For now, Chai needed to know other things. "October the first looms," he added, aiming to be humorous. "Firstly, and I believe I mentioned so off-handedly, this is our secret until the last day of September. No one knows until then. The prophets will pretend they haven't met. I'll pretend I don't know anything anyway," he smiled a bit at that. He'd become quite the secret keeper in his day. "But I'll be at your disposal for the next few weeks to fill you in on everything. You have time to learn all you need to, and even if you don't know it all on the first day you'll learn it soon enough."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 16:31:24  

Chai nodded slowly, leaning back in the comfortable chair. "So in other words I go about my daily business for the next few weeks, pretend to know nothing, and be quite surprised when the announcement is actually made. And in that time I can call on you if need be."

He wasn't planning to run about and tell everyone, but he most certainly felt the need to share it somewhere. He'd write in in his journal perhaps, but he wondered if he should let Evie in on the secret before the first. It was greatly affect them, he knew, and this wasn't something he could keep from the enticing mage if it was going to be such a big deal. And it was.

He expected Evie to keep it just as quiet as Hamlin and the prophets would. His mind drifted to Evie for a moment before he called himself back to the here and now. "Thank you very much, Hamlin. I think I'll allow myself some time to get used to the concept before studying up on what I must do."
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 16:45:20  

Hamlin smiled. He was starting to see Chai as king already. The prophets had indeed made the right choice. "Anytime you need, just call on me." He passed Chai a little piece of stone, inscribed with Daemon symbols. He wasn't sure Chai would get the exact meaning, but this was the first tiny pebble meant to cause an avalanche of knowledge, so carefully placed and chosen. "Use this," he said, and hoped it would be a bit self explanatory.

"The next few weeks will be pretty busy, so by all means, enjoy a nice quiet break while you can. I hope you don't mind, I went ahead and forged your signature for some well deserved vacation time. Starting tomorrow you're a free man for a week," he said, a mischievous little grin on his face. He'd pulled this act many times before as well. "I figured you could get your affairs in order before the big day."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 16:56:50  

Chai blinked. "Pardon?" He shook his head as if to clear it. Had he heard that right? "Oh. Well, I do thank you, Hamlin. I am definitely grateful for the free time I'm certain to need."

He paused for a moment and then added in a gentle tone, "I would appreciate however, if in the future you use that particular skill of yours after you've asked my permission." He used no trace of Enchantment magic to ask; he didn't want to nor did he think he had to. He was very gracious about the request, but it was clear no wasn't exactly an acceptable answer.

He accepted the stone and looked at it. The symbols seemed oddly familiar, but Chai wasn't certain where he would have seen them before. But even more more odd was the fact that he felt certain he knew just how to use it. "Again I thank you. this will also come in quite handy."
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 17:09:05  

Hamlin grinned, a clever old man in young man's clothing. "Of course," he said, holding back the your majesty that was fighting to get out. "You'll forgive an old man his sneaky good deeds?" he asked in return.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 17:29:59  

Chai's lips quirked. "Considering I'll find those sneaky good deeds very useful in the future, I most certainly forgive you. And even more so because you did me a favor with it." He hadn't noticed how he was already starting to slip into official capacity.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 17:33:32  

"I'm not so sneaky all the time," Hamlin said, feigning modesty for his peculiar way of achieving good deeds. "But I will be at your disposal for the next ten years as a liaison to the king and perhaps long after as a good friend," he added, a touch sentimental though it was hard to read in his tone. "I must say, it is an honor to have a future king in the hall. In all my years I've never been fortunate enough to invite one before a coronation. It would just seem politically motivated if I did it later. So this is lucky," he said excitedly.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 17:44:24  

"Again, I thank you. I feel your advice in the coming years will be both comfort and beneficial. And I would hope it lasts beyond my years as king as well." Oh that phrase was going to take some getting used to.

Chai looked at Hamlin curiously. "You know, you said before that you had a feeling which was what made you extend your invitation to the Hall?"
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 17:59:32  

"I did," he said, "though I did not think it would lead to you being crowned." I have other things in mind, but he kept that thought to himself, hoping the little stone Chai held would lead him to that particular path.

He was always so careful to lay his plans out like little discoveries for those who were fated to be involved. He made it seem as if he'd never been involved in the idea, never even introduced the concept of an adventure. At least that was his method now in his old age. In his youth he was too impatient to set things up so carefully, like so many dominoes to fall in erratically perfect rows.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 18:04:50  

"I see." That answered the question before Chai had properly phrased it and he nodded, running his thumb over the stone before slipping it into his pocket. "So is my vacation effective immediately then?" he asked with a small smile on his face.
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 18:23:26  

"Yes indeed sir, to do with what you please." He grinned and finished off his wine. "Why don't you take home the bottle and finish up the celebrations," he suggested warmly. "Perhaps there is someone discreet you could share the news with," he said, not really asking, only hinting that it would be ok to tell someone trustworthy, so he wouldn't have to sit on something this big alone. Hamlin had been through enough kings to know that there was always someone they could tell.
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 18:42:20  

"I don't know how many times I can say thank you in one conversation, Hamlin," Chai responded. And he smiled again at Hamlin's last comment. "And yes, there is someone I can share this with. I'm glad I'm able to." He stood then, smoothing down his uniform - something he wouldn't be needing in a little while. "Unless there's anything else you think I need to know at the moment, I think I'll take my leave."
From: [info]hamlin_graves Date: 09/10/2007 18:50:23  

"I think you're all set," he commented, fighting the urge to bow again. There wasn't a great deal of court formality, but the king was a serious position and once in it there would be a lot more respectful behavior around Chai. For now though, Hamlin would keep it casual, and always attempt to be so in Graves Hall. He figured Chai might need a place to be the man and not the king. They all did in way or another, and finally here was a king he could actually help in that respect. "And you needn't thank me," he said finally. "Though you're welcome just the same. I consider it my full time job to help keep this world running smoothly." He laughed a bit and straightened. "I suppose it's about time I get home too. I've been missing my bed," he said with a big yawn and moved for the door. "This convening and crowning business is exhausting."
From: [info]notvanilla_chai Date: 09/10/2007 18:56:59  

Chai followed behind, laying his hand on the door again as he left. He felt that was going to be a bit of a habit of his, and if saying a good evening to the house as well as the inhabitants as he left. He hadn't been intending to go to Hotel Mosaique that night, but with a week's vacation ahead, he had no need to go to bed early tonight.

That and he most certainly had to speak with Evie that night. "Get some rest, Hamlin. I'll be sure to do the same."
Comments
profile
Community: [info]graves_hall
<% /!UseJournal %>
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1