Kingdom's Hope

by Chuck Black

  Through it all, Tess stayed by Leinad’s side, and Audric stayed true to the King and remained noble in his efforts to fulfill the Code as one of the Knights of Chessington. He was an invaluable source of inside information for Leinad.

  Most of the people, however, grew to despise Leinad because he was a constant reminder of their failure to honor the King.

  Although he was sorely disappointed and heavy-hearted, Leinad cared for the people because he knew that the King cared for them. Occasionally he rode into the square and spoke to as many of the people as would listen. At first they would gather to hear him, but now they gathered to chastise him.

  “People of Chessington, listen to the words of the King!” he pleaded one day.

  A small crowd quickly grew in size to ridicule the ranting of a man consumed with the heretical babble of the Code and the King. Tess stood off to the side.

  “Destruction is at the threshold of Chessington. The King’s wrath has turned His arm of protection away from you. Return to the ways of the Code!” he implored.

  “Go away, Leinad. The Code and the King are a farce. We don’t want any more of your talk!” the people cried.

  “Have you already forgotten how the King delivered you from slavery under the hand of Fairos?” Leinad asked. “Have you forgotten how He brought you to the Chessington Valley? We prosper because of the King. We will be enslaved again because you have turned away from Him. Come back to the Code and to the ways of the King before it is too late!”

  The first piece of rotten fruit flew from the crowd. Soon the jeers and the rotten food were too much. Leinad and Tess mounted their horses and left Chessington.

  TESS RODE IN SILENCE BESIDE him for a long distance. She knew that the warnings to the people were over and that Leinad felt he had failed the King. What she did not know was how to encourage Leinad to care again … about anything.

  Over the last year, Tess had become a master with the sword under Leinad’s tutelage. It was training they both thoroughly enjoyed. It was a release from the depressing collapse of the integrity and loyalty of the people.

  As dusk crept into the day, Leinad and Tess stopped. They built a fire and roasted some game, which they ate in silence.

  Leinad stared into the fire.

  “Why do you stay with me, Tess, when no one else will?” he finally asked.

  “Because I know that what you say is true. I believe in the King as much as you do, Leinad.”

  Leinad looked up from the mesmerizing flames and saw the fire’s reflection in her eyes. He managed a half smile.

  “If only the people had just a fraction of your heart, Chessington would stand like a rock against a raging storm,” he said. “But I fear their destruction is near, and I can’t do a thing about it.” Leinad returned his gaze to the fire. “All of them have turned away … save Audric and you.”

  LEINAD’S SLEEP THAT NIGHT was fitful. His final dream was of a small child playing near the edge of a cliff. The father was running to the child, but he was too far away to reach her in time. He shouted for Leinad to help the child to safety, and so Leinad ran to save her. But his legs were heavy and slow to move. The child continued to play dangerously close to the treacherous edge, unconcerned with Leinad’s shouts of warning. Just as she began to slip and fall over the edge, she called out Leinad! Leinad!

  “Leinad, wake up!” Tess whispered. She shook his shoulder. “There’s a man in the trees!”

  Leinad immediately rose and drew his sword. “Where?” he asked, trying to see in the early morning light.

  “There!” she pointed.

  A large form mounted on a horse was in the shadows of the surrounding trees. Leinad scanned the rest of the area for others but found none. He and Tess approached the form with swords ready. While still some distance away, the man spoke.

  “Leinad, Chessington will soon be under attack by the powerful army of the Kessons.”

  “Who are you?” Leinad asked, still unable to see the man’s face clearly.

  “The King wants you to inform Quinn not to fight. If they fight the Kessons, many people will be killed unnecessarily. Kergon is a formidable foe, but he is merciful to those who surrender.”

  Leinad strained to see through the shadows. The size of the man led Leinad to believe he belonged to the King’s secret force. He was a Silent Warrior.

  “For seventy weeks, the King will allow the people to be taken captive because of the hardness of their hearts. Do not be discouraged. The King will be with you. One day, Gabrik will deliver a message to you from the King that will change Arrethtrae forever. You will be the messenger of hope for the people!”

  The man turned his horse deeper into the trees and disappeared. Leinad did not question his identity any longer … his words were too true and too familiar to be considered a mockery.

  “Let’s go, Tess!” Leinad said. “Chessington needs us.”

  They rode their horses hard back to Chessington. The city was alive with its daily activities and business. These people are on the precipice of disaster, Leinad thought, and they do not know it.

  Leinad and Tess rode straight to the palace. Though the palace guards knew that Moradiah despised Leinad, he still found favor in Quinn’s eyes, and the guards granted them entrance, especially after Leinad told them his message was urgent.

  Inside the palace, Leinad and Tess waited in the great hall while a servant summoned Quinn. He came quickly and greeted them with a nervous smile. The three of them had not been together for many months. Leinad thought Quinn did not look as noble as he once had. Though his apparel was regal and his actions were those of a castle lord, his eyes revealed the defeat and the submission of a knight without the spirit of the Code.

  “Leinad, Tess, it is good to see you,” Quinn said. They exchanged embraces.

  “Quinn, I am here to warn you of impending disaster,” Leinad said.

  Quinn lost his smile, for he knew that Leinad was a serious man.

  “As we speak, there is a great army approaching Chessington. Kergon and the Kessons intend to take the city and all its spoils.”

  Quinn searched Leinad’s face, and then he turned away and ran his hand through his hair.

  “How do you know this?” he asked, still facing away from Leinad and Tess.

  “A messenger from the King.”

  Quinn turned back with a spark of fire in his eyes.

  “Then the King sends help?” he asked hopefully.

  “No, Quinn,” Leinad said. “He will allow this because we have turned our backs on Him and on the Code.”

  Leinad felt the anger rising within him, but his compassion for his friend helped diminish it. Quinn’s hopeful countenance turned to consternation.

  “Then we will fight them by ourselves!” he said.

  “No, Quinn! The King warned that you should not fight. You will lose, and many people will die unnecessarily.”

  “What?” Quinn said. “You expect me to welcome these invaders into Chessington with open arms, to let my people be taken as slaves, to let them ransack this beautiful city and destroy all we have worked for?” Quinn’s voice was rising in accord with his anger. “No, I will not! I am Lord Quinn of Chessington, and I will not let Kergon or anyone else destroy my city and enslave my people!”

  Quinn turned and strode away in fury.

  “Quinn!” Leinad shouted after him. Quinn stopped and looked back at Leinad.

  “This is not your city, and these are not your people.” Leinad opened his arms before him as if to encompass the city of Chessington. “They are the King’s!”

  A moment of realization crossed Quinn’s face, and he softened slightly. The moment passed, however, and Quinn turned and resumed his quickened gait.

  “Guards!” he shouted.

  Moradiah entered the hall and asked him what the concern was, but Quinn walked past her and exited the great hall without speaking a word to her. She glared at Leinad from the far end of the hall, and then exited behind Quinn.
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  Leinad and Tess stayed in the great hall contemplating what to do next. A few moments later, the palace was in the throes of feverish war preparations. Audric came into the great hall and greeted Leinad and Tess.

  “Hello, friends,” he said quietly.

  “Audric, you must leave Chessington,” Leinad said.

  Audric looked at Leinad sadly. “You know I can’t, Leinad. That is not what you trained me to be.”

  “Then do not fight the Kessons, or you will die, my friend, and I did not train you to needlessly die.”

  “I took an oath that you did not, Leinad. As a Knight of Chessington, I swore to protect the city and Lord Quinn from all enemies. I do not have the luxury of annulling that oath, nor would I if it were possible. You know that my allegiance is to the King, but as long as Quinn lives, I am bound to protect him as well.”

  Leinad knew it was pointless to pursue the issue any further. Audric was a man of his word. It would be easier to crumble the walls of a castle single-handedly than to change his mind.

  “Watch your back, Audric,” Leinad said and embraced his large friend.

  “You too, my friend,” Audric replied. “Forgive my haste, but I must leave to prepare the Knights of Chessington for battle.”

  Leinad turned to Tess as Audric hurried out of the great hall. “You need to get out of the city now … and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  Tess looked at him and slowly crossed her arms. She did not say a word, but neither did she move.

  “I can’t leave the people, Tess. You know that. But it is foolish for you to be taken too. You must leave!”

  “I can fight better than any of the knights here. You need me,” she said.

  “I am not going to fight, Tess.”

  “Then why are you staying?”

  “Because I know the King wants me with them wherever they may be … even in slavery.”

  Just then a company of ten knights entered the hall as if on an errand of urgency. Leinad and Tess stepped aside to let them pass, but instead the knights grabbed them and confiscated their swords.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Leinad asked angrily.

  “By order of Lady Moradiah, you are being held as prisoners of the palace and charged with treason against the city of Chessington.” The leader of the knights stated the charge matter-of-factly. He was one of Moradiah’s personal knights who had come to Chessington with her.

  “This is preposterous! Take me to Quinn!”

  “Silence!” the knight shouted. “Take them to the prison cells.”

  Leinad and Tess were taken to the lower level of the palace where the prison cells were located and thrown into one of the compartments. The heavy door was shut and locked.

  “I guess neither one of us will be leaving the city,” Tess said as she sat on the floor and leaned against the wall.

  Leinad checked the strength of the door and then sat on the cold rock floor next to her.

  “And the young child falls off the cliff,” Leinad said.

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry, Tess. I’m sorry for the hardship of our past, and I’m sorry for the hardship of our future.” Leinad leaned his head against the wall. “You deserve so much better.”

  Tess placed a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m not sorry, Leinad. I wouldn’t change a day of my life after I met you and your father.”

  Leinad smiled as he remembered that day long ago when the world seemed brighter. He looked at the slender, pretty face of his companion and remembered the freckles and dirty strawberry-blond hair of her childhood. His anguish for the people of Chessington subsided for a few moments as they reminisced.

  TIME PASSED SLOWLY, AND THE thick walls of the cell insulated them from the fierce battle that ensued above. Leinad and Tess mourned for the people and for the city. Many hours later, a servant boy came running down the stairs with keys jingling in his hands. Soon the door of their cell was opened, and Leinad and Tess exited quickly.

  “I know you are good people, and I have seen the wickedness of Moradiah firsthand,” the boy said.

  “Thank you, son,” Leinad said. “You have done well. How goes the battle?”

  “The city is nearly overrun. Most of the knights are dead, and the Kessons are approaching the palace as we speak.” The boy looked down. “It is awful, Sir Leinad.”

  Leinad put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “What of Lord Quinn and Lady Moradiah?”

  “Lord Quinn leads the battle on the steps of the palace. Lady Moradiah tried to flee, but the Kessons pursued. She is dead, sir.”

  “Where did they put our swords, son?”

  “I don’t know, sir. I think they were taken to the armory.”

  “Do you know what my sword looks like?”

  The boy smiled. “Yours is the grandest of them all, Sir Leinad.”

  Leinad knelt down to face the boy eye-to-eye. “Do me a favor, lad. Find my sword and stow it in a safe place. Do you know of a safe place?”

  The boy ran into the cell that Leinad and Tess had been in and slid a brick loose from one of the corners. A dirt alcove that was deep enough for a sword lay behind the brick.

  “For a young boy, you sure seem to know a lot about this palace,” Leinad said with a slight smile.

  “Nobody pays much attention to a servant boy, so I know a lot more than most folk realize.”

  Leinad put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “If you can’t find my sword quickly, find someplace out of the way and stay put until the fighting is over, all right?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Leinad and Tess hurried up the prison stairs, and the sounds of deadly fighting filled the air.

  The Kessons were at the palace gates and were overrunning the few remaining knights. Quinn and twenty or so knights were heavily engaged in a last stand on the palace steps. Leinad spotted Audric at the front of the line beside Quinn. It was a desperate battle.

  Leinad looked for a sword so he could join the fray, but there was none.

  Quinn fought with more courage and valor than Leinad had ever seen in him. It was as though he fought to cover the mistakes he’d made … against the people and against the King.

  Two Kessons engaged him at the same time, and it was too much. Audric tried to cover Quinn’s side, but a sword was thrust into his abdomen, and Quinn fell backward onto the granite steps.

  “No!” Leinad shouted as he ran down the palace steps to his fallen comrade.

  A man on horseback rode up in full battle attire. The air of command was in him. “Do you yield?” he shouted.

  The Knights of Chessington fell back, and the fighting paused in response to Kergon’s question.

  Leinad knelt beside Quinn and lifted his head slightly. Leinad held his hand over the wound.

  Quinn coughed and winced at the pain. He grabbed Leinad’s tunic. “Leinad,” he gasped, “tell the King I am sorry. Tell Him I was wrong. I wanted to be a good leader for the people.”

  “You were a good leader, Quinn,” Leinad said as tears welled up in his eyes.

  The agony on Quinn’s face eased slightly, and then he fell limp in Leinad’s arms.

  The silent moment of mourning that followed was interrupted by Kergon’s strong voice once again.

  “Do you yield?”

  Leinad let Quinn’s head come to rest on the steps and then stood to face Kergon.

  “We yield.”

  Leinad looked out across Chessington. The once beautiful city was now a battle scene engulfed in flames. Cries and screams reached Leinad’s ears, and the tears in his eyes were not just for Quinn now.

  “Please have mercy on the people, Lord Kergon. There has been enough death for today,” Leinad said.

  Kergon nodded, and the killing ceased.

  BY DAY’S END, CHESSINGTON lay in ruins, and most of the people were gathered into a slave march to the land of the Kessons—to the city of Daydelon. The chains of bondage were latched once more onto the limbs of the people. It was the beginn
ing of another dark chapter in the lives of the King’s people.

  KERGON’S CAPTIVES

  Kergon left one of his top men in Chessington to rule the city and surrounding areas for him. Although nearly all of the inhabitants of Chessington were sent on the march to Daydelon, Kergon allowed a handful to remain in the city as subjects of his newly established lord. Most of these were the older people that Kergon did not think would survive the journey. Anyone with any influence or authority was taken, and thus Leinad, Tess, and Audric found themselves on a trek into bondage once again.

  The march to Daydelon was arduous. Although the terrain itself was not difficult, harsh weather during the three-week journey took a tremendous toll on the unsheltered people. Hard rains and cold nights resulted in many illnesses and even some deaths. Even though enslavement lay within the walls of Daydelon, the people were relieved to finally arrive at the end of their tortuous voyage.

  The city of Daydelon was an incredible sight to behold. In all of his days, Leinad had never seen such a magnificent feat of design and construction. A formidable wall encompassed the entire city, which straddled the river that supplied fresh water to the inhabitants. Both inside and outside the wall, lush vegetation embraced the monolithic stone structure. Vibrant gardens adorned the city streets, squares, and palace. Were it not for the rule of Kergon and the plight of the slaves, Daydelon would have appeared to be a paradise.

  Once within the walls, the people were taken to a servant preparation area. The men were divided from the women and children, and Leinad was troubled at the thought of not being able to protect Tess. He reminded himself that she was as tough as any knight he’d known. He would have to protect her through the training he had given her. These thoughts helped—a little.

  Over the next week, slave auctions were held to sell the people off to the highest bidders. Kergon profited greatly from the slave market. It was as beneficial as the taxes he collected, and his wealthy citizens loved to participate. Slaves were an integral part of the Kessons’ economic, social, and labor structure. Of course Kergon reserved first choice for himself, and he chose Leinad, among others, to serve in the palace.