Light in the Darkness

by CJ Brightley

  I stared back at him, wishing I did not feel so achingly cold. My feet seemed clammy and icy in my boots. I wondered what he meant, but he spoke more plainly.

  “I ordered you discharged as soon as you could stand, though you deserved much better. I suspected Taisto even then of betraying your squad. That battle was never meant to happen, and he was the only one who could have betrayed you. I sent messages to the king Hakan Emyr, a dozen messages, at least, some before your group was betrayed and some after, warning of my suspicions about him. I don’t know whether the king Hakan Emyr never received them or whether he did not believe them, but in any case, nothing was done. I had it recorded that you died of injuries received in battle.”

  I could no longer control my shivering, though I still held myself very upright. What is the difference between courage and stupid pride, when it comes to showing weakness or pain? I’ve never been able to tell. Hakan poured me a glass of wine.

  “I hoped even then that you would elude him, for I knew your reputation as a man of honor. Did you never receive my message?”

  “What message?” My voice betrayed my deep shivering, and Hakan looked at me sharply.

  “Are you well?” Hakan asked.

  “What message?” I stared back at Kepa and did not answer Hakan. What could I say? The fever would have to run its course.

  Kepa sighed quickly. “I thought not. I sent a message with the orders for your discharge, an apology and the advice that you should live under another name. I wasn’t sure Taisto would believe you died and he might have been looking for you. You were the only survivor of your squad, and Taisto had already eliminated many of the best officers.”

  “What of you, then? You’re older than I, with greater experience. Surely you would have been a greater threat than I was?” I shouldn’t have asked it. It questioned his competence, an open insult. I can only plead that the poison and fever had eroded my courtesy, for I realized the affront a moment later. “Forgive me.” I ducked my head in a seated bow, for I no longer trusted my legs enough to rise as I should have.

  “No, you’re right. He didn’t judge me much of a threat. You may have been unaware of your reputation, but you were well known, very much a rising star and destined to replace Taisto if the king had his way. I have no great gift for strategy and was never much of a warrior, but I do what I’m told, most of the time anyway, and don’t cause problems. On the northern border, Taisto thought me out of the way. I offer my most humble apology, Sendoa. You deserved better, without a doubt. I did what I could for you, and through you for Erdem, because I knew you to be an honorable man though I hadn’t met you. I am honored to meet you now.”

  I smiled and pushed myself up to return his bow, though my head spun as I did so. “I am honored by your trust. Thank you.” I would have said more, but I could think of no appropriate words.

  I let myself sit again and could not help hunching forward in my chill, shivering violently. I scarcely heard him speaking with Hakan. I heard my name more than once, but I could no longer make out the other words.

  Someone put a thick blanket around my shoulders, and I tried to stand. Even with help I stumbled and fell to my knees, shaking so hard that even my jaw ached with tension. The tightness in my muscles made my ribs ache more than they had in weeks. No doubt they could have carried me to the sleeping chamber, but Hakan and Kepa helped me to a couch in Hakan’s office and piled another thick blanket around me.

  I don’t know if I slept, but I wasn’t aware of much for several hours.

  The fever receded again more fully by the late afternoon. Hakan took me to a bathing room, where a boy heated water for me. I’d never had a hot bath, but Hakan assured me that it was much more pleasant than icy river water. He left me to it, with instructions to the boy to keep a sharp eye on me in case the fever returned. The boy heated the water until it nearly scalded my skin off.

  I removed the bandage from my shoulder and let the water enter the cut from the arrow. It stung, but the pain was bearable and almost pleasant because it kept me clearheaded. The fresh tender scar tissue on my leg and arm from the skirmish in Senlik itched in the heat and I rubbed it gently. I sweated and soaked in the warmth, and when I finally dragged myself from the water, I felt much better.

  The heat sweated out some of the fever, and though I had a chill again that night, it was much less severe. After the bath, the boy handed me a thick robe rather than my clothes and ran off. In a few minutes, Hakan was back with a servant woman old enough to be my mother. He gave me my clothes, which had been washed and were nearly dry, warm from the sun outside. I dressed quickly behind the corner.

  “This is Lika. She’s going to take your measurements for your new clothes.”

  “I’m getting new clothes?” I raised my eyebrows at him.

  “Aye, you’re getting new clothes. You can’t crown me wearing that.”

  I wondered whether Hakan would expect me to pay for the clothes. Surely not. I couldn’t have, in any case.

  I stood still while the woman moved me about, measuring me in every possible way with a thin strip of cloth. She wrote her measurements on a bit of parchment. Even a seamstress can read and write numbers.

  Hakan spoke quietly. “I received a message from the king Ashmu Tafari today. He requested that I send you as my official representative in the negotiations. His brother spoke very highly of you.”

  I blinked in surprise. “Really? That’s interesting.” How would I serve in that capacity if I couldn’t even read?

  “If you want the position, it’s yours.”

  I glanced at him.

  “Of course, you would have assistants, scribes and historians and such, to assist you in the minute details.”

  “I will serve in whatever way you wish.” I smiled.

  There was not even a trace of condescension when he nodded. “I trust you best, and it serves Erdem to send a representative that Tafari trusts as well.”

  The woman tried to measure my shoulders, but she could not reach them easily. I would have knelt, but Hakan pushed a chair closer.

  “Stand on this.”

  She bobbed her head and murmured quiet thanks. She finished in another few minutes and curtsied on her way out.

  “I haven’t the money to pay for new clothes, Hakan.” The words slipped out quietly, for I felt almost ashamed of the fact. Though I don’t know why I should have been ashamed. A soldier is never rich.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t expect you to pay for them. Why would you think that?” He looked baffled, and I shrugged. If my mind hadn’t still been so fuzzy, I would have realized it myself. Hakan was nothing if not generous, and my worry about the expense did him a disservice.

  “There is no precedent for a friend and soldier to crown the king. You cannot be dressed as my father would have been, nor would you be comfortable in a nobleman’s attire. Your clothes will be similar to what you’re wearing now, only better quality.”

  I swallowed. Right. I would have to speak in front of a crowd, no doubt. He must have seen that in my face, for he smiled suddenly.

  “I can give you the words tonight, if you want to study them. You can practice. It’s meant to be an honor, Kemen, not a torture session.”

  I nodded, my throat feeling tight with nerves.

  He wrote the words himself, and read them to me several times. They were simple and direct, for which I was grateful. Most of them were traditional, the same words used at every coronation, and these were familiar from stories told by every soldier since the beginning of Erdem itself. I’ve always had a good memory. I suppose I’ve exercised it more than most people since I can’t read the words in front of me. I’d committed the words to memory soon, but I resolved to add in a little more praise of Hakan than he’d written.

  I slept very deeply that night until I woke with a chill in the early morning hours. But it passed quickly, and I slept again until the sun was well above the horizon. I felt lazy and frivolous for sleeping so long, and
the luxury was welcome. My old clothes were gone, and there was a new set on the table near the foot of the bed. A shirt of soft white linen, a dark green tunic, dark breeches of a soft cloth I couldn’t identify. They were thinner than the canvas ones I was accustomed to, comfortable and cool. The clothes were much like my old ones in design, better cloth but not the formal attire I would be wearing for the coronation. The seamstress must have worked overnight, or worked her girls overnight, to finish them so quickly.

  Again, there was an exquisite breakfast prepared for me. I ate quickly, for though I was still a little weak I felt much better than before.

  When I finished eating, I opened the door to the hallway. There was no one there, and I wandered through the halls and rooms for some time without seeing anyone. I saw the great dining hall, a richly luxurious room with three great fireplaces along one end and a smaller version of the throne at the other. Above the throne was a great tapestry with the crest of Erdem, a smaller version of the one in the throne room. It is an eagle grasping an olive branch with one foot and a sword with the other. The colors of Erdem are green and gold, with silver used to define the edges.

  My heart beat faster at such a magnificent representation of Erdemen glory. A soldier serves Erdem in dusty or muddy combat and the cries of dying men, when the flag may be torn and despoiled in the confusion. I hadn’t seen it so beautiful in many years.

  The eagle represents strength, power, honor, and triumph. His great golden eyes hold the wisdom to use that strength well. The sword is for military might, and the olive branch is both the richness of the land and the great pure hope of peace. The green of the background is the color of the richness of the crops in spring and the pride of Erdemen kings. The gold is the color of the harvest and of the great wealth of Erdem, both in the metal gold and other temporal things and in a rich and beautiful history. The silver that edges the great crest is for purity and selflessness, a reminder to all kings of their purpose in serving their country. I gazed at the crest for some time. It warmed me inside.

  23

  The day of the coronation was almost blindingly bright, the sun glittering on the golden accents on the palace gates. The grounds had been prepared the day before, and the coronation was set for mid afternoon. Huge green banners with the royal crest were hung on either side of the great steps that led up to the grand doorway. A green carpet woven with gold and silver threads defined the path up the steps that the army officers would take to swear their allegiance to Hakan after he was crowned.

  The nobles arrived first, their clothes like jewels in the brilliant sunlight. The men escorted ladies wearing velvets, silks, and satins, with feathers and flowers in their hair. The highest-ranking nobles were accorded the honor of the positions closest to the stairs. I reviewed my words in my head as I waited, studying them from a shadowed nook just behind the stairs. I took no great pains to hide myself, but I did not want their attention either.

  The noblemen were all on the soft side to my eyes, although from their stride and bearing I could see that a few of the men had served in the army at some point. That was good. Though I do not believe that being a soldier necessarily qualifies one to lead, it can provide a perspective that many noblemen probably need. The mood was very festive and I was glad to see them smiling for it promised little resistance to Hakan’s rule. Of course he could earn their resistance soon enough, but at least it would not face him without reason.

  The women were like flowers dancing in the wind, their laughter like the sound of many small streams. They were very different from the women of the border. I could not have said which I preferred, for they were like different species, but if I had to choose, I thought the calm kindness of a simple farm woman would be more to my taste than the sparkling laughter of those bright and cultured ladies. But perhaps I did them an injustice, for I can’t say that I knew them to be less than kind. I had no call to be judging either kind of woman.

  Behind the highest ranked nobility there were lesser nobility and some of the richer merchants of Stonehaven. Those of other regions had not had time to hear the news yet nor to travel to Stonehaven, but Hakan was right not to delay the coronation longer. High ranking suvari officers formed a line on one side of the green carpet, the highest ranking closest to the top of the steps. Sikke Bakar was near the top, while Hayato was a few steps from the bottom.

  The kedani officers formed their own line on the other side. I saw Katsu Itxaro near the top of the steps. I hadn’t thought he had time to ride to Stonehaven, but he must have ridden hard ahead of his men. Yoshiro Kepa was also there. The officers gathered in small groups to speak to each other, for there was some time yet before they would have to be in position. Among the military men, the feeling seemed to be of great relief, and I suppose it was justified. Though I hadn’t seen much of their side of it, they had been on the verge of a war with Rikuto that none of them had wanted, pointless bloodshed narrowly averted.

  Inside I changed into the clothes that the seamstress had brought me, the ones prepared for the coronation itself. There was a shirt of fine silk, and over that a tunic of rich green brocade edged in gold. The breeches were a darker shade of the same green and a thicker, sturdier cloth. I was glad they weren’t the same shade; I had a momentary vision of myself as a tall stern vegetable, a broccoli or a bean of some sort. For Hakan’s sake I would wear the clothes, but I felt rather ridiculous.

  I liked the boots much better. The deep brown leather was beautifully soft and well sewn, with an intricate design about the top stitched in subtle brown thread. They fit perfectly, and I supposed the bootmaker had taken the measurements during the days I was fevered. The belt was of the same dark leather and muted the green, which made me feel a bit less absurd.

  The cloak was beautifully made of a heavy cloth that was more than serviceable, though it was far too beautiful to risk dirtying. It was edged with a wide border of gold, the threads woven into an intricate design of vines, and between my shoulders was the royal crest in gold and silver threads. The gold on my clothes was worth more than I’d ever held before, except for the one time I held Hakan’s little bag of coins for a moment. There was also an exquisitely made longsword, the hilt wrapped in dark leather. A flowing script ran up the blade like a tongue of fire. It was a beautiful weapon, far better than any I’d ever held, made by a true artist.

  The actual coronation I remember almost as a blur. I stood well back from the steps, and I doubt many in the crowd even noticed that I was there at first. Hakan was regal and commanding in his address. He spoke first, which was a bit unusual, but in the absence of a sitting king it was unavoidable. He praised me more than he should have, and my throat tightened until I feared I would be unable to speak myself.

  His voice carried well in the warm afternoon air. “My father cannot be here today to crown me king. As you know, I could have chosen to crown myself. Instead, I have asked my friend Kemen Sendoa to crown me king, as my father would have done if he were alive. Kemen Sendoa is a man who embodies everything that is noble and honorable in Erdem. I could ask for no better friend and no better ally as I serve Erdem as your king. I have been honored by his trust in me and his support thus far, and as king I shall endeavor to be worthy of the trust he and you have placed in me.”

  I stood in front of the great crowd and let my voice ring out, my hands clasped tightly behind my back to hide their shaking. Hakan stood beside me, young, proud and very handsome. His smile was very solemn and very regal when he bowed his head to accept the crown that I placed on his head.

  Then I knelt to swear my allegiance to him as king. I presented him with the hilt of my sword, and he took it and bowed in respect before handing it back to me. He caught my eye with a warm and gracious smile as I rose, and he thanked me quietly and very seriously before he turned to accept the oaths of the officers who came before him.

  Each knelt in turn and presented his sword, swearing the oath with head bowed in respect. I stood well back while the men walked up the
steps each in turn. I could see the hilt of his sword, and I was relieved to note that he was wise enough not to use my sword for the final part of the ceremony. The king’s sword is a symbol of his protection of the people, and the same sword has been used for generations at the coronation.

  When the last of the officers had vowed their loyalty, Hakan drew the royal sword and held it upright before him to take his own oath. The words were familiar to me from history, but they acquired a new solemnity when I saw Hakan’s eyes glistening with his emotion.

  “With the sword I will defend my country. With the shield, I will defend it. My learning, my wisdom, my gold, my blood, and every treasure I possess shall be for the protection of the people of Erdem. On the honor with which I stand before you, I swear to serve the people of Erdem until my dying breath.”

  He knelt and bowed his head, the golden crown glittering. We knelt to give him full respect for this great oath. My heart fluttered with awe, and my own eyes were not dry when I rose.

  * * *

  The End

  Afterword

  Thank you for reading The King’s Sword. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review! The Erdemen Honor series continues in A Cold Wind and Honor’s Heir. If you’d like to check out my other works, you can find a complete list on my website. If you’d like a quick note when I publish a new book or short story, please sign up for my newsletter! I sometimes send out information on contests, giveaways, and how to snag review copies, too. If you’re on social media, you can find me on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter.

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