The Broken Kingdom

by Andrew G. Wood

  Luca caught sight of Lord Oakley and his family as they were unsurprisingly one of the last ones in through the doors, but quickly averted his eyes elsewhere when he noticed the daughter glaring his way again. Thinking her rude for continually staring at him, he thought to make a complaint sometime, although with other more important things on his mind Luca let it pass for now. Only when everyone was inside and at their seats, did the newlyweds make their appearance, having been waiting in a side room to make their grand entrance. The room filled with applause and cheers as they ambled in, their arms linked together as they made their way to the top table. Luca had no intention of clapping or cheering, and kept his eyes firmly on that devious looking man that was now his brother-in-law.

  There was something about him. Quite what it was Luca didn’t know, but those dark piercing, shifty looking eyes were obviously hiding something. Letting his imagination run away with him somewhat, Luca started thinking of all the things Frederick might be, or the dark deeds he planned. What evil secret was the man hiding? Elysia was evidently blinded by her foolish notion of love, and constantly giggled like a little girl everytime she was near the man, yet Luca was sure everything was not as it was perceived to be. With the seed of suspicion firmly planted in Luca’s mind, he thought to keep an eye on the man, yet do it discreetly so he wouldn’t know what he was doing.

  All thoughts of dark secrets were quickly dispelled as the first of what would be seven courses of food were wheeled into the room on two large trolleys. Being on the head table and a person of superiority, Luca would naturally be one of the first to be served. Already with his spoon in hand he waited impatiently for the servant girl to ladle the soup into his bowl, all but willing her to hurry up so he could start. No sooner had she moved aside, when Luca delved straight in, dipping his silver spoon into the fine porcelain bowl and lifting the soup up to his lips. Thinking it would probably be hot Luca was not so foolish to merely stick it all in his mouth, but cautiously sipped it instead, showing a little class to those that might be looking his way.

  A somewhat watery and bland affair, Luca had only had a few spoons of the soup before wondering what the next course would be. Although it did have a bit of flavour, the soup was not to his personal taste and not one that he had tried before, and would probably not have again. Despite its shortcomings, Luca felt hungry enough that he should clear his bowl, and as he placed the spoon in the bowl as an indication that he had finished, was somewhat disappointed that even those on his table had barely started. Seemingly too busy chatting as opposed to eating as they should be doing, he felt somewhat annoyed and folded his arms in disgust to show them just what he thought. Casting his gaze out across the room, he noticed some in the room were still waiting to be served, and sighed in defeat as he realised even the meal was going to be dragged out far longer than it needed to be.

  Between the fourth and fifth course, the food was halted and the speeches started. While Luca was already bored with the entire thing, he decided to make an excuse to leave the room, though he doubted anyone would see him slip away. His father was droning on about the kingdom and how it was united more now than it had been for many years. With the bridegroom and his father yet to speak Luca was certain that the talking would go on for some time yet, and as quietly as he could, he headed for the door used by the servants and out of the dining room into the kitchen area beside it. His appearance among the hustle and bustle of the workplace thankfully went unnoticed as he slipped behind some crates and out through another door that led back into another part of the palace.

  Knowing that the speeches would go on for another hour, possibly longer, Luca thought it a good a time as any to have a little lie-down, and duly headed for the main staircase. As to whether it was his mind still thinking things were wrong when they perhaps weren’t, but Luca thought he spotted several things that he could only describe as unusual. Nothing worthy of causing a fuss over, and perhaps only that way because of everyone being so busy with the wedding, but strange nonetheless. As he strolled up the stairs, he saw two Royal guards coming the other way, though none paid him any heed as if they did not know who he was. By duty alone one at least should have seen he was not escorted and duly accompany him to where ever he wished to go. Yet neither man so much as gave him a second glance as if he were just any boy wearing a uniform.

  As he reached the top of the landing and turned down the corridor where there were always at least two palace guards, there were none. As far as he could remember that had never happened before, yet again, it might have had something to do with the wedding and all the extra guests. With his mind working overtime, Luca stopped suddenly as he heard the voices of two men around the corner. The fact they were talking was not unusual, but the topic of their conversation was.

  “So the prince’s quarters are that way. The king and queen over there. The older sister is staying in the suite opposite.”

  Hearing the voices get louder, Luca could tell they were about to turn the corner and see him. With nowhere else to go, he swiftly ducked into a doorway and pressed his back firmly against the recess in the wall, watching as two men ambled along the corridor and passed him by.

  So many questions filled his already suspicious mind, none of which he had an answer too. Why were people discussing the location of his suite? Perhaps it was a new member of staff being shown the way around the palace?

  “Possible!” he mumbled to himself as he turned the next corner and in through the door of his own rooms.

  So much to think about, Luca stifled a yawn, and with his bed, only in the next room, he thought it best to have a little nap. Perhaps a rest would enable him to work out the reasoning behind all these strange happenings, and not bothering to remove his boots Luca lay his head down on his soft pillow. Yawning loudly he closed his eyes, and with no will to fight off the impending drowsiness he drifted off into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 3. Regicide

  Luca awoke suddenly at the sound of someone closing the door to one of his rooms. Unsure as to how long he had been asleep he thought it was probably best to hurry back to the dining hall. While he may well have avoided the last few courses of the main meal, there was still music and dancing to be had. As to whether he had even been missed, he assumed he would find out soon enough. Thinking it was likely to be one of the servants moving about inside his living area, Luca went to head for his bedroom door. As he reached for the handle, he thought he heard two male voices talking just the other side, and thinking it strange, held back just a moment.

  Luca jumped, startled as the door to his bedroom swung open, and two figures stood in the doorway.

  “Lord Oakley?” he mumbled rubbing his eyes to make sure he was actually awake. Before Luca could speak again, the nobleman told him to hush, and as they heard the exterior door to his suite opening, the bedroom door was swiftly closed. Luca was speechless, of all the people in the palace, the last he would expect to find in his bedroom would be Lord Oakley and his son. Luca went to ask what the hell was going on but Lord Oakley placed a hand over his mouth and shook his head.

  “Please trust me,” the man whispered as Luca watched him pull a knife from the inside of his tunic. Evidently, the rules about not being allowed weapons in the palace were far laxer than Luca had thought, and something he should bring up with his father when next they spoke. Fearing for his own life, Luca stepped back only to be barred from doing so by Lord Oakley’s son. Did they plan to kill him? Kidnap perhaps? Luca could feel his pulse racing as fear gripped his body so much that he could feel his hands trembling.

  Luca, too scared to move or speak, merely watched as Lord Oakley signalled for his son to stand the other side of the doorway, as he took up a position just behind it so he would be the one obscured from view when it opened. Whoever had entered Luca’s suite was seemingly not quiet about making their way in, and after a little cussing and swearing at him not being where they thought, their focus turned to his bedroom. Lord Oakley turned to Luca once more, ges
turing for him to move out of the way a little and placed his finger on his lips to indicate for him to be silent. Luca gave a slow but nervy shake of his head before shuffling his feet back towards his bed. Feeling unsure he could see the genuine concern on the nobleman’s face, as if something terrible was about to happen.

  Luca watched nervously, his hands shaking just a little, as the door to his bedroom opened slowly, and a head peered inside. With the intruder’s face partially covered by a handkerchief of sorts, Luca could not make out who it was. However, Lord Oakley’s son wasted no time in wishing the man hadn’t stuck his head in through the opening, as the young lordling slammed a candlestick he had collected from beside Luca’s bed down on the man’s head. Before the intruder had even hit the floor, Lord Oakley had fully opened the door and was already lunging forward with his knife in hand towards the second man. Unsure as to what was happening, Luca thought about going for his own dagger, but with his hands shaking so much he doubted he would even get it out of the sheath.

  The scuffle was over very quickly as Lord Oakley dispatched the other man without any bother or fuss. Dressed in some strange black clothing, with a red mark on the sleeve, Luca recognised what the man was. A member of a cult that supposedly practised devil worshipping and allegedly sacrificed other humans to gain the favour of their master. As to what they were doing in the palace or how they had even managed to gain entry with all the guards on duty was anybody’s guess, but here they were, two of them. While the rumours of such people had always been rife among the lower classes, Luca had always assumed them to be little more than stories, yet apparently, at least judging by the evidence before him, he had been wrong.

  Luca watched on as he witnessed the death of another human being for the first time. A slight groan and gasp of breath and then nothing. Before Luca could dwell on what he had just witnessed, Lord Oakley was already standing back in front of him.

  “Your Majesty. Please, you must trust us,” he said getting down on one knee as if about to offer his allegiance.

  It took Luca a few moments to comprehend what was going on, and the fact that Lord Oakley had referred to him as ‘majesty’ did not go overlooked.

  “You should only refer to the king as Majesty. As a prince it should be ‘highness’” Luca said thinking it was best to correct the lord despite the somewhat surreal circumstances.

  Lord Oakley looked up from his kneeling position, and a pained, somewhat awkward look covered his face.

  “I am sorry. Something is happening, something terrible, but your mother and father are both dead.”

  Luca just stood there with his mouth gaping open. His entire body felt cold and numb, as he ran those words over and over through his shocked mind.

  “I’ve no time to explain your Majesty,” Lord Oakley said again. “But know this. My house is loyal to you, and you have my full allegiance, and that of my lands and people.”

  Luca nodded slowly as he watched Lord Oakley’s son also get down on one knee, although he remained silent and said nothing. The door went again, and after the initial thought of more trouble heading there way, Lord Oakley’s daughter appeared. However, to confuse things even further she was dressed in a maids outfit, and carrying a bundle, which Luca presumed was washing.

  “Nerina, did you manage to get them?” Lord Oakley asked. The girl nodded her head and dropped the bundle she was carrying down on the carpeted floor.

  “I know this is going to seem weird your Majesty, but I need you to change into one of these,” Lord Oakley said holding up a maid’s uniform the same as his daughter was wearing.

  “What?” he mumbled, his head feeling as it was spinning such was the confusion as to what was going on. Perhaps it was due to this inability to think straight that Luca merely accepted the request without any further complaint. Removing his boots, trousers, tunic and shirt without even considering that complete strangers were watching him standing there almost completely naked.

  Nerina, Lord Oakley’s daughter, lifted the dress over his head and let it drop, before lifting up a bonnet and placing it on his head.

  “We need to get you out of the palace, and I’m afraid this is the best we could come up with,” Lord Oakley explained, glancing over to the outer door every now and then as if expecting further visitors.

  Luca was not the only one to start dressing up, and despite probably looking completely ridiculous in a maid’s uniform, Lord Oakley’s son donned some of the other clothes that Nerina had brought with her. Although only changing his shirt and tunic, the young lordling would clearly pass a member of the royal house staff. Standing in a dress and pinafore, with a bonnet on his head, Luca merely watched on, as everybody else fussed and moved around him.

  Lord Oakley also helped himself to some of the clothes, as he transformed himself to look like one of the Royal Guards. The two bodies were dragged across the floor of Luca’s living area to the window, and after a struggle to lift them, both bodies were disposed of, but not before Lord Oakley had used his knife to wipe some blood on Luca’s bed. As to the reasoning behind it, Luca thought it best not to ask and just let things happen without saying a word.

  “Get some of his clothes and put them in there,” Lord Oakley said to his son and pointing to the open bundle.

  Luca was handed a smaller bundle of his own to carry, which was really just one of his bedsheets wrapped around some clothes, “Carry this,” Nerina said, “It’ll help make us look more convincing.”

  With Lord Oakley dressed as a Royal Guard, his two children and Luca dressed as house staff, the four of them headed for the door. After checking the coast was clear, they walked hurriedly at first towards the servant's route, slowing to a normal pace as they turned the corner into the approaching corridor. Four Royal guards rushed past them, although paid them little heed, and as Luca tried to get his head around what was going on, half a dozen more quickly followed. It was as this second group past when one of them stopped to inquire as to their purpose in being there.

  “All staff are to report to the kitchen area!” the man said rather abruptly.

  “I’m just escorting them there now,” Lord Oakley replied making his voice sound very different to the one typically used. The other soldier looked at the two maids and serving boy, giving each of them no more than a passing glance before nodding, “Very well. Princess Imogen is missing, along with her husband. Have you seen her or the young prince?”

  “I’ve not seen any of them,” Lord Oakley replied.

  “Very well, when you have taken these to the kitchens, join the others in searching for them. Cultists are running loose in the palace, the king and queen are dead, we can’t afford to lose anyone else!”

  With those words the soldier turned about and sprinted down the corridor to catch up with the others, leaving the four of them alone once more. Just as Lord Oakley led them down that the service door that led down to the kitchens, Luca called them to stop.

  While he was now aware that something terrible had happened, and that his mother and father, by all accounts were both dead, before he moved another inch dressed as a serving girl he wanted answers.

  “Why are we trying to avoid my Royal Guard?” He asked trying to regain his composure.

  Surprisingly it was not Lord Oakley that answered, but his son, Samuel.

  “How do you think the cultists gained access?” He said firing a question back at Luca.

  It was then that so many other things appeared to click into place. The guards that had not recognised him and them being conspicuous by their absence as he had returned to his rooms.

  “We don’t know which ones to trust,” Luca said effectively answering his own question.

  Lord Oakley just gave a smile, reiterating once more that he would endeavour to explain everything he could once they were safe.

  Without further delay, the group hurried down the steps to the kitchen area where there were already dozens of staff. Not wanting to be noticed, Luca kept his head low, just as Lord O
akley, Nerina and Samuel appeared to be doing. Making their way gradually to the rear of the kitchen, Luca gave a small indication with his hand towards the back door that led them around to the side of the palace.

  “We need to get to the guest suites, to meet up with my wife,” Lord Oakley whispered.

  “Are you not in the royal suites?” Luca asked somewhat surprised.

  “No, we are apparently not important enough,” Nerina added with no small amount of venom to her tone of voice.

  “Then there is another entrance to the guest area around the back,” Luca added knowing now exactly which way they should go.

  Moving discreetly outside, the four of them walked, albeit quickly, along the narrow path that led around to the back of the palace. While they did see one or two other serving staff and Royal Guards, thankfully no one paid them any attention. Ignoring the rows of colourful flowers and immaculate green, lush lawns, Luca indicated the door they needed to get to, although allowed Lord Oakley to lead the way. As far as anyone looking on, it was just a Royal Guard escorting three servants into the guest suites. Moving into a small foyer area, far less grand than the main one that such esteemed guests ordinarily used, Luca indicated for them to head up the stairs to the first floor.

  “Okay, I can get us in from here,” Lord Oakley whispered, just glancing around the next corner to ensure it was clear. With a wave of his arm, they all followed behind, before stopping at a plain white door. Although nothing ornate, the door and brass handle still looked quality, a sign that even the lesser rooms in the palace had been given some attention to detail.

  Inside, Luca spotted the woman he had seen walking about the garden and knew her immediately to be Lord Oakley’s wife.