Lord Oakley looked up from the devastation he had caused and down the track in the direction of the fleeing enemy soldiers. Although he didn’t think it necessary to hunt them down and risk losing his own men in the process, he thought it prudent to keep a watchful eye on them.
“Take a team of scouts and track the enemy, just to make sure they leave our lands,” he ordered another of his men.
With a small party of soldiers heading north to track the enemy, and a guard duty set further up the track, Lord Oakley ordered the clear up to start. Only two horses were saved from those that had been caught in the attack although several others had bolted after losing their riders, and five men, one of whom was none other than Lord Merrington. Having taken an arrow to his shoulder and thigh, the man cried and whined incessantly.
“The queen will have your head for this, Oakley!“ The man screamed as one of the arrow shafts was pulled from the wounded man’s flesh.
“And perhaps the king will have yours!” Lord Oakley replied standing over the injured nobleman. “I’m going to keep you alive and let him decide…make sure he gets no pain relief,” he added turning to the medic that was responsible for treating the wounded.
Once stripped of their weapons and valuables the corpses were piled up. Several plumes of thick, black, acrid smoke billowed skyward as the dead men and horses were set alight and the smell of burning flesh drifted on the breeze. The war had started. A battle lasting just a few minutes and the first casualties of what was sure to be an escalating conflict had perished. Their bodies now alight and their blood spilt on the soil of his own lands. Lord Oakley walked somewhat sombrely over to his horse, patting the creature on the neck and staring at the fires burning along the track. Although victorious and without loss to his own side, Lord Oakley did not feel much like celebrating. Yes, he had got lucky this time, but he knew others would come and more would die in due course, his own men among them.
Chapter 19. What to do with a traitor?
Anybody who looked skywards could not have failed to notice the plumes of dark smoke streaming upwards into the bright clear sky, even those as far away as Garley. A certain nervous uneasiness had gripped the town as they all knew something had taken place, a skirmish or major battle, but as to who had been victorious had been unknown. Only when one of the more eagle-eyed soldiers on the wall spotted Lord Oakley and his men heading back in the distance did those in Garley get their answer.
For the best spot, Luca and the others had hurried to the roof of the main keep building, knowing it would give them an advantageous viewpoint. Word had spread faster than a wildfire washing across a dry, scorched scrubland that Lord Oakley was returning.
“I didn’t expect them back so soon,” Edward said, the first to make a comment.
All of them kept their eyes fixated on the track and the riders upon it, as Nerina let out a little shriek, “There’s father!” she said excitedly.
“It is good he has returned safely,” Theo added.
Luca just remained silent, keeping any opinions he may or may not have had to himself. It was certainly true that Lord Oakley was back much sooner than any of them had thought, and from the look of how many men were returning, it seemed few, if any, had been lost.
“Do you think there was a fight? There appears to be about the same number of men returning as went out,” Edward asked as if reading the unasked question in Luca’s mind.
“There!” Nerina said far louder than she needed to. “They have prisoners!” She added pointing to a small group, still on horseback but wearing the colours of a different lord.
Luca strained his eyes to see, but only needed to catch the merest of glances to recognise the colours. Apparently, the hours of studying the banners of every nobleman, both the main ones and those lesser lords of his own lands did have a purpose after all.
“Those are the colours of Lord Merrington and that one at the back is…” Luca paused slightly as other riders obscured the view. “Lord Elthan’s,” He added recognising the flicker of blue and green on the man’s tabard.
“I wonder what all the smoke is from?” Nerina asked.
“Probably the dead, piled and burned,” Edward replied almost immediately without thinking.
“Oh!” Nerina said suddenly sounding repulsed at the thought.
“Yeh, they usually burn the dead. Stops them rotting and spreading disease,” Edward added not even realising Nerina was evidently disgusted at the image being portrayed.
Noticing her distress, Luca thought it best to leave things there and suggested they all head back down to ground level.
“Come on, I’m sure your father will want to explain everything. Perhaps we should wait for him at the keep entrance?”
It was clear that Edward wanted to stop and watch a little longer, but being Luca’s bodyguard, he had little option but to follow when Luca led the way back down the steps.
When they arrived at the entrance, Luca was somewhat surprised to see Lady Oakley and Lord and Lady Dalby already waiting. Samuel, who had once again taken over his father’s duties in his absence was also there. Luca cast him a smile as the two exchanged the minimal of glances before both fixing their gaze firmly on the gateway. While Luca was certain it would be a while longer yet before Lord Oakley got as far as the inner sanctums of the town, they all stood and waited anyway. Nerina took up a position beside her mother who placed a comforting arm around her. Theo stood beside his father and Clarissa alongside her mother, which left Luca and Edward next to each other on the steps that led down from the main entrance, although it was apparent Edward wanted to be that bit closer and had edged further forward. Glancing back at Luca, Edward seemed to be torn between his duty of protection and wanting to be first to know what had gone on. Under normal circumstances, Luca might have said something, probably in a derogatory way, but felt he had risen above such things and kept the comment to himself.
The wait seemed ages, and Luca found himself looking around at all the expectant faces in and about the yard. Aside from the immediate family on the steps, a few stablehands were waiting to take care of the horses, and a few guards from both Scarwood and the Casillian Isle, denotable by their contrasting emblems and colours, stood on duty. To his right, Luca even spotted one or two of the house staff peering from a side entrance, probably trying to remain from the view of Lady Oakley but still get a look as to what all the fuss was about. Luca afforded a smile as one of the maids caught him looking in their direction, and as one, all those at the side door quickly vanished back inside.
Luca heard the sound of the horse's hooves clip-clopping on the cobbled stones outside the entrance to the keep yard before he caught sight of any of the riders. Naturally, most of those that had ridden out to fight would not come this far into the town and had already trotted off to their barracks or camp. Only a few would be entering the yard, although Luca was surprised that number consisted of the prisoners, one of whom glared directly his direction the moment he appeared through the stone entranceway. A cold dark stare that left Luca in no doubt that the man would have killed him there and then if given a chance. Wearing a blood-stained tunic, Luca immediately recognised the colours of Lord Merrington’s house, and noticing the markings above the emblem, realised that this man was none other than Lord Merrington himself.
Here was a person, supposedly sworn to his father, and therefore should at least, be similarly aligned to Luca now that he would be king. Yet it seemed this was one of several of the lesser lords of Brenthellin lands to have sided with Lord Elthan who was pushing for Luca’s sister Elysia to be queen. There were three other men from Lord Merrington’s house and as suspected one from Lord Elthans.
“Have these men placed in the dungeon!” Lord Oakley ordered those guards on duty in the yard, seemingly wanting to take care of business before greeting his family.
Several soldiers hurried across the yard, almost dragging the prisoners, all of whom seemed wounded, to the ground as they were forcefully manhandled
.
“I should not be treated like a commoner. I am of noble birth!” Lord Merrington cried out as two men hauled him across the cobbles, the man’s boots dragging as if trying to remain defiant.
Quite clearly in pain, the nobleman’s cries and complaints slowly died away as he was taken down a set of stone steps across the yard near the wall.
“I didn’t even know there was a dungeon,” Luca heard Edward say as he stepped back up alongside him.
“Me neither!” Luca replied, thinking he might have wanted to have explored them, However, now there were prisoners down there, all of whom had been sent to kill him, he thought it was probably for the best that he didn’t.
“Father!” Nerina called out, breaking the link with her mother’s arm and rushing towards him. Although Luca wanted to know what had happened as much as the next person, he thought to stand back and let them have their family moments first. While they had only been gone for most of the day, the feeling that he had returned safe and sound was evidently a strong one.
Luca contemplated the Oakley family, as even Samuel gave his father a hug, something he could not recall ever doing with his own father. They were clearly a very tight-knit and loving family, a far cry from his own, and Luca felt a little saddened that he had missed out on such a thing. Did being the crown-prince mean that he should not receive the same loving attention as any mother and father should show their child? Perhaps that was the way it was, Luca didn’t know, and not knowing any different had never really questioned it before. In truth, now he could see how a family unit operated, Luca thought he had been little more than a guest in the palace. The maids and servants who had attended his every need had probably shown him more affection than his parents.
Luca was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear Lord Oakley the first time he spoke, but once he had snapped out of his pensive moment, he quickly welcomed the man back.
“Perhaps we should go in. Do you mind if I freshen up a little first? I can update you a little later, maybe over supper?”
“Of course. I’ll speak to you then,” Luca found himself saying, although the urge to know what had happened had so nearly made him say something completely different. Perhaps the old Luca would have done just that, but these past few days he felt so very different, and the more he noticed his ways changing, the more he liked it. Edward was clearly not impressed, and Luca could hear him grumbling under his breath as the pair of them followed the families inside the keep entrance, leaving the hustle and bustle outside in the yard.
Wanting to freshen up, Luca headed up the main staircase towards the room he shared with Edward, which ultimately meant him also having to go.
“Bah, I want to know what happened?” Edward said as he dropped down on to his bed, sounding more like the spoilt child than Luca was often considered to be.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Luca said removing his tunic and vest and dropping them on the floor beside the washstand. There was a short silence, “Are you feeling okay?” Edward then asked.
Luca splashed water on his face before rubbing the soap in his hands and duly rubbing the lather on to his cheeks, around the bottom of his chin, before doing the same to his forehead and nose. Smelling of scented flowers, Luca had been glad that at least somethings in Garley were similar to the palace. These people might not have washed and bathed as often as he was used to but at least they did use a decent perfumed soap to wash with.
Luca did not answer the question until he had rinsed the lather from his face and dabbed it dry with a towel. Although made from a poorer quality material than those he had been used to in the palace, they were clean and fresh, and something Luca was now accustomed to using despite his initial reluctance on first arriving. In fact, there were now many things Luca seemed to care much less about than he had done; His clothes for instance. Only changing his shirt every couple of days would have been unthinkable, but now, Luca saw things differently, and he realised how stupid he must have looked when complaining relentlessly about such things.
“So, are you feeling okay?” Edward asked again just repeating his question.
“How do you mean?”
“Well, these past few days…I don’t know you’ve changed!”
Luca shrugged, perhaps he had. Thinking that was the case, and other people noticing the same thing maybe indicated that was changing.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I’m not sure,” Edward replied. “I kind of got used to the selfish, rude Luca…and not sure what to expect from you any more.”
While the answer was certainly a blunt one, Luca didn’t take offence to the fact that Edward had considered him in such a way. In fact, the lad had told him in no uncertain terms the first time they had met, but yet he had stayed beside him nonetheless.
Luca left it at that, although suggested to Edwards that perhaps he might want to wash and freshen up as well.
Edward lifted his arm up slightly and sniffed the air under his armpit, “Nah! I’m good,” he said causing Luca to chuckle.
“See…You’re even laughing. You never laughed before…Are you sure you’re even you?” Said Edward, getting to his feet, evidently keen on getting to the dining room for supper so he could get the news he seemed to long for.
Luca chuckled again. He couldn’t answer the question, because in truth he didn’t even know the answer. He wasn’t sure he was himself anymore.
Walking with a spring in his step, Luca quickened the pace just a little so Edward could get to the dining room those few seconds earlier. Not that it made any difference because when they arrived, nobody else was in there.
“Where are they all?”
“I’m sure they'll all be along when they’re good and ready,” Luca replied taking his seat.
“See…Now you’re being patient and understanding…You seriously have me worried,” Edward replied leaning up against the wall. Although very much allowed into the centre of life in the Oakley household, and sometimes permitted to eat with the family members, Edward seemed to know he would not be invited to be joining them this evening. Unless requested to do so he knew he was there only in his role as bodyguard, although with several soldiers already out in the corridor and hallway, he was beginning to think even that part might not be needed.
Luca rose from his seat as Lord and Lady Oakley entered the room, followed by their two children Samuel and Nerina. He was just about to sit back down when he spotted Lord and Lady Dalby heading in as well, duly followed by his cousins Theo and Clarissa, the latter of which gave him a big smile as she headed for the seat next to her mother. Luca looked across the room to where Edward was standing, and knowing he would probably not be needed for his guarding duties at that moment in time, thought Lord Oakley might send him out.
“Sorry to be a pain,” Luca said, aiming his words at his host. “I wonder if we might have another chair so Edward might join us?”
It was Lady Oakley who answered, and quickly too. “Of course, Sire…Madine…Have another place set will you, my Dear?” She ordered, snapping her fingers to get the attention of the member of the house staff.
Edward looked somewhat surprised at the invitation, especially as it had been Luca who had orchestrated the whole thing.
“Thank you,” Edward mouthed the words over towards Luca, trying to keep his voice as low as he could so as not to interrupt Lord Oakley who had just started explaining what had happened. The nobleman paused slightly as a large tureen was placed on the table, and the first course was ready to serve.
The rattle of spoons on porcelain bowls preceded the soft slurping of soup before Lord Oakley continued talking. With everyone’s attention flitting between their first course and what he was saying, nobody actually paid heed to the second course being placed out on the table before them.
“We didn’t lose any men?” Samuel asked the first of what would undoubtedly be many questions.
Luca thought it best to listen and keep his questions until the end, although
with other people asking similar to those he had thought of meant he might not have to bother.
As the soup bowls were cleared away and warm plates put down in front of them, their attention was once more temporarily diverted to the food at the centre of the table. One serving platter full of various vegetables, the other with a choice of meats; chicken or pork as far as Luca could tell. Once they had served themselves what they wanted all attention once more diverted to Lord Oakley, and sensing the others were ready to listen he duly obliged. His description of the battle was thankfully only brief, as Luca wasn’t sure such in-depth detail was necessary, especially at the dinner table. He noticed Edward, however, looking somewhat disappointed that some of the finer, more graphic details were being omitted.
“Was that Lord Merrington I saw in the yard?” Luca asked, just wanting confirmation the prisoner was who he had thought it to be.
Lord Oakley looked Luca’s direction which seemed to prompt everybody else to do likewise, “Yes. Although I don’t know what we’re going to do with him.”
As if waiting for an answer, Luca suddenly felt under pressure to say something in reply. However, keeping as calm as he could, he finished chewing his mouthful of food before placing his knife and fork down on the side of the plate.
“I’m not sure. Let me think about it,” he eventually said. Whether the reply was a good one or not, he wasn’t certain, but everybody at the table seemed content enough with it as they returned to their eating.
The Broken Kingdom Page 20