by Brad Clark
“Tell me,” Denlin said stubbornly, his arms crossed and standing with his feet spread wide as if he were going to block an entire regiment of soldiers from marching through to see the queen. He tried to give a threatening look, but his face was just too soft and youthful looking.
Marik took a long, deep breath. He knew he was losing control and it didn’t happen very often. That empty feeling of losing Conner was beginning to turn into something else more dangerous. There was no patience, especially for this sniveling little man. The court attendant was not really an important man, but he couldn’t just kill him. Right now, he wished he could, but he couldn’t let himself get in that much trouble.
“Like I said, we’ve been here before,” Marik said with a low, soft voice. He was trying desperately to maintain his bearing, but this little man was not helping. “The last time, I believe a put a forearm across your chest.”
Denlin flinched, taking a partial step back, but then realized that he had two armed guards in front of him. “I do not think that you understand the situation. The throne of Karmon is a sacred thing, one that must be respected, honored, and revered. There is a protocol to the royal house that must be followed. Without, there is only anarchy and chaos. I will not have any of that.”
Marik laughed. The pompousness and arrogance of the court attendant was only superseded by his naiveté. Marik did fully understand the importance of honoring and respecting the throne. There was an order to life that must be followed, and as a military man, order was extremely important to him. The discipline of a soldier was paramount and he needed to not only be disciplined in his body and skill of weapons, but also disciplined in how he respected the leaders above him. But after spending even the small amount of time that he did in Taran, he realized how really small Karmon was. Taran was huge. It’s capital city, Tara City, was huge. He had always known that it was large, but he really did not understand how large until he had been there and seen it with his own eyes. It had made him feel small and insignificant then, but it had really opened his eyes.
He had always thought that Karmon had existed because of the power of the Karmon Knights, a force so formidable that all nations would turn their cheek and run away. The thundering herd of an entire brigade of knights charging down upon their adversary was all that it would take to turn the tide. But maybe that really wasn’t the case. Maybe Taran kept her army away because she didn’t care about the little guy at the end of the continent. There really wasn’t anything here that Taran wanted. In fact, the two cities of Karmon, South Karmon and Tyre, provided a means for Taran merchants to sell their wares. Most of the trade came into Karmon and not out, although there were certain small animal furs that seemed to be desired. He just hoped that there wasn’t ever any reason for centurions to mark upon their city. The number of men that they could field on the battlefield were hindered by the losses suffered with the one battle with Thell. Not to mention the disbandment of the knights themselves.
He knew why Queen Elissa had to do it. The men who were supposed to be leaders of the kingdom had become soft and complacent and spent more time bickering than working together. And Conner came along and proved that you didn’t need to be of noble blood to be a great soldier. Maybe in time the prestige of the men who were training for the city guard could rise to the level of the knights, but he doubted it. Much of the power of the Knights of Karmon came from the mystique and history. Without that, the knights were not what they once were.
“The two boys who stand between us are just that,” Marik said after his laughter died out. “Boys in armor who hold weapons that are too big for them. I know the face of every man, and boy, who has seen combat. I know who has been trained and how well they have been trained. And I can tell you that although these boys might be fine soldiers someday, today they are just boys with big sticks.”
Marik purposefully looked at each one in turn. Their eyes did not waver and held focus on the back wall as they were taught. In those eyes he saw not only fear, but acceptance of the truth that Marik just spoke.
“You may think that your little empire you hold over the queen and her schedule is important,” Marik continued. “But in the large scheme of the world, it is about the most insignificant job one could have. You are as important as a bug that I squash with my heel. Now, you can either let me see the queen right now, or we can have a repeat of the last time that I was here. And this time, I probably won’t be so nice.” He watched the eyes of Denlin shift quickly to the two guards who stood in front of him. “And don’t look to them for protection. They’ll not be a problem for me. For I am a Knight of Karmon.”
Denlin cleared his throat and said weakly, “There are no more knights.”
Marik leaned forward and growled, “There will always be knights.”
Denlin straightened his back and lifted his nose. “The queen is still out of country. She left some days ago and is expected back within the next couple of days.”
Marik opened his mouth to say something, but any words that he had were lost with his surprise. He wasn’t sure if he was shocked more that the queen was not in South Karmon or the fact that Denlin couldn’t have just said that in the first place. He looked at the small man with pity. Clearly he was trying to overcompensate his slight stature by trying to act bigger and more important than he really was.
“Where did she go?” Marik asked.
Denlin had started to turn and close the doors behind him. “That is the queen’s business. When she has returned from her travels, I am sure she would be happy to schedule a time to see you.” He quickly shut the doors behind him before Marik could move or say anything more.
Marik let out a long sigh of frustration as the two guards pulled their halberds back and returned to their posts.
“The queen’s attendant is in his chambers.”
Marik looked up at one of the guards who had spoken in such a soft voice that he could barely be heard.
“He left only a few minutes ago,” the other guard added.
Marik gave a slight nod to the guards and said nothing else. He did not want to bring further attention to one of the most egregious acts that a guard could make. They were supposed to be silent to anything and anyone around them, forgetting all words or actions that transpired around them. Maybe a more veteran soldier would have remained silent, doing his duty despite his own personal convictions. For once, Marik was glad that it was an inexperienced guard who was on duty.
Marik headed straight for Arpwin’s bed chamber.
***
Arpwin chose the location of his chamber to be purposefully distant from the royal chambers. Although he spent much of his day with the queen, or whomever it was that was running the kingdom, when it was time for him to step away from his duties, he didn’t want to be easily available. There were many other royal attendants who served in menial capacities and were available day and night. His duties were not explicitly defined, but revolved around making sure the head of the kingdom was where she was supposed to be and did what she was supposed to be doing. There were so many other things that he actually did, but one of them was not to listen to the sniveling little court attendant Denlin.
His chamber was sparsely furnished with a bed, a desk and stool, and a plush, comfortable chair for relaxing. With the queen gone, Denlin once again had taken charge of the court with an iron fist. He was a little man with a big ego and liked to prove that he was as important as anyone else in the castle. It tended to rub the wrong people the wrong way. King Thorndale had tolerated Denlin because he was good at organizing the court proceedings and managing those who would call upon the king for justice or counsel. When Denlin stepped out of line, the King would kindly and firmly put him back in his place. That had been one of the traits that Arpwin had admired about the king. He was firm and loving in all that he did. He was prone to emotional decision-making, such as attacking Thell only upon the word of a traitorous man, but when dealing with people on a one-on-one basis, there was no one bette
r. That was why so many people had loved the king.
He knew that someday Queen Elissa would be there as well. Her decision making, so far, was more pragmatic and less emotional, which would keep her out of trouble. And he had seen her firsthand interacting with even the lowest of the commoners. She might even become more loved than her father. But her youth and inexperience might be her downfall. The political climate of the kingdom, and of the world, seemed to be so different than when King Thorndale had taken the throne. There were too many lords and other players that were trying to become an influence upon the kingdom.
A light rapping on the door brought Arpwin from his thoughts. For a moment he hoped that it was some lowly servant coming to tell him that the queen had returned from her journey up north, but then he realized that the trumpeters that would announce her arrival had not blown their horns. He pulled his aging body from his chair and shuffled over to the door.
“Arpwin, we must talk,” Marik said, barging into the room, not waiting for Arpwin to invite him.
“Sir Marik…” Arpwin started. “Marik, what brings you to my chambers?”
“When is the queen returning? I need to speak with her immediately.”
Arpwin pushed the door closed and motioned for Marik to move away from the door. They stood next to an open window that overlooked the courtyard of the castle. Beyond was the city, busy and active as ever.
“I do not fear spies, but little ears can hear from the hallway outside my door,” Arpwin explained.
“Spies?”
Arpwin smiled and shook his head. “No worries. The queen has no enemies, just very ambitious lords who are trying to gain any advantage that they can. I do not know when the queen will be returning. I was hoping that she would have returned by now, as the court is in disarray. The lords are clamoring for decisions on some real important issues and I am flat tired of egomaniacs throwing their weight around while she is gone.”
“Where did she go?”
“Thell,” Arpwin replied. “Your work on the treaty with them seemed to warm up the relationship between the queen and Prince Toknon.” Arpwin smiled at the contorted face that Marik gave. “I do not believe that there is a romantic relationship, but it would not be a bad thing for our two kingdoms to have common leadership. The queen needs a strong man at her side to control the lords. Some will not listen to her just because she is a woman, and even less so because she is just barely a woman.”
“They will listen and follow her because she is their queen, their leader,” Marik said sharply. “And if they don’t, I fear it is because she did it to herself when she disbanded the knights. She needs them to be at her back, to force the lords and everyone else to listen to her.”
“She was wise to step in and stop the infighting between the Royal Guard and the knights. It was becoming a distraction and would have gotten much worse if left to fester. If an open conflict had erupted between the two groups, it would have been possible that there would have been no reconciliation. As it is, the two groups have done well together.”
“With the threat of the strength of the knights gone, it may be more than just the lords that will feel free to do their will. Even Thell could change their mind and be a threat to us again. There is still much deep-seeded hatred between us. You can’t just turn generations of hate around with one piece of paper.”
“No, but a marriage can.”
“They already announced that they will not do such a thing.”
“They can change their minds. The queen is smart and she understands the dynamics of the world, even though she spent much of her life isolated. We owe much to her friend Conner. He opened her eyes to a whole new world.”
At mention of Conner’s name, Marik’s eyes dropped and the feeling of dread returned. “Conner is why I am here.”
“You have news, then?” Arpwin asked with some hesitation. It was clear based on Marik’s body language that the news was not going to be good.
“Yes,” Marik replied. He had prepared words for the queen, but now he wouldn’t need them. With Arpwin, he could just say what he had to say without screaming and crying, which is what he had most feared. “Conner is dead.”
A wave of nausea swept over Arpwin. Even though he knew that the news was going to be bad, the words still shocked him. And he was a bit surprised at his reaction. He knew that the queen liked the young man and would be very sad at his death, but he felt something more than that. He felt a loss much bigger than just one young man, as if maybe Conner was more important than what he thought him to be.
Arpwin had to clear his throat to speak. “The queen will be most displeased. She was very fond of him.”
“She was more than fond,” Marik said softly. “She will be heartbroken. Much more than when her father died. It was the thought of Conner returning that was able to pull her out of her depressed state and get her back to reality. I fear there will be no one that can do that for her now.”
Arpwin turned to the open window to hide the tear that was forming at the corner of his eye. “I think you underestimate the queen. She is strong, stronger than you realize. I have seen her the past few months grow from a girl to a woman who can run a kingdom. Yes, she will be devastated, but she will move on. But we cannot tell her, just yet.” He casually wiped the tear from his eye as he turned back to face Marik. His took a deep breath to collection himself and continued, “There is a masquerade ball that is to be in her honor. It will go on and she will show the kingdom and the lords the true leader, and lady, that she is. When she returns from Thell, she will regain control of the lords and set them straight. And she cannot do that with her friend’s death weighing on her. We will tell her, but it must be done on our time in order to protect the kingdom. It will do no harm to delay the message until the timing is right, which will be after the masquerade ball.”
“It will not be fair for her to wait too long. But I will do as you ask, and I will hold my message until the morning after the ball.”
“Fair enough,” Arpwin said. “But if she sees you, she will ask you about Conner.”
“I would not be able to lie to her,” Marik said. “So I will make myself scarce until then.”
“You have journeyed long and you have not rested much. Find yourself a nice warm, quiet, and dark corner of the castle and rest. The harshest of winter is not yet upon us and we will need you refreshed.”
Marik gave the queen’s attendant a long look before he left. For some reason, Arpwin did not look so old, even though he had been attendant to many kings. Marik had no idea how old he was, only that he had always looked old, even when he had been a young squire. But for a fleeting moment, Arpwin was no longer the old man who walked slow and without much vigor. His eyes gleamed with a brightness of a young man who was ready for battle. It was a look that he was familiar with, as he had seen it upon the faces of knights before they drew their swords for blood.
The former knight ranger left without another word, closing the door slowly behind him. A nagging feeling kept with him as he searched for that warm and dark spot to rest his weary body. His battle instincts were kicking in, telling him something was afoot. If he were out in the forest, it would have been the same feeling that he could get knowing that the enemy was about to ambush him.
Chapter Nine
The light glow of the city of Iseron appeared on the horizon well before they arrived there. Like most Taran cities, life did not stop at dusk. Although most merchants would close up their shops when night fell, taverns and other watering holes stayed open as late as there was a patron to be served. With night approaching, teams of boys would race through the streets lighting oil lamps that hung from every possible location. Where there wasn’t a building on which to hang a lamp, posts were stuck in the ground and the lamps were hung from them. Nearly all the main thoroughfares and many smaller streets were lit, giving light for night patrons to see their way to and from their favorite place to finish their day. Travelers who found themselves on the road at
night could see the glow of the city for many miles, giving them a beacon to find their way. For sea farers, it was also a guiding light for them to find their way. Although most sea captains wouldn’t need such a light to find their path, as they were experts who used the stars to guide their way, it was always encouraging to see the light glow on the horizon as their journey was coming to an end.
Captain Janari did just that, using the light of the streets lamps of the city to direct him to Iseron. As the ship neared its destination, the sails were lowered, allowing the vessel to silently come to a stop several hundred yards from the darkened pier. The elves moved about the deck, quietly doing their jobs without Captain Janari having to bark orders at them. The anchor was released, breaking the silence with the rattle and clanging of chains as the heavy chunk of iron fell into the water.
Conner and Hargon had kept to themselves, staying near the center of the ship, out of the way of the elven sailors and the cold night wind. Hargon had pulled his cloak tightly around his knees to keep himself warm and Conner did his best to stay warm in his wool tunic. Both were stiff and cold when the anchor fell into the water and it took them a few moments to climb from their quiet spot under the main mast. Together, they moved aft to where Captain Janari was standing next to the pilot manning the tiller.
When they approached, Captain Janari turned from his pilot and gave a polite, if not friendly, greeting. “We will anchor out here, away from the city. We will row you in.”
“Thank you for your help,” Conner said.
“We did not have a choice in the matter,” Janari said coolly. “You threatened one of my sailors.”
“There are what, ten, twelve sailors on your ship?” Hargon asked. “You could have easily overpowered us. Slit our throats and thrown us overboard.”
“It had not occurred to me,” Janari said. “You were given our word that we would give you passage to the city of Iseron, and here we are. You are safe, and we have fulfilled our promise to you.”