Guardians of the Kingdom

by Diana Flame

  Guinevere also discovered that murdering a queen was a treasonous crime throughout all the kingdoms in the region. The punishment would be determined by the court council.

  Her chambermaid proved useful in getting her all the information about the queen and about the king’s lover. Guinevere had found favor with the king the morning she’d encountered him in the garden. Now, if she could prove the rumors correct, perhaps the king would grant her a wish and allow her to leave and return Cronada.

  Over the past few days of being in Petaria, she had calmed down some. She’d vowed never to return home, but now she was feeling restless about staying. If she got the chance, maybe she could convince Rulf to marry.

  First, she must seek council with the king, as his cooperation would be of the utmost importance. Moving quickly, she left her chambers and went in search of him. She wasn’t certain he would see her in the throne room, but if he was out in the garden that would be better.

  The morning air was as frigid as it had been on the morning she met the king in the garden. Now she moved with purpose, pulling her coat about her. The garden was empty and this disappointed her. It appeared that the king was not about his usual morning walk.

  Guinevere was not deterred by this. Returning to the palace, she headed to the throne room where she expected him to be. On her way there, she met him heading out. She smiled and halted her steps, awaiting his approach.

  “My lady,” he greeted casually. “I see you have taken your morning stroll already.”

  “Yes, my king, I was hoping to see you.”

  “To see me?” he asked lightly. “Is it something important?”

  She dared stepped closer and one of his guards blocked her path. The king waved him away and beckoned her to come close.

  “My I have word with you in private, Your Majesty?”

  “Shall we return to the hall or do we walk in the garden?”

  The halls may not be safe enough to discuss what was on her mind. The garden was open where an eavesdropper could easily be seen.

  “I shall walk with you, my king.”

  * * *

  Three days after the Fire knight entered Catrain’s room.

  The king of Cronada sat upon his Dias, confounded about that which the Prime Minister accused him. Perhaps Cronus was losing his mind in his old age. The Prime Minister was around the same age as he was, near sixty. Still, he’d known many such men who lost their minds easily.

  “You are the king and you have broken the law of the land!” Cronus bellowed.

  Syreus folded his fist and pounded the armrest of his throne. “Have you gone completely insane Cronus? What law have I broken?”

  “The law of mating and wedlock that our fore fathers have decreed.”

  “You must have some death wish, Cronus,” the king said, rising to his feet. “You are seriously crossing your limits.”

  The king advanced on the Prime Minister who had entered the throne room with a small contingent of high-ranking soldiers. A shadow of darkness fell on the king as he realized what Rulf had been trying to tell him about treachery in the palace.

  “This is high treason, Cronus and I will not stand for it.”

  Cronus laughed. “You will not stand for it? Are you denying that you have impregnated a netherbred?”

  “I have never lain with a netherbred let alone impregnated one.”

  “You seem to forget easily, my king,” Cronus smirked. “I believe her name was Zenaida.”

  About to speak, the king snapped his mouth shut. What did the Prime Minister know about Zenaida? This was not something that should be discussed. The name caused his heart to skip a beat.

  “You are losing your mind, Cronus,” the king said, his features hardening. “I know not what you are saying.”

  “Are you denying this?” The Prime minister asked.

  The king was growing impatient. “We have a war on our hands and here you speak gobbledygook,” Syreus snapped. “I implore you, drop the matter.”

  “Ha-ha, not so my king.”

  King Syreus rose from his seat and walked to the north window. His eyes settled on the Black Eagle Mountains, but his mind went back into the past. Some memories must remain hidden, he decided. Some secrets from the past could ruin the future. He’d given his blood oath to take whatever happened in the past to the grave. No matter how Cronus threatened or what the Prime Minister thought he knew, Syreus knew he must remain resolute in keeping his silence.

  “You will renounce the throne,” Cronus’ voice broke into the king’s memories. “You and your dergabred must leave Cronada at once.”

  “I will do no such thing,” the king calmly replied. “Now, will you leave the matter and let’s discuss the plans for tomorrow?”

  “Are you trying to deviate from the issue?” Cronus’ tone took on a note of incredulity.

  “I warn you, Cronus … I order you to drop this nonsense of yours at once!”

  “You must think I am daft, sire. I know the truth which you are trying to deny.”

  “Then prove it,” the king suggested. “You keep speaking about a child. Produce some evidence of this dergabred you care about so much along with its netherbred mother!”

  Cronus grinned, “That’s the best thing you’ve said all day.”

  The Prime Minister bowed before leaving the room with a broad smile on his face. Could there be a child, which the Prime Minister believed to be the king’s seed? Where would he get such a child?

  “No, not possible,” the king muttered. “He must be fabricating the entire thing. This is a ruse to appoint a new king.”

  The king moved toward the door but soldiers in uniforms he did not recognize blocked it. He stopped, taking note of their faces. They avoided eye contact as their expressions remained stanch.

  “Step aside,” he demanded.

  “Pardon us, sire,” one soldier said. “We have strict orders not to let you out of this room.”

  So this was the plan … to accuse him without evidence, then take the throne? Syreus was now curious to know how many of his ministers were working with Cronus. Was this what Rulf meant about someone betraying him inside the palace? Returning to the Dias, he took his seat as he pondered the situation and tried to formulate a solution.

  * * *

  Meanwhile in King Christoffle’s Castle…

  “I give you my word, if you can prove this theory of yours, you can have anything you wish for.”

  Those words from the king brought Guinevere a ray of hope. It would take some time to do the work she needed to do. Fortunately, the king gave his approval to prove that the queen was indeed poisoned. In the process, she would reveal the culprit as well.

  Her father, a palace physician, a relative of the Cronadian royal family had spent his life studying the different kinds or poisons, their origins and antidotes. Guinevere’s grandmother had been poisoned and that was the driving force behind her father’s quest.

  The king agreed to distract his lover that night in order for Guinevere to search the kitchen first and then the handmaid’s chamber.

  “Why do I need to call her in to me?” the king had questioned.

  “She is the senior handmaid for the queen. We must be discreet in our mission to find the truth. I will use my own handmaids for this mission, my king. That way, the queen’s maids will not be the wiser.”

  “I see. Very well, I will call her to me tonight. Do well and find this truth you seek.”

  The conversation with the king revealed several other things about which Guinevere was curious. The king had doubts about the queen’s health, but the palace physicians could find nothing that revealed she was poisoned. In addition, he loved his queen and only took a concubine at her request.

  She figured that if this lover was plotting to kill the queen, the king knew nothing about it. In fact, he had no intention of making the handmaid his queen.

  “I will not abandon my people. We are in the middle of a Godforsaken war!”

&n
bsp; Cronus had his minions escort Syreus from the throne room to one of the ministers’ meeting rooms. Three other ministers were present, including Aldridge, as well as the soldiers serving the minister. For some odd reason, Syreus did not see one of the soldiers he counted as loyal to the throne. All these seemed to be soldiers chosen specifically to serve Cronus’ sinister plan.

  Their uniforms were different, even the swords they wielded were dissimilar to the standard issue. How long has he been planning this, the king wondered. This can’t have been some accidental discovery. It must have been long in the planning.

  Syreus strode to the window on the west side of the private ministers’ hall. At the back of the room was an entrance used by the king, which led to the great chamber. There was another window on the north wall as well as another door leading to a sequestered minister’s office.

  The courtyard below was busy with preparations for the soldiers who arrived from Prasia just a few days ago. The war with the rebels was getting darker on the outside. What an opportune time for the minister to make his move.

  Cronus stood a few paces behind, his loyal soldiers never far away. It came to the king’s attention that his own guards were replaced by those loyal to the minister. He hadn’t seen Rulf in a few days as well and he worried for the young knight.

  A shuffle behind him caused him to turn. Escorted into the room was an old man, whose back hunched terribly. His face was down as they brought him to stand before Syreus.

  “What is the meaning of this Cronus?” Syreus asked. “Who is this man?”

  “Don’t you recognize your own attendant?”

  “My what?” Syreus was confused before it dawned on him who the man was.

  Archemus was his manservant many years ago who also served his father. Syreus stepped closer as the petrified man lifted his eyes.

  “Archemus?”

  “It is, my king,” the man replied, his voice shaky.

  Cronus grinned. “Tell the king what you know, Archemus.”

  “I know nothing, Prime Minister.”

  “Didn’t you say that the king snuck someone into the palace and you were sworn to silence?” Cronus questioned.

  “When did I say that, sire?”

  “You told me that you remembered the night she ran away.”

  “Who?”

  Cronus’ frustration registered in his voice as his face twisted in anger. “For God’s sake Archemus - Zenaida!”

  “Who is she?” the old man asked. “I don’t recall telling you that.”

  “Just the other day we spoke of it and you said you remembered.”

  “Prime Minister, I am a senile old man, I cannot remember what happened two decades ago.”

  Cronus was not deterred. He bent and spoke softly to the old man whose countenance immediately changed into one of fear. Syreus knew that Cronus must have threatened the old manservant. The king saw that Archemus tried to portray his apologies to him and he braced himself for the fallout.

  Archemus looked at the king as he spoke. “The king hid a nether in his bedchamber. We were sworn to silence.”

  “Can you swear to this in front of all the council?”

  Archemus hesitated, looking directly at the king. But when he glanced at Cronus, terror reflected in his eyes.

  “Yes, Prime Minister.”

  Cronus signaled to the soldiers. “Take him back to his dwelling and guard him well.”

  “Is this the proof you have?” Syreus asked. “Do you expect me to abdicate on the word of a senile old man?”

  Cronus came close, so much so Syreus felt his breath fan his face. In a low deadly tone, the Prime Minister spoke only for his ears.

  “Then you and your bastard will die,” Cronus said, his voice like steel. “You will watch her suffer then I will take the lives of everyone important to you including your beloved Fire Knight.”

  The king gripped Cronus’ robe. “Rulf? What have you done with him?”

  Cronus shrugged off the king’s grip and smoothed his robe. “He is safe for now along with your dergabred princess. She thinks she is a netherbred since she has lived life as a lesser until now. A pity she doesn’t know her true paternity.”

  The king chuckled. “I am amazed how imaginative you are Cronus. Such a wonderful tale you weave.”

  Cronus ignored the king’s sarcasm and continued, “You say you love your people then prove it, renounce or face impeachment.”

  “You are losing your mind, Cronus.”

  The minister brushed an invisible lint from the king’s shoulder while he continued in his undertone. “You do as I say or lose both your daughter and Rulf along with your beloved people.”

  “What do you mean by my beloved people?”

  Cronus scanned the room before turning back with his answer. “I have given orders to burn the villages under the guise of the rebels. After we burn the villages, we will invade the palace and destroy everything.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Try me, dear king.”

  The king shook his head in disbelief. “If you destroy everything, what will there be to inherit?”

  “I, the Prime Minister will come in to save the day. I will restore order to the kingdom and the people will honor me as their hero. When I nominate myself as king, they will have no choice but to hail their hero.”

  “You cannot follow this foolhardy plan of yours,” Syreus interjected. “You will need the approval of the council and army command to remove me as well as to become king. The council must review the successors carefully before appointing a king.”

  Cronus gave a scornful laugh and summoned his soldiers. Four of his devotees approached the king and flanked him on all sides. Syreus’ eyes bulged as he stared at the minister in awe.

  “Don’t worry about that. I have enough votes on my side to carry out my plan. You will soon see,” Cronus replied. “Arrest the king,” Cronus now shouted the command.

  “At least show me this bastard child you speak of,” the king said. “You cannot arrest me without proof of crime.”

  “Very well,” Cronus complied then turned to the soldiers. “Guard the king, but be careful, he was a master swordsman in his day.”

  The Prime Minister left the room, followed by the other ministers who had been watching the exchange with the king. About a dozen more soldiers joined those already there, surrounding the king and guarding the door. The king now recognized a few faces of his own guards in the new uniform. He was amazed that the Prime minister had earned the loyalty of the army. He wondered how many troops the minister managed to coerce into serving him and how many remained loyal to the throne.

  The door opened and the two ministers of the court council entered along with Aldridge, a deputy commander and one of the army’s generals. Cronus followed closely the behind group. With him were three knights in training escorting a female. A black cloth covered her face. The woman didn’t look like a netherbred as the minister had insisted. She was dressed in noblite attire.

  “Is this the bastard you accuse me of … the netherbred?” The king inquired, pushing through the soldiers.

  The Prime Minister smirked, then in one swift movement snatched the cloth from the woman’s face. Syreus braked, his face losing color. For a long time he stared until he appeared to regain his composure.

  “Now that I have seen her, I can confirm that nether is not of my loins,” Syreus stated. “Now return the poor child home lest I have you arrested for kidnapping.”

  * * *

  Catrain blinked to adjust her eyes to the brightness of the room. Her chambers had been unusually dim due to the curtains being drawn all day long. Now she was standing amongst many soldiers in a brightly lit room. Someone had spoken and then the minister removed the covering from her face. Looking around, she tried to make sense of what was happening.

  The faces of the men seemed quite serious. Some stared at her as though she was some odd spectacle. A group of men dressed similarly as Cronus spoke in almos
t a whisper to a man who Catrain believed to be a high ranked soldier.

  It was then she noticed the man standing some distance away. His face was pale as he stared at her bug-eyed. His attire was one of the highest royalty. Though she’d never seen the king, her father had told her many things about him.

  Having never been inside the palace, Merek had still taught his daughter about the ranks of the royalites and noblites, the ministers and all who served the king. She knew exactly who the man was and some amount of dread settled over her. Why was she brought before the king? Was it because she refused his order to come to the castle to serve the soldiers? Was she now to be the king’s concubine?

  The king stared at her, a strange expression spread over his face. A look in his eyes was inexplicable as well. After some moments, he threw his shoulders back and his face regained some color.

  “Now that I have seen her, I can confirm that nether is not of my loins,” Syreus stated. “Now return the poor child home lest I have you arrested for kidnapping.”

  What is the king talking about? She would have asked, but she remained silent, trying to make sense of his words. ‘She is not of my loins’ echoed in her brain. Did the Prime Minister think the king was her father? No, that couldn’t be. Shrugging the stupid thought from her mind, she took a deep breath and turned to the minister.

  “I demand to know what crime I committed.”

  The Minister laughed. “Crime? You are not a criminal my dear, but the daughter of one.”

  “My father is no criminal,” she denied. “What crime has he committed?”

  Cronus gave a sly smile. “My king, tell your daughter what crime you committed.”

  Catrain scrunched her face in confusion. “What are you…?” her words trailed off. “Is this some joke? Are you out of your mind, minister?”

  “Watch your tongue, you are still a netherbred in the books,” Cronus scolded.

  “Yes, and my father is Merek, the farmer.”

  “Not so my dear bastard princess,” Cronus replied. “Behold your father who sits on the throne.”