As if reading Flare's thoughts, King Darion spoke, “Flare, have a seat and let's discuss the reason that I summoned you.”
King Darion sat down on a chair that was along the wall to Flare's left. Flare sat at a respectful distance from the king on a less than comfortable couch.
“Flare, the reason that I summoned you here, is that I wanted to discuss with you an announcement that I will be making at the banquet tonight.”
Flare's heart beat faster at the king's words. 'More recognition besides the promotion that General Andatell gave me?' He thought.
The king took a deep breath before continuing, “Flare, this isn't easy to say, but this is something that you need to know. At the banquet tonight, I will announce the name of your father.”
The king's words hit Flare like a slap across the face. For a moment, he could only sit there, with his mouth hanging open, and stare at the king. After a stunned moment, Flare bounded to his feet. “You knew his name all this time! How could you protect such a man?” He demanded angrily.
The king also stood up. He raised his hands in a soothing manner. “Calm down, and let me explain. Flare, you were told what your grandfather wanted to believe. I was there, and the story that became publicly known is not the truth. Things are not always as they seem. Your mother was not raped, but instead she fell in love with a young human. She followed her heart's desire, and you are the result of that love, and your grandfather could not accept it.” The King paused a moment, as if the story was bringing up an old pain. “He was unhappy with your mother and her apparent interest in human men. He ordered her not to speak with the human delegation any more. After that she told your father that they could no longer be with each other.” He paused again, as if not liking the rest of the story, “She told your father the story that she planned to tell King Feilolas. Needless to say your father did not agree, but he honored her wishes. That is how that story was spread. But it's not the truth. You must remember that I was there, Flare.”
'Things are not always as they seem.' Something about what the king's statement bothered him, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Things seemed to be happening awful fast, and he seemed a little dizzy. “If you were there and you know these things, then surely others also know them. Why haven't I heard rumors like this before?” Something was gnawing at the back of his mind. The king's words had reminded him of something, but he couldn't think of what. Were those the same words his mother had used when he left Solistine?
“Nobody else alive in this city know of the things that I speak. The only other person who knew was my father.” The king said as he walked back over to his desk, and sat down behind it. “My father was livid when I returned from the elven city.”
'My father was livid when I returned from the elven city,' those words seemed ominous and a new feeling replaced the anger that Flare had been feeling. The new feeling was fear, he was afraid that he was starting to understand. “Why was your father mad at you?” He asked quietly, already fearing the answer.
“Flare, Your mother and I were young when we fell in love....”
The king's words were a blow to Flare, and he seemed to cringe away from them. All the emotions of a lifetime threatened to overwhelm him. In a strange sort of way, Flare seemed detached from the scene. He heard the king speaking, but the words sounded unusual, like he was in a tunnel and cotton was stuck in his ears. He could feel his heart pounding, and he was afraid that he might be sick.
The king continued, “We didn't know what we were doing, and we foolishly thought that King Feilolas would allow us to marry.” The king continued to talk, but he no longer seemed to be aware of Flare's presence. Instead, he appeared to be remembering the events for the first time in a long time. He stared without seeing at a spot on the floor. “King Feilolas was so angry when Aliston suggested to him that a human might make a good husband that he slapped her. She broke off our relationship and asked me to leave.” King Darion eyes had that far away look to them and his voice seemed sad, “I did as she asked, and it wasn't for months that the news reached us in Telur that she was pregnant, the father a human rapist.” He seemed to spit the word rapist, making it sound like a curse.
King Darion took a deep breath, and drew himself back to the present.
It seemed to Flare that the bad memories had shaken King Darion. He seemed more reflective and less in control than usual.
With an effort, King Darion forced himself to focus on the matters at hand. “Flare, I never meant to hurt anyone, your mother least of all. We were young and foolish, and we made a mistake. But that mistake was blown way out of proportion. Your mother sacrificed a lot for me and for countless young elves and humans who would have died in the war between our two kingdoms.”
A new thought occurred to Flare, a thought that made him nervous. “If you announce that you are my father, then you are placing my mother in danger! You cannot do that ...” He exclaimed.
“Flare! Calm down.” The king said in a soothing manner. “I have no intention of putting your mother at risk. I cannot openly admit to being your father without starting a war with the elves. But what I can do is I can reward you for your actions and I can try to right the 'wrong' that was done to your mother by adopting you as my own son. The people will believe that I am doing this to correct the supposed wrong. They will not know that I am actually your father. I can claim you without endangering your mother, or causing a war between the humans and the elves.” The king leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms across his chest. He smiled rather smugly. “See, I have thought it through. What do you think?”
Flare walked over to stand in front of the king. He locked gazes with the king and said, “It's shameful. A king cannot publicly claim his own son. It's disgraceful that a man would let his son spend thirty years thinking that he had no father.”
The smugness fell away from the King's face. “I’m sorry, Flare. This is the best that I can do.” He stretched out his hands, imploring. “This will save lives. There will be no war, but at the same time, I can claim you as a son.”
Flare turned away from the king and started toward the door. “Then this will have to do.” He managed to say as he left the room, trying desperately hard not to show the pain he felt.
Chapter 20
Flare waited with the rest of the guardians for the banquet to begin. The guardians, wearing their newly tailored dress uniforms, stood in line in front of a make shift stage that was set at one end of a large ballroom. The dress uniforms were black pants with a gold stripe down the side, black boots, a grey shirt, and a black jacket with gold piping. Despite his dislike of dress uniforms, he had to admit these were comfortable; the tailors had done an excellent job.
The guardians stood facing away from the stage toward the spectators. The banquet was scheduled to start shortly, and some people were starting to filter in. Flare wasn't nervous, instead he felt numbed. He dreaded the king's announcement as well as the people's reaction. His knees seemed weak, and he steeled them in place.
Several of the other guardians noticed that he was distracted, but remained quiet. Nobles and high-ranking military officials entered the ballroom in reverse order of importance. The lesser officials entered and found their assigned tables in the back of the room. The more important nobles and officials were announced before they entered, and they were then escorted to their assigned tables. When Duke Angaria was escorted to the front of the room, he shot a look of pure poison in the direction of Flare, but it went completely unnoticed.
Shortly after the room was full, one of the guards blew a short note on a horn. A different guard stepped forward and said, “All hail King Darion!”
King Darion was led into the ballroom by a soldier carrying the Telurian Flag. The king walked behind the soldier to the stage, where the soldier put the flag in its holder. The king then faced the crowd.
As planned, Flare gave the order, “Guardians, about face.” As one, the guardians turned around to face the stage.
King Darion took a deep breath before speaking, “We are meeting here tonight to celebrate and reward Telur's newest heroes. These soldiers before me are the newest members to Telur's order of the golden dagger. This reward dates back thousands of years and is one of the highest rewards that I can bestow on you.” The king paused, smiling. “Currently, there are only three living members, but tonight that number will be increased quite a bit.”
“Before I begin, however, I want to take a minute to remember those guardians who did not survive the battle. Guardian Callin Obiah and guardian Murleen Plurin. They will be awarded the golden dagger posthumously, and their sacrifices will be remembered a thousand years from now.”
The king paused briefly to let the assembly consider his words. “We remember our honored dead, but we do not dwell in the past. Tonight we are here to celebrate the living; tonight we are here to honor our newest heroes.” At the king's words, a cheer went up from the crowd. The king smiled again, “As I call your name, come forward to receive your reward.”
“Aaron Imes, son of Michael Imes.” At the calling of his name, Aaron marched up to stand in front of and facing king Darion. “Your father Michael was a guardian who died as a hero. He would be proud of the way that you handled yourself.” The king pinned a small battle medal to commemorate the battle of Fort Mul-Dune. He then attached a small golden dagger to Aaron's jacket. The dagger looked impressive against the black uniform. Once the dagger was attached, king Darion looked him over, and then dismissed him. The crowd roared as he returned, smiling, to his place in front of the dais.
“Mikela Shaltin of the Doe-Rushkin academy.” Mikela advanced to stand in front of the king. “Guardian, you have honored your academy with your dedication and perseverance.” Mikela waited patiently as the awards were pinned on her uniform. As she returned to her position, the crowd cheered its approval as loudly for her as it had for Aaron.
“Enton Dale of the Yurkut tribe.” Enton marched up to stand in front of the king. His nervousness caused him to be somewhat stiff in his movements. He walked slowly, seemingly afraid that he was about to trip over his own feet. “Guardian, your tribe are loyal subjects who have served Telur with honor, but your service has distinguished you even amongst them.” He towered over the king, as the king pinned the awards on his uniform. Once again, the crowd shouted its approval.
“Trestus Obiah.” Trestus moved to stand in front of the king. “Guardian, you have served with honor, and the sacrifice you have made is unimaginable. I salute you.” The crowd was silent at the king pinned the awards on to Trestus' uniform. As silent as the crowd had been, they were even louder cheering for Trestus as he returned to his position, as he walked, several tears ran down his cheeks.
“Philip Connell of the noble house Atwell.” Philip marched to stand in front of the king, clearly feeling comfortable in front of the crowd. “Guardian you have honored your noble family and pleased your king.” The crowd didn't wait until the awards were pinned on Philip's uniform before they started cheering. Their cheers were even louder for Philip than they had been for any other. Perhaps because he was a noble, one of their own?
“Enstorion.” Of all the guardians that were being honored tonight, Enstorion was the one that very little was known about. It appeared that even the king didn't know enough to name his family. “In the thick of the battle, without a thought for your own safety, you risked your life to save your comrades and Fort Mul-dune.” The cheering was somewhat subdued, since the crowds didn't know much about the strange elven mage.
“Derek Aldanon of the merchant house Danan.” Derek marched to stand in front of the king. “Guardian, you have honored the merchant house Danan and all Telur.” The crowd cheered for Derek as he returned to his post.
Flare got more nervous as the guardians received their awards. Each guardian that received their award brought his turn that much closer.
“Prince Del-Atock A'bamani of Entucca.” Atock moved in front of the king. “Your people are known for their fierceness, and you are no exception. Your father King Del-Otin should be proud of your accomplishments.” The cheering was deafening as Atock returned to his post.
“Heather Elt of the druid monastery of Garath Al-Denari.” Heather proceeded to stand in front of the king. “Of the many deeds of Valor that were performed at the battle of Fort Mul-dune, yours will be remembered as the deed that raised the alarm and brought in reinforcements. Every survivor of the battle owes their live to you.” The crowd roared its approval as she returned to her original position.
“Kara Elba, priestess of Adel.” Kara advanced to stand in front of the king. “Your order should be honored at the selfless service you gave to your fellow soldiers. Many of them owe their lives to you.” The crowd cheered loudly as she returned to her place in line.
Flare's nerves flared up as he waited for the king to call out his name. He felt sick to his stomach, but he steeled himself for the inevitable.
“Prince Flaranthlas of the elven kingdom of Solistine,” The king announced.
Flare marched up and stood in front of the king. He hoped that nobody noticed his shakiness as he walked. He had noticed his fellow guardians walking either shakily or stiff as they approached the stage, so he assumed that they also noticed his wobbling. He came to a stop in front of the king.
“Flare, you led the defense of fort Mul-dune. You overcame overwhelming odds and saved countless lives. General Andatell has already partially rewarded you by promoting you on the field of battle to Lieutenant. It was a move that I completely approve of, but of course I get to make you a member of the order of the golden dagger.”
Flare was feeling worse, and he hoped that he would not get sick. Getting sick in the middle of an award ceremony would only humiliate him.
The king pinned the awards on him before continuing, “Flare, please turn around and face the crowd with me.”
Flare turned around and faced the crowd and his fellow guardians as they cheered. He focused on Trestus, instead of looking into the faces of the nobles. Some of the nobles were cheering for him, a few were, but Flare didn't trust them, too many of them were like Duke Angaria.
The king stepped down beside him, and put his arm around Flare's shoulders. The king held up his hand to silence the crowd before continuing, “Prince Flaranthlas is a Telurian hero, and I want to show him the appreciation of the Telurian people.”
Flare took a deep breath. Hoping against hope that the king had changed his mind, he did not want the king to continue with his plan.
“Many of you are aware of the wrong done by Flare's human father. Tonight, I wish to in some small way to try and correct the wrong. I have decided that I will personally adopt Flare as one of my own sons.”
A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd, followed quickly by scattered mutterings. Flare could see the surprise on the faces of his friends, but he would not look at the nobles.
King Darion held up his hand for silence. “I have given this a lot of thought, and I have decided that I will take responsibility for Flare. He will be my youngest son, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails. As you know, I have four sons of my own blood. Flare will follow them in line of succession to the throne. He will be fifth in line to the throne of Telur.”
Silence followed the king's announcement. Flare finally raised his eyes off of the other guardians. Duke Angaria's look of hatred and despise had been replaced with a look of pure amazement. That look of amazement almost made it worth it. Apparently, Angaria had not known about this until just now.
Kara stood talking to Mikela and Heather, just to one side of the main banquet table. All of the guardians were tired of accepting congratulations, but it had been exceptionally difficult for these three. The nobles had seemed gracious, but the men seemed to look down on them, as if women shouldn't be fighting. Or perhaps, it was the fact that these women were more decorated than any of the nobles in the room.
For all the men looking down their noses a
t them, the ladies were far worse. Some had ignored them, even when introduced. Others had glanced at them and then raising their chins, turned and walked the other way.
Kara and Mikela were reserved and trying hard to ignore the nobility, but Heather was furious. She had seemed on the verge of slapping several of the ladies, but Kara had quickly intervened and pulled her to a different group of people. Mikela had joined them, and she and Kara kept a close eye on Heather.
“Fools!” Heather hissed. “If not for us they might be dead now, but do they thank us? No! They treat us like peasants!” She folded her arms across her chest, “I should have let the goblins have them, and good riddance!”
Kara smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on Heather's shoulder. “If you had, then the rest of us would be dead too.” It was a simple statement and totally true, but it did seemed to dull the other woman's anger, at least a little bit.
Mikela nodded over toward a rather large group of women. A group that had Philip at its center. “Well, they sure seem to like him.” She said raising a glass of wine to her lips.
Heather snorted, “Of course they do! He's one of their own, part of their little inbred group.” Mikela nearly choked on the wine and even Kara smiled.
Heather shook her head, “I feel sorry for Flare. I have a feeling that he will be spending a lot of time with these miserable people.”
Mikela, who had recovered from coughing on the wine, shot Heather a nasty look. Had Heather timed her words for when she was drinking the wine? “It doesn't much seem like a reward. Does it?”
Kara glanced back and forth between the two women, “Perhaps it's even worse than you know.” The two women turned their gazes squarely on her, and she shrugged under their gazes. “It's probably nothing, but have either of you heard of the Kelcer prophecy?” Heather and Mikela looked at each other before shaking their heads. “It's an old prophecy, written by a madman, but the church believes in it.” She looked toward the stage, the stage where Flare had just been 'adopted' by King Darion. “I guess the king doesn't believe in it though.”
The Guardians: Book One of the Restoration Series Page 34