The King's Defense

by Shawn Robert Smith

  After sitting in his enclosure for an hour, Winthrop wished he’d brought some food. He failed to gauge the time that had elapsed without a view of the sun. The guards gave up trying to break into his bubble. Another wielder from the Order of the Ox had the ability to undo his magic, but the guards didn’t want to bother those that guarded the King. That would give Winthrop his audience and they were stubborn.

  Sometime later, his bubble dissolved, revealing Aurora. Her red face contrasted with her blue cloak and jewelry. Winthrop imagined himself kicking the wall. Of course, she’d come through this hallway and see the large enclosure. He goaded himself for not thinking of that.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Aurora exclaimed.

  “I hoped to speak with the King. Alone,” Winthrop explained.

  Her brow furrowed and her lips tensed. “Who do you think you are? You don’t have the right to pull a stunt like this. The King has no obligation to you.”

  Winthrop’s blood heated. “The King and the Council had no right lying to me about my father. You should have told me that he was Jack the Ransacker. The Decayed are after me for some reason and they are after King Luther, too. Something tells me that you are apart of this. Otherwise, you’d let me see the King and give him my concerns.”

  “Guards, take him to the dungeons,” Aurora stomped and pointed down towards the stairs.

  They moved in around him, careful to see if he’d create another bubble, trapping them.

  “That will be enough,” King Luther said.

  Winthrop turned with everyone else and saw the King standing down the hallway. His deep voice and stiff posture dared them to question his command.

  “Come inside Winthrop. Let’s talk.”

  The guards stood down and Winthrop walked down the hallway. He turned and gave Aurora a look of victory. She grimaced and descended the stairs.

  Winthrop entered the King’s offices, intimidated by their grandeur. The King’s desk was three times as large as any other desk he’d seen. It was made of beautiful tiger oak and the drawers held polished gold handles. A large window that reached almost to the ceiling was framed by two matching tapestries that bore the Order of the Lion symbol — a roaring lion’s head with a deep red background. “Have a seat, Winthrop,” the King said. “Guards leave us. Winthrop poses no threat to me.”

  The guards hesitated but left.

  “I knew your father when we were young, Winthrop. We grew up together in Mapleglen. I thought he’d rule the Kingdom one day, not me. When the Order of Man became the Decayed, I could barely breathe. By the time we realized they turned evil, the Decayed had already begun their takeover of Mapleglen. Your father spared me on the night of sorrows. I never saw him again until he saved that village. Then, only as the statue he encased himself in. That’s a story for another time. Why did you ask for me?”

  Winthrop wiped the tears from his eyes. He never knew the King lost a friend when his dad joined the Decayed. It touched him in a way that he didn’t expect from King Luther.

  “I know you dismissed my concerns over an assassination attempt on you, my Lord. But I did see a scroll carried by one of the Decayed with instructions to help someone who intends to kill you. I think Aurora is involved somehow.”

  The King sat back and rubbed his beard between his fingers. “That’s a serious accusation, Winthrop. I’m glad you came to me privately. Aurora doesn’t handle criticism well. Not to mention that I myself tire of Knilin’s conspiracy theories. I really don’t think the Decayed plan a return to power. Yet, I will admit to you in confidence that I think that more exist than we admit to the kingdom. Why do you think she wants to see me dead?”

  “For one, she’d gain the throne if you died.”

  “Yes, you’re correct, but only until an election is held.”

  “Have you ever heard the expression that possession is nine-tenths of the law? I think once she takes the throne, she’ll manage to keep it.”

  The King chuckled. “You might be right. Aurora has a way of getting what she wants. But how would she manage to kill me without people finding out?”

  “As the Headmaster of the Order of the Ox, she leads your guard detail. She won’t tell them to stand down, but she can override them. With a few words, she could distract a servant and poison the guards, weakening them so someone else could manage to get through their defenses. The body of the Decayed in that trader’s wagon disappeared without a trace. Someone bribed or blackmailed that guard into moving his body. I think that caused him to catch an illness and die. It doesn’t look like murder, but moving the Decayed hid our evidence and killed the only witness besides the four of us who brought it here.”

  “I hear your concerns Winthrop, but I don’t think Aurora intends to harm me. We’ve been colleagues for decades and rarely do we disagree on policy. She’d risk losing the second highest position in the Kingdom for the first. If someone assassinated me, she’d be the first suspect, given the obvious motives. Plus, I have layers of security that Aurora has no knowledge of. Those people are loyal to me. I appreciate your concern for me, but I’m well cared for. Come visit me again sometime. I’d like to share some good memories I have of your father.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Day 4 - Morning

  “Have you decided, Markus?” Aurora asked. She stood there looking at him through the prison bars with a smirk on her face. She wore glass spherical earrings that reflected the torch nearby, making them look like balls of fire, hanging from her ears. Markus considered that she derived pleasure from his suffering. Maybe Winthrop’s ideas contained truth to them.

  “Not yet. I have two more days to decide. I intend to give you an answer then. This choice impacts the rest of my life. I won’t rush into a decision.”

  “I’d like you to consider staying here and realizing your full potential as a Decayed. Death has served his purpose and it’s time for his end. If you agree, he’ll train you along with one other Decayed kept here.”

  “Why would Death help me learn, knowing you’ll kill him once I’ve mastered his lessons?”

  “We won’t cut off your pinky fingers until you’ve reached a certain level. He’ll try and persuade you to help him escape.”

  “What makes you think I won’t do just that?”

  “Because you’re not a bad person, just someone in an unfortunate circumstance. You despise the Decayed and are loyal to our Kingdom. Doing this gives you a chance to kill one of the masters of darkness and will allow you the privileges bestowed on a Decayed master that remains loyal to the Kingdom.”

  Markus perked up his ears. “What are those privileges?”

  Aurora smiled. “You’ll receive a real room with a bed. Guards will still watch your every move, but you’ll have some freedom. As part of your duties in testing, we will bring you all over the world.”

  “Where I’ll scare the little children and be called a freak,” Markus said with disdain.

  “Yes, but at least you’ll see the world. If you decide to have your middle fingers removed, you may never leave whichever town you decide to live in. If you go back to Pinemere and the villagers kick you out, then you’ll come right back here to these dungeons. Lastly, if you take my offer, I’ll send you on missions to weed out and kill any Decayed we discover.”

  Markus liked the sound of that, “I thought the Decayed were wiped out? You didn’t believe our story.”

  “The Decayed destroyed each other when two factions disagreed on leadership. That battle left them weakened to the point that their fight against the empire proved fruitless. Their numbers diminished to an inconsequential amount. We captured most of them when we regained control of Mapleglen. The rest scattered across the Kingdom. We control all testings, stopping them from increasing their numbers. When we discover their meddling in the world, we send a team to root them out and destroy them. Think about it. I’ll come back in two days for your answer.”

  Markus didn’t like Aurora’s threats and manipulations, but her of
fer vied for the top position on his list. He liked Moran’s offer, but something about becoming the strongest Decayed in the world tempted his deepest desires for power.

  Day 4 - Morning

  Winthrop left the King’s offices and walked down the hallway where he caused a scene earlier. The guards ignored him, as did the clerk who continued to scribble with his quill. He left down the stairway, where he entered the courtyard and found Aurora. She glared at him. Thomas passed him and whispered into Aurora’s ear, causing her dark earrings to sway back and forth. Her face turned bright red like a dragon’s flame and she formed a sphere in her hand. She threw it at Winthrop’s leg, locking him to the floor.

  “You insolent brat. If I have my way, you’ll never progress in my Order. You may not travel to the Order of the Ox headquarters until you learn to respect my leadership. You are a coward and if you ever have something to say about me, you’ll say it to my face.”

  Winthrop flinched back from her. He almost fell over, unable to use his right leg for stability. He clenched his teeth and swallowed his pride, “You are right. I need to learn respect. My apologies, my Lady.” Winthrop bowed and almost tripped again.

  “That’s a start. Now, remove the weave I put on you.”

  Winthrop felt his resolve weaken. He hated her and wanted nothing more than to prove his talent to her, but his emotions waned, leaving him without his magic. He tried and tried, but not even a fleck of power came to his hands.

  “Pathetic. You’ll disgrace our Order with your weakness. I might send you there anyway, so the rest of the members can laugh at you.”

  She released his foot. “Every time I see you, I’ll lock you up in some way. I’ll keep doing it until you learn to release yourself.”

  She chuckled and walked away. Winthrop felt his face turn red. He tried to form a sphere, but his magic didn’t work. He walked away with his head down.

  Day 4 - Morning

  Linette and Joanna sat before the headmaster in his office. He paced the ground, holding Geoff against a wall using magic. Dulius had given them leave last night to sleep and for them to reconvene this morning. Linette laid in bed all night going back and forth about what would happen this morning.

  “I’ve been told that you abuse your daughter, Mr. Durich. That will never happen under my watch.”

  Geoff struggled to move against the force of gravity that pushed him to the wall. Linette saw the weave the headmaster made and its power glowed around the area near her father.

  “She’s my daughter. She will come home with me. I will not allow her to take part in your sorcery. Magic is evil and I won’t let it corrupt her. Look at what happened to the Order of Man.” Veins bulged on his face and sweat trickled down his cheek.

  The headmaster walked up to Geoff. “Linette, please come here. Don’t worry, he can’t hurt you.”

  Linette stood up, knees shaking, and walked over to the two men. Her father had the look on his face that she remembered from when he hit her.

  “Linette, do you want to go home with your father?”

  “No,” she said, keeping her head down.

  “Look at him directly. Tell him your wishes.”

  She hesitated. All the hate she had in her soul directed itself towards him, yet he had a hold on her. His years of causing fear and abuse stilted her ability to fight back, to stand up for herself. She took a deep breath.

  Another.

  She looked up at him. “I will never go home with you. I belong here with this order. They are my family now. My home is here.”

  Her father’s face scrunched up in anger. “How dare you speak to me like this. We are going home, whether you like it or not. I’m your guardian and you live under my rules.”

  The headmaster stepped between them. “She’s seventeen. Your guardianship no longer applies.”

  A smile cracked on his face. Linette felt tension boil in her stomach. What surprise did her father hold?

  “She’s not of age. She’s sixteen. Her mother lied when submitting her records to the empire. Check my pocket. I have her record of birth.”

  The headmaster paused. He glanced at Linette and pulled out a sheet of parchment from Geoff’s pocket. Linette’s body tingled in fear. Did her mother lie in hope that her daughter might escape a year early? Clever, but not enough to get passed Geoff.

  The headmaster’s head slumped down. “Linette, you are sixteen. I have no legal recourse here. He controls your fate for one more year.”

  Linette slumped to the floor. Tears flooded down her cheeks. She’d never go home with this monster.

  Joanna comforted her, then stood up to the headmaster. “Do something, Dulius, he’ll beat her to death within the next year. She won’t survive that long.”

  Geoff laughed as he stood squished against the wall. His laughing choked off and he struggled to breathe.

  “Understand this: If you so much as lay a hand on her, the Kingdom will haul you away to prison for the rest of your life.” The headmaster released him. Geoff took a few deep breaths and loomed over Linette. She refused to budge.

  “No. I will not go with you.”

  “You heard him. You belong to me.”

  “Linette, go. I will provide guards to watch over you for the next year. If he tries to hurt you, they will arrest him.”

  It gave her some hope. She’d have to delay her training, but at least now she knew a way out lay only a year from now. Somehow Linette suspected that Dulius would fail her—that the Kingdom would fail her again. She wasn’t worth the trouble. A worthless, poor girl from a small town had no true value in this world. She stood up and followed her father, giving him a wide berth.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Day 4 - Afternoon

  Linette changed into her plain clothes, leaving her white cloak behind. She’d miss it and what it meant. Her father waited in the courtyard for her. He’d brought an extra horse for her to ride. Two guards followed them, wearing chain mail, shields on their back and swords on their hip. Linette had hoped that her guards claimed the ability to perform magic, but both appeared to lack the talent. She feared her father would bribe them or distract them somehow, giving him the time to pay her back for leaving. She suspected that the next time he came after her, it would be the last.

  They set off on the King’s road and trotted at a steady pace. The overcast sky mirrored her feelings. This trip reminded her of the trip to Claybury and how Knilin uncovered the assassination plot against the King. Now, only Winthrop remained to finish what they started. Bitter at her predicament, she didn’t envy Markus’s lot in life. She’d asked Joanna to inform Winthrop about her departure, hoping that he might come and save her.

  After a few hours, they stopped to water the horses and to snack. Her father didn’t bother to speak to her during the ride and she planned to never speak to him for the next year. Her father offered her some dried meat to her and the guards. They declined and Linette said, “I’m not hungry. I’d rather starve than eat your food. It’s probably poisoned, anyway.” She spat in his face and the men flanked Geoff. Both men waited for him to attack her, unsure if he’d react to her insolence. Pfwhack! An arrow shot the first guard in the chest. He clutched the arrow and fell to the ground. Geoff pulled a sword from his tent bundle and approached the second guard. Linette’s protector pulled his weapon, but he looked back and forth between her father and where the arrow that killed his partner came from. His shield caught the first two arrows, but as he blocked the third, Geoff flanked his other side and stabbed him in the side. The guard dropped to the ground, dead.

  Linette backed away from her father but slowed her escape when another man arrived on horseback. He put his bow over his shoulder and blocked Linette.

  “Stop. Don’t kill me,” Linette exclaimed.

  Her father paced closer to her, throwing the sword from hand to hand. “You dare to defy me? I am your father! You’ll get it worse than your mother. She deserved the fatal blow I dealt her.”

  His words t
ook over her thoughts of balancing the distance between her father and his friend. She stared at him, willed her eyes to bore holes into his head. “She ran from your abuse. I don’t blame her for that.”

  “Your mother conspired with a Decayed to kill me. I wouldn’t allow her a second chance to bring magic against me and I won’t allow you a first!”

  His face never looked more serious. She pushed thoughts of her mother’s actions away and regained her focus on the moment at hand. Linette managed to keep ten paces between them, knowing that if he took off after her, she’d need a head start, but she also tried to keep her distance from the archer sitting on horseback. The look in his eyes matched the face he had when he last abused her mother. She’d thrown some type of dark liquid at him, staining his shirt. He smacked the surprised look off of her face and then continued to beat her until she stopped making noises. Linette peaked at the scene from a cabinet her mother told her to hide in, finding her mother unconscious on the floor. When Geoff slept off his anger, Linette tended to her mother’s wounds and covered her with a blanket. When Linette woke the next morning, she found a note in her dress pocket. She’d left in the middle of the night, begging Linette to forgive her for leaving Linette alone with her father. When Geoff woke up, Linette received her share of punishment for her mother’s betrayal.

  Now, he’d killed two guards from the Order of the Eagle. Her father had no intention of letting her live. Either way, he’d receive the death penalty for that. What was one more person?

  She managed to partially face both her father and the man on horseback. Linette formed a sphere in her right hand, keeping it behind her back. Then, she increased the distance between them by an extra two paces. She’d need the time to finish the proper hand motions. She revealed the sphere to him. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared. She made the proper movements as her father leaped to her. He raised the sword high over his shoulder as she finished the motions. A melon-sized rock flew at his head and she saw his eyes roll into the back of his head. His momentum carried him until he landed on top of her, crashing them both to the ground. He blocked an attack from the man on horseback, who she could see had an arrow nocked on his bow.