by Andrew Wood
Anden resisted, and although he always to tried to do right by his parents, he was not going to stand idly by whilst she belittled the very people he himself had wanted beside him. "Remove your hand from me mother," he said, saying each word slowly with gritted teeth. "You will apologise to Max and Uncle Rylan now!" he snapped. The queen stepped back, clearly shocked that her little boy would dare speak to her in such a way. "This is your fault," she hissed again pointing at Maxim, "You have corrupted his mind with magic..." she spat getting herself into a fluster.
Anden took a deep breath, "Mother...that is enough!" he shouted. "May I remind you Anden that I am not just your mother, but I am also your Queen. You will not speak to me in such a tone, or I shall have no option but to punish you."
"Tiana...Please, you are embarrassing yourself," Rylan added to proceeding.
"Oh be quiet Rylan...If it was not for your freak of a son...Oran would never have set all this up...In fact if not for all this we would still be living peacefully in Berxsley. The old ways were best...All magicians were put to death," she snapped looking Maxim directly in the eye.
Anden had heard enough, "Mother you will stop now!" he shouted.
"I am the queen you will not talk to me that way," she hissed back at her son.
"No...You are not. In about half an hour I will be king...you will be nothing more than the Queen dowager. Now if you do not apologise to Rylan, Zack and especially Max, you will stay here and not attend my coronation," Anden snapped, showing a level of authority even he was surprised at.
There was a lull in the shouting as mother and son stared angrily at each other, but it was clear she was not going to apologise to anybody. Anden was not yet even king and already he was having to make a difficult choice. Should he merely brush the incident aside and let his mother get away with saying such awful things, or should he stand up to her? The decision for him was an easy one. He had been raised to do the right thing, and if that meant upsetting his mother, then so be it.
Anden marched out of the door and into the corridor, "You two men with me," he ordered two of the guards stood on duty. The men obeyed without delay, and hurriedly entered the room being used as the royal quarters. "You will keep my mother confined to her room. If she attempts to leave you have my permission to do whatever it takes to stop her," he told them in a way that sounded both confident and calm. Rylan was about to suggest perhaps the young prince was being a little harsh, "No Uncle...She is grieving...I understand that, we all are. However, I will not have her make threats and cruel remarks to my family members and friends."
Maxim puffed out his cheeks, the day had only just started and already it had been eventful. "Uncle, perhaps you would be so kind as to escort my sister to the hall," Anden added as he noticed his younger sibling stood in the centre of the room looking a little tearful. "Perhaps she would like to meet Tia and Connor," Zack suggested, "They are both a little excitable at times I'm afraid, but she be fine with them." Anden nodded, "Yes good Idea Zack, it would do her good to be around other children...Perhaps it will allow time for my Mother to grieve for her loss properly," he added.
With the queen escorted back in to the other room, her lady in waiting stood at a loss as what to do. Anden felt he should go over and apologise on his mother's behalf, "I am sorry for the way she is behaving...," he said not quite sure what else to say. The young woman gave a wry smile, "It is fine your highness. Should I go see she is settled?" Anden returned the smile, "Thank you. That is very kind."
With his Mother finally shut away in her room, and his sister taken down to the hall by his uncle, it was finally time for the Crown Prince to make his own way. Clearly a little nervous, he tried to keep his mind otherwise occupied by talking to Zack and Maxim. For the foreseeable future at least, the two friends would stand either side of him; one to give advice, the other to protect him should the need arise.
Chapter 17.
In the corridor that led up to the dining hall, guards lined up either side of the wall. Stood in full military uniform they did not move, as their new would be king slowly passed them by. Anden took a few deep breaths, and after looking both to his left and right to make sure Maxim and Zack were ready, he nodded to the man stood at the doorway. The man gave a further signal as half a dozen trumpeters sounded a fanfare that was clearly too loud for the size for the size of the room they were using. The overpowering sound reverberating around, silencing the chattering crown that awaited within.
Taking slow deliberate steps, Anden took the last trip he would make as a prince. Moving between the rows of benches, he kept his eyes staring to the front, before stepping up onto the short dais that had been erected for this very occasion. Although it would normally be the duty of the highest-ranking government official to crown their next king, something that used to be carried out by religious leaders when the monarchy had been the sole ruling body, Ramon had been selected for the duty.
Maxim waited for Anden to turn and face the adoring onlookers, before doing likewise. Trying to keep his head still, he could not help but scan the room looking for his friends. He spotted Danton on the front row beside Rylan and Anden's sister Frona, and was a little surprised to see Tia and Connor sat with them. Perhaps Zack's idea of putting the three youngsters together was already showing its worth. With the seating insufficient for the numbers in the room, the remainder were stood along the walls, where he spotted Melia and Samuel, and a little further back Mikel stood beside Darion.
Once the sound of the trumpets had ceased, the room fell silent, although Maxim could still feel his ears ringing form the noise. Ramon moved to the front of the dais and raised his hands to ask his audience for their complete attention. Whilst the seer spoke, Anden sat down on the large wooden chair that had been hastily overhauled to give it the grandeur such an occasion deserved. Made from dark timber it was highly polished, with a carved back. Gold scrolling had been applied to the arms, and a red velvet cushioned section on the seat.
Just off to the left, stood Commander Denny Porter, the man tasked with holding the crown. Made from solid gold, and bejewelled with a myriad of coloured precious stones, it had been one of the first items gathered in their escape from Berxsley. The highest-ranking military officer stood proudly dressed in his finest uniform, a highly polished ceremonial sword hung from his belt, as he held his hands out with the crown placed upon them.
Ramon had been up early, going over the words he needed to say during the ceremony, wanting the entire occasion to go as smoothly as possible. As his words echoed around the room, his audience of soldiers, royal staff, teachers and students of magic all watched on. "Do any here oppose this man's claim to the throne of Kothia?" he asked, leaving just a short pause before continuing. Naturally, there were no objectors, as Anden was legally the next in the line of succession, and so Ramon moved on to the part of the ceremony that would legally seal the young man sat behind him as the nation's new king.
Denny Porter stepped forward as Ramon gingerly lifted the crown form the commander's hands and held it high in the air. "I crown thee Anden, King of Kothia, Protector of the realm, Ruler of the People. We are your humble servants," he added as his own words bowing his head subserviently to show he at least would follow Anden. He glanced over to those sat in the room, who to a man, did likewise. With the final words having been said, he lowered the gold crown slowly down and placed it gently on the head of the new king.
Anden waited for Ramon to step aside, before gingerly standing, trying his best to keep the crown from slipping off. Once up, he raised both hands as those before him started clapping and cheering. After maintaining his pose for a few moments, he thought it best not to chance his luck any further and sat back down. The crown upon his head was only ever made for ceremonial purposes, and now it had been used it was time to return it. He slowly removed the item and passed it cautiously over to Ramon, who then passed it back to Denny Porter.
Maxim felt his heart beating faster, as he felt a strange but powerful
presence. He did not understand what it was or what it could mean, and glanced over to Ramon. The seer was struggling to stand on his own two feet, and the Commander quickly stepped back to support him. Maxim wondered whether Ramon had just had the same feeling he himself had just felt, or perhaps the occasion had just gotten the better of him.
Maxim stepped a little away from the young man he was protecting to ask, "Are you okay Ramon?" The seer looked up, after nodding a little, he answered, "Something is coming...I do not know what..."he managed to say between breaths." I also have sensed something...very powerful," he whispered back, glancing back to see Zack peering their direction, and gesturing he should be stood beside Anden. Maxim nodded his understanding, and happy Ramon was okay, he moved back to his predefined position and smiled at the king watching him.
The room fell silent as the doors at the end flew open, and a group of dark crimson-red robed figures marched in unison into the hall. "Is this part of the service?" Mikel whispered over to Darion stood beside him. "I don't bloody know...I haven't spent my entire life going to bloody coronations you stupid wolf boy," the old man replied in his usual brash way.
Maxim stepped forward, in front of Anden as the intruders continued their march to the front of the hall. The guards who had been merely brushed aside in the corridors were forced back out of the doors, as one of the hooded figures waved a hand, and the doors slammed shut. There were a few screams as people started to panic before a voice boomed, "Silence...We mean you no harm. Remain in your places and you will not be hurt," the same voice echoed around the room.
The group of figures stopped just short of the dais, as Maxim remained unperturbed by their presence. "Do not step any nearer," the young Royal-Protector shouted, not feeling quite so confident now he knew the intruders were also magicians. "Should we do something?" Mikel whispered to Darion. "Are you deaf boy...they told us to stay put," the man hissed back.
"Since when did you ever do as you were asked?" Mikel replied about to take a step forward. He felt Darion grab his arm, "Not yet lad...If needs be, we will do our bit," the man told him.
Maxim watched as the group of robed figures remained still, "You are not welcome here...Now go" he told them. The two figures at the front stepped forth, and Maxim waved a hand sending sweeping them off their feet and onto the hard floor with a bump. "I taught him that," Darion whispered over to Mikel.
"You did not," the youngster replied.
"Yes I did."
Before Maxim could act again, the two men next in line waved their hand and the young elementalist was whisked off his feet and left hanging in the air. Maxim let out several loud expletives, as he suddenly felt helpless and vulnerable. "Those you taught him," Mikel whispered over to Darion, as Maxim's words echoed around the room.
There were gasps as Maxim was eventually lowered back down to his feet, but was still unable to move. The group of intruders parted and one man stepped to the front, lowering his hood as he did. Maxim struggled against the invisible force holding him, as he feared the young king was about to become the target. If the gasps were loud before, they were almost deafening as the man showed himself. A tall man with hair as red as Maxims, stood just a few paces from the dais.
Maxim fidgeted and concentrated for all he was worth, fearing Anden was in danger and not looking at the man stood in front of him. Using every ounce of his energy he felt the bonds break and two of the robed figures crumbed to the floor. "Hold him," the man at the front said raising his own hand as Maxim felt himself bound once more. "We mean you no harm," the man shouted as he sensed a few others preparing to make their move.
Danton, sat on the front row, suddenly vanished from sight. He worked on the principal if they could not see him, then they would not know where he was. Out of sight, he edged closer to the dais, in a bid to help Maxim escape. However, after a few steps, he found himself unable to move, and much more puzzling he realised he was no longer invisible. "Return to your seat," the man ordered him. Danton was left with no choice but to obey. Whoever these intruders were, it was very apparent their magical abilities were far superior to even Maxims.
The man did not step toward Anden, but towards Maxim. "I never thought I would see this day," the man said in a much quieter voice. "I always presumed you lost when your mother died," he added suddenly getting everyone's attention. "If I release you...promise me you will not use force against my people," he said speaking directly to Maxim. The young elementalist was confused, but nodded in agreement.
The man then turned to Anden, "I apologise your majesty for the intrusion. Your people are free to leave the room, all I ask, is that they leave me in peace to talk to my son." Maxim felt his heart shudder at the words; had he heard them correctly? "If Maxim stays so do I," Anden replied. "So do I," Zack added to the conversation. The man looked over to the young royals, "So be it...However these can go about their business," he gestured his arm around to those seated on the benches behind him.
As the man promised, he released Maxim from his invisible bonds, but the two never broke eye contact as the doors were opened and the guests started exiting the hall. Mikel had already decided that if Maxim and Zack were staying then so was he; Darion, Danton, Melia and Ramon also had no intentions of leaving the young elementalist on his own.
Once the doors were once more closed, the man turned to see the small gathering of people left behind. "You have loyal friends my son," the man said tilting his head just slightly as he looked at Maxim. "Sorry, I should introduce myself properly. My name is Joren, High Lord of Icenia. As I have said we mean you people no harm...I am here to see my son...You," he added pointing to Maxim and stepping a little nearer.
"Pfft you could be anybody," Darion shouted from the small group of onlookers positioned just to the Maxim's left. "Indeed I could Sir," the man replied not taking offence to the words. Joren held out a hand, "Take my hand Maxim and see for yourself...you will know it to be true." Maxim looked around at his friends for any sign of what he should do, but none came forth. He slowly placed a hand out until his skin made contact with that of Joren's.
His mind was suddenly filled with images, none of which Maxim had ever seen before, but yet, he felt he knew. Pictures of a white palatial building, grander than any he had ever seen, and faces of people he had never met. Suddenly one image froze in his mind, and he knew it was one he had seen before..."Mother," he uttered to himself. "Yes Maxim...your mother," Joren said knowing which image the youngster had seen.
The others watched on, not quite sure what to make of the situation. Could this strange man indeed be Maxim's father? Everything about him suggested that he could be. He had had the same bright blue eyes as their friend, as well as the unmistakable hair colouring. "Why the intrusion?" Ramon suddenly asked breaking the silence of the moment, "I mean why not approach us and ask to see Maxim. You did not need to burst in here showing off your powers like you did," the seer added sounding much braver than he was actually feeling.
Joren looked at the man, "You are a nation fighting with not only your neighbour, but also yourself. I did not know the situation in which my son was being held."
"He is not being held," Anden piped up adding his thoughts.
Joren smiled at the young king, "I did not know that. When I first sensed his awakening, his thoughts were troubled. We rushed as fast as we could halfway around the world to rescue him."
"What's an awakening?" Mikel asked, only to earn him a glare from Darion for asking such a thing. "Well do you know?" he asked the old man.
Joren lifted a hand, "There is much to explain, and much to catch up on," he said. However, he did explain what an awakening was. Apparently, this was when Icenian children, usually much younger than Maxim, become one with their powers. As the young elementalist had been forced to grow up in a foreign environment, with no one to guide him they had just remained suppressed for all this time. Only when his mind had been attacked, Joren used for want of a better word, had Maxim discovered them. "Only once they had
come to the fore did I sense them. You can only imagine the shock I got when I did," he added.
"Probably something like Max feels now," Zack added walking over and placing a comforting arm around his friend's shoulder. Joren nodded, "Of course...You will have to excuse me...I had always presumed my son dead...Seeing him now," he said with the emotion starting to creep into his voice. Despite it all sounding so surreal Maxim knew that everything Joren had spoken to be true. His father, whom he had never known, was stood right in front of him, as so many questions ran through his mind.
With a wave of his hand, Joren signalled for his colleagues, still stood in line behind to remove their hoods. Mikel was surprised to see some of that number was made up of women, although all of them had the distinctive red hair like Maxim. "You have women...," he uttered looking over to see if anything one particular caught his eye. Joren chuckled, "Yes we have women, just like you..."
"Mikel," Maxim said letting his father know the name of his friend.
"No I meant you have women soldiers..." Mikel added realising his earlier sentence had made him look possibly more foolish than usual.