In Defence of the Crown (The Aielund Saga Book 2)

by Stephen L. Nowland

  “Get going, Sir Godfrey is a busy man,” the mysterious spy prompted, and Aiden didn’t hesitate any longer, making his way out the door and heading towards the castle at a brisk pace. The snowfall had eased off in the past hour, but it was still falling steadily and Aiden’s longcoat had several holes in it from his meeting with Thomas Bartlett’s sword.

  Upon reaching the castle he was forced to wait in the cold weather however, as a royal carriage thundered across the bridge accompanied by half a dozen mounted guards in heavy armour. Aiden caught a glimpse of someone with blond hair and fair features sitting in the back of the carriage, but it might have been his imagination.

  Aiden made his way past the castle guards, who waved him through at a glance. His arrival had apparently been expected, and within a minute he was within the sheltered walls of the keep. They kept out the worst elements of the weather, but it was still very cold inside.

  “Mister Wainwright, it is a pleasure to see you again,” announced the castellan, striding forward to offer his hand in greeting.

  “Good afternoon, Castellan,” Aiden replied, shaking his hand and keeping his mouth shut about his observation. “I believe Sir Godfrey requested my presence?”

  “Indeed he has sir, and I shall take you to him forthwith. I must say, we have heard many tales of your exploits over the past few days and I am astonished with your accomplishments. Tracking down that scoundrel Holister was a masterstroke, both for the Crown and for your own reputation.”

  “My reputation?” Aiden asked as the castellan ushered him towards a pair of doors.

  “There were many here in the royal court who doubted your capabilities, and those of your comrades,” he continued. “I must confess, I was one of them, but the princess was most vocal as to your talents, and so we gave you the benefit of the doubt. Please understand your lack of training or experience in this area was most troubling for us.”

  “To be fair,” Aiden pointed out, “one of our number has some old contacts in the criminal world, and it was he who led us on the trail that brought us results.”

  “Well, in any case, your people have certainly risen to the occasion, sir,” the castellan offered.

  “Don’t celebrate just yet,” Aiden cautioned. “We still haven’t found out who the people behind all of this are, and some of Holister’s associates got away.”

  “I’m sure Sir Godfrey’s assistance will help expedite matters.”

  “Oh, speaking of Criosa, how has she been of late?” Aiden inquired as they stood before the large oaken doors.

  “Sullen, and frankly a little frightened by the prospect of being hunted like this, though she does a masterful job of hiding her feelings,” the castellan explained fondly. “Criosa was always quite spirited, and doesn’t take well to being cooped up indoors all the time, which I think was behind her decision to speak before the Senate this afternoon. Any excuse to get out of the house, wot?”

  “Wait, was she in that carriage I passed on the way in?” Aiden asked, suddenly concerned.

  “Yes, but rest assured, she is well protected,” the castellan said.

  “Why is she speaking to the Senate?”

  “The current bill the chamber is discussing involves the war, and our place within it,” he confided delicately. “There is a movement to cut His Majesty off from the royal treasury due to the lack of consultation with the government prior to declaring war. I suspect that businessmen with interests in the Tulsone market are outraged at losing money from trade and pushed for the discussion to happen, but surprisingly it seems to have caught on with most of the other Senators. Whether or not it passes is now down to a handful of others, so Criosa went to speak before them to beg for the bill to be discarded, so as not to abandon her father in the middle of enemy territory.”

  “I had no idea there was such opposition,” Aiden breathed, remembering what he had learned about the real reasons for the war, and realising that secrecy was undermining support from the King’s allies at home.

  “There has been growing dissent from the nobility in the capital ever since hostilities began,” the castellan confided, “and at times it has bordered on treason. But it is not my place to speak of such things - I am merely a servant of Aielund. Now, Sir Godfrey is awaiting your presence.”

  The conversation ended abruptly as he stepped into the royal court, and Aiden had no choice but to put aside his myriad questions and follow the castellan in. Sir Godfrey was resplendent in his plate armour as he talked quietly to the familiar figure of Mister Kinsey, who stood leaning on his cane in the centre of the plush carpet that led up to the empty throne.

  “Ah, the erstwhile Aiden Wainwright returns,” Sir Godfrey greeted him as Kinsey watched casually. “Sterling work you and your companions have achieved thus far, sir, though I do find the information you have uncovered to be unsettling to say the least. There are matters that require my time elsewhere, so I must needs be brief, but I wished to impress upon you the gravity of your request.”

  “Do you have a problem with investigating the Senator?” Aiden asked.

  “In the manner in which this is going to take place, yes,” the knight replied stiffly. “This is highly irregular, though Kinsey has been most persuasive as to the reasons for the covert nature of this investigation. To put it bluntly, the capture of Holister has shown me that you are a capable young man and have our best interests at heart so I am permitting this to proceed, though we will all be at considerable risk should you decide to go ahead.”

  “If you believe Johnson is a threat, there should be no question that this action is necessary,” Aiden remarked.

  “Should you be unable to find anything incriminating on his property, upon his return from the Senate, Augustus will learn from his staff that you obtained the key from Sir Godfrey, and will be outraged.”

  “You may face prosecution,” the knight added grimly, “and the duke will have no choice but to expel me from the Order of Aielund for allowing this transgression to happen.”

  “Prosecution?” Aiden asked faintly, not thrilled with the sound of that word.

  “The Senator is a powerful man, Aiden,” Kinsey explained. “If you fail to find evidence against him, he will destroy you, and your companions will face a similar fate.”

  “So I implore you to think carefully before moving ahead with this,” Sir Godfrey pressed. “Once you open the door to that house, there is no turning back.” Aiden was silent as he contemplated everything he had learned, and the price for being wrong. His measure of Thomas’s character came into question, but his death only served to underscore the value of the information.

  “I’m not wrong,” Aiden stated. “Johnson is part of it, and that house is the perfect place to hide incriminating evidence. If he turns out to be innocent, we’ll deal with that when it happens. But it won’t, because I’m not wrong.”

  “You are a man of conviction. Rare in one so young,” Sir Godfrey observed, locking eyes with Aiden for a long moment. He pulled a small silver key out of his tunic and solemnly handed it over. “One last question - Mister Kinsey informed me that the note you found in Thomas Bartlett’s property mentioned something about assaulting the Senate. Princess Criosa has just left to address them personally, and I would ask if these people truly intend to follow through on that.”

  “The note was fake, Sir Godfrey,” Aiden assured him. “Its purpose was to implicate Thomas, so I think it is safe to assume that everything in it was a fabrication.”

  “I sent along half a dozen royal guardsmen with the carriage as a precautionary measure,” the castellan said. “Unless these blaggards have more than a dozen men at their disposal, they will find themselves hard-pressed if they choose to attack.”

  “Very well,” Sir Godfrey nodded, satisfied with the report. “Good fortune to you, Aiden, and may you find what you are looking for, for all our sakes.”

  “I will see you in an hour or two,” Aiden told them firmly, “with the evidence you need to end this cons
piracy once and for all.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  When Aiden returned to the Fair Maiden, he saw Ronan had gathered the others together at a pair of tables on the far wall. Sensing time was of the essence, he caught their attention and gestured for them to follow him outside. The entire group was fully equipped, and Aiden was pleased to see Valennia wore a fine steel breastplate under her heavy cloak, the front of which appeared to have been hammered outwards to better accommodate her physique.

  On her head was an imposing helm with a flat visor that could slide down to cover her face during a fight. Her great axe had been sharpened and its edge gleamed in the cold light of day. People turned to stare at the heavily armed woman standing proudly in their midst.

  “Did the city watch give you any trouble, Val?” Aiden asked.

  “The corrupt warriors of this city stood at a distance and watched me pass, but did not challenge me directly,” she replied confidently. “If they took issue with my imposing visage, they chose not to act, like the cowards they are.”

  “I have no idea if we’re going to be allowed into the Senate District, looking like this,” Aiden muttered to himself as he looked over his companions, many of whom had discarded subtlety in favour of heavy equipment.

  “Okay we’re heading north, but let’s try and be discreet about it,” Aiden instructed, leading them around the nearest corner and up a narrow alleyway beside the inn. “I still have the authority of the duke, but I don’t particularly want anyone to know where we are moving, or why.”

  “What exactly are we doing?” Maggie asked, walking double-time to keep up with the rest of them.

  “We’re paying a visit to our good friend, Senator Johnson,” Aiden replied with a wink. “I think he’s still tied up at the senate in some important meeting, but we should take advantage of the situation and make ourselves at home, if you know what I mean.”

  “We are taking his house for ourselves?” Valennia asked obtusely. “I prefer to vanquish our enemies before taking their land, but if this is your custom…”

  “Yes, it is,” Aiden answered curtly, wishing she wasn’t quite so ‘challenged’. “Ronan, is there any way past the guard post on the gate without being seen? And I want an answer other than ‘the sewers’.”

  “Okay then, how about ‘ye aqueducts’?” the sailor quipped, followed by groans from everyone nearby. “Hey, if you want to go where nobody will follow, you can’t beat a river of shit.”

  “Fine, if there’s no other way…”

  “Nope,” Ronan shrugged. Aiden reluctantly let him take the lead, and within minutes they were climbing through a sewer grate, down a ladder into the turgid darkness. Once he had climbed to the bottom, Aiden and Sayana summoned their lights to show the way.

  “Are you sure you know which house to head for?” Aiden asked as they waited for the last of their group to climb down. The smell was as bad as ever, although he tried his best to ignore it.

  “Yeah, it’s the First King’s estate,” he answered, as if it should be obvious.

  “I heard it’s a heritage building, but does that mean it was Alaric the First’s house?” Aiden inquired, always interested in history.

  “I’ll field this one,” Sir William offered, leaving Ronan free to lead them through the dark tunnels. “Fairloch was always planned to be the capital of the Kingdom, but construction was going to take a considerable amount of time so the King had a more modestly sized estate built, to act as his court until such time as the castle was finished. It took twelve years, in case you were wondering.”

  “I was, thanks,” Aiden responded. “What happened to it after the King eventually moved out?”

  “He handed it over to the most loyal of his Lords, the Earl of Kingswood,” Sir William continued, seeming to take great pleasure in educating them about the city’s early days. “Since then, it has always remained with the same family, as the sons and daughters of that Earl have always felt it was their duty to continue serving the Kingdom.”

  “Was it the Johnson family?” Nellise asked, walking alongside her new best friend.

  “It was, and still is,” the knight replied soberly. “If that trust has been abused by the senator, his entire family will be disgraced. I will personally see to it that he rots in prison for the rest of his days, though it would be a small penalty compared to the scandal that would erupt within the nobility. It would certainly play into the hands of the Lords, who want nothing better than to see this whole Senate experiment cast aside and the House of Lords reinstated as the sole governmental body within the realm.”

  “I don’t get it,” Pacian remarked bluntly.

  “Over ten years ago, the King heard news from the southern land of Lyden that they had thrown off the shackles of slavery long ago and set up their own government, where officials are chosen through a voting system from prominent citizens, instead of hereditary nobility,” Sir William answered, more than happy to continue speaking.

  “The King seemed rather taken by this idea, and moved to supplant the sitting Lords in the same fashion,” Sir William continued. “It took him some time to convince enough of them that it was for the benefit of the nation, and in the end some compromises had to be made. Now, the senators are indeed elected by obtaining the most votes, but only the nobility - as well as certain influential merchants – are permitted to vote. As such, very little has changed in the Kingdom since, a fact which did not sit well with His Majesty.”

  He was interrupted by a signal from Ronan, indicating that they should keep quiet. Aiden immediately tensed, unsure what the problem was, but then saw the sailor move over to a ladder leading to the surface. A pile of snow had built up at the foot of the ladder, having fallen through the grate above.

  Ronan climbed the ladder as quietly as he could, and paused to listen through the grating. Aiden was doubtful he could hear anything at all, given the sound of the rushing waters at their feet, but nevertheless, the sailor seemed satisfied with whatever he’d heard and carefully opened the grate.

  Aiden gestured for Pacian to go next. The two of them disappeared for a few moments before Pace waved the rest of them up. By the time they’d all exited the sewer, the sun was starting to set in the west and young people were moving through the streets, lighting lanterns for the evening.

  They were in a narrow alleyway between two very large buildings, though it was far tidier than the lane they’d entered into the sewers from - a strong indication they were in the wealthier part of the city.

  “We’re about ten minutes from the estate,” Ronan breathed softly, mindful of his voice carrying in the cold air. “It’s not far from the senate building, though, so there are going to be more guards in that area. This is about as close as I can get us via the sewers, so if we run into any guards, you’ll have to deal with them.”

  “I’ll hang back and make a diversion if we need it,” Pacian advised. “Nel, if you can scream really loud, that’d be a huge help.”

  “I suppose I can muster a convincing scream if need be,” she answered hesitantly.

  “Whatever works,” Aiden concurred. “Lead us to the estate and I’ll get us inside,” he instructed Ronan, who nodded and proceeded to lead them through a winding series of alleyways, avoiding the main streets as much as possible.

  Despite their earlier precautions, the number of City Watchmen in the area seemed to be minimal, and Ronan had no trouble guiding them around the few he spotted. True to his word, within a few minutes the sailor brought them to a large, spacious-looking building amongst elaborate gardens. The property was surrounded by a formidable looking barred fence, with delicate runes inscribed into the metal.

  “That’s it,” Ronan stated simply as they peered around the corner of the alleyway they stood in. “Not a guard in sight – maybe the security on this place really is as good as I’ve heard and they don’t bother watching it?”

  “Either that, or they’ve been pulled away to another location for some reason,” Aiden muse
d, recalling the young lad who had provided a distraction for them earlier that day. “Maybe our friend Kinsey is giving us a hand by keeping the Watch busy. Either way, we’re clear to move in.”

  Without any further hesitation, Aiden walked out of the alley and across the street, heading straight for the front gate. He retrieved the enchanted key from his tunic and looked carefully at the gate for signs of the lock.

  “Where’s the bloody lock?” he whispered to Pacian, who had followed a few steps behind his friend.

  “It’s a magic key isn’t it?” Pacian whispered back. “Make it work or something.” Cursing to himself, Aiden looked closely at the key and saw that it was inscribed with runes, very similar to the ones on the gate. There was nothing specific he could translate from the arcane carvings related to opening, and no mentions of a spoken word of command either. Aiden stared at the gate, his mind racing as he sought to unravel this strange mechanism.

  “Didn’t they tell you how to open it?” Pacian hissed, growing impatient, glancing around to make sure they weren’t being observed. Ronan came over to watch, though he kept silent.

  “It must have slipped his mind,” Aiden surmised. “Either Godfrey is losing his marbles, or…” On a hunch, he held the key close to the gate, and the outline of a glowing keyhole appeared in the metal.

  “Oh, that’s clever,” Ronan remarked in admiration. “I always wanted to know how to get past this bloody gate. You can’t even see the lock if you don’t have the key, so nothing’s getting through it short of a battering ram.” Aiden inserted the key into the lock and turned it, relieved when the gate swung silently open on well-oiled hinges.

  He led his companions in single file through the gate, and walked cautiously through the snow-covered gardens. They were picturesque, but the beauty was mostly lost on the tense group of people passing through. Upon closer inspection, the house itself was very old, and was built in a squared-off style with small windows, archaic compared to more modern buildings like the Fair Maiden Inn. The front door was a large, over-designed affair with gold fluting and more engraved runes around the outer edge. Just like the front gate, it was missing an obvious lock.