by Rick Brown
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said with a half bow. I wasn't sure how two kings met, but it felt right.
"With your permission, King Eberon, I would like to invite these men into your conference room to discuss this conspiracy." I was glad someone knew what to do. I nodded to him and walked into the room. The room had a long table with chairs embroidered in Alsselyian blue. The Chamberlain came up behind me and guided me to the front of the conference table. "In these rooms, you are in Alsselya, Your Majesty. The seat of honor is yours." I nodded gratefully. I felt completely overwhelmed.
King Kendrick took a seat across from me. The other men filled in-between. My friends found seats on the outside of the room. Ryan Albright joined them.
“My liege,” Lord Albright spoke to Kendrick. “It seems much has happened. Can you bring us up to date?”
“Of course. King Eberon, do you mind if I take the lead?”
"Please, King Kendrick. Feel free. I won't pretend to have a superior understanding on either of the subjects we need to address."
He nodded to me, "Very well then. I apologize for my candor in advance. King Eberon's arrival is a godsend on many levels. First is our specific trouble with Lord Hannen. Sentencing his loathsome son to prison will knock the foundation out of his house.
"Secondly, as Alsselya is our ally, and it now has a representative, we have a rationale for the invasion of Dommeran. That thorn has been in our side for too many years. Let it rest in someone else's for a while.
“Rest assured, King Eberon. While it may seem that I am only using you for political advantage, that advantage only exists if you are King of Alsselya. Not as a puppet to Vaelin. Our allies would never agree to that. You must be considered to have sovereign power.”
I nodded in understanding to what King Kendrick was telling me and truly I was thankful for it. “I thank you for your directness and can appreciate the politics. You will have my support on both of these issues.”
"Good," King Kendrick said with a smile. "Moving you to this suite has changed the game. By now word has spread that we are in here, but no one outside this room will know why. From this point forward you will be given all the rights of a king. Last night, a group of trusted servants were ordered to the administrative office to await reassignment. I consider these people above suspicion. Once we adjourn, they will be assigned to these rooms. You are a guest in my palace for as long as you need." I nodded my thanks.
“Now, about this conspiracy the good king told me about. Who can speak to it?” The king of Vaelin asked. Finally, I thought. I’ll find out what is in that ledger.
“I can, Your Majesty,” Answered Father Yagen. “These three young people sitting against the wall, and Alynon help me, my own king, performed a raid on a brothel in Coneer. The object of the raid was this ledger,” he said as he passed it to the king. “After deciphering it, the ledger clearing implicates many of the houses you consider troublesome as having illegal dealings with Dommeran. Probably with the intent of a coup of your reign.”
"Good gods," the king's Chamberlain said. "Does it implicate the house of Hannen?"
“Not directly, no,” Lord Albright answered.” But his wife’s house is prominent.”
“And we all know he run’s his wife’s estate,” added the king.
“Yes, but you would never be able to tie it to Hannen. The best you could do is revoke his wife’s families nobility,” said Stiven.
“And many other troublesome houses,” added the king as he flipped through the ledger. “And with the prosecution of his only heir and removal of his supporters, Hannen will be politically impotent.”
"Maybe," said the Chamberlain, "but we will need to build a support structure first. If we just declare these houses outlaws, then there's still a chance the coup could succeed. We need to make sure all the pieces are in place first."
The king sighed. "My politically savvy friend is correct. If we just announced this, it would be chaos. We will have to consolidate the loyal families first."
It was Lord Albright’s son Ryan that spoke next, “A ball.”
“What was that?” asked King Kendrick.
“A ball, my liege. In honor of King Eberon,” Ryan replied, a slight shake in his voice. “It will give you an opportunity to invite many nobles into town without being suspicious.”
Kendrick slapped his palm on the table. "He's right! It would be the perfect cover for bringing every distinguished noble to the city. I can even ignore some of the houses that are working against us! They would expect to be snubbed for a ball anyway. Albright, your youngest son is a genius!"
“That will take time my liege, we would need to give a minimum of two months notice for an event of that size,” Said the chamberlain thoughtfully.
“Then two months it is. It will give us the opportunity to talk to some of the local lords. No offense, King Eberon, but we can continue to use your introductions to society as a guise. I will take you on a tour of some of the local nobles and introduce you, all the while informing them of the conspiracy.
“Now, if you don’t mind me asking, how are the kingdom finances of Alsselya?”
I gave an embarrassed smile, "I believe the sum amount of the kingdom's wealth is about five gold coins."
“Yes, I thought that might be the case. Luckily, all kingdoms carry debts to each other. Merret, if you could have the accountants check the books and see what debts are due to Alsselya. Ignore their debts to us, for now. Also, while your suit is stunning, I think we need to expand your wardrobe. Merret, please also send a tailor to the kings quarters. This will be a gift from me.” I nodded in gratitude to the king.
“I think that covers what we needed this morning. If you don’t mind, my chamberlain and I will take the ledger for further review.”
This time Father Yagen spoke up, “It was always intended to be turned over to you, Your Majesty.”
"Excellent. Then my lords and I will wish you a good day. I will have your staff sent up shortly."
With that, all the Vaelin representatives rose and left the suite.
The rest of us stood and decided to explore the suite. We returned to the main room. There were a total of fifteen doors, one being the conference room. The door closest to the hall entrance looked like barracks with bunk beds. A total of twenty men could sleep in that room. It was obviously intended for the king's guard. The rest of the rooms were bedrooms. Three of which had offices between the bedroom and the main suite. Those must be for high-ranking visitors, including the king. When opening the door to the King's suite, there was first an administrator's room. It had a small desk and a sitting area. Connected to it was an office much like King Kendrick's, but not so grand. In it was a desk with two chairs in front. Along the walls were bookshelves filled with books. Father Yagen and Father Pild were most excited by that. From the office, there was another door leading to the king's bedroom. It was by far the grandest bed I had ever seen. It could comfortably sleep five people, and I had to wonder what my ancestors had been up to.
We returned to the main room and heard someone knocking at the door. Father Pild went and opened the door. In came five people wearing blue livery. In the lead was an older man. He was rather short and had gray hair. He stepped forward and bowed.
"My Liege, my name is Arthur. King Kendrick has come to us and asked that we, at least temporarily, become citizens of Alsselya. Each of these people has accepted. In doing so, we are now sworn to you. Please consider us your citizenry and expect from us as you would your own household."
I stepped forward. “I thank each of you, My Name is Lee Eberon. I am the king of Alsselya. Your services will be dearly appreciated. I have never had a household before. I hope this group will help refine me.”
"Sire, I was informed of the unique situation that has brought you to us. Two years ago, I retired as Chamberlain to the king so that Merret could be promoted. They are close in age and make a good team. Though to be honest, I have found retirement boring. I have many years
of experience in royal politics and offer you my services as Chamberlain if you would accept."
I felt the comforting warmth of the coin. Once again I was thankful that Alynon was aware of everything going on. If Arthur was acceptable to him, then he was acceptable to me. "Thank you, Arthur. By all means, I accept. I am only somewhat aware of the role a chamberlain plays. How about we find a comfortable place to sit and you can explain your duties to my friends and me." The largest grouping of seats was in the center of the room. I took a seat there, and the rest followed.
"First allow me to introduce everyone. This is Father Yagen and Father Pild," I said motioning to the priests. "Father Yagen is the head of the church of Alynon. These three people are Barad, Brianna, and Lenux. They are currently under the employ of the church, and they are my trusted friends."
Arthur nodded to each individually as I introduced them. “My name is Arthur Banning, retired Chamberlain to the king. It is my job to keep your household running. I also will assist with the kingdom’s accounts.”
“Well that part will be easy,” I said with a laugh. “The kingdoms accounts could fit in my pocket. Though King Kendrick did say he would review the accounts due to Alsselya when it fell and pay out what it could.”
“Did he now?” Arthur said with a smile. “Well, maybe I could assist with that. Those books and I are old friends.”
“That would be wonderful. I fear kingdom building may be expensive.”
“Indeed it is, Sire. Allow me to start organizing the staff. At least we will have these rooms in tiptop shape. We’ll see about the kingdom next.”
Chapter 19
(Lee)
That night I visited Alynon in my dreams again, or he visited me, I still wasn't sure how that works. I walked along a woodland path, but it was more than that. Through the trees stood towers. It seemed a marriage of people and nature. White spires could be seen peaking above the trees. The place was obviously populated, but I could see no one. I entered a small clearing around one of the towers. It was surrounded by a small garden. I went up to the door and knocked.
“They cannot hear you, not in this place.”
I turned to find Alynon standing down the trail from me. “Where are we?” I asked.
"We are in the Veluvian Mountains, and we are surrounded by the homes of the elves."
“Elves? I’ve never seen an elf before.”
"Few humans have. They live in peace here, or try to. They are much more in tune with the world than humans. They are also long-lived, so they can feel the damage being wrought by Gorath."
“I saw them in the mural in Ealinhart. It depicted them as our friends.”
“Indeed they were, and still are, ” Answered Alynon. “Good friends too. They were devastated by the loss of their ally. They also understand the balance this world requires. When the time comes, they will help.”
“Well,” I replied. “It seems to me we are doing very well. I am now the king of Alsselya, just as you wanted.”
“Pfft. You are king, but you have no kingdom yet. The world still tilts askew. Vaelin accepts us because Vaelin needs us. Even more than they yet realize.”
“They promised to check their books. That they would supply us with some working capital.”
“Yes, you need something to get by on, for now. Alsselya still has some wealth, outside of the debts owed it. I believe Kendrick will be generous. He see’s the need. He wants Alsselya back as a buffer between Vaelin and Dommeran.”
“Alsselya has wealth?” I asked, baffled. “Where?”
Alynon laughed. “Where is the fun in that? You’ll find out soon enough. A good leader must have patience.”
“Speaking of a good leader, where do we get people?”
“Many of the Alsselyian are still there. They are one with the land. Right now they struggle under the Dommerian tyranny. As far as your leaders, you will have to choose people you trust. There will be many that you meet along this path. Your friends for instance. Search out good people. Try to gather them around you.”
I nodded. “What is our next step?”
“You are already doing the right things. You must establish yourself in Vaelin. Help them resolve their Dommerian crisis. It is good Kendrick is using you as an excuse to visit his lords, because then you will meet them as well. They will be your trade partners in the future.
“Luckily, you make a good first impression. Tall, strong, and commanding, everything an Alsselyian king should be. Your exceptional training at the Fox guild has crafted a well-spoken, intelligent leader. You will draw people to you. And trust your new Chamberlain, Arthur. It took a lot of manipulation on my part to get him assigned to you. If anyone can help you rebuild our kingdom, it is he.”
“Yes, I took an instant liking to him, at least after you gave your blessing. Also, you mentioned the Fox guild. Maybe I should reach out to Max. He might have some people he can recommend.”
“Why not Max himself?” Alynon asked.
“Hire Max?”
“Hire the whole guild. You’ll have the beginnings of your army with a pre-made hierarchy.”
“I can’t even afford to hire myself right now. Even with whatever debt Kendrick repays, I can’t imagine being able to support that many people.”
“Max is Alsselyian. You may not know your background, but he knows his. He is a lord in Alsselya. Here he just runs a guild. Tell him he will be a lord again. In fact, promise him that he will be in charge of your army. I can’t think of a better general.”
I had to agree, Max has trained many of the best military men in Vaelin, at least those that are not Royals. "If we could get Max," Nodding as I thought, "that would be an incredible leap forward toward rebuilding Alsselya."
“Yes, but this is only the start. Even with Vaelin, you cannot push back Dommeran. You will need Spellion and Tiber as well. Still, one thing at a time, consolidate your base and build a trusted staff. Then everything else will play out for you.”
“Thank you, Alynon. Then I shall do so.”
"Also, you need to continue working on your magic. Your energy is versatile. Test it. Try different things. I can continue to teach you techniques, but I want you to try things on your own. In Alsselya, they used to teach not to be too dependent on it. Their youth would use magic to the exclusion of all else. I'm having the exact opposite issue with you. You can do so much with it. Right now you burn too much energy even doing small things. You can learn to be more economical with it. Also, it can be like a muscle. Build it with use."
"I wasn't aware of that. Up to now, I've been using it to validate my inheritance. In that case, I shall work on my endurance."
“Excellent,” Alynon said with a smile. “Then I shall release you to do so.”
With that, I was back in my giant bed. I hope one day I am comfortable sleeping in a bed like this, but after a lifetime of cots and dirt, this monstrosity was just too soft. I slid myself to the side and off of the bed. Looking out the window it was almost dawn. Might as well start the day. I got dressed and went out to the office. Grabbing some ink and quill, I penned a letter to Max offering a generous opportunity to him and the guild. I made it clear that I was writing from the palace itself and left it at that. If I told him I was King of Alsselya in the letter, he would have thought I'd gone daft and thrown it away. Hopefully, his faith in me would be enough for him to make the trip to Vennean. I penned a second letter to Lord Albright and his son Ryan requesting that they visit. I sealed and signed the letters, again leaving my new title off the letter to Max.
I stepped out into the main room to find the priests and Arthur already up and sitting around our breakfast table. The priests had returned to their own suite last night, Barad, Bri, and Lenux stayed in the royal suite. They didn’t appear to be up yet. I walked over and joined Arthur and the priests. As I sat one of the staff brought some coffee. I could get used to this privilege.
“Arthur,” I said after my first sip. “I have two letters I wish to have sent out. Ho
w do I go about getting them delivered?”
"Easily Sire. You hand them to me. Also, in the future, you can simply tell me what you wish sent out, and I can write it for you. It's quicker for you, and it's helpful for me to stay informed. May I ask what is in the missives?"
“Yes, One is to Lord Albright and his son Ryan. I would like to set up a meeting with them. The Second one involves Max, the leader of the Fox guild. I didn’t say so in the message, but I would like to discuss bringing him on as our military expert.”
Father Yagen looked impressed. “To hire Max from the guild would be amazing, but difficult. Others have tried before.”
I smiled in response, “Maybe I know things they don’t.”
“Then I will get that letter out today. As for Lord Albright, he is in the palace most days. If you don’t mind, why don’t we change it to a dinner invite for he and his son. If he accepts we could have it ready for tonight.”
“Yes, that would be excellent. How do we arrange that?”
"I'll take care of it," Arthur replied.
“I’d better be careful,” I said smiling. “This may go to my head.”
“Kings need big egos. It’s an important defense against those that would hurt them.” Arthur replied.
As we sat and talked Barad, Brianna and Lenux started joining us from their rooms. The staff delivered our breakfast once everyone was there. It was nothing like what we were used to. There were eggs, bacon, and pastries of all types.
Barad looked up from his breakfast. “I knew putting up with you all those years would pay off eventually.” He laughed.
“And I’ll expect you’ll be doing so for many years to come. We have a kingdom to build after all.” I said with a smile. “Arthur, my friends and I are used to a morning workout. Can arrangements be made for access to the training grounds?”
"Yes Sire, I'm sure that can be arranged. I'll send a message now, and while doing that I'll make sure your other missives are sent." With that, he rose from breakfast and went to work.