As the room returned to quiet Tristan spoke. ‘Some today have asked, why I have come before you dressed as I am. Surely a king could afford a change of clothes.’
There were a few chuckles throughout the crowd as Tristan continued. ‘This armour is the ancestral armour of the Listar. For generations my family has worn it as they have served Valaar. I have worn it in the same cause, in your cause, as I have fought and bled for you… even in this very room.’
Clearing his throat the young king continued, ‘It represents today a covenant between you and I. With the Allfather as I my witness I swear I will protect this people as it has protected me. Whether it is in court or on a battlefield yet distant I will give my very life if need be, for the freedom of this people as my father Marcus did before me.
I am told that our struggles here are but a beginning. That the future holds great turmoil and strife. Indeed, such may be so...but today we are free and that ought to be reason enough for a celebration.
As my first act as your king, I decree that it be so. Today begins a Feast the likes of which you have never before beheld and tomorrow...tomorrow we rebuild our city and reclaim our future.
Epilogue
Far from the Capitol...
The black hooded figure slipped quietly through the shadowy streets of Mizumura. The darkness was an ally. A sleek shape flitted quickly from shadow to shadow, unwilling to be caught in the street for more than a few moments. The figure lithely avoided the town guards as they made their rotations.
Lady Hitomi of the Mizumura was seething. She had spent days walking and riding cross country as she fled Belnair and the sorcerer’s wrath. She had expected to return to the comforts of her family’s palatial residence only to be informed that Gerwold had failed and her father was even now rotting in a prison in King’s Court. The news had stung, but not nearly as much as the betrayal of her own guards as they attempted to arrest her for treason.
Offering her wrists for the shackles, the guards had let their guard down. From within her sleeves she’d drawn a pair of daggers and before the guards could react, the four of them were on the ground, bleeding out in the palace entryway and the heir of the Mizumura had taken off into the night.
Now she made her way patiently down to the lakes edge. At a small pier, at the edge of town, she found what she was seeking. An old man sat fishing in a small boat at the end of one of the wooden piers. Moving quickly, Hitomi made her way down the pier and stepped into the boat.
The frail figure turned as the boat rocked. The old hunched figure stared at her with sightless eyes. ‘Why do you trouble me at this hour?’
‘I seek safe passage. Will you aid me?’
‘Aid you where, madam? This leaky dinghy couldn’t cross the lake in the broad light of day. I’ll not chance a night crossing.’
‘I do not wish to cross the lake,’ Hitomi responded.
The man’s voice changed, no longer carrying the same aged and rasping tones as he continued, ‘Then where is it you wish to go?’
In response, Hitomi pulled two gold coins from her robe and handed them to the boatman. The blind man held them up and turned them over in his hands feeling the impressions on the coin’s surface. With a flourish, the old man tucked the coins into his robe and put down his fishing rod. Reaching out, he took the oars and began rowing.
The moments passed silently as the blind fisherman rowed his way along the edge of mountain that framed the western bank of the lake. As it reached a rocky promontory, the blind guide ceased paddling. Lady Hitomi stood up and cast off her cloak, and throwing a quick glance at her guide, she began to strip down to her undergarments.
The old man broke the silence, ‘You seek the passage from whence none return. Do you not fear death?’
A sinister expression broke across her face as she responded, ‘Why would I? I am his mistress.’ Without another word, the Lady of the Mizumura plunged into the inky darkness of the water.
The old man picked up his oars and began the long row back to shore.
Beneath the surface Hitomi plunged through the water with long steady strokes of her arms. The deeper she went the darker it got. The weight of the water pressed against her as she swam onwards. After a minute of diving through the shadowy depths of the lake, Hitomi began to run out of air. Fighting the urge to return to the surface she swam onwards.
Swimming under a rocky overhang, light began to filter through the water. The shaft of light was coming from a narrow passageway leading up into the mountain. Passing the point of no return, Hitomi swam onwards and upwards, her lungs burning from the exertion. After another few agonising seconds, she broke the surface.
Drawing in a long deep breath, Hitomi looked about her surroundings. She was in a small well-built ante chamber and before her a hooded man was kneeling, his outstretched arms holding a black robe that matched his own. Hitomi threw the robe quickly over her head and shoulders. The large badge across its chest struck fear and terror into all who beheld it. It was the motif of the Shadow Stalkers of Valaar, often the last thing a victim would see as they slipped from this world into death’s embrace.
The kneeling figure spoke in reverent tones, ‘Welcome home, Milady. We have been expecting you.’
About the Author
I am a twenty-seven-year old tax and business consultant from Brisbane Australia. A Coronation of Kings is my first published novel. It was a thrill for me to write I hope you enjoyed it too. I grew up reading from many amazing authors, Tolkien, Feist, Clancy and others.
Each of them spun tales that filled you with wonder and awe as you imagine the world they vividly crafted with each carefully selected word. They are incredible masterpieces that have thrilled readers for decades. My hope is that I can add something new to the genre. Instead of a slow build up of an incredibly detailed plot, my goal is to write Fantasy that takes place at breakneck speed, where the action literally never stops. Instead of dictating every single detail, I’ve tried to paint a world with broad brush strokes between which your imagination can run wild. As a result, it allows the action to take place at an unprecedented pace.
It’s my first published work; I expect that my literature (like everything in life) will improve with each novel. I hope you enjoyed your first taste of it.
Until next time!
Samuel C. Stokes
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