The Tales of Asedith- Loyalty to the Crown

by Donald Davis

  “Of course, your grace. First off, let me congratulate you once more for winning the vote. I’m sure you must be thrilled, and I wish the best of luck to you.” Braden nodded and Joshua continued. “Your grace, I just can’t help but wonder where this leaves me and my family. Since we are no longer in power, we’re going to have to find something else to help provide for us. So, I was wondering if maybe there was some sort of position that you know of or some other job that would be available for me or my family?”

  Braden nodded. “I see. I thought you would be put in a position like this. Well unfortunately, all of my advisors and personal council have been chosen.” Joshua nodded and lowered his head, starting to give up hope. Braden then continued. “However, I do have something in mind for you.” Braden stood up. “Joshua Bracken, you will serve as one of my personal knights. You will go throughout the kingdom dispersing the king’s justice by helping those in need, and occasionally serving me with personal matters.” Joshua was surprised. “I… don’t know what to say, your grace. I appreciate the offer, but that would require me to travel quite a lot. I wouldn’t be in Roseshire with my family all that often. I just don’t know.” Braden spoke back up. “Joshua, you will be fine. By doing this, you’ll get to travel and dispense the king’s justice when need be. Also, your family will be looked after and receive free food and continue to stay within the castle walls at no cost of your own. I thought that you would want this position.” Joshua still looked unsure. “I don’t know. I am honored by the thought, but I feel like my place is here with my family.” Braden approached Joshua. “Trust me, everything will be fine.” The king then placed his hand on Joshua’s shoulder and smirked. “Besides, I’m not asking. This is a command.”

  Chapter 8: The King’s Knight

  “A… A knight?” Joshua didn’t know what to think. Being a knight was no easy task, but it was an honorable deed. Joshua heard of knights and stories of their bravery and valor. But, a knight for the king? That was something else. As a king’s knight, it would still be his duty to defend the weak from those who would harm, but it would also be his duty to personally serve the king if he were to have specific duties for him to accomplish.

  Joshua was glad that he was able to get a good position for the benefit of his family, but he still didn’t feel very confident about it. He felt that he would do okay, but he didn’t want to be so far away from his family. It would be his duty to travel the kingdom to help those in need and to carry out the king’s justice. Not to mention that the position was also forced on him. Something still didn’t seem right to Joshua, but he tried to look through it for now. Perhaps Braden just wanted to help after all, and him ordering Joshua into the position of a knight was his way of looking out for his well being as well. Braden was a hard man to read.

  “Yes, a king’s knight!” Braden said. “This way you’ll get to put your battle experience to good use for the benefit of the kingdom. I’ll have someone to watch my back and help me out with issues that may arise, and your family will be well provided for in the meantime.” Joshua was still uneasy, but it didn’t sound like Braden was giving him much choice. Reluctantly, Joshua agreed. “Then I’d be honored, your grace.” The king smiled. “Splendid! I shall make the preparations right away. The sooner you swear the oaths, the better.” With a king’s knight, in particular, it was the custom to make the newly anointed knight swear oaths for the kingdom and the king himself, to uphold honor in his duties. “Thank you,” Joshua said. “I shall tell my family at once.” Braden nodded. “Very well. We shall have your knighting ceremony tomorrow. Be in the courtyard at first light.”

  “Wait, you’re gonna be what?” Terra asked. “A king’s knight, mother,” Joshua explained. “You and Emilia shall be taken care of and provided for whether I’m here or not. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s probably our best option at the moment. You said it yourself, the coin that we have stored up will only last a few weeks at most.” Terra looked to the floor. “There has to be another way.” Joshua shrugged, “If there is, I’m all ears.” The room fell silent for a long time. Terra eventually sighed, “Alright, fine.” Emilia then spoke up, “Mother, don’t be so cold to Joshua. You know that he’s doing this for us, right?” She then turned and looked at him. “Thank you, brother, from both of us. But please… Please be careful. For all of our sakes.” Joshua nodded, “Of course. And I do hope that you both will attend the ceremony tomorrow morning. Who knows, this could be the start of something good. Maybe this is what I was truly meant to do.” Emilia smiled, “Perhaps. Just be safe. I know that you’ll make our family proud. Thank you for doing this for us. It means so much.” Joshua smiled back and nodded. All he ever wanted to do was help his family prosper.

  At first light the next day, Joshua entered the courtyard of Roseshire. As he walked through the gate of the castle down to the courtyard, he could already see people gathered there. There wasn’t a large crowd, but Joshua could already spot the king with a few members from the city council. They had prepared a small staging area, where Braden, Joshua, and some of the council would carry out the ceremony. As Joshua approached the stage, he looked around the courtyard realizing that the Bracken banners had now been replaced by the Telvan banners. It made Joshua sad once again, but he quickly shook it off. He realized that he must move on, for the sake of him and his family.

  The ceremony itself wasn’t a huge affair, but it was vital. For once the ceremony was over, the newly pledged king’s knight would be bound to do the king’s bidding. After making introductions and explaining what oaths Joshua would be taking, the bulk of the ceremony was over. All that was left was for Joshua to accept his vows in front of the king. Elder Conayn from the city council stepped forward and faced Joshua in front of the crowd. Joshua kneeled. “Joshua,” he started. “Do you swear fealty to king Braden, that he is the true king to rule Asedith?”

  “I swear it,” Joshua agreed.

  “Do you accept the duty of a knight, to defend the weak when need be?”

  “I accept it.”

  “Do you possess the courage to travel the kingdom, to dispense the king’s justice to those who do wrong?”

  “I possess it.”

  “And do you accept to do the king’s bidding, that you may serve him and all of Asedith well?”

  Joshua looked up at the king and the elder. He was reluctant at first, but he knew that this was the best thing for him and his family. “I accept it.”

  Elder Conayn nodded. “Now rise, Joshua. Rise as ser Joshua Bracken, the king’s knight.” Joshua rose to his feet. The small crowd that was gathered there started to applaud for the role that Joshua accepted. It wasn’t often that someone was offered the position of a king’s knight. One with this position is usually one of much honor and bravery. Joshua looked out and saw his mother Terra and his sister Emilia out in the small crowd. They both smiled and added to the crowd’s cheer. It seemed as though they came around to the idea of Joshua being a king’s knight. Maybe they started to realize that it could be a good thing for the family.

  Joshua then looked over to the king and they embraced one another. “Congratulations, ser Joshua Bracken,” said king Braden. “Thank you, your grace,” Joshua responded. “It means a lot. I swear to serve Asedith to the best of my ability.” The king seemed satisfied. “Well, I should hope so! Make sure to spend the rest of the day to rest up and speak to your family if you must. You’re about to have a long journey ahead of you.” Joshua was confused, “I’m sorry, what do you mean, your grace?” The king looked back at Joshua, “Oh didn’t I mention? Later today you are headed to the city of Treadrock. Spend the next few hours however you will, but you leave before sundown.”

  Chapter 9: On the Road

  “Treadrock? Today? Your grace, that’s a long ride from Roseshire.” This took Joshua by surprise. Braden had never mentioned anything before the ceremony about him having to leave for Treadrock. It was even worse, considering that he would have to leave today.

&n
bsp; The king looked confused, “Yes, today. But you have until sundown to leave.The rest of the day is yours.” Joshua was irritated, “Yes your grace, but it’s going to take me at least until sundown to prepare for the journey. And I just got back from the war.” Braden looked at him, “Well Joshua, best get started then,” he started to walk away towards the castle and Joshua followed. “Easy Joshua,” the king continued. “You’ll be going to do surveillance on things. You know as well as I do that Treadrock is home… Pardon me, was home to house Sulvaine. We have to be thorough. We can't risk the possibility of there being more traitors to the crown. I ask you to please go to Treadrock and meet with the new leader of the city that your father appointed, Garron Trent, and speak to him of how the city has fared since his return. Everyone needs to be loyal to the crown. Everyone. And as a newly appointed king’s knight and son of the previous king, who better to check on the city’s progress than you?”

  They stopped walking and looked at each other as they reached the castle gate. Joshua was still a little irritated that the king had waited to tell him and had given him such short notice. However, what he was saying made sense. Joshua going to Treadrock, especially since he had briefly met Garron Trent before, would probably send a stronger message to him. And Braden was right, there had to be no doubt that all thoughts of rebellion in Treadrock were terminated. Besides, it’s not like Joshua could disobey the king now. He had already sworn the oaths and was thereby bound by loyalty. It’s the best thing for my family, Joshua thought. Joshua looked at the king. “Very well, your grace. I shall leave before sundown.”

  The king looked pleased, “Thank you, ser Joshua. This is much appreciated.” Joshua gave a slight bow before departing for his family’s quarters. Before he had gotten far away, the king shouted back to him, “Joshua! By the way, I need you to pick up a package for me while you’re in Treadrock. It will be sealed within a crate. It should be small and light enough to be carried on your horse. You can find it within the leadership hall there. Just ask Garron Trent when you come across him.” Before Joshua could even respond, Braden continued walking away and departed from Joshua’s sight into the main part of the castle.

  Joshua began to be irritated again. He could understand checking on the city, but why should he be the one to pick up a package? That sounded like something a servant would do. He tried to shrug it off. It was about to be a long journey, after all.

  Treadrock was a good two to three day ride from Roseshire if one headed straight to the city. Treadrock wasn’t quite as big or well known as Roseshire, but it was still one of the larger cities within Asedith. The territory of Treadrock was known to produce hardy and strong warriors. Joshua started to remember Blaire Sulvaine, who was born and raised within the city of Treadrock. Joshua could just remember the sheer size of the man and how strong he was. Even by Treadrock standards, Blaire was big and strong. However, Treadrock still produced some of the strongest warriors that Asedith had seen. Part of this was due to the ruggedness that the lands there contained. Within the territory of Treadrock, there were several mountains in the area, and the soil and overall environment were very dry. Perhaps the hard environment was part of the reason why Treadrock managed to provide such hardy warriors? Joshua wasn’t too sure. He was sure, however, that he was due to leave later that day.

  Joshua finally managed to retreat to his family’s quarters, where his sister and mother had not yet returned. He wasn’t sure where they were, but he didn’t have much time to ponder either. Joshua walked back to his quarters and started opening up containers. He made sure to pack things that he would need. He gathered a couple of sacks to fill with provisions for his journey, as well as canteens to fill with water. He also made sure to pack a bedroll that he would later tie down to his horse, just in case if he could not find an inn to rest at later on. Joshua was already wearing light chainmail that he wore to the knighting ceremony, so he would just wear that for the journey. It was just strong enough to protect him in small battles, and yet light enough to not be a hindrance in his mobility. And at last, Joshua gathered his sword and dagger that he would carry.

  Traveling throughout the kingdom, one could never fully expect what they would encounter, especially someone who was about to travel alone. Usually, it was recommended for people to travel in at least small groups of two or three. A king’s knight, however, would generally travel alone, since someone who normally received such an honorable position would be fierce and bold to begin with. The main exceptions to a king’s knight traveling alone would be either in times of war or on special occasions where the king himself would approve.

  As Joshua finished gathering materials for travel, he turned his head as he heard the door open to see his mother and sister entering the family quarters. Joshua sat down his belongings and turned to them, “Where have you two been?” he asked. His mother replied, “Once the ceremony was over, your sister and I were invited to join some of the king’s council to dine in the main dining hall of the castle. We thought that you would have been invited as well and expected to see you there.” Joshua’s sister Emilia started to notice what Joshua had been doing. “What’s all this?” she asked. Joshua wasn’t sure how to tell them the news. “I figured that you two had not heard the news yet. Apparently, I am to travel to Treadrock, departing later today before sundown.” Terra and Emilia were taken aback, “What, already? Whatever for?” Emilia asked. Joshua took the next few minutes explaining the details of his journey and the reasoning for traveling to Treadrock.

  Terra looked unsure. “Sounds to me like the king is going to use you for a lot of leg work.” Joshua tried to explain things to her. “You see, I thought so too, mother. But he truly does have a point. Me going would probably send a better message. I’m also the only one of authority here that has actually met Garron Trent. He seems like a nice enough man, and Treadrock is only a few days away at the most. Me traveling by myself, I can probably make it in two.” Joshua could see the worry in their eyes, especially since he had just gotten back from war. He tried to calm them, “Look, I’ll be back before you know it. It’s just a simple surveillance mission. All I’m doing is running basic reconnaissance and making sure that everyone has settled back into Treadrock now that they have a new leader. This isn’t war. If everything goes well, I’ll be back within the week.”

  Terra and Emilia still seemed a little uneasy about him leaving so soon. Something just didn’t feel right about it, but as Joshua told them before, he had already sworn the oaths. They both looked at each other, knowing that the best thing that they could do for him at this point was to support him and try to make him feel as if they wouldn’t worry while he was gone. Emilia then turned towards Joshua. She smiled, “Don’t worry, we’ll be okay. Thank you again for everything, it’s an honorable thing to do.” Terra then looked at her son, still trying to keep a brave face. It felt that it was just the other day when her son was a young boy running around the castle with a wooden sword, dreaming of the day he would leave with a real one. “Yes son, thank you for everything. We will be hoping and praying for your safe return.” Joshua nodded and smiled, feeling better since they were better themselves. Perhaps he was the one that needed convincing of everything.

  Joshua told his family one last goodbye as he carried his supplies outside of the castle walls, into the courtyard. His sister and mother watched and waved at him as he slowly walked out of sight. Joshua then exited the city gates, excited for the adventure, yet dreaded leaving the city so soon. Once he departed from the gates, the Roseshire stables weren’t far. He walked over to them and saddled up his horse. Once he had saddled his horse and tied down his bedroll and other supplies, Joshua mounted his horse and departed Roseshire.

  After a few hours after leaving Roseshire, Joshua was already making good time, as it was just getting to be sundown. He had left early and since it was just him riding, he was making quick work of the trip. For most of the trip so far, he galloped at whatever speed he pleased, since he had no on
e following him. Joshua realized that sundown was upon him, and soon it would be dark. He had then decided that he would be stopping soon, be it at an inn, or off the trail in his bedroll. Before he had much time to think about it, Joshua saw something just up the road. There was an old wooden building on a small hill just off the road. Perhaps an inn? There was also something sitting on the road. Joshua couldn’t make out what it was, but as he got closer, he realized that it was a wagon sitting at the end of the small path leading to the old building. Joshua didn’t see anybody at first, but then heard shouting and some sort of commotion coming from the other side of the wagon. Joshua and his horse sped up, trying to get to the wagon to assess the situation.

  When Joshua got to the wagon and rounded to the other side, he saw two people struggling. One was an older man, who was mostly bald but had plenty of grey hair on the sides of his head. The other was a middle-aged man with black hair, who wore a worn-out cloak with faded yellow colors. With one hand, the man was grabbing the older man by his tunic. With his other hand, the man was holding a dagger to the old man’s throat. They both quickly looked at Joshua as he rounded the corner. “Help, help me!” the old man shouted. Joshua quickly drew his sword, remembering the oaths that he swore earlier that day. He looked at the middle-aged man saying, “Let the man go. I am ser Joshua Bracken, an appointed king’s knight. If you do not release the man right now, you will face the king’s justice.”

  The man smirked and continued looking at Joshua. “To hell with your king,” the man said. He then brought his hand back, about to stab the older man. Before he could, however, Joshua quickly jumped off of his horse and tackled the man to the ground. It was the only way to stop him in time. Joshua quickly picked up the dagger that the man had dropped and brought it up to the man’s throat. “Stop this madness,” he said. The man wouldn’t stop though, as he quickly reached down to his belt and pulled out a second dagger that he had tucked away. Joshua realized it right before the man tried to stab him and dodged the blow. Joshua mostly avoided the blade, but the man did manage to graze him slightly. Luckily, most of the dagger was caught by the chainmail.