Last Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 2), page 3
Marik quickly moved through the streets, winding his way up towards the castle. Soon, the streets became less crowded and he was able to increase his pace.
When he reached the castle’s main gate, he found the portcullis raised, but the city guard still manned the entrance. They were dressed differently, now. Just half a season ago, they were the Royal Guard clad in their dark blue surcoats. You would also have seen knights in their own brightly colored garb with an embroidered family crest. But neither existed anymore. It was a change that still bothered him. The city guard didn’t wear chainmail, but wore only a thick leather undershirt. They wore a loose fitting dark red tunic over the top. Their weapons were short stabbing swords and not the more elegant longswords that were common with the Royal Guard or the heavy broadswords that the Knights commonly wore. They were less threatening in their appearance, which was intentional. He didn’t agree with it, but it wasn’t his decision to make.
He knew the two young men who were posted at the castle gate. They were former squires that had been on their way to knighthood. But now their duty post was to stand guard alongside every other noble or peasant soldier that desired to serve the queen. It felt odd, but he really couldn’t say it was wrong. For too long he had relied on his own bias towards men and boys of noble birth. Family lineage meant everything. But then there was Conner. The most common that a boy could be. But he had learned to fight like no man he had ever seen and in such a short time as well. He was the catalyst for all this change. Soldiers of Karmon now were of both noble blood and not. They all served the queen and the kingdom. They rose through the ranks through their effort and skill and not because of who their parents were.
He had been sure that the knights as a group were going to protest the change. But many of those that would have fought the change died in the short war with Thell. The knights who survived actually seemed to take it the best. It was really the squires that were the most difficult to manage. They had been brought up since birth being told they were better than the common people of the kingdom. And now they were simply soldiers of Karmon. Many had rebelled at first, having lost their birth-given prestige. But the knights who had fought and seen two kings die had a perspective that kept the needs of the kingdom higher than their own. It didn’t make for perfect relationships between all the soldiers, but it kept most of them in line.
Marik marched under the portcullis and began to head towards the stables when the two city guardsmen moved to block his path.
A momentary fit of anger overcame him and he snapped at the two guardsmen, “Stand aside!”
Neither moved and their hands fell to touch their short swords. “What is your business in the castle?”
Marik glanced up at the castle walls. Four bowman stood guard, bows strung and arrows in hand, but not nocked. He was sure that they knew he was, but he also knew that it didn’t matter. He was a soldier just as they were and they were only doing their duty.
“I have business with the queen,” Marik said coldly. “But first I am going to return my horse to the stables. I have been on a long ride and I am tired. Stand aside or be run over.”
Marik walked directly towards the stables shaking his head. The two guardsmen let him pass without further confrontation, but Marik was still thoroughly annoyed. He knew that the new order of his life was going to be difficult to adjust to. He was too used to being able to do what he needed to do without constantly being challenged. Maybe the privilege bestowed upon the knights was unfair, but they had many duties and responsibilities that needed to be dealt with without having to run everything by someone else.
There were two young stable boys that helped Marik take care of his horse. After the horse was fed and watered, Marik hustled out of the stables and to the castle. Rather than returning to the courtyard to be challenged again, Marik took the long way through the lower levels of the castle.
Two guardsmen stood at attention in front of the doorway leading to the royal apartments. They were dressed as all the other city guard, but they held long halberds instead of the short swords.
“I am here to see Queen Elissa,” Marik said.
The older of the two guardsmen gave a slight nod to Marik and said, “The queen is not seeing anyone right now.”
“She will see me. Tell her it is Marik Brownbow.”
The elder guardsman shook his head. “Sorry. No one.”
“I have been riding for five straight days. I am tired. And I am tired of everyone telling me I can’t do what I am supposed to do!” His words slowly raised in tone until he was on the verge of shouting. “I have a message for the queen, and I will see her now!”
Marik took a step forward and the guardsmen lowered their halberds in a threatening matter. The door opened behind the guardsmen and Arpwin, the personal assistant to three kings and now a queen poked his head through the opening.
“What is this ruckus?” he asked. He looked at Marik and continued. “Marik! It is good that you have returned. You may enter.”
Without a hint of apology, the guardsmen raised their halberds and stepped away from the door to allow Marik to pass.
Arpwin stood in the center of the front room, a pleasant smile on his face. Marik took note of the new décor. Gone were the tapestries that depicted epic battles from Karmon’s history. In its place were long curtains, colorful, but plain. The furniture of the room was arranged for entertaining a number of guests, but were all centered around a wide couch that could have seated three large men. A deep purple blanket was draped over the back of it with an embroidery of the Thorndale family crest. It was where he expected Queen Elissa to be sitting. But she was not anywhere to be seen.
“How was Thell?” Arpwin asked.
Marik almost replied immediately, as if he were supposed to be answering to the Queen’s personal assistant. “Where is Queen Elissa?” Marik asked instead.
Arpwin waved his hand towards a closed set of double doors. “She is resting.”
Marik glanced out a nearby window which looked directly to the west. The sun was still far from dropping to the horizon. It was past midday. Even if the Queen had a busy morning, it was still too early for an afternoon nap.
“Then wake her,” Marik demanded. “I have news.”
Arpwin shook his head. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I shall pass it on to her. She is very weary and needs her sleep.”
“This is only for the Queen’s ears, not for you,” Marik retorted sharply.
Arpwin hesitated for only a moment before letting out a long sigh. He turned and opened the doors to the Queen’s bedchamber.
The curtains had been pulled closed, keeping most of the light of the day out. But as soon as the doors were opened, the curtains billowed out and parted, allowing sunlight to fill the room.
“Who is it?” A weak voice said from under the covers of thick blankets.
“It is Marik, your Majesty.”
The queen sat up, keeping the blankets pulled up to her chin. Her long, blonde hair was a tangled mess and her eyes were encircled by dark shadows.
“Are you okay?” Marik asked.
“I am just a bit sleepy,” Elissa replied.
“It is late in the day for sleeping. Perhaps you should retire at an earlier hour.”
Elissa looked at the windows. “I fell asleep as the sun was setting. What time is it now?”
“The sun is high in the sky.”
“Oh,” Elissa said, running a hand through her hair. “I must have slept in.”
“You are queen,” Marik said. “You have a kingdom to run.”
Elissa looked up at Marik with her large green eyes. Her lips were turned into a slight smile. Or maybe it was a grimace. It was then that Marik remembered just how young she was. She was a stunningly beautiful young woman. Old enough to marry and bear children, but too young for the pressure of running a kingdom. No wonder she was lying in bed, trying to hide from the world. Everyone was wanting something from her or for her to make a decision. Everyone was expecting her to be the leader of kingdom, to make decisions that would affect thousands of people. Some of them would be life or death decisions. And this young, sweet girl had lived her life in the shadows of her father, never having been taught the ways of kings and leaders.
For a moment Marik wondered if the kingdom would have been better off had King Neffenmark survived his one day as king. He might have been a scourge and an evil man, but he was a leader. He had kept his little section of the kingdom under firm rule for many years, and maybe he could have been that someone to keep Karmon from falling apart. But these thoughts were fleeting. As soon as he thought about the dead fat king, he remembered all the evil that he had inflicted on the kingdom. It was his plan, his treachery that had led them to where they were now. If he had not put plans in place, Thell and Karmon would still be enemies and King Thorndale would still be alive. And Elissa would still be just a princess.
But then he would never have met Conner. And Conner would never have changed the course of a kingdom. It was through his one act that saved Elissa’s life that put them where they were now. Peace. It was a crazy peace with a teenage queen and the disbandment of the fabled Karmon Knights. But it was peace nonetheless.
“I want to go for walk,” Queen Elissa said softly.
Marik heard the words, but did not acknowledge her. His news was too important and he had to discuss it right away. “Your Majesty,” Marik said with a slight bow of his head. “We have the treaty to discuss.”
“Treaty?” Elissa asked. “Should Lord Martin or Lord Kirwal be here?”
“You are queen.”
Elissa pulled her legs up to her chest and she wrapped her arms around her shins. Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes.
Marik took a fatherly step forward. Seeing the pain on her face pained him just as much. It took all his effort not to wrap her up in a hug to comfort her. She was queen. And he was not her father.
“Queen Elissa,” Marik said softly. “It will be okay…”
“I miss him.”
Marik smiled at the memory of her father. He had been a great king. Sometimes a flawed man, but he served the kingdom as well as any man could. “Your father was indeed a great man. We all miss him, but it is time to move on. You have been granted a gift of this kingdom, and even though you don’t know it yet, you will become a great queen. Your father provided you a great example of how to treat his people and lead this kingdom. Both Lord Martin and Lord Kirwal are fine men and they will help you in every way.”
“I didn’t mean my father,” Elissa said, the tears now drifting down her cheek.
“Oh,” Marik said. “I miss him, too.”
“You saw him off, did he really say he wasn’t coming back?”
Marik bowed his head, wondering how far he should carry the ruse. Or was it really an outright lie? “He knew the dangers of staying here,” Marik said carefully. “Having just killed Neffenmark, even as evil as he was, he was still the king. The Royal Guard would have strung him up and quartered him at first sight. Many knights would have, too. No one liked Neffenmark or the fact that he was king. But he was still king, and the kingdom comes first.”
“But he can come back, now! The knights are no more. The Royal Guard are no more. There is no reason for him to fear!”
Marik didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t know how he could tell her that the best thing for her was that Conner was not here. She needed to be queen and learn how to rule without the distraction of someone like Conner. A good friend, yes. But still a distraction. He couldn’t say the words, for he knew that Queen Elissa would have to figure it out on her own.
“He knows he can’t come back. Not right now,” Marik said.
Elissa sniffled loudly and rubbed the tears from her cheek. “Where is he now?”
“West,” Marik replied.
“He always wanted to go to the empire. Is he alone?”
“He has spent much of his life alone, I am sure he will be fine. He is safer where he is now than if he were here. Neffenmark’s men are still around and they would like nothing more than to see Conner dead. But enough about that! There is the treaty that needs to be discussed.”
Elissa glanced around the quiet room and asked again, “Should we not have the lords here?”
Marik took a seat on a nearby chair. “Soon. But not now. There is much to discuss first. Mostly because the treaty involves you most of all.”
“Oh?”
Marik cleared his throat. “Thell, like us, wishes peace. The squabbles that we’ve had over the years have been a true thorn in our sides. They have kept us from any sort of relationship whether it is trade or friendship.”
Marik had paused to make sure that Elissa was following his words. After a moment, Elissa said, “Go on.”
“They have raided our border villages, and we have done the same to them.”
Elissa’s eyes widened at that. She pursed her lips, but kept silent.
“They knew they could never match us on the battlefield.”
“Then why did they attack us?”
“Truthfully, we attacked them. We gathered an army and marched north to their kingdom. They were, however, waiting for us in ambush. The leader of their army, Prince Toknon, the king’s eldest son, knew where we would be and when.”
“Neffenmark?”
Marik nodded his head. “He knew your father well. He knew how to manipulate and how he would react. The invasion of Thell was something that Neffenmark plotted from the beginning.”
“He plotted with Thell? I thought my father was making peace with King Lorraine? That’s what Arpwin had told me.”
“Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Prince Toknon was in league with the Tarans. Neffenmark was in league with the Tarans, and neither knew it. And no one knew that your father had been in communication with King Lorraine. At least not until the end. When Neffenmark discovered that your father was communicating with Thell, he knew his chances of gaining the throne were falling apart. That was when he forced your father’s hand. He fooled him into believing that King Lorraine had backed out of their deal. And like I said, he knew how to manipulate your father. King Thorndale was a great king, but he was very prideful.”
“That is a silly way to start a war,” Elissa said with a snort.
Marik let out a hearty laugh. “Wars have been started for much sillier reasons! Pride and humiliation are the more common reasons for wars to start!”
“Men are just silly,” Elissa remarked. “What now? Is it all over?”
“There is a treaty that has been worked up. It is mostly the same as what your father and King Lorraine had agreed upon.”
“Mostly?”
“There is one provision that does concern you personally.”
“I won’t,” Elissa protested. Her eyes had narrowed and a fierce look crossed her face. “I will not do it.”
“You do not know what it is,” Marik said cautiously.
“You wish to bind the treaty through marriage, and I won’t do it. You tried that with me once, and it’s not going to happen a second time.”
“Your Majesty,” Marik said. “Our kingdoms sit on the edge of the Taran Empire. We are vulnerable to them. With losing the power of the knights, we are weak. But by joining with Thell, we will be stronger. The army that we could raise to repel a Taran assault would be doubled.”
Elissa shook her head strongly. “No.”
“The treaty is contingent upon it,” Marik said.
“Then change it.”
Marik chuckled. “I have been negotiating for weeks! It is truly in the best interest of the kingdom. And the prince is on his way here. In a few days, he will arrive expecting to take your hand in marriage.”
“And then he will be sorely disappointed. It is not going to happen.”
“They may choose to go to war instead. If they can’t have peace, they might just choose war.”
“Then we will go to war,” Elissa snapped back.
Marik smiled, seeing her father in her face, in her voice, and in her words. She looked exactly like her mother, but that was where the similarities ended. In all other ways, she was indeed her father’s daughter.
“You laugh at me?”
“It is what your father would say. And do.” Then Marik’s voice lowered and become solemn. “It is what happened when we last went to war. King Thorndale marched into battle with just the same attitude. We won on the battlefield, but we really lost. Too many men and boys did not come home. Do you really want to go to war?”
Elissa’s strong demeanor faded. “No. But I do not wish to marry.”
“It will be a few days until they come. There will be time for you to ponder the terms of the treaty. I would just ask that you not make up your mind about anything until then.”
Elissa nodded her head. Then she glanced out the window and felt guilty for letting the whole day slide by. “I think I will go for a walk through the city.”
Chapter Four
Prince Tarcious looked up from the parchments that were spread across the table in front of him. He was glad that he was interrupted because the day-to-day activities of running the empire were as tedious a job as any he could imagine. Although much of the governance of the empire was handled by his regional governors and an overloaded hierarchy of bureaucracy, there were still many decisions that only the emperor could make. And since the emperor was currently in a state where he was unable to make any decisions, those were left up to him.
The man who stepped through the open door was tall and thin with skin pulled tightly across his weathered and worn face. Hibold, Taran’s emissary to the east, glanced around the small chamber. It was the first time he had been privileged to enter into the emperor’s personal space. Located just off the main audience chamber, the room was just large enough to hold the table where scrolls and other papers were scattered about. Books of law and history filled shelves that lined the room. A judicious and honorable ruler might have used those books to assist them in proper and righteous rulings. Prince Tarcious had not touched or even thought of one of the books since he had taken over use of the room.
