The Chosen King Collection

13. Unhappy Crowds

Chapter 13

Unhappy Crowds

There was no turning back now. Trunculin waited inside the archway leading to the balcony, mentally preparing himself for… well, he wasn't sure. This had never been done before, not exactly. Brenddel approached to his right, nodded and said nothing. The firstcouncilor walked onto the balcony and the crowd had a strange reaction.

They had never seen the firstcouncilor come out without smiling. He came out with his head down, looking at the ground. He still was not smiling as he walked down the walkway and onto the stage. He raised his head solemnly to all of the crowds gathered.

“Our young king Gordon,” announced Trunculin, “has fled our kingdom.”

The shock among the crowds was immediate. There were gasps and shouts, but from most of the crowd there was silence. The firstcouncilor continued, “What you saw yesterday was a boy that was not ready to be king. Gordon, well… his mind broke down. Our firsthealer found nothing wrong with his health or body. His mind simply couldn't take what was thrust upon him. Under a cover of darkness last night, with some traitorous friends, Gordon fled our kingdom in fear and cowardice.”

The crowd was stunned. But there was another reaction too, one that the firstcouncilor had not seen before. A few in the crowd started to shout, “I don't believe it,” or “he wouldn't do that,” were clearly heard among the crowds. Trunculin motioned for the crowd to quiet, and they obeyed.

The firstcouncilor looked shrewdly at the crowds and declared, “But I have consulted the great law book, and I found something that happened long ago that may help us in this strange time. There was a boy named Joreh. He was a small boy and he was chosen king. The poor boy was so scared he soiled himself right on this platform.” At this, the crowd let out a few chuckles. “This is not a time for laughter! It must prove to all of you that what happens on this tower is deadly serious,” he continued. “We all imagine what it would be like to stand here and be chosen, for the crowds to cheer. What Joreh went through, and what Gordon has done, should remind us all how great a responsibility it is to lead this kingdom.”

The crowds did not laugh again. Trunculin knew he had them now. “Like Gordon did, Joreh said the words; he would take this responsibility and be our king. He was not able to continue, and the poor boy went mad within days. It has given us a precedent. After Joreh, a law was passed and there was an immediate second choosing for a new king.”

The reaction to this unusual idea was mixed. Trunculin continued, “And that is what is going to happen today. Both councils agreed that it is the only way to get past this uneasy time. The new choosing will be now, in front of all you good people. Please bring the glass barrel.”

The crowd seemed unhappy with this idea. Their murmurs and loud whispers were not what the firstcouncilor was hoping for. He couldn't tell what they were saying exactly, but the general tone of the people was not good. This could still go badly, Trunculin thought.

The glass barrel was brought out with names of the eight year old child that would choose the new king. This time a boy's name was chosen, and he walked up bravely and chose a number. The number three was chosen this time and the fanfare grew as they unlocked the third door. The boy reached through the door, pulling out the name board of the new king. The firstcouncilor took it from the boy and proudly said “Asa.”

Asa was found immediately and hoisted up among the ranks. The firstcouncilor noticed that the mood of the crowd was different this time. It wasn't somber exactly, but it was muted; not at all the excited scene of Gordon's choosing. Trunculin knew there was no turning back now.

Asa looked even more shocked than Gordon had. Trunculin asked if Asa would accept the kingship, and after a long pause Asa said he would. The crowd mostly cheered their new king, and the firstcouncilor made the same speeches that he had made at Gordon's choosing, trying to rush it so that the people would have no choice but to accept the events as they unfolded.

Trunculin added something to his speech. He motioned for the crowd to quiet down and made another announcement. “And to get past this troubled time even faster, the councils have agreed that the crowning should also be today.”

The crowd erupted as one this time, but not with delight. It was as if the firstcouncilor had thrown a switch. Now the crowd was angry. There came shouts of “No!” and, “That's not the law,” and one man was clearly heard to say, “You lie!”

The firstcouncilor was never at a loss on what to say or what to do, but this surprised him. He had not expected the ferociousness of this reaction. He couldn't quite move for a moment, but then he motioned for the crowd to quiet down. They did not. He tried a second time, but it just seemed to fuel their anger. Trunculin was angry now too, but he dared not show it.

Not knowing what else to do, he motioned for the king's crown to be brought. The crowd was still very angry, with shouts the firstcouncilor had never heard. Trunculin placed the crown on Asa's head. Asa started to actually look afraid. He shrunk away from the crown, and some people in the crowd noticed.

“He doesn't even want to be king!” said someone from the crowd, while another said, “Don't force him!” and another, “You're scaring him!”

The firstcouncilor mustered his famous smile: The smile that made him so famous among the people. He always smiled the same and thought the same exact thought. Through his smile, he always imagined the entire courtyard being filled with fire from the airships. In his mind, he saw them all burning.

The firstcouncilor continued his widest smile as he nearly crammed the crown on the boy's head. He lowered his own head so only Asa could hear him, and whispered in a sincere tone, “Now, my little king, your first lesson: you will do everything I tell you to do.”

The firstcouncilor's hands were on both of Asa's shoulders, gripping him fiercely. The boy simply nodded silently.

“That's a good little king.” Trunculin nearly spit the words into Asa's ear.

The new king and the rest made their way into the palace as they had the day before, but instead of cheering crowds for Gordon, all that they could hear were cries of anger.