Chapter Three. A MESSAGE.
1064 Words
BOOK ONE (DAUNTLESS)
CHAPTER THREE
A MESSAGE
"Four of them were found, My Lord".
The Crown's Guard told Raja Bullon what had been reported as they walked down hurrying not to miss the Queen's Banquet. Another one of the ceremonies performed to celebrate the Anniversary of Peace from the Hands of the Cursed Nogreans.
But this bad news on the Night of the Queen's Banquet was not making any of the celebrations go well for the Crown.
"Four you say?", he finally replied after waiting to get out of the hearing of the palace guests and the servers.
He stopped and looked at his Commanding Guard.
"Where is your Robe?", he asked.
"Sir?", the Commanding Guard was confused. "Why would he be asking about my robe after hearing what I just told him?", he thought.
"Your Robe. Won't you be joining the celebrations?", he asked with a smile that seemed to make the man in front of him quiver a little. Sometimes the actions of the Royals gave the Nobel Men themselves a reason to doubt their sanity.
"My Lord, we have a situation and you question me on a Robe?"
"Oh Kadilac, loosen up a bit", The Crown replied.
"Loosen up? After hearing this, sire?"
The Crown began walking again. This time he was heading towards the main Halls.
"Father", the young Prince ran to meet his father, Raja Bullon, the Crown of the Realm of Qrath.
"Drhan", he robbed the head of his young Prince, who gave Kadilac an irritated look.
"The Crown", the presence of the Raja was announced as it was customary for all outings, merry makings and celebrations done in the kingdom.
"May we all find favor in the eyes of the gods", he chants to his people.
"And may the gods find favor in you as long as you reign", they gave their blessings, honoring the Crown and the gods alike. That was the norm of the people of the Qrath, especially those of the Highlands.
The Guard not far from the Crown on trying to get to the Raja stumbled on a server who quickly apologizes. He shook of the food spilled on him and kept walking, following the Crown who seemed not to have noticed him approaching anyway.
"Sir!", Kadilac tried calling out to his Crown.
The Crown looked back to see that his Royal Guard didn't take to his advice to get his celebration Robe. "Kadilac?", he said with a questioning face.
"Sir", Kadilac was indifferent.
"I can't have you here like this", he tried moving Kadilac away as he greeted one or two noble men who were paying homage to his Royal Majesty.
"But sir, the Nog....", Kadilac started
"Kadilac?", he interrupted him knowing that if anyone was to hear the word on the Nogreans, it would cause an uprising. A request for the total eradication which had been promised in the reign of the previous Raja, Bullon's Father - Hammed.
"My Lord, we have to talk about this". Kadilac didn't fancy the Crown's behavior towards the matter.
It was true. If the Nogreans had come up again, the Realm was going to be in chaos. As optimists would want to take it up, the problem had to be taken care of and fast or the rule of the Raja would be questioned as well as that of the council under him.
"Now is the time for Celebration", he said trying to make himself seem as though nothing was going on so that the passing guests would not suspect a thing, a game his father had taught him to play quite well which will also be taught to his son when the time is right.
"So either you get into a nice looking robe my friend or you can as well leave", the Crown finished.
Kadilac was in no way comfortable but this was the wrong time to discuss such matters neither was this usual. This had 'unrest of the Realm' written all over it.
"Five troops of our finest men were taken out today, my Lord", he blurted out.
The Crown's smiling face turned straight. He didn't say a word instead he walked forward, grabbed a goblet from the hands of the palace Servers and kept walking. Then, he stopped.
“Get that robe Kadilac", he said eventually.
Kadilac stayed motionless.
"The food's grand", the Crown waved at the servers moving around the banquet hall and with that, he walked on, joining the event his spouse had put together.
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Eyes up, heartbeat racing, fear was creeping in. How he had escaped the ordeal, only the gods knew.
He kept walking as he tried to remember the words his attackers had told him to give as a message.
"We are coming".
His mind going off again as he tried to balance his steps.
"You may have taken our kind but we will take away your hope for tomorrow. We will take the smiles from the faces of your children as you did ours.
He was getting close to the main entrance of the Crown's palace.
"Gran Maître", he called out to the creator for strength.
The road and paths leading to the Palace were deserted as were the stalls which would usually be filled at this time of night by multiple drinkers.
"The Queen's Banquet", he remembered.
He looked at the stairs before him with no guards outside.
"How?", he thought
Inside, the Queen was paying respect and giving honor to the guards and fighters that had protected the Realm for all the time they had.
"We would not be standing here celebrating if not for the bravery and unrelenting courage of these good men", The Queen said as she smiled. She owned the night. Well, she did own it until the Troop Commander found his way to the top of the stairs and barged in through Palace's great door.
"My Lord!", he cried out.
The Crown, his queen, Kadilac - his Royal Guard, the noble men, the guests and all the heads in the main hall of the palace turned their attention to the mortally injured man.
"The Nogreans, they're back", the commander said.
The Crown looked around and found the face of his Royal Guard who held his eyes to him.
"Should we have that talk now, sire?", he mouths.
Raja Bullon stayed put. Words failed him.
Written by: Shontan Daniel
Edited by: Fajobi Moyosola
- Writer
