RECOVERY

THE ARREST

Raven had no sword on him and Pavalon was grateful about that because he knew his friend too well and as he stood not more than one metre away from his friend, he wondered what was going through his mind. “What’s going on son?” Cloud asked Pavalon who was by far the closest friend he knew his son Raven had.

Pavalon turned to the man and told him. “The king has ordered that you and your children be brought to the palace.” “For what,” Limp asked as worried as she could be. “For questioning.” By then the captain had moved away from Raven who was still processing the whole thing then unexpectedly he spoke.

“What have we been accused of?” Pavalon knew that reading out offences to the accused was solely a duty the king had reserved for himself and anyone (military rank irrespective) who took the honour on himself was to be considered a traitor and arrested.

The guards who were with him knew that as well but unfortunately, Raven did not and he would for some time regard the next words and action of his friend as a betrayal.

“I don’t know.” Pavalon answered Raven and without wasting any more time, told the guards who were eagerly waiting for the order – “let’s go.” And with that, the guards rounded up Raven, his father and his sister and off thy rode towards the king’s palace.

Pavalon remained silent throughout the ride to the palace as did Raven, his father and his sister but the guards did not stop making unnecessary comments and Pavalon believed they were the worst set of guards he had ever rode with but he was not in the mood for calming ‘foolish soldiers’.

Tarin the king’s daughter looked out through her window and saw palace guards entering the palace. She recognized the captain and a few of the guards and as they stopped and climbed down from their horses, she saw three strangers with them and immediately deduced that all was not well.

Something was definitely wrong with her father and she knew it. He loved killing people. That is not normal and she had spoken to him about it on several occasions but he took no account of her. The last time didn’t particularly end well for both of them. It was after he killer her husband.

Tarin took a walk outside the palace to see the beauty of the kingdom and was accompanied by two guards. A good number of people hated her on behalf of her father. Not just her but anything that had to do with the king – his soldiers, his crest and of course his only daughter. The king knew this as well and forbade his daughter from leaving the palace without bodyguards. The bodyguards were technically alarm clocks in case of trouble because soldiers could be seen practically everywhere in Zorak on day and night patrol.

She was on such a walk shortly after her wedding when someone yelled not too far from where she was admiring a flower for sale. “There is going to be an execution.” And everybody started running towards the palace to witness it. Tarin did not know who it was but she hurried back towards the palace all the same and when she saw who it was that was to be executed, it was too late. He lifted his head from the chopping block and coincidentally locked eyes with his just wedded bride for one or two seconds before the executioner’s axe relieved his shoulders of his head.

As their eyes locked, Tarin shouted “No...” and ran towards him but it was futile. She held his headless body and wailed as the people dispersed until guards took her back into the palace against her will. She hurled herself like a rocket into her father’s chambers just as his manservant was helping him remove his armour.

“You are a cruel, heartless, wicked man and I regret being your daughter.” Tarin yelled at her father amidst voice choked with tears. He dismissed the manservant but did not say anything to his daughter. When she was through with shouting at him, she left and went back into her chambers and her relationship with her father was ruptured beyond repair that day.

Pavalon had ordered some of the guards to lead cloud and his children to the throne room while he went himself to get the king. When he entered the throne room, the guards took their positions and awaited the arrival of the king.

Then Raven started to speak to his father. “Do you think this has anything to do with the man we gave shelter some time ago?” “Absolutely, I see no other reason.” Cloud told his son. “But we never knew he was fleeing from the king’s soldiers.” Limp said looking at her father. “Yes we did.” Raven answered her. “What? You mean the man we gave shelter was fleeing from the king and you still helped him, what’s wrong with the two of you?” Limp asked the two men who stood as if they were already condemned.

All they said was in a whisper trying to avoid the earshot of the guards who stood not quite afar off. “Calm down Limp, we are going to be fine I promise.” Raven was trying to comfort his sister who was already trembling visibly. “Father, when we get out of here, I would need you to...”

“Silence,” the king approaches” a guard shouted and interrupted Raven. Then the king closely followed behind by the captain of the palace guards walked into the throne room. He walked and stood close to the throne but did not sit on it.

“I hear you have the habit of aiding and giving support to people who defy me.” He asked Cloud. “That’s not true your majesty” Raven answered before could open his mouth. “Hmm, I see your father has done a pretty bad job in bringing you up as regards manners. You do not speak until you are invited especially when you are dealing with me. Every fool knows that.” He said the last part with a surprise grin on his face. Raven was antagonised.

“You are not even...” “Raven,” Cloud held his son as he started talking and made for the king whom he reckoned was already breathing death on them. “You and your family have been charged with treason. You know the penalty already I hate to read it to you again. You can state your defence if you have any.”

Cloud began to speak “I implore you to let my children go. The crime was committed by me alone.” “What crime father?” Limp asked shooting a surprise look at her father and her brother respectively.” “Okay now that you have mentioned letting people go and given that I am not in a very bad spirit today, I will let you and your children go if you give me your best guess at someone who would have tried to warn you to escape the arrest order I issued upon you among one of my soldiers.”

Pavalon raised his eyebrows and cautiously looked at the king. Everything suddenly lost meaning to him and all his thoughts were transfixed upon one person alone – Grey. He thought, “If the king had found out what he did then...”

“I do not know what you are talking about.” Cloud replied the king. “Traitors are to be feared compared to people who commit treason. If you do not cut it out, it would spread, corrupting and destroying everything. I am giving you a chance to walk out of here as free people all you have to do is help me expose a traitor.” “I am sorry but I really do not know of such a person.” Cloud answered him again.

“Well then.” The king flexed his fingers as a signal and two guards half dragged Grey into the throne room. Pavalon’s Jaw dropped not because she had been arrested but because of the state she was in – she had received quite an interrogation from his estimation. He looked at the king with disgust who had started speaking again.

“She was caught in an attempt to take the news of your arrest to you. This we have been able to gather from her but she has refused to reveal who it was that told her about the arrest. The guard who caught and interrogated her has a wild guess but I like to be certain these days when I order executions.”

Pavalon was on the verge of hurling himself at the king as he looked at Grey and the way the guards held her. “You always seek out excuses to kill people don’t you? You are not a monster you just want people to fear you that’s what all these senseless executions are all about isn’t it?” Raven was brought down by the heavy shield a guard used to strike him from behind while he spoke to the king.

The king walked close to him and after a brief moment of scornful gaze said. “Take them away.” And the guards led Cloud, Raven who could barely walk courtesy of the impact of the shield, Limp and Grey out of the throne room. Pavalon hated himself for getting her into the mess she was in. “Don’t worry my dear, I’ll get you out of this I promise.” He muttered to himself as the guards led them away and he got to work.