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 Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:48 am
This is a short story that I'm currently in the process of writing. I'm hoping for some comments and criticism. Don't be hesistant in speaking your mind. I can take a hit. I also have this posted in my journal so you can tell people who aren't of the guild to check it out, if you think they'll like it.
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:49 am
Chapter 1: The Proposal
Trumpets blared out a loud introduction tune as a man adorned in heavy black armor entered the enormous palace, his matching cape trailing behind him as his dragon head shaped helmet masked his face. The stranger looked around the entrance hall, taking in every detail of the room from the granite flooring and marble staircase to the crystal chandelier hanging above and the oil paintings hung on the walls.
There was a young man that ran up to him and bowed. The boy was adorned in the simplest of clothes, but judging by the sash that he wore with the seal of the kingdom this new comer assumed that he was a servant of the royals. The man returned the gesture and followed the younger man to a nearby room.
The two stopped in front of pair of large wooden door. The younger one turned to the metal clad figure and spoke nervously, “Please wait here while I introduce you.” There was a slight nod of the helmet and the servant slipped past the doors. The man stood before the doors, his eyes gazing at the polished, wooden barrier through the slits in his face guard. On the other side, he faintly heard the voice of the servant call out, “Presenting, Kaiser fon Rosen. Duke of Naden and General of the 11th Jaiderian Fleet!”
The wooden barrier was pulled inward and a bright light shined on Kaiser, glinting off his shining armor. He began walking forward into the audience chamber, which was very similar in design to what he has seen so far of the palace. There was a long carpet that stretched from the doors to the foot of the two golden thrones at the other end of the room. As he followed the scarlet and gold-embroidered carpet, he noticed the statues of various rulers staring down at him with their bleach white eyes.
The walk to the end of the hallway seemed much longer than it really was, but Kaiser had managed to reach the edge of the two thrones. He got down on one knee and lowered his head, then speaking with an echoed voice, “Hail Esmedella, Queen of Jaideria.” The duke looked up, still on one knee, to see the image of the queen.
During his last visit to the capital, Esmedella was the very image of a saint. Dressed in white, long golden blonde hair glistening in the sunlight, blue eyes that shined with passionate life, a soft smile was always on her face, and there just seemed to be a glow of pure happiness emerging from her very presence. That was no longer the case. The once radiant queen was now the opposite of what she once appeared to him. Esmedella was dressed in a black dress with a veil that was pulled back just enough to show her face. Her smile no longer existed and stains of her tears had covered her cheeks. Her hair lost its luster and her eyes became dull. The once pure light that reached forward to those around her was now suppressed and out of the reach of others. She held out her hand and motioned for him to stand.
Kaiser slowly moved to his feet and lowered his head slightly. “Your Highness, allow me to speak for the people of Naden,” he said simply. When no response was given, he proceeded. “After the death of King Rayze, we were all stricken with grieve. Everyone from the soldiers to the sky pirates that live on the ports, we grieved for his death and hope for --” Kaiser was cut off by a soft voice. “That is enough.”
He looked up to see the Queen lowering her hand. She spoke again with her soft voice. “Please do not continue. The pain has been great and if you were to go on, I would not be able to prevent myself from crying.” Kaiser lowered his head and said, “Forgive me.” Esmedella shook her head. “There is no need to apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. But, please, stand and remove your helm so that we may see your face.”
Kaiser slowly stood up, ignoring the slight pain in his knee and reached up to his helmet. He lowered his head and began to unbuckle the helmet from the rest of his armor. When he removed the dragon-like helm, his face was unlike the armor that hid it. His skin was of a light bronze color caused by many hours in the sun of the Naden coast. The blue-grey of his eyes are very rare and very perplexing, even to those who aren’t of his species. His dirty blonde hair was cut short and spiked back as to prevent his sight from being impaired. With the dragon shaped helmet in hand, his armor, and the way he presented himself, Kaiser was the image of the perfect soldier.
Queen Esmedella nodded her head in approval and said, “That’s much better. Now we can move on to why you have been summoned.” He bowed his head slightly, recalling the letter he received from the Queen about needed him to come before her immediately. This raised an alarm in his head and he set off for the palace a few hours later from Naden.
Kaiser stood there in a dignified position as he allowed the widowed queen to speak. “Since the death of my husband, there have been many matters of grave importance that I must address. Firstly, who is to rule.” He noticed her lowering her head slightly as she spoke. “Since Rayze and I have no children, the crown would pass on to his closest relative. He, however, left a letter with his final wishes. They include that when he is to die that I am to rule in his stead, with or without a husband.” Kaiser looked at Esmedella with shock. Never in the history of their nation has a Queen ever ruled without a King at her side. It was obvious that Rayze knew what to do in the off chance that he were to die without an heir.
“This has brought many other issues,” she continued. “Since I am no longer married, many suitors have sent letters in hopes of wedding me and becoming the king. Another issue is my safety. Seeing as how I am a powerful woman who has just been given an immense amount of power, my advisors warn me that someone may attempt to assassinate me.” Kaiser knew just where this was going. “I wish to ask you, Kaiser fon Rosen, to be my personal guard to protect me from possible assassins and suitors who may wish to harm me.”
Suddenly, a man dressed in purple silk robes came rushing forward. He bowed to the queen and then proceeded to her side. In a nervous voice, he spoke. “My lady, I’m not so certain that your decision is a wise one.” She looked at the advisor with a questioning look. Without even having to say anything, he understood what she was trying to say. The purple robed man licked his lips and said, “The fact of the matter is that Kaiser fon Rosen is the Duke of Naden and a possible suitor for you. Asking him to be your guard would be the same as asking any other suitor.”
Kaiser felt insulted, but not enough to harm the man. Just as Queen Esmedella was about to respond, he interrupted with a cough. The two silenced and turned to face the armor adorned general as he spoke. “My lady, there is sense in his logic and he is right about me being a potential suitor.” The advisor smiled slightly. “But I will not be such,” Kaiser said, wiping the smile from his face.
“My duties lie to my country and to my Queen. Not my position of nobility,” he said. Kaiser snapped his fingers and a servant came rushing forward. He whispered into his ear and the boy was off. The duke faced the Queen and her advisor again. “As the Duke of Naden, I must refuse your proposal. But as the General of the Jaiderian 11th Fleet, I am obligated to accept your commands without question and do as you say.” The boy came back in carrying a sword. Kaiser held out his hand and clutched the blade as the servant boy handed it to him. He approached the foot of the throne, bent on one knee, placing the helmet next to him, lowered his head, and presented his sheathed sword to Esmedella. “I offer you my services and my sword to do with as you see fit. If you accept, I swear to do as you say and show loyalty only to you. Until you release me or until death take me.”
Kaiser couldn’t see their faces, but he could feel the tension coming from their disbelief. Here was the so called perfect officer of the military bowing down to the Queen and swearing to become her personal guard. He stayed in that position with the sword held out. The Queen took the blade from his hands, unsheathed it, and laid the flat of the blade on his left shoulder. “I do accept your services and I swear to treat you as my equal and never to abuse you,” she said.
Esmedella sheathed the blade again and said, “Rise, Sir Kaiser.” He did as he was told, grabbing the helmet on his way up, and looked at his new mistress. She handed him the blade and nodded. “I’m quite glad that you are my guard rather than another. You’re one of the few I can trust,” she said. Kaiser nodded back and responded. “I’m glad to be the one protecting you.”
Esmedella motioned for her advisor to leave and began to speak when he left. “Your room is on the third floor, directly next to my own. I will show you the way.” She got to her feet and lead the way out of the audience chamber with Kaiser close behind her.
Once they were outside of his room, she turned to face him and said, “Here is where you’ll sleep. It’s quite late and dinner was ended close to an hour ago. I can have something brought up to you if you wish.” He shook his head and responded blandly. “No thank you.” Esmedella nodded and motioned to the door. “Then you may want to get some rest. I have much to do tomorrow and you shall be with me the entire time.” Kaiser nodded and just as he was about to turn to the go into the bedroom, the Queen wrapped her arms around him. She then spoke softly. “I’m glad that you accepted. I’d rather have you guard me. I’d rather have my big brother protect me than anyone else.”
Kaiser hugged Esmedella back with the helmet in one hand and the sword in the other. They weren’t really siblings, but they were close enough to be so. When they parted, she smiled as she entered her own room and shut the door. He sighed and opened his bedroom door. Kaiser thought one thing: If this is what it‘s like the night before, what will tomorrow be like?
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:52 am
Chapter 2: The First Day Kaiser woke up the next morning with the sun shining in through his window. He groaned and began rubbing his eyes. Once he was out of bed and on his feet a few minutes later, the air around him felt cold against his bare skin when compared to the warmth that was under the covers of his bed. Kaiser shut his eyes and began stretching, hearing his various joints pop, before looking around his room again.
He noticed that on the edge of his bed was a pile of clothes with a note on top of it. Kaiser strode over to it, the bare bottoms of his feet making his steps silent, and grabbed the note. He read the elegantly scrawled writing on the paper.
Kaiser,
I need to ask you to wear this. Your armor
is nice, but I’m afraid that it might scare some people.
- Esmedella
He looked from the sheet of paper to the pile of clothes and sighed. Kaiser personally liked the idea of scaring a few people. Better to have them fear and respect you rather than have them like and take advantage of you. But Esmedella’s orders are still orders. He set the sheet of paper down on the bed and began to get dressed.
* * * * * * *
Kaiser entered the dining hall dressed in his new attire. He wore a crisp, white shirt with a large collar that reached up to the middle of his neck. This outrageously large-collared shirt was accompanied by loose black pants and a blood red sash that was tied around his mid section. He put on a pair of boots with greaves attached, knee guards, a pair of gauntlets, and a vest that had various pieces of metal attached to act as armor. To top it all off, his blade rested at his hip. It’s not what he’s used to, but it would work in the off chance he needed to fight.
Kaiser walked over to the table where Esmedella was sitting and bowed to her. “Good morning, your Highness,” he said before standing up again. The Queen smiled back to him and nodded to him. “Good morning, Sir Kaiser. Would you like to accompany me for breakfast?” He shook his head from side to side and responded, “Forgive me, my lady. But I must refuse. Only those of nobility are allowed to dine at your table. I shall get something from the kitchens and then come back when you are finished.” Kaiser bowed again and began walking towards a pair of swinging double doors.
He pushed the doors in and looked around. There were many people of many races working the kitchen, each wearing a white coat with a white hat. The entire kitchen was designed to match the dark red brick ovens. He walked over to one of the chefs, a woman who seemed to be a demi-dragon, and asked, “Could you please give me some toasted bread with butter?” The woman smiled, showing her sharpened teeth, and nodded. She went over to the oven, pulled out a roll that was cut in half, and then went to the refrigerator. The dragon-woman came back with a small container with butter. She took a nearby knife and used it to spread the butter. Handing it over with another smile, Kaiser took it and said, “Thank you very much.” He began to eat the roll there in the kitchen.
* * * * * * *
Kaiser left the kitchen and back to the dining hall. The room was empty and he assumed that Esmedella was waiting for him in the entrance hall. He began his walk to the supposed meeting place, his boots echoing through the halls. The guard came to the entrance hall and walked up to the Queen, giving her a short bow.
Esmedella looked at him with a serious look and turned to the entrance doors. “We’re going to check on what’s going on in the grounds,” her voice said flatly. Kaiser nodded and followed her out of the large, blackened, metal doors.
As they walked along the cobblestone path, neither of them spoke for a minute or two. The silence was broken by Esmedella asking, “Kaiser, why did you refuse to eat with me? You ARE of nobility. You’re the Duke of Naden, so there’s no reason for you to have to eat in the kitchens like my servants.” He looked at the queen and responded, “I may be a duke, but you must understand that as your guard, I am your servant. That means that my noble status doesn’t have apply.” Esmedella looked down at the ground as they walked, then she looked up at Kaiser with a smirk. “Then, as your queen, I give you my full permission to dine at my right hand side at every meal. For security purposes.” Kaiser looked at the blonde haired girl with a grin. “You always were good with finding loop holes.” Esmedella giggled, turning a slight shade of pink from being complimented.
They spent the first half of the morning checking up on various tasks that needed to be done or needed to be inspected. These ranged from seeing if the horses had enough water to examining the work that the groundskeeper had done with the bushes. It was a little boring for the both of them, but it had to done and, at the least, they were doing enough walking. Around mid-morning as the two of them were walking back to the palace, Esmedella began complaining. “Tomorrow, I’m going to avoid wearing heels,” she groaned. Kaiser chuckled softly, holding open the door for her.
The next few hours were nothing but paperwork. Esmedella was constantly reading papers and signing those that she thought were worth signing. The only time she stopped looking at her papers was when it was time for the mid-day meal or when a random servant came in to ask her a question. Five hours after having eaten, Esmedella signed and stacked the final sheet of paper off to the side with the others. She looked at Kaiser with a smile and sighed. “Finished.” But she had spoken too soon. A servant boy came in, bowing to the queen, and said, “There is a squire who wishes to speak with you, my lady. He hopes to see you now, if you have the time.” She looked at Kaiser and he simply nodded. Esmedella stood up and walked out of the study with her loyal guard following her.
Kaiser noticed that Esmedella was exhausted, not being used to this kind of tedious work since her childhood when her parents constantly made her study with little time to have fun. As she walked, she said in an irritated voice, “The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can get to relax.” He then thought to himself, “Then I guess I’ll have to watch what you do.”
Once in the audience chamber, the queen sat upon her throne and her guard stood next to her. In front of them was a man bowed on one knee. He was a fairly young man, possibly in his early twenties. His dark brown hair reached down to just below his chin, which was just as scruffy as the rest of his unshaven face and his piercing blue eyes shined out from the darkness of his hair. The man was still wearing his silver armor, which bore the insignia of the kingdom on the chest.
Esmedella tried to hide her exhaustion as she said, “State your purpose here young squire.” The man slowly stood up and looked at the queen with fierce determination in his eyes. He spoke with a strong and deep voice, “I wish to be knighted, my lady, for I believe that I have proven my worth to receive that honor.” Esmedella glanced back at Kaiser, who simply stared at the older man. She turned back around and faced this ‘would-be-knight’.
“Tell me, what is your name and why should I give you the honor and title of knight?” the queen asked as casually as possible. The man looked at her and responded, “My name is Samiel Rockrest and I wish to be knighted for what I’ve done in the capital. I’ve asserted the law, caught several criminals, trained myself in swordsmanship to become the best of my division, and have been loyal to my country all my life.” Esmedella sat quietly for a few seconds, her exhaustion finally catching up to her. She then began speaking, “You have responsibility, a judicious outlook, skill with a blade, and powerful loyalty to this nation.“ As she spoke, Samiel grinned and his breathing began to slowly quicken. Esmedella then said, “These are the qualities that I think make a knight and I would be most pleased to --” She was then cut off by a voice behind her saying, “Wait.” Kaiser stepped forward and said, “Let me test the lad.”
Without allowing Esmedella to answer, he unsheathed the blade at his side and said to Samiel, “Draw your blade.” Kaiser glanced at Esmedella, who was wearing a look of disbelief. For the brief second that their eyes met, he clearly showed her his intentions and she fell silent. Samiel drew the small broad sword from its sheath and looked at Kaiser. In response, he simply stated, “I just want to test you, but that doesn’t mean you have to hold back.” The older squire gripped the handle of his sword and rushed forward at his opponent, wanting to prove his worth.
Samiel raised the blade up over his head and sent it down towards Kaiser’s head. His blade stopped in mid-air against his opponent’s. Kaiser smirked, twisted the blade, and pinned it down with his own. Samiel looked down at the blade and tried to pull it free, but the guard’s knee crashed with his arms. The blow sent him forward a few feet and he turned to see that Kaiser was now holding two blades in his hands. Not wanting to give up, he ran forward in an attempt to tackle Kaiser and reclaim his sword. Looking at the racing squire, Kaiser twisted his body and raised his leg, crashing his heel into the young man’s ribs and sending him to the floor a few feet away. As Samiel got up into a sitting position, he found that his tester was holding the point of his blade to his throat. “I’m sorry, but you’re just not ready for knighthood,” Kaiser said bluntly.
He sheathed his blade and extended an arm towards Samiel, who took it and was raised to his feet. Kaiser handed him his blade, which he took with disappointment and shame. He placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder and said, “Do not doubt this when I say that your heart is in the right place. As the queen said, you have all the qualities of a knight.” Samiel looked into the blue-grey eyes of the royal guard. “What you lack is wisdom. Not wisdom gained through books, for that is knowledge. The wisdom you lack is wisdom from experience.”
Samiel looked at Kaiser with a questioning look. Noticing the change in the squire’s gaze, he clarified. “What I mean to say is that by experiencing our life in certain situations do we gain the knowledge that will truly help us later in the future. You, I’m sorry to say, have not experienced your life enough to be wise enough to be a knight.” Samiel nodded and lowered his head. Kaiser then shook his shoulder a bit. “Don’t worry about this little test. Consider it as a new experience, one that makes you ever closer to knighthood,” he said. Samiel was silent for a few seconds and then nodded with a smile. “Thank you, sir. You have taught me an important lesson. And, my lady,” Samiel said, turning to Esmedella at the last moment. She looked at the smiling squire with a lot of attention. “When I return to you regarding my knighthood, I will not ask you for it, but instead have earned it the right way.” Esmedella smiled as the squire bowed and then left the chamber.
Esmedella got to her feet and stepped down from the throne. She looked at Kaiser and beckoned him to leave with her. As they walked through the palace corridors, he spoke suddenly, “I think I have a little wisdom to impart to you as well, my lady.” Esmedella glanced at her guard and asked, “What might that wisdom be?” Kaiser responded flatly, “You too lack experience when it comes to doing the daily tasks of a ruler.” Esmedella seemed almost as confused as Samiel did. He sighed and shook his head, hating to have to explain himself. “You see, since you are not accustomed to this, you become exhausted easily. This exhaustion then takes its toll on your focus and you begin to want to rush through things, as you did with the last of your documents and with the squire.” Esmedella slowed down to a stop and turned to face Kaiser, who also stopped and was facing her. He continued to speak, “With time, you will face times when you need to make a decision and the outcome of that decision with provide you with experience. Also with time, you will begin to grow accustomed to being constantly focused with your tasks.” Esmedella looked at Kaiser as if he were his teacher. She then smiled and nodded. “It seems you’re right. So the true question isn’t how long will that take, but how long will it take before you don’t need to keep me focused.” He smiled back and then began walking with her again. “It all depends on how long it’ll take for you to start focusing on your work rather than your aching feet.”
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:55 am
Chapter 3: The Eyes and The Rose The boy stood there in front of the ancient oak doors. His long black hair was combed back and his black eyes stared at the structure with amazement. Dirt from the caves had covered every inch of his clothes. He just knew that his mom was going to yell at him for having gotten his white shirt and leather shoes dirty, but that wasn’t as important as what he found.
Deep inside the caves, he found this enormous cathedral. It was just astounding that it can stand underneath the weight of all the rock, soil, and other things above it. Carved on the doors in front of him was a seal. It had some sort of twisting symbol in the middle of a circle that had smaller symbols carved around it.
Curiosity finally caught up to him and he began to reach out. His extended hand slowly approached the carvings and his fingertip touched the middle seal. There was a boom from the inside of the cathedral, causing the boy to retract his hand and step back a few steps. There was the sound of gears turning, metal clanking, and it ended with another boom. He stood there in place as the doors slowly opened, creaking from age. Past the doors was darkness and a pair of large green eyes shined out.
Kaiser woke up with a start, covered in a cold sweat. He took short, deep breathes as he looked around with his heart beating at an alarming rate. The only things he saw were his bedroom and the sunlight shining through. Kaiser threw his legs over the side of his head and rested his head in his hands, his arms resting on his legs. Though the dream was over, the green eyes were still vivid in his mind. He got up and began to get dressed.
* * * * * * *
As Kaiser entered the dining hall for breakfast, he didn’t realize that Esmedella was looking at him with a concerned expression on her face. He silently sat down in the chair to her right and a servant came over to place a plate of food in front of him. Kaiser grabbed his fork and knife and began to eat, not ever realizing that Esmedella didn’t take her eyes off of him for a second.
Kaiser felt as if time were just passing him by. Just a second ago, he felt as if he were just sitting down to eat and now he was getting up from the table with the queen. The two began walking towards the courtyard of the palace, located at the rear of the building. This would’ve seemed like a long walk, seeing as how the courtyard was on the other side of the palace. Kaiser thought that it felt like a two minute walk when he stepped through the wide doors to the outside.
“Kaiser! Are you listening?!” yelled an angry feminine voice. He looked over the angry queen and simply responded, “Huh?” Esmedella sighed and shook her head, hands on her hips. She looked up at him and asked, “What’s wrong with you? You seem so unfocused today.”
Kaiser took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. As the two walked along the cobble stone path among the various flowers and other flora, he said, “I’ve been having nightmares lately. To be exact, only a few days after I arrived in the city.” Esmedella looked at Kaiser with a shocked and concerned look on her face. “You’ve been here for a few weeks now. Why didn’t you tell me?” she responded.
He looked at the queen and shrugged. “I suppose I just didn’t want you to worry, seeing as how you have so many other things going on at the moment,” the blonde man said to her. Esmedella shook his head from side to side a little, almost disbelieving that her childhood friend would even think this. “Everything else doesn’t matter as much as those closest to me! I could have put them off for a few minutes so that we could talk,” she said to him, taking a hold of his metal guarded hands. Kaiser turned his head a bit and looked at the ground. He said, “My problems aren’t important enough to bother you with.”
Esmedella stopped, reached out, and touched Kaiser’s cheek. She moving his head to face her, and held his other cheek with her free hand. The young royal smiled softly and lovingly said, “I’ll always have time for you. You’re too important to me to allow things like these to go unnoticed.”
Kaiser reached up and took gently grabbed Esmedella’s hands, lowering them. He smiled to her and bowed his head. Kaiser turned a bit and saw a bush, bare of any flowers except for the single bright red rose that seemed to be looking at him. He walked over to it, picked the flower, and removed the thorns before handing it to Esmedella. “It’s not much, but I hope this is enough to say thank you,” the guard say with the flower held out to her.
The queen reached out and took held the rose as if it were the most fragile thing in the world. She stood there with the flower in hand, staring at it in amazement. A grin came across her face when she looked up again. Esmedella got up on the tips of her toes and kissed Kaiser on the cheek. She blushed a bit and smiled as she said, “I love it. Thank you.”
He smiled a bit and nodded again. Kaiser coughed a bit and then asked, “How about we keep walking?” The queen nodded and began walking. As the two were going through the garden, Esmedella reached out and laced her hand with Kaiser’s. He smiled again when he was holding her gentle, small hand in his own. They didn’t speak a single word as they walked through the quiet courtyard, simply enjoying one another’s company in this miniature Eden.
* * * * * * *
The sunlight shone through the curtains of Kaiser’s window the next morning. He yawned and stretched, trying to eliminate the sense of initial exhaustion. Kaiser got up out of bed and smiled a bit, grabbing his clothes to put on. For once in the past few weeks, he had a perfect night’s sleep.
On his way down to breakfast, Kaiser stopped in the middle of the staircase. The torches that were hanging on the wall by a type of metal caddy began to flicker. The flames seemed to grow weaker and then stronger at odd intervals. He began to descend the stairs once again, this time a little slower.
As he went down a hallway, the torches continued to flicker. This time, the flames were weaker more often than they were strong. The oil paintings on the walls of the various rulers who once walked those very halls began to almost come to life in the waning light. Their eyes became fiercer and seemed to be glaring down at him with spite.
Kaiser rushed down the hall and descended another flight of stairs. He reached the entrance hall with a slight pant in his breathing. The lights of the torches disappeared and the blinds covered every window, leaving him in an almost complete darkness. Kaiser looked towards the front doors of the palace. There was a gentle knocking at the doors, but he dared not go near it.
He felt his heart beating at an incredible rate, the sound of it echoing through the air. His eyes widened at the sight before him. A green fog began to seep under the door and enter the hall. It accumulated in the air in front of him and took an almost serpentine form. From within the fog creature’s head, appeared a pair of green eyes that were glowing intensely.
Kaiser felt himself freeze in his place. Right in front of him were the same green eyes that have been haunting him, but now they had a body to go along with it. The green mist slowly slithered its way through the air and towards him. It stopped in front of him and just stared into his eyes, almost hypnotizing the knight.
“Kaiser!” yelled out a voice behind him. The mist monster dispersed immediately at the sound of Esmedella’s voice, but left its victim in his hypnotized state. The queen came forward and gently shook the blonde man saying, “Kaiser, did you hear me?” He closed his eyes as he shook his head, then looking at Esmedella he said, “Forgive me. My mind was elsewhere. Could you please repeat yourself?” She nodded and repeated, “I was asking if you were going to come eat or not.” Kaiser nodded and followed Esmedella into the dining hall.
Even knowing that the beast was gone for time being, he couldn’t help but feel a presence always watching him. As the two sat down at the table to dine, the eyes reappeared in the shadows. They did not glow brightly, trying not to attract attention at the moment, but they were looking around the room.
Soon, their gaze stopped on the rose that Kaiser had picked for Esmedella before. The flower was fashioned with other plants in order to make a crown with the rose as the largest and the one stationed above the queen’s forehead.
The eyes then disappeared, turned into the green mist and swerving along the floor behind Esmedella. The mist crept up her back and slowly along the green stems, blending in and attracting no attention. The eerie green fog seeped into the rose until it had fully found refuge inside of its blossom. The eyes, now unable to be seen by any, stared at Kaiser with the sole intent of watching and waiting for its opportunity to strike.
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:56 am
Chapter 4: The Tiger and The Letter
Kaiser was in the rear courtyard where the guard barracks were located and sparring with one of the other knights. He and the other were standing in the dirt circle, each holding a wooden sword in one hand and a bracer on the opposite arm. Kaiser had taken off his shirt and vest, leaving his upper body exposed and revealing the pendant that he normally kept tucked in his shirt. The trinket around his neck was a silver hawk with wings spread, dangling on a long silver chain.
The men in the circle were staring at each other, focusing and planning their next move. Kaiser’s opponent made the first move, starting off with a horizontal slash at his abdomen. The duke simply swiped the blade to the side, while leaning forward with the blade held back. Kaiser sent the blade forward, having it crash against the knight’s legs and forcing him to fall forward. Just as the knight was about to get up, his blade was pinned down by Kaiser’s foot and saw the wooden blade against his throat.
Kaiser looked down at his defeated opponent and then smiled. He pulled the blade away and helped the defeated knight up to his feet. The man looked up at the duke and smiled back. “Looks like I’ll be sleeping in the barracks tonight,” he said to Kaiser. The duke just laughed a bit and responded with a nod. “I suppose so, but you must admit that the palace rooms are quite wonderful,” Kaiser said with a smile on his face. The knight laughed as well and picked up his clothes and other items. “That they are, my lord,” he said simply.
As Kaiser was about to begin buttoning up his white shirt, a young servant came rushing up to him and bowed. “My lord, there is a messenger here who wishes to see Queen Esmedella,” the blonde,. teenage boy said. Kaiser was one of the few that knew that the queen was out on a short expedition with the leader of a powerful bounty hunter clan in hopes of establishing good relations and safe passage through their territories. The duke began buttoning his shirt and said, “Tell the messenger that the queen is not available, but that I will pass his message onto her. Also, say that I shall meet him in the entrance hall.” The servant boy bowed and ran off. The knight looked at Kaiser and said, “This is a little strange. The queen always informs us of the possibility of a messenger or a diplomat or any other powerful figure arriving at the palace. How come she did not let us this time, my lord?” The blonde noble had just finished tying his sword around his hip when he responded, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Kaiser was then off towards the meeting place.
It took him quite a while to get from one end of the palace to the other, especially due to the fact that everybody was stopping him so that he could do some important task. Just as he was approaching the entrance hall, Kaiser thought to himself. Esmedella, you owe me this time. It didn’t take that long to pick out the messenger. He was the tiger-like humanoid that was elegantly dressed in robes of gold and green with the insignia of the small nation of Alterria, which was a peacock of dark green with feathers of various of hues of green behind it.
Kaiser approached the tiger man with his hand outstretched and said, “Greetings. Forgive me for the delay, but I was in the rear courtyard and I am temporarily dealing with the Lady Esmedella’s affairs in the palace.” The messenger smiled, his sharpened fangs showing, and shook Kaiser’s hand. “Do not worry about it, my friend. I understand that we all must do our duty to ensure order,” he responded, his thick accent focusing on each of the syllables. The duke nodded with a smile and the two released the others arm. Kaiser then started speaking, “The queen is going to be away for a few days, but I can make sure that any message you have for her will be passed along.” The tiger-man’s smiling face became much more serious, making him look a bit more vicious. He reached into the left sleeve of his robe and pulled out a rolled up parchment that was sealed by wax, bearing the Alterrian peacock. “My lord, the Marquis Noverto wanted me to pass this along to his niece, Queen Esmedella,” he said, holding the parchment out.
Kaiser grabbed the message and looked down at the wax seal, glistening in the light. “My lord also instructed me to let you know that if you were to be the one receiving the letter, you may want to read the letter. Seeing as how it not only deals with the future of her kingdom, but also of her entire life,” the tiger creature said in a lower voice. At the last part, the duke’s head shot up and looked into the messenger’s eyes. After a few seconds, Kaiser nodded and responded, “Thank you for your work. I will make sure she receives this and I will have a room prepared for you so that you may rest before setting out on your return trip tomorrow morning.” The messenger bowed and said, “Thank you. Your hospitality is most appreciated.” The blonde man motioned for a servant woman to come over and instructed her to show the tiger man to one of the guest rooms in the west wing. The woman bowed and cautiously guided him to his room, being slightly frightened by the powerful image he portrayed.
Once the messenger was out of sight, Kaiser began to walk quickly through the halls. He avoided a majority of the people as he headed towards the middle of the palace and the council chamber that was currently unoccupied by Esmedella and her advisors. Kaiser walked in, shut the doors behind him, and locked the doors. He walked over to one of the chairs that was surrounding the long wooden table and sat down. Kaiser looked down at the parchment, his fingers tracing the wax seal. He was debating whether opening the message and reading its contents was the appropriate thing to do. On the hand, he would be invading Esmedella’s privacy and be doing something dishonorable. But on the other hand, the marquis did say that he was permitted to read it and that it contained very important information regarding the queen’s future.
Kaiser broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. The light coming from the candles on the walls was dim, but it still clearly showed the writing on the parchment. He began to read the long letter from the marquis to his royal niece. At first, it seemed like a normal letter. He was wondering how she was, saying that he was okay, and other pleasantries expressed between close family members. But as the letter began to continue, Kaiser began going into a state of disbelief. The words that were written by the marquis were entering his mind, but they were having difficulty being processed. The information of this paper was almost unbelievable and absurd.
After several minutes and having read the letter a few more times, Kaiser rolled up the parchment again and stuck it into the sash around his waist. He let himself out of the council chamber and began to walk towards the rear courtyard. The duke, once again, managed to dodge all of the palace personal who were frantically looking for him. He reached to the dirt ring, where the knight was. Kaiser sat down on a rock and sighed. The knight approached him and asked, “Did you speak to the messenger?” Kaiser nodded. “Do you know what he wanted?” the knight asked again. The duke responded with the same nod. “Well, what was it, my lord?” the man questioned a third time, this time filled with curiosity. Kaiser looked at the knight with a grim look and simply said, “All I can say is that things are going to become far more complicated than before.”
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:00 am
Chapter 5: The Royal Law Kaiser was standing at the top of the stairs that lead to the entrance doors of the palace. Coming through the gates, was a carriage of blue and gold being pulled by a pair of Dragols. The duke looked upon the reptilian creatures, seeing as how they resembled horses, but with a lizard’s head and taloned feet. He hated riding them, because anything could send them off on a temporary rampage.
The Dragols pulled the carriage towards the steps, making a wide turn so that the carriage door was facing the steps. Kaiser began to slowly walk down the steps. Halfway down, a servant went rushing past him to open the door. The eager man grabbed the handle and swung the door open right at the moment the duke reached the bottom step.
Esmedella stepped out of the carriage adorning an outfit that a commoner would never expect to see their queen ever wearing. She was wearing her old hunting clothes, which consisted of a short red skirt, knee-high leather boots with accompanying greaves, a low-cut sleeveless white shirt, bracers with attached gloves, and a metal chest plate that drew attention to her…. Eyes, since her golden hair was now pulled back into a ponytail.
She caught sight of Kaiser and grinned, before reaching into the carriage and pulling out a bow and an empty quiver. With the objects in hand, she brought him into a hug. Esmedella broke the hug and smiled as she said, “You know, this really was a good idea. The clan leader and I got a lot done. It seems our needs fit each others quite well. Plus, look at all of the souvenirs I’ve brought!” She waved her hand back towards the carriage, where dozens upon dozens of servants were reaching into the back compartment and pulling out various pelts, shells, and horns of different creatures that she had hunted down.
Esmedella caught sight of Kaiser’s expression and asked, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you glad to see me?” The duke looked at her and tried to smile. “Of course I am. There’s just something on my mind at the moment,” he said. Kaiser took a hold of her hands in his own and assured her by saying, “I’ll let you know soon enough.”
The queen smiled at nodded. “Alright. I trust your judgment,” she responded. Esmedella then pulled her hands out of Kaiser’s and began to walk up the stairs. “I should probably go change. I don’t want men to be looking at my cleavage all day,” she said teasingly before turning back around and heading up the stairs. The blonde guard looked up to get a glance up Esmedella’s skirt before quickly turning his head away, a small blush on his cheeks.
* * * * * * *
Esmedella emerged from her bedroom, shutting the wooden door behind her. She turned left and began to walk down the hallway on her way to the rear courtyard, where she usually found Kaiser practicing. As the queen walked down the hallway, an elderly servant woman came up to her. She stopped and bowed, her white hair shining in the sunlight. “Your Highness, Lord Kaiser has requested your audience in the council chamber. He says that your presence is vital,” the aged woman said in a sweet voice. Esmedella nodded and responded, “Thank you. You may carry on.” The servant bowed again and walked away.
The queen immediately began thinking that something was definitely wrong. Not only was the council not supposed to meet until tomorrow, but Kaiser had sent somebody to tell her to meet him there rather than going himself. She began to walk faster, the sound of the bottoms of her shoes hitting the stone floor echoed throughout the halls.
After a few minutes, Esmedella was now standing in front of the doors to the council chamber. She opened the ancient doors and stepped into the dimly lit room. On the opposite side of the room and sitting in the chair that was normally reserved for the ruler was Kaiser with his arm on top of the table, using his fist to hold up his head by the chin. He looked at her and said, “I’m glad that you could join me so soon. Please lock the doors behind you. No unexpected guests are to come in.”
The queen did as her guard commanded and then turned to face him. “What’s all of this about? Why the secrecy?” she asked him. Kaiser sighed, got up, and then placed a hand on the back of the chair. “Please, sit down. You’ll need to sooner or later,” he said. She sighed, sat down, and then looked up at him. “Alright. I’m seated. Now tell me what’s going on,” the queen demanded.
The duke sighed and nodded. He took a few steps away, obviously trying to think of a way to start the conversation. “Well, the best way to start off is with the arrival of a messenger from you uncle, the Marquis Noverto. He sent a letter to you and it arrived the day after you left for your expedition,” Kaiser said casually. He then stopped and turned to face Esmedella. “When I went to speak to the messenger, he told me of something written in this letter of the utmost importance,” Kaiser said with a slight more serious tone.
Esmedella looked at Kaiser and asked, “Did he tell you what it was?” The blonde man shook his head from side to side and responded, “He didn’t have to. The Marquis told his messenger that if I were to be the one passing the letter onto you, then I should read it since it would involve you and your security.” She sat there silently and then asked bluntly, “You read my personal letter from my uncle before me?” The duke stood there and then said, “Yes, I did.”
The queen was undoubtedly annoyed with Kaiser at the moment. She placed her hands on the table, but before she could say or do anything else, she was stopped by his words. “Before you do anything that you’ll regret later, you might want to read the letter first,” Kaiser said with his hand in his sash. He pulled out the rolled up piece of parchment and tossed it onto the table in front of her.
Esmedella gently took the message and looked at the broken wax seal. Even with it being broken in half, she could still make out her uncle’s seal. The queen glanced up at her guard. He was propping himself up with his arms on the edge of the table and his head hung low. She then began unrolling the letter.
As Esmedella began reading, it seemed simple enough. It was the typical thing from her uncle. He asked how she was, talking about how he was, and the likes. But then the letter suddenly shifted from his carefree, protective uncle self to his serious, political figure form.
Esmedella, I wish that now were happier times, but I must be completely honest with you and hoped that you wouldn’t have to deal with any more burdens upon you. Lately, there have been rumors of men in my country who wish to court you. I thought that it would be impossible, seeing as how I know you just as well as your own parents knew you and that you would never do such a thing to ruin your late husband’s memory. Unfortunately, as my advisors and I were looking through the texts of my library, we came across a law that may discourage you. It is called the Royal Law of Binding.
Esmedella looked at Kaiser with a confused look, having never heard of this law in her entire life. The duke motioned for her to keep reading the letter. She looked back down at the parchment and continued to read her uncle’s message.
This law was set in place in the off chance that something were to happen to the rulers of your or anyone else’s country. The law states that if a king is to die and has no successors or siblings, then his spouse, the queen, is allowed to rule on her own for up to two years. By the second anniversary of her late husband’s death, she must be married to another. Otherwise, the Church of Our Lord Faram will not recognize you as royalty and give the kingdom to another. The possible husband must either be a royal or a noble, so as to keep the royal blood as pure as possible. In other words, my dear niece, you have a little over a year to be married and wed to a suitable man to become the king of your country. I never wished something like this to happen to you, but word is spreading and soon you shall swarms of suitors at your doorstep hoping to become the next king. Once again, I am deeply sorry. I am willing to help you in any way possible and, if I were you, keep your guard, Kaiser, close by. It is not unusual for a man to sneak into your room while you sleep and get your pregnant just to secure his chances at the throne. I wish you luck and good hope in the name of Faram.
Wishing you love,
Uncle Noverto
The parchment slipped from her hands once she finished reading the letter. The impact of this news was like a stampede of raging Dragols running her over. Her open hands were frozen in front of her as she stared off at the opposite wall. Kaiser went over to her and gently grabbed one of Esmedella’s hands. The queen felt as if something was stuck in her throat as she tried to speak. When she did, her words came out slightly croaked. “M-marriage? In a little over a year?” Esmedella asked, looking up at Kaiser with fear and shock filling her eyes.
The duke nodded and said, “Yes. It seems that nobody except the eligible men for your marriage were aware of this, myself excluded until I read the letter.” He saw the queen’s eyes focus back on the wall, disbelief having engulfed her.
Kaiser took Esmedella’s other hand and got down on one knee. “Della…” he uttered. The blonde woman shot her attention back to the man at her side. She had not heard him use her nickname since they were children. “There is a way around the law, if only temporary,” the duke said.
Esmedella shifted in her chair, her full attention on his words. “You have a little over a year to find a man worthy enough of your hand in marriage. Well, choosing the right man isn’t simple. You must see if they have the right ‘qualities’ to be the king,” Kaiser said and then stopped.
She thought about his words for a short time and then realized what he was saying. “You mean… Put off my decision for as long as possible?” she asked. The blonde man smiled and nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Make them think that you’re just trying to give every eligible man the chance to court you before making your decision and since you’re still the queen, you’ll still be able to rule the country in that time period,” he said.
Esmedella was about to grin, but then stopped and said, “But my uncle said that the suitors may try to… ‘heighten’ their chances of marrying me.” Kaiser then raised his hand to stop her. He lowered his hand and responded, “The Marquis also said to keep me close in case something like that happens.” The duke laid a hand over his heart and continued, “Della, I swore to protect you from anything that would hurt you and I intend to keep that promise.”
The queen looked at the fierceness and determination in his eyes and slowly began to smile. She got to her feet and let Kaiser stand up in front of her. The queen then hugged him and said, “Kai…. I know you did and you’ve done a wonderful job. I’m glad that YOU’RE here rather than it be somebody else.” Kaiser smiled softly when she called him by his childhood name and then held her close. The two then broke the hug, unlocked the doors, and they began walking towards the barracks. “We’ll need to notify the guards and knights of this and prepare for war,” Kaiser said. Esmedella looked at him and asked, “Why war?” The duke looked down at his queen and responded, “Well, Love IS a battlefield after all.”
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:05 am
Chapter 6: The First of Many Kaiser and Esmedella were seated at a table in a gazebo within the courtyard. It was a bright sunny day and the two were seated in the shade, enjoying a fierce game of chess. The duke was deep in thought, assessing as to which of his blue crystal pieces he should move next. He took a small pawn and moved it forward one space. Esmedella then continued to gaze at her own red crystal pieces in deep thought.
Just as she was about to move her rook forward, a servant woman came running forward. She bowed to each of them as she addressed the two. “My Lord… Your Majesty… A noble man from the West has come to see you,” the young woman said with very little breath. The queen nodded and sent the servant away.
Esmedella stood up and smoothed out the front of her emerald green dress. “Shall we go meet this man of nobility?” she asked her guard. The blonde haired man stood as well and nodded. “You go on ahead. I’ll change and meet you there,” he responded. They began walking towards the entrance to the palace interior and then broke paths, Kaiser heading upstairs and Esmedella towards the entrance.
The minutes seemed to simply drag along as the young blonde woman walked through the empty halls of the palace towards the entrance. Once she went through the front doors and was on the top step, Esmedella was surprised by the sight before her. There were two carriages rather than one and each was pulled by two birds that looked more like over inflated toy balls with feathers and beaks glued on. Their feather were red-orange in color and their eyes were pitch black.
The carriages were clearly different from one another. The first one looked like a carriage built for a noble that was never painted or had the interior finished. From within that carriage came three very muscular men, all of them with a deep tan and several scars. The carriage was painted pale blue with an ivory white along the borders and the interior had white, cushioned, leather seats. The single man who came out of that carriage completely sent a small wave of disgust through the door. He was a short, balding man who was CLEARLY well fed and rich. He was dressed in purple clothes with a matching robe that had gold stitched into the edges. The noble had an enormous ring on each of his fingers and at least five gold chains with amulets around his neck.
The noble looked up at Esmedella with a smile and spread out his arms. “Ah! Your Majesty! Such a pleasure to meet you,” he said with a bow. He then began to approach the queen. The fat man took her hand and kissed the top. “My name is Rajard Marronah, Baron of the land of Humares,” he said with a smile and looking into the blonde woman’s eyes. Humares was a small nation situation next to Jaideria in the West. Though they didn’t have an army, the tiny nation did in fact have complete control over the mountainous region and is the largest exporter of iron, Jaideria being the second.
Esmedella pulled her hand away and did a slight curtsey. “Welcome, Baron. I’m assuming that you’ve heard of the latest news about my… ‘situation’,” she said with a fake smile. Rajard grinned and nodded. “I will be frank. I have and that is why I’m here. Hopefully, we’ll spend some ‘quality time’ together,” he said with a devilish grin.
At that moment, Kaiser came down the stairs and interrupted. “Forgive me, my lady. I did not expect to take that long,” the blonde man said to her. Kaiser had changed to something not as formal as his uniform, but it did strike a sense of status. It consisted of a pair of dark blue pants, the boots with attached greaves, a clean red shirt, gauntlets, a shoulder guard on his right arm, and his sword on his left hip.
Esmedella genuinely smiled this time and faced the baron. “Rajard Marronah, this is Kaiser fon Rosen, Duke of Naden and General of the 11th Jaiderian Fleet,” she said with a constant smile. Rajard looked at Kaiser with a sense of shock and asked, “Did you say the 11th Fleet? You mean the right hand of your nation’s army? YOU are the general in command?” Esmedella nodded and said, “That’s right. He’s also one of the greatest swordsman in the entire world.” Kaiser laughed a bit and responded, “You Majesty, please. You’re embarrassing me in front of our guest.”
Rajard raised an eyebrow at this last comment and asked, “YOUR guest? As in, the BOTH of yours?” Kaiser nodded in response. “Yes. I am the queen personal guard and I go where ever she goes. So, in short, you are a bit like my own guest.” Esmedella, now in a better mood, turned to face the short fat man. “You and your guards are permitted to stay the night and tonight the two of us shall have a private dinner.” Then a few servants arrived to escort the baron and the others to their rooms.
As the Rajard and his guards were following the servants to the bedrooms, he motioned for one of the men to lean closer. The baron then whispered into his ear, “That Duke is trouble. I want you and the others to keep him busy while the queen and I are at dinner tonight.” The man nodded and relayed the message to the other two. The baron was NOT going to allow some over-achieving, teenage punk to ruin his chances at claiming the throne he thought he rightfully deserved.
* * * * * * *
Later that evening, Esmedella was preparing for her “private” dinner with Rajard. She was now wearing a sapphire blue dress with silver embroidery stitched on the edges of the sleeves and on the bottom. The queen was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair in preparation for the dinner. There was a knock at the chamber door and she looked to it. “Come in,” the woman said. A servant came in carrying a case and left it on the vanity. He bowed before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.
Esmedella set the brush down and grabbed the box. It was a plain brown box that was tied shut with a note beneath the string. She untied the package and picked up the folded up sheet of paper. Opening it up, Esmedella began reading it.
Dear Esmedella,
I hope you like this little gift of mine.
Hopefully, it’ll give you good luck.
The queen turned the paper over and then looked at the side with the note. There was no signature on either side of it or on the package. She brought the rectangular prism towards her and pulled off the top. Inside was a silver necklace with a sapphire pendant on it shaped like a tear drop. Esmedella was lost for words at first, but she began thinking as time passed. It was probably from the baron as a way to suck up to her. She knew that it would be rude to not wear it, so she put it on and then left the room to go to her arrangement.
Esmedella went to the dining hall to find that the long table was pushed to the side to only leave a smaller one with only two places set. Rajard was waiting for her at the table, already seated. He seemed to think that more gold and more extravagant clothes meant a better impression. To her, he looked like a walking target for robbers and thieves. “Your Majesty. I was about to sneak into the kitchen and take a little something for me to snack on,” he said with a smile. “Like what? A roasted boar?” Esmedella thought. Instead of saying what she thought, the queen simply smiled and responded, “Well, I wouldn’t have minded, as long as you had room for our meal.”
At that, the two sat down and servants began entering with platters containing various foods. The meal went pretty simply. While Esmedella was enjoying her food in silence, Rajard was engorging himself with food and drinking a lot of wine. Once the queen had finished eating, the fat old baron had eaten three times as much as her and drank at least two bottles of wine. Esmedella was surprised that this man wasn’t dead, but he probably ate like that every meal or maybe even more.
Esmedella hadn’t arranged for desert to be brought in just yet, so the two just sat there, looking at one another. The silence was broken by the baron. Rajard leaned forward, his elbows propping himself up on the edge of the table. Esmedella noticed the table tilting a little, but didn’t say anything, trying not to disrespect him.
The gems reflected the light shining on it and shading his teeth in various colors of the rainbow. The fat noble said, “Your Highness, may I give you my opinion of what kind of man you should marry?” The queen gave a mental sigh, for she already knew what kind of man she married. “One who’s the exact opposite of you,” she thought. However, the blonde woman faked a sincere smile and responded, “Of course.”
Rajard grinned as the light in his eyes changed from a false sense of honor to a darker, more conniving shimmer. “Your Highness, the man you marry should have a stable financial future for you. That way, not only would you secure your comfortable living, but your country would also have good economic growth,” the baron started. Esmedella just sat there, pretending to be listening to his words. The fat man then continued. “Your Majesty, an alliance with Humares would make Jaideria not only a powerful nation militarily, but also economically. Your treasury would have so much gold, that you would have to build a second just to store it all!” he said excitedly.
At this point, Rajard was grinning like a maniac. “Just think! Being able to have so much gold that you could even sleep on a bed of it and still have enough to support your nation through dozens of wars!” the baron said, starting to sweat a little. Esmedella was getting a little scared now. This man was on the verge of insanity and seemed to want to have his way with her. The queen grabbed the arms of her chair, waiting for the moment to push the chair out and run. But that moment was ruined by an abrupt bursting of the dining hall doors.
One of Rajard’s guards was sent backwards, crashing into the doors. This caused them to open and for him to fall to the ground. Kaiser came in, taking breathes, dragging the two other guards who were currently unconscious. He pulled them across the floor and left them next to the one who was sent flying through the doors.
Esmedella stood upright, followed shortly by the baron, and was just staring at the sight before her. The blonde man, her personal guard, had just come into the dining hall covered in various cuts and with three of the baron’s guards. Rajard’s face began to turn red and he yelled, “How dare you! How dare you attack my guards and interrupt our--” The baron never finished the sentence. “SHUT UP!!!” Kaiser interjected with a yell. The small fat man shut his mouth and became silent.
The duke took a few steps forward, heading towards the baron. “Do you honestly think that you can just send your goons after me and then think you can lie your way out of being blamed, you little weasel?!” he said, his words coming out with venomous spite. Kaiser was about five feet away from Rajard now, the queen watching his every move. “You sent these guys after me because you can’t stand a little competition. You, my friend, are a pathetic excuse for a human. Maybe you should spend the rest of your life in the pig pen,” he looked down at Rajard’s oversized stomach and then back to his face, “You do already look like one.”
At that moment, the baron attempted to run. The duke rushed forward and stopped him in mid-turn, forcing him to look straight into the blonde’s face. The pupils of the duke were dilated and anger seemed to just seep from his every pore. Rajard’s face was shaped by pure fear, afraid that the mad duke would gut him and roast him over an open fire like the ‘pig’ that he was.
“That’s enough!” Kaiser and Rajard looked at the queen. She was standing on the other side of the table and was trying to keep a straight face. The queen began to walk around the edge of the table and spoke as she did so. “I will not allow these acts to progress any farther,” she said. Esmedella looked at Kaiser and simply said, “Let him go.” The duke released his grip and stepped back. He bowed and responded, “My apologies.”
The baron fixed his robes and huffed. “That’s right. You should think twice before--” he started, but was once again interrupted. “You have no room to speak,” Esmedella said with a slight hint of anger in her voice. “You deliberately sent your guards to attack and possibly kill my own guard, who is also a fellow noble AND a military general, just so that you may raise your chances of marrying me,” she said. The blonde queen glared at the baron and spoke with just as much spite in her voice as Kaiser did, “You truly ARE a worthless piece of garbage.”
Esmedella turned her back and saw that the baron’s guards were just coming around and then said, “You and your guards are to gather your things and leave immediately. If you refuse, I will summon the guard and force you out.” When she didn’t hear a sound, the queen turned her head and glared at the baron. “GO!!! NOW!!!”
Rajard waddled off towards the doors, his guards stumbling behind him. He stopped in the doorway and looked at the queen and the duke, his face entirely red now. “You’ve made an grave mistake not taking my offer! The next time you need money or help in any way and come to me on bended knee, I’ll turn my back on you and your pitiful country!” he said with an enraged look on his face. That look didn’t last long, having turned back to fear when a dagger came flying in his direction and stuck fast into the door post. The baron looked behind him to see Kaiser handing Esmedella another dagger. “The next one won’t miss,” she said as she positioned the dagger to be thrown. Rajard then ran off, hoping to keep his head.
Esmedella handed the blade back to her guard. Kaiser walked over to the doorpost and pulled the second dagger out. He sheathed them both and started to return to the queen’s side. “I’m sorry for ruining your dinner with the baron. It was not my place to act in the way I did,” the duke said with a bow. The queen shook her head a bit and took a step forward. “Don’t be sorry. You had every reason to act the way you did. He almost had his men kill you and he was also acting like he was going to rape me just before you knocked the door in with your… battering ram,” she stated, laughing a little at the very end.
Kaiser gave a slight chuckle as well at the mention of his battering ram. “Well, he did have a thick enough skull to be one,” he said with a smile. He held out his hand and continued, “Allow me to escort you to your room, m’lady.” Esmedella took his hand with a smile and the two departed from the dining hall, headed towards the grand staircase. In the entrance hall, they saw the baron and his men getting into their carriages. The two blondes laughed and then headed up the stairs as the two carriages went off.
They stopped in front of the queen’s chamber door. She smiled at Kaiser and said, “Thanks again for stopping that psycho baron.” The duke just shook his head and responded. “Don’t thank me. It’s my duty to protect you,” he then looked down at the necklace around her neck, “Plus, you were lucky tonight.” Kaiser bowed and gave her a smile before turning and going to his own room.
Esmedella opened her bedroom door and went in, gently shutting the door behind her. She walked over to the bed where the remains of the package were, along with the letter. The blonde woman picked up the piece of paper and read it again. She whispered to herself, “Lucky, huh?” Esmedella took off the necklace and went over to her vanity. She opened up one of the drawers, seeing that it was empty. Pushing down on the back half of the bottom, the front half of the drawer’s bottom popped up.
She pulled it out and looked in to see her most prized valuables. Some were as simple as a chain bracelet that a dead relative gave to her at a young age, while others were more valuable such as a diamond and sapphire necklace that was given to her by her father when she came of age. Esmedella looked at the silver necklace with the sapphire pendant on the end and smiled.
The queen gently set it down in the compartment on top of the others and replaced the false bottom. She shut the drawer and got up from the vanity. Esmedella got to her feet and went over to the window. She pulled back the curtain and leaned against the window, gazing up at the night sky. The stars were concealed that night, overpowered by the pale white light of the moon. She then thought, “Rajard was only the first. Hopefully, the rest won't be as bad.”
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:34 am
Chapter 7: Dealing With A Problem Kaiser was waiting for Esmedella outside of her chamber door. It had been three days since Rajard’s arrival to the palace. It seemed that her refusal to marry him had spread to the entire kingdom and others overnight. The very next morning, at least a dozen other suitors had arrived to woo the queen into marriage. Every time they were there, she allowed them to stay for the day and leave early the next morning. The queen and the duke agreed that it would be best if he were to be with her when they reached the entrance hall, for fear of being attacked by a mob of obsessive men.
Esmedella emerged from her bedroom dressed in a simple, light green dress that only exposed her shoulders, her legs from below her knees, and a bit her upper chest. The blonde man gave a slight bow and offered his arm with a smile. The queen gave a small giggle and took his arm. The two then made their way down the corridors towards the entrance halls and the dozens of suitors waiting anxiously for the queen.
Kaiser looked at Esmedella and smiled, asking, “Are you ready to be swarmed?” She looked back at him with a smile and responded, “I have you, don’t I? I think I’ll be fine.” He gave a slight laugh and continued to lead her through the vast halls, illuminated by the sunlight entering through the windows.
“So, how were the men from last night?” the duke asked, looking at the woman he was escorting. The queen sighed in response and lowered her head. “It was horrible. All I heard about was how beautiful I was and about the ‘amazing exploits of such-and-such’.” She looked up at the guard. “It’s like they can’t even carry on a normal conversation,” she complained.
Kaiser nodded. “That is to be expected. They’re trying to flatter their way to the crown. Not to your heart.” Esmedella then shook her head and angrily responded, “How can I know if they’re good people or rulers if I can’t know what kind of a person they are?” The duke nodded in agreement. She was right and he knew it. ‘How COULD you know someone if all they talked about was you and their life stories?’ he thought.
Kaiser continued to walk down the halls in silence and then was struck by an ingenious thought. He stopped and looked at Esmedella. The duke then made a simple question, “How would you like to free yourself of these stuck-up suitors for the day?” The queen was caught off guard by this question and had a look of pure surprise on her face. “Well… Yes… I would like that,” she responded hesitantly. Kaiser smiled, grabbed Esmedella’s hand, and then jogged towards the east wing, where the library was located.
Even though he was running, the queen still had to run to keep up with the trained military general. Not only was he accustomed to running far distances at a high speed for a prolonged period of time, but he also wasn’t wearing heels. They made their way all around the palace to the other end of the building. The two finally made it to a door way that was from the floor to the roof. “Here we are,” Kaiser said with a smile. He looked at Esmedella and the smile disappeared. “What’s wrong?” The blonde girl was panting heavily and giving him a slight glare. “Please remind me to hit you later,” she said as soon as she regained her breath and stood up straight.
The two walked into the vast library. The book shelves were made of dark wood and tall enough to touch the roof, which was elegantly painted so that it showed the painter‘s view of what the heavens looked like. Every single shelf was filled with books and scrolls that date back to the establishment of Jaideria’s first royal family. As they stepped through the vast collection of text, their footsteps echoed off the walls of the enormous room. Kaiser then called out, “Master Ramanahs! Master Ramanahs, are you here?”
Then from one of the nearby shelves, a ladder with a man on it came rolling down on a set of wheels and then stopped at the edge of the shelf. Esmedella looked up at the old man who was holding onto the mobile ladder. He was a lanky man with a long grey beard and similar hair. The elder was dressed in dark blue robes with a slightly pointed hat adorning his head.
The queen knew this man quite well. Ramanahs was a very well respected and well liked man in the palace. Not only was he the librarian, but he was also a part of her council and used to be the head sorcerer before age got in the way of his spell casting.
Ramanahs slowly made his way down the ladder and then turned to face the two young nobles. His emerald green eyes shined onto the two and then his face gave a great smile, revealing the pearl-white teeth he had. “Ah, Kaiser and Queen Esmedella. A pleasure to see the two of you here. But I wonder what brings you here?” the old man said with his never faltering smile, “Are you here to teach her a little of your magic?”
The blonde woman looked at the young man at her side with a look of amazement. “Magic? I never knew you knew magic.” The duke gave a smile and responded, “What do you think I’ve been doing with my free time these last few years?” Kaiser then looked at the old man and said, “Master, I need to look through your spell books. I have… a project that I need to do and I was hoping to be able to use the books and scrolls so that I don’t mess it up.” The old man just grinned and nodded. “Of course you can use the spell books. You know the way to them, just remember what I told you.” The blonde man nodded and said, “ ‘Never use magic to do harm. It’ll only harm you in return’.” Ramanahs nodded again and Kaiser took Esmedella’s hand, leading her to the back of the library.
* * * * * * *
Esmedella was sitting at a table looking through a scroll and reading the text on how to perform a complex jinn summoning spell. The ancient piece of paper was big and had more than just writing on it. It had complex instructions and many drawings that simply baffled her. The queen rolled up the scroll and set it down, looking over at Kaiser. The duke was looking from book to book, scroll to scroll, writing down some important piece of information on another sheet of paper. “How can he understand all of this?” the blonde girl thought.
Esmedella then spoke up by asking, “Kaiser, how can you use magic?” The duke stopped and looked up. “What do you mean?” he asked back. She shrugged a little. “I guess what I really want to ask is what is magic and how do you use it?” Kaiser looked at another book and wrote down one last piece of information before setting down his quill.
The duke leaned forward on his arms. “Well, magic is simple but complex at the same time,” he started, “It’s a little difficult to explain, but I’ll try my best.” He shifted in his seat and began to speak. “Magic isn’t just a natural ability. Someone isn’t born with this special power inside of them. Magic is really just a manipulation of the world around us so that we can perform impossible feats that a normal person can’t.”
Kaiser saw that Esmedella was absolutely confused by what he said and laughed a bit. “Let me start with the basics. In our world, there is an indestructible force of energy that exists in everything in this world. Everything from the smallest grain of salt in the sea to the largest Drakol in the world has this energy flowing through them. When a living creature dies, this energy is then dispersed and passed on to the next creature to be born. Are you understanding?” The queen nodded and responded, “So there’s an invisible energy in our world that we can’t control.”
Kaiser nodded and continued, “Correct. People who can manipulate this energy are the same people who can cast spells. This power allows the spell casters to use the energy in any way they want, but it’s unstable and could potentially kill them. Spells are simply instructions on how to perform a certain ability.” Esmedella gave a look of understanding. “Oh. So if I wanted to cast a spell to start a fire, I would have to read the instructions and then practice it until I can do it correctly,” she said.
The duke nodded with a smile. “Right,” he responded. The young woman sat there silently and then asked, “So is it possible to combine spells? Like, a spell to grow wings and a fire spell so that you can have fire wings?” Kaiser smiled again and responded, “Yes, you can.” Esmedella then leaned forward and asked, “Is that what you’re doing? Trying to combine spells?”
Kaiser looked around, leaned forward, and then lowered his voice. “Yes. But combining spells is difficult. I need to look through these books so that I can cast it without it back firing.” Esmedella got closer and lowered her voice. “What are you planning on doing?” The duke grinned and then began to whisper his plan to the queen. Once he finished, the blonde girl grinned and quietly exclaimed, “I love it!” Kaiser nodded and said, “I thought you would. Now I just need a big pot and some time to prepare it. How about you go entertain your guests while I work on it?”
* * * * * * *
Esmedella was walking down the corridors a minute later, headed towards the audience chamber. It was already mid-morning and by now, there must have been dozens upon dozens of men waiting for her. She continued on her way until she came to one of the side entrance doors of the chamber. The queen reached for the handle, took a deep breath, and then plunged herself into the room.
As she predicted, the room was filled to its maximum capacity with men. They were all arguing over who was most likely to earn the heart of the queen. Each one was bragging about either their wealth, their strength, their rank, or their accomplishments. Esmedella saw that the arguing was escalading and was most likely going to end up in fighting. She then began to walk towards the throne.
Half way there, the arguing ended and there was pure silence. The blonde woman didn’t look at any of them, but could feel their eyes on her. It felt as if they were trying to feel her body with just their eyes and she felt revolted, but she continued to walk in a elegant and dignified way. Esmedella sat down in her throne and looked at the crowd of men. Before she could say a word, the suitors began yelling praises and shoving each other away so that they could get closer to the queen.
Esmedella couldn’t handle this. The situation was far worse than before and these men were more than just determined to win her over. Just as the situation escaladed, there was a sharp and loud whistle. Everyone in the room covered their ears to muffle the sound of the loud and high pitched sound. When the whistle ended, everyone let go of their heads and turned to see Kaiser standing in the doorway that Esmedella came through.
One of the men from the crowd called out in a deep voice, “What is the meaning of this?” They all began to yell at the duke. “IF YOU ALL DON’T WANT ME TO ACTUALLY MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR HEARING, THEN YOU’LL BE QUIET AND LET ME SPEAK!!!” Kaiser yelled over the crowd. They all fell silent, but glared at the blonde man.
The duke then cleared his throat, stood up straight with his hands behind his back, and said, “Since you all are so intent of trying to flatter the queen with your words than to allow her the privilege of informing you of something important, then you will all have to listen to me as I relay it.” He took a step forward and continued. “I am Kaiser fon Rosen and you all are aware of my position, including Queen Esmedella’s personal guard. The queen wished to inform you all that she far too occupied today and must send you all back to your homes.”
The suitors began to protest, but were instantly silenced with the raising of the duke’s hand. Kaiser put his hand behind his back again and then said, “Do not worry. You will all have a chance at the queen’s heart.” The blonde man clapped his hands and three servants came into the audience chamber carrying a large ceramic pot. It was painted dark blue with the Jaiderian seal of the red falcon on one side and a royal purple stripe wrapped around it, connecting each side of the seal. “You may all write down your thoughts and place it in this pot. If you wish, you may attach a gift to give the queen. I also wish to inform you all that one of the sorcerers placed a spell on it so that you may place your letter and gift in, but impossible for you to tamper with anyone else’s.”
The crowd of men then began to rush out, looking for a pen and paper, possibly even an expensive gift for their possible ‘bride-to-be’. When the audience chamber left, Kaiser looked at Esmedella with a smile. “There. They should be preoccupied for the time being and they’ll leave shortly after putting in their letters.” The blonde woman smiled and got up from the golden throne. She bowed her head to the duke and said, “Thank you for the help. I’m glad you’re talented in more than just military subjects.” Esmedella raised her head and then took a hold of Kaiser’s arm. She smiled up at him and asked, “Why don’t we get something to eat and then go do something together?” The blonde man nodded and responded, “Of course. I heard your stomach growl while I spoke to the men.” The queen blushed with a smile and the two then went to the dining hall to get some food.
* * * * * * *
It was late in the afternoon and the sun was beginning to set. Kaiser and Esmedella were in the empty rear courtyard at the archery field. The queen had an arrow knocked in her wooden short bow and Kaiser was standing close by with his heavier, wooden bow that he called the Sagittarius Bow, since it was an absolutely perfect design. The blonde woman glanced over at the duke and then focused on the target at the end of the field. She pulled back on the arrow, straining the string with the pressure of being stretched. Esmedella focused on the red dot in the very middle of the target at the end of the field. She released the arrow and heard it give a slight whistle as it sped through the air towards the other end of the field. There was a slight thunk as it hit the very edge of the bull’s eye.
Kaiser looked down at the field and whistled. “That’s was pretty close. For a short bow, that was extremely well done,” he said as he approached the spot where Esmedella stood grinning. The duke then raised his dark wooden bow. The entire thing was carved from an entire tree, decorated with various carvings of vines and leaves, and had a thick piece of string that was tightened as much as possible to be difficult to pull on and also provide the arrow with more speed.
He grabbed an arrow from the quiver on the ground and knocked it into the bow. Kaiser slowly pulled back on the arrow, stretching the string and flexing the wood of the bow backwards. He stood there, staring at the target, using almost all of his strength to hold the bow and arrow in place. The duke then released the arrow, sending it across the field with a quick whistle, and it dug its shaft halfway into the bull’s eye. He smiled and looked at Esmedella. “That’s how it’s done,” Kaiser stated, confidence being clearly expressed in his voice.
The blonde woman stuck her tongue out at him, but then immediately went into a more dignified pose when she saw a servant coming from within the palace. He approached and bowed to the two of them, addressing each of them in turn. “Your Majesty… My lord… The last of the guests has left his letter in the jar and has left.” The queen nodded to him and sent him on his way. She turned to her guard and sighed. “Looks like fun time is over and we need to go check those letters and gifts.”
After putting all of the equipment away, which included the bows, arrows, quivers, and targets, they returned to the empty audience hall to see the pot absolutely filled with papers and presents. Esmedella walked over to the jar and looked in to see it filled to the brim with useless flatteries. “It will take FOREVER to read all of these,” she whined.
Kaiser went over to the side of the jar and asked, “Do you really want these letters?” The woman looked at him and exclaimed, “I don’t even want the gifts!” The duke smiled and raised a hand. “You might want to step back.” Esmedella did as he said and stepped back a few feet. Kaiser then snapped his fingers and the inside of the jar erupted in a purple flame that extended about five feet into the air for a few seconds before dispersing completely.
The queen was surprised by this and even jumped back a little. When the flames were gone, she approached the jar and looked inside to see that there was nothing inside. Not even ashes. Esmedella looked at the blonde man with a mixture of shock and bewilderment on her face. Noticing the look and understanding the question, Kaiser said, “I cast a spell on it so that it completely destroys anything inside at my command.”
She sighed and then smiled at the duke. “Let’s go to bed. I’m tired and I think it would benefit us if we slept well tonight,” Esmedella said. Kaiser went over to her and held out his arm for her to take again. The queen gave a slight smile and accepted, then being escorted to her private chambers.
The two walked through the candle lit corridors, since the sun already went down and the night began to reveal itself. When they reached the queen’s private chambers, Esmedella turned to face Kaiser. She looked up into his face and smiled warmly. “Why is that you always know what to do when I need help?” The duke shrugged with a smiled and responded, “I guess it’s because I care enough about you to come up with something.”
Esmedella wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, as she always did before going to sleep. But this time was different. She didn’t let go immediately after giving the hug. The queen looked up at Kaiser and gently said, “Thank you. For everything.” She got up on the tips of her toes as he began to lower his head. Just as their lips were about to touch, the blonde girl diverted his lips and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Esmedella and Kaiser then stood up straight. “Well, good night,” he said bluntly. The queen nodded and went into her room, the duke going into his own a few moments later. Kaiser stood in his room and sighed. He wanted to punch or kick something in frustration. In the next room, Esmedella was just as frustrated as he was. She was sitting at her vanity with her hands in her hair and looking at her own reflection. The two of them were thinking the same thought. ‘Why did that happen and why am I feeling this way?
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:35 am
That's all I've got so far. Any comments? Criticism?
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Reply
