Games of the Powerful

by William E Samela

  ~~~~

  Duke Gawain sat at his place at the main table facing the main doors of the hall brooding, his mind not on the splendor of the evening. The winter ball is commencing and guests are steadily processing into the hall, the aristocrats and nobles, the wealthy merchants and traders all here to rub shoulders with each other. They have come from all over the realm for this last ball before winter sets in. Some traveled for weeks from as far away as Faycastle the Countess Janarina and her entourage making an appearance, to Whitepine Castle although Duke Thoric deigned not to appear he set a minor baroness in his place. Duke Gawain promptly changed the seating arrangements to put her as far away as possible from the main table knowing he was churlish for doing it. His best and longtime friend Duke Unther of Jancastle occupies the seat on his left while on his right the lovely Llyandrus graces the table with her beauty.

  Decorating with splendor and beauty in mind the tapestries showing glorious battles and dying knights and soldiers are replaced with ones depicting beautiful sceneries of mountains and valleys with an explosion of bright colors dazzling the eye transforming the hall from its normal martial appearance to a thing of beauty. The focus of splendor in the hall is the crystal chandelier with it hundreds of candles burning bright, a beautiful affair with its three tiers of candles positioned with the largest circle on the outside to the smallest on the inside. Up through the center are mirrors reflecting the candle light into the diamond shaped crystals hanging from each tier on little gold hooks along the outer edges. Brightening the hall magnificently, the chandelier and hundreds of oil lanterns strategically placed along the walls add the splendor of bright light to a normally gloomy hall. Unadorned tables line the outer edges of the square hall with spaces left between them so the guests can reach the dance floor in the center. The dance floor is actually the main floor of the hall with its beautifully designed tile imported many miles from Tordar on the southern coast near the Nerida Sea.

  Adding to the duke's broodiness, he met with Orin and Sakura and determined they were on the same side although very furtive on whom they actually were taking orders from whether the King or someone else he was not sure. He had spoken to the newcomers and the dwarfs taking the situation very seriously he ordered shipments of wood, tools, and weapons up river as fast as humanly possible. He used the excuse of this ball to have a meeting with all the local counts and of course his best friend Duke Unther. Nobles from as far away as Winter Fall Mill south to Highmeadow Village then west until the duke's lands ran out graced the hall with their presence. Some of the guests are counts loyal Duke Unther and Duke Thoric here to support their duke and enjoy the festivities with underlying motives of their own, each wanting to be seen with other powerful nobles. He invited all the wealthy merchants because he would be calling on them to help supply the massive amounts of food, wood, steel, barge workers and hands to build fortifications and barracks for the soldiers coming to stay the winter to strengthen the castle garrison. Overall, the meeting held earlier in the day was contentious to say the least.

  He told them everything he knew, and when he finished relating the facts such that they were, he voiced his needs. What he needed primarily were soldiers and people that could teach others with no experience in war the art of killing people. He needed basic supplies of food, feed for animals, steel to make weapons and armor and people to do the hard work entailed by his requirements. The list went on and the merchants whined and complained about their financial ruin if they are not paid promptly and the local counts and barons concerns were for the protection of their lands and property. What did not surprise him in the least were two local counts and an earl in open rebellion against sending men and supplies to the duke’s call to arms. He made it very plan if any count or earl owing him allegiance that did not muster his soldiers at his command they would forfeit their titles and estates not to mention their heads too. The last part is what had him so gloomy because he knew Counts Korin, Malaric, and especially Earl Brendan Anthor his boyhood antagonists would probably disobey in obstinacy alone. Overall, they failed to understand that if Castle Qenildor fell to the darkness then all the land around it would be in darkness. On the positive side of things, shipments were steadily going north to resupply the dwarfs.

  “My love, please try if you will to at least look as if you are enjoying the festivities,” Llyandrus whispered gently placing a hand on his arm.

  “Aye my friend your gloominess is fast spreading down the table before too long you are going to look like one of the merchants across the hall with tears in his eyes. Why my friend I am contemplating using the sleeves on this pretty jerkin I am wearing to wipe the tears from my eyes. By the way, speaking of this outlandish finery that I am wearing, tell me again why am I supposed to wear this?” Unther asked with mischief dancing in his eyes.

  “Well my illustrious beloved friend from my boyhood you owe me a favor and my wife is making me wear the same outlandish finery so we might as well look our best together,” Gawain laughed some of his old humor bubbling up through the gloominess.

  “I daresay my friend and illustrious Duke of Qenildor I lack the memory of such an event that I owe you such a momentous favor that it warrants me wearing such gilded trappings. Can you my dear friend relate the story behind this favor that you speak of?” Unther asked in all serious but his eyes full of laughter that said something completely different. Llyandrus was desperately trying not to burst out laughing in front of the entire table embarrassing her.

  “My good man let us not quibble over small matters. I do agree it must have been a momentous event that I saved you from but at the moment, the details seem to escape me. Let us enjoy the festivities for the most beautiful women of the entire kingdom are here gracing us with their presence. Including your fare and beautiful daughter Liyania that my son Dorin seems to be enthralled by her special beauty and grace,” Gawain said with all the pompous nobility he could muster and concluded with a flourish loud enough for Dorin to hear and the other guests sitting at the table. Seeing the shocked expression on Dorin's face, the entire table erupted into laughter, his face turning a brighter shade of crimson.

  Saving Dorin, any further discomfort and embarrassment the servants began filling wine goblets with sweet red wine followed by huge platters of food placed on the tables. People began filling their beautiful porcelain plates and bowls with beef, turkey, vegetables, soups and various kinds of fruits. The food is impeccable as usual with many smiles and compliments to the duke’s staff. The soft music playing in the background by a group of court musicians soothed the nobles and the gentry while quietly enjoying a delicious meal.

  Ethan is thoroughly distracted, he is sitting at one of the side tables trying to enjoy his food, and of course, Celedryl’s company but his instincts and training are on full alert since the evening started watching a certain Earl Brendan Nielroy Anthor. Seeing the pure malice directed at the duke and his family, Ethan knows hatred when he sees it, and Earl Anthor's hatred is the kind that festers and grows until someone dies.

  People are finishing their food, when what Ethan thought to be far more than necessary, servants came bustling into the hall removing plates of unfinished food and putting desert plates in their place. Scanning the room Ethan counted twenty of the duke’s personal guard noting their locations around the room and above on the second-floor balcony. Quickly glancing furtively toward Anthor he watched him wipe his mouth with a napkin, get up, and excuse himself. “Celedryl go to our friends and tell them to gather their weapons," he said urgently seeing her questioning look. "I cannot explain how I know but I think an attempt on the duke’s life maybe his whole family is going to happen tonight at this very ball. Go to the duke’s children and warn them to arm themselves and stay close to the duke. You must hurry go,” he said firmly, leaning over quickly kissing on the cheek, leaving her sitting there he hurriedly made his way to the main doors of the hall.

  Once out of the main doors of the keep, he saw the earl casually
walking toward the inner gatehouse and under the portcullis out into the outer bailey. Ethan hurried after him following him out into the bailey where he had turned left walking down a long row of waiting carriages. The line of carriages sported numerous gilded carriages and beautiful horses in colorful and sometimes gold accouterments matching the carriages they pulled. Standing alongside the carriages the drivers waited patiently for their master or mistress. Casually walking along the row of carriages, the earl is a master of portraying a visage of casualness and forbearance, but Ethan knew better the count is up to something dreadful and he would discover what before the night was over.

  The outer baily is lit with numerous torches lining the inside of the walls in ornate wall sconces with enough shadowy areas for Ethan to flit in and out of. Quickly switching to the stable side of the carriages Ethan followed Anthor down the long line of carriages. Finally, the earl stopped next to a driver and casually spoke with him. Quickly slipping between the rear of the coach they were standing next to and the horses of the next coach in line, Ethan hid in the shadows between the carriages stroking the two horse’s heads reassuringly trying to overhear the quiet conversation of the two men. The driver more likely to conceal his identity from prying eyes than from the chill kept his cowl and heavy cloak wrapped tight around him.

  “Is everything in place?” the driver asked.

  “Aye Seren the men you wanted inside the keep are in place as my retainers. I assume you have more in place. If anything goes wrong tonight and they are found out it will point back to me,” Earl Anthor said concernedly.

  “You did your part now let me do mine and your dreams of becoming Duke of Qenildor will be realized as our masters have promised.”

  “And when the king is dead your masters promised to make me king of all Volmoria did they not?”

  “Yes, yes Anthor you will have all you wish for and more, but first we must rid the land of Duke Gawain and his family.”

  “See that we have no mistakes Seren my head is on the block as is yours so remember that,” Anthor snapped turning he walked back in the direction he came from. Ethan moved quickly into the shadows near the horse stalls as Seren climbed the carriage to the driver’s seat. Clucking the horses Seren moved the carriage out of line heading down the inner baily at a slow walk. Staying in the shadows, Ethan followed Anthor until he stopped at another coach in line. He said something to the driver that Ethan could not overhear; the driver quickly opened the carriage door allowing him to enter the carriage. Quickly closing the door the driver hurriedly climbed into the driver's seat and moment later the coached pulled out of the line heading down the bailey seemly in a hurry to exit the castle.

  Ethan ran back toward the main hall his mind in a whirl. Who and how many were inside and how much time did he have before the attack? Are some the dukes own compromised he wondered running back though the inner gatehouse toward the keep? Reaching the main keep, he passed the two guards hurrying through the main doors of the hall. The music was louder than before and when he stepped into the main hall people were dancing and enjoying the music. The colorful and flowing gowns the women were wearing combined with the doublets the men were wearing created a moving sea of color in a normally otherwise colorless main hall. Making his way back to his seat he found Celedryl seated there waiting for him with a concerned look on her face.

  “Celedryl the attempt on the duke and his family is going to happen tonight in the main hall. Earl Anthor is deeply involved with others equally involved fully committed to murdering the duke. The problem is I do not know whom to trust with the information,” Ethan whispered to her.

  “I did as you asked, but the children are finding it hard to believe that an attempt on their lives will happen here in front of all the nobles and merchants, reluctantly they have done as you have asked. So what do we do now?”

  “Even if we could convince the duke to end the ball it will not solve the problem the assassins will merely choose that moment to attack and in the confusion the duke and his family will be murdered. On the other hand, there could still be a lot of bloodshed here tonight. I have an idea go to the duke’s sons and tell them it is going to happen tonight to warn the duke that we are probably trapped in the hall with most if not all the guards traitors and possibly some kitchen staff too. Tell them Danielle and Mitch is going to put a special martial demonstration for the duke and his guests. Have the duke ask the guests to sit at their tables that will at least get them off the dance floor and into their seats. I will tell Mitch and Danielle my plan while you do your part,” Ethan said as he casually left his seat and headed toward Mitch and Danielle sitting farther down the table from where he and Celedryl are sitting. Once he told them his plan they hurried to their rooms and changed into a sleeveless leather jerkins, leather pants and soft leather boots. Quickly strapping on their swords they returned to the ball.

  “Please my distinguished guests and friends can I have your attention? Please stop the music I have an announcement to make,” the duke proclaimed standing next to his table. The crowd and music quieted enough for him to speak. "Our new friends have graciously volunteered to gives us a martial display that promises to be spectacular. Please take you seats that we may begin. Oh by the way I have my gold on the young lady, so place your bets and enjoy.” Laughing excitedly the guests in the hall quickly took their seats.

  Walking out into the middle of the room Danielle and Mitch faced each other bowing in the customary fashion sending a murmur racing through the room because they had never seen this kind of formality except before royalty. Drawing their swords, they warily circled each other looking for any weakness or opening to exploit in the other all the while the tension and excitement in the hall grew. Suddenly, striking with amazing speed their swords clashed sending sparks flying in all directions. They mesmerized the guests; a hushed silence descended over the hall, the only sound heard is steel striking steel. The skill these two talented fighters displayed garnered all of their immediate attention exactly as Ethan had planned.

  Quickly scanning the room Ethan hurried back to Celedryl who had changed from her ball gown to her leather garments. “Celedryl did you bring your bow?” Ethan quickly asked.

  “Yes my love I have it under the table,” she responded then realized what she had said and got all embarrassed.

  “Good you see those two guards by the main door?” he asked casually pointing to the main doors. “They will bar the door at the first sign of trouble so no one can escape. They are your primary targets so when it starts kill them.”

  “How do you know that they are traitors?” she asked taken aback on his frank brutality.

  “Because my love if I were running this operation that would be part of my plan,” he said smiling at her as he walked away. Not until he turned to leave did she realize what he had implied, her heart racing at both the thought of killing the guards as he directed, and the implications of his words.

  By now, many of the serving staff had come from the kitchens lining the walls to watch the display. Only interested in the staff standing by the exits Ethan took notice of the closest one to him and casually headed in his direction. Where most of the kitchen staff were smiling and placing bets, he glanced nervously around the room with a scowl on his face because this display is certainly not part of the plan. Covertly sliding his right hand into the folds of his doublet, Ethan grasped his hidden dagger by the hilt. When he looked as if he was going to pass by the man, he inadvertently bumped into him pressing his dagger against his ribs. The shocked expression on the assassins face told it all.

  “Easy my assassin friend not a sound unless you want this dagger driven into your lungs turn around and head into the hallway,” Ethan snarled quietly. As they went through the door, the assassin tried to reach for a dagger under his white kitchen uniform and felt searing pain as Ethan did as promised, shoving the dagger all the way into the assassin’s lungs and piercing his heart. Blood spurted from the assassin's nose and mouth as h
e crumpled to the floor dead. Ethan dragged the body to one side, wiping his dagger and hand clean on the dead man’s clothes before returning to the hall looking for his next target.

  A guard standing by the stairs leading to the second-floor balcony acted more nervous than he should be on such a festive night as this, his eyes and face giving it away. Walking up to him with a distressed look on his face, Ethan excitedly told him that he overheard an argument between two servants over who was going to win the match and now a servant lay dead out in the hallway the other stabbed him and ran off toward the kitchens. When the guard stepped out of the ballroom into the hallway and saw whose body lie there, he turned quickly in rage drawing his sword only to find a dagger quickly trust into his neck. Two out of the way and how many more, Ethan wondered walking back into the hall after thoroughly cleaning his dagger on the guard's clothes. He certainly did not want to get blood on the pretty clothes he was wearing and besides he could not walk around with a bloody dagger in his hand could he?

  Ethan is in his element; using the training, the navy provided to him to search out the hidden enemy and eliminate them at whatever the cost. He watched as Mitch and Danielle put on a quite spectacular show as always with their swords. It helps that they have been doing this for years to where it seems almost choreographed. Most did not know that but he did he figured it out after the first couple of times he had seen them do this. They knew exactly what each other was going to do and where their swords would be. Still overall, it is quite a site to see them spinning and dodging the other’s attacks. The whole hall had their eyes glued watching them when the attack began most not realizing what was happening around them.

  The first to die is a young girl maybe fifteen winters struck from behind by a sword wielding guard. Her parents sitting next to her were stunned as her head flew from her shoulders bouncing on the table in front of her landing on the dance floor her headless body slumped over the table pouring blood. Women screamed and men jumped up in rage. An arrow from Celedryl’s bow suddenly flew across the room slamming into the murdering guard’s chest; he was dead before his body hit the floor. Arrows from her bow skewered the two guards trying desperately to bar the main doors thankfully leaving them open for escape. Two guards on the second-floor balcony pointing their crossbows at the dazed crowd suddenly fell one after the other crashing on the tables with bloody heads of arrows sticking out of their backs. Ethan guessed correctly that those were from Leadyl’s bow. From calm relaxed enjoyment, pandemonium and terror reigned with people trying to escape through the main doors preventing any soldiers loyal to the duke from entering the hall.

  Ethan scanned the hall to see where he could do the most good. Mitch and Danielle were fighting back to back holding off the traitorous guards, while the duke was not in any danger with a circle of dwarfs and loyal personal guard fending off an attack from a large group of servants. With the amount servants involved many more than Ethan first suspected, he knew some of them have to be Count Anthor’s retainers. Both Celedryl and Leadyl were picking their shots with growing effect. With the ball guests, still streaming out it would be few more moments until help could arrive. The good news, if any could be found at this dreadful time, the attackers were not bothering to harm any of the fleeing guests their focus is to kill the duke. Suddenly, a circle of light with spiraling bands of gold, orange and red all spiraling outward like a funnel appeared and out walked three people dressed in the most amazing armor carrying weapons far superior to any he had seen since he arrived here.