Heir's Legacy

by Vlad ben Avorham

  Pavel nodded. "I won't be long or far."

  Galan turned back to watch the treeline. He did not see Varn had taken advantage of this moment to move up next to the wall.

  Long Live the King‌

  Catrin sat watching Savon plying an old friend of his who was part of the castle guard with drink. She was impressed. Her father was good at his craft. Oh, she had long suspected but here in the belly of the beast, his skills and casual confidence were inspirational. In just two days they had a reasonable map of the King's private living quarters, the schedule of his wife and his mistresses, and the expected guard rotation.

  They had been over the plan and over it again, the only sticking point was that her father had attempted to sideline her twice. She couldn't even blame him for that as he was just protecting her, but she wouldn't allow that when they both knew good and damn well, it would take both of them to hoist Hard into place.

  So it was three nights after their arrival that they found themselves perched on the roof of the palace prying up tiles under the silence spell of Catrin's ring. With a little stroke of good luck they had judged their position correctly and dropped into the darkened corridor that the Royal Family used to move about the palace in secret. These hidden passage ways allowed them to surveil a room before entering or observe foreign dignitaries unobserved. There was no known map, so it would take them some time to search out the King's main bed chamber but only the elite security troops and the Royal family were even here.

  Light discipline was a must in the darkened passageways. Even a soft glow was visible from a long way off. So they slowly and cautiously made their way through the dark noise muffled by the wrap of rags on their boots. The corridors seemed to go on forever and at their pace they began to fear they would run out of night before they found the right room.

  Their caution paid off though. Ahead was a sharp corner and from around the corner shown, what to their dark accustomed eyes appeared to be a bright light. It was a small lamp sitting on a guard table. Around the table sat three guards. The left of the table was a door, and to the right another. This had to be the right spot. Only the King would be guarded this closely, Savon thought. Covering the twenty steps between the corner and the table would give the guards plenty of time to raise the alarm. He just didn't see a way around this.

  Harder shook his head, held up one hand. He motioned for Catrin to remove her ring. In a voice pitched below a low whisper he began to cast. Up ahead the small oil lamp fluttered and went out. That was all the distraction Savon and Catrin needed. The guards were busy with flint and steel trying to rekindle the lamp when the first poisoned dagger entered his neck. The second and third guards hadn't even realized why he crumpled before they too were joining him.

  The struggle was muffled, and neither door opened. Observing the room behind each door Savon began to swear softly. Only the King's chamber or that of the queen and the heir.

  Catrin didn't waste time on frustration; she just continued her way along the passageway. Ahead was another cross passage with doors on either side opened. It seemed they arrived just in time for the King to be returning to his chamber from his mistress's chamber across the hall.

  There was no way to hide, it would be five of the King's elite bodyguard against the three of them. Catrin saw them first and acted more on instinct than thought, she threw forward a light stone calling forth its brightest noonday sun. Everyone's eyesight was instantly wrecked. Only Catrin had gotten a good view of where the King was, so while everyone was recovering it was she who landed in to him with a thud, the impact driving him several feet from the immediate aid of his guard.

  Savon bowled into a pair of guards driving them into the mistress's room. She screamed and ran for the door. Harder let loose with a bolt of lightening at chest level, frying the three standing guards in their armor. The mistress is still struggling to open the door and Savon considers putting a dagger in her, but realizes he has bigger issues to worry about as the guards he had tackled are struggling to their feet. From his kneeling position he picked the slower of the two and threw the dagger into his left eye instead.

  The final guard gained his feet just in time to skewer Harder through the chest as he entered the room. The mistress had won her battle with the door and ran off screaming down the hall. The guard's eyes bulge as Harder with the sword still through his chest punches the guard, dropping him to the ground. Savon is there to ensure he never rises.

  Catrin drags the dazed King back into the mistress's chamber, as Savon and Harder bolt both of the doors to the room. Catrin hands Harder the small power stone she had been carrying for just this occasion, and he begins the incantation. She shifts to holding down the King cutting off his air, if he cannot recover his wits from this attack, then he can't resist Harder.

  Long seconds tick by and feet can be heard in the hall outside. Harder collapses to the floor, sword still through his chest. Catrin releases her hold on Oliver waiting for him to recover as she waits with a lethally poisoned blade ready to end him if Harder isn't in control as consciousness returns.

  Guards begin pounding on the door to the chamber, demanding to be let in.

  An Honorable Death

  Everyone at the Chateau heard the roar. Anyone from the Ohio Valley trip knew the sound. Everyone else just assumed a Tzadi was very angry. It was Evan who realized who it must be first. He took off at a full run to the section of wall his youngest son was guarding. He arrived only moments after Pavel and Sha. There was just so much blood. The young man looked so pale in the light of the light stones glow. He had taken a large knife to his chest. It looked to have missed the heart but not by much. Evan was beside himself with self recrimination and blame. Echal was just glad Sha was already on the task. He looked over the side of the wall and there lay the enemy Tzadi's Guardian, with a round hole in his forehead, and the back half of his skull exploded out.

  Echal started forward to offer his assistance in joining Feylynn and Sha, but Pavel stopped him. "I've got it. It was my fault for leaving him on watch alone." The big man’s voice cracked with emotion. "I've got to try to save him. Besides with Evan focused on this, he needs you to deal with the army in the valley below." Without another word, the big man picked up the crumpled form and began to take him inside where conditions were better for his treatment.

  Echal slipped off to the stables and saddled his horse. He slipped out of the front gate all but unnoticed.

  Stability Returns

  Oliver's eyes opened. "It's ok, let them in." he says to Catrin in a quiet tone. In a louder voice, "Who is it out there? Well, damn it man speak up."

  "Williamson, Your Majesty. Let us in so that we can protect you."

  Catrin kept the dagger ready, but nodded to Savon who opened the door. The guards rushed him and had him at sword point. Oliver's voice roared at them. "Not him you, idiot. If it weren't for this man and woman that Tzadi, and her butcher," he pointed to the body Harder had worn into the room, "would have killed us all."

  He struggled to his feet and Catrin let him go, but continued to watch him closely. "Find me that Tzadi! She ran through that door, he pointed to the small hidden portal behind the great painting. "And bring me some wine! It seems that surviving assassination attempts is thirst building."

  He walked back across the room and embraced Catrin, "Thank you for saving my life." He whispered quietly in her ear, “Oh but it has been such a long time since I could taste anything."

  The Banner of Truce

  The sun had barely poked up above the mountains when the scouts saw a lone figure mounted and flying a banner truce. The morning was spent setting up a tent for the meeting. The enemy commander's full staff was at the table representing the King. Echal alone approached the table for the Duke's side. The enemy commander was a middle-aged dandy. He was dressed more for a parade field than a battlefield. "Here to discuss terms for your surrender?"

  Echal instantly disliked the man's snide tone. Echal never even sat at the table
. "I am here to offer you an opportunity to stop the useless bloodshed."

  The sneer on the commander's face was dripping into his voice. "We outnumber you four to one. I don't care how great a general your father was in his prime, this is his last fight."

  Echal tiredly shook his head and looked to the commander's staff. "Maybe, but you won't take us easy or cheap, and it won't be in one day. I promise you here and now," He hesitated a moment as he made eye contact with each of them. "As the commanders, you will all sleep as soundly as the Tzadi did last night. This will happen each night until you either manage to pull us out of here, if you can before our Yeagers dwindle your numbers too much, or I get a command staff at least willing for a cease fire long enough to check their orders."

  The commander started to scoff, but Echal held up a hand to silence him. "The whole point of this adventure was to separate your Tzadi from the king. My cousin's mind has been poisoned by her witchery. Once we removed her, his sanity should be returning. Verify my story, check your orders before more needlessly die. Our Tzadi is alive and well, your troops have nothing to protect them. I've come here only to offer the chance for my fellow countrymen to avoid slaughter. If you thought chasing off into the woods last night was fun, then come on up to the Chateau, we're more than ready to greet you." At this point he flashed them a wicked grin. "I love a good fight. I just hate to fight those who I have no good reason to kill. Two weeks cease fire for you to confirm your orders; those are my terms. Ignore them at your own peril. I'll await your answer." With that he vaulted back into his saddle and then turned his back on them and left.

  Arrows did not greet his back but it looks like they would at least consider it. He grinned as he road back into the courtyard and pulled the heavy iron plate from under his cloak. It wasn't much for combat armor but it would have stopped any arrow aimed at his back. Now it was up to Catrina and Harder, he desperately hoped that they were all right.

  A Storm Passes

  Thoughts Before Bed

  Echal had shelled himself out of the heavy court clothing with almost as much relief as shedding his armor. He walked through his dressing area and into the flowing water coming from the ceiling to pool in a large tub before it ran down under the floor. He had spent two months touring the Dutchy. It still didn't feel like home. Oh, the people were amazing and industrious and he had no doubt that Jayen would find them quick to embrace the new skills and tools brought back from the Ohio Valley. He just never saw himself as a Duke, or the heir to a Duke. Galan was raised by their father to view this as his birthright, he would do far better than Echal at these tasks. His heir seemed to be settling in to the job of King just fine. Oh it was a bit touch and go for a bit when he accused the White Spire of meddling in politicial affairs. According to his new access to Oliver's memories it appears that is exactly what they were doing. Though he wasn't certain he could trust Harder not to embellish this truth a little to suit his own purposes. Still that was mostly smoothed over for the moment.

  Drying off, he walked into what would have been his room his whole life had events not intervened. As he stretched out across the largest four poster bed he had ever seen, he just wanted to take Catrin, and Savon, and go back to the Red Spire and begin his studies. As he thought of Catrin he admonished himself, she would be here any moment and this was not the time to be thinking of anything but her. Wedding nights were a time for storing up good memories to help you get through life's darker times. He started to wonder what those might look like but soon found himself staring in awe. She had come from her water closet and was standing in the door. She had been to his bed many times, in fine inns and on the hard ground under wagons, but never had she been his wife, his future, the mother one day of his children, and she was beautiful. Leaving other thoughts aside was no longer a concern of his.

  What is Home?

  Evan Mirron was back sleeping in his own bed. He had filled his cup a little more this day than was usual but his eldest was married and to a woman who would love and defend him until the very end, a celebration was called for. He only wished that Echal's mother had lived to see it. Lying in that lazy daze between sleep and waking, he felt Feylynn curl up beside him.

  "Are you asleep yet?" she whispered.

  Evan opened one eye. "hmm. Depends on what you have in mind." he smiled.

  She laughed softly and poked a finger into his ribs. "We'll have to see about that. I have a favor to ask you, and I know it is awfully soon, we've only just made it home and all..."

  Evan rolled over so he could see her, "What's wrong m'love?"

  "Well, it's just that your children have gotten to come home, and this is home, but my children have never been among the Elves. That is as much a part of who they are as being here in Dutchy. Now that the tour is done, and Echal and Catrin will soon be heading off to start their lives together..."

  "You want to leave already?" He asked saddened.

  "No m'love, never to leave, only to show them the rest of their heritage. The distance is far, but we would need only be gone for a season." she held him close.

  "You know I can never deny you anything. Let's let Echal get on his way before we start any serious planning." He kissed her softly.

  "Remember our wedding night?" she asked him. They needed no other words.

  A New Life

  Sarah hadn't really mastered the language of this new land, but never had she worn such fine clothes and had so many potential suiters. She knew Galan had feelings for her but that was puppy love. He would grow out of it in time, and here she could be and do almost anything she could imagine. Here all the old rules had fallen away. There was still so much to learn, the language the customs, but there was always one smiling young man or the other happy to teach her. She wanted to go with Catrin in a week but Catrin was newly married and would have a new life and other than a few military officers no one was going with them that was an eligible match for her. It wasn't that she was in a hurry to get married but as Feylynn had explained to her; she was adopted by the family now and any potential marriage she made would strengthen the family. Feylynn had always been kind to her family she wanted to make her proud. Catrin's offer had so much freedom to promise. Years to learn who she is before having to be one half of a family, was so tempting. She rested back in the softest feather bed of her life and thought; she had a whole week to decide, and the decision would still be there in the morning.

  Over the Horizon

  Harder looked down at the body he was inhabiting and decided that exercise was going to become a requirement. The ability to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh so long denied to him was a bit overpowering. Even so, he had managed to find enough time to get rid of the worst of the nobles and found he was left with an inefficient but functional bureaucracy.

  His time scale for planning had grown over the last fifteen hundred years, but returning the Kingdom of NoVas back to its former glory of ColwodNoVas will be worth the effort. Reclaiming the other Spires, and convincing the White Spire to stay out of politics will take generations, but he has that now, thanks to the cruelty of Tzadi who thought they knew better than everyone else how to live other people's lives. He sat back as the newest member of the Mirron Family, and realized this wasn't the end, it truly was just the beginning.

  The Story Continues...

  Life Legacy Book 2 Due 2 December 2019

  Tzadi's Legacy Book 3 Due 15 December 2019

  Books 4-6 Due first quarter of 2020

  Other Books by Vlad ben Avorham

  Adventures on the Isle of MU Book 1 of Tomorrowverse Series

  Atlantis Returns Book 2 of Tomorrowverse Series

  Homecoming Book 3 of Tomorrowverse Series

 

 

 
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