Dream of Empty Crowns

by M. J. Sewall

  The man with the eight turned around and looked at Gordon with some concern. The man with the glasses came over to Gordon and looked him over, taking Gordon's face in his hands and looked in his eyes. He put his nose right next to Gordon's mouth and sniffed. He took Gordon by the arm and helped him to some food.

  Behind the large, round structure, there was an even larger clearing with many fires, all cooking different foods, all smelling delicious, spicy and strange. Gordon's stomach growled. The man with the glasses led him to an area where they were baking bread. It was flat and thick, but the man went to one, tore it in half, and offered Gordon one half. With the other half, he put his own nose to the bread and smelled it, looking at Gordon. Gordon smelled his own bread and realized it was some sort of sweet bread. He looked to the man, who nodded his head, and Gordon ate some.

  It was warm, soft and delicious. He wished he could ask the man how he knew that Gordon needed something sweet, but he would never know. This was another mystery to add to Gordon's growing list.

  They all gathered together, and swarms of people came to welcome them. They smiled, laughed and ate together from clay dishes with wooden spoons. People were coming and going all through the meal. Everyone seemed happy.

  Nearly all the men and women had ink on their bodies in some way. Some of them had ink all over their body with images of animals or plants. Others had strange symbols that Gordon did not recognize, but only one man had what looked like numbers on his skin. Gordon thought of Brenddel with his firstman stripes on his face. Gordon shuddered and tried to think of something else.

  The guard had forgotten his idea of them being cannibals and was filling his belly. There must have been two dozen different dishes. Some of them were meat, some of them were like stews with exotic vegetables, and some dishes were sweet. Everything seemed to have a spice or a flavor that Gordon had never tried before.

  The men that had originally found them on the beach were the ones that stayed near them, talking constantly. They knew that Gordon and the guard couldn't understand them, but they kept talking to them anyway. After a while they talked more to themselves, and Gordon and the guard finally began to talk to each other.

  “My name is Lantovas,” said the guard after they had finished eating.

  Gordon put out his hand, which Lantovas took hesitantly. “I guess you already know my name is Gordon.”

  Lantovas smiled a little. “I guess I do. I haven't thanked you for trying to guard over me from these… um… cannibals,” he smiled.

  Gordon replied, “I didn't really do anything. There were lots of them. I wouldn't have won that fight.”

  “That makes the deed more worthy of my respect,” replied the guard.

  “Do you really think I killed the king?” asked Gordon seriously.

  Lantovas replied, “I doubt it. But I am a soldier. I still have to bring you back. It is for the queen to decide what to do with you. I have only to do my duty.”

  “Or, we could find a way out of here and go to Artoth together to find the real murderers,” offered Gordon.

  Different men and women offered them sweet desserts to try. Gordon knew he had probably eaten too much already, and wanted to stay in balance. He declined the sweet deserts and drank a delicious tea they offered instead.

  Later that night, after it was very dark, the man with the glasses stood up in front of them. There was a clearing with small fire pits all around it, just next to the main eating area. He spoke very loudly to everyone gathered and moved his arms as he was telling a story. Many of the children gathered at his feet, excited.

  As he stood in the middle of this clearing, a man and woman came up next to him, walking arm in arm. They were pointing at things and patting each other on the arms, as though they were young lovers.

  There must've been hundreds gathered by then, watching the performance. A drum began off to the side. Gordon looked over to see a few musicians that were just on the edge of the fire pits surrounding the primitive stage. A large man slowly walked up to the young couple looking very angry, holding one of their clubs.

  The large man grabbed the woman and threatened the man with the club. The young man tried to pull the girl as well, but then the large man pretended to bash the young man in the head. The young man fell. Then, several men and women started to surround the large man. The man made a sound and held up his club, pulling the woman towards him. He said something, which made people quiet. They all got down on the ground and looked like they were praying to him.

  Then, one of the women came to him with what looked like a crown made of leaves, and placed it on his head. The rest of them were still on the ground as the large man started to laugh. Next, they brought a chair, which the large man sat on, and held his club up over his head. The woman sat next to the man's chair and was pretending to cry.

  People were up on their feet and looked as though they were pretending to build something. The man was standing and waving his club around as though he was giving orders. The man with the glasses was now standing off to the side, narrating the story in their beautiful language.

  The people looked like they were working very hard as the large man shouted at them. Then a few of the people entered the stage, coming towards the man with their own clubs. The man got very loud now, and the other men all attacked him. The other people, who had been working, turned to the large man and started to surround him. The large man took the woman that was sitting by the chair and lifted her up over his shoulder. He went around the edge of the stage in a circle.

  The other people followed him. He went to the middle of the clearing where there was a large pile of leaves. The man laid the woman down and covered her in the large leaves and headed toward the fire pits. He lit his club on fire, then slowly came back to the middle of the clearing and looked like he was about to set the leaves on fire.

  The rest of the people jumped on him, took the club away, and two men cleared the leaves off of the girl. The large man was finally on the ground. A woman took the crown off his head. She walked very slowly to the closest fire pit and threw it into the fire.

  The man was still on the ground, and all the people who were on stage and in the audience were cheering. The people all left the stage, except for the large man who was still lying down, pretending to be dead. All the people surrounded the dead man with platters of food. They were smiling and happy. The man with the glasses got louder, and the audience were slapping their legs and cheering.

  Gordon and Lantovas looked around, then at each other. “Is it like clapping?” Gordon asked Lantovas. He shrugged and the two decided to join in and slap their legs. Apparently they don't do it quite right, and many people around them begin to laugh.

  After a while, they were shown a very comfortable place to sleep. Gordon fell asleep right away. Even Lantovas, who first thought they were cannibals, apparently felt safe enough to sleep among them.

  Chapter 28: Bad Etiquette

  Asa was trying desperately not to make a mistake. He tried to learn so much in the short time leading up to their trip, but there were so many more rules in Thure. He looked at his plate, which was empty at the moment. He knew the food would be coming soon, and he had no idea what they were going to serve. Or how he was supposed to eat it.

  There were utensils all around the plate, four at each side and four at the top in two rows. Only two of them looked familiar. One clearly being a spoon, the other maybe a knife. It was like a knife in some ways, but didn't come to a point at the end.

  “You know, there are so many ancient rules here, if you use the wrong one, you might start a war between our kingdoms. I'm Darion, by the way. The king was my brother,” Darion put out his hand to shake the hand of the new king.

  Asa shook the hand and looked nervously at all the utensils, “Any ideas?”

  “Actually, like everything else in this kingdom,” replied Darion, “it's elaborate, but kind of boring. You start on the outside here, working inward toward your plate. Just go in
order for each course. Start at the left and make a kind of half-circle around the plate.”

  “Wait. There are twelve… they're going to bring twelve things for me to eat?” asked king Asa as quietly as he could.

  “Oh yes, we go all the way when there are important people visiting. And don't worry, we've hired a lot of new food tasters just in case. You're going to love how we prepare snake,” said Darion, smiling.

  “Don't let him scare you, my boy. There is no snake being served as long as I'm alive,” said the grandmother, sitting across from them.

  The dining hall was large and most of it was filled with long, square tables where people ate together. Where they were seated, it was all round tables. When Asa asked the firstcouncilor why it was different, he explained that the queen or king always sit with dignitaries at a round table so everyone would feel more equal.

  Asa noticed that the plain chair he was sitting in was much different than the elaborate chairs the queen and her grandmother were sitting in. Asa also realized that the chair that Darion was seated in was plain like his. Apparently the chairs weren't equal.

  “Oh come on now, you must eat all the delicacies, good grandmother. I'm sure you've snuck a bite of snake on your plate here and there,” said Darion.

  “The kings and queens from my kingdom feel snake is on the same level as rat,” said the grandmother, “they are both of the dirt.”

  Darion teased, “Oh, you mean back in Extatumm? I've heard they eat snake there too ….”

  “Don't ever say that word to my face again, boy. I've never liked you, and you've never liked me. King Asa should know the real reason why the knives at the tables are not pointed. It's because long ago, royal women like me stabbed insolent little princes like you right at the table.”

  “I'd like to see you try old woman…” began Darion.

  The queen cut him off. “That's enough. You are going to make King Asa believe we are commoners, acting this way.”

  Asa said, “Oh, it's alright, my queen. I have five brothers. Food and fists get thrown at nearly every meal. I know how family can be,” but looked sheepishly as he spoke.

  Everyone seemed uncomfortable at Asa's family story, but luckily the first course was just being served.

  Brenddel walked up to the table and whispered something into the firstcouncilor's ear. Trunculin said, “Would you excuse me for just a moment, my queen? I have a quick matter to take care of. Pardon me for interrupting.”

  The queen granted permission for him to leave the table and Brenddel and Trunculin left the room together.

  In the hallway, just outside the dining Hall, Brenddel said, “I still think that guard was lying about surviving the shipwreck. Gordon could still be out there. I want to look for him, with your permission.”

  “I agree that the guard was lying. It would do no good to leave tonight. It's too dark to see anything out on the open waters. You wouldn't see one of those fin beasts come at you until it was too late.” Trunculin paused for a moment. “Actually, we might be able to spear two fish with one stick. Let me tell you what I have in mind…”

  Back at the dinner table, Asa was on the third course. He was following the utensil directions exactly as Darion had instructed. So far everything was fairly familiar: the two different soups were both good and they hadn't expected him to eat anything too disgusting yet.

  Besides, it turned out to be kind of fun. Since Asa had mentioned brothers, Darion had been telling stories of growing up. This was the most anyone had talked to him since he became king.

  “…. That's nothing, one time my brother bested me with a wooden knife and the bet was that we had to jump into a frozen pond… naked. I swear it felt like a thousand knives hitting me at once,” said Darion.

  “One time, all of my brothers had me on the ground, and they were passing wind right in my face…” Asa stopped as he realized how loud he was being. The queen and her grandmother were looking at them. They were not pleased.

  Asa was embarrassed and said, “I'm sorry, my queen,” and looked down at the latest course on his plate. Darion just kept laughing. Apparently, the king's brother didn't care what the two women thought of him.

  Asa whispered to Darion, “You're going to get me into trouble,” but Asa was smiling anyway.

  Chapter 29: To Rule the Paper Kingdom

  The funeral of the king was scheduled when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. The firstcouncilor went over everything Asa was supposed to do that day, which wasn't much. Asa was relieved to find that out.

  Asa was informed they were going to make an alliance with the queen. But he wasn't so sure that it was the best idea. He liked Darion. He reminded him of Asa's oldest brother who had a wicked sense of humor. Asa had always looked up to his eldest brother. Asa asked Trunculin, “But isn't Darion supposed to take over when the king dies?”

  “My king, this situation is very complicated. The law is not entirely clear. There has been precedent for both the queen of a dead king ruling and of the brother taking over…” Trunculin began.

  Asa interrupted, “But Darion was telling me…”

  “…. If you would please let me finish. What I was going to say is that, most of the time, the law does favor another male family member becoming king,” Trunculin said. “That is true, but there are other considerations other than the law. An alliance with the brother, who is far less connected or respected, would yield us very little. An alliance with the queen, who has very powerful alliances, and a much more respected family name…”

  “But what's more important than the law? Aren't I like the protector of the law?” asked Asa innocently.

  “If you would… please… stop interrupting me,” Trunculin's tone turned harsh, and they both noticed. Trunculin paused and calmly continued. “My king, yes, you are right that the law should be the first thing we think about. But the second thing we must be, is practical. The queen is much more predictable. We already know what she wants and she's already signaled what she will give us. Plus, if we ever need a favor down the road, she knows far more influential and important people to help us. You see?”

  “I guess… It just seems like maybe the queen is hiding something from us. I mean, she seems nice and everything. It's just … I get a weird feeling that she's not telling us the truth, somehow.” Asa seemed a little confused again. “But you know best. I'm sorry, I really don't know what I'm doing most of the time. I trust you.”

  “Thank you, my king, that's all I've ever wanted,” Trunculin said.

  The firstcouncilor explains that the queen would speak, and then Darion would speak, then the funeral pyre would be lit. Asa had only seen a dead person once, his grandfather. He only saw him for a few moments until his mother made him leave the room. Asa had never seen a body burn before. He was not looking forward to that part. Sitting there waiting, his mind turned to the practical things: How long will it burn? Will there be a bad smell?

  There were thousands of people assembled for the funeral. Earlier in the day, the people could walk by the king's pyre. Now, they were all in one area, behind guards. Asa noticed that many of them seemed to be genuinely sad. He must've been a great king. At this thought, Asa felt small again. He saw the giant statue peering over the kingdom and that made him feel small too. They would never build a statue of him, Asa realized. No one will cry at my funeral.

  The queen began her speech. “Good people of Thure. Your king, my beloved husband, is dead. I will not lessen this occasion by speaking of the manner in which he was taken. His place amongst the great kings is secured by his good deeds and his love for you.” She paused for a moment. “Those responsible have been repaid by the gods for what they did. This is a day to remember what a great king he was. And, as his queen, I will fulfill every promise he made to you. His kindness, his combination of gentleness with his people and his strength against anyone who would speak out against our mighty Thure, these will be honored by your queen. We ruled this kingdom together and made alliances
to keep the deep and longstanding peace for the love of you, the great people of Thure.”

  The firstcouncilor was nodding along with what she was saying, and looking around at the crowds. Asa looked at the crowds too and noticed that although many people were cheering for the queen, not everyone was.

  “They say blood is thick, which is true. But the bonds of marriage and love are even stronger than blood. Today, I send my husband…” she paused and Asa could tell that she was on the verge of tears. The crowds quieted, waiting for her next word, “…send my husband to the hall of the great kings. But tomorrow, I will still be your queen and ready to continue the great work that we have begun for all of you!”

  With the last sentence everyone was cheering. The firstcouncilor looked very pleased.

  It was time for Darion to speak. “Before I begin praising my brother, will you cheer one more time for our beautiful queen?” at which point the crowd cheered even louder. Darion glanced over to the queen and nodded. She smiled back at him courteously. “My brother was a great king and no words I say today can live up to the man that lays behind me. And I'm not here today to talk about myself or my family. But the queen did remind us of the strong bond of blood. I remember not just my brother, but the other kings that have been in my family over the centuries, and how long my family has been here in Thure.”

  The firstcouncilor glanced at the queen, whose face showed no emotion. She simply looked straight ahead.

  Darion continued. “My family was born here. We have been in this kingdom for centuries. My family has seen other kingdoms come and go. But Thure has always been here, strong, like my brother. But what role do you have in deciding your own future? I know how smart all of you are, how good all of you are. The king knew it too. He loved you all, and I know that he cares what your future holds. Three cheers for our fallen king!” The crowds cheered very loudly, but not as loudly as they have been for the queen, maybe, Asa thought. It was hard to tell with crowds.