The Path of Decisions

by Mike Shelton

  Being led into the King’s chambers, Darius saw his father, a doctor, a religious leader, and a guard encircling the King’s bed. King Edward didn't look like he had passed on yet. Darius breathed a sigh of relief. In a somber mood, Richard motioned him over to a corner. He looked tired and ready to fall over himself.

  “The doctor says he only has a short time. Are you ready?” He looked Darius directly in the eyes. His father had never looked so intent in his life.

  Darius wondered if he should try and heal King Edward. He didn’t know if he had the strength to even try. He was exhausted to his core.

  “I am.” Darius’s knees shook. I must be strong!

  “The battle?” asked his father.

  “We won.” He emphasized the we. “The farmers and the Elite Army fought together.”

  His father smiled and relaxed a bit. “It seems I have underestimated your abilities.”

  “And I yours.” Darius thought back to Kelln and his father. There was still a chance for Darius and his father to become friends once again.

  The King coughed, and they moved back to his bedside. His tired and heavy eyes fluttered open and searched out Darius. Speaking to the others he said, “Leave me alone with Darius for a few moments.”

  The doctor looked uncertain, but Richard led the others to a far corner of the room.

  King Edward whispered, his voice deep and husky, “I am sorry to put such a burden on you at such an early age, Darius. Times will be difficult.”

  “Sire.” Darius reached his hand over to the King’s forehead and pulled upon his power. It was hard to do. There was so little left in his exhausted state. He concentrated and felt deep into the King’s body. There was poison there, spread deep throughout his body. It would be difficult to remove.

  The King reached up with a weakened hand and pulled Darius’s hand away. “No. It is my time. I have nothing left here. I go to be with my family and I leave the Realm in your hands.”

  Darius nodded but kept silent, moving his hands back to his side.

  “There will be many who disagree with you and want to see you dethroned. Some, who, I am sure, have been planning my succession for years. There is only one way for an Anikarian King to be dethroned...”

  Darius nodded again, realizing what the King was saying. Death!

  “I see you have some abilities, Darius. The rumors are true. A wizard King will walk the Realm once again. Be careful with what you do, but be proud of who you are. The kings of the past were wizards and ruled us well. Show the people that power can be used for good.” The King stopped and coughed a few times. He closed his eyes.

  Darius turned to look at his father and motioned him over.

  “Richard,” the King turned his head slightly to his trusted councilor, “take care of your son and guide him. He is strong and full of enthusiasm, but he still has much to learn. If he will, I request that you continue as his councilor. He will need your knowledge and wisdom.”

  Darius thought he would get tired of nodding, but it didn't seem right to speak just yet.

  The King closed his eyes once more and the doctor stepped forward to feel his pulse. He still lived, but only barely hung on to life.

  King Edward opened his eyes once again. “You must be strong, Darius. Others may see you as unfair, hardened, and uncaring at times. That is the lot of a king. But if you follow what you know is right, you will be all right. You will feel the peace... the peace inside. Like I do now. Knowing finally that wrongs are being righted.”

  The King took a deep, ragged breath and continued. “Others will want your power and riches. Remember, though, you must serve the entire Realm. Sometimes this may make you unpopular with certain groups. Your times are different than mine...”

  He faded off again. Darius looked at his father.

  A few moments later he opened his eyes once more. Looking at the back of the room he pointed a weak finger toward Christine and asked Darius, “The girl?”

  “What about her?” Darius asked.

  The King laughed himself into a coughing fit, smiled, then turned back to Darius. “She would make a beautiful queen.”

  Darius saw his father’s eyes widen in disbelief.

  “Times change, my old friend,” the King said to Richard. “From the first time I saw her come into the castle with that petition from the farmers last year, I sensed she was destined for greatness and now I see how. Royalty will suit her well.”

  “We will be married soon.” Darius said. The joy he had felt when Christine had told him yes! He didn’t know what had changed her mind. They would talk about it later. But for now he knew with her by his side he could handle what would come.

  The King looked pleased, and then turned to Richard one last time. “Goodbye, my faithful councilor, my nephew, and my friend…” A smile spread across his lips, and his light gray eyes took once last blink before closing.

  It was the first time Darius ever remembered seeing his father cry. Tears spilled without shame down his face. The doctor checked the King’s pulse for the last time and nodded solemnly to the gathering.

  Christine was escorted out, and Darius left her and the others to be by himself. Taking a few steps down the hallway, he entered his own rooms. Placing his palms on the stone windowsill, he gazed out the window over the entire city. The great city of Anikari! It was beautiful from this vantage point. Oil lamps began to flicker on throughout the city, giving it a sparkling glow before darkness settled in. The power of the Realm and even the whole western world was seated here. He could see the fields where farmers toiled for a mere subsistence. Darius looked toward the Superstition Mountains. They stood dark and shadowy with the setting sun just behind their jagged peaks. He thought of his training up in those mountains.

  Darius remembered standing on top of some of those foreboding mountains, feeling like he would conquer the world. His decisions this past year had led him to his destiny. The King of the Realm! How unprepared he felt for that role.

  Slowly he sank to his knees. With the last echoes of the sunset reflecting a burnt orange off of the stone walls in the room, Darius pleaded with God for a chance to redeem his previous evil thoughts and desires. He asked for divine help as he began his stewardship as king.

  Darius sensed his father walk by his room and stop. An impression of satisfaction rose from Richard as he softly closed the door, leaving Darius to himself.

  Though his eyes remained closed, Darius could distinguish the room darken as the sun fell fully behind the mountains. The room was dark, but his soul seemed to remain bright. Power and magic infused his being, and he recognized it as the power of kings—the power all kings used to hold. The power of a wizard and the power of the throne. He had a great responsibility now.

  If this was what his destiny held, he knew there would also be a way for him to accomplish the almost unbearable tasks that lay ahead of him. He finished his pleading to God and, without getting up, laid his head down against the soft comforter hanging from the bed and fell asleep.

  Chapter 22

  DECISIONS

  The few people assembled in the large dining room sat in a somber mood. One by one, they had entered and taken a seat at the formal table. Not a word was spoken. The oil lamps on the walls lightened the room in a dramatic, yet artificial way. The large mosaic window on the north wall and the many crystal goblets along the long mahogany table reflected droplets of this light, making the room as bright as daytime.

  A simple fare of light refreshments of breads, cheeses, and pastries had been set on the table, but no one made the move to be the first one to eat. A servant stood at each end of the room, awaiting instructions.

  Darius sat at the head of the table in a simple, but pressed, pair of black pants, a white linen shirt, and a buttoned-up black jacket with the purple emblem of Anikari embroidered on the front right breast. He looked up at the wooden carvings along the edge of the ceiling, then down to the paintings on the walls. Some were portraits of prior kings; oth
ers were scenes from different places around the Realm. He realized how much he didn’t comprehend about the business of the Realm. He had read all of the books in school but, until the last few days, had not thought he would need the knowledge much. Now he would need to learn fast.

  His eyes moved to the person at his right. Christine! She smiled at him, and excitement overwhelmed his fears for a moment. So beautiful and calm! Next to her sat Alessandra and Kelln. Darius wondered what they were thinking. Alessandra’s father, the Preacher, now taken prisoner, and Kelln’s father killed by him. He worried for his friend and hoped that Alessandra would not break his heart again.

  Across from them sat Mezar and Jain. Along with the rest of the group, they had proved invaluable to Darius’s plans over the past day. He waited a few moments.

  The door opened, and Darius stood and motioned for Leandra to sit next to Mezar, on the other side from Jain. She gave Darius a brief smile, but her eyes lingered on Mezar far longer. Darius detected a slight blush to her cheeks as she sat next to him. Darius wasn’t sure if he trusted her yet, but she had been through a lot, and he would give her the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

  Darius dismissed the servants. This needed to be private.

  This would be the hardest thing Darius would have to do over the next few days. He had to reconcile his past with his friends.

  “Thank you for coming tonight. I have something I need to ask from each of you.” What if they wouldn't? “Most of you know to one degree or another what I have done this past year. I have treated many of you badly.” He glanced at Kelln and didn’t finish the sentence.

  He cleared his throat and continued. “I became deceived by revenge, power, and glory. I was confused and didn't grasp what I was doing. I wanted revenge, at some point, on something I didn’t have all of the information about. Each one of you has helped me overcome my weaknesses in one way or another. A few hours ago King Edward passed on.” He paused for a moment to let his words sink in.

  Each of them followed Darius with even more interest as he stood and paced behind his red velvet high-backed chair.

  “I am now officially the Protectorate of Anikari, King of the Realm.” Darius smiled, but there was sadness in his eyes. “But I need the support of every one of you. I need your forgiveness. Will you forgive me for the way I treated all of you?” He braced his hands against the back of the chair, waiting their response.

  Christine reached over and took his hand in hers. He knew she forgave him. They had already reconciled their past earlier in the day. It was the others he worried about.

  Mezar cleared his throat, and everyone looked his way. “I forgive you, Darius,” he said with his slight Gildanian accent. “Even though you captured me and held me as your prisoner, you treated me fairly. We developed a sort of friendship, a closeness that I don't think you totally understand.”

  Darius nodded in the affirmative.

  “I am not sure where to start,” Mezar continued. “You all know I was in Denir. But you never really knew why. I was sent with my men to test your defenses with no intention of going any farther into the Realm. However, during the confusion, I, along with a few other men, were supposed to leave the city in disguise and travel the Realm for a time. It was never our purpose to cause any trouble. I was instructed to report on your living conditions, army strength, medical advances, trade, nobility structure, and general observations of your kingdom—a spy, if you will.” Mezar’s tilted eyes smiled in amusement.

  Darius’s eyes went wide. He had harbored a spy from Gildan. What would his father say to that? As King, it would be his duty now to decide what to do.

  “The problem was, we didn't expect an army to meet us in such a quick and efficient manner in Denir.” The Gildanian smiled at Darius, who gave a small laugh in return. “Some of my older lieutenants had grown careless and had stayed up drinking too late. I tried to warn them, but they didn't listen. They thought I was too young to know better. Well, anyway, I have seen more of the Realm and in a different way than I had planned. I even grew to like many of the people.”

  Leandra smiled at Mezar.

  “Did the king of Gildan send you?” asked Jain, becoming excited by all of the travels and stories being told around the large table. Darius knew the boy had never been farther than Forest View, and now he sat in the castle with the new king.

  “Yes, my grandfather… the Emperor of Gildan, sent me.” Mezar paused.

  Darius stiffened at the unexpected news.

  Mezar continued. “My older brother died last year due to an outbreak of a plague, so I became second in line. I will be Emperor of Gildan, your equivalent to king, when my grandfather, the Emperor, and my father, the general, pass on. That is why Darius and I had some sort of special comradery. There is more that I need to discuss in private with King Darius, but that will have to wait until later.”

  Darius paused to think about what Mezar meant, and a sudden realization washed over him. He remembered crossing the Black River and feeling someone else with power. He was also surprised at how quickly Leandra had healed. He smiled knowingly at Mezar.

  “Wow!” Jain said, echoing the thoughts of all.

  Darius began to laugh, and they all joined in. The whole story was what made books and fairy tales, yet they were in the middle of it all.

  “Seems like only yesterday when we were all children, playing carefree games. Now we are shaping the future of not only the Realm but the Empire also.” Darius laughed again. It felt good. One by one the rest of the group expressed their forgiveness to Darius. A heavy burden lifted from his heart. Running a kingdom was going to be hard enough without having to worry about if his own friends accepted and trusted him.

  Darius called for the servants to come back in and pour drinks for everyone. It had been a long day, and they all laughed, talked, and ate heartily. Darius, though, was already thinking about his next meeting.

  “Darius?” Jain asked, “Where did those swords come from that you had us take to Forest View? They had some unfamiliar writing on them that I couldn’t understand.”

  “I’ve been told that the writing on my sword came from the old Kingdom of Mar. A language spoken before the Realm was formed. It was created by a great wizard. Those other swords were not magic, but hadn’t been used for a long time. The Preacher seemed to understand the words that were inscribed on them.”

  Alessandra almost choked. “What?”

  “He translated the writing for me. It was some type of instructions for finding knowledge when you entered the old Kingdom of Mar. The Preacher seemed to know quite a bit about Mar and its historic underground,” continued Darius.

  Alessandra dropped her fork and covered her face with her hands. “He told me he had never been to Mar,” she whispered.

  “Alessandra, I am sure he told you many things that were untrue,” added Kelln.

  “You don’t understand. When I was young,” Alessandra continued, “my mother disappeared. My father always told me that she died. However, my grandfather said she hadn’t died, but had left my father and returned to Mar and that my father had gone in search for her. When my father returned years later all he said was he had traveled the Realm and then over the sea to the Eastern Kingdoms. I never told him that I knew my mother hadn’t died and he would never admit going to Mar. Soon afterwards my father became obsessed with his power, had an argument with my grandfather, and sent him away.” Alessandra took in a deep breath, trying to sort things out as she spoke.

  “One thing I gathered from him was that nothing in Mar was worth anything anymore. Those were his words,” added Darius. “He seemed quite bitter about the place.”

  “She may really be dead, Alessandra,” said Christine. “Do you think she is still alive, and in Mar?”

  “I’m not positive, but I think it’s time for me to find out. She is my mother and if she is still alive….” Alessandra sniffed back her tears. “Maybe my father will tell me finally what he knows.”

&
nbsp; “I will help you,” offered Kelln. “You can’t see him alone.”

  “Your father will be tried for treason.” Darius said solemnly. “Not just for the uprising in Belor. I might have been able to be lenient there. But for multiple murders and the assassination attempt on King Edward. That is not forgivable.”

  Alessandra just nodded.

  A messenger came in and told Darius that fighting was going on in the lower section of the city. The news of the King’s death had already begun to spread, it seemed. Darius dismissed himself with a sigh. Time for his next meeting. He wished everyone well, kissed Christine, and left the room.

  Richard met him in the long corridor heading to the other end of the castle. “Are you ready?”

  Darius nodded. It was all he could do. He knees felt like buckling again. I must be strong. I am the King! They walked into the assembly area of the castle. Sheets of silk hung around the outside to enclose the area from the night air. Lanterns dotted the outdoor sitting area. Darius looked at his father and remembered the last time they had been there together. It was the day he had left for the Superstition Mountains. His father had slapped him in front of the others and embarrassed him. The anger welled up inside of him once again, but now he knew how to push the negative feelings away.

  Most of the councilors and other high nobility were already assembled and seated. He smiled at a few of the guards who had come in from the Elite Army. They nodded back. He hoped they trusted and accepted him. He hadn’t always been the nicest of leaders, but they had been taught to obey, and he hoped obedience would suffice until they found their own acceptance of him.

  Richard led Darius up to the stand. They sat and waited until everyone arrived. Darius observed the hard faces of seasoned men looking straight at him, trying to figure out what their role in this new leadership would be. Many weren’t looking incredibly happy; they were most likely the ones that would have put their own names forth if a true heir hadn’t been announced. And many more will be even more unhappy after this. Most of them were still in town from the ceremony at the coliseum.