by Chuck Black
Peyton lowered his eyes. Leinad sensed a sadness overcome his father and did not understand why. An awkward silence ensued, broken only by the voice of a meadow bird. It was Peyton who spoke first.
“I am thankful you see the King for who He really is and that your loyalty is sure, but I am not worthy of the high praise you give me.” Peyton turned slightly from his son and seemed to struggle to maintain a steady voice.
“Before you were born, I once failed the King.”
Leinad could not make himself see his father as anything other than what he was now, and there was no flaw in his character. Besides, how could a common farmer fail the King in any significant way? Never before had his father been so vulnerable with him. Leinad was not sure how to proceed.
“Father, you are a man of unfailing loyalty to the King. Any offense or neglect that you might have committed has surely been forgiven.”
“Yes.” Peyton took a deep breath. “But my failure will haunt me to my death.”
Peyton turned back to face his son and placed a firm grip on his shoulder. “The King’s heart is deep for the people of this land, and though you have not met Him, He knows you.”
“Father, where is the King, and why hasn’t He established His kingdom in Arrethtrae?” Leinad asked.
“The King lives in His kingdom across the Great Sea. From all I have heard, it is a kingdom like no other. It is a kingdom of wealth, beauty, and mysterious wonders. It has even been said that there is a spice there that brings healing to the body … even the restoring of youth to the old.
“Some time ago, there was a rebellion in this glorious kingdom, led by none other than the King’s first warrior, Lucius. Lucius was a brilliant swordsman and tactician. He was able to entice one-third of the King’s best warriors to join him in his attempt to overthrow the King. However, his attempt was thwarted, and instead he and his rebellious warriors fled across the sea to come to Arrethtrae, our land. You see, Leinad, Lucius was so full of pride and jealousy that when he lost the war, he wanted to take revenge on the King. He knew that the King loved this beautiful land and the people in it and that He had planted a new kingdom here. Lucius came here to destroy the land and to destroy the people.”
Leinad knew somehow that his father’s words were connected to the higher calling they had talked about earlier … a calling to which Leinad was only now opening his heart.
“I have protected you from much of the anguish this kingdom has endured as a result of Lucius’s influence. But one day you must face those hardships, for the paradise of the original kingdom is lost.” Peyton paused, and Leinad was compelled to focus on every word his father spoke.
“Leinad, what I am going to tell you is hard for me, but it is necessary for you to understand who you are and how this all applies to you,” Peyton said as Leinad swallowed the last bite of some fruit and tossed the remains.
Leinad adjusted himself so he could face his father and waited patiently for him to gather his words.
“Many years before you were born, the King found a promising young man and woman to help Him begin a new kingdom. It was to be a kingdom of peace, harmony, and prosperity … a kingdom of promise and hope.” Peyton paused and took a deep breath. “Your mother and I were that man and woman, Leinad, and we were chosen to usher in the beginning of this paradise.”
Leinad replayed the words in his mind to make sure he had not misheard. Were they not spoken by his father, he would have thought them to be the boastings of an idiot.
“Bear with me, son, and all will make sense when you’ve heard it in its entirety. Why the King chose me I will never know, for I was certainly undeserving. That is what I find so remarkable about the King—He chooses the lowly to accomplish the lofty. The beautiful land of Arrethtrae has always been in the center of the King’s heart. It was a glorious time—the dawn of a kingdom, and your mother and I were a central part of it. The King built a majestic castle—no, it was a palace. The great hall in the keep was grand indeed. The entire palace was ornate, with rare and exquisite tapestries and decorations. It was built from the finest timbers and stone of the land. There were many magnificent courtyards, but your mother’s favorite place to be was in the beautiful, lush garden. She loved to walk beneath the shade of the trees and smell the fragrant flowers.
Leinad saw the ache in Peyton’s heart through his eyes as he reminisced about his time with his wife.
“We were young, in love, and living a life that no one could ever believe. The King appointed servants, huntsmen, cooks, and a garrison of guards to serve and protect the palace. We were the lord and lady of the land. I came to know the King personally, Leinad!”
“Father, how can this be?” Leinad said. “Friends with the King? All I know is this life of farming, and I have known nothing else. How can this be?”
“Perhaps I have kept this from you for too long, but you have never known me to exaggerate. Nevertheless, what I tell you is true. The King befriended me. He trained me in the art of the sword by day and walked with me in the cool of the garden by evening. I will serve no other, for there is no other like Him. I came to know the purity and goodness of His heart, the power and strength of His arm, and the wisdom and mercy of His judgment. Many men have tried to rule as king and many more are to come, but only He is worthy and deserving.
“The King wanted me to rule by proxy, for He spent most of His time across the sea. In His absence, I was to govern the land. He trusted me with a fresh, new kingdom.”
Peyton’s eyes saddened, and the pain in his voice was obvious.
“Father, no matter the tale, I will not judge you.” Leinad rested a hand on his father’s arm and looked earnestly into his eyes. “What I hear will not change what I know to be a man of honor. Please let me learn that I might not fail. There is a fire that kindles in my heart, and I don’t know why or understand it. Somehow I know it is connected to you, the King, and your story.”
“Late one summer day,” Peyton continued, “a tall, handsome man came to the gate of our palace bearing gifts he claimed to be both rare and exquisite. Except for his footman and driver, this noble-looking gentleman was alone, and your mother and I allowed him and his carriage entry through the gate and into the courtyard. He introduced himself as Lord Sinjon, from the distant land of Hadenborough. He did indeed carry fine linen, spices, and other gifts that we had never seen before. Your mother was taken with the quality of the items.
“But the King had warned us not to receive gifts of any kind from those we did not know. ‘Surely, madam,’ the gentleman said to your mother, ‘the King did not intend for you to refuse such beautiful gifts as these from a man of my stature, did He? After all, what harm can come from accepting one small gift of adoration?’ I watched her struggle with principles and loyalty in silence. Finally she yielded to his insistence, for these were gifts that no one in the kingdom had acquired. I watched her delicate hand reach forth and receive the gifts, and I said nothing … nothing, Leinad! That was my crime, which I shall live with forever.”
Peyton paused, closed his eyes, and lowered his head. For the first time in his life, Leinad saw his father as a fellow flawed human being instead of the infallible man that he had unfairly esteemed him to be. Leinad let his father recover himself in silence.
“Having received the gifts, we felt obligated to offer food and rest to Lord Sinjon and his servants, for evening was upon us,” Peyton continued. “The man was extremely polite and considerate, a gentleman in every way. He had dark hair and sharp features. His conversation was smooth and intriguing. Despite all this, I felt a slight foreboding about him. Before turning in for the night, I posted guards near the guest quarters as a precaution. What I did not know was that across the sea, a rebellion had taken place and Arrethtrae would quickly be swept up in the destructive storm of its vengeance.
“In the middle of the night, I was awakened by the sound of your mother pleading for help. I opened my eyes to a nightmare of horror. At the foot of my bed stood
Lord Sinjon with a knife across your mother’s throat. I leaped from my bed, but he pressed the knife tighter against her throat. ‘Don’t be stupid!’ he said. His voice and countenance were so loathsome that I could hardly believe it was the same man we had entertained a few hours earlier. I called for the guards, but Sinjon laughed a vile laugh. ‘We treated you as a guest, and you lied to us,’ I said. He smiled condescendingly. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it is what I do best. Out!’ He motioned toward the door of our bedchamber. The fear in your mother’s eyes matched the fear in my heart. I walked ahead of them to the door and passed into the great hall. Many of my guards lay dead, and I heard the occasional clash of swords in the distance. Within the great hall stood twenty to thirty of the largest, fiercest looking warriors I have ever seen. Evidently the footman and driver were also two of his warriors, and they had quietly overtaken the gate guards to allow Sinjon’s evil force entrance to the palace.
“A nightmarish tragedy was unfolding before my eyes as the reality of my foolish disobedience pierced my heart. My men were dead and my wife was held in the grip of a murderous liar. ‘Sinjon, though you kill us all, the King will return and retake this palace from you!’ I said with as much force as I could muster. He glared at me. ‘I do not want this palace, fool,’ he said with hatred and spite in his eyes. ‘I want the entire kingdom! I will soon be king of all of Arrethtrae!’ He smiled in his arrogance as his warriors in the hall saluted him with their swords.
“We were forced into the main courtyard, where more death and destruction awaited. I knew that the chilled black night revealed only a small portion of the devastation Sinjon had wreaked on the palace. His warriors were massive and ruthless. There were hundreds of his men, and they had completely taken the palace. Once they had come inside the outer wall, my garrison didn’t have a chance, and it was I who had let them enter. I wanted to return to the dust from which I came and erase my existence, but my heart kept beating.
“He turned us around to see the great palace. ‘Burn everything that will burn, and destroy everything else,’ he ordered his men. Within a few moments, unquenchable flames illuminated the night, revealing the totality of Sinjon’s assault. ‘Kneel!’ he said, and one of his men forced me to my knees before him. He threw your mother to the ground beside me. She was a strong woman, your mother, but I saw the reflection of the glowing flames in the tears on her cheeks as we witnessed the end of our paradise. I put my arm around her for what I believed to be our final embrace.
“Sinjon stood before us, reveling in his power over us—in the King’s destroyed future for Arrethtrae. One of his warriors approached from the great hall. ‘My Lord, it is done!’ he said. ‘Excellent!’ Sinjon exclaimed. ‘Gather the men outside the gate, and wait for me while I deal with these two.’ ‘Who are you?’ I asked as his men retreated from their brutal handiwork toward the main gate. Sinjon looked down on us through narrowed eyes with his chin raised and a sword drawn. He paused. ‘I was the King’s principal warrior, second only to the Prince. Now I am the King’s principal enemy, second to no one! I am Lucius!’ ”
“Lucius?” Leinad said.
“Yes, the Dark Knight!”
“He is real, then? Not just a mythical evil warrior?” Leinad asked.
“He is very real, unfortunately. And having witnessed the heinous actions he and his men were capable of, I knew that our death was imminent. ‘Please spare the life of my wife. There is no need for her death,’ I pleaded with him. He slowly and silently walked behind us, and I covered your mother’s back with my body, fully expecting his blade to slice through me at any moment. As he returned to the front, he placed the tip of his blade beneath my chin, forcing me to look up at him as he spoke. ‘Your fate will be worse than a quick death, peasant. You must now face your pathetic King and explain how you destroyed His plan for the kingdom. I want the King to see how His miserable nobles completely failed Him. No, I will not be so merciful as to kill you now. You have done that to the kingdom and to your own future. That is satisfaction—true satisfaction for me.’ ”
Peyton paused and stared at nothing.
“What happened next, Father?” Leinad prompted tenderly.
“Lucius and his warriors left the palace and disappeared into the night. And then we did a cowardly thing, Leinad. We were so ashamed and afraid that we fled into the hills and found a cave to hide ourselves in. The King was returning soon, and we could not bear to face Him.” Peyton covered his face with his hands and rubbed his eyes.
Leinad could feel the pain of his father. Part of him wished he had not heard this story, for he was not comfortable with his father being so vulnerable with him. But deep within him there was an intense desire to know it all. So he waited for his father to continue.
Peyton lowered his hands and covered his pursed lips. Though his eyes were red and his voice quavered, he resumed the story for his son.
“The King searched for us. I heard Him call, but we were afraid and ashamed. I had cost Him too much. I’d hoped He would think we were dead and forget about us, but somehow He knew we were alive, and so He searched. Finally I could stand it no longer, and I called to Him from our cave. As He approached, He ordered His warriors to stay behind. We knelt with our faces to the ground. Facing the shame of our King was worse than facing the sword of Lucius. He dismounted from His steed and stood before us. The moment of silence that followed as I felt His gaze on my neck was unbearable. Softly He spoke, ‘Peyton … Dinan.’ I could not restrain my tears of sorrow and repentance. ‘My King,’ I said and slowly lifted my eyes to see the disappointment in His majestic face. ‘We … I have failed You. I have destroyed Your palace … Your future kingdom. Take my life, my Lord, for I am not worthy to live.’ The quiet tears of your mother joined mine.
“ ‘Rise,’ said the King. ‘The cost of your failure is great … but I forgive you. You must understand that I am a merciful king, but I am also a just king. Through your weakness, Lucius has destroyed the future of many people. You and Dinan must leave this region and establish a farm in the Plains of Kerr. My plans for Arrethtrae will follow a different course now. Raise your children to honor Me, and through them I will bring victory over Lucius and peace to the land of Arrethtrae.’ ”
Peyton turned to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Leinad,” he said quietly, “that is how I have raised you … to honor the King. Where I have failed, you must not. Somehow the King will use you to help establish His kingdom here in Arrethtrae.”
“But Father, why doesn’t the King bring His warriors to Arrethtrae, conquer Lucius, and establish His kingdom? I am just a boy … I could never hope to accomplish what you could not.”
“The King does not want devotion through force, Leinad. He wants a kingdom of people who love Him because they want to love Him, not because they are forced to. He loves the land, and He loves these people. He has chosen a different way … a more excellent way. This is why you are feeling less and less like a farmer every day. Stay strong—stay true—stay loyal!”
“I will, Father. I swear it,” Leinad said. “But what am I supposed to do?”
Leinad felt his father’s eyes penetrate his soul.
“I wish I could answer that for you, son, but I truly don’t know. That is a question for which you alone must discover the answer.”
Leinad’s small world was now much bigger. In just a few moments, the solid ground of his life had shifted beneath him. His father … his farm … his life was not what it appeared to be. Was anything he believed in still anchored and unchanged? He asked himself and searched. He found one unmovable truth … the King was!
YESTERDAY’S END
Leinad loved to hunt game. His accuracy with a bow and arrow was uncanny. Successful hunting required patience, something Leinad usually found difficult to practice. However, the quiet realm of the forest afforded Leinad an opportunity to think and reflect, which he found himself doing quite frequently lately.
Today Peyton had encouraged Leinad to hunt al
one, saying he needed to accomplish some things around the farm. “Besides,” Peyton had said, “I think you could probably use some time to yourself.”
Leinad always hunted on foot in the forest. Horses were noisy, and he preferred to blend with his surroundings as much as possible. He was disappointed and somewhat surprised at the lack of game. It was already midmorning and he was still empty-handed. The overcast skies made the forest walls feel closer than usual, and Leinad felt an uneasiness that would not dissipate no matter how hard he tried. The deeper he journeyed into the forest, the deeper his apprehension became.
What is wrong with me? Leinad thought. I feel like jumping out of my skin and for no reason.
Leinad suddenly became aware of the silence of the forest. It was an abnormal silence. There were no birds singing, squirrels chirping, or even wind rustling the leaves of the trees. A deadly still engulfed him. Something was wrong! Though he had entered this forest a thousand times, it was a different forest today.
Leinad became as silent and as still as the forest. All of his senses were alert and craved a response, but there was none. His apprehension slowly transformed into the ugly beast of fear—small at first but growing. He could not deny that he now felt as though he was no longer the hunter, but the hunted. And the predator was unknown. He had seen this arena before, only this time he was the deer that felt danger in every fiber of his body. The only comfort Leinad could find was in the fact that he was no longer making noise, hoping that his presence would be lost in the silence of a forest that seemed much darker now than just moments ago. Unfortunately, he knew that even this small remaining comfort must end. Reason told him it was folly to wait for an unknown outcome he had no control over. He must gain control of his fear and either retreat or discover his predator before his predator discovered him.
