“It is time for lunch, let us go out to the barbecue pits and sample some of the roasted Tor.” As they walked Brianna asked the king to stand up to his part of the bargain. So Edward began by telling Brianna the truth.
“One of my ancestors possessed a rare gift of reflexes and battle awareness. That gift did not manifest itself in our family until my father received it. I believe it was given to him by God to preserve this kingdom from the attack of the Wickshield kingdom. My mother, uncle and aunt all had special abilities that helped to save our kingdom. I believe they received those gifts for that purpose.” Edward knew Brianna was bright and she immediately made the connection.
“Then you must have this same gift for a reason, to save the kingdom again? Does anyone else have special gifts as well?”
“Yes, they do,” was all Edward offered.
“Are they gifted in arms like you are?” Brianna asked.
“No, but they are just as remarkable, maybe even more so,” Edward answered. Brianna was now very curious.
“Who are they and what are their gifts?”
“That will have to wait for another time,” Edward replied. Brianna did not pry any further, and was content to take in the celebration. They stopped at several pits and ate Tor until they were well satisfied. Edward was feeling much more relaxed around Brianna, and was almost back to the easiness he had experienced when Brianna did not know he was the king. They conversed and walked until a rider came galloping into the celebration. He dismounted and headed strait for the king. Edward knew something was wrong, so he met the rider halfway.
The rider bowed, “Sire, the captain of the guard of the Prescott dukeship asked me to deliver this message to you right away.” The man handed Edward the note, stepped aside and waited for the king’s reply. Edward opened the note.
Sire, you asked me to inform you when the stranger you sought came back into Glenfair. We did not actually see this stranger, but early this morning one of our watch described an event that is out of the ordinary, and I saw fit to inform you of this event. He described a phantom that flew up the pass and over the wall so quickly and silently that no one else saw it. I hesitate to inform you with so little to report, but the man is trustworthy, and not prone to stories. You were so disturbed by the stranger leaving Glenfair that I thought if fitting to inform you of this event. If it is nothing, I beg your forgiveness for troubling you at the feast.
Your Loyal servant, Captain Granger
Edward spoke to the rider, “Tell Captain Granger he has done well to inform me of this event. I appreciate his attentiveness to detail. His service and judgment are to be commended.”
With that the rider bowed and left. Master Rollins noticed the commotion and came over to Edward.
“What was that about?”
Edward frowned, “Sucinord has returned!”
Master Rollins began to look about the crowd. Before anything else could be said, the others joined them.
Edward turned to Brianna and said, “You and your family must return to the safety of your home, immediately! The kingdom is in jeopardy.”
This startled Brianna, “Will I see you again?”
Edward smiled, “Yes, when the danger is over I will meet you by the spring. Maybe then we can start over?”
Brianna nodded smiling as well and turned to go with her mother and sister. Edward watched them depart and thought. If the kingdom survives, I will be there.
Chapter 5
Love Almost Lost
“Those who wait for love often keep waiting, until, in their last breath they realize they have never loved. Nay, to find love one must pursue and choose love as a way of life. All that remains, then, is to choose who will be the recipient of our love.”
--The Wisdom of Fathers
Edward slowly walked around the last of the barbecue pits and merchants with Master Rollins. They were both thinking of what to do about Sucinord. How would they find him now that he had come back.
Master Rollins turned to Edward and said, “I suppose the best action would be to head to the southern dukeship tomorrow and see if we can pick up the trail of Sucinord there.”
Edward thought for a moment before answering, “Do you think you will be able to find his trail with all of the traffic that has taken place during the feast?”
“I do not know, but it seems our only solution at this moment.”
Edward frowned, “I do not believe it is our only solution. We can wait to see what he will do next, and when we know where he is we can pursue him then.”
Master Rollins stared hard at the king. “You know that means some one may die while we wait. Sucinord has left only bloodshed in his path.”
Edward sighed, “I know Master Rollins. You should know that I would willingly fight him now if I knew where he was. We may be down south trying to pick up his trail and he could be killing people in the north. This is so frustrating for me. I wish this was a traditional war, then you would know where and how to deal with the enemy. This evil machine is like a phantom.
“Be careful what you wish for, my king. Only a few have died so far at the hands of Sucinord. A war would bring many, many more casualties.”
Edward frowned, “You know what Lucinda saw, the whole of Glenfair destroyed. And this Sucinord is at the root of that destruction. If only we knew where to look for him.” Both men walked along in silence until suddenly Edward stopped.
Turning to Master Rollins he said, “What fools we have been. The eyes from every quarter of the kingdom are here to celebrate the summer feast. Maybe one of them has seen something.”
Master Rollins’ hope rose as he said, “Lets split up and question the remaining guests. It is too bad that some have already departed.”
Edward and Master Rollins began to mingle with the crowd and began to ask questions. Whether or not they would find anything about Sucinord was doubtful, but at least they were doing something. More and more people left as the evening came to a close and neither Master Rollins nor the king had found any leads. Edward was just about to give up in despair when he stopped by a merchant who was dismantling his booth.
“Sir, may I have a word with you,” Edward asked politely.
The man smiled when he saw the king. “Anything for you, your Majesty.”
“What part of Glenfair are you from?”
“The south west, Duke Prescott’s lands.”
“Have you seen anyone unusual, a stranger with a hooded cloak. Or anything out of the ordinary during your journey here?”
The man rubbed his chin in thought before answering, “There was a stranger that joined up with us for a while. I knew right away he was not from here because he did not know about the summer feast, nor where it was held. Funny thing though, he was not interested in the feast at all, just some women from the Sabatol kingdom. I did not recognize their names so I sent him along to the village of Brittany. A lot of folks who come here from the south settle there.”
Panic rose in Edward, tightening about his throat. At first he could not speak.
“Do you remember any of the women this stranger asked about?”
The man rubbed his chin again in thought. It seemed to Edward it took an eternity before he answered.
“I believe one of them was named Brianna.”
Edward felt the panic come back again. Why would Sucinord be interested in Brianna and her family. Then the answer slammed into Edward’s consciousness as he remembered Brianna’s story of their exile from the Sabatol kingdom. Sucinord must have met with Brianna’s cousin, Razcon the king and had been hired to kill the women, something Edward knew Sucinord would enjoy. He ran quickly yelling for Master Rollins as he went.
Master Rollins heard the king yelling his name and knew that could only mean one thing. He had found out where Sucinord might be. He came running as fast as he could and came to the king. Only the king did not stop but kept running toward the castle.
Master Rolli
ns ran beside him and asked, “What is it Sire?”
“Brianna, Damara, and their mother are in grave danger. We must go to Brittany immediately, if we are not too late already.”
“I will summon a small force,” Master Rollins said.
“No!” Edward said in panic. “There is no time, we must leave now.”
Master Rollins nodded and they both raced into the stables and grabbed the nearest horses that were saddled. As he swung up into the saddle Edward concentrated with all his might and reached out with his mind to Adriell.
“If you can hear me, we are heading to Brittany. Sucinord is going to kill Brianna and her family.”
“Yes, Edward, I hear you. But wait, I am getting the metal rod. You will need it if you are to save them.”
“What is wrong Sire? Why are we waiting?” Master Rollins asked.
“Adriell is bringing the metal rod to me,” Edward replied. How Adriell knew they were leaving was beyond Master Rollins comprehension. But before he could contemplate any answer Adriell came rushing into the stable bearing the rod made of triberridum.
“Here, Edward, make haste! Pi and I shall follow as soon as we can. I will bring Jason and Lucinda as well.”
Edward had only time for a nod before he and Master Rollins were off toward Brittany.
Telfra rode beside Brianna, watching her in what must be the contemplations of the day’s celebration. She had been on the earth long enough to know that the royal house of Glenfair was a very noble family. She had also seen how the people of the land loved their king and dukes. How different that was from the Sabatol kingdom where their cousin Razcon ruled the people by tyranny and fear. This caused her to voice her thoughts audibly.
“The people of this land do not know what a blessing they have in the love and loyalty the royal house has for them!”
Brianna was surprised at her mother’s outburst. She likewise had been thinking about the very same thing.
“This land is blessed, and they should never take their kind king for granted.”
Telfra smiled at Brianna, “Neither should you take the king’s interest in you for granted, my daughter! He could cast his eyes upon any maiden in this land, and yet he is interested in you.”
Brianna did not answer, but only blushed. Not so Damara, she could contain herself no longer.
“You treat the king’s interest in you too lightly, Brianna. You are acting like your royal blood means something in this land. We are strangers here, our royal blood means nothing in Glenfair. I wish it were me the king had met that day by the spring!”
No one said anything the rest of the way to Brittany. Brianna thought over what her mother and sister had said. They were right, she had been too casual in her respect for the king. King Edward was good and gracious to his subjects and had treated them with nothing but kindness and respect. Brianna felt for the signet ring she wore as proof of her royal blood. That ring gave her the right to the throne of the Sabatol kingdom, for she was its closest heir. She knew Razcon, her cousin also wore a similar ring upon his hand. But the ring he wore had been taken from the body of her dead father and was worn by usurpation, not right of succession. Telfra and Damara were correct, even though she was heir to the throne of the Sabatol kingdom, what did that matter in Glenfair? They were nothing but foreigners here. She knew her curtness and openness about her feelings were part of who she was. To try and tame that was almost impossible for her, and yet the king had seen the worst in her and was still interested. That last thought smote her and she was overcome. Tears began to form in her eyes as they reached the spring. Brianna dismounted quickly and went to the spring to wash her face and hide the tears. Damara followed, not missing the tears that Brianna tried to hide.
Brianna felt her sister’s touch as she splashed water on her face; “Brianna, I did not mean what I said about the king liking me instead of you. I am glad for you. It is the wonderful providence of God that he has bestowed upon you the king’s favor. I only want you to be happy.
Brianna turned from the spring to hug her sister. This time she did not try to hide the tears that flowed freely.
“Damara, you are such a loving sister. If only others could see the heart you have, you would have a line of men seeking your attention.” At this they both began to laugh.
Telfra sat on her horse watching her two daughters. She had said nothing when the few words were exchanged between them. It was enough for her to see how her daughters had grown into fine young women.
They reached their home and walked the horses to the back where they were kept. After they had taken care of them they entered their house. To their surprise a stranger was seated at the table in their house. Something was wrong, and Brianna felt uneasy. Her battle instincts began to stir and she noticed her mother and sister were uncomfortable as well.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in our home,” Telfra asked the stranger.
The stranger smiled, “Your cousin Razcon has sent me to collect the ring that he says belongs to him.”
Everyone froze, and without speaking they all knew they were in terrible peril.
Brittany was not far from the king’s castle, but seemed the distance had grown measurably to Edward. The horse, too, was far to slow. Why had he picked such a sluggish mount of all the horses in the stable. It dawned upon him at that moment that Master Rollins was a ways behind him and his horse was not slow at all. He knew in his mind that time had slowed because of the urgency of his need, but his heart cursed the stretching distance and the lengthening of time to reach Brianna. Edward had not realized until now how much he really cared about Brianna. The thought of loosing her almost spurred him to madness. How could he feel this way since he only knew her a short time? He realized then it was not how long you knew someone, or how well you think you knew them, but the choice he made to give his heart to her. Edward had made that choice. The king of Glenfair was in love.
The women stood where they were. Sucinord did not make any sudden moves either, he just studied the women. He could see the fear in their eyes and he liked it. He realized that most humans feared him, except the king of Glenfair. His anger burned as he had to admit that he was the one who feared the king. He rose from his seat relishing his task. Not just killing these women, but what it would give him, armies to destroy everything in Glenfair. At that moment Brianna launched herself at Sucinord. This was so unexpected that Sucinord had no defense prepared and her foot caught him squarely in the chest. The impact was delivered skillfully and with all the force Brianna could muster. It sent Sucinord flying backwards over the table into the wall behind them. His head went through the wall and for an instant he did not move. Then Sucinord pried his head from the wall and stood once again. Brianna realized that this was no ordinary assassin. The blow she had given him would have knocked a normal man unconscious. Yet it hardly fazed this man.
She yelled to her mother and sister, “Run! I will delay him as long as I can!”
Telfra started for the back door while Damara ran for the front. Sucinord grabbed a candelabra that was nearby and hurled it with great effort at the back of Telfra. It hit her with such force that it embedded itself in her back and sent her sprawling forward on her face. Sucinord started after Damara and was met halfway by Brianna. With a blur of hands and feet she attacked with all of her strength in hand to hand mortal combat. Blow after blow crashed upon Sucinord until he caught one of her hands and pulled her off balance. This allowed him to get a second hand upon her and hurl her across the room to smash into the far wall. Then with the quickness he possessed he caught Damara by the hair as she tried to flee out the front door. Dragging her back in, he picked up the screaming girl and hurled her down upon the kitchen table which shattered to pieces with the impact. Everything was still and quiet. Telfra was dead, and Damara was lifeless as well. Sucinord went over to where Brianna lay. He saw the ring upon her hand and noticed that she was still breathing. You will make a fine present for Razc
on, Sucinord thought. I will take you and the ring to him. Sucinord picked Brianna up and headed out the front door running at a fast pace carrying Brianna.
Edward came galloping into Brittany to see a small crowd gathering around the front of Brianna’s house. No! Edward thought. He dismounted and pushed through the crowd into the house. What met his eye caused his heart to sink. The house was in shambles. Someone was kneeling beside Telfra and the body of Damara lay a short distance away. Edward scanned the room but did not see Brianna. At that moment Master Rollins pushed through the crowd and came beside Edward.
“Are they all dead?” Master Rollins asked.
“I do not see Brianna, Edward stated. “Check the stables, I will search the rest of the house.”
Master Rollins returned and shook his head toward Edward. The woman beside Telfra had covered her with a blanket, and was starting to head toward Damara when there was a commotion at the door and Adriell, Lucinda, and Jason Crestlaw entered. Jason looked around the room, and seeing Damara lying amidst the shattered ruin of the kitchen table ran to her side and picked her up and cradled her to his breast with tears streaking down his face. Edward, Master Rollins, Adriell and especially Lucinda were shocked by Jason’s actions. Edward was confused until he remembered how Jason and Damara sat by each other during the competitions, and how Jason and Damara talked freely while they toured the eating booths together. What everyone took for politeness and good manners had somehow meant more to Jason. Lucinda came and knelt by her brother’s side, now seeing how much Damara meant to her brother.
Jason looked into Damara’s face and bent down to give her a goodbye kiss when he suddenly exclaimed, “She’s alive!”
What other’s had missed, Jason had recognized, that Damara was not dead, only in a very slow breathing coma.
“Quickly,” Jason yelled, “I need cool water from the spring. Help me get her onto a bed.” Edward and Master Rollins helped Jason lift Damara onto a bed and soon fresh, cold water was brought to him. He dipped it in rags and placed them underneath and around the head of Damara.
The King's Descendants Page 11
