He was certain he was going to be betrayed. He had been told to arrive with no armour, though he was informed to carry his weapon at his side. His companions were allowed to keep their arms and armour, however, so his heart was eased slightly, but he was still in a precarious situation.
The lords had arrived to the town with a small retinue of their elite body guards, a half dozen knights, each on horseback. However, with how many lords had arrived with so many of their guards, Duke Moonglow’s brow pulsed with stress, and his entire body grew colder. It didn’t help that many merchants had arrived too, each ready to flock their wares, but also ready to earn information to be sold to others. They, too, had their own guards, and so the town was suddenly in the awkward position of hosting more foreign soldiers than it could reasonably raise.
Something was going to happen this day.
‘He has kept his word thus far.’ Duke Moonglow let out a long sigh, before he continued to step through the hallway, heading towards his main chamber. He opened the doors to find Adam checking a slip of paper, before the young volar glanced his way.
“You’re finally here, your grace,” Adam stated, before his head snapped to a nearby servant. “I want the Duke spotless, and make sure he wears the proper garb for the ceremony.”
‘Ceremony?’ Duke Moonglow flushed slightly, realising what Adam had planned, unless it was smoke and mirrors in order to betray him.
The servants washed their lord and dried him as though he were the fine clothes he wore. He did not wear any jewellery, as ordered by the young volar, but he wore his blade at his side. He wore clothing of silver, with a deep purple, almost black, trim. Adam had asked about whether his hair could have been trimmed, but the Duke refused.
An hour passed before he decided to mount his steed. Guards lined either side of the road from the castle to the town square. A mass of lords awaited at the centre, their knights and guards forming the second layer around the group, whereas the commoners watched and listened from further away, some even from within and atop buildings. The Duke noted the four Margraves waiting for him, unarmoured, though only one was accompanied by a pair of retainers who were also unarmoured.
The Duke dismounted from his horse, which was led away by another, before he marched up towards the rest of the lords. Four margraves, six counts, and a dozen barons all waited for the Duke. He stopped once he was among his peers, glancing between them all.
Suspicious glances. Unspoken plots. Readied blades.
The air was thick with the calm before the storm.
Adam caught the Duke’s eyes, and bowed his head, allowing the Duke to set the pace.
“We are gathered here today to create history. They will speak of this moment as a turning point for we volar, those who have inherited the world from the Sun Father and Moon Mother. When I grew up as a boy, I was told the distant tales of Saul and Petra.” He paused for a moment, noting the nodding from the other lords, who had also heard of the tales of ancient heroes, echoes of another time.
“I wish nothing more than peace and stability for this land scourged by darkness. We must vanquish the darkness. We must reclaim our heritage. We must fight today so our children may know peace tomorrow. It is my hope that you all share the same view.”
The lords all began to grumble affirmatively towards the Duke, as though it were their natural inclination. The names of Saul and Petra spoke to something deeper within their souls. In times when old lords used to meet every decade to discuss matters of the realm, grumbling to agree or disagree on particular matters. That was a different time, a time before the darkness took root within the land, like an unwashed sin.
“I cannot fight this fight alone,” the Duke stated, looking across all the gathered lords. “I am but one man, and one man cannot change the world alone.” He looked towards Margrave Gerald Brasswall and motioned a hand. “I could not have united the land if it were not for the great Lord Brasswall, who has stood by my side dutifully as a knight, and then a peer. For that, I wish to bestow upon you the title of Duke, to stand among me as an equal.”
The lords grumbled loudly, some clapping their hands in approval. Adam also clapped his hands, grumbling quietly along with the other lords.
Duke Moonglow completed the ducal ceremony, the only ceremony in which one did not kneel, instead the gathered lords drew their blades and pointed them towards the sky. The Duke placed a small crown atop the Duke’s head, one which was mostly plain, but was larger than the crowns of all lesser nobles.
Duke Moonglow handed the title of Duke to two others, a pair of distant nobles who had already brought to heel their area, and had decided to bend the knee as long as certain demands were met. The Duke paused for a moment as his eyes fell to the most difficult subject.
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Adam smiled towards the Duke, beaming eagerly as he waited in line. His face was expectant, but he seemed eager for either outcome. In his infinite wisdom, Duke Moonglow decided to call Adam forward.
“Duke Brasswall stood by my side since he was a knight, but you, Lord Adam, had stood by my side since you were a stranger. You, who had rode so valiantly into town upon your mighty steed, and had cut a wicked beast to save my people their lives and livelihood. If not for you, none would be standing here to share in the glory. You swore to me an oath, one which you have kept dutifully. You had every opportunity to claim more than you have, and you have watched over my loyal subjects with a heart full of sun, and a tongue full of light. I say to you, Margrave Adam, step forward and take your place among us.”
“Your grace,” called Duchess Cloudhill, one of the two distant nobles who had bent the knee. “Margrave Fateson’s position is already so grand, a respectable position for the likes of such a fine warrior. Perhaps it would be best to allow the young warrior to wizen in his role before he is to take his place among us.”
“It seems the Duchess misunderstands,” Adam said, staring at the woman, flashing her a smile.
‘Oh no,’ Duke Moonglow thought, for he knew Adam’s proclivity to disrespect nobles so eagerly.
“Duke Moonglow had thought to make me his Duke before you had even bent the knee, your grace,” Adam stated, firmly, smiling wider. “This is but a formality.”
“We should all agree to allow you to-,” the Duchess began, before straightening up as Adam stepped up towards her. The retainers behind her readied themselves, causing Duke Moonglow to recall how Duke Brasswall would respond to the young man back when he was a knight.
Adam walked up to the older woman, close enough that her perfume invaded his lungs. He winced slightly from the intense smell of flowers, but he smiled. “What is it that you’ve done to earn the title of Duchess, Duchess Hillcloud?”
“Duchess Cloudhill,” the woman stated, her lips pursing tight, controlling the anger with the practise of a lady.
“Right, excuse me. You see, I’m very bad with names. I’m not so bad with the name of Moonglow or the name of Brasswall. You see, I fought side by side with great men who hold those names. I fought side by side by the great lords of such names. We looked a Night Lord in the eyes together, Duchess Cloudhill. I can’t help but not recall your name, because I don’t recall what you’ve done. I know what I’ve done. I’ve dealt with a Night Lord. I’ve dealt with something greater than a Night Lord too. What have you done?”
“I claimed the hills across the horizons from Cloudhill,” the Duchess replied.
“I can’t deny you your wisdom, Duchess Cloudhill, but you only gained your title because you knew your place. Unless you have a Night Lord backing you, I would ask that you remember who allowed you your position here, among the great families such as Moonglow and Brasswall.”
“I have brought great allies to the Duke’s cause,” the Duchess stated firmly. “Even you cannot dare to suggest you have done more.”
“Not only will I dare to suggest it, I will dare to suggest that the only lord here that has done more for the Duke was Duke Brasswall, who was given such a great title because he had a twenty year head start in assisting the Duke.” Adam’s eyes remained glaring at the woman, searing into her soul. “I know of what the Duke has promised the other two Dukes, but you shall have to remember, the only reason he could promise you so much was because I was not there to cause you nightmares.”
“Whatever story you speak of, this Night Lord that you have supposedly slain, is enough pretending. You shouldn’t pretend to stand among us as an equal as well.”
“Even now, unarmoured as I am, I could gut your greatest knight like he was a pig,” Adam stated, grinning wide. “They say that a ceremony without blood is a boring affair. Go on, your grace, pick the sacrifice you wish to make.”
“Has the Margrave lost his mind?” the Duchess turned to face Duke Moonglow, catching the face he was making. It was the kind of face a parent made when their child was causing a mess, but they were unable to stop it.
“Allow me to face him, your grace,” a heavily armoured knight behind the Duchess stated, stepping forward. He was built like an auroch, and almost towered over even the likes of Adam. “There is no need to hear more disrespect from the Margrave.”
“We will duel until first yield,” Adam said. “If I lose, not only will I give up the position of Margrave, but I will also gift the great warrior a great enchanted blade, one befitting of his stature. However, if your knight loses, I want your crown. You can keep the title of Duchess, but I want your crown.”
The Duchess smiled. “With the Sun Father as my witness, I shall accept your conditions.”
“Wonderful,” Adam said, grabbing Phantom.
Battle Order
D20 + 1 = 2 (1)
Health: 78 -> 48
Adam barely managed to deflect the heavy blows which wrought down against him, threatening to cut him in half if they ever truly landed. He inhaled deeply before side stepping the heavily armoured knight. He inhaled deeply, but smiled wide as he raised his axe and swung it down.
Attack - Wraith
D20 + 10 = 3 (14)
Omen: 10, 20 -> 10
20 + 10 = 30
Critical hit!
Wraith: 3 -> 0
Mana: 21 -> 18
Ability: Divine Smite
4D6 + 12D6 + 8D6 + 9 = 83 (1, 3, 5, 5)(1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6)(1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
83 damage!
Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, and thus Fate was forever changed. His axe finding a chink in the knight’s armour. The knight fell, his side hot and cold from the magics, while his entire body screamed in pain. He stared at the young man in utter shock through his visor, while the young man just smiled innocently.
“Do you yield?” the unarmoured Margrave asked.
Adam graciously accepted the Duchess’ crown, handing it to Jurot for safekeeping, before accepting his own crown as Duke. ‘So, from now on my kids are princes and princesses?’
“What a coincidence,” a voice called out from the crowd.
Adam heard it. Something striking the floor. The guards quickly moved towards the figure, who had stepped onto the road. Duke Moonglow stared at Adam, having never seen him with such an expression before. His eyes then turned to the figure.
He was tall, with pale skin, and was pencil thin. He was adorned in long cloths all about him, with a rapier at his side, and a cane in hand. His eyes were dark, his face hard to see under the thin cloth across his face. Upon his head sat a large crow.