Leone, Lucy and Palmer have spent another day searching for Vryce, although they did allow themselves to get distracted by some of the festivities. By the late afternoon, they are all buzzing from half-priced elven wine, and on their way back to the inn.
“I’m starting to think we’re not going to find Vryce,” Lucy says with a sigh.
“He may not want to be found.” Palmer shrugs. “All three of us know what he was upset about, and based on what we heard today…”
“I know,” Lucy says. “Multiple murders. A zombie walking through the middle of town. I think Vryce decided to take matters into his own hands so he could level up, and that zombie was probably one of his new spells.”
“We don’t know for sure that it was a zombie.” Leone glances over at the brunette rogue. “Some people are convinced she just went crazy.”
“The people who saw her before she was attacked by the guards said she looked like a corpse wandering down the street.” Lucy’s eyebrows go up. “That sounds like a zombie to me.”
They don’t get a chance to continue their discussion. The trio makes it back to the inn, and the innkeeper quickly ushers them into a carriage.
The carriage takes them through the city of Logis, all the way to the castle that they could only see from a distance, and the driver stops at the gate. A guard that is dressed in armor a lot fancier than the ones in town walks over to the carriage.
“These people are guests at the Nimblefoot Inn,” the driver says. “They’re here to listen to the announcement about the Royal Quest.”
The guard briefly glances into the carriage, then motions for the driver to keep going. The driver slaps the reins against the horses and guides them into the courtyard, which is filled with people. The driver finds a place to park the carriage, then he climbs down and opens the door for the trio.
“Wow,” Lucy says as she looks around the Royal Courtyard. “This place is pretty impressive.”
“Yeah,” Palmer replies, nodding in agreement.
The courtyard is vast with paved tiles on the ground and extremely high walls on three sides. Ahead of them, at the front of the courtyard, is the king’s castle, with an enormous balcony that spans the width of the courtyard. Along the edge of the balcony are ornate carvings of fish that alternate between marble and onyx except for two large gold ones on each end.
“What’s the deal with the fish?” Lucy asks, looking over at a couple of guards that have a similar emblem on their tabard.
“I’m not sure, exactly,” Leone says. “I heard someone mention that King Brynn is also known as the Admiral King. Maybe the fish has something to do with that.”
The trio makes their way through the guests and finds a spot with a good vantage point of the balcony, where they assume the king will appear to make the announcement. As the sun begins to set, more people file into the courtyard.
“Damn, some people really dressed up for this.” Lucy motions ahead to a group that is wearing what appears to be fairly expensive attire, judging by what she’s seen in the shops.
“Even their slaves are dressed up,” Leone grumbles as he eyes a few elves near the group of well-dressed people.
“Is that…” Palmer takes a few steps forward and points out a small woman with a collar around her neck and a chain that’s held by a portly gentleman. “Is that a gnome?”
“I think it is!” Lucy blinks in surprise. “Why does he have her on a chain?”
“I don’t know,” Palmer admits. “She doesn’t look very happy about it though.”
The trio watches as the man parades the gnome around. He stops to talk to several people who appear to be friendly with him. Each of them leans down to inspect the woman, a couple even going as far as to poke her several times. Some people who pass by stop to gawk, but don’t linger for long. Others seem to cower in fear at the sight and move away from the man as quickly as possible once they spot the woman he’s leading around.
“Hopefully we won’t find out that Rabu has suffered a similar fate.” Leone sighs.
“Considering the parchment we found near the tavern, I think he may put up a fight if anyone tries.” Palmer watches as the man leads the gnome out of sight.
“Yeah,” Lucy admits. “And if he’s with Vryce now, then I think we already know what they are up to.”
“Possibly,” Leone says.
There is a lot of commotion, and then everyone’s attention is drawn to the balcony. A middle-aged man walks out dressed in golden plate armor with an ornate fish on the front, and a golden crown on his head is adorned with large jewels. He’s trailed by a boy who looks to be fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in a fine silk tunic and a golden tabard with the same symbol as the king’s armor.
A man with a trumpet steps forward, plays a few notes that seem to amp up the crowd, and then he tucks it beneath his arm.
“Citizens of Logis!” The king raises a hand in what appears to be some sort of salute that is returned by the crowd. “Today is a joyous day but some of you may not agree with what you will hear. I ask that you put your trust in me again, just like you did the day I took the throne. As king, it is my duty to not only protect the kingdom from our enemies, but also to forge new alliances that will bring peace to our realm.”
There is murmuring amongst the crowd. It’s clear that King Brynn has his loyal supporters, and some who are immediately suspicious of what he says. The king ignores them and continues his speech.
“I would like to introduce you to a special guest who joined me for the Day of Feasting,” King Brynn says, looking behind him.
A figure steps forward wearing a golden cloak that hides his face, but the way the material sparkles looks unusual to the group of otherworldly travelers. Underneath his cloak, chain mail is visible. It looks similar to platinum, but it has a white, vibrant hue.
The figure pushes his cloak back and a hush falls over the crowd, quickly followed by a roar of confusion as they see his pale-blonde hair and ears that come to a distinct point.
“It’s an elf!” A man near the trio exclaims.
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“This is Prince Adryll,” King Brynn says. “Heir to the throne of Elvenlark!”
“An elven prince?” Lucy asks, looking back and forth between Palmer and Leone.
“Rendaz said something about him…” Leone says absently.
The elven prince looks down at the people, his eyes registering what can only be described as contempt when he sees a group of elves with slaver’s marks. Those elves quickly look down at the ground, almost like they are ashamed to be seen by their prince.
King Brynn waits for some of the commotion to die down before he starts talking again.
“It has been a very long time since an elf from the royal bloodline stood beside the King of Logis,” King Brynn studies his subjects as he speaks. “As many of you know, the fault lies with us, because we were the ones who betrayed our friends so long ago.”
King Brynn glances over to Prince Ardryll, who lifts his head, a stoic expression on his face. Then he steps forward, looking down at the crowd once more. He begins to speak, in a tone that is soft, but it carries so well everyone can hear his words.
“The elves of Elvenlark have longed for the day when peace could be restored to the realm. A day when elves could once again find friendship and acceptance in the world of men,” Prince Adryll says. “Too much blood has been shed, too many lives have been lost, and too many elves have succumbed to the harsh world outside of their ancestral home. While it has been many years since the war between our races that followed the betrayal, we still mourn the lives it claimed.”
There is more murmuring from the crowd. Some people seem excited by the prospect of peace, while others seem to be angry with their king. The guards stand ready, in case there is trouble, but the people in the Royal Square significantly outnumber them.
“I hope they don’t riot,” Lucy says, nervously looking around.
“If something happens, stay close to me,” Leone growls, his hand resting on his rapier.
While the crowd is uneasy, they eventually settle down, and King Brynn steps forward to speak once again.
“The first step towards peace is accepting that we made mistakes, and one of those mistakes was enslaving those we used to call friends.” King Brynn looks down at some of the elves in the courtyard. “By royal decree, in my name, I hereby put an end to slavery in our realm. Not just elves, but all who bear the slaver’s mark.”
The decree immediately causes an enormous uproar. The elves look around, confused, and some people try to usher their slaves towards the gate. The guards move in front of the gate to prevent them from leaving.
“Oh shit!” Lucy says as a man near the gate draws a sword.
“Wait!” King Brynn bellows, loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. “All who hold certificates for slaves will be fairly compensated by the royal treasury. Beginning tomorrow, you will be able to bring your certificates to any of the royal merchants in Logis. You may not agree with this decision, but I hope you will understand it is necessary.”
The man at the gate puts his sword away and the guards take a step back. Throughout the courtyard, several arguments break out, but none of them escalate to violence. Some of the people seem excited by King Brynn’s decree, and go over to speak to the elves that have been freed. Others seem extremely angry, but as the arguments ensue, it becomes clear that those who are upset are in the minority.
“To those that are now free…” King Brynn begins talking again and it puts an end to several of the arguments so they can turn their attention back to him. “The priests at the Temple of Ra will remove your mark at no cost to you. In addition, they will provide you with a sum of gold to assist with your transition to freedom.”
“And,” Prince Adryll says. “For many years, Elvenlark’s borders have been protected by magic and many of you were born after the borders were sealed, so you’ve never even seen your ancestral home. As we celebrate this new era of peace, Elvenlark borders will be opened, and we will welcome any elves who wish to come home.”
This news seems to excite the elves and a few of them actually start crying.
“Now,” King Brynn says. “Who would like to hear more about the Royal Quest?”
While the people in the courtyard are uneasy after the royal decree to free the slaves, they did originally come to hear the announcement about the Royal Quest, so they settle down.
King Brynn waits until he has the attention of the crowd before continuing.
“In one years' time, the alliance between Elvenlark and Logis will be strengthened by a Royal Wedding. Princess Clairana of Elvenlark will marry my son, Prince Vancent Brynn, heir to the throne of Logis.” King Brynn motions to the boy behind him as he makes his announcement, and the teenager steps forward, waving to the people.
While this announcement doesn’t cause an incredible uproar like the earlier one, there are a few disparaging remarks amongst the crowd from those who aren’t happy about their future queen being an elf.
After the crowd settles again, King Brynn begins speaking again.
“As you all know, it is our custom for the father of the groom to give a gift to the father of the bride prior to the wedding. Long ago, the elves of Elvenlark wore a crown known as the Diadem of Eternity. The crown was lost in battle, but it has long been believed it ended up in Mistfall, in the possession of a mage named Talongrath.”
The name seems to be known to some people in the crowd, and the group can overhear chattering about it. Leone focuses, trying to pick up something useful.
“Misfall is a dangerous place,” Leone says. “And Talongrath was believed to practice dark arts. I think they mean necromancy.”
“Great…” Lucy says sarcastically. “And we’ve lost both of our necromancers.”
“I can ask the priest at the Temple of Grath.” Leone nods. “He may know something about Mistfall and Talongrath.”
King Brynn holds up his hand and the crowd hushes.
“Any who are brave enough to embark on the Royal Quest and return with the Diadem of Eternity will be rewarded…” King Brynn turns to his son, who hands his father a sword that is sheathed in a scabbard. “Some of you will recognize this sword, especially those who have fought beside me on the battlefield.”
King Brynn unsheathes the sword. It has a golden hue, a dragon’s head on the hilt, and seems to crackle with some sort of mystical energy.
Leone recognizes the power that radiates from it because it is similar to the sword he saw in the visions Rendaz showed him. Palmer has also seen a sword like in the hand of Malakai, when he spoke to him in the afterlife.
“This is one of the Seven Swords of Bryconia,” King Brynn says. “It, along with land and a title, will go to the person who brings me the Diadem of Eternity before my son’s wedding day.”
“That sword…” Leone narrows his eyes.
“Yeah,” Palmer says, nodding to his friend. “It’s very powerful.”
“I’m not even proficient with swords but that looks like it would be a lot better than my sling.” Lucy stares at the sword in awe.
There’s a lot of excitement in the courtyard. Some seem more interested in the land and the title than the sword itself, but there are others who appear to comprehend the power. There’s still a lot of talk about the other announcements, and as King Brynn sheaths the sword, he holds up his hand to get everyone’s attention again.
“Today is a good day. It’s one for celebration.” He puts his hands on the balcony and leans forward. “Whether you agree with what I’ve said today or not, I hope you will at least put your trust in me as you always have, because my goal is to ensure the prosperity of our kingdom. Now, enjoy the last few hours of the Day of Feasting!”
King Brynn steps back and holds up his hand in a salute. It is returned by a lot less people than it was when he initially appeared, but he does seem to have the support of the majority.
“Well,” Leone says with a chuckle, reaching up to his hood. “I guess I don’t need this anymore.”
“That’s true.” Lucy smiles. “It doesn’t matter if you’re an elf anymore.”
Leone removes his hood and a few people around them seem shocked, but they don’t say anything. The guards open the gate to the courtyard and people begin moving towards the exit. A few are stopped, and their slaves are allowed to go on without them, despite a few protests. The man who previously had the gnome on a chain walks past the trio, clutching the collar and chain in his hands, his eyes darting around nervously.
Leone looks back to the balcony and sees that the people in the crowd aren’t the only ones who have noticed him.
Prince Arydrll has his eyes locked on the golden haired elf, and the expression on the elf prince’s face shifts from confusion to what can only be described as absolute terror.