The door swung open, and the boys held their breaths as a wiry, stern faced man walked into the room. The man had the same green eyes and red hair Emily had, but his hair was streaked with grey. There was a grace to his movements as he walked towards the red segment of the table. Eric hurried to set a long stemmed wine glass in front of him while Tim pulled his chair out.
Ferdinand Soren looked at the boys in turn and raised an eyebrow as he took his seat. “I take it from the buffoonish smile on Lord Callum’s face that one of you is Eric Cooper.”
“That would be, My Lord,” Eric managed as he filled the glass with wine.
The red haired lord snorted derisively before drinking deeply from his glass. Tim was so focused on Ferdinand’s every move, fearful of a sudden outburst, that he didn’t notice the door open again until the two newcomers were already inside the room. One was Victor Theon, a dark haired young man who looked around Arthur’s age. He was deep in discussion with Herbert Farringdon, who Nicholas has described as overweight, which was incredibly generous. He was the fattest man Tim had ever seen, and he shot Eric a look warning him against making a comment that would land them both in hot water.
“Lord Victor,” the obese man said, in a high pitched, nasally voice. “Our interests align on this matter. We should present a united front.”
“Your support is appreciated,” The younger man said formally. “But the tit for tat you propose goes against the spirit of the council.”
“Oh, are the two of you conducting backroom dealings?” Callum asked dryly.
“Not at all,” The obese man waved his hand in front of his face as Eric held out his chair. “Lord Victor simply misunderstood my proposal.”
“Let’s hear it then,” Ferdinand demanded. He set his now empty glass and gestured peevishly at Eric to fill it up again. “Let’s hear the proposal.”
“Lord Herbert wants me to vote in favour of increasing trade with the Enrisians in exchange for his support for ending the war,” Victor replied as he took his seat at the brown segment of the table. He then held his hand up as Tim attempted to pour him some wine. “No thank you, I prefer to be clear headed during these meetings.”
“My, aren’t you the diligent one,” Callum grunted as he drained his glass.
There was a discrete knock at the door and the lords fell silent. The boys quickly moved the chairs back to allow the lords to stand and placed bottles of their preferred drinks close at hand so they could serve themselves. Once this was done, they took their place in a quiet corner of the room, bowing their heads and clasping their hands in front of them as they had been taught. Soon, the door opened again, and Horatio walked in. Tim risked a peep and saw that their mentor was receiving frosty looks from Callum, Herbert, and Ferdinand.
“My Lords,” he said softly before taking his place on the left of the king’s chair.
Arthur was the next one to enter, and once he took his place on the opposite side of his father’s chair. Moments later, Joseph Framond entered and stood by the door.
“His Majesty Storian Dragos, King of the Carthuns,” he declared solemnly before bowing low.
Storian Dragos strode in, carrying himself with a regal air that Tim found almost oppressive. He wore a simple gold crown on his head and a cloak of pure white trailed behind him.
“My Lords, I hope I haven’t kept you waiting,” he said gruffly as he assumed his position.
Joseph Framond pulled out the king’s chair, as was his duty. Once the king was seated, the other lords sat unassisted. The protocol had been confusing to the boys, and they had been told to obey without questioning.
“Before the all-powerful and ever merciful Divine Three, I call this meeting of the Carthun High Council into Order,” Joseph declared solemnly from behind his desk.
“Thank you, Lord Joseph,” Storian said formally. He then turned to Victor Theon. “Lord Victor, I understand you have something to present to the Council?”
Victor nodded and produced a letter sealed with yellow wax and held it up for the others to see. A shield divided into three parts was imprinted into it, depicting a polearm, an open book, and a flame, which Tim recognized as the mark of the Order. They were meant to represent the Divine Three, Archava, Mernes, and Barylon, who were respectively the gods of war, wisdom, and fate. However, there was a slight difference in this emblem. Above the shield were three crowns, which Tim had never seen before. Upon seeing the seals, King Storian and the other high lords sat upright in their chairs.
“Is that real?” Callum gasped hoarsely.
Victor nodded. “I have no reason to doubt its authenticity.”
“A letter from the High Priest himself?” Ferdinand gasped. “How did it get to you? All routes to Velos are blocked!”
“The messenger was one of them,” Victor replied before lowering his voice. “A Visitor.”
“Why is this the first we’ve heard of it?” Herbert demanded. “Visitors have not been seen on this side of the Dargun for centuries!”
“Where is this Visitor now?” King Storian asked.
“He returned to Velos,” Victor replied simply.
“How?” Storian ventured.
“They have their ways,” Victor said. “He took his leave and departed my lands.”
“And his voice?” Callum murmured.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“It was exactly as the Holy Books describe,” Victor brushed away a tear. “And his presence. Oh, if you could only stand in his presence, there would be no doubt in your minds that he was touched by the divine.”
Tim swallowed as he looked at the scroll. Visitors were mysterious messengers of the Order who were said to speak with the voice of the divine. However, they were figures of mythology to most Carthuns, and Tim had scoffed at the idea of them being real.
“Do you know what the letter says?” Storian asked.
“I do, Sire,” Victor replied as Joseph took the letter from him and handed it over to the king.
“Why don’t you summarize it for us to save time?” Storian suggested as he broke the seal and began reading the letter.
“The High Priest hopes that we and the Hulvans can put aside our differences and make peace before it’s too late,” Victor began. “They want us to withdraw back across the Narrows and in exchange, they will release the prisoners captured during our recent reverse without ransom.”
“The time for peace has long passed,” Ferdinand scoffed. “And I wonder if the High Priest sent such a letter to King Patrick when his armies were in our lands.”
Victor turned to face the red haired man. “The High Priest also said that he is willing to intervene on our behalf with the Guild, who are understandably furious after the attack in Estport.”
Ferdinand scowled. “The Central Kingdoms are clearly on the side of the Hulvans. Perhaps it is their support that emboldened them to attack us in the first place.”
“The Central Kingdoms have more men at arms than we have people,” Victor replied evenly. “If they wished it, they could overrun our lands in the blink of an eye. I’d say it is an encouraging sign that they are merely speaking on the Hulvan’s behalf, not threatening us.”
Storian sighed and placed the letter on the table. “It’s true, the Order has made no threats. All they say they want is peace between the faithful.”
“The plea is coming from the very top of the Order,” Victor pointed out. “This is unprecedented.”
“Are they offering us anything in exchange for peace?” Herbert ventured. “Besides the offer to negotiate with the Guild.”
Storian shook his head.
“Then that isn’t good enough,” Ferdinand insisted.
“Yes, it is unlikely that the Guild will be willing to use Estport as a base again should they agree to resume trade with us,” Callum remarked with a dry laugh.
Ferdinand’s face turned crimson, but Storian spoke loudly, stopping the impending outburst in its tracks. “My lords, the second mustering is complete, and soon, eight thousand soldiers will be in the capital. We need to decide what to do; make peace and send them home or press on with this war.”
“We have gained nothing if we agree to the Order’s terms,” Callum offered.
“Many Carthun lords were captured in our defeat at Estos,” Victor pointed out. “Getting them back at no cost to ourselves would be a huge boon.”
Ferdinand drained his glass and glared at the young lord. “We can get them back at no cost if we capture Estos. Besides, don’t you desire vengeance for your father’s death during the Hulvan invasion, Lord Victor?”
“The good of the kingdom and the faithful take precedence over my desire for vengeance, Lord Ferdinand,” Victor replied without rancour. “Perhaps once there is peace, answers will come for their sudden treachery.”
“We have given them many opportunities to explain themselves,” Callum scoffed. “So far, we have only heard silence.”
“Then perhaps we should ask the Order to intervene, tell them that is one of our terms for peace,” Herbert suggested.
“Did you ask the Visitor for an explanation for the Hulvan betrayal?” Storian asked.
Victor shook his head sheepishly. “Forgive me, I was so overwhelmed by his presence that it slipped my mind.”
Ferdinand scowled. “He should have come to Aroden and presented that letter to all of us.”
“You know what they’re like, Lord Ferdinand,” Victor soothed.
“Why did he approach you, though?” Herbert sniffed. “Perhaps it was an imposter. You are the most… youngest among us.”
Victor lidded his eyes. “Perhaps I was misled, however, I do not believe that is the case.”
“Gentlemen, I propose we put it to a vote,” the king said. “Do we proceed with the invasion or accept peace?”
“Not on these terms,” Ferdinand said at once. “I say we take Estos. That will give us leverage and then we can see if the Order will come back with a better offer.”
“I agree with Lord Ferdinand,” Callum said gravely. “I saw many Carthuns die driving the Hulvans back and then again at the gates of Estos. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if we were to end the war like this.”
“I vote for peace,” Victor said simply.
“As do I,” Herbert agreed. “This war has been ruinously expensive, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but my coffers can barely afford this second mustering.”
Storian frowned and looked between his son and Horatio before sighing. “Too much has been lost in this war that the Hulvans started, and they have not even offered so much as an admission of guilt for their treachery. I cannot in good faith advocate an end to the war with such vague promises from the Order. I vote to proceed with the invasion.”
“Then it’s decided,” Ferdinand said happily.
“Yes,” Storian nodded. “The remains of the first Carthun army will be combined with the second mustering and Lord Carver will be made Lord General.”
Ferdinand scowled. “I still think Lord Edmond is the best choice…”
“Half the army would desert if he were placed in command,” Callum snorted.
Ferdinand leapt to his feet and his hand went to the jewelled sword at his side. “Take that back, Lord Callum, or Three as my witness, I will have satisfaction.”
“Lord Ferdinand, you must also take into account the fact that ransoms will have to be paid for the lords captured from the first and second invasions if we are to fail,” Storian said sharply. “Can you afford to pay your son’s ransom on top of all the other lords pledged to you who have been captured if we fail again?”
“I should also remind you, Lord Ferdinand, that duels between lords of the High Council are strictly forbidden,” Joseph added.
With great effort, the red haired lord moved his hand away from his sword. Once he was seated again, Tim noticed Arthur moving his hand away from Emerald Flame and wondered just how close to violence they had come.
The king took a deep breath and continued, “Lord Carver will lead the army with Prince Arthur as his second in command.”
“But My Liege, what about the Prophecy of the Dragon?” Victor gasped.
“That’s just an old fairy tale,” Herbert scoffed.
“Your words could be considered blasphemous, Lord Herbert,” Callum warned.
“My Lords,” Storian said, overriding the others. “After hearing about Lord Victor’s encounter with the Visitor, it is my belief that the dragons of prophecy are not we of the Dragos line, but the children of Barylon.”
“Do we need to take the risk?” Victor protested. “Besides, we scarcely have money to pay the ransoms of those captured in the last debacle. If we were to lose the prince in this one…”
“The prince is the best swordsman in the country and the men would do anything for him,” Storian began as Arthur bowed his head modestly. “And as Lord Herbert said, we will have nothing left if this second army fails, so we must give it every chance to succeed. We were too cautious with our first invasion, and that has cost us dearly. We must do everything in our power to ensure this one succeeds.”
“I agree,” Callum said. “If we are to do this, let us leave no stone unturned to ensure it succeeds
“I agree as well,” Herbert sighed. “If we are to attack, let us do everything to ensure we are successful.”
“Then it is decided,” Storian nodded.
“I have it recorded, My Liege,” Joseph said from his desk.
“Good,” Storian rose abruptly, and Joseph rushed to the door. “Now then, please excuse me, I have much to do.”
“But Your Grace, I thought we could discuss our trade with Enris,” Herbert began.
“That will have to wait until the next meeting of the High Council,” Storian replied.
Before Herbert could say another word, Joseph opened the door, and the king stalked out with Arthur and Horatio in tow. Ferdinand also got up to leave. Before he walked out the door, he levelled his gaze on Eric.
“I’ll see you in five days.”