Chapter 37 Fealty
I’m feral. I don’t have a number or a name. Why do you want to know? — Prince Eater, undocumented
PRESENT DAY – BRAEFORD ESTATES
“My father, Craig, hid my mother in his family’s cottage until they gave up searching for her, and then he smuggled her into SnakeIn, where he married her,” Rory continued, breaking into Gil’s ruminations. “They purchased The Exiled Soldier together.”
“I’ve always wondered where he found the money,” Gil remarked. “His family was never rich.”
“I don’t consider it anyone else’s business,” Rory replied, a warning for Gil in his eyes.
Tension roiled between them until Jon spoke, “Regardless of your wishes, Rory, with only Seán and I left in the hierarchy, we have to proceed as if you are fully and truly in line for the throne. If Ava Most Revered ends up needing a Chosen, you’ll do.”
Rory shrugged. “Callen and I signed our own documents of abdication. We copied yours and then put them in our father’s safe back home.”
“That won’t hold up,” Gil said dismissively. “Not with Ava Most Revered, and I doubt that Harrison would accept it either. To him family is family.” Gil sighed, and then went on. “And you cannot be a member of the Grays. We’ll fix you up a room in the family wing, near Jon and Alec, and get you back to SnakeIn in the morning.”
“I am fighting for Seán, not running like a coward,” Rory stated.
“I don’t want you in the Grays if you’re a prince,” Gil repeated with finality. “The decision is mine, not yours.”
“You can fight beside me,” Jon offered.
Rory sipped the last of his small glass of brandy, looked around the room pensively, and then said. “I’d like that, Jon. Thank you.”
“No,” Gil denied them sternly. “Absolutely not. You have no combat training, and you may be the kingdom’s last hope for a ruler. I will not allow it.”
“You allowed Prince Reginald and Prince Ethan to be slaughtered,” Rory countered. “I was in the crowd. I saw what happened.”
“You think I wanted to stand there and watch Reggie die? Reggie, the only one of you princes who considered me his uncle. He was like my own son,” Gil replied, the cold anger in his voice far beyond what Rory’s remarks should have evoked.
Undaunted the youth continued, “You allowed their murder, and then you allowed Prince Jon to be beaten to where he now has permanent physical damage, and then nearly kidnapped in the park. You allowed Gunnar to be murdered by Holy King Harrison himself. And, you’ve allowed Seán to be kidnapped not once but twice. You aren’t very good at protecting anybody. What makes you think you have any right at all to tell me to do anything?”
“I’m the commander,” Gil snarled, leaning forward in his chair.
“Not of me,” Rory disputed.
“The Armored Grays answer to the princes now,” Jon interjected. “Like me. Like Seán. Like Rory.”
“Where Jon goes, I go,” Rory declared.
“Shit,” Gil snapped. “Why the figg’t are any of you here? All three of you are insubordinate fools.”
“Gil, no,” Colleen spoke up.
“You stay out of this,” Gil said, pointing at her angrily. “You are here in this house only as a favor to Harrison, no other reason. I got stuck with you when Prince Jon disregarded his own safety to go out and pick posies. If Seán was older, you’d belong to him.” Swinging his arm widely at the others in the room, he said, “I’ve slaved. I’ve begged. I’ve bargained and traded. I’ve killed. I’ve watched my best friend be tortured while I was helpless to prevent it. I’ve virtually prostrated myself in front of that dried old prune of a mage. Jon and Seán, Harrison keeps harping. Jon and Seán. What more am I supposed to do?”
Jon looked around for a side table but saw none, so he leaned forward, put his untouched glass of brandy on the floor, and pushed himself to his feet.
Alec placed his glass down also and declared, “Where Jon goes, I go. Please return our horses to us at once.”
“Only the two you rode. The ones that the child and his friend rode belong to me,” Gil said angrily.
“We’ll double,” Alec replied.
Jon held out one hand toward Colleen and asked, “Will you come with us? Please.”
She shook her head.
The three comrades walked out of the parlor, across the main hallway, and exited the front door. Rory assisted Jon down the stone steps of the porch while Alec strode ahead to survey their surroundings. They walked several meters down the drive and stood in the open air, waiting for their horses.
At first by ones and twos, and then rapidly, all the members of the Grays appeared at their side. They looked from one to another in confusion, and then formed a ring around Prince Jon and the others. Some fumbled with their helmets, unsure whether or not to don them. Others readied their swords for a battle they did not yet understand.
Gil stood in the front doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and shouted furiously, “Get away from them. Return to your duties.”
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“Begging your pardon, Commander” one of the Grays protested. “Prince Jon is our duty. And now that we know about Prince Rory, he, too, is ours to protect and defend. Fealty demands it.”
Gil marched across the porch, down the steps, and directly up to Jon, stopping only when Alec’s arm flew up and blocked his forward momentum. Gil smirked nastily and said, “Arrest Mulrian for reckless jeopardy of the princes’ lives.”
“Here we go again,” Alec quipped with contempt as he drew his sword.
“Don’t you dare,” Prince Jon warned.
“Belay that order,” the Gray who protested barked.
“I promised the Most Revered that I’d deliver Alec Mulrian to her,” Gil admonished. “Mulrian for the safety of Seán, and Reggie’s unborn child. That’s our agreement, and with Seán’s kidnapping, it’s become more imperative. By the Survivor, I will deliver him.”
Gil lunged at Alec, but Liam’s quarterstaff entangled Gil’s feet and sent the Gray to the ground. Jon snatched Alec’s sword and pricked Gil’s throat lightly with the tip.
“I command you to stand down,” Jon directed. Gil revealed his hands to show that he was weaponless, shook his head as if to stop his thoughts from spinning, and then collapsed all the way onto his back.
“I surrender,” Gil said quietly.
“You promised Ava Most Revered that you would deliver Alec Holdingfree to her?” the protesting Gray questioned.
“I did, yes,” Gil affirmed. “Only to ensure the princes’ wellbeing. Only so she wouldn’t hurt Seán or seek vengeance by pursuing Colleen to get to Reggie’s unborn son. We’re calling him Fitzreginald, for the time being, anyway. He’ll get a proper name once he’s born. That’s why she’s so disgustingly fat and was vomiting all the time.”
“That’s a sorry way to talk about anyone,” Alec said with indignation. “Let alone a lovely woman who’s expecting.”
Gil rolled his eyes in response as if Alec were unbelievably naïve, and continued, “When the Most Revered came for Reggie, Harrison decided to marry Colleen to Ethan or Jon so the unborn prince would be close enough to protect.”
“Ethan died with Reggie,” Jon said softly.
“We’re only fifty Grays. We can’t fight all her mercenaries and probably battle the Kings Soldiers, too. Sacrificing your boyfriend is a small price to pay for the lives of two princes.”
“Two princes?” Alec questioned. “There are five, including Colleen’s baby.”
Gil grunted.
“You coward,” Liam spit out. Liam unfastened his helmet from its hook on his waist and tossed it in the dirt beside Gil Braeford. “Now that I know the truth, I’m glad that you weren’t able to take my oath yet.” Turning to Prince Jon, Liam said, “If you are willing to have me, I will be honored to fight at your side.” Liam dropped to one knee and pledged, "I, Liam McCreesh, do sincerely promise and swear, that I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to His Royal Highness Jon Raedwald –”
“Holdingfree,” Jon corrected automatically. “Seán and Rory, too.”
“Their Royal Highnesses Prince Jon Raedwald Holdingfree, Prince Seán Raedwald Holdingfree, Prince Rory Docherty, Prince Callen Docherty, and the unborn Prince Fitzreginald Raedwald. I will defend them to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatever, which shall be made against them or their person, Crown, or dignity; and I will to my utmost endeavor to disclose and make known to His Royal Highness, His Heirs and Successors, all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which may be formed against him or them; and I do faithfully promise to maintain, support, and defend, to the utmost of my power, the Succession of the Crown.”
“I am honored and accept your pledge, Liam McCreesh,” Jon said regally despite not understanding entirely what was happening or why Gil had betrayed his oath. Liam rose to his feet, and one by one the other Grays followed his example.
Gil pushed himself from the ground, dusted his clothes, and then bent his knee to Prince Jon. Once the words were spoken, he raised his face to Jon and waited for acceptance. Jon looked at Alec, and then at Rory, and then Liam, and then sighed.
“I am honored by your pledge, Gil Braeford,” Jon replied. “I must point out, however, that your word is tarnished because you bargained with Alec’s life.”
“I was simply trying my best to safeguard the princes as is my duty,” Gil explained. “To that end, he is expendable.”
“He is my husband, my love, and my life,” Jon said darkly. “Do not act against him again or I will kill you. I hesitate to accept your oath, but will on the strength of your friendship with Holy King Harrison. Do not prove me wrong.”
“I will not, Your Royal Highness,” Gil agreed. “I apologize to you for causing you to doubt me. Please, let’s return inside. The evening meal will be ready soon. The envoys from Annie will be here shortly to coordinate our plan.”
“Where else is there for us to sleep?” Jon said, turning to the Gray who had questioned Gil. “Even the stables will do. I do not feel safe staying in the main house. Um…I don’t know your name.”
“Connolly, Sergeant Declan Connolly. No place reachable before nightfall,” the Sergeant answered. “Even the stables are under Commander Braeford’s authority. I volunteer to stand guard at your chambers tonight, inside or outside, if that will help ease your concerns.”
“As will I,” Liam added.
“He isn’t the commander,” Jon said stonily. “You are. Commander Declan Connelly.”
By the time Annie’s envoys arrived three-quarters of an hour later, they had reconvened in the study, and Gil had unrolled a sketched map of the castle, Tara Citadel, the Courtyard between them, and the countryside surrounding the castle beyond the gorefish moat.
“Jon, I don’t want you in the middle of the battles,” Gil said. “You’re too valuable and can’t move quickly enough to be in the thick of it. Let’s station you here, on this portion of the castle roof.” Gil thumped his finger on a section of the map and continued, “From there you’ll have clear shots to the front steps of the Citadel, the Ritual Arena, the main portcullis, one of the side entryways, and most importantly, the Courtyard itself.”
“That portion of the roof doesn’t have a good exit,” Declan Connolly interjected. “He wouldn’t be able to escape easily.”
“Rory and Liam will be with him,” Gil countered. “Neither youth is combat-ready, but they’ll excel in the purely defensive maneuvers needed to protect Prince Jon in the very unlikely event of an attack. The Magi Soldiers will be too busy with Annie’s Rebels and the Grays to go after one lone person.”
“A valuable person whose aloneness will make him an easier target,” Declan protested. “That location makes him even more vulnerable.”
Ignoring the objection, Gil leaned forward and pointed at the sketch of the castle and surrounding land as they coordinated where to dispatch the Grays, when Annie’s Rebels would advance, how many Rebels were already planted inside Hilltown, and especially how many were already present inside the castle itself.
“We will join all of the Rebel Army outside of Hilltown, keeping well out of sight until a handful of us have entered the city to search for Seán,” Gil said. “When the fight begins, it will be outside the walls of the city.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” the Senior Envoy objected. “Since your Grays can pass through the gates so easily, we should do that. We have hundreds of fighters ready inside the city walls, and they are willing to help us get the rest of the Rebels inside. Attacking the city from within will mean that we’ll be that much closer to the King and the Most Revered. They are the most important targets, once Seán is rescued.”
“He’s right,” Declan agreed. “Leaving Jon on the inside while we’re outside the walls increases the risk to him even more.”
Alec shifted in his seat and looked over to meet Jon’s eyes. As he did, Jon commented, “I agree with them, Gil. Sieging a castle is difficult, and unnecessary since we can walk right in. No one will question the Grays.”
“I have confidential information that I can’t share just yet,” Gil countered. “It concerns the whereabouts of Ava Most Revered. There is a point where she will be open to attack, and we may be able to cinch this quickly and spare a great deal of bloodshed. We have to do it my way.”
“Mr. Braeford,” the Senior Envoy protested. “The rumor in Snake In is that your true allegiance is to the magi, rather than the royal family.”
©2022 Vera S. Scott