Last Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 2), page 18
The young attendant opened the door to reveal Arpwin standing patiently in the center of the anteroom. He raised an eyebrow at her appearance and glanced at Kimmie, who could only shrug her shoulders.
“Your Majesty,” he said with a firm tone. “We have a full day ahead of us. And it is already past noon. I would ask that you consider arising earlier in the morning so that we can get our daily work done.”
A bit of anger came over Elissa. Why was the old man chastising her for sleeping in? Was she not the queen? Not to mentioned she had been up late at night listening to various lords whine and complain about all sorts of silly things. She could not even remember one thing that they had discussed. And now she was supposed to get up early? Before she was fully rested?
“Arpwin, do you forget your place?” Elissa asked, trying to avoid the snapping voice that she had just used with Kimmie.
“I know exactly my place,” Arpwin replied. “I have been attendant to now four rulers of this kingdom, and I know how things should, and will, work. I know you are queen, and outside of this chamber I will never raise my voice to you or to question your authority. But within these walls, if you want this kingdom to run smoothly and not fall apart, you will need to listen to me. And someday, when you have more than five minutes of experience ruling a kingdom, you will be ready to make all your decisions on your own. In the meantime, you must let me help you do your job.”
Queen Elissa stood with her mouth open, ready to offer some retort, but none would come. Arpwin seemed so comfortable speaking to her this way. Had he also spoken to her father this way? She had never seen it. Arpwin had always been a loyal servant who did the king’s bidding without question. She could not imagine her father taking such words from anyone and have that person not be banished to the far eastern coast forever.
“The people of this kingdom need a royal ruler, one they can trust and look up to,” Arpwin continued. “They need to know that you are going to serve their best interests while you serve your own. That is, unless you want to rule the kingdom with an iron fist and force your subjects to do your bidding. But that is not how Karmon rules. At least not now. Karmon rules with a peaceful, loving, and firm hand. That is what your father believed, and that is what you must believe as well. You have already proven yourself capable of making wise decisions. But you must be willing to make hard decisions as well. And that starts with taking your throne seriously and making sure that your duties to your kingdom come first.”
Queen Elissa was still too stunned to speak.
“There will be plenty of time for your royal activities and doing things like riding your horse through the forests. But you must still do the work of your throne. If you do not, someone will, and before you know it, the kingdom will be ruled by your lords rather than by you.”
Elissa forced out a weak response, “Okay.” A tear started to form in the corner of her eye. The pressure of the throne all of a sudden fell onto her shoulders and she knew she could not handle it. She wanted to fall onto the floor and curl up into a ball and cry. She was not meant for this; she was meant to be just a princess, not a queen. She was meant to enjoy the comforts of life, not to be mired in the horrendous details of running a kingdom.
“You are but a child in a woman’s body,” Arpwin said. “I do not expect you to rule this kingdom as if you have been doing it for forty years. That is why I am here, and there are others that are going to help you.”
“I am so confused,” Elissa said. “One minute, I think I am so ready to be queen. I can think and make some good decisions. Come up with some great ideas. And then…and then I think that it is a job that is too big.”
“You were given the throne not because you deserved it, or even because you were ready for it. You were given the throne because there were no others. But you have royal blood flowing through your veins, so do not think that you can’t handle it, because you can. It will be hard and frustrating. There will be more times like this when you think you won’t be able to do the job. But you can do this job. You have shown that already. Lean on your friends, lean on those you care about. They will help you to get through.”
Elissa sniffled and rubbed her nose. She hardly felt queenly at the moment. But she nodded her head.
Arpwin smiled. “Very well. I understand you have an appointment with Prince Toknon of Thell. He will be departing tomorrow as he wishes to return to his homeland before the snow falls.”
“Snow?” Elissa asked. “So early? It is not yet winter.”
“Thell is far to the north and the snow comes much more early there than it does here. A big snowfall can make a mountain pass impassable.”
“Oh,” Elissa replied. She really did have much to learn about the world. She thought the whole world was just like Karmon. Fall was long and could be either cold and wet or sometimes sunny and warm. The first real snow would come when the year changed, even though a dusting might happen before that. She would not like to live in country where it snowed so early.
“Also, this afternoon representatives from the Merchant’s Guild will be wishing to meet with you regarding some issues that they have been trying to address. Do not worry, Lord Martin will be available for that meeting so you do not need to attend. I know you and he did not see eye to eye with the water situation, but he does understand the business of the kingdom and his counsel should be considered.”
“Fine,” Elissa replied.
“And there is one other thing,” Arpwin said.
“Yes?”
“It is customary that when a new king, or queen as it may be, takes the throne, the kingdom puts on a lavish party to celebrate the coronation of the new ruler.”
“That sounds fun,” Elissa said.
“I was thinking something a bit over the top, something that we have not had in some time. A masquerade ball.”
A smile came to Elissa’s face. The last time that the castle had put on such an event, Elissa’s mother had still been alive. King Thorndale so grieved for his wife that he could not bear to host another such event.
“That would be perfect,” Elissa said. It took all her efforts to not jump for joy. The excitement of being a little girl dressing up and dancing the night away was one of her best memories. It was also one of her most clear memories of her mother. She could still picture her in a long, flowing golden dress, holding a mask upon her nose. This would surely be the grandest party that the kingdom would ever know!
Arpwin smiled at the excitement on Elissa’s face. “We will send out invitations at once and begin planning immediately. But in the meantime, we will need to make sure the kingdom’s business continues. Prince Toknon is awaiting your arrival out in the garden.”
***
“You are still quite pretty, even in an old maid’s dress,” Toknon said. His weathered face was as stiff and cold as ever. Elissa never knew when he was serious or jovial. His facial expression never seemed to waver. It was always serious and grim.
“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said coldly.
“It was meant as such,” the prince said.
Elissa shook her head at his formality. “Very well, then,” she replied stiffly, trying to match his aloofness.
They walked through the garden maze, sloshing through the soft, muddy grass. The rain had stopped overnight, but the ground still held it all in. With the coolness of the air and the overcast skies, it would take several days for the ground to dry out. Toknon had a finely woven wool cloak pulled over his shoulders, while Elissa only had her dress. But since the dress was so thick, it kept her warm without having to wear something over it.
“Are you sure you are warm enough?” the prince asked for the third time.
“Yes, this old maid’s dress is warm enough,” Elissa replied trying to keep her face from breaking into a smile.
“I will be departing for Thell in the morning,” the prince announced.
“With winter on its way, that would be wise.”
“Indeed,” the prince replied, glancing at Elissa, impressed with her astute observation. “The winters in Thell can be harsh, but when the snows fall, the beauty of the winter comes through. You should come north for our ice festival.”
He glanced at her, but her gaze was straight ahead, as if she had not heard him. He continued, “The Jorgan River that flows through our capital city of Thellia freezes over during the winter. We cut out blocks of ice and haul them up to the castle and they are carved into statues.”
“Ice statues?” Elissa asked, with a quick glance up at him.
“Yes, it is quite incredible what some our artisans can do with a hammer and a chisel. They will spend days carving the more elaborate figures. Mythical creatures such as gargoyles, dragons, and even ugly goblins!”
Elissa made a face.
“Oh, they also carve out swans, and eagles, and other animals. They end up looking really lifelike.”
“It sounds interesting,” Elissa said in an uninterested, monotone voice.
“There is more than just the statues. There are wagon races on the river, sleigh rides through the woods, feasts of fabulous foods. Can I count on you to join us? It would go quite a ways to repairing the relationship between our people.”
“Repairing?” She snapped out loudly. She stopped and turned to him. “Repairing means that it was broken and needs to be fixed. I don’t think it ever existed!”
Toknon let out a laugh, finding some humor in her sudden change of mood and tone. “That is true. The only relationship our people have had has been one of hate. Should I say your attendance will go quite a ways to starting a relationship between our people?”
“Well, it has already started. Your merchants and traders have been filling our markets for weeks.”
“A friendship of convenience is not a true friendship. And I was thinking of something more than a friendship amongst our people. I was thinking of a friendship between you and me.”
Ellisa shook her head. “I can accept a peace between our people. I know it is the best thing for our kingdoms. We can’t continue on hating each other just because we live on different sides of a mountain range.”
“Yes,” the prince said. “Of course not, that is why…”
Elissa spun back to him and struck him on the chest with the side of a closed fist. “You killed my father!” she screamed. “I can hate you!”
The prince let her strike him several times before her hands got sore. When the blows stopped, he grabbed her hands. His hands were large and easily encompassed hers. She had stopped resisting and stood looking up at him.
“If we are truly to have peace between our kingdoms, then I must acknowledge my grievous error, and you must forgive me.”
Elissa looked into his cold, stern face. He was a warrior, through and through. His shoulders were thick and strong from years of training. He hands were calloused from practicing with the sword. But then Elissa saw past his stoic face and into his eyes, which were soft and filled with compassion and sorrow. She relaxed and felt the comfortable warmth of his hands around hers. She shivered, not because she was cold, but because she was afraid.
“The Taran emissary named Hibold has the mouth of a devil. He convinced me that it was time for Thell to finally conquer Karmon. He said all the right things and I believed him. Add in the anger that I had been taught from a young boy, and the only outcome was going to be war. I didn’t strike your father down with my hand, but I did so with my actions. I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”
Elissa dropped to her knees in the mud. The tears were again flowing. She hated herself for the tears. She was queen. She should not be crying like a little girl. But she could only see her father, laid flat on the back of a wagon, his sword laying across his chest. She did not want to forgive the man who killed her father.
“If I could bring your father back from the dead, I would. But I can only ask that you forgive me for my part in your father’s death.” He held out a hand to her.
She looked at the hand. It was his right hand, the one that would hold a sword, if he were wielding one. It was the one he had likely used to kill her own people. As Elissa, daughter of a loving father, she hated him. She hated his every being for who he was. But she was more than just Elissa. She was queen. There were times that it was more important for her to be queen than the young lady who lost her father. She hated it. She hated that she had to be queen, but she also knew that it was what she was supposed to be. Maybe in time she would forget.
She took his hand and stood up. She gave a slight nod and said, “I forgive you. Our kingdoms will need to move on from this. And it needs to start with me.”
She smiled past her tears. “I would be honored to attend your Ice Festival. But then you must attend my masquerade ball.”
“Oh?” Toknon exclaimed. “That sounds intriguing. What is such a thing?”
Elissa playfully laughed and swatted at his arm. “It is a grand party where everyone dresses as someone else to hide who they are. It shall be so much fun!”
“I would be honored to attend that.”
Toknon continued to hold onto her hand. She did not release it as they continued walking through the garden maze.
Chapter Seventeen
Conner awoke to darkness and a throbbing headache. He sat up and looked around. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see a fuzziness that might be something. But the harder he tried to focus, the more his head hurt. He felt around and figured he was laying on a hard, flat bed of some sort. A blanket had been placed over him, keeping him warm. There was a cool dampness around him, similar to what he felt when he was in the lowest levels of the dungeon.
Panic swept over him. At first he thought he was in a cell of complete darkness like Goshin was in, but as his eyes started to work again, he realized that he was in some other sort of cell. It wasn’t a very big cell, about ten feet deep and twenty feet wide. Three sides of the cell were roughly carved from rock. The fourth wall was vertical iron bars with a hinged door at the center. Other than his bunk and a bucket near the door, there was nothing in the cell. The panic of being in a dark, solitary cell left him, but the fear of being a prisoner was still there.
He swung his legs off the bed and tried to stand up. But the pain in his head continued to throb, and he sat back down.
“Hello?” Conner called out. His voice echoed through the empty darkness. When there was no immediate response, he shouted even louder, “Hello!”
A moment later a bright light appeared followed by a large figure holding a torch. “Karak! Quiet!”
“Where am I?” Conner asked loudly.
“Gladiator pens. Now keep it down!”
He did not know what being in the gladiator pen meant, but it could not be good. He had no idea how he got into the cell. The last thing that he remembered was being in the dungeon with Prince Tarcious and Hibold at Goshin’s cell. Then something was said that made Prince Tarcious angry and then there was an explosion. He rubbed his head hoping that it would help the pain in his head go away.
He stepped over to the iron bars and shouted out, “What am I doing here?” This time, there was no response.
At least he was not alone. There were other cells directly cross from his. They were also small and only had a small cot. They were occupied with either someone lying on their bed or sitting on the floor. No one acknowledged him, even when he called out. There were more cells along the walls to his left, but to his right he could see the chamber open up into a larger room. A large man with a round, smooth face was trudging down the corridor towards him. He wore a thick leather apron, but did not have a shirt underneath. His plump body was covered with hair, almost as if it were fur. He was fumbling with a set of keys and by the time he reached his cell, he had found the right one.
He looked up at Conner and smiled. “You have been called.”
“What?”
The man quickly unlocked the cell door and pulled it open for Conner to walk through. Conner was not sure that he really wanted to leave his cell. There was something ominous about being told he had been called.
“It is time for you to prepare for your show. Are you well rested?”
“My show?”
The man grinned with a set of rotten teeth. “You are to fight in today’s contest. It is such an honor!”
Conner did not move from the center of his cell.
“You will not come? You will not fight?”
Conner shook his head. “Where am I? I don’t know what you are talking about?”
“You have been chosen. It is an honor. Most take weeks before their first fight. They must train and train and learn. But you, you must be a warrior already. Are you?”
“A Knight,” Conner said without thinking. “A Knight of Karmon.”
The man’s eyes widened. “What an honor! For me to meet a Knight of Karmon. They are the greatest of warriors. Even better than the greatest centurions! Come, come! We must prepare you!”
“I am not going to fight,” Conner said. “I don’t know where I am or why you want me to fight.”
The large man’s smile faded away. “You will fight. Even when you say you won’t, you do. You always do. You can go out there on your own, with a sword and a shield, or you can be thrown out there. If you are smart, you’ll go out there with a weapon and then you might survive. If you don’t, then you will die. It will be quick, sure enough, but you will be dead nonetheless.”
“Go where?” Conner asked. “Who am I fighting?”
“To the show arena, of course,” the man said. “You to fight a great centurion. Korkus, of the great barbarian wars. A great hero, they say.”
The large man waved his hands, beckoning Conner to follow. “Come, come! It is almost time. You must prepare.”
Still unsure about his circumstances, Conner left the cell and followed the man. The large man he followed seemed just a bit odd. Friendly enough, but just a bit off.
The large man fell into step beside Conner. “I am Garonk. I am the caretaker of this cellblock.” He shook his ring of keys. “These are only for the cells within the block. They are not for the doors that lead out of the dungeon. So don’t bother trying to take them. If you are good, I do not lock your cell. But if you are bad, then you must stay locked in.”
