Systems In Chaos: Dissention

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The large throne room of the royal crown stank. It stunk of the foul musky sweat that was beading down the foreheads and the underarms of the two and a half thousand people that were crammed into the hall, covering their entire bodies in a smelling wetness that stuck to their clothes. The warm, sticky air was laced with the metallic aroma of blood, both fresh and dried up. The throne room was packed to bursting with scared and frightened citizens, wounded and fearful, and then there were a few more squeezed in on top of it. No matter what Rogan had said, the Queen was stubborn and determined to provide what shelter and protection she could from the carnage that flooded their streets with the walls of her palace. The hall had been designed with the intention that it would house the noble families of Kalorin and a few lesser, yet notable, people of the world, but never a horde of common folk with nowhere to go. Yet this was how it was. Other people from the inner city that had flocked to the palace for safety were placed in other empty rooms which were vacant of any military personnel or equipment.

There was hardly enough room to breathe let alone move around or sit or stand comfortably with ten centimetres of space about them, and yet, somehow, Teran had been able to make his way to the Queen. He had been forced to weave through, step over and squeeze between the people inside the crowded hall. There were five others that followed him, keeping close to his heels and moving along the path that he had chosen to take between the sweaty bodies. Rogan was only a few feet behind him and after came Vrik, Sura and Karem. Vladimir trailed behind them slowly. Teran couldn’t blame him being distracted. When he had told them what had happened to Garen they had been just as shocked as anyone would have been. Teran even wanted to go and see him right away but Vladimir had assured them that he was ok, for the moment at least. He did warn them, somewhat sullenly, that they would have to wait and see if he was going to come out of this toxic attack alive or not.

When they reached the Queen, Teran noticed that Ser Ethon Hart, his daughter Klair and her handmaiden Gaia were seated about her. When the six of them were seen approaching the Queen rose to her feet and slightly bowed her head in respect, smiling. Teran could only guess how hard it must be for her to try and put on a brave face and seem happy and unafraid for all those scared and troubled faces in this very hall that looked to her for guidance. Even as the heavy cannon fire blasted away at the city about them the Queen had been able to keep her people calm and hopeful. He could see that, in her own way, she was fighting a war just as important as the one all the royal resistance soldiers were fighting just outside these walls. Gaia, Klair and her father stepped forward as well when they approached, Ethon grasped Rogan’s hand and shook it.

“How fares the battle, General?” Ser Hart asked. A hint of optimism was threaded in his voice, clearly he was hoping for some good news. Rogan frowned and sighed loudly, unfortunately he had no good news to give them.

“Not well,” he admitted quietly. He took care not to talk too loudly so to save the citizens further dismay. He did not want them to panic, which they surely would if they thought they had no option but to die at the hands of the Hadi. “Inquisitor Jore Ses has pushed us back to the palace. I had no choice but to recall all my soldiers from all the defence points. Not all of them fell but... when the imperials took one of the zones it would only be a matter of time before the other companies would have found themselves cut off from us and in the middle of two Hadi armies.”

“I see...” the Queen didn’t sound impressed but she understood that Rogan was making the best decisions he possibly could. “Do you think we will be able to hold them here?”

“We can’t lose. All these people... none of them have done anything wrong to the imperials. They are all just scared, they don’t want to lose their lives... and neither do I,” Klair said softly as she looked across the room. Gaia placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort, Teran doubted it did any good but Klair smiled her thanks all the same.