Saorice cocked her head. “What happened?”
“Don’t concern yourself your highness, you must be at your task.”
Saorice stamped her foot. Council, fake queen or not, I am still the legitimate ruler and I want to know what is happening in my kingdom. Especially now that I am being sent off. What if I am caught in some conflict because of the councils decision? So while I am here I would at least like to know what is going on with the nobles.”
The high priest cleared his throat “Yes your right. The nobles have reacted to that filthy things speech as soon as they had heard it they left the city to their respective homes. Only one family of nobles have stayed and that is because the head of the house is one of our council members.”
“There’s more isn’t there?” Saorice had crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“Yes”
“What is it?”
“Unfortunately, None of the nobles have brought any of the taxes collected from the villages surrounding their estates to the palace. In fact reports have noticed that the nobles have begun securing their estates and training the local in arms. They either mean to defend themselves from an attack from the city or are preparing to take the throne.”
“What are you planning to do? Jermain wants to make an example of some, have one of them caught and flogged in the square.”
“He’s showing his fangs now, what have you suggested? To parlay and settle this dispute, have the queen apologize for her speech. That stupid thing didn’t follow the script, unless Jermain wrote another for her. It seems like he wants strife in the country. Most likely this comes from his benefactors orders.”
“Don’t do anything.”
“What? This needs to be resolved before things get out of hand.”
“Let them fortify themselves and turn the commoners into a trained army. If you say about the darkness is coming then we may have need for everyone in our country to be prepared.”
“But--”
“It may not be the best--just convince the other on the council that war may be coming from one of our bordering neighbors and it would be best for us to have a standing army even if it is an army of commoners. The nobles estates are near the border for a reason. They manage the keeps that give us protection from invaders crossing into our borders. Besides you do have reports of our neighbors building up arms and resource. I think we may need to do the same if it hasn’t been done already.”
“Just over a month has passed since you were taken and that month has changed you. I see no spoilt child who didn’t care about her kingdom or understand the way of rule.”
“When you lose something your perspective changes.”
“Well I’m glad for the change. I do wonder what we can do if the nobles don’t act as expected.”
“Then I’ll win the hearts of the commoners and leave the nobles without any protection.”
“I’ll carry out your instructions.”
Dillon stood aside while Saorice and the high priest continued their conversation. He was impressed by her demeanor and the tactics she suggested to use the dissenting nobles as protection from invasion. He didn’t know if he would trust himself to make decisions that affected so many peoples lives. The high priest did look somewhat agitated.
“I’m ready saorice when you are.”
“good, lets go.”
He could see the relief in the high priest eyes. he didn’t want them staying much longer and Dillon felt the same. He wanted the open fresh air on his face. Saorice and Dillon were taken down a long passageway. It went deep underground judgeing by the stairs he traversed. Their were thousands of skulls lined against the wall, the skulls were not quite human, the looked human enough if it were not for the horns protruding from the top of the skulls and the large fangs.
Saorice stopped to look at one. “The tunnel is almost the same as the other one I was taken through.”
“You mean there’s more of these skulls?”
“More skulls but they were human.”
“I wonder why they are placed here on display like this.”
“The tapestries in the throne room display pictures from one of the former kings hunt of a dragon, these skulls could serve as a reminder of something in the past.”
“It looks like a warning to me.”
“It could be that too.”
Thinking back on the strange coffins, he wondered if the skulls were meant to scare people away so they wouldn’t have to got through what he and Saorice went through. It was too late now and there was nothing for him to do but move forward.
They arrived at the end of the tunnel and faced a rock wall Broin, a hulk of a man and the High priests aid pulled on a wooden lever that was inserted in the brick wall. The rock swung outwards revealing a small cave. They went inside and found themselves just outside of Dudlows village.
recuperation
Start from the beginning
