Rulers of Westover (Book 1 in the RoW Series)

Chapter Seven

1:12:12 Light

Roldan peered out his window and saw his father's face within the carriage outside. "They're home!" he howled as he leaped down the stairs, knocking his brother, Bosley, and a maid over in the process. "Hey watch it!" Roldan ignored his older brother and didn't stop running until he burst through the front door of the keep and almost collided with his brother, Blake. "Whoa, Roldan! Happy to see us I take it?" Blake asked patting the ten year old on the head. Roldan nodded hurriedly. "Don't ever leave Aland in charge for a fortnight again!"

Blake burst out laughing. "Sorry and all, but we had to go. The House Meeting was very important," he explained. "And very revealing." Roldan looked at him in confusion. Blake laughed that devious laugh of his. "Don't worry about it Roldan."

 He looked around and Roldan knew exactly what he was picking up on. "Uh, where's that farmer that lives inside the walls of the castle? You know, the cattle farmer." Roldan scratched his head. "Aland told his personal guards to slaughter two of the cattle for a grand feast and snatch another five for," Roldan grimaced. 

Blake eyed him suspicsiously. "For what?" His tone was suddenly very cold. 

"For target practice. After he and his party had killed all five, they continued to fire at them with the silver tipped arrows given to you by father, then once he was bored, Aland didn't even allow the farmer the meat from any of his seven cows. He packed up and left along with about nine other families that Aland used his authority to abuse while you and father were away." Roldan expected Blake to have smoke coming out his ears and scream for Aland to come here at once, but instead, he just shook his head and smiled. "Naughty boy."

"Back so soon, brother?" The pair turned to see Aland coming out of the keep. "It was only two days ago we got a letter saying you would be away longer than expected."

Blake smirked. "Yes well, we can't have you giving the Aubers a bad name now, can we?" Blake replied with that innocent look Roldan knew all too well. Aland snorted. "What's that supposed to mean?" Blake shoved Aland against the wall of the keep, his forearm pressed tightly against Aland's throat. "It means, dear little brother, that you shouldn't get too comfortable as the head of the house, as I'm sure you were becoming." Aland squirmed, but nobody, not even the strongest of soldiers had manged to free themselves from this suffocating grip of Blake's. It was Roldan's big brother's specialty. "Do you understand?" Aland nodded. Blake let out a quiet laugh, turned and smiled at Roldan, then spun around again, his fist hitting Aland square in the jaw. "Sorry?"

"Yes, yes! Shit let me-- go!"   

Blake took his arm away and Aland collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. "It's okay Roldan," Blake said with his winning smile. "I won't ever leave Aland in charge for a fortnight again," and with that he went into the keep. Roldan suddenly burst out laughing. Aland glared at the ten year old. "What's so funny, you little brat?" he hissed pulling himself up and storming over to Roldan. He shoved Roldan and he fell backwards with an 'umph'. "I said what's so funny!?" Aland glared down at him with his unforgiving, brown eyes. Roldan stared back into them with his own brown eyes. "Nothing, brother," Roldan whispered. "Just your patheticness." He got up and dodged a badly timed swipe from the sixteen year old. He ran into the keep and slammed the door closed just as Aland smacked into it. Roldan chuckled. "Careful, you might get cold without your big heavy coat." Roldan shouted through the door. "Mind you, you'll probably find something to keep you warm in the cattle farmer's house. I'm sure he won't mind since you drove him off with your stupidity." Aland began to shout back curses. "Sorry, I've got to go Aland, the fire is waiting for me." Roldan smiled to himself for standing up to his brother and left.

                                                                              *     *     *

Avery sat up in bed, wincing at the pain shooting through her fractured arm. The servant placed a bowl of stew in her lap. She nodded a thanks. "Actually," Avery began as the servant was about to leave. "Do you know what's been happening? I mean, I know King Rylan's dead and all, but nothing else." The servant sat at the foot of the bed and frowned. It seemed as though she didn't know where to start. "Well as you know, your father and brother went to the House Meeting." Avery nodded. "Well from what I heard, it was a disaster. Lord Auber I think, belittled the new king right to his face." Avery did not reply. Just how weak was Westover's new king, if he could not stop a lord from talking down at him? "Did he punish Lord Auber?" Avery asked. The servant shook her head. The room was filled with silence. Though one of them was high born, the other born in the muck and fish guts, they both knew what a weak king meant. Everybody knew that. And House Auber was a tricky House. It didn't need a royal invitation to wreak havoc. "That is all I know, My Lady," the servant said, getting up. "Now I must get back to my juties." She gave a curt bow and left the room.

Avery stirred the warm stew around with her spoon, no longer hungry. "AHH!" There was a crash from outside, and Avery dropped the spoon, the wooden utensil sinking into the sludge. "What is it?!" she heard her brother shout. "Elmina, what is it!?" 

"She's dead!"

"Who?"

"The servant." There was a sudden cold silence and Avery could imagine her brother standing over the servant's dead body, Elmina hugging him tightly from behind as she often did in her baby like manner. "That is a shame," Quentin said. Avery pushed herself out of bed, ignoring the pain stabbing up through her arm, and raced out the room. The corridor was silent. Then she saw Elmina, backing away, round the corner, not noticing her sister and staring intently at whatever was in front of her. "It  won't hurt, I promise," Avery heard Quentin whisper. Then he lashed out with the crooked dagger he always kept with him, plunging it into Elmina's neck. She didn't even scream, just slowly collapsed, gasping like a fish out of water. 

To Avery's horror, Quentin was smirking. Then he suddenly noticed her. He turned to the left and stared at her in surprise. "Avery, what are you doing out of bed?" he asked in an angered tone, slowly starting towards her. Avery took a step back. "You could hurt yourself more, you know. You should just stay in your room," Quentin said, madness flickering in his eyes. He lunged forward. 

Avery spun around the corner and down the stairs, Quentin hot on her heals. "Help, somebody help!" she screamed, but it seemed as though she and her brother were the only two in the whole castle grounds. She crashed through the keep's doors and ran so fast down the stairs, she almost tripped over herself more than once. "Help!" She zig-zagged through the abandoned wagons filled with fish and lobster, past the horse stables. But the horrific scene of seeing her little sister being murdered didn't come close to what was suddenly only centimetres from her face. The body was maimed and bloody, burnt in some areas, but she knew who it was. "Wise old dad, wasn't wise enough to stop his own son," she heard Quentin sneer from behind her. She couldn't hold in the scream. 

A/N: Hey guys! :D A pretty short chapter, I know, but you weren't expecting the end right!?! :D Anyway be sure to vote and comment if you liked it ^^