PELAIR. The Gems of the Golden Serpent.

31. Elan

"Sir," said one of the guards to Alarigo. "King Brannan has returned, accompanied by a strange group of women."

"Help me up," requested Alarigo.

"Sir, you shouldn't," Ayrina said, aware of the depth of the wound the Duke had suffered.

"I'm the commander of his troops, and I must receive him as the King he is" manifested Alarigo. "We must treat him as such to consolidate his ascendancy upon the army, and to show whoever accompanies him, that he's the one who holds power in the kingdom. He must demonstrate that he's who has the reigns, to be able to negotiate on equal terms with that formidable force that tries to wipe us out," he explained.

Alarigo knew from long experience in command of troops that it was necessary to establish leadership, and he had already made his bet and commitment to this young king. Perhaps it would have been easier for him to take over the kingdom. Nevertheless, there was a further and more important reason why he had not taken that decision: He needed to establish the future rights to the throne of the southern kingdoms for his grandson, and who would be better than the own father of the boy to precede him?

A few outside Archelon had known Helga had become pregnant soon after her marriage. She had given birth to a baby while in the castle of her father. He had brought her to reside at Archelon Castle, while her young husband remained in the far South. Vonegh had sent him there, to separate him from his wife. Soon after Brannan's return, Helga had left her son in the hands of her lady in waiting, so she could reunite with her husband in Castle Kaffre, or at least that was her argument.

Shortly afterward, the fatal events occurred that caused the death of Helga and Brannan's flight from Kaffre.

Such was the hatred harbored in the heart of Alarigo after the death of his daughter that he commanded to anyone on a threat of death, not to reveal the child's existence, let alone make known who his birth father was. To all, the baby was his son, and as such, he had raised him.

Alarigo arrived at the west square, when the Council of Elders in plenary readied to receive their new king, and with this demonstration announcing to all citizens of the reign that they had finally accepted Brannan as the anointed king of Kiria.

The Council had met in full while Brannan accorded a pact with their besiegers, to take the decision that suited best their interests. They feared the fact that Brannan had proven to be the rightful heir to the crown, and that at no time he had been subjected to their influence. This self-reliance was not to the liking of the Elders of Ker. That limited the control and power the Council had always had over the king. However, for the time being, they needed a leader to legitimize his claim to the throne, and get back the independence to Kiria, taken away precisely by their most feared enemy. It was necessary to stabilize the kingdom before getting control over it again. Later, they would find a way to put the new king under their aegis.

The Council had never enjoyed real influence over Vonegh, for whom they had become a gullible group of elderly without voice or power. It was necessary to regain control again to ensure the preeminence of Ker as the God of Kersia and Kiria. The threat of a powerful invading army from Luria, involved the arrival of the priestesses of Noor, with the possible ascent of the goddess to the country's altars. That should not be allowed at any cost.

Alarigo noticed someone else present at the reception. Auria, Ayrina's younger sister, came accompanied by a couple of guards and an acolyte serving in the Council. She dressed in an exuberant and outlandish way, as usual. A long red gown fitted her body, highlighting her hips and her prominent breasts. She wore a beautiful diamond tiara on her forehead. However, her hairstyle made her face appear even more rounder. She had arrived the day before from Keralia, the capital of neighboring Kersia, where she had gone to seek refuge given Alkiria's conditions. Somehow, she had learned of the drastic changes that had occurred in the city; thus, she had decided to return. It was not in her nature to be backstage of the act.