After a month of recruiting in Benethia and Ulan, Urai Darkstrike returned with a sizeable amount of new troops to train. He was successful in recruiting eight thousand men and women into the king's army. Most of them would spend the coin on housing in Lanaheim for their families because it was a better life living off of a soldier's pension from the king than remaining impoverished in Benethia or Ulan. Ulan and Benethia still didn't have any form of rebellion against the throne. Estella hadn't had enough time to expand the guild, every time she did, it was merely by accident.
The king went into his advising room to hear of how successful the recruitment process was. He sat down at the head of the table and took a moment to get adjusted into his seat which may well be another throne. He looked down the rows of advisors and took another second.
"So, was the recruitment worth the month it took?"
"It was, my king. I recruited eight thousand men and women into the army." Urai Darkstrike said.
"Are we prepared to attack the city of Darkwood?"
"No, my king." Finis Capeton entered the conversation. "It is understood the city of Darkwood is protected by five thousand able bodied warriors."
"We have twenty thousand troops."
"Yes, but eight thousand aren't trained well enough and ten thousand of them are just wizards."
"Can magic not kill an elf?"
"It can, but we will need to save our troops until the time of war is upon us."
"What is the point of controlling the world's largest army if I can't attack whenever I please?" The king slammed his fist on the table.
"As it stands, defeating an army this large would most likely cost us all of the men we sent. We would be facing arrows as we tried to scale the walls, most of our men would die before they even got to enter battle. I have seen the city of Darkwood and I wouldn't advise attacking it with a large amount of troops."
"How many more months would it take to get our army to thirty thousand?"
"If you gave me another month, I could find ten thousand men in Fromall and Boromagard. I would have to increases the pension by more to persuade them to come as they are not desperate for coin." Urai said.
"Coin is not an issue, apparently numbers are though."
"Perhaps if we sent some scouts to the city, we would know more about what we needed to do to defeat it." Finis suggested.
"How soon could we have a convoy ready?"
"We could leave tomorrow with twenty of the best men."
"Kill anyone who questions you for why you are there."
"Yes, my king."
"Finis, I will leave you in charge of this convoy. Be sure to pick the most brutal men. I want you to give the citizens of Darkwood a taste of what is to come. Take as many horses as you need. I want you to report back to me as soon as you can."
"We could even leave today if you would desire."
"Do you already have the men in mind?"
"Yes, my liege. I know our army as well as any."
"Then you leave today. You are dismissed from this meeting, go get all of your troops ready."
Finis got up and left the room in a hurry to get the convoy ready. As he left, the king looked at the rest of his advisors. He still had much more to say to all of them. He waited for the door to close behind Finis before he started talking again.
"What does everyone have to say about an attack on this rebellion growing in Boromagard?"
"It is my understanding we don't know where they are hiding. I don't think it would be wise to do anything until you knew more about this rebellion." Pararis Moonsworn inserted himself.
"Well, Pararis, I suggest you inform a handful of men, may two or three, to go spy on the inhabitants of Boromagard. I want them to leave before nightfall and give them enough coin to comfortably survive there for a month. I want them to return with the information of where the hideout of this rebellion is so we can send our army to squash their hopes of dethroning me. I will not let a group of farmers end me."
"It isn't a group of farmers my king. Their professions vary."
"I don't care what they do; they will not defeat me."
"They will not; your army will be raised to thirty thousand men in just one month. Perhaps it would be wisest to wait this supplementary month."
"How large must my army be before I start making attacks?"
"I think we all agreed thirty thousand would be an ample amount. Especially if they are all well trained. One more month and you will be able to send forces wherever you desire."
"The elves could flee the city by then."
"They may have already left."
"What are you telling me?" The king slammed his fist on the table once more.
"Your attempt to eradicate their race may have scared a lot of them into hiding. It is not a certainty they remained in the city of Darkwood. Even with its high walls it would take no fool to see you have the greatest army. This is why Finis is going to the city, to discover if they have remained there. Every bounty hunter in Famarikind has probably already been there in search to become rich. You have forced the queen of Darkwood to a juncture."
"The only queen is now my wife." King Pierce spat. "The notion that there is any other queen is a fallacy."
"I'm sorry, my king, but the leader of the elves had a difficult decision to be made and hiding is much better than seeing her numbers dwindle."
"We will never find them, if they are hidden."
"We can send search parties out to find where the elves have decided to hide. The dwarves have been hidden from us for ages. It wouldn't surprise me if they are never found."
"I want this woman who calls herself a queen to be killed."
The meeting ended on that note and all of the men went to execute their orders. Finis selected the twenty men he believed were the finest in all of the army and they rode out to the port city located at the southern tip of Lanaheim. They all received free passage since Finis Capeton was with them. All of the king's advisors commuted freely throughout the entire kingdom. The night fell while they were on the boat. They decided not to go any further after the boat docked. They set up shop just a couple of miles away from the boat's dock in a city full of dingy looking home. They avoided the city because it made them feel uneasy. They would rather set up to where they could sleep underneath the night's sky and view all of the stars. Their comfort in the castle would be missed. They all took turns tending to the fire as they slept; they didn't want anything to sneak up on them in the night.
First light couldn't come soon enough, but when it did the fire had already dwindled down to nothing and they all got on their horses to ride as far east as they could before the Eversun set. It would take them two days of riding to reach the city. The road was well marked as many people before them had traveled this path. At one point, the roads would turn from asphalt to dirt. The convoy continued east until the Eversun was beginning to set in the sky. They set up shop just off the road and gathered wood for the fire. They were now entered into werewolf territory. The great beast roamed the area alone, and often times in packs. The convoy prayed they wouldn't be met by a pack of werewolves in the night. The bright side was that it was not a full moon so only moon chasers would be able to make the transformation. Howls were heard in the far off distance, urging the king's convoy to allow for three guards at once to keep watch. Finis Capeton would take the first watch over the night.
The werewolves were drawn to the fire created by the convoy. Howls seemed to get closer and closer in the night. Finis Capeton was hopeful they would be averted away from the flames to go attack another creature in the night. Werewolves did need to eat the same way anyone else would. The howls got more prominent each time and Finis and the other two knew they would have to fight it off.
"Everyone wake up!" Finis yelled.
Everyone popped up and grabbed their weapons ready for an assault on the convoy. The werewolves were lurking in the shadows, everyone could sense the apparent danger they were in. The fire didn't extend far enough to see them all prowling, readying themselves to sprint at the group of men. For being assigned the term of beat, they were rather organized, but the time finally came. All three of them barreled towards the fire, out of the shadows emerged three massive werewolves, much larger than the tales told them to be. All of the men readied their spears, swords, and axes, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The first werewolf jumped over the first man and was met with a slash from the sword. It hit the ground hard and was immediately swarmed by the men on the back side of the circle. Flailing its arms to connect its claws with several men.
The other two were still on the outside dodging blows from the men. The one in the middle was left with the task of fighting off ten men on its own. The well trained men made the werewolf appear weak. They connected with each blow causing large lesions. The werewolf was greatly bleeding. The wounds may prove to be fatal if it didn't escape soon. The werewolves on the outside were each having trouble fighting off the men they were allocated. The training of these men proved to be too much for these young werewolves. For every blow a werewolf dealt a man they would receive five strikes from a blade. The two werewolves with the capability to leave scurried away leaving the one who jumped into the circle for its death. The men previously preoccupied with fighting the other two turned to encircle the last werewolf. Blades began to pierce its back and the werewolf didn't know what to do. It was trapped amongst twenty-one men and had no way of escaped. The werewolf slashed out in an attempt to leave the circle but the men stepped back and continued to deliver heavy blows. Slashing deep into the skin of the werewolf, it began to let out howls of pain hoping its comrades would return to help it, but they were long gone by now. They learned not to attack this particular group of men with such few numbers. If they were a larger pack, they might have been successful. The werewolf knelt down in pain and Finis Capeton surged his sword straight into its chest leaving it lifeless near the fire. The men all wiped the blood off of their blades and had a good laugh. They didn't lose a single man in the feeble attack by the werewolves. Some of them suffered from wounds caused by the sharp claws of the werewolves. They all looked at each other and had a good laugh again, none of them were bitten. Tomorrow they would make it to the city of Darkwood with another story to tell, the tale of the mistaken werewolves. The werewolves thought it would be an easy meal, but they all got more than they bargained for.
The men all went back to sleep, except for the few on guard. The night would be silent after the werewolf attack. If these men weren't trained well, the werewolves may have seen a different result. The king's army was the most well trained for every situation and their sheer numbers would make the difference in most battles. The army now outnumbered the second largest for by a four to one deficit. The men got the rest the needed and all got back on top of their horses in the morning and made their final ride to the city of Darkwood.
Arriving to the great city, the doors were left opened and it appeared to be abandoned or so they thought. The vampires were all located in the queen's castle waiting for fools to come and try to attack the city. They invited the armies to enter into the city, but they locked the gate around the queen's castle. A couple of vampires watched from the watch tower as the twenty men entered the city. One of them ran to Count Kirnon to inform him of the intruders. As they reached the Count, they informed him of the men who entered the city.
"Let's give our visitors a friendly welcome. Open the doors to the gate and offer for them to see the new leader of Darkwood." Kirnon said.
"Yes, sir."
The vampire left the hall and proceeded to the gate to open it. She waited there for the men to navigate themselves to the entrance of the gates. The door was opened as Finis and the twenty men made their way to the gates. Finis saw the woman waiting on the other side of the gate, waiting for them to enter.
"Where are all of the elves?" Finis asked.
"They have abandoned the city and we have decided to take control of it."
"Who is we?"
"Would you like to meet the new leader of Darkwood?"
"If it is an offer, I wouldn't refuse."
Finis never expected them to be vampires. He followed the woman into the castle having all of his men draw their weapons. They cautiously followed the woman for the event a surprise attack had been planned by the queen. If it was a surprise attack, it was planned very well. The men entered the great hall, perhaps even greater than the king's great hall. Gold decorated the entire hall. Finis looked into the air for archers with drawn bows, there was none. He approached the new leader of the city.
"What purpose do you have controlling the city?" Finis asked.
"It is a great city which was left empty. My men could use a change of scenery so we took the abandoned city." Kirnon replied.
"You will turn it over to the king."
"I most certainly will not."
"All of your men will die if you don't."
"Your small force of twenty men don't even begin to pose a threat to my city."
"The king will send an attack on this city to control it."
"Who said I was even letting you leave? We may take you as prisoners of war. That is what the king wants, war."
"We are only the scouts for the city. If we don't return, he will launch an attack."
"I don't think you posses the knowledge to defeat us. We are a new breed of warriors and we fight for ourselves and our own interest. We will let you leave, if you inform the king of the army he has to defeat. We have one thousand men ready to defeat whoever enters into the city. Another thing you must know is that only one of you can leave. It only takes one to leave a message. I'm assuming it will be you who leaves, but as I said, only one can leave. The rest become our slaves."
"If I agree to these terms, I want you to know you are making a terrible mistake by opposing the king's rule."
"I have told you how many men I have. One thousand of the greatest warriors to ever roam the planet."
"The king will squash you like a tiny bug."
"I'd like to watch him try. No blade has ever defeated my army. We have never lost a single man. The fear should only come from your side. It doesn't matter if you send the entire army. We will not die. We will close the gates to the city after you leave and arrows will fly to send your men to their deaths. You won't even enter the city with any of your troops. As you can see the walls have been built very high."
"If I don't agree to your terms?"
"None of you will leave and the king will never hear of the greatest force."
"What happens to my men?"
"They stay here to serve my people's needs. If any of them try to escape, they will be killed in the cruelest fashion."
"What is your name?"
"A leader has no name. Our army is nameless to those we don't trust."
"Why don't you trust me?"
"Because you speak for the king. He is the only reason we have this city which once flourished."
"Wouldn't you thank the king for seeing you restored to a throne?"
"No, I may be a leader, but I never needed a throne to reassure me my people trust me. I don't require this. I already know my people trust me. I have seen them fed and all of their needs met. I'm much better than the king who sits on the blood throne."
"The king will see you removed for thinking you are a better leader."
"As I said, let him try. You have no idea how powerful my people are and after your finest warriors are here for a while, they may wish to join my army; I will let them. We will see just how loyal your men are to the king. After their first week of servitude, they will all be convinced to join me."
"These are the most loyal men you speak of."
"Good. I must insist you leave now to inform your king of the difficulties he will face to overtake the city of Darkwood."
Finis Capeton left and the men just stood where they were, I silence. Their brazen faces just continued to stare at the Count. They had no idea their purpose was be fed to the eternals. Kirnon could smell their blood from where they stood. They would prove to be the most useful servants, being nearly drained of all of their blood once a day by a different vampire. Count Kirnon ordered the collection of five hundred prisoners to feed his army. The holding cells were beginning to be filled with men and elves alike. The vampires preferred elfish blood.
As Finis left, more vampires surfaced from the shadows to take their newest prisoners underneath to the cell. The prisoners were however fed extremely well and were even allowed to roam the city at night to keep them in healthy shape. Shackles were placed around their arms and legs so they could be painted as the prisoners they were. Count Kirnon had them given plenty of privileges to keep them happy and they were given painkillers and hallucinogenic herbs during the time of the vampire's feeding. Most of them would never even be aware of what was happening to them.
Finis was out of the city and started his ride back to port city to get back to Lanaheim. The horses were gathered by the eternals and placed into the stalls to use for travel. While they were fast, they weren't as fast as horses so this would prove to be a convenience for those who were sent out to travel to collect more prisoners. Count Kirnon much preferred his new living arrangements. While the cave had been made very comfortable, it couldn't be compared to the comfort the castle offered them. While the vampires didn't require any sleep, it was nice to rest in a comfortable bed. Finis Capeton was long gone now and feeding time had finally met them. The new prisoners were in the cell waiting for their food to put them in a hallucinogenic state.
Finis Capeton rode like he had no choice. He was pushing his all white horse to gallop as fast as it could. It wouldn't be safe for him to rest anywhere since he was alone. He rode for two days straight to reach the port city and he gained free access back to Lanaheim. He arrived back at Lanaheim a few days later and immediately went to the king.
"My king, we need to hold another meeting of the advisors as soon as possible."
"It will have to wait until later today. Now address your queen when you speak to us."
Bocri, or rather Ariella, was sitting directly to the king's left in the throne moved from one of his other rooms. She just smiled as Finis knelt in her presence. All of the perks of being queen were much better than jobs she would be doing as a slave. She didn't have to lift a single muscle to get exactly what she needed, and she didn't have a need for food to continue on with life, but she enjoyed the meals prepared by the king's chefs. She had more power than any other woman in the kingdom. Her word meant a great deal. She would sit in on the king's advisory meetings and make her better judgment of what to do with the constituents. She couldn't seem soft because she didn't wish to blow her cover. Brutality was something the king admired and she knew his weakness was for wicked women.
The king had several more hours before his daily advisory meeting. They would prove to be tedious and boring as concerns would be arose about the citizens of Lanaheim. They feared the future of the kingdom; King Pierce and his wife Ariella assured them they had nothing to fear. A lot of them were uncertain about a war, but this was not their judgment to make. The king sent them all away dismissing their inquiries. The king loathed listening to the common people. They never had anything interesting to share unless, of course, they had information concerning a rebellion against the throne or even a being so powerful like the spirit stalker. The king waited all day of important news to reach his ear, but this important news never came. Concerns about husbands going to war filled the hall. The king didn't have the slightest sympathy for these women. He knew he would be alright and this is all he cared about. The several hours passed and Pierce and Ariella went to the advisory meeting. Finis Capeton sat in his spot right beside the king, anxious to share his information. Ariella took a seat opposite king Pierce at the other head of the table. King Charade adjusted into his seat and looked at the fourteen of his advisors who were present for the meeting.
"It is my understanding you have information for me, Finis."
"Yes, my king. It's concerning the state of the city of Darkwood. The elves have abandoned it."
"Perfect, will will seize the city."
"It isn't that simple. There is another force of a thousand men who now control the city. They took the rest of the convoy as prisoners. The leader claims to be in charge of the most powerful army there is."
"How dare him insult my men, especially when he is so few. I want his head."
"He threatened to lock the gates to outsiders."
"Did you fail to mention how my army is growing?"
"He is already aware of the size of your army and didn't seem phased by it."
"I will paint Darkwood with his blood. What is this man's name?"
"He told me he was nobody and his army has no name."
"He will remain nameless in the history books which will tell of his failure to comply with the regulations. We will seize this castle for my name."
"I actually think we could win the war without threatening his power." Finis said.
"Him being in power of the city I wished to control threatens my name as king."
"I think we could gain him as an ally, if we asked him what he wanted."
"You think we can negotiate with this terrorist? We don't negotiate with terrorist; we kill them."
"If I may say something, husband."
"Yes, of course, Ariella."
"I think this man could be harboring a secret weapon he doesn't wish to reveal, a secret weapon like the spirit stalker. What did you see of this man's men, Finis?"
"I only saw him and his messenger. Our men didn't wish to see a fight in which we couldn't win. This was the only way I would have gotten out with my life. If he does possess the spirit stalker, then our few numbers wouldn't stand a chance without the blade of Thundersword. I knew there was something a little bizarre about the way he spoke. It was as if he was from a different land, one unexplored. I have reasons to believe he came from Baharzada with his troops because he failed to give me his name. I presume he is a criminal who wishes to remain anonymous."
"An army of criminals will not defeat me." The king said while giving his wife a certain look.
"I, too, am from Baharzada," the queen inserted, "and the only numbers large enough to hold an army is by the vampires."
"Do you think you were dealing with vampires, Finis?" Charade asked.
"It may be vampires who remained inside, but they also have humans working for them. I saw her in broad daylight. The army may be comprised of vampires, but they can only attack at night. I wonder how many of them must be humans in their force to protect them from the day. I imagine half of them must be men who serve the vampires. This would be enough archers to fend off the city until dark."
"Can we not make all of the arrows made out of wood and take ladders to the city?"
"This would certainly be one way to defeat them. The hand held cannons we have which shoot glass arrows can be modified to shoot wooden stakes. The air propelled machines were originally invented to defeat dragons, but vampires are equal targets."
"Did you ever see this leader enter the sunlight? What are the odds he is a vampire?"
"Now that Ariella mentions it, it seems like it is the most likely possibility. No man would think an army of a thousand could defeat twenty thousand unless he knew he had a secret weapon. Seeing as they could be vampires, we will all fight with wooden spears to defeat them. This can work for both the vampires and the humans we are to defeat."
"I can't believe you were so stupid to give them food to fuel themselves. My best men became a meal for these night dwellers."
"I'm sorry, my king. I thought it was the best decision to be made. I didn't wish to cause a fight which would grant you no information at all."
"I do not forgive you, but thanks to my wife we now know it was a wise decision. You all would have been dinner and I would have rushed ten thousand troops to their deaths at the hands of these vampires. But now I know how to defeat this small army and banish them to the spirit world. Isn't my wife incredible?"
"She truly is, my king. She has offered us the most important insight. Although, I am wondering how they managed to make it so far away from Baharzada."
"They could have tents they set up for the daylight hours of the day. They aren't stupid as you would hope they would be. They have existed for over a thousand years and have been able to train in the arts of war. I wouldn't view them as an easy victory if I were you, my husband."
"We will wait to discover how many reinforcements we have after Urai returns from Fromall and Boromagard. I will wait until then to make a decision. By then we should have enough troops to use five thousand to defeat this small army of vampires. Our advances in military technology will see us victorious over this coven of vampires. What more can you tell me about these vampires, Ariella?"
"Only that every man and woman in Baharzada feared them; they were known as the eternals and would hunt nearly every night. The shade created by the great forest which covers half of Baharzada allowed them to hunt deep into the day as there is no sunlight in the forest due to the canopy. I couldn't handle living under the threat of losing my life each and every day. I needed a move even though I didn't have much money. I couldn't be trapped there waiting to die."
"You made a wise decision in leave the territory of runaways and thieves. If you never left, I never would have met my gorgeous wife. In my many years I have never seen a girl as beautiful as you. The very moment my eyes feasted on you, I was certain you had to be my wife and you are proving your worthiness to me more with each passing moment."
"I only wish to serve you in any way I can."
"I think you know what I wish to happen. I wish for us to be the wealthiest couple to ever roam the planet and this war can generate a lot of revenue for us. Training armies is expensive work and the housing for the army is paid for by their salaries. In the long run I profit much more than I lose for recruiting them. In many ways I'm the greatest business man to ever sit on top of the blood throne. My father was much too kind hearted for the post, so I killed him and made it look like one of the servants did it. It's truly funny now that I look back at it. I knew the kingdom needed me. My father's death alarmed a lot of the constituents. I was so young at the time; I was only eleven, yet I knew the kingdom needed something more, more of a ruler. This was ages ago. As the prince, I would always get away with whatever I did, but my thirst for power extended much deeper than the power a prince had. I needed full control and now I have it."
None of the advisors looked surprised when he gave this news. Ariella was a bit frightened by the man would kill his own father to sit on the blood throne, but this news would certainly be shared when she returned to Tavoriel. This is the type of news which could cause a lot of uproar amongst those who believed it. Pierce's father was loved by many and feared by none. Everyone felt he was a great king, everyone except Pierce. Pierce believed his grandfather started the coin system to gain control over all of the people. He never would have expected it to have adverse effects when the impoverished started rebellions, but it wasn't the most impoverished who were the ones to start a rebellion. The king had made a lot of bad decisions leading up to the rebellion in Boromagard. These people were tired of seeing the king publically execute a slave for a simple mistake. His disregard towards the value of life infuriated a lot of those he called his constituents. Anger has been brewing in those who didn't believe the way of the king was the right way to go. Prayers for a better leader slid off of their lips to the gods.
The king spoke once more, "if any of you share what happened to my father, I will have your tongues cut out so you never speak again as well as publically humiliated for the court to enjoy. You will face the pyramid."
The advisors all nodded because they understood the king wasn't joking. They have seen him do much worse to people who probably didn't deserve it. The pyramid was a device used for torture in which the victim would be slowly lowered onto a sharp pyramid piercing through the body until the victim dies or their organs fall out from the sharp cut of the pyramid. This was designed by the king to cause the utmost amount of pain. The victim would remain conscious until the blades ended them. The lowering could take weeks, if the king so pleased.
The advisors all bit through their tongue and listened to the king go on about the way he so easily killed his father by poisoning his nightly ale. He sat comfortably in his room waiting for his trusted servant to deliver the altered ale to the king. The king would always end the day with an ale to calm his nerves after dealing with all of the court and their families. He may have favored the rich, but he never did anything to upset the poor. Pierce's father, Lancelot Charade, had a wonderful rule, short, but wonderful. He may have been the king with the greatest appreciation by his people.
The meeting ended and the king went to go speak with some of the members of the court. He made his way to the ballroom with Ariella to introduce his wife to all of the nobles of the kingdom who all were required to live in the capital of Lanaheim. The court would meet with the king biweekly just to gossip about the affairs of the citizens of Lanaheim. The court was full of dukes and duchesses which technically ruled over the districts of all of the kingdom. Their word didn't mean as much as the kings though because it was a monarchy. They were the heirs to the throne in the event of the king's death, but now the queen would be instated as the leader if the king was to die. Roman and Eleanora Buckingham were the first in line to the throne if something was to happen to the king. His death would, of course, be inspected if it was to come at the hand of any of those who followed him.
Roman and Eleanora had three lovely children, two boys and one girl. Eleanora and their daughter both had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes whereas Roman and their two sons, Parker and Hunter, had dark brown hair and brown eyes. All of the court dealt with their proper districts concerns which would be raised to the king, if they were serious enough. The majority of the concerns of the people weren't worthy to be heard by the king. It was only every once in a while they would see their way past the dukes and duchesses. The dukes and duchesses would air on the side of caution when raising the concerns or information to the king. They could just as easily raise the concerns themselves when the king took time out of his schedule to come and speak with all of them.
"Roman, what news do you have for me about your district?"
"Just a lot of fear of the war to come. I haven't yet heard anyone come to inform me of where this rebellion in Boromagard hides."
"This would be urgent news, if it was to come. Inform me immediately, if any news of the rebellion surfaces."
"Yes, my king. I would never withhold information from you." Roman lied.
His intentions to overthrow the king have been well hidden for a very long time. He doesn't wish to sit on the throne himself, but with the uprisings his mind filled with visions of the future. He was hopeful the armies being raised against the king would defeat the great army of the king. He was the duke of Hallie's Vale and had heard plenty of talk of the rebellion, but didn't wish to have these voices raised to the king. The more ignorant the king remained, the better. The leader of the rebellion had already been revealed to the king. A thousand pospill bounty was placed on his head, without any luck. Those closest to Bauldr Freysson would never turn him in to the king, not even for a million pospill. The golden coins weren't worth the destruction of the rebellion.
"Have you met my wife, Ariella?"
"I saw her during the wedding, but I haven't yet had the pleasure to speak with her." Roman took the hand of Ariella and kissed it. "It's lovely to finally have the opportunity to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine," she said. "I have heard great stories about you and the duchess of Hallie's Vale, but I'm relatively certain the rebellion is rising in your district."
"It is, but we don't know where exactly. It has been hidden from public knowledge. I believe they are all living out of tents hidden somewhere in the vast grounds of the district. They were too smart to have the rebellion coming out of the city of Hallie's Vale."
"I see, but as duke is it not your job to send search groups to locate this rebellion?"
"I don't do anything which isn't ordered by the king. I don't have any men at my disposal."
"Don't worry about it, Roman. I have already sent a group to find this rebellion. It is not a worry you need to have, but you do make a good point. I wish to raise the army to fifty thousand men to give one thousand men to each of my dukes and duchesses." The king informed.
"Fifty thousand, my king?" Roman said with shock in his voice. "That would be five percent of the entire population."
"I know; I don't want anyone to think it is a good idea to defy me. I believe the citizens do not fear me enough anymore. Something needs to be done to strike the fear back into their hearts."
"Have you ever considered leading like your father did?"
"My father was weak; this is why the enemies poisoned him."
"The people loved him though."
"Fear is a much better way to rule."
"As you wish, my king. It was merely a suggestion."
Roman loved Lancelot, it was to no surprise he wished the king to have followed in the footsteps of his father. His wishes couldn't have been farther from the truth.
"A terrible one. I haven't become the most respected king by showing favor to my constituents. Fear is the heart of love. They all love me because they fear what I can do to them."
"I think these rebellions surfacing is a sign that they no longer fear you. They would rather die than live under your rule." Eleanora said.
"Then die they will. After Urai returns from recruiting men from Fromall and Boromagard, my number will be at thirty thousand and not even the vampires could defeat us. My kingdom will thrive with such a large army to impose my will. The way of the past will be forgotten and we will move into the future. I have scared the elves into hiding and all those who oppose me will slither away into the shadows to be forgotten. The age of rebellion is almost over. The time of the human has finally come. My legacy will live on forever with nobody to stop me. I am the blood king the blood throne wished to have. The history books will cite me as the most accomplished king to ever sit on the throne."
"You will indeed be remembered, my king." Eleanora said.
She didn't agree he would be remembered as the greatest king to ever rule, remembered for all of the corruption he spread across the land, remembered for all of the men and women wrongly killed for simple mistakes, remembered as the greediest man to ever sit on the throne, remembered for being the only king to incite rebellion, but no, he would not be remembered as the greatest king to ever rule. Even if this war was to go in his favor, the people wouldn't respect him, fear him, yes, but respect him, no. The king left the Buckinghams without saying anything to them. He saw one of the dukes he happened to like much more. Ariella said goodbye to the family she just met and followed the king.
"My king," Tarquin said, "I hope you have another public execution for me to enjoy."
"This can be arranged," the king laughed. "I'm glad somebody enjoys them as much as I do. The next mistake made by any of my servants will prove to be a fatal one. What type of punishment did you have in mind?"
"I haven't seen a werewolf attack in a while."
"An excellent suggestion, Tarquin."
Tarquin was as cruel as the king. His short figure didn't make him much of a warrior, but the man was born into a great position. He only got his wife because of his position. Her position as duchess was the only reason she married Tarquin. Daniella was an average height woman who was rather beautiful, she didn't match with this hideous short man, but she married for the comfort offered by her husband's position. She wasn't anything like him, but she was a wonderful mother to their two children, Victor and Annabella.
Their children took after their mother and were rather beautiful. She wanted her children to have an easy ride for their entire lives. She acted very well though, well enough to convince her husband she was true to him and well enough to convince the king her position should be respected. Deceit was a game she played very well. The king laughed with Tarquin about all of the past public executions. Reminiscing about how happy they felt when the life left the bodies of each perpetrator of the law, the law constantly adapting to fit the king's personal interest. Many laws have been past which allowed him to collect more taxes on everyone, and allowing him to recruit many more men into his army. Corruption could be seen by even a blind man.
The king made his rounds throughout all of the nobles to check in with the state of their affairs. He quickly spoke with all fifty of the dukes and duchesses. The king felt he was amongst those who could most easily relate to him as they all had a castle to their name as well as servants. The castles were much smaller than the kings, nonetheless they were still castles made from the finest stone, and with a castle came great coin to back it. The dukes and duchesses were amongst the richest people in the kingdom. While they didn't have the same coin purse as the king, they granted plenty of favor to their people in return for goods and coin. They all knew how to profit off of their people in a way that wasn't illegal or unfair. Not to mention they ate for free every night at the king's feast, if they chose to attend.
The king loved to host his nobles and citizens of Lanaheim nearly every night, just to prove he had so much money he could do as he pleased. Live entertainment was also hired for the dinner so everyone could enjoy music as they had casual conversation with their friends. There weren't many citizens of Lanaheim who didn't serve a functioning role within the territory. For the most part, it was either as nobles or warriors. Rich individuals who moved from the other territories were also in the mix because they found a clever way to escape their lives of hardship, well not really hardship, but they didn't have other rich people to relate to. There were, of course, rich individuals who decided to live in the other territories, but it was mostly comprised of the working class.
The working class was what made this kingdom truly great, without their work the king wouldn't have such a lavish life. The men and women who supported him through the roller coaster ride he has put them through should be acknowledged for following a king so corrupted by coin. These were the men and women who informed the king of the rebellion growing in their back yard. Loyalist were few and far between in the territories of Boromagard and Fromall, most of the men wanted to either see him dead or overthrown. The hard work they have been responsible for had gone unnoticed for far too long and these people were perhaps the most aggressive in all of the kingdom. They have brought many concerns to the astonomia which were not heard by the king. They all had ideas to make the kingdom even better than it already was. Coin was the least of these concerns raised to the astonomia who would see the king at the end of every week.
The valspar abandoned the city in this time, leaving the city vulnerable to attack from the creatures lurking in the night, too many men have been lost to unknown animals. The list of creatures which could have attacked them was nearly endless. All the men asked for was protection in the night, but the king let these demands pass by unheard. It was no secret how safe the citizens of Lanaheim were. In fact, the king bragged about the amount of men he had patrolling the streets in the night in Lanaheim, but refused to bring the other territories into the light. Lights diminishing the darkness of the night. It would have been incredibly easy to have these street lights put up in each territory, but the king didn't value the lives of those who didn't live in Lanaheim as much as he valued the capital's people. He cared about his precious astonomia as they kept the books for each of the districts, without them he wouldn't know of all of the births in each district or the crimes committed. His cells wouldn't be filled with people to publically execute, and the Valspar, the Valspar was his way of keeping each district's men in line. They acted as the police for the kingdom and were in some way security for the people, but really they just watched over all of the people and monitored any suspicious activity. Many rebellions have been put out because of them. In the past, the rebellions didn't seem so active or threatening. The king knew he should have never allowed Analaeas to retain an army. This was the largest threat in number he knew existed. He thought he could easily silence the rebellion in Boromagard. His growing army could easily handle this sad rebellion forming in the west of the kingdom.
The king finished making his rounds between the nobles and everyone was escorted by the servants to the dining hall where they would be met by the advisors and the citizens of Lanaheim, or at least the ones selected to dine with the king tonight. The dining hall probably held five hundred comfortably, not everyone was invited to eat with the king each day. Invitations were sent out to the privileged citizens who were to dine with the king. The nobles were always invited, but there was a rotation for the rest of the citizens. All of the citizens would have their chance to dine with the king.
