The Lion Guard: King of Outremer

Chapter 6: Penance

Author's note: At xxx recommended soundtrack, halo 3 odst asphalt and ablution

Rani mastered the art of enduring seemingly endless council meetings long ago, but now, she almost smiled to herself with a sense of pride upon seeing the wariness of her nobles and councilmen while the Queen came to enjoy the arduous work, feeling the hours fly by.

"Alright, is there any more income unaccounted for?" She asked.

"No!" The aging lord of Beruit cried.

"Well-" Cadoc started.

"Mother of God save us! We've accounted it all. The Kingdom's coffers will be sufficient!" A priest pleaded.

Rani smirked at Cadoc and heard him chuckle from behind his metal mask.

"Very well, we should move on to the matter of new trade deals." Cadoc handed out parchment, or rather he tried to. The various nobles lurched away, with only the two priests on the council taking them, but even then dubiously.

"Has there been any word if the Venetians will send replacements for their merchants and sailors who left for Aurevitas?" Rani asked, her tone growing sterner.

"I'm afraid not, your grace. Since their deal with the usurper Isaac and his massacre of the Genoese, it seems war between Genoa and the Aurevitas is inevitable, and the Venetians are sending most of their available sailors to protect their new business partners." A councilman said, earning a sigh from the Queen.

"Which means the Genoese are off the table too, merde! Damn the Angelos." Rani snarled in rage, thinking about the hedonistic coward who overthrew her mother's dynasty in Aurevitas and massacred the Latin population within their capital.

"I suppose that leaves the Pisans, and perhaps the Sicilians, yes! King William II of Sicily is related to Kion, isn't he!?" Rani's voice lit up with excitement that soon spread to the various nobles around her.

"Oui! King William's mother is King Philip of France's sister, making William the first cousin of Queen Nala." Cadoc answered.

"I also hear rumors that he's made crusader vows before but has yet to fulfill them, much to the Pope's frustration." Bishop Marco, their papal legate, said with a growing smile.

"Wonderful! Send him an invitation to come here!" King William's arrival would prove most advantageous. Not only could he help them navigate and negotiate a good deal with potential Italian merchant powers, but if he came on an armed pilgrimage, he could temporarily boost their supply of fighting men if necessary.

However, her excitement faded as Rani thought about Kion. They'd yet to hear anything about the campaign, and to say she was worried would be an understatement. Rani spent almost an hour every day in the Holy Sepulcher praying for him since she returned to Deiurbem.

"I'll have a messenger sent immediately. Now then, we-" Cadoc started before the door burst open.

"Forgive the intrusion, your majesty!!!" A man of mixed Frankish and perdidit descent in knight's armor rushed in, covered in sweat and dirt. The knight looked like he'd just escaped death and struggled to remain stainding.

A royal knight and cataphract quickly caught him while a servant brought him water.

"Easy! What's happened?" Rani approached the knight, trying to sound calm, despite an unsettling feeling spreading across the chamber. As the Queen looked into the man's eyes, she saw dread, despair, and lament.

"Your majesty, we were defeated. May God forgive us." He muttered, on the verge of tears.

"You were defeated!!!" The Lord of Beruit shouted, springing to his feet as he did so.