Birthright: The Contested Seat

Wayin

Wayin toyed with the empty bottle of Irolith poison in his pocket. His nerves had been in an absolute tangle for weeks now. The queen was on a war path. She had already ordered for Sommel's servants to be put to death. There were sixty of them. Sixty innocent lives tortured to the brink of madness and then put to death when they did not admit their guilt. Wayin knew they weren't guilty. The servents were excellent spies, yes, but none of them had the gall to murder a Lord. Even more so, the queen's favorite.

He pulled the bottle from his robes and analyzed the writing on it once more. The handwriting was unfamiliar which significantly hindered his quest to find the person responsible. What he would do when he found the person, he could not say. Thank them most likely. Sommel had been onto him and it was only a matter of time before he brought Wayin before the queen and aired out his treason.

A knock came at the door. Wayin thrust the bottle back into his pocket and beckoned for the guest to enter. Gabriel Tuhlack strode into the room with a unit of guards behind him. Wayin took a few steps backwards, heart sinking into his stomach.

"My Lord, how can I be of assistance," asked Wayin, trying to mask the fear in his voice. Gabriel's eyes were swollen and tired. The queen had been keeping him awake at all hours of the night, wailing over the loss of Lord Sommel. Wayin didn't realize how much she had loved that man before his death. He didn't think she was capable of truly loving someone.

"The queen wishes to summon the nobility to court. She wants to have words with them regarding Lord Sommel's death. I am passing this task onto you, as I have new recruits to address. The death of such an esteemed member of the queen's council has lit a fire in the heart of Galverin's youth. Many came to join the guard once news spread of his death," explained Gabriel proudly.

It took everything in Wayin's power not to roll his eyes. Gabriel could pretend that a sudden love of queen and country inspired these men to join the city guard, but in reality, it was the sack of gold the queen offered to every man who joined. Since someone so close to her was murdered, she expressed several times a day, that they needed to triple the size of the city guard.

Between Sommel being murdered, talk of rebellion in the Riverlands, Ronald Arintear's impatience with her being unmarried, and an eleven year old boy trying to unseat her, the queen had gotten significantly more paranoid. Paranoia led to fear, and fear was dangerous when harbored by Evelyne Tuhlack.

"Of course my Lord, I would be happy to serve this purpose. How fairs the queen? Has she gotten any rest," asked Wayin with as much concern as he could muster.

He didn't actually care, but he had to pretend to. In truth, he knew that the queen had not slept and was not fairing well in the slightest. Half the city could hear her wailing from her tower. Gabriel was the one who was there with her, doing his best to console his sister. He had personally written to the Lord Sommel's father in Horn Valley to inform him of his son's death. Wayin thought that surely Lord Tuhlack would come down for Sommel's funeral but even still, he refused. A lot could be said about Gabriel Tuhlack, but he was an attentive and loving brother to his sister. She was a fool for ever questioning his loyalty to her.

The Lord of Horn Valley was due to arrive in the city within the next few days. Sommel's body had already been put to the flame. The smell would have permeated the entire castle if they hadn't. The bones and ash were collected and placed within a solid gold urn, decorated in precious gems, native to the mountains of the Crown. There would be a formal ceremony and the queen herself would hand the urn to Lord Sommel's father.

"The queen is fairing the best she can my Lord. You ease her burden greatly by undertaking this task. I'll take my leave. Please make sure the nobility understands that they are to be in the castle's ballroom by sunset. The queen will not tolerate tardiness. You are to take my guard with you, in case anyone decides to object," said Gabriel as he left his small unit of men and exited the tower.