Shadows of the Light

Page 21

King Tychard VII sat once again at the Council Table. He did not, however, rub his eyes or any sort of thing a layman might do to indicate his sleepiness, but the black rings around his eyes did speak volumes. Two council meetings in the span of about five hours. For the same boy. This time, the facts were clear: the boy had all but burned the Medhen gardens to the ground and killed the Medhen's only daughter. He sighed inwardly. The moment that boy Ascended, he already plagued the Illune Kingdom, and mainly Abestos, with his irregularity. Too many things did not make any sense. Lucienne Medhen was reported missing earlier yesterday. The report was put on low priority in light of the perceived threat of the boy. So, unless Justice Merton was fooled, the boy was innocent of abducting her.

Unless the Justice was fooled? King Tychard drummed his fingers and allowed himself to open up to what was going around him. The noise that assaulted him was synonymous to a war. He shut himself out once again. He thought about the facts again. While true that Shadow Knights could wield powers of subterfuge along with destruction, it was one of the finer points of Shadow Knight training. The burning gardens were undoubtedly his but the Covering over the Medhen residence? And if it were truly the boy the Justice saw, it was impossible for him to do a far-ranged Covering.

If not? King Tychard's frown deepened. Then....why the Medhens? He knew of the famed couple, and he severely doubted that Sakiya Mening would hold a grudge against her. Unless she rejected him? No, he didn't think Lucienne Medhen would do that. They were alike in the colour of their hair and eyes which was a big thing in the Illune Kingdom. There was a bond there that was deeper than a conventional friendship. He sighed, this time in the open and the room fell a shade quieter. His eyes happened on High Cardinal Cafken who had a small but grim smile on his lips.

"Your Majesty," the strong voice of Councilman Huqwin - one of the more sensible councilman, the king thought - called, "I am afraid that even if Justice Merton's death was not by the Shadow Knight's hand, this certainly is."

"I said time and time again," the infuriating nasal voice of Councilman Ignar rang out, "we should have dealt with the boy when we had the chance! Now what has happened? The Flower of the Kingdom now lies cold in a coffin!"

"The Shadow Knight was too unstable. What if he had escaped? He might have allied himself with our enemies and marched on our very walls!" A Councilman Pold countered. The room was about to be awash with angry voices when Councilman Huqwin stood up.

"Councilmen!" he boomed, "There will be time for this later. The matter at hand is what to do about the boy!"

"Kill him." Councilman Ignar said instantly. It was echoed around the room.

"Kill him!"

"Spare his life at the cost of our city!"

"Kill him now!"

"Wait," the king said. "There are too many questions here: Who killed Justice Merton? Who erected the Covering? And I also question the validity of Aelclips' death by disease; there has never been a healthier man!"

"Nonetheless, Your Majesty," Councilman Huqwin said without criticism, "the boy has killed Lucienne Mening and justice must be served. Whether in cold blood or not, it was his hand that carried out the deed, and the penalty to that has always been death. You must decide now, my king. With Councilman Aelclips dead, the decision is now solely up to you."

"I have an alternative, my king."

All eyes turned to the High Cardinal. "I have a worse punishment than death."

"Oh really, Cafken?" the king asked tiredly and ignored the protests of lack of protocol in calling the High Cardinal by his first name. "What is it?"

"Life."

Whisperings and murmurings began all around the room. "How is that worse than death, High Cardinal?"

"The boy has killed one of the only people who have still loved him. Exile him, Your Majesty, and use him until he is spent. Send him to the Warring Outskirts to let him use his days fighting until the last of his life is spent."

"Surely that is too wistful a decision, High Cardinal?" Councilman Ignar asked cynically. "To assure us that he would not turn on the Illune Kingdom because of love?" He drew the last word out.

High Cardinal Cafken looked at hin with such withering scorn that the councilman sank in his chair with a nervous 'eep!'. He then addressed the entire council, "My friends and councilmen. I have witnessed many things in my long tenure as High Cardinal. Things like what love and trust can do to a person. How an act of generosity can turn a person's life around." He looked at the king, "Trust me in this, my king, he will not turn."

King Tychard knew that the High Cardinal's words were more than just a speech. The High Cardinal rarely used the full force of his personality, but when he did, not even the king could make him back down. A life of faith, the king thought wryly, made one's resolve as hard as steel.

"Fine. I accept." The entire Council gasped, save one or two. "But I also hearken to the majority of the Council." He stood up and the full air of his kingly title radiated from him and he announced in a loud voice. "Hear this my judgment! Sakiya, Shadow Knight, shall be given fifty stripes of the triple whip and be exiled to the Warring Outskirts on pain of death! The Council will heed this!"

"We will heed your judgment, Your Majesty!"