A Spoiled Rule

Chapter 10

Liam was glad for the momentary silence that followed Lucas' absence. He did not trust the man, though that could be because of newfound trust issues. Still, Liam was glad, and when he turned to begin his discussion with the others, he found them roaming through the store. The first person he saw was Stephen, lingering near the boarded windows, so he approached him first. "Stephen, what is your opinion of Lucas?" he said quietly.
Stephen glanced at the hall as if expecting to see Lucas there. "He has given us knives and access to food, which does not give a negative impression, though I do not trust him. He already knows who you are."
Liam nodded his head. He had assumed such a disastrous time would bring those alive together in a trusting manner, but quite the opposite was occurring.
"Perhaps it is because of the advisors," said Stephen.
"Perhaps," said Liam quietly.
Stephen frowned. Liam could detect a yearning from him, and he waited patiently until Stephen decided to speak. "Though this may not be the correct place to say such a thing, I feel there is always time for grief, and that brings me to express my condolences toward the kingdom. No king should have to see his people turned to monsters, and have to kill them all to survive. It is a horrid thing. Know that none of this can be traced to you."
Liam hadn't expected this. In the midst of such a critical time and place, he was taken aback. In that moment, he deeply missed his childhood. "Thank you, Stephen," he said quietly.
"You must not have been scratched, else you'd be a zombie by now," said Stephen.
Liam frowned. "You have a new estimate?"
Stephen nodded. "Ten minutes, for a scratch. I do not have an exact estimate as William... Well, he took matters into his own hands, though I do believe, based on the condition of his cut just before he... Well, that and paired with the fact that we saw him a few moments ago-completely turned, that it took only ten minutes. Though the cut to his neck was significant, the amount of blood that could be seen on his person suggested much movement was done after the matter, which would support the idea that he became a zombie not long after he died."
"You saw him as well, here in Chroal?" Liam hissed.
Stephen swallowed and nodded. "Unfortunately, I did. It was curious, after what Harvey's man Ryan said just before."
"Ryan could prove very useful," said Liam. "We all could. We are a good group. Do you have an estimate on how long we could last in here?"
Stephen glanced around the space. "With nine people eating three meals a day, I would suggest a month. Without gratification... Two to three weeks."
Liam nodded a dismissal toward Stephen and continued through the store. He passed by sacks of potatoes and carrots and a shelf holding growth solution for greens. In a small aisle containing water and medicine he found Prima. She was examining a small tube of antibiotics, and Liam smiled. "You're curious."
Prima looked up at him flustered and brushed her hair from her face. "We do not have easy access to medicine like this in Chroal. At least, us commoners do not."
Liam glanced at his hand, where the cut from the mysterious blade was healing. It was a simple line on his skin now. "I might prefer the miraculous healing of seaweed bandages." He noticed her bare feet. "Would you like some shoes?"
Prima frowned and gazed at Liam's shoes. "The ground here is much harder on the feet..." She scanned the aisles and found simple commoner's shoes hanging, and she grabbed a pair that fit her and tied the laces. "What a difference!" she exclaimed.
"Some days, I prefer to go barefoot," said Liam.
Prima laughed. She covered her mouth to stifle the laughter and cleared her throat, beaming. "I've been wondering... What is it like to be a king? Have you been training for it since birth?"
Liam gazed mindlessly at bottles of alcohol. "Since I can remember, there has always been courtly training. It was not as intense as my teenage years. I'd train physically, testing my limits. I'd study nearly everything, but I wouldn't get to practice any of it. But there would still be times for family and fun. I remember... I remember my parents reading me stories at bedtime. That is one of the most raw memories I have of such family times."
"That's sweet," said Prima, picking up a bottle of water and examining it. "Has this been purified?"
"It has no need," said Liam simply. "It comes from fresh streams in the hills. Some may be purified if it comes from the waters of Dínam. The green cap signifies it has not been purified."
"You have an abundance of everything here in Harksgold," said Prima, opening the water and tasting it. "This is more than I could have imagined, though it lives up to its rumors."
"You have not yet seen the innards of Harksgold," said Liam. "This is only Chroal."
Prima gazed up at Liam, then narrowed her eyes. "You have a kindness that I did not expect of a king... I trust you will answer honestly when I ask if you have always been this kind?"
Liam's smile faded. "I would like to think so... Though I feel I have not been kind to Chroal at all."
Prima tilted her head and set down her water. "Liam, the state of Chroal cannot be your fault. Chroal became this way under some different king who did not treat his people with kindness. That king left a mess for all predecessors, including you, to clean. Even during the war, us reasonable Dínes could tell that you did not want it to occur. Neither you or your father did. If that weren't so, us Dínes would have perished."
"Not with the technology of Dínam," said Liam.
Prima shook her head, her eyes wide. "On the contrary, our technology is our weakness. Of course, it is all hidden from us, so I do not even know what our king has in store. I... I have kept this in all my years," she mumbled. "I feel the king of Dínam has lost his mind. So I believe he could easily be defeated by a sound and reasonable king."
"Let us hope it does not come to that, or we all may fall to the plague," said Liam softly.
Prima looked down at the tiled floor. "It is only a matter of time before someone eats an infected fish," she said. "Then it merely becomes a matter of how long it takes for the virus to show." She took a deep breath and looked up at Liam, an odd blush on her cheeks. "Well, I won't keep you any longer from your kingly duties."
"I would prefer if you did," said Liam honestly.
Prima smiled. "You are very lucky to have had parents who raised you right. Tholam... He was abandoned, and Gresham and I were unfortunate, and I suppose so were you, but at least you had them around long."
Liam managed a small smile. In his heart, he felt sadness. "Yes... I am fortunate to have had them."
"Have you ever wondered who you could have been if not born into royalty?" asked Prima quietly, leaning against a shelf.
Liam frowned. He had only wondered once, and that was many years ago and he never gave it much thought. "I haven't given much thought to it... I suppose if I were not born into royalty, I would still be the same, though stuck in a different situation."
"Mhm," said Prima. "Imagine if you were born in Dínam... What a thought."
"Liam, may I speak to you for a moment?" asked Jackson, standing with his hands politely folded behind his back.
"Before you go, you should know," said Prima, leaning close, "Tholam didn't need to tamper with your mask. It would have been able to withstand the Shamaland."
Liam frowned. He'd have to question the sneaky thief. He turned to Jackson, who led him to the corner of the room near wooden boards and golden nails. "If necessary, the nearest entrance to the underground tunnels is two streets into Chroal. The tunnels in Chroal connect directly to the sewage tunnels, but they should be safe nevertheless."
"You, too, have an unsettling feeling?"
Jackson nodded.
Liam sighed. "I owe you much gratitude, Jackson. You have performed at and beyond your duties."
"It is an honor," said Jackson sincerely. "Is there anything more you wish me to do?"
Liam was glad Jackson had asked such a question. "Simply do as you were trained."
Jackson nodded and disappeared down one of the aisles.
Liam roamed through the rest of the store. He passed Harvey and Ryan in the back, who were both mumbling quietly, Harvey trying on multiple new hats. Liam picked up a fresh apple, pulling out his silver blade and cutting a slice from it.
"Hey."
Thorne appeared a few feet away, stopping mid-pace. Liam could feel Jackson's presence nearby, though he did not mind Jackson overhearing their conversation. As with any guard, he trusted Jackson to keep a respectful silence, and whose presence was meant only for protection. "Thorne," Liam greeted. "Would you like any shoes?"
Thorne glanced at his feet and shrugged. "Shoes are too loud." After a pause, he narrowed his eyes. "Why is it that I've heard rumors of you being a king?"
"Why is it that I've heard you tampering with things that didn't need tampering?" countered Liam.
"Ah," said Thorne. "Prima." He shook his head. "I've never gotten to mess with an Aquadínito, so naturally, I couldn't resist. Besides, nothing like time pressures to get a job done well!" He pointed a finger at Liam. "Your turn. Why is it that I've heard rumors of you being a king?"
Liam didn't hesitate. "Well, I am the true king of Harksgold. I'm sure you've figured out by now how I really ended on a royal ship."
Thorne's eyes widened, and he took a step back, scanning Liam. His eyes landed on the knife. "I'm not in trouble for being a thief, am I?"
Liam pocketed his knife and set down the half-eaten apple. "Of course not. You aren't a citizen of Harksgold, I do not take part in prisoners of war, and even if you were a citizen, I would not punish you. There were many thieves of Chroal..." His voice trailed off, and he suddenly thought of Lucas.
"And I did save your life," Thorne said quite seriously.
Liam nodded. "I will not treat you any differently than in Dínam, and I hope you will do the same."
Thorne's shoulders relaxed, and he exhaled. "Have you ever stolen anything?"
Liam smiled. "No, I have not." A memory of Thorne's drawings flashed in his head, and a startling yet excellent thought came to Liam. "Thorne, how is it you learned to draw the items that you'd steal, when you could not know what their true appearance was?"
Thorne shrugged and leaned his weight away from his bandaged leg. "I don't know. I hear of things in Dínam... People tell me things and I imagine them with immense detail, and normally my imaginations are correct, with minor exceptions." He pulled out the precious necklace. "I drew this beauty without the minute engravings in the chain. If you look close, you can see them. I couldn't imagine such a beautiful necklace with even more beautiful detail." He shoved the necklace into his pocket. "One time, I drew a model of some bars of gold that were said to be on the outskirts of the Shamaland. But when I got there, they weren't bars." Thorne grinned. "They were blocks! Boulders of gold, and heavy! I couldn't carry one back! But it was alright because I found a small shard of gold that was worth enough. Sold it to buy some tools to create a new mask."
"How do you come up with the ideas for masks?" asked Liam.
Thorne shrugged again. "They just come to me. Usually in my sleep they come. Being out in the Shamaland helps."
Liam lowered his voice. "Do you think you can imagine a safe place... a place that would be safe from zombies?"
Thorne wavered a little. "You..." He glanced around nervously. "You are asking if I am capable of designing a safe haven, correct?"
"In theory," said Liam.
Thorne swallowed and closed his eyes. After a moment, he spoke. "Yes, it is possible."
"You do not have to, but would you draw a building like that for me?" asked Liam quietly.
Thorne took a deep breath and opened his eyes. "I will need a place to house all of my stolen goods, so I shall design a space."
"I trust you can keep a secret, so I ask you to keep this one," said Liam. "I also know I am asking a lot and you recently found I had been lying to you in Dínam."
"All good thieves lie," said Thorne with a sly smile. He patted Liam on the shoulder. "All good thieves lie."