The Will Of The Kings.

Walls and Betrayal Part 3 (Not copy edited yet)

King Gants was not enjoying his time with the southerners. He opened the gates, if he was King and if his garrison remained. This was agreed but now other matters were being attended to. Matters that he could do little bargaining with. All he could do was console himself that in time he would throw off these leeches and Farnbreths glory would be his alone. The first matter had been tributes or taxes paid to the southerners. Taxes that he had protested at, but had not been reduced. They saw it as a payment for the lives they will spare. Land and property were equally as painful. Although Gants was King, the land of the great families was being divided up and given to southern warlords. In King Gants court he would be surrounded by southerners, his power was dwindling. Still he was king. In time he would manipulate the court, his friends would return to power. But the final blow made him furious.

"I cannot allow it" King Gants screamed, "will not allow it"

Borrock replied calmly "and how do you propose to stop it"

King Gants had no reply. At that, the top figures in Farnbreths society were sentenced to death. Only the very highest families, whose estates had been reduced to almost nothing, were spared, out of respect. The next levels down were to be deported. Sent south as slaves, although they would all have the right to be a freeman again once they had served ten years. The top positions would be filled by southerners and those below them by people of their choosing.

King Gants could do nothing; he fumed silently, cursing them. His friends would be few if any, and his power? What power. Still he hoped for glory in time, it was all he had to hold on to. He was nothing more than a puppet. He had foolishly thought he could somehow keep power, but his naivety was clear to him now. His anger grew, he knew he would be a true King. These men below him could only delay it.

Borrock watching the King, smiled, relishing every moment. "And now the matter of your priests. I will not of course throw them out or slaughter them." He rose to his feet and again looked down into the sanctuary, "your Gods are losing this war. Our holy men will come. You will issue an order that all the priests must be subject to conversion.

King Gants looked on in disbelief, aghast at the thought. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. "May the Gods strike you down. I will not issue a declaration for such a thing, me and my people turn to our Gods alone"

Borrock was not surprised by the answer even this fool would not dare to offend his Gods. Borrock was confident of the protection from his. "Very well. Our holy men will come all the same. They will announce the challenge. We will still see whose Gods hold power here, Lord King" the last words he said mockingly.

King Gants was not finished.

"I will not allow your holy men in to the city"

Borrock turned on King Gants,

"You may not. But we will."

The King was standing wide mouthed.

Borrock continued, "The challenge will be announced and your priests will meet them, those who fail will face conversion or madness". Finished, Borrock went back to his seat. "Is there anything else" he said lightly.

What had been proclaimed was blasphemy. Such an act had not been seen for generations and never on such a scale. Servants of the Gods were tested physically and mentally. If they succeeded no man would dare touch them, the strength of their Gods was with them. If they failed they would face conversion, and that was torture, by broken bone and flame until they renounced their Gods, grew mad or died. Most would be killed. Borrock would conquer Farnbreth completely, and by that he would offer it back to the old Gods.

Borrock turned to King Gants who had sat back in his throne, fuming over his fate. "And so, on to your minor problem. The Will of The Kings, a book you said" Borrock did not wait for a reply. "Funny how a book can threaten a King"

King Gants was not totally beaten and took the chance, however minor to strike back. "If you had destroyed our army, as you seem to think you did, the Will of the Kings would not be a problem"

Borrock shoot him a steeled glance. He was only too aware that he had almost been beaten. And it had been Roahna who had sapped his strength, forcing him to listen to King Gants terms or face a long siege in a hostile country. The southern Kings had not faced a siege before. Great walls simply did not exist in the southern kingdoms. Borrock had seen defeat and did not like it, so he needed this pathetic man to help hold the kingdom, and stop rebellion. So the book for what it was worth had to be retrieved.

Borrock was not prepared to take such an insult with out a reply

"How quickly you changed your allegiance, Lord King. You surely would have wanted us to lose, or would that have been less profitable"

King Gants ignored him, and moved to state the obvious, as he stood again facing Borrock.

"We are allies although it makes me sick to think it and the law of the Kings could destroy our arrangement. If my claim is proved false the army will not follow me and not even you can beat an army within and an army without. My lord",

Borrock snapped, "I made you" he roared.

The two men faced each other. King Gants knew he could take him, but he would soon die himself on the swords of the guards that stood by. He spun away, throwing himself back in to the throne.

Firminor moved to intervene in the slanging match.

"Calm yourself, Borrock" he said "you must not forget that we are the victors, this book is a minor issue" Firminor saw an opportunity and took it. "You and Sansarris can secure our gains here and I personally will go after the book" He shot Sansarris a sly smile. Sansarris could do nothing about it. Firminor would go off on a hunt and he would have to stay here and deal in politics, as well as trying to keep the peace between Borrock and King Gants. The Alliance was far from strong. Along with the Dalon, there were more enemies than friends.

"where is it" Firminor asked, Turning to King Gants

"The High Priest holds it" King Gants replied happy to address anyone but Borrock.

Firminor wanted to confirm the obvious. "So it is in the sanctuary"

" Yes" replied King Gants shortly, he had no more heart for talk.

Firminor pressed on, "and there is no other way out, except through the gates."

"Not that we know of" replied King Gants.

Firminor had as much as he needed. "So we take the sanctuary and deal with it from there. I will send my riders to fetch our holy men, they will aid the Gods and I will face the sanctuary guard".