The Neomation Chronicles

A Personal Thank You

One day earlier
King Elías stomped up and down his courtroom in a not so silent fury. Baron Walter rarely felt afraid, but witnessing this outpouring of rage made him take a step back, just to preserve himself.

"HOW?"

The words thundered throughout the  room as Elias stormed up to one of his guards, drew the guard's stabbing dagger, and ran him through with it. Instantly, everyone unbuckled their weapons and threw them to the furthest corner of the room as hard as they could. Elias looked around and scoffed.

"Do none of my own courtiers even trust me?"

Everyone looked around at each other, willing anyone but them to speak, yet no one answered, and the king grew impatient.  "WELL ?"

Sir Reynolds pushed his squire forward, and white with fear, the boy looked up at the King.

"Well then lad? What say ye all?"

"W-w-we fear dying b-by our own weapons, s-s-sire"

"Is it now?"

Elias had a nasty sneer to his voice as he looked around at his courtiers.

"Look at this lad. The only one among you all to speak his own mind to me!"

Elias grabbed a bag of gold, and tossed it at the squire. The poor boy was so shaken that he nearly didn't catch the bag.

"Here, take this to your parents lad"

"T-t-thank you sire!" Stammered the boy, and turned to leave, but before he got to the door, the whole room heard a small swish of air as a bolt left a crossbow that King Elias picked up from the pile of discarded weapons in the corner of the room. The boy dropped, dead. The room was deathly silent as they took in what they'd just witnessed. Then the king spoke.

"He spoke his mind, or rather, YOUR minds. Look what your cowardice has resulted in. A young lad spoke for all of you, and paid the price.

I. Resent. Cowards.

Don't be so naive as to think you'll escape with your lives if something like this happens again. Understood?"

The whole room nodded in scared silence as Elias looked around the crowd.

"NOW GET OUT!!", Elias roared. The courtiers ran as fast as they could, leaving their weapons behind in the rush to escape the King's wrath.

"Sir Timmonds!!"

A rather young, pale looking knight stopped, turned around and bowed.

"Sire?"

"See to it that this boy is taken home to his family. I'm sure your parents will be proud, after all, their son died bravely defending his master from a horde of marauding goblins on the eastern borders, didn't he?"

"Y-y-yes my lord."

"And Timmonds?"

"Yes sire?"

Elias threw the bag of gold at him.

"Take this home as well. A personal thank you from your king."

Elias turned away and walked into his meeting room, leaving Sir Timmomds kneeling on the floor, crying over his dead brother.