The Fall of the Stars Book 1: Wheels of War

Homer Hallmar I

"King of Gendrea," King Homer spat, wiping his mouth after retching over his throne. Homer Hallmar, King of the Gendrians, was a king only in name he believed. My lands are small and my court even smaller. The four great houses he ruled over ignored him more often than not, and two of them were at open war with other houses from other kingdoms. Homer's failure to keep his kingdom together was a sore on his whole body that would never go away. His father, Homerno Hallmar, known better as Homer the Great, united the tiny kingdom as one against the Altarine in years past. They lost the war, but the people at least loved and respected their king even afterwards. The people acted as if they respected Homer, but he knew that behind his back they ridiculed him for having such a weak hold on his already small kingdom. Even his servants seemed to snigger at him when he dismissed them.

"Sweet brother, you are drinking again." Tantalia Hallmar, Homer's wife and sister, entered his cold, dark hall. She was beautiful. Too beautiful, Homer thought. Her eyes were big and blue like his, her lips were full, and she had tiny a nose made for pinching. Tantalia kept her white hair cut short in a shaggy pile on her round head. The dress she wore accentuated the curve of her hips, and the laces were tight on her bosoms. But what really had Homer's eyes were her feet. She's not wearing shoes. He sat upright and tried to steady himself.

"I am not." He could feel that he was swaying.

"You lie to me with such a straight face?" She took the wine from him and put her hand on his face. "You have been like this for days, my love. What is it that troubles you?"

Homer grimaced. It was hard enough to think about it. Speaking of it would hurt more. "It is not enough that Gromar pays my word no mind, Lord Jomar has also done ill of me."

"Lord Jomar? Was he not here six days past?" She sat on his lap and took the heavy bronze crown off of his head. He did not realize how much it was hurting him until it was gone. "Why would he do you false? You have known him since you were boys."

"He said to me he meant to go to war with some green boy ruler about trade along his border. I forbade it, as his king, and the first thing he did when he got back to Wetworth was declare war. I am his king! Why does he not respect me...?" He reached for the wine glass, but his wife inched it away. "Why does no one respect me? They loved my father, they loved that bumbling fool that was our grandfather, yet they spit on and despise me. What have I done? What will I do? Will my kingdom remain in shambles until the day I die? Will I be overthrown before that? Yes, I'm certain I am being plotted against at this very moment. Why wouldn't they? I have nothing but my castle guards to defend me, and even they are of questionable loyalty. Two of my 'loyal' lords are off at war, and the other two are plotting to take me off of the throne. My end... My end is..." He started to sob.

"My sweet damaged brother," she whispered, holding his balding head. "No one is plotting against you." He tried to protest but she shushed him. "You have been drinking far too much, Homer. Jomar and Gromar have repaid your benevolence with treason, but you are the king. You can punish them. Even have them replaced."

"Replaced?" he shouted more angrily than he intended. "Assuming they wouldn't spit in my face at the suggestion, who would I replace them with? Helton? Omar? My court is full of fools and traitors. I put one where the other is and they both will try to murder me."

"I did not say that their replacements had to be from your court."

"What do you mean?"

"I just received this." She handed a rolled parchment to him. He couldn't read it, though. "It is an update from the envoy we sent to Bluffet to enquire about marrying our daughter to their little lord. Apparently, war is on the horizon for King Rickardo of the Starlands and King Gunther of the East, the Green and Yellow Kings. Gunther's men have captured Minewood, and Rick has sent his bastard with an army to reclaim it. There is talk that when the bastard and Gunther's men clash war will break out."

"That is fine and well, but how will that benefit me? I want nothing to do with either of them."

"What does war bring, sweet brother?"

"Suffering," he guessed. "Blood. Pain. Sometimes fire. Nothing particularly great."

"Those, for sure, but you forgot plunder." She smiled wickedly.

He did not share in her amusement. "It is loyal men I need. I have sufficient gold."

"That may well be useful in the future, but the plunder I mean is land." He tried to talk and she hushed him. "When wars are fought, castles are taken and abandoned and switch hands and titles."

"You mean for us to join in with the green or yellow kings? You are mad, sister. My army is feeble."

"Your army is feeble. Your coffers are not. King Rickardo has been in debt with the Yellow King for years now. If they finally come to blows and we lend them our financial support, we can be very richly rewarded."

Homer pondered it for a moment. Gold was something the kingdom never wanted for. The Drie Mountains produced enough gold and ore to buy out all of the Wetlands. But what could gold do against an army? If the Stars lose the war and it is known that he was supporting them, his whole kingdom would suffer greatly.

"You only needs consider it, sweet confused brother." She kissed his brow and placed his bronze crown on his lap. "There is a future for us yet. You must find it."