The Emery Chronicles: The White King's Woman (FIRST BOOK)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six- The Summit

Gavin lay in his bed all night, unable to sleep. Every time he tossed and turned, the smell from the forest would sting his nostrils, begging him to follow it. His body ached as he forced himself to stay in bed and try to sleep, but to no avail.

"Pardon, your majesty?" A small, thin man, a servant, came into Gavin's bedchambers. Gavin sighed and pulled himself out of his bed, tired and groggy. He went to the servant man, who held out a bowl of hot water towards Gavin. Gavin used a wash cloth soaking in the bowl to wash his face, arms, hands and feet, then waited as the servant put the bowl down and began arranging Gavin's clothes. The servant undressed Gavin out of his nightclothes and began dressing him in his finest traveling clothes. The clothes were both comfortable, so Gavin would be comfortable throughout the journey to Center Castle, and stylish, so he looked his best for his cousins.

When he was dressed, and the servant had brushed his hair and dripped rose water onto his collar and behind his ears, so he smelled good, Gavin thanked the servant and left his bedchambers. He walked down many hallways and stairways, until he finally reached the front doors to his grand castle. Gavin exited the castle and found himself in the middle of a bustling group of men and women.

Stable boys were saddling white horses and helping Gavin's entourage get seated onto the horses. Kitchen maids were packing food and drinks onto carts that would be pulled by mules, and Finnian was in the center of it all, high up on his own white horse, commanding everyone on what they should do. He saw Gavin, and signaled silence.

"Good morning, your grace. I trust you slept well," Finnian said, bowing his head. Everyone else knelt to the ground. Gavin gave them permission to stand. When they were all busy again, he walked to a stable boy who was saddling Blake. The stable boy helped Gavin onto the horse, then bowed and ran off to do his other chores. Gavin walked Blake over to Finnian, so their horses stood next to each other as everyone finished the packing and preparing. "You really didn't sleep well, did you?"

Gavin nodded at Finnian's whispered comment, his eyes drooping with exhaustion.

"What happened? Spend the night with a woman?" Finnian asked, winking mischievously.

"I wish. I just kept tossing and turning. I couldn't sleep if my life depended on it."

"And it does. You need to be sharp and wide awake when we get to the Summit." Finnian patted Gavin's back and gestured to a kitchen maid. The maid brought forth a sliced up loaf of bread wrapped in a cloth. She bowed to Gavin and offered him the bread. Gavin thanked her and began chewing and swallowing the bread mechanically. He was only able to force down three slices before he handed the rest of the bread back to the maid. She bowed again and offered him a glass of warm ale. Gavin quickly washed down the ale and threw the empty cup down to the woman.

"Let's ride!" He bellowed to his entourage and led the way out of his castle gates and onto the road to Center Castle.

***

They reached Center Castle by midday. It looked the same as it always had. A hundred foot tall, simple stone tower, a circular gate around it. Gavin entered from his side of the gate. There were four entrances, to allow entry from the four different kingdoms. Behind Gavin, where he had just entered from, were rolling green hills, alive with flowers blooming and birds chirping. The entrance on Gavin's left had snowy mountains and icicles dripping from the dead tree branches behind it. To Gavin's right, this entrance had dusty roads and the sun was centered right above it, so the heat was the strongest on that side. And on the other side of the tower, though Gavin couldn't see it but knew was there, was the entrance with wind blowing red and yellow cracked leaves off of trees behind it. Each Realm could be seen through the different sides of the gate, but once on the inside of the gate, the seasons vanished and it was only the tower inside the gates.

Servants who had accompanied the entourage to the Summit quickly hopped off the carts of food and began unloading the food into the tower. Gavin and Finnian hopped off their horses and made their way into the tower. They climbed up hundreds of stairs until they reached the top of the tower. Gavin went through a door, and was now on the top floor of the tower, in a small meeting room. The room only contained one table with four chairs around it. The table was already covered in all the food and drink that each ruler had brought with them, and again Gavin was mesmerized that the servants had been able to set it all up before he had even walked into the room. Gavin and his cousins were the only people allowed to sit and eat at the table. Everyone else, servants and advisors alike, were to stand against the walls of the circular room and eat standing.

Gavin was the last ruler to come in. His cousins were already seated at their spots at the table, awaiting his presence.

At one end of the table sat King Daegan of Augustia, the Black Summer Realms of Emery. Daegan's hair was in his eyes as usual, the color of it was brown with hints of gold in it, like the rays of the sun shining bright in his Summer Realms. His practically hidden eyes were round and black as the night sky. Daegan was wearing a simple, but fine looking tunic and trousers, made of the darkest, blackest thread. He also wore a cape of black linen trimmed with black fur and held onto his broad shoulders by a pin that had the Black Sunset sign carved into it. In the open window behind him, bright and cheerful meadows could be seen, and heat rolled slowly into the tower through the window.

On Daegan's right sat King Roux of Aspentia, the Red Autumn Realms of Emery. Roux's hair was a neat tousle of auburn waves, the color a deep, crimson red, like that of an autumn leaf. His eyes were a golden yellow, again like an autumn leaf. He wore an outfit similar to that of Daegan's, only it was all in shades of red instead of black, and the material was thicker, so as to keep himself warm in the cool autumn breezes, and his cloak was held together by a pin fashioned to look like a red leaf. Behind Roux, an open window revealed a path of strewn leaves on a hard dirt ground, and trees with branches shaking in an autumn gale.

Lastly, on Roux's right, sat Queen Liadan of Soyaltia, the Grey Winter Realms of Emery. Liadan was a beauty beyond measure, with long, shining hair, so blonde it was almost white. She had grey eyes that had hints of an icy blue in them as well, eyes that could pierce through a person's soul and see their darkest secrets. She was dressed as regally as she always was, in a sparkling grey gown that dripped sequins off of it like a tree drips icicles down it's branches. Normally, Winter folk dressed warmly, but Liadan never did, because the cold of her kingdom never seemed to bother her. So her pin that was made of shining diamonds and shaped like a snowflake was not holding a cloak on her shoulders, but simply pinned onto a belt at her waist, accentuating her womanly figure. Behind her was an open window that showed a cool winter afternoon, with flakes daintily scattered across the forest floor and more snowflakes glittering as they fell from the sky.

Gavin took his seat between Daegan and Liadan, and could feel the dewy Spring moistness from the open window behind him that portrayed his Spring kingdom. He shrugged off his white cloak, that had been pinned onto his shoulders with the sign of the White Rose, and was left in his simple, bright, white riding clothes. His black hair, such a dark contrast from the color of his kingdom, shown against his white garb, and his pale blue eyes glimmered brightly as well.

"Hello, cousin. We were afraid you weren't going to join us," Liadan said to Gavin with her light, airy, and icily lilting voice.

"Oh, quit pestering him, Liadan. He's here now, so let's get this started," Roux grumpily said, never one to dilly-dally. Daegan's chuckle boomed loudly against the tower walls as he laughed and slapped Gavin's back to welcome him. Gavin patted Daegan's shoulder warmly and nodded his hello to Roux and Liadan. "Right then, first things first: I've gotten news that trade with your Soyaltians has been dwindling." Roux turned to Liadan, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Only because I've heard news that you've been recruiting new men to join your army. Dear cousin," Liadan added at the last minute, making the warm phrase sound cold and harsh.

"And what's wrong with making sure I have men at hand, if ever needed?" Roux threw back defensively.

"And why should you need extra men at hand? Preparing for war, might I ask?" Liadan seethed, slapping her delicate hand against the table.

"Enough! You two are insufferable," Daegan sighed, exasperated. His loud, booming voice quieted the room and gained the attention of his cousins. "Roux, explain yourself and your new army, and Liadan, keep your accusations to yourself."

"I have nothing to explain. Every king needs a strong army and I--"

"There is no need for an army if there is no need for war," Liadan interrupted.

"Liadan--" Daegan warned.

"Face it, you two! Our dear cousin Roux is preparing an army to take over our kingdoms. He wants to start the Great War again." Liadan did not yell her words. She had never been one to yell, always keeping her calm and composure. But there was ice coated on her words, giving everyone in the room chills.

"That's not true," Roux defended weakly. The room had grown quiet and still.

"What else could it be? We all know the prophecy. One day, we will fight against each other, as our fathers did before us, and kill each other. Roux is just getting a head start in his preparations." Liadan remarked icily, sitting back in her chair as if she were relaxing by a warm fire and had not a care in the world.

"No," Gavin finally spoke up. "We all agreed to keep the peace."

"How long can we feign peace until the prophecy consumes us?" The Grey Queen turned her icy grey-blue eyes onto Gavin, seeing straight through to his soul.

"We are not feigning. The peace is true, and Gavin is right. We all agreed to it. We must not create war between us, cousin." Daegan told Liadan.

"Then Roux must stop all preparations in creating a new army for himself."

"You can't tell me what to do!" Roux shouted like a little child.

"If it means keeping the peace, then I think Liadan is right. I second that Roux should stop creating an army." Daegan said calmly.

"I agree as well." Gavin said.

"Then it is done. Roux, you will stop all preparations you are making to create a new army." Daegan told Roux. Roux looked about ready to burst into an argument, but he just crossed his arms against his chest and sat back quietly with a grim expression on his face. He couldn't argue once he was voted against by the other three rulers.

The four cousins continued discussing issues in their kingdoms, and making necessary votes and decisions. Gavin stayed quiet most of the time, only speaking when it was his turn to vote. He couldn't think of anything but the smell from his forests, the smell that still wafted around him and clouded his mind. He could feel his leg jumping under the table and his hands twitching with anxiety every second he was away from the Brigantian villages.

Halfway through the Summit, Gavin could feel eyes watching him. He turned to see Liadan looking at him. She didn't turn away in embarrassment when he caught her staring, but continued to look at him, catching his pale blue eyes with her own grey ones. Gavin could feel himself become apprehensive as she stared at him, with eyes that were said to be able to see your most sinful thoughts and your darkest soul.

When the Summit was finally over and the cousins had eaten their meals, they all went down the winding staircase of the tower and stepped outside, where their separate entourages were already prepared to leave and head back to their separate castles. As he was making his way towards the readily saddled Blake, Gavin felt a cool hand tug at his shoulder. He turned to see Liadan standing behind him, calm and collected as ever.

"And how are you, cousin?" She asked icily.

"Fine. And you?"

"What have you been up to?" She asked, ignoring his question.

"Nothing. Hunting mostly. Why?" Gavin asked nervously.

"You seem changed." Liadan looked him up and down, searching for something, but Gavin didn't know what.

"Changed how?"

"I don't know. But something has come over you. I don't think it's Roux we need to fear trying to wage war anymore," was all she said. Then Liadan nodded a goodbye to Gavin and walked off towards her entourage.

The cousins hopped onto their horses and began the ride back to their castles. Gavin thought about what Liadan had said, about not fearing Roux. Did she think Gavin was going to be the cousin to wage war? Gavin tried to shrug it off as ridiculousness, but a strange feeling crept over him as they continued to ride back to the White Castle. Gavin couldn't think anymore, what with Liadan's strange riddles and that incessant smell around him.

He just hoped that tomorrow when he finally, finally, rode into the village, things would clear up.

~