Amelia Merlin

Part 105: The Monatheon's

The hall where Amelia had been lead to, inside of Castle Rock, was an interesting combination of grandeur and simplicity. Giant blue fires were placed in enormous fireplaces all around the room, she counted nine in total. The banners with the bears hung along the walls and a great table sat at the far end with four people sitting along it. This was the Monatheon family.

The oldest one looked like their father, he had a hard face but there were deep smile lines along his cheeks. His eyes were such a dark brown she thought they were black. He had barely any hair and wore a giant cloak of black fur over himself.

When Amelia entered he stood up immediately and his three children followed.

He spread his arms and beamed, "Welcome, your grace."

Al gave her an encouraging nod. It was getting a little warm in here with all the fires, but Amelia kept her white cloak close to her body. "Thank you, Lord Monatheon. I am so grateful you received me."

He waved a hand boisterously "Call me Roderick! Please I do insist."

She smiled. "Very well, Roderick, I've come to ask you something."

He sat down and his children followed. Amelia took a moment to observe them. The one to the right of Roderick looked almost exactly like him but younger with lots of thick brown hair, he sat confidently like he wanted people to see him. He must be the oldest one although he looked only seventeen.

His brother on the right of him looked nothing like their father. The younger brother had pale blonde hair and grey eyes. He was thin where his brother was stocky and he stared off into space like he didn't really care about what was going on.

The third child sat on the left side of their father. She had the same dark hair as her older brother but blue eyes instead of black, and there was something different about her. She was not like the men in her family.

Amelia liked her straight away. 

"What can we do for you, your grace?" 

"You can fight for me." she said clearly, the sounds held for a second in the hall. And every heartbeat waited on the response from Roderick Monatheon.

He laughed loudly "And why would I do that?"

Al had prepped her for this, to convince people she deserved the throne. "I am Amelia Merlin. And the throne is my birthright."

"What makes you qualified to sit there?" the sister spoke up suddenly and her father rolled his eyes. 

"Oh shut up, Moira." he growled.

Amelia felt her chest tighten, she didn't like what Roderick had said to Moira. "No, it's a good question." Roderick leaned back in his chair and Moira gave her a small frown. "I'm qualified because it is my birthright. The Merlin's have queens blood in them, the Druids gave it to my family centuries ago."

Moira nodded and her father leaned forward again. "So what's your plan here, queen?"

"Take back what is mine."

"Back? Was it once yours?" the oldest brother laughed. 

"Shut up, Blaxton. No one wants to hear you." Roderick seethed. He did not seem to like his children. 

"Your right though. I've never sat on the throne. Which is why I need your help to take it."

"You want us to fight and die for you?" Roderick raised his eyebrows.

"I want you to fight and die for your queen."

"And if we don't?"

"Then I will go someplace else. And find my army elsewhere and take the throne with them by my side. And when we have finished doing that, we will march back up north, and burn your city to the ground." An iron strength flowed through her voice. 

Roderick stared at her hard, and Amelia didn't break his gaze. 

"And how could you possibly do that?"

She held out her hand and the fires rushed out of their places and formed into a giant ball above her head. Amelia glowed under the blue flame and there wasn't a person in the room who wasn't staring in awe at her. The hall had gone pitch black except for an enormous blue light hanging above the queen. She felt power surging through her as she brought the ball closer to herself, compacting in until it was the size of a marble. It was white hot but she felt no pain as she held it in her palm. 

"Magic." Blaxton whispered. Amelia looked at Al and he gave her a small nod. Apparently magic was not common here. 

"Yes." she said plainly. "I am the most powerful witch of my time and if you think I can't kill every single one of you and then take your army," she paused and laughed very lightly, "then you haven't been paying attention."

"So why don't you?" Blaxton shot at her. 

"Because I can't rule the North. They are loyal only to you, and therefore I need your family on my side. It's better to join me now than later, trust me on this." She sent the fires back to their designated places. 

Roderick stood up and smacked his hands down on the table. He roared in laughter, "Well if that isn't the best damn fire show I've ever seen!" he boomed across the hall. "That is a queen right there!" 

The blonde haired boy jumped a little in his seat and gave his father a disgusted look then went back to staring out into the distance. 

Roderick and Blaxton got down from the table and strode over to Amelia, Moira walked slowly and the other brother stayed right where he was. 

"Don, get your ass down here and bow to your queen!" Roderick blasted. 

Don glared at his father and unwillingly came down from his place at the table. 

"Sorry about him," Blaxton said. "He's the weird one in the family. Don! Hurry up, don't keep your queen waiting!" He smiled at Amelia. 

"It's quite alright." Amelia said to Don as he approached, he looked a few years younger than her but very intelligent. He ignored her completely and glowered at the floor beneath his feet. 

Roderick knelt before her and his children followed, Blaxton went down so quickly his knees made a crashing sound on the stone. Moira went down at an appropriate speed and Don took his sweet time. 

Roderick looked up at Amelia, "I pledge my house to yours, your grace. You are the one true ruler of Kalishterya and I will follow you into war. I will do everything I can to get you on the throne. As will my children. I am yours." 

"And I am also yours." Amelia looked at the four Monatheon's at her feet. "I will protect you and show you kindness and loyalty, I swear it. Please rise." 

They got to their feet in the same manner each of them had gone to their knees. Blaxton smiled knowingly at her and Moira regarded her, she was obviously trying to figure Amelia out. Don didn't care at all. 

The Lord of Castle Rock clapped his hands together and said in his obnoxiously loud voice, "We must celebrate our new relationships! A feast! And a hunt!" 

"Brilliant idea father!" his eldest son shouted while Moira rolled her eyes. 

"Yes what a lovely lovely idea," Don said. His voice was high pitched and stringy. "Who doesn't enjoy a hunt."

"Oh shut up Don." His brother smacked him goodheartedly on the back and Don cringed horribly.