Black Crystal Part 1 - The Origin

Chapter Thirty Nine ~ The Final Decision

Nohr and Maevis sat in the quiet throne room as midnight was approaching. Only the dim light from the chandelier hanging from above and the gentle glow of the moon leaking through the windows illuminated the room. A chorus of crickets sang outside, alongside the hooting of an owl nearby. In the silence of the throne room, all other sounds seemed many times louder than they actually were. Maevis sighed almost mournfully, breaking the silence.

"Why did we even let them come?" she asked. "Why would we even let that stupid, sadistic, sexist son of his even entertain the idea of—"

"Maevis... everything is going to be okay," Nohr replied with a calm tone of voice. He turned to look at her and they locked eyes as he held her hand. "Yeah, while the Chancellor and his son are both a cotton-headed ninnymuggins..." He and Maevis chuckled a little. "...Everything is going to be completely fine. We're not gonna let Lenora marry him. If she even decides to marry someone, it'd be Garen."

"Nohr!" Maevis chuckled.

"What? You know it's true." They both laughed a bit and went silent once more as the heavy feeling of dread returned. Nohr tightened his grasp on Maevis's hand ever so slightly. He had an expression of fright and confusion. "Why would the Chancellor and his son return all of a sudden?" he asked. "It's been ten years since they..." Nohr scoffed and shook his head. "No, Chancellor Guinness wouldn't repeat the same mistake. I thought we came to a truce..." Maevis looked at Nohr with a sorrowful expression. She understood her husband's fear all too well.

"Ten years..." she sighed. "Has it really been ten whole years since that battle?" A chill ran down her spine at the thought. "It was such a bloody fight. I can still hear the screams, see the maiming and the bloodshed and all the death like it was yesterday..." A tear fell down Maevis' cheek. "Would he truly revive that war... just for Lenora?"

"Perhaps I would."

Both Nohr and Maevis were startled by the Chancellor's voice as the door to the throne room was thrown open. The Chancellor and Nicholas emerged through the door with many multitudes of military soldiers marching behind them. Nohr stood and unsheathed his sword. "Chancellor Guinness!" he exclaimed. "This is absolute insanity!" All the soldiers behind the Chancellor and Nicholas lifted sniper rifles tipped with bayonets and cocked them, aiming them at Nohr and Maevis. The Chancellor grinned widely at their terrified expressions.

"Oh, is it?" he chuckled slyly. He held his arms out and looked at the soldiers behind him. "Look around yourself, King Nohr. You see these men? Ready to kill you and your wife at the command of a single word? Now, imagine this crowd, but with thousands upon thousands more, and instead of just you and your wife, it's everyone who thinks they could stand in my way and everyone they love." He stared daggers at Nohr. "So, if you don't want to die, I highly suggest you put your damn sword away."

For a second, Nohr almost charged at the Chancellor, but he quickly stopped himself and sheathed the sword. "Fine," he said, backing off. "What do you want from us?"

"I thought you already knew this," the Chancellor scoffed. "We came down here so my dear Nicholas could marry Lenora on her eighteenth birthday. After all, he fancies her like no other, and he's a good man for her, I promise."

"Not in a million years," Maevis said with quiet rage. "There's got to be more than that. You wouldn't have agreed to bring your son here if there wasn't something for you to gain."

"Ah yes, that's where the good part comes in," the Chancellor chuckled. He walked up to Maevis and leaned up real close to her, but she quickly backed away. "You see, my lovely Queen... Consider the marriage between your daughter and my son the merger between our two wonderful Provinces. We would share land, riches, and power." The Chancellor's eyes widened as an expression of false surprise came upon him. "Oh, wait! I lied. You and your filthy husband would surrender all your power to us, all your land to us, your riches, et cetera, et cetera. Everything you rule over would belong to us, including your title as King." The Chancellor unsheathed a knife and poked Nohr's chest with it.

"What about Lenora?" asked Nohr. "What about us?"

"Lenora would be mine," Nicholas said, chiming into the conversation. "I would own her, and she would do as I please. You two and your stupid son would, well... that all depends upon your actions."

"You can't do this..." Maevis said quietly with anger and desperation as tears began to form in her eyes. "You can't do this, dammit!"

"Oh, but we can!" the Chancellor laughed. "Our military outnumbers yours a hundred to one. Both of you are completely surrounded, and if you make the wrong choice or the wrong move... you both die together, and then we'll kill your son. So... what's it gonna be?"

Nohr and Maevis exchanged terrified expressions as they both began to sob. Nohr turned towards the Chancellor, his eyes red with tears and his teeth gritted with anger. "Fine..." he said. "It will happen." The Chancellor grinned widely again and held his knife at Nohr.

"Perfect," he chuckled. "Now... bow to your new King."