Green embers

chapters 5-7

Chapter 5

A few days later, Erwind and I met at our usual place. High above the great royal garden -it ought to really be called a forest- is a hill that overlooks it. From where I’m sitting under an ancient oak tree, I can see the royal palace, the castles, the great capital city and the vast green lands beyond it where the royal army sometimes stands before marching into battle. I’ve been up on the hill for some time now, waiting for the arrival of our men from the city of Tabitha, hoping for news of victory against the men King York of Vindolla, king Lainus’ latest enemy and the only one who decided to go to war with my king instead of the opposite way round. My king never had any intention of ever touching the wind valley kingdoms because the majority of them are his allies so naturally, he considered the latter’s allies as friendly. However, King York unexpectedly announced his going to war against King Lainus. I for one do not know his reasons but if I am to guess, I’d say the answer is simple; ‘conquer or be conquered.’ King York obviously doesn’t want to be King Lainus’ next objective so he decided to wage war. Instead of asking why or arrange settlements, my king unfortunately faced the declaration of war head on. Our allies were unhappy about this but they did not interfere. They couldn’t choose sides between neighbors and friends and fortunately for them, King Lainus never asked for their assistance against their neighbor.

Since the war’s beginning, our battles have been even. No victory without being accompanied by loss. The intervals between the battles are greatly apart much to our fortunate lives. They give us a chance to train harder, for the wounded to recover, for better plans to be made. However, the next battle is always unexpected, just like the battle of Tabitha and many before it. As I lounged on these thoughts, I heard someone approach behind me but I didn't have to look back. There are only two people who usually come to this place apart from me. One happens to be in battle so it wasn't hard to guess who the other was.

"Is Cielo back?" I asked.

Erwind sat next to me, putting his arms behind his head as he sat against the tree.

"You ought not to worry about just one person, Conrad. Have you no concern for the others?''

"You're right.'' I agreed but with such a shallow guilt.''Have Cielo and his men returned from battle?"

Erwind laughed as he understood my point. Neither of us liked Bonzo at all. He's a captain just like us but he's such a brute. He has been personally serving Merek, Haru's half-brother.

It all happened 18 years ago, when King Lainus had an affair. It was in a faraway land and after a great victory. That night, King Lainus got drunk, as is usual upon celebrating, when the incident took place. On our journey home, his majesty received news that his wife, Queen Hakura, was pregnant. He wasn't as happy as any father ought to have been. I remember he said,

"I already have an heir to the throne. Why would I need another?" Five years after Queen Hakura’s death, a woman in ragged clothes came to see his majesty and much to our surprise, she had a child with her. She died at the king's feet, starved and exhausted from the long journey. One of the king's men, Bonzo, recognized her face and reminded the king about the night after the battle of Boon that took place five years ago when he asked the woman to come to his room. The king actually remembered her for it was after that day that he received news of his wife's pregnancy and was nagged with guilt for what he had done behind his wife’s back. His majesty turned to the boy and asked who he was. The boy, crying over the woman's body said that he was her son and that she was his mother and the only family he knows. On that day, King Lainus took him under his wing and has taken care of him along with Haku and Hatsuharu. However, as the years went by, Merek has had no better luck winning the king's good graces any more than Haru.