Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Karlon

 Allard was sitting in the frozen garden of the sanctuary of Snowfall when Karlon found him. He was sobbing, with his hands over his eyes. When he handed Karlon a small piece of paper with a message written on it, he began to shed tears himself.

"Father's dead?" he asked.

"The new King," Allard shuddered. "He killed father, and Prince Roderick killed Trevor."

"They're both dead?" said Karlon, wiping tears from his face. Allard quickly jumped up and threw his arms around Karlon, who hugged him back, tightly.

"Mother's gone to Mistral, brother," Allard reminded. "And our sisters are there, too."

"I know," said Karlon, then he sat down in the snow, then read the rest of the message. It ordered both him and Allard to travel to Mistral and swear their fealty to King Vorian Busch. Karlon laughed at that, then ripped the paper in half. How dare Vorian murder his father and friend, and then tell him to wipe his feet?

"What are we going to do?" Allard asked.

"The King summons me to Mistral, I'll go to Mistral," Karlon answered. "But not to bend the knee."

"Brother?" said Allard.

"I know what I have to do," Karlon promised. "I'll kill Vorian, the Queen, Roderick, and every Lysander out there!"

"Lord Semil is already marching on Riverford," said Allard.

"Then that's where we have to go, first," said Karlon. "That's mother's childhood home. Maybe she'll be there by now."

"So, you're going march south?" Allard asked.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Karlon answered. "How would you like to see everyone again?" Allard smiled. It would be nice to see all of his northern vassals, half of which he called his friends, but the circumstances weren't the best to gather under.

"It isn't the wrong move, my lord," Ser Dalton Blackburn assured, as Karlon sat in the dining hall, writing a letter that would be copied a dozen times and sent to the other Snowlands lords, as well as General Blackburn, Ser Dalton's father, at Ice Spear.

"Every one of these lords would die to defend their people," Dalton added.

"I know," said Karlon. "And he was also the Guardians' Commander. No doubt General Blackburn would like nothing more than to bring King Vorian to justice." As he sat writing, he began to wonder about whether summoning his forces was the right thing to do, since when he told Allard he would, he was angry beyond reason. No, there was no doubt. Garrett Vestarr was more than his father. He was the Commander of the Guardians and the former Lord of Snowfall. Vorian Busch needed to die. In the next few weeks, King Talavir of Coldwater, the Guardian General Blackburn of Ice Spear, and a dozen northern lords and ladies were gathered in the dining hall of Snowfall's keep. All of them kindly offered condolences for Karlon's father, and he thanked them before gathering them all together.

"I'm guessing you all know why I've gathered you here, my lords, my ladies, General, Your Grace," Karlon started, sitting at the end of the long table.

"We have a good idea, my lord," said King Talavir. He was there because he must have known this was going to happen. Karlon hadn't ignored his warning, but he had no idea that his father's death would be the start of a war.

"This isn't like the war that took place in the far south two years ago," Karlon stated. "We're going to war against the King. He'll likely have the support of the other High Lords."

"Not Alyssa Busch, my lord," corrected ten-year-old Leah Snow, the Lady of the White Mountains. "She's gathering the armies of Falcon's Reach."

"Isn't that King Vorian's aunt?" asked Ser Dalton, who stood behind Karlon's seat. "We could declare for her."

"She has no right to the Dragon Throne," Karlon corrected. "Vorian is King Robar's firstborn son."

"Who executed your father, and my Commander," General Blackburn reminded. "He tried to bring us to our knees, we'll bring him to his own!" The other nobles shouted in agreement, but Karlon remained silent. He didn't need to show that he agreed with the General.

"Everyone, we need a plan of attack if we're going to bring war to the Lysanders," said Karlon. "Riverford is my mother's homeland. So far, they're our only allies, along with the Guardians and Ice Epsilon, and they're under attack. The Ingrams' city has been under siege for a week, now."

"Riverford is impregnable, my lord," Lord Frost argued. "I say we attack Green Hill!"

"Green Hill is even more impossible to besiege than Riverford, my lord," King Talavir said. "We'll have as much luck taking that city as the Lysanders will have taking Riverford."

"King Talavir is right," Karlon agreed. "If we attack the Lysanders in the Swamplands, we'll save the Ingrams, and gain more men and resources."

"Agreed," said Lady Snow. "So long as we don't get ahead of ourselves." Suddenly, one of Karlon's brown-armored Knights came to him, whispering in his ear.

"It's your brother, my lord," he said. "He's disappeared."

"What!?" Karlon shouted, and he jumped from his seat and rushed to Allard's solar with Ser Dalton following him. They threw open the door to the bedroom to find the window broken, the shards of glass inside, and the bed empty. Karlon had told Allard to stay in his chamber while he was meeting with his vassals, and he suddenly disappeared?

"My lord," said Dalton, picking a note from Allard's bed, and handing it to Karlon. It was stamped with the saber-toothed cat and read "Your family will follow your father to the gods if you refuse to swear your loyalty to the Crown. Vorian Busch is your King and no one else."

"They have Allard," said Karlon. "And my mother, too." When he rushed back to the dining hall, he handed the note to King Talavir, who sat next to him, and he passed it to Lady Snow, and so on.

"How quickly will you be able to mobilize your forces?" Karlon asked.

"They're already ready to move out, my lord," King Talavir answered.

"As are mine," Lady Snow added.

"I brought a dozen Guardian squads and Knights with me," said General Blackburn. "They're ready to move at your word."

"My word is now, General," Karlon ordered. "We march past Angelgrass by sundown."