Shadow Kingdoms | Book 1 ✔ (REWRITTEN AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 4 - Traitor

[Partially Edited]

They went down to the city that afternoon. They all had the hoods of their cloaks pulled up to hide their faces, but the extra disguises were a precaution in case the guards demanded to see their faces.

They rode to the gates. The two guards gazed up disinterested.

"Remove your hoods." One of them said in a bored voice.

They obeyed.

"'K. Go on."

The guard waved them on and they rode into Doxford. A little way into the city and it was filled with smoke, farm animals just walking about and lots of people. Some rode horseback and most walked. It was dirty, smokey and very loud. All the traders and food vendors were shouting in the general chaos of the market in the afternoon. Ladies in coarse, homespun clothes mingled with the ladies with the finely tailored dresses, holding lacy handkerchiefs to their dainty noses. Roughly dressed farmers and workers walked among the men dressed in silks without blemishes on their hands from working or hauling things around. Everyone was in the market which was odd because normally the rich and dainty never went into the market. It was Dey that spotted it. A poster nailed to a fence near the market center.

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Public Beheading

Let it be known to the citizens of Doxford that on this day there will be a beheading of a traitor who aided the assassins who came to Thronesgar Castle on the eve of the twenty first of Brightfire.

THAT the traitor will be beheaded in the town square on this day. All are invited to attend.

THAT any person who knows of the whereabouts of the trained assassins will be paid 10 silver seguns to tell the Lord Darron Ravenstorm all that he knows.

THAT anyone who gives shelter or aid to the assassins will be deemed a traitor and will forfeit their right to live.

Signed: Lord Rowan Thronesgar and Lord Darron Ravenstorm

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"A traitor? Who?" Jason's brow furrowed.

"Um. Jason? We're the assassins. Who did they catch? Let's head into the town square to see who it is."

Jason nodded wordlessly. They wheeled their horses around and headed for the town square. They had to dismount a while from the town square because it was jam-packed with people. They bought rooms in an inn - The Crown and Castle. They stabled their horses there, then they walked to the town square. They pushed and shoved the people away as they cleared a path to the center of the crowd. People complained, but stopped when they saw those big swords that they carried like they knew how to use them.

They jostled aside the last people and glanced up at the platform. Dey gasped and moaned.

"It's the stable boy that I bribed. We have to help him!"

"Shh! How? This is a public event!" Jason put his finger to her lips. A warning. Someone might hear. He looked up at the crude platform that had been constructed in a hurry for the execution. The boy stood there, pale and frightened. His hands were tied behind his back with a length of rope. His face was bruised and swollen and his uniform was torn in several places. His brown hair was matted with mud and his forehead was bleeding. He looked fearfully at the crowds gathered to watch him lose his head. His eyes widened in recognition when he saw Dey. She put her finger to her mouth with a gesture that said "Be silent" better than words. He blinked and inclined his head ever so slightly. Nobody but Dey noticed.

"Jason. You should hide and summon your armor. Lirya, have your bow ready to shoot. I'll cut him free."

They both nodded. Jason walked to a nearby shop, shoving away a few people in the process and hid, summoning his armor. Lirya suddenly decided to string her longbow and check on her arrows, sliding one into her boot while pretending to be satisfied with the conditions of her arrows. She straightened and loaded her bow. Jason came back, wearing his shining armor, sword in hand and shield strapped to his arm. People jostled each other out of the way when he strode past. Upon the makeshift stage, an announcer walked up and unrolled a parchment roll.

"This man, Selsian Arden, a stable boy of Thronesgar castle was caught aiding the assassins after Lord Thronesgar's life. He is a traitor to the crown and will be executed today in the name of his majesty king Kashius!"

He rolled up his parchment and walked off the stage.

"The king doesn't know of this. I am sure because he is a lenient King and would have held a trial in the boy's defense first, at least." A man whispered to his companion. His companion shook his head, "A lot goes on behind his majesty's back."

The executioner walked onto the stage, receiving a loud applause. Selsian flinched and whimpered. Back in the crowd, Dey had gotten everything prepared.

Two guards dragged the struggling boy to a block, so encrusted with dried blood that it looked a ghastly dark red color. The boy turned a shade paler. He swallowed.

"Can... can I have a blindfold?"

One of the guards nodded and undid a handkerchief from around his neck. He tied it tightly around The frightened boy's eyes. Then he knelt by the block, shivering at the contact with the dried blood. He waited for the blow. Would it... hurt?

The executioner swung his blade, an arc of death descended. Selsian was blissfully unaware of the upcoming death. Sure, he knew that soon a blade would strike his head from his body, but he did not know that the blade was already on its way. The executioner was merciful, in his own way. He did not want the boy to suffer for long.

The boy never died. An arrow pierced the executioner in the hand, causing him to drop his blade. It clattered on the wooden platform. Selsian jerked involuntarily.

"Wh- what's go... going on?!"

Nobody bothered to answer him. Jason was sparring with the two guards and Dey had vaulted up onto the platform and removed Selsian's blindfold. He blinked at the sudden bright light.

"You.. you saved me!"

His smile could have lit up the heavens.

"I thought that I was a goner!"

Dey dragged him to safety while he chattered on about life.

Lirya had another arrow nocked and drawn, ready to shoot at a moments notice. Jason had the guards disarmed and tied up on the platform. Just as everything seemed to be going fine, everything went wrong.