More Secrets and the Horse Race - Book 8 - The Frencolian Chronicles

Chapter 8

Prince Dorai had been called from the throne room by a knight who told him, "A band of treasonous soldiers following a brigand knight, determined to kill King Luke, is in the library where, it's rumored the king is waiting, Sire. He must have his two bodyguards with him, surely?"

The prince had summoned available knights, captains and soldiers, striding up there himself, drawing his sword to have it at the ready. Running from both directions, others had joined the fray. The felons had fought to the death, one falling on his sword.

Dorai couldn't get close enough to be involved. He found himself pushed to the wall of the corridor, a band of knights and captains guarding him against being attacked. Those who swore and cursed at Furkos and Dorai, fought to the death, yelling, "Traitor! —"Liar!" — "Turncoat!" — "You set us up!" — "Damnation to you!"

Above the noise, Dorai asked, "Where is our king?"

Two of Dorai's personal guards and one knight were killed. Not one of the men who had entered the library survived, save the knight, Sir Furkos and his captain, Otis. The library door was off its hinges and much damage was done to the library in the battle that raged inside it.

Prince Dorai's head spun at this turn of events. Losing his personal guards felt like a dreaded twist in all that had been happening. Furkos thrust a flask at him, urging, "Drink deeply, Highness, it will calm your nerves."

Turning on any they identified to be loyal to Luke, Furkos's men quickly ran them through with their swords, creating a swathe of bodies along the corridor.

"Where's my nephew?" Dorai repeated. There was no answer, only shaken heads. "I want the castle searched thoroughly. We have to find him."

"We'll get another chance yet," Otis growled under his breath. Turning to his superior, Furkos, he drew him aside, adding, "I've lost most my men here, Sir, they've been with us since they began in the Chezkovian military; even my cousin, Mervyn, is dead. Was that really necessary?"

"You'll be delegated more, Otis," Furkos promised, his voice a bare whisper. "Just help organize our men to do the clean-up —be thorough! Leave no injured men alive! You'll be promoted for this!"

The castle was searched thoroughly, but the king was not found anywhere. Dorai entered the brightly lit library where servants now worked to remove bodies and mop up blood. Scrolls and books lay all around. The usually orderly library appeared to be ruined.

Dorai slumped back towards the wall and Furkos helped him to sit in a chair by the desk. 

"Have this cleaned up as best you can. Keep the damaged books and scrolls so that they can be repaired if possible, or replaced. Our prince will want a list of them all," Furkos commanded. 

"You should return to the throne room, Your Highness, and request the senior knights and lords to meet in the reception chamber where you can plan what to do next in the light that the king is missing —Sire?"

Dorai found it difficult to even think. The room pulsated with different colors and he closed his eyes. 

"You are over-whelmed, Sire. Take a minute or two and we'll see if we can find out more about King Luke and those who were with him. Here, try a bit of this; it will help you calm yourself." Furkos offered a small folded piece of parchment. When he saw that Dorai's hands shook, he unfolded it, holding it steady while Dorai snuffed a pinch of it up each nostril. Copying the action, Furkos then offered it to Otis who snuffed up the rest of the powder.

Dorai recovered quickly and strode down to fulfil Furkos's suggestion to the meet with the senior knights and lords in the reception chamber. 

A heated discussion developed, and when Sir Farey saw men with their hands on the hilts of their swords, he called, in a shaky voice, "We must go back into the throne room and debate there. When King Leopold and his heir, Sir Samuel, went missing, Elliad was voted to 'hold the reins' so to speak. We called for a vote and it was decided to accept the majority's decision to maintain law and order until the king either returned or was officially deemed as not returning. This wasn't fully resolved until after King Luke Chatelain was declared king and both King Leopold and Sir Samuel's remains were discovered in the secret tunnel and the cave. But, as you'll remember, King Leopold had been missing for two years... we are only at a few hours yet, and..."