The Heir of Kings

Epilogue:

Some days later, Benarus was less than pleased in a meeting room. Relma didn't blame him. Wherever they went, rumors went out that the Heir of Kings had returned. What had been little more than a morale-boosting bluff was soon expanded. Now, people were speaking as though she had routed an entire army. Now, people were talking about the second coming of the Kings of Old.

The only consolation was that very few people actually connected it to Relma. The light had obscured her from view to a large extent. It was difficult to reconcile the warrior of legend with a fourteen-year-old child.

So here they were in absolute silence. The steward remained silent as Aren and Aunt Pan sat across from him. His face was stony as he drummed his fingers against the long wood table. His gaze was not on any of them but on a banner with his house's emblem. Relma wondered what he was thinking.

Finally, he looked at Aren with a weary look and let out a long sigh. "We have a problem."

"I am well aware of the fact, Benarus," said Aren sadly.

"You assured me that the Heir of Kings would not be unveiled for another generation," said Benarus. He looked bitter. "I never questioned the matter since I have no sons or daughters. I had expected Hadleim to claim his lineage at one point, but nothing came of that.

"So what exactly is going on here?"

Benarus had departed the village almost immediately after negotiations concluded. Aren had been more than a little concerned about that and had followed after him as a bird. There had been all kinds of discussions and negotiations among the nobility. Their response to the Heir of King's return was lukewarm and an understatement.

"Relma acted on her own," said Pan. "She is a fool but did not mean any harm. And Hadleim's example should help to pave the way. It has given her credibility."

"In the girl's defense, she wanted to avoid bloodshed," said Aren. "And she did just that. We'd have had a battle if she hadn't unveiled the sword. A great many good men would be dead.

"And truth be told, I'm not sure we'd have won. It would have been a near thing. And the winner would have been left a shadow of-"

"I know," said Benarus, raising a hand. "Understand, Arengeth, I can't yield control to her, not like this.

"I mean... the finding of Lightning Trail may make for an excellent story. Certainly, no one is more pleased at avoiding bloodletting than myself. But she's only learning to read. So you can't expect me to put Gel Carn in her control?"

"I expect no such thing," said Aren, leaning back in his seat. "I'm afraid that this was never part of the plan." He clasped his hands together and lit a pipe. "Still, it may work to our advantage."

Benarus hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"Relma's father was a hero of the Satyr Wars," said Aren. "He was well known during the wars. And now Relma has found Lightning Trail, stopped a war, and intimidated Telix."