Crown Sword

Chapter 10

"What is this!" the king said outraged, jerking his feet back as I retched.

Alcott and Terrowin pulled me back to a sitting position. My stomach finally felt at peace. I smiled up at the king. I heard several gasps around me. I looked around, shaking my hair out of my face.

There were two men on thrones similar to the king's who sat beside him, silver circlets. They shared the same sneer and look on their faces. Brothers of Scar's, I guessed. On the left of the dais, an old man in plain dark blue robes stood, a wooden staff in one hand. He looked at me with such shock and ... was that joy? Nevermind, I turned back to the king.

"She dares to mock me? In my palace? Who is this bold little thief young prince?" the king asked, calming his tone.

Scar turned away from me, disgusted. "We found her in the village at the border of the Western Wood. She had been caught by the villagers and was put into a pillory, where the villagers sent for us with claims of treason and thievery in their village. We then captured her and brought her here after we discovered they had spoken the truth."

A soldier rushed over from behind us carrying a sheath. He kneeled, handing it to the king. The king took it from him, eyeing the object in his hand with an almost distrust. The room went so quiet. Then, he pulled the sword from the sheath, the sound of metal ringing in the air, and I saw his hands shake. He rose it up in the air and examined it with such a look of greed, I cringed.

"It is true," he breathed, so that I almost couldn't hear him. He ran his fingers over the flat metal of the blade, his face a look of astonishment, as if he had never seen it before.

"But how...?" he looked at me then, his gaze filled with understanding and loathing. Then, as if he had remembered the other people in the room, his eyes cleared and he looked towards Scar.  His change of emotion was unsettling.

"Why have you brought her before me today, Malakye? We were all enjoying the festivities," he gestured at the room. I hadn't noticed that there seemed to be some party going on, before we entered the room.

"But father-" Scar started.

"Today, is a good day. Your brother, after all, has just been engaged," he looked to a pinched face woman sitting in a chair at a table beside us. "I will not taint this day with talk of this thief."

"But father-" Scar tried again.

"However," the king raised his hand as if to silence him. "Let it be known that the trial and execution will happen two days from now, at the dawn of the second. All who wish to attend are welcome," he proclaimed. "It's finally come to me," he murmured under his breath.

A sense of confusion seemed to erupt around the room. I heard snatches of whispers around us.

"It had been missing?"

"Since when?"

"Why was there no word of this?"

The king raised his hand again, and silence settled across the room. "My court, your worry alone shows your unrelenting loyalty to this kingdom. I thank you for this. Listen clear, the Crown Sword disappeared a fortnight ago. I immediately suspected thievery, although I never questioned your intentions, and I knew it couldn't have been you all. I knew it had to be the work of a calculating, cold blooded creature, such as the one kneeling before me. Alas, I never raised an alarm, the reason being that I wanted to protect my beloved court and people from the suspicions of each other. It was of good intention, my people."

The court began to bow and cheer. "Long live King Dane, long live King Dane!"

The King fixed his glare on me, the hatred in his eyes clear, "Lock her up in the Northern Tower, I shall see to her later."