VI

As they followed Hans down the tiled corridor, Yoreno glanced about the paintings on the walls and the books in the shelves on their left. He quite liked how the castle was decorated. There was hominess to it that he never saw in Aevalin castle. Everything there was always so sumptuous and perfect as the maids went about cleaning and dusting.

Books could never be found except within the royal library.

To their right the wall sloped inward where deep-set windows that curved backwards with the wall let in the moonlight which was cast in long bars across the floors.

At even intervals guards in full royal regalia stood at attention, their pole arms held firmly in their hands. The guards at the double doors of deep red moved and opened them with a loud rumble of wood and metal latches.

The private dining chamber beyond was revealed.

Inside, it was dark, but not in a way that was foreboding. Over the elongated table the king was clearly visible under the light of the candle chandeliers.

Yoreno led the group, followed by Dantera, then Sorika and Mai behind her.

“Majesty,” Hans said as he approached the king. “These are the visitors I told you about.”

The king nodded, his eyes flicking to Yoreno and company. Then he glanced at Hans again and nodded, the grey and black beard with his striking blue eyes presenting a stern image. Perhaps Dantera was right—he was a military man.

Hans turned to them all. “This is His Majesty, King Noel Laderan. You may address him as ‘Your Majesty. Or King Laderan.”

“Yes, yes!” Laderan said impatiently. Then his eyes moved past Hans and landed on Yoreno and his party again. “Come! Welcome!” His voice carried across the chamber. He gestured for them to take their seats. “I apologize for making you wait so long. This is not the usual way I treat my guests—but urgent matters required my attention. I trust your chambers have been satisfactory?”

Yoreno nodded. “Quite, Your Majesty.”

“Well,” Hans hissed in a whisper. “Tell him your names.”

Yoreno was somewhat taken aback. The procedure here seemed haphazard and unpracticed. Yoreno simply assumed Hans had introduced Yoreno and the party to the king previously before bringing them here.

He cleared his throat. “Your Majesty,” he said, bowing slightly. “I am Lord Yoreno Brendara, Knight of Aevalin and leader of the Roaming Lions adventurer’s guild.”

His eyes flicked to Dantera, then back to Yoreno.

Yoreno continued. “These are my companions, Lady Sorika Cranelia, Lady Mai Everrun and”—he felt awkward introducing Dantera last, but now that she was only a knight, that was the proper way of doing things—“Dantera Brennovo, Knight errant… of Aevalin.”

Banished knight, he thought, but he did not say that.

“Do you mean the heir of the legend Arlian Brennovo?” Laderan.

Yoreno turned to regard Dantera.

She nodded firmly. “The very same, Majesty.”

A huge smile lit Laderan’s face as he stood and outstretched his arms in welcome. “Come—please sit.”

She acted the knight by hesitating. She glanced to Yoreno and he nodded his ascent. Dantera then did as the king suggested, sitting closest to him, which was a full three chairs to his left. Yoreno, Sorika and Mai took their chairs afterward with Yoreno opposite Dantera on the long table, though staggered one chair down four chairs from the king at the head of the table.

“I can say that it pleases me greatly to have you in my kingdom, Lady Brennovo.”

“Oh,” she said with a nervous laugh. “I am no longer a lady. I am only a knight.”

“What?”

“I was… stripped of by noble title of lady.”

Laderan’s face was confused and outraged at the same time as he looked to Yoreno for answer, then back to Dantera. “Explain.”

“The... Queen Neslyn… saw it as a just punishment for my failure to protect His Majesty King Branlin.”

“Ah,” he said, his voice deep and his breath long. “I was in the castle when it happened, you know?”

Yoreno almost cocked his head in sudden surprise. “Were you?”

“Indeed,” Laderan said. “I was invited for the Age of Readventure celebration, just like everyone else. Shame what happened to your king. I am sorry.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“It seems your ill fortune has also shaken our own luck here in the Kingdom of the Blue Dragon.”

“How so?” Yoreno asked.

“Tell me,” the king said as he ignored Yoreno’s question. “What brings you to these lands?”

Dantera cleared her throat. “We are pursuing Schuarists.”

“The assassins who killed King Branlin?”

“Yes,” Yoreno said. “The very same.”

Laderan nodded as Hans went to his side to pour him some wine. The red drink bubbled into his goblet. Servants from nowhere came out of the darker recesses of the chamber brought it silver platters, their lids singing metallically when lifted. They began to serve everyone.

It was enough food to serve a banquet to twenty nobles, though if somewhat simple in design. The food was no luxurious for kings—not really.

Laderan downed two finger’s worth of wine in a single gulp, then rubbed his hands together. “I may be able to help you with your pursuit.”

Dantera glanced at Yoreno, then back to the king. “Have these Schuarists given you any trouble?”

Looking at her, Ladern’s face went stern, then suddenly changed to bemusement. “I can tell you all that these cultists have been far more trouble for us than they ever have been for you. Even in light of your king’s early demise.”

Mai and Sorika kept quiet, not speaking and not eating, as Laderan had not yet tasted his food. Though Yoreno suspected that if he started gobbling up what was on his plate right now, nothing would be seen as amiss—not with this king Laderan.

“Still,” Laderan continued. “They have been quite the nuisance.”

“Far worse than that, Majesty,” Hans said.

“Mmm,” Laderan growled in agreement. “Perhaps. But don’t scare away my guests.” His eyes flicked back to Yoreno. “Now tell me, are you agents of Queen Neslyn—or are you here for your own reasons?”

“We are adventurers,” Yoreno said. “I am the leader of the—“

“You already said that,” he interrupted. “But I thought Dame Brennovo was the leader of the Roaming Lions. What in the hells happened?” He slammed his fists on the table, not hard, but hard enough to show his befuddlement. “Did you truly fail your king?”

Dantera made to speak, but Yoreno spoke up for her. “No,” he said. “She did not. I was also leading the investigation into the present dangers and yet Queen Neslyn did nothing to punish me.”

Dantera cleared her throat. “That’s not to say that the head of the Castle Guard wasn’t also punished.”

“Hmm,” Laderan noised with narrow eyes. “You may wonder as to why I had to wait so long before receiving you. Part of that was due to my time being spent receiving Lord Shane of the Aevalin Black Guard.”

She couldn’t hide it. None of them could. Dantera’s nostrils flared for a moment as she breathed in deeply, her beautiful lashes lifting as she connected eye contact with Yoreno. Mai glanced from Yoreno to the king, and Sorika stared at her food like it was something pulled out of a puddle.

“How did you receive him, Majesty?” Dantera asked.

“He’s here with his men pursuing Schuarists as yourselves. But he mentioned you as well.”

“Truly?” Yoreno asked.

“Indeed,” Laderan said. Then he took pause and put a bite of his fish into his mouth. He downed it with a drink of wine.

Upon taking his first bite, Mai also started moving her food about her plate.

“Lord Shane told me about the incident in the castle. He told me that you failed your king and that due to your lack of ability, it was your fault he was killed. He used Queen Neslyn’s treatment of you as a proof to that testament.”

No one said anything.

“From what I understand,” Laderan continued, “Lord Shane was nowhere to be seen within the castle when this all happened. What—are you not going to say anything in your defense?”

Dantera looked alarmed. “I—I am only a knight, Majesty. It is not my place to spar with lords concerning the veracity of their words.”

“This is my table and to the infinite hells with that!”

Yoreno flinched. He was not expecting such a brashly stated thing to be uttered by the king. “Your Majesty,” Yoreno said. “The king was in danger. There is no doubt about that. As the eve of the Readventure festival was under way, myself and… Dame Brennovo, were investigating the presence of a killer in the castle. At that time we believed the king to be in extreme danger and suggested the festival be stopped—that the king be taken into protective custody by his guard.”

“And?” Laderan asked. “Go on.”

“He refused,” Yoreno said.

“For the sake of his festival, is that right?”

Yoreno nodded.

Laderan growled ponderously like a slow rolling crack of thunder across the sky. “I don’t like that Lord Shane,” he finally said. “Something about him...”

Hans cleared his throat as he stepped from behind the king’s chair. He filled Laderan’s glass and said. “Perhaps ‘sneering contempt’ are the words you seek, Majesty?”

Laderan glanced back at Hans and laughed. “That they are, man.”

Hans stepped back.

“I can smell it on him,” Laderan said. “But you! You—no, you’re different. And I know Dame Brennovo by reputation. Hells—Ha!—you’re the heir of the legend Arlian Brennovo! Here—in my court.”

Dantera smiled. “I am happy that you are pleased of my being at your table, Majesty.”

“Happy,” Laderan agreed. “Yes. But I must apologize.”

“Whatever for, Majesty?”

“I am elated that you are here, for other reasons that I have not yet explained.”

“What reasons?”

A worriedness came over the king then—at least, that was what Yoreno thought he was seeing. This man—this king—was gruff, didn’t have a king’s way with words, and yet he was treating them to an expensive meal, if not a lucurious one.

He wanted something.

Laderan sighed heavily. “We here in the Kingdom of the Blue Dragon have found ourselves in uncertain times.”Do you know how many knights I have?”

“Majesty?” Yoreno asked.

He alened back in his chair and tilted his head toward his butler. “How many, Hans?”

The butler cleared his throat. “Eight-two, Majesty.”

“Eight-two!” he said, his deep tone nearly a bellow. “How many soldiers are in my army?”

“Perhaps… nine-hundred?”

“Even my servant doesn’t know,” he said heavily. “We lose men every day.”

“Why?” Yoreno asked simply.

“Becauuse,” Laderan said as he thrust his arms out. “We are at war with Schuarists who whish to destroy us. We have been for years! But recently it’s gotten worse.”

“This must be why they assassinated King Branlin,” Dantera said, her eyes and tone conveying a sort of shock. “They are expanding.”

“Yes,” Laderan said. “And they have all manner of dark allies. Sorcerers, goblins… hells, even some monsters, I think. It is a great relief to me that Thorn Keep was crushed. I suspect by knights from Aevalin.”

Dantera cleared her throat. “That was us,” she said.

Laderan’s mouth nearly dropped. “Truly?” he glanced at them all. “But… I understand your power, Dame Brennovo, but you and you?” he asked, gesturing to Mai and Sorika. “Little girls!”

Mai sat back in her chair. “I’m… a mage, Majesty.”

“Really?”

She glanced down at her own robes and nodded. “Mid-tier adventurer status.”

“Same,” Sorika said. “Rogue.”

“And there are two more of our party not present,” Yoreno said. “Dellwyn Blackridge, Knight of Aevalin and Levrin Ferweis, our party archer.”

“Indeed?”

Yoreno nodded. “You must be powerful to have taken out Thorn Keep.”

“We…” Yoreno began, thinking of how to explain it. “We… proceeded with its destruction from without and within. We eventually drew their forces out of the keep and fought them from an elevated position in the mountains.”

“Tactics and strategy,” Laderan said. “I am impressed. Which is why I believe you can help my kingdom.”

“Help?” Sorika asked as she looked at the king across the table.

“Yes,” he said simply. “Our goals align. We have a problem with these Schuarists—more specifically with their order of Nai Sha’el.”

“Their leader—or at least the one they sent to assassinate our king—is responsible for delivering the killing blow.”

“Their leader is Rynoria.”

“You know here?” Sorika asked. “What does she look like?”

The king looked at her. “Slender face. Dark hair like yours. Blue eyes—like a devil!”

Just then a thought came into Yoreno’s mind as he regarded the countenance of the king. It was one of anger, but deeper down, there was hurt there, pain. Emotional pain.

Whatsmore, his visage was—with those blue eyes, much like a devil he had thought.

Sorika nodded. “That is her. I fought her.”

“You did?” Laderan asked, his curiosity peaqued. He shared a look with Hans, then turned back to the table. “And you didn’t kill her?”

“No,” Sorika said. “I nearly killed her but I only grazed her with my crossbow.”

“Where?”

“Her face.”

He growled again as he nodded, deep and thunderous.

Yoreno swallowed as he watched Mai touch her stomach where she had taken the dagger from the very same woman.

That was their leader? She was dangerous, but Yoreno thought her talent wasn’t in fighting, but rather misdirection and deception. She was a rogue type, like Sorika, and a deadly assassin.

“And you want to kill her, I suspect?” Laderan asked.

“Yes!” Dantera said forcefully.

Hands looked at Laderan, but the king didn’t move in the slightest to return the gesture, though for just a moment he did hesitate. “Good! Because if you want her, then you must fight for me—for the Kingdom of the Blue Dragon—and I will deliver her to you.”

They all glanced at one another, shock and surprise on their faces.

“What do you mean?” Yoreno asked. “You know where she is?”

“Of course I do!” Laderan spat. “We’ve been at war for years. A soft war—but war nonetheless.”

“What else do you know of her?” Dantera asked.

Laderan’s eyes touched his plate, then flicked back up to the Emblazoned Party at the table. “Too much.”

“What is it that you need of us?” Dantera asked.

“This city,” Laderan began, “is in mortal peril. I had hoped to garner support in knights and adventurers when I went to Aevalin for Branlin’s Age of Readventure Festival. But now that he is dead, very little support has come our way. As you can see. Besides your party and those Black Guards, no one has come to my call for aide.”

Dantera made a noise of displeasure. “Cowards.”

“I don’t know,” Laderan said. “The situation is complex. Many are afraid of another attack, so to journey all the way out here seems like a fruitless waste. I’m not even certain I am believed when I let known that the same Schuraists who attacked your king are in fact working to undermine the Kingdom of the Blue Dragon. ‘Why?’ they ask. Ha!”

“Their base this far north affords them protection from the wrath of Aevalin,” Sorika said.

“Yes!” Laderan said as he pointed a finger. “You are absolutely correct, young adventurer.” He sighed heavily. “What few knights and soldiers we have are spread thin. We need help. I suspect the order of Nai Sha’el will attempt to lay a siege upon us soon.”

Yoreno’s heart skipped a beat. “Truly?”

Laderan nodded solemnly. “It seems they have finally decided to remove us. After assassinating Branlin, they have made plans that reveal the Kingdom of the Blue Dragon as a thorn in their side. We’ve always been a thorn in their side, but not like now. If Queen Neslyn decided, she could reinforce us with ten thousand soldiers and a thousand knights.”

“The war would be over before it began,” Dantera said. “This cult—they hide in the shadows—strike in weak areas.”

“Precicely,” Laderan said. “We have always welcomed adventurers from all walks of life, but especially from Aevalin, as you are our kin. We came out here just over three score years ago to… ‘readventure’ if you will. My great grandfather Lord Artimus Laderan carved out this kingdom. This castle”—he gestured about—“was not completed until my father’s reign. We’ve done well—have prospered. And damn me if it all comes crashing down during my reign!”

He was practically screaming the words.

Dantera put her arms on the table and leaned forward toward their royal host. “We will help you. For your sake, but also for vengeance and justice!”

“Here! Here!” Yoreno said.

Sorika nodded and Mai said, “What do we need to do?”

“What you can do…” Laderan said as he glanced between them all. “You can do what adventurer’s do best. My kingdom is already under siege if truth be told. Between the goblins in the west, the rogue adventurers plundering in the north and the Nai Sha’el agents running about causing trouble everywhere, there is much to do. I also suspect there are monsters roaming the lands, as some of my subjects have gone missing. Or perhaps some dark sorcerer is at work, wielding his evil magicks from the Age of Darkness.”

“Missing?” Yoreno asked. “Could they be hostages?”

“No,” Laderan said. “No demands have been made, and sometimes the bodies are found with ghastly markings, missing parts.” He sighed. “It could be a campaign of fear. These cultists are evil. I want them all dead!” And then, as if to emphasize one of them in particular, he added, “All of them!”

“We will adventure within your kingdom,” Yoreno said. “We will do anything that is needed of us.”

“Si!” Dantera said with a strong nod. “Even now our friends are surely on their way. The Roaming Lions is one of the most powerful adventuring guilds in all of Aevalin.”

Laderan smiled like a hunter that had just spotted his pray grazing peacefully unawares in an open field of grass. “Very good.” He paused. “And I sense you are wondering how I will deliver Rynoria to you?”

Dantera nodded.

“She will come to us,” Laderan said. “If you push back on her efforts, she will have no choice but to accelerate her plans. She will attack. She will lay siege to the castle. It is then that you can assassinate her.”

“Are you certain you want to force the issue?” Dantera said.

“We are losing this fight already, slowly but surely through attrition. We must force this fight—resist while we still have the power. And with you by my side, I believe you can kill Rynoria. If she dies, these cultists will scatter into the hills. Then I can spend the next five years hunting them down.”

“All right,” Yoreno said with a nod. “We can do this.” He glanced at the others and they nodded their agreement.

“Good!” Laderan said. “Now Hans will give you billets with my signature and seal in each your names. You may use these to do as required anywhere within my kingdom.”

“You trust us that much?” Yoreno asked.

“Well I don’t know about you, but Dame Brennovo has a long standing reputation I would stake my life on.”

“Thank you,” she said, a smile on her lips.

He nodded.

“Now let us eat and in the morning you can set out to begin taking back my kingdom!”

Yoreno nodded. “I’ve worked up an appetite, Majesty.”

He laughed. “So have I, Lord Brendara. So have I!”

Despite his appetite, Yoreno did not know how he felt concerning the hunting as assassination of a Kingdom royal. Rynoria…

She was Laderans daughter.

Mai and Sorika seemed to miss that point, but Yoreno could see it on Dantera’s face. She too knew—had sensed it in Laderan. Surprisingly, Sorika seemed to have no idea, or she was very good at hiding that fact.

She was the only one of them—besides the kid—who had had direct contact with the women. Surely their rogue member recognized the family resemblance.

But how Princess Rynoria became a Schuarist, Yoreno had no idea. And he was not certain he wanted to know how that came to pass.

It was an evil business, killing a father’s daughter.