Since Hugh I's death, Hugh II had sent Erec to the far reaches of the kingdom, expanding the borders, one castle at a time for the last two seasons. The first thaws of spring were barely complete before Erec first went out and now the harvest was well past.

It was no hardship on Erec to stay so far from Hugh, as the dislike was entirely mutual. However, with winter fast approaching, Erec brought his men home. Home to the care of their families, to rest and to build up their strength during the cold winter days.

Riding in the front, he sat tall in his armor, ignoring the fatigue. Though they were nearly home, he would not soon sleep. His thoughts were troubled as he travelled through the kingdom and he remembered his promise to Hugh the Elder.

He served well in his capacity as captain, training and leading the armies but that was only half of his promise. He vowed to Hugh the Elder that he would serve Hugh II long and well. Erec scoffed and Zeus horse-laughed.

"Go on, laugh." Erec muttered to his horse, "You will not laugh so much when we get sent out again before you have time to rest in the luxury of the king's stables."

As if he understood, Zeus blew out a harsh snort and shook his head.

"I will not do anything to cut our visit short on purpose, Zeus." Erec muttered, wondering as he did, when he had gotten so used to being alone that he carried on conversations with his horse.

"We shall be home soon." Drew said as he rode up alongside.

"Aye." Erec found it odd that he suddenly felt at a loss for words.

"I for one, will be glad for it. Do you wish for me to go with you to the king?"

"Nay. See to the men, and to the prisoners, and the bounty. I will carry our report to the king alone."

"As you wish, milord."

Erec hated the title. But it was his now. In his final moments, Hugh I called a scribe and priest to his bedside and dictated a final royal decree that was to be read to the people upon his death. He could recall the words clearly, as they were a double-edged blade, a blessing and a curse.

My subjects, I beseech you not to long mourn my passing. The Lord has been good to me, granting me a long and prosperous reign. But the end of my rule has come. I leave you under the watchful care of our Lord God and under the reign of your king, of my beloved son, Hugh. Love my son, and serve my son as you have loved and served me.

God save the King! Long live the king!

Let it be known that for his years of faithful service, and for the years of service he will yet give, I grant Sir Erec, Captain of the Army and of the Royal Guard, Bocland. He shall henceforth be Lord Erec, the Baron of Greenwood, bestowed with all of its lands and income.

I leave Lord Erec as your champion, to protect you from our enemies that know him as Sir Erec and who fear him as protector of this kingdom. I leave him as Captain of the King's Army, and of the Royal Guard so that he may protect first the king, and by him, the kingdom.

God save the King! Long live the king!

Even without the title, without Bocland, Erec would serve the crown until his last breath. It was an oath that he swore before God and one that Erec did not take lightly.

It was also an unfortunate fact that he cared little for the current bearer of the crown, either as a man or a king. But Erec would dutifully serve the crown long and well, even as he swore to Hugh I upon his deathbed.

Serving long was the easy part of his promise. Erec still had the strength of his youth and there were many years left for him to serve. It was the other half of the promise, the serving well, that had Erec pondering.

The adoration of the people as they embraced their champion was uncomfortable. Erec was not one to appreciate such simpering, although in becoming the champion of the people, Erec was placed safely out of reach of the king's disfavor.

This, of course, infuriated Hugh II, who was already disdainful of a man whom he considered lesser. The very fact that Erec was mentioned alongside the Prince in the old king's final words turned dislike into loathing.

The further adoration of the people who showed no special deference to their new king distilled this loathing into the purest form of hatred.

"Milord?" Drew cleared his throat.

"Aye?" Erec turned to his Lieutenant, tucking his dark thoughts away.

"Look." Drew pointed and Erec's gaze followed to see a rider approaching them, a royal messenger from the looks of him.

"Call a halt, then ride out with me to meet the messenger." Erec ordered as he spurred Zeus to meet their visitor.

"Long live the king." Erec said by way of greeting as he neared.

"Long live the king." The messenger answered, stopping his mount and reaching into a purse tied about his waist. As Erec arrived at the messenger's side, said messenger extended a sealed letter.

With a swift motion, Erec pulled the dagger from his waist and broke the king's seal. He was surprised to see the king's own hand. The missive was a short one, ordering him to appear in the council chambers before the mid-day bells ring on the morrow and nothing more.

Drew arrived as Erec finished reading. Handing the message over to Drew, Erec turned to the waiting messenger.

"Send our greeting to his majesty. Let him know that we shall ride through the night and arrive at the garrison before the second morning bells ring. I shall report to the council chambers as ordered and present my report as well as the king's spoils."

"Godspeed." The messenger acknowledged with a nod and turned to carry the message back to the king.

"Godspeed." Erec called after the parting messenger before turning to his lieutenant.

"So, we are to ride through the night? Shall we pick up the pace, then?"

"At least until dark. We should be close enough to the king's wall by then that we can slow our pace and arrive in respectable columns of two, although I doubt many will be awake at that hour to greet us."

"Do not underestimate the people's affection for their champion. You have been long away and are returning triumphant with the spoils. You will be welcomed, milord, whether you like it or not."

Erec only sighed as he turned Zeus toward the men. Drew was at his side in a heartbeat and before Erec reclaimed his place in the lead, Drew spurred to a gallop to carry the orders down the lines.

As luck would have it, they arrived as the first morning bells were ringing and there was no welcome. Erec rode ahead, straight to the garrison. Dismounting, he walked Zeus into the king's stables and was surprised to find Robert asleep upon a fresh bed of hay in Zeus's stall.

"Milord." Robert said sleepily as he roused himself and took Zeus's reins. "Welcome home. Molly has a meal waiting in kitchens. And—"

"Do not trouble yourself. We are much earlier than we anticipated. I shall go directly to the kitchens and greet Molly. I have to admit, Robert, it is good to be at home again."

"Aye, milord. It is good to have you at home. We feared you may not return, as you were away for so long."

Erec laughed, for he had begun to think the same himself.

"Nay, you cannot be rid of me so easily. I am away to see Molly. Join us when you have Zeus settled."

---

Robert had only just settled himself next to the fire and filled his bowl when Drew and two of the other lieutenants arrived.

"Sit. Eat." Erec gestured toward the pot over the fire as he dipped a bit of bread into his stew and stuffed it in his mouth. Molly's cooking was always tasty and filling.

"I roused the captain, milord, so that he might give us reports before you are to appear before the king."

Erec only nodded as he continued to eat, waiting for the lieutenants and the captain to join him at the table.

Though not of his own choosing, Erec had been away from the garrison far too long. He needed a reckoning of the forces. He knew there had been changes, but he needed to know the strengths, weaknesses, and numbers of the new men.

He needed to meet with all of his lieutenants and go over the recent campaigns. He needed to mark the charts and maps with the changed borders and update the information on their enemies and neighbors.

For only by keeping current on the status of their military strength could he be prepared for his meeting with the king. That was one of the first lessons Erec learned at his father's knee as a very young boy:

A king should endeavor to hold his current lands and add to them in a way that he could continue to maintain. And the choice of which lands to conquer first weighted largely on military strength. And for this information, a king could rely on his captain of the guard.

---

As Erec was scouring over the charts and maps, continuing to familiarize himself with all the changes that occurred in his absence, a boy came running in, nearly tripping over his own two feet in his haste.

"M-m-milord." He said nervously as he skittered to a stop before Erec.

Erec smiled beneath his grizzled whiskers. The many months away left little time for proper bathing, let alone grooming. And as yet, he was too engrossed in his charts to answer Molly's summons for a proper haircut and beard trim.

"Robert sent me to tell you that a man came from the castle. You are needed to appear before his majesty, the king..." The boy gasped as his voice cracked and swallowed hard before finishing, "at once, milord."

"And did this servant happen to say I was to appear before his majesty, the king?"

The boy's brow creased as he frowned in confusion.

"The castle is a large place, is it not? If I am to appear before his majesty, the king at once, as you say. Would it not have been part of the message to say where in the castle I was to appear?"

"Oh." The boy nodded, "in the great hall."

"Very good. No be off with you, back to Robert and your chores."

The boy did not stay to answer, but turned on heels and ran from the room as if his trousers were afire. Erec shook his head, trying to recall what it was like to be that young. With a sigh he rolled up the map he was working on, setting it by the notes he had been compiling and turned to go.

At the door he paused. The king had not asked to speak with him since the first meeting. In three strides, he was at the table and scooped the map. With a final glance at his notes, he made swiftly for the great hall.

It would not do to keep his majesty waiting long. He was admitted through the gates with a nod, and hurried his steps toward the great hall. And in Erec's opinion, the hall truly was great.

One of the original rooms in the first castle, it had been built upon and expanded by four kings. The late king brough out the battle flags from the four kings to hang upon the wall above the dais-as well as the shield and favored weapons of each king. It made for an impressive display.

On the walls were hung the tapestries of the kings before. The bishop was a wise man and commissioned the best weavers to create the colorful story pieces, and he presented the finished pieces to the new king upon his first visit.

There was one other tapestry that graced the walls, also a gift from the bishop, made to the late king, Hugh I. The bottom portion of the tapestry showed the king mourning over the bodies of his first queen and their son.

The top part of the piece was the most beautiful. The first queen and her infant were shown in a Madonna and child pose and they looked to be smiling down upon the king from the heavens. Erec loved that one best, a show of tenderness and deep affection among stories of power and glory.

It saddened him now to see an empty space where it once hung. It was not a surprise to him, for the new king always hated that tapestry, as it was a constant reminder that Hugh II was not first in the former king's affections. And Hugh II hated being second in anything.

It was no surprise as he scanned the other tapestries, that the bishop's last gift, the story of Hugh I, was not present either. No doubt Hugh II intended to hang a flattering image of himself, no doubt more handsome and much larger than life.

Erec allowed himself a mental laugh as he thought that even on that grand scale it would pale to the size of the new king's ego.

"Ah, the man I have been looking for." The king bellowed as Erec stepped further into the room.

Executing a courtly bow, by way of greeting, Erec made his way through the throngs to stand before the king. The late king held a seat for Erec on the dais, but the new king decreed that Erec's place was with his men.

Ignorance and arrogance battled for dominance at the new king's table, neither of which bolstered one's spirits...or one's appetite. Erec was quite contented to dine with his lieutenants.

From his elevated place on the dais, the king could of course look down upon Erec while remaining seated. The king stood, leaning forward, with both hands on the table as he glowered down at Erec.

Erec checked his dislike. The king was handsome enough, but a much smaller man both in stature and...

"Kneel before your king!" Hugh II bellowed, pointing angrily at the floor. "What is it that is of such great importance that you interrupt my evenings repast and demand an audience?"