Chapter X

((A/N: Hello readers! I just wanted to apologize for how long this chapter took to get posted. I hope you are all enjoying the story this far. Don't be afraid to leave a comment with your thoughts, I'd love to read them! I'd also like to give a shout-out to a friend who helped a bit with this chapter when I got stuck. Enjoy!)) 

Chapter X

   

            “What were you thinking?!” King William snarls, tossing the princess into her room after slamming the door behind him. “Were you trying to get yourself killed?! Do you even understand how dangerous that was?!”

            “I had it all under control, my liege!”

            “You stupid girl!” He shouts.

            “I killed one of the most notorious slave traders in all of the Kingdoms!” Lana tried to reason.

            “If I wanted him dead, he would have been!”

            “He was torturing those people! I was not going to let death take them!”                           

            “You are not some savage anymore, you are a princess and I expect you to act like one! Your people expect you to act like one!”

            “I am being the princess these people deserve, the one they need! And I will not take orders from—“

Each word from her lips brought more fury to William, feeding into his rage. His patience wore thin in moments. The crack of skin echoed throughout the chambers after his hand connected with her cheek. His palm turned a red colour, mirroring the one on her face. Her wide eyes met his as her hand reached up to touch her fire red cheek. Perhaps he should have felt a pang of guilt for the look she gave him, but he felt none. The silence lasted for several moments before he spoke again.

            “You do not know what these people need. You will do as I say if you expect this Kingdom to run smoothly as it had been without your presence, do you understand me?!” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You will spend the rest of the night in this room, and when I return in the morning, I expect you to be on your best behaviour.” He turns, stalking out of the room and slamming the wooden doors behind him.

            Lana watched him go, tears forming in her eyes as her hands balled into fists. Light radiated off her tiny frame, the redness in her cheek already beginning to fade. But perhaps… perhaps he was right.

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            The Niadusians were strong and tenacious people who enjoyed an honest and humble lifestyle; even their King wore simple and modest cloth on the race occasions he was seen without battle gear. The table was draped in a single piece of white linen that stopped just above the floor. The men seated shared tales of valour and bravery, clanking their goblets together laughing at an occasional humorous joke as they patiently awaited their feast. Despite the joyous mood of the hall, there was little to celebrate… but if there was one thing that the Niadusians loved more than hunting, it was mead. All but two figures took place in the celebration at the great table. The two Kings sat quietly at the respective ends of the table, and sipped wine from their cups gingerly. They occasionally eyed each other, before their eyes returned to their drink or a neighbouring comrade who happened to grab their attention.

            The doors to the kitchen opened, maids of the Tri-Mountain Keep sauntering into the hall barring plates garnished with all kinds of meat, fresh from the kill earlier that day. The maids laid the food before the hungry men, who wasted no time and dove into the platters.

            King Lukas eyed his equal across the table and sighed. He had hoped to speak to Kaiser about his performance against Kurtis’s wyvern, but the noise of the table would prevent such a conversation from happening. Lukas thought it unwise to wound the Iron Bear’s pride by belittling him in front of his men. His hands clasping his goblet and plate, he moved to the seat closest to Kaiser which was occupied by Kaiser’s new head knight, John. Lukas locked eyes with the young knight and nudged his head in the direction of his seat. John opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Kaiser.

“Just do it you idiot, it’s clear that King Lukas has something important to discuss with me.”

            John jumped to his feet in haste and bowed low to each King, spilling his drink in the process. He mumbled an apology before retreating to the head of the table like a dog with his tail between his legs.

“You’d let a fool like him sit in your chair, Lukas?” Kaiser scoffed between bites of his pork.

Lukas shrugged and began to fill his own plate, “it makes no difference to me, a coupe of pieces of wood nailed together doesn’t make him the King, it’s just a couple pieces of wood nailed together.”

Kaiser laughed, “I don’t suppose you came to this end of the table for no reason but to discuss the idiot I have for a Knight?”

“Can I not simply enjoy a meal with a fellow King?” Lukas gave a chuckle.

“Not in these times, you can’t...” Kaiser replied grimly.

“Very well then.” Lukas sighed, his voice dropping to a whisper, “I have no issue with you residing in Niadus until your kingdom is sufficiently repaired to your pleasing, Kaiser. You do the men and women of Tri-Mountain Keep a great honour by staying here. However, it’s a Niadusian custom to pull your own weight, “Eat what you hunt and drink what you sow” so our saying goes…” Lukas took a sip of wine before continuing, wincing slightly as it burned his throat, “that stuff does down hard…but as I was saying. If you’re going to be of any use to me, Kaiser, you will need to learn to slay the foul minions of the beast King.”

“Those overgrown lizards? Tch.” Kaiser huffed, shaking his head, “that wyvern is a menace to Niadus, Lukas, I have one quarrel with a madman already, I need not have two.”

“Not just the wyvern, Kaiser, the other beasts as well. It would be foolish to think that wyverns are the only creatures at his disposal. But what you say is true, the Beast King has little to gain from attacking Vindico, he has no obsession with ore or gems as King David does, but we must remember they are allies in this war. And as we saw with Lana...” Lukas paused, “David can be very persuasive, he may convince Kurtis to attack Vindico.”

Kaiser slammed his fist on the table, cracking the wood with his immense strength and knocking several glasses over, “Mind your tongue Lukas.” Kaiser narrowed his eyes, “and you dare underestimate my might?”

“It is not your might I doubt, Kaiser, it is your wit. Surely you can swing your sword and surely you know where to strike a man to kill him in one swing. But you don’t know where to strike a beast to cause a similar affect.” Lukas spoke between mouthfuls of food, “let me teach you to combat these monsters. Should Kurtis attempt an attack on Vindico, your men will be better suited to repel his minions until reinforcements can arrive.”

“I have no interest in killing his minions Lukas, it is Kurtis I want to kill…” Kaiser replied, finishing his plate.

“Trust in me Kaiser, the wyvern we fought today, the beast named Rygor, is Kurtis’ personal mount and his one of his favourite minions.  Understandable, Rygor is the last of a very rare breed of wyvern, but more on that later. If you were to kill Rygor Kaiser, Kurtis would not rest until his knife rests in your back. And that would be your opportunity to get revenge for Gwen and Rosie.” Lukas reasoned.

The Iron King sat in silence for a few moments, occasionally sipping from his goblet as he weighed his options, before he finally spoke. “Very well Lukas, I will accept your offer. I want to hear everything you know about Rygor, Kurtis and any other pets that he has. I want to carve a bloody swatch through his menagerie before I gut him like the beasts he keeps.”

“That’s the spirit!” Lukas cheered, clasping Kaiser’s shoulder.

“And then the Mad King after him…..We shall being training in the morning, Lukas. It grows late.” Kaiser yawned, tucking in his wooden chair.

“Gerard! Prepare the training dummies for King Kaiser” Lukas smiled, looking at Kaisers horrified visage, “I do believe a wise man once said to me that ‘our enemies do not wait, nor should we.’ We begin our training tonight,” he led a tired and irritable Kaiser to the training hall and swung the door open. “Madness shows no mercy.”

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            The guard of Nahoa limped toward the castle with Leonidas and Hera following at his heels. He grumbled rather angrily, hobbling up the steps.

            “Is something wrong?” Hera glared at the man as they approach the white pillar entrance to the castle.

            “No.” The guard hissed, staggering inside. “MY LIEGE!” He called, falling to the floor with a groan. Nurses came to his aid immediately, lifting him from his place on the floor “Fetch the King and the Council, we’re being invaded!” The minute the last words left his lips, five guards sprinted to greet the visitors, drawing their weapons.

            “How dare you!” Hera drew her own blade. “I AM HERA THE LIONESS AND YOU WILL ALL KNEEL BEFORE ME!”

            “These people bow to no one but their King.” Leon uttered, eyes darting around before his knees got kicked out from behind. He snarled, attempting to retaliate but remained on the ground. Hera was at his side, yelling profanities at the men who dared to harm her.

            “SILENCE!” King William ordered upon his entrance. He wore a full suit of steel armour, narrowing his eyes at the foreigners. As he strode across the room, his red cape dragged behind him. “Fetch the council and the princess; we will decide what to do with these mongrels.” He hissed, sitting atop his throne. “What in the name of the Gods do you think you’re doing on my soil?!” He bellowed.

            “A corpse!” Hera interjected, earning a sharp kick to her hip when she did not address the King properly, hissing in response. “My liege, the corpse of a dead girl…”

            “The Nahoan tradition is to burn the dead. You will find no corpses here, only ashes. Yet… you think it is honourable to set foot in my grounds for a dead girl?!” His voice grew louder with each word, though faded ou5 with the sound of footsteps as the Council entered. The group of five talked in hushed tones amongst each other, taking their place beside the two thrones.

            “Kaila, Mara, where is the princess?!” The King demanded, glancing at the empty seat beside him, his hands clenching over the arms of the throne. His dark eyes met those of the hand-maidens, foaming at the mouth.

            “The balcony, my King. She claimed to-“

            “Tell her to get her ass out here, NOW!”

            “Right away, your greatness.” Mara and Kaila bowed before hurrying off.

            “She will learn how to rule the proper way whether she likes it or not…” The man on the throne clenched his fist.

            “Now, your crimes against me may be petty, but there appears to be a recent spike in the number of trespassers on this sacred ground, in recent months…” King William began, his glare burning through the former-Knights’ skulls. Leon knew better than to show his evident displeasure to the King, glancing around the room in attempts to find an escape route. He noticed the sheer white curtains blowing on the balcony. He’d hope the drop to the ground wouldn’t be too far, assuming it to be his best bet.

            “Sir, I do believe it is best to show mercy. These are first time offenders, they did not know-“

            “HUSH, RICHARD!” King William ordered the Councilman with a snarl. “We will not show mercy, no weakness! These are two wild savages, they must be punished.”

            With that, Leonidas jumped to his feet, easily dodging the swing of a guard’s blade by leaning back. He leaped over him, though dipped down and slid towards the balcony as a javelin nearly skimmed his hair.  Jumping to his feet; the reckless man sprinted toward freedom, but stopped dead in his tracks. He was unaware Hera decided to follow his lead, slamming into his back after he froze in place. She grabbed his arm, attempting to sprint to freedom though followed his gaze, her entire body tensing. They stood in the doorway as the Princess’ attendants attempted to block them.

            “What do you think you’re doing!?” Mara snared held up her hands as if to stop the wild man and woman, though neither set of eyes were on her.

            The princess turned around at the sound of commotion, her gentle gaze settling on the one the pair they deemed wild. The sun’s rays nearly blinded Leonidas’ eyes, but he didn’t dare look away. She wore a white gown that the soft breeze tugged at along with her dark ringlets. She met his gaze, her own eyes ballooning at the sight. They both stood there for a long moment, looking fixedly upon each other in disbelief before it was her that moved first. She ran to him, throwing her arms around the man and burying her face into his neck, overcome with emotion. He stood there, rather baffled before encircling her in his own arms, nuzzling into her hair.

            “Lana…” He breathed, holding her tight as he felt her knees threatening to buckle.

            “Leonidas, I swear to you, I would’ve come back but I couldn’t risk it...” She whispered, her fingers tangling into the fabric of his tunic.

            “SEIZE THEM!” King William ordered his men, making his own way towards the pair. He tore the embraced pair apart, shoving the princess into Mara while grabbing Leon by the scruff of his neck, throwing him onto the marble floor in front of the throne. He let the guard handle Hera, tossing her down beside Leonidas.

            Hera’s eyes ballooned, blinking several times to ensure she wasn’t seeing things either. She bore witness to her Mad King slaying that woman, yet here the princess stood…

            “You come into my castle, assault my princess… and expect MERCY?!” He drew his sword.

            “NO!” Lana screamed, breaking away from Mara. She attempted to run to Leon’s side but the guards got hold of her before she had the chance. “NO! PLEASE!”

            King William quirked a brow, surprised to get such a reaction out of the princess after her rather expressionless few days. “Do you know this man?”

            “Yes. He is nor a savage or wild man. He is a knight. Sir Leonidas the Reckless, head knight, hand of the Iron King.”

            “No, dear princess, he no longer holds that position.” Hera spoke up with a rather devilish smirk, glancing at the man who lay beside where she sat on the floor. “He was banished for betraying his Kingdom! For betraying his King! His Queen! His princess!” She hollered and heard the people of the court began yell, chanting ‘traitor’. “Your greatness,” She addressed the King, snapping her head in his direction. “It would be most wise to bring justice upon a traitor. Letting him roam as a free man in your Kingdom… your people should not have a traitor amongst them. Do you not think they deserve better?”

            Lana’s gaze fell to Leon, frowning. “Leon, is that…?”

            “Lana… I—“ Leon lowered his head in shame, swallowing back his pride.

            “THE TRAITOR WILL BE EXECUTED!” King William declared. “And since we have no designated executioner in Nahoa, I enlist the task onto our returned princess. Prove you will do as your people wish!” He held out his blade to her. “Prove to I, your King, you will do what is best for your people!”

            “He is no traitor!” The princess objected, turning to look at William. “I—the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword!” She insisted, a lesson she’d taken from the Iron King.

            “You will obey your King!” He shouted, thrusting the blade into her hand. “Execute the traitor!” The guards grabbed Leonidas, shoving him to his knees with his neck outstretched. He fought against them, growling like a wild animal. Lana held the blade in her palms, suddenly very aware of the cool sword.

            “King William, p-please—! Is this what a proper hearing is?! We have not--“ She began, jumping when he hollered at her to get on with it again. Hera’s own eyes widened, watching the scene unravel before her as Lana brought the blade above her head.

            “Lana…” Leon muttered, glancing up at her out of the corner of his eyes. “Do it.”  She stared down at him before dropping the sword behind her back.

            “I will not!” The court along with the Council let out a collective gasp. “Leonidas is no traitor!” She held her head up. “In the short time I have known this man, I have bore witness to his undying loyalty! Tell me...” She crouched down in front of him, looking into his eyes for a moment before she stood once again. “Tell them, Leonidas, tell them what happened.”

            “LANA-“

            “You will listen to what he has to say before passing a sentence upon him!” Lana turned to glare over her shoulder at William as her light radiated off of her. The court, Council, all fell silent as Leonidas began.

“I was removed from my position for betraying my Kingdom.” He swallowed. “The Mad King put me under the illusion that your princess was being tortured. My days in the dungeons of Diruo were dark… that man tore my body, my mind to pieces… He made it appear as though he could bring a great deal of pain to her. In an act to protect her, I gave away the strategy of my King. After weeks in the dungeons, your princess attempted to save me, but the Mad King met her demands with a blade...” He glanced at Lana’s torso before proceeding, eyes fixed on King William. “I carried her corpse to the Iron King, where he revoked my position and gave me the task of burying her here, on her home soil. The tree I was to lay her under caught fire, as did her body, and your grounds began to attack me.”

            “So you were the man to bring the princess home?” Kaila gasped.

            Lana stood, glancing around the room. “I, Princess Lana Griffon of Nahoa, daughter of King Fergus Griffon and Queen Eleanor Griffon, hereby decree Leonidas the Reckless to be first Knight, hand of the princess. The Protector.” The Council and court gave their applause.

            “My grace, no such title e—“ Kaila began.

            “There is now.” Lana went to Leon’s side, helping him to his feet.

            “What of the Lioness, princess?” A guard asked, glancing at the woman on the floor.

            “Lock her in one of the available guest rooms. I would like her stay in Nahoa to be as comfortable as possible… she is not permitted to leave unless I say.” Lana turned to look to King William, who looked about ready to explode.

            “How dare you—“ He began to stride towards her, when Leon stepped between them with a growl, adapting rather quickly to his role. King William stopped, narrowing his eyes at the man. “I will have your head on a stake, STEP ASIDE!”

            “You will do no such thing.” Lana stepped out from behind her rugged knight, placing a hand over his arm. “Come along, Leonidas we will get you cleaned up.” She declared, beginning to stride down the corridor. Leon turned to look at King William, into the eyes of the man who didn’t hesitate to bring harm upon his Princess. He ensured he stood tall, shoulders drawing back only slightly. “My liege…” He bowed slowly, though kept his gaze fixed upon the man before turning away to stride down the corridor after the princess. King William narrowed his eyes, turning to the hand of the King.

            “I do not trust that man, Fredrick. He will be taken care of…”