A Message From the King (excerpt)

There was a moment of absolute stillness, when a bird chirping a mile away would have been heard by everyone present. Lia spoke, as loud as her trembling voice would allow.

“I have seen the King.”

The Councilman stared down and found her face. She pushed back her hood and met his gaze.

“Lia! It’s you! Welcome back, we have missed you.”

He looked out over the crowd, and opened his arms wide to include them all. “We have all seen the King! We all have! But now he’s gone, rest his soul, and we need to move on.”

Uneasy shuffling and talk welled up behind her, and quickly silence prevailed again.

She spoke again, louder.

“I bring a message from the King.”

The crowd erupted in cheers and questions. A message? From the King? He’s alive? Where is he? When will he return?

Suel stood.

“A message from our beloved King? Can it be true?”

Lia nodded at him.

“Quickly come up here and tell us all, please, and welcome home!”

She moved slowly towards the nearest steps, and watched Suel move slowly to the nearest guard and speak privately to him. They both watched her come. Tarmed moved in close behind her, keeping one hand on her shoulder.

She reached the steps, and guards moved to separate them. She stopped, and waited, looking at them.

The crowd began calling, “What did he say? What is the message from the King?”

“Come on up,” said the taller guard, moving to reach around her and pull her away from Tarmed. She looked back at Tarmed, and he moved closer, his face inches from the guard’s face and his arm across Lia’ shoulders, holding her tightly to him.

“They’re waiting,” she said quietly to the guard. He looked across at his partner, then moved back and allowed both to climb the steps.

She reached the top and stopped. The Prince waited for her to come to him, but instead she stood on the front edge of the stage and turned towards the crowd.

“I have a gift for you, from the King!”

They roared, and she unwrapped the bundle held close within her cloak. She held it up.

“This was in his chest.”

They stared. A long arrow, a hunter’s arrow, with hunting blades still intact. The colors were red and gold, with a purple marker.

“Suel’s colors! And no one else!” A single voice shouted it.