Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3) (19 page)

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Catherine said. “We’ll follow your lead.”

“Don’t be so hasty,” the King chuckled. “Although our defense is lacking, our surveillance is not. We’ll be able to see when our enemy is coming from miles away. Until then, I want my people to enjoy our last moments in Prattle doing what we do best. We will evacuate once we can actually confirm the enemy’s approach.”

“Then what will we do in the mean time?”

“Observe,” the King replied, pointing to one of the shops. As if on cue, out of each of the forty shops stepped its owner. All of them were wearing work clothes but their faces were as clean as an egg’s surface. They each approached their respective podiums silently and reverently as if they were preparing to deliver a sermon of doom to their congregation. One of them cleared his throat. The moment he did so, it was apparent that the Prattlians had devised some kind of system to amplify their voices for all in attendance to hear.

“According to
the rules,” the man said, “and the epic drawing of straws that took place outside Orion’s outhouse that he dares call a place of business, I have been allowed to speak first. And I will start out by saying that the noble people of Prattle should from henceforth, come to my shop and mines alone for any manner of kitchenware. The reason: Malin’s
plates and things
shop are all comprised of used materials, taken from his own personal kitchen, and I have confirmation that all who has used his wares since its inception has an incurable disease that could only have been given through excessive amounts of saliva and possibly other bodily –“

“HOW DARE YOU!” Malin roared from across the courtyard. “You’re just jealous because I craft my cups and plates out of durable glass, and not paper like you! You hear that, everyone! He makes his plates out of pape
r! Toilet paper!”

“Oh shut it, Malin,” another woman cried out. “You’re just mad because Reon speaks the truth. I bought one of your cups and after two sips, I ended up with warts!”

“Don’t get me started, Arietta! Don’t get me started about where those warts of yours really came from! I saw you kissing the -”

“Yeah!” Another shouted. “Uriah’s clothing shop
, that’s where! I swear he uses porcupine needles for his stitching and flea nests for the cloth! Makes you break out in hives whenever you even get close!”

“Oh, like you never used flea nests,” Uriah pouted
, looking bored. The man who accused him jumped up and down while he kept pointing at him.

“See! See! He admitted it!”

“What in all that is sacred is a flea’s nest?” Arietta asked. A number of merchants shrugged their shoulders as another started screaming.

“Hino urinates standing up!”

“Seriously?” Hino replied, throwing up his hands. “Why do I even show up anymore?”

“Frian has a glass eye!”
another shouted.

“
Groar is blind!” Someone screamed. “And he’s supposed to sell glasses!”

“I’m not blind when my glasses are on!” Groar shouted back.

“That doesn’t even make sense!” yet another merchant shouted. “You’re either blind or you’re not!”

“I’m a quarter blind,” Groar declared confidently with arms crossed. The merchants began bickering back and forth, louder and louder, pointing and practically foaming at the mouth while James noticed a considerably large crowd had gathered near
them. The King chuckled and tapped his knee.

“The words they’re using are so useless and juvenile!” he laughed. “I can’t help but smile.”

“Why are they insulting each other?” Catherine asked.

“Because it’s the most ignorant and vile use of language we can
think of. I can’t explain it - but seeing intelligent human beings debase themselves to the level of animals is just disgustingly hilarious. No one takes this seriously though. If you’re too concerned, just consider this a social study in Langoran behavior.”

Catherine glanced back at James
in shock who met her gaze with the same wide eyes.

Guess everyone has their prejudices.
James thought to himself.

“Your Majesty,” Catherine interrupted his laughter. “The enemy may not be within range, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t coming. Perhaps we should give our proposal to the people about the stone now. That way they will have plenty of time to discuss it.”

“You’re right, Princess,” the old man chuckled, wiping his eyes. “I just wanted to see this one last time, just in case. Guards, please line up in the center so that the merchants know I’m about to speak.”

The guards obeyed
in a hurry as the King was helped to his feet by two others. The merchants quieted down and backed away from the podiums, giving all attention and respect to their King. King Nathaniel waited until there was complete silence, and then he raised his head high, and addressed his people.

“Princess Catherine and her two Sages
wish to take our stone,” he declared loudly. “What do you have to say about that?”

An uproar exploded throughout the courtyard, making Catherine and the Sages cup their ears in agony. The merchants, the people next to them, and even the King’s guards began berating them with angry words and shouts. Only the King
remained silent and still, a smile plastered across his amused and satisfied face…

“Why are we still alive?” she asked, but Kyran just kept walking. Scarlet reached out and yanked at his arm. “HEY! I’m talking to you!”

Kyran slipped out of her grip and continued forward. They were almost there.

“Why are we still here? Kyran! Answer me! Don’t tell me you made a deal?”

“Well, aren’t you on his side now too? He told me about your proposal – if he wins, you’ll join him.”

“There’s more to the story than that. You weren’t there to see how Lem was acting! It wasn’t him! That wasn’t Chloe!”

“It was,” Kyran said in confidence. “He probably just said something you didn’t want to hear, like I’m about to say now. We work for Thorn. The only reason you’re breathing is because I asked that you be spared, so your life belongs to me.”

“Why would you do that?” Scarlet scoffed, standing still. Kyran noticed she wasn’t budging, sighed heavily and turned back. Thankfully, the Conun lodge was in view. Only a few more minutes until he could get the stones back in
to his care.

“Because I need you in case I meet opposition.”

“You mean Catherine and the others?”

“Exactly. I’m not very good at fighting strai
ghtforward.”

“Kyran, do you honestly believe you can get Chloe back?”

“He has no reason to lie.”

“And what happens to me once your mission is complete? What do I get out of this? You’ll probably kill me.”

“Probably,” Kyran said flatly. “But whether you’re siding with Thorn or not, it’s best that we stick together, especially in your condition.”

Scarlet sneered as she looked down at her body. Band
ages, a sling for her left arm, enormous bruises and swelling all over. She could barely see out of her left eye, and the sting of Thorn’s blade still shot throughout her body like electricity whenever she moved too fast. She had been woken up from a deep sleep and was told the healing process had only been about 30% complete when she was asked to leave.

“As long as you know I’m still on the fence,” she replied. “I’m not too thrilled about betraying my cousin…even if Thorn makes some large
claims.”

“If history would have gone another way,” Kyran said. “You would ha
ve been Queen. Have you ever thought about that?”

Scarlet didn’t say a word after that, and Kyran fought back a smile. She was easy to manip
ulate. All one had to do was audibly say the thoughts she’s dwelled on since she was a child. As a person fueled by anger, it was hard to let go of anything, especially the possibility that she could have been the ruler of her own Kingdom.

Satisfied, Kyran continued his walk toward the Conun Lodge as Scarlet reluctantly followed. He signaled for her to wait outside as he approached silently. He could smell Mrs. Conun’s coffee from inside, and he was sure they were getting ready to begin their afternoon clean
ing. With his eidolon invisible and extended at all times, he could sense that there were no guests staying there. A perfect scenario for what he had to do.

Entering the lobby casually, the creak
of the door broke through the stillness like an alarm, and he could hear the scurrying of the Conuns making their way towards him, eager to please. Mr. Conun was the first to come into view, having come from the hall where all the bedrooms were. His eyes lit up as soon as he recognized Kyran, and he stepped forward with a friendly hand outstretched, ready to exchange pleasantries with the Sage.

Kyran didn’t hesitate.

He unsheathed his eidolon from within his coat, and stabbed the old man directly in the heart. The old man cried out, and mouthed “why,” but Kyran gave him no answer. He waited until the old man dropped off his blade and onto the wooden floor. The sound was so foreign that he could already hear Mrs. Conun’s shoes tapping against the wood, coming closer to investigate. She was probably afraid her husband had taken a spill.

As soon as she revealed her face, Kyran sprinted forward, and performed the same deed as he did on her husband. She d
idn’t even see Kyran move. The Assassin watched her body go lifeless and slump to the floor…

A
nd then he continued his mission.

He went straight to Arimus’ room and noticed that it had been cleaned recently, but that was irrelevant. The stones would not be found so easily. Arimus would
have made sure of that before he left, and it was doubtful they were still on the Sage in his condition. Kyran sighed as he realized that the whole lodge would have to be torn down if he was going to find them quickly. He stormed out the room and the cabin, striding toward a very confused Scarlet.

“Kyran…did you?” Scarlet’s voice trailed off as he noticed she was holding her halberd eidolon in her right hand.

“Burn this lodge to the ground,” Kyran ordered as Scarlet stared at him with watery eyes. “What?” he shouted. “We’re of Zen-echelon now. This is what we do. Don’t waste your tears on the elderly. It had to be done.”

“No, it didn’t,” she whispered, fighting back her gr
ief. “They did nothing. They were not part of any side. They just liked being hospitable.”

“Well, they are of Zen-echelon now,” Kyran snapped. “NOW BURN IT!”

“Sure…sure,” Scarlet sniffed as she extended her halberd out. “INCINERATE!”

The lodge nearly
exploded as it suddenly burst into flames, the wooden beams began splitting into pieces, and the entire structure caved in on to itself. Kyran watched Scarlet’s face the whole time - the clench of her jaw, the flare of her nostrils and the anger swelling from behind her eyes. Whether it was now or later, she would avenge their deaths, he was sure of it. No matter how strong she claimed to be, her emotions gave her away. She was still a child, being tossed in every direction according to the situation. Kyran chuckled within himself before he leaned into her ear.

“Now you se
e but a fraction of the work I’ve had to do from the beginning. Now you can begin to know my pain, and see my world. Welcome to it. It won’t be forgiving.”

With those words, Kyran walked toward the cabin, still ablaze
, and began searching for the stones. He didn’t care how much pain the flames caused or how the heat tried consuming him with each passing second.

He could take it…

*
              *              *              *              *

“Wait! Wait!” the King of Prattle shouted. “We are Prattlians, after all! Surely there is a way we can settle this on our own terms!”

“DEBATE!” a child shouted, and the crowd immediately agreed. “DEBATE! DEBATE! DEBATE!” they roared, deafening their visitors.
James grit his teeth as he pressed against his ears, screaming for them all to shut up. Arimus kept a squinted eye on the Princess as Catherine stood up and glared at the King with hands clasped on the sides of her head.