The King with Six Friends

Castle Brackhill

The blizzard cut into Kiera's numb face. The multiple layers of coats did nothing to keep the biting cold out. Frozen tears itched at the edges of her eyes. River was doing her best not to slip off the road and occasionally stumbled over a chunk of ice. Kiera could hear the two other horses huffing haggardly behind her.

Eryx, Kindle, and Edge pressed themselves against the saddles to keep from getting blown off. For miles, the landscape was only flat, bare fields of snow and dead wheat. They had passed plots of hundreds of makeshift headstones jutting out in between the fields and the road.

The Northern Territories was a tragic scene to behold. There was a precious mineral mother lode seated deep in the mountains just waiting to be unearthed, which was why so many people had flocked to its mines. The miners needed food as well as supplies, so farmers came to cultivate the barren land.

The long winters came year after year, destroying starter crops and livestock. But the miners were growing rich from the mountains' treasures. During the last few decades, the mines had begun to run dry of their resources. Most of the folk left for greener pastures, but a few remained to scrape the last of the gold and silver out of the bottom of the earth.

The graves which the four passed ranged from hundreds of years old to within the last week. Small cottages built into the ground puffed thin streams of smoke from their chimneys.

After riding through the night and into the next day, they came across a massive black fortress looming in the snow. Castle Brackhill, the home to the late Grand Duchess Emelenine and her army. Castle Brackhill was heavily fortified with granite walls and at least two hundred soldiers, built to withstand a siege for months on end without losing a single man. The fortress of a home could only be infiltrated through secrecy and all the luck in the world.

The four stopped behind an outcropping of rocks. They dismounted stiffly from their horses and searched for firewood. When they found none, Kindle removed his coat and ignited into an orange blaze. The sudden heat warmed them and thawed their frozen limbs.

"I've been thinking of a plan," Kiera said after her mouth found feeling again, "I can distract Erik for a while as you three look for Zar. It's a big castle, so you'll have to split up."

"I don't think I like the idea of leaving you alone with him," said Edge, "I should come with you."

"I know Erik. We. . . have a history together. I can keep him busy," Kiera said. She pulled a silver letter opener from one of her coat pockets. The edged blade caught the light of the fire. She tucked it back into her coat. "I think I can hold my own." She didn't feel any resolution or certainty in her words.

"Alright, where would Zar be?" said Kindle, turning to face the princess. "I would assume down in the dungeons, but we don't know how to get to them."

"He might be held in the dungeons. You can get there toward the back end of the castle near the armory," Kiera said, "I don't don't exactly know how you'll be able to get over the wall though."

"I think we might just have to figure that one out later." Eryx pointed out a squad of soldiers coming out of the castle. They were marching directly toward the light of their fire. Kindle doused himself and everyone leaped to their feet.

"I'm coming with you," Edge said to Kiera, "Just in case." Kiera didn't refuse him.

They said their goodbyes and the group split in half. Kindle and Eryx took their horse and galloped around the outcropping of rocks to stay out of view of the soldiers. Kiera and Edge mounted up and met the guards halfway on the frozen moat. Out of the ten soldiers, one large burly man approached them. His men were heavily armed, but he himself had no armor nor weapons on his person.

"Who are you, and what is your business here?" the large man snorted.

"I am Princess Kiera of the South Kingdom," she declared, "I am here with my escort to meet with Viscount Erik of Castle Brackhill."

~   ~   ~

Erik sat at the empty table with his fingers templed against his forehead. A stabbing migraine was coming on. His advisors had just discussed the death rates of the miners and farmers with him. A little more than a quarter of the meager population had died from mine collapses, disease, food shortages, and this blasted winter. The miners were literally running themselves into the ground with their stubbornness. On top of that, the enemies of the South Kingdom were getting restless. They wanted war and they wanted it now. Erik pushed away his uneaten dinner.

Ingrid appeared in the doorway shrouded by her dark apparel. In her left hand, she held out a red pendant and dropped it onto the table.

"You got what you wanted," she growled, "Remove your men from our village."

"Ingrid," Erik sighed, "I have need of your talents again."

Ingrid's eyes darkened. "You promised," she hissed, "You gave us your word you would leave us once the new prince was gone."

"I said that I would remove my men when I was the heir to King Invictus." Erik stood and straightened his coat. "I'm not heir yet. I have reason to believe someone will come looking for the coward king here. If you've done your job right, they shouldn't find him. Correct?"

Ingrid fingered the knife in her pocket with her two right fingers. How badly she wanted to relieve him of his nose, or maybe his blue eyes, in return for his oppression of her friends and family. She couldn't, because doing so would mean their eradication.

"No, they won't find him," Ingrid said through a clenched jaw. The pendant glowed in the musty candlelight.

Erik crossed the room and picked up the pendant, slipping it into his pocket. "Where did you put him, by the way? I'm curious."

"The dungeon's Black Cell."

Erik smirked. "Fine choice."

Björn, Erik's admiral and vigil, came into the courtroom. He bowed deeply. "My lord, Princess Kiera of the South Kingdom requests an audience with you."

Erik waved him off. "Write to her that she may have me in a fortnight." He started toward the door.

Björn glanced up. "But, your grace, she's here. At Castle Brackhill."

Erik stopped mid-stride. He slowly turned to face Björn. The burly man stared down at the floor. After the longest time of suspense, Erik said, "Is there anyone with her? Any guards?"

"A single escort accompanied her. He is unarmed." Björn's forehead beaded with perspiration. He knew the Viscount's wrath well.

Erik slowly inhaled. "Well then, invite her into the library. Her escort can stay in the corridor. And you-" He glared at Ingrid- "Kill anyone who leaves the dungeon." He stormed out of the courtroom with a hurricane in his wake.

Everything Erik had been constructing and plotting could all go to ruin if Kiera found out. He hadn't seen her in years. The only plausible reason she could be here was if she was looking for the missing heir.

It didn't matter. He knew what needed to be done. All he had to do was deal with the princess and his agenda would fall back into place.