The Blood of Alchemy

Chapter 17: Council of Kings

A letter had arrived the night before, just before supper. Arthan had not eaten a bite of it that night, and was stirring the contents of his breakfast around rather than eat that too. His mind was in six places, and his sister Ariana would never think again.

The letter had explained her adultery, and said something of a 'by the gods' justness to her death. It said nothing of a fair trial, or the manner in which she had died. It said nothing of her children, his nephews and niece. The letter offered only minor condolence, Edmond would forgive the land taxes for the next three months, and somehow thought this would keep the loyalty of Arthan and Sci. He had crumpled the parchment in his hands and stabbed a dagger through it, impaling it to a table.

"Baron," Arthan said the first word he had spoken since he had read the letter.

"My Lord," Baron said. "It is good to hear you speak." Baron had tried to speak with him after, but Arthan was too far off in another world to respond.

"My sister is dead." Arthan continued to swirl the porridge around.

Baron dropped the breakfast pan he was cleaning.

"My lord, Ariana? How?"

"Slain in Oros for open adultery, or so the letter said." He spooned some porridge and then dropped it back into the bowl.

"The letter was marked with the King's own seal."

"I know that," Arthan snapped and let go of the spoon. "It is not that I do not believe it to be true. She had often written that Edmond was no great husband or father. She may have taken her needs somewhere else. But there must be a trial, by all laws, and I should have been there."

"You are right, my Lord. It is not decent, did the letter say how she was killed? Was it merciful?"

"It does not say." He continued to stir again.

"Does it say by who's hand?"

"No."

"I'm very sorry, my Lord." Arthan bent down to pick up the soapy pan.

"So am I, Baron." Arthan said, and then finally took a bite of his damned breakfast. "And you know what we must do?"

Baron looked at Arthan and waited for the answer, though he knew what it was like to be.

"Send a letter to every Scillian man in Oros, bring them home. This alliance with Oros is over. I will join my forces with Dryhaven, Accai, the Four Lakes, and every region to Alder if I must. It is time these lands saw a change. Hundreds of years the realm has been at the hands of an Eckhart. It is time that the Scillians once again rule part of this world."

"My Lord, it will mean a war the land has not seen for a long time."

"It will, but it must be done. I will alliance with Arbol if need be, and offer them a part again in the realm. It has been long enough, we are not our fathers fathers to the tenth. We are a new generation, with the power to reshape this world for the better."

"You have my sworn loyalty, as always, my Lord," Baron said.

"Your King." Arthan said proudly.

"My King." Baron knelt.

"It's time I formed a proper King's council too," Arthan looked at the kneeling man. "Baron Bywater, I name you my hand, in the name of the rightful King of the Scillian lands."

"My L--- Your Grace." Baron said quite shocked, "I am honoured greatly. I will lend my best service and advice to you, as I always have. I swear by old Gods and new."

"I have no doubt, Baron. You have always served me well. A title is just a formality. The real change will be in the battles to come. As my hand, I need you to help me find the best commanders. Our armies have been away for some time. I need to know that they are still loyal to Sci. Bring the men back, and find out for me."

"Yes, my King. I will send the letters by nightfall."

"Good, now, I must make arrangements to have my sisters body returned to Sci." Arthan got up and left the small tower room.

Arthan could not find it inside him to celebrate anything yet. His mind was scouring through memories of him and Ariana as children.

Arthan had been three years older, but it had not felt like it for him to remember. From the start of the time he could remember, she was always there with him, and the three years never really made any difference. When they were really young, before they were trained in different areas based on their gender, Arthan and Ariana had been little rascally children, playing all day, and not having a care in the world.

In their later years they had still been close. And when Arthan saw the chance for his little sister to become Queen, he did not hesitate. He knew that her sons would be the next Kings, and thought that she would have a life of luxury in the south.

He cursed himself for it. It was his fault that she was dead, he knew. He had arranged the wedding, he had sent her away from Sci, and he had gotten her killed. She had not been happy there, he had known by her letters. It broke him down, and he stood on the edge of a balcony facing over an empty courtyard and cried for the first time about his sister. He cried, and he cried, and it felt good. And he did not care if anybody had seen him at that moment. He needed to do it, for her. It was for Ariana, and he refused to be ashamed of that.

After a good ten minutes of crying, Arthan's ducts ran dry. His eyes were stinging with salt, and puffed up, and he was still sniffling the odd bit, but he made his way back to his chamber and pulled out a feather pen and a scroll of parchment and started to write.

To whom it may concern: I, Arthan Sci, heir to the throne of the Scillian empire, the Gods be it blessed, have decided upon the premature death of my sister Ariana, under suspicious circumstances, to revoke my support to the Oroshi throne, and deny the claim of Edmond II to be the lawful King of Aurea.
My support does lie now in a new era, in which the lands shall once again be five kingdoms. My support lies with the new council, the 'council of Kings', depending on one condition, that any lawful heirs to the old regents, be restored their crowns and land.
To the people of the world, your tax money and tithe have gone to Oros for far too long. What benefit have you seen? If a revolution is successful, I Arthan Sci vow that ALL Scillian tax money will stay in the city of Sci, to benefit its people. No longer shall merchants be forced to weather the long trips to the Oroshi Bay, and once again will the Bay of Scillia become alive and prosperous.

Arthan had scribes copy hundreds of copies of the letter, and had it sent to every major city in the land, and one to King Edmond himself. All of the Scillian men had left Oros at the command of Arthan. The Scillians had always been prideful people, and it made them even more so to hear that their land would be truly theirs again.