The Coward King: Part One - Rebellion

Rebellion: Chapter Three

Chapter Three

When the harvest feast arrived that evening, Dorad took the high seat of the Lord of Enival for himself. Sitting on his right was old Sir Byned, who almost never let his lord out of his sight. On his left sat his lady mother Alis, looking pale and grim, and not like to eat much that evening. The two other seats on the dais were filled by his sister Mari and his little brother Danar.

Since his father had died and Dorad had been raised to the position of Lord of the Stony River County and Castle Enival, there had been many a trying time when he wished he had been in Danar’s place, the youngest son. However, at that moment, he was glad to be a lord. Servants came and went around the Great Hall, which was filled to its limits with people from all over southern Elaech, but each course that they brought to the people they brought to him first. He took the choicest cuts of meats, the best vintages of wines and ales, and the sweetest of the fruits.

There was gaiety in the air that evening, and men laughed and ate for hours. A minstrel had come from the nation of Felinn to the north, and he strummed a long-necked lute skillfully and sang Along the Stony River, a song that had long been Dorad’s favorite. A tall bearded man stood up from the longtable he sat at and grabbed the waist of the nearest serving lass, dragging her into a dance and singing along. Laughter filled the hall as other men and women joined in the dance.

There was one table, however, where everyone sat still as stone. The king’s men from Werach ate the food brought to them without speaking, except to one another, and they did not laugh at the fool who juggled balls of fire, nor did they sing along with the bard. Arrick Laistan sat at the head of that table nearest to the dais, and glared at Dorad every so often while talking to the scarred man who still wore his greatsword. Dorad silently cursed himself for not going through with his treat and forcing the man to eat with the dogs, but his lady mother had been insistent that there would be consequences for making a fool of a man of the king, who was no friend to House Erilion.

“Brother,” came the small voice of his twelve year old brother Danar. The boy stood at Dorad’s side, eyeing Dorad’s plate greedily. He had grown a lot and it looked to Dorad that he had not stopped just yet.

He tousled his little brother’s thick ginger hair. “What is it Danar?” Dorad asked with a smile. He’d not seen his brother for a long while, and seeing him again after his trip into Mallesia made Dorad think on how remarkably similar he looked to their deceased father. “Come to steal my food have you?”

Danar laughed, a high melodious sound that was music to Dorad’s ears. “Of course not, my lord,” he said with a sly smile.

“Then what are you doing over here? You should be sitting with mother.”

A sad look came over Danar’s young face then and his lips turned in a frown. “My friend Handar told me that a stable boy said you were leaving us again tomorrow. But I know that the stableboy is lying, because you’ve only just arrived back home yesterday.”

Gods, word travels fast around here, Dorad thought. He frowned. “I am sorry, Danar, but I’ve been summoned by the king to go to Werach.” He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Sir Byned, Sir Errin, and I are leaving for the capital on the morrow.”

Tears were forming in Danar’s eyes, Dorad saw, but the little boy fought hard not to let them spill. “You cannot leave, Dorad, you’ve only just come home!” he said, too loud, although the feasters did not seem to notice that anything was amiss. “You promised that you would teach me to fight as well as you do!”

“And I will keep my promise, Danar, I swear it,” Dorad said. “I will not be long in the capital, if the Gods are on my side, and when I get back I will teach you to fight like a real man, the way father would have, were he still here.”