Minstrel

Chapter #16 ~ King Florence

Sir Wilt and his second in command Sir Jord stood in front of King Florence. The king didn't even try to keep the distaste out of his voice. The two knights were a disgrace to his army. Their whole regiment was a disgrace. One deserter was enough to corrupt the whole lot.

'But it hadn't been just any old knight that had deserted.' The king thought to himself. 'It had been that stupid boy. Your stupid ward.'
The king's hands squeezed into fists as he imagined straggling the kid. What was his name?

As if Sir Wilt had read his mind, he continued his report. "Riptide had been allowed, by myself, to search the village for any information."

"And did he find anything?" The king felt his patience already begin to slip. Riptide the unwanted child. Duke Dublin, the king's favorite duke, had given him the child for a birthday. King Florence hadn't liked the present; it had been unwelcome and more than unnecessary. He had a feeling the duke had just been really desperate to get rid of the kid.

"We have reason to believe Riptide came in contact with the traitor." Sir Wilt replied.

"What reason?" The king hated having to ask such practical questions.
His knights were always so incompetent and airheaded. They always seemed to have a hard time giving a good, detailed report. The king found such thing to be the most annoying.

Sir Jord stepped forward and knelt before the king. "I saw him run into the forest, pursuing someone."

The king tugged on a braid in his blonde hair. "And did you see who this 'someone' was?"

Jord shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my king."

His anger burst through and he slammed his hand on his throne. "Then what good are you!" His booming voice shook the still air.

"No good, my king." Jord's voice shook. "Punish me as you see fit."

The king pondered this for a moment, but he already knew what the knight deserved. "Three weeks in the dungeon."

"Now wait." Sir Wilt had the audacity to question his king. "It was an honest mistake. It wasn't Jord's fault."

The king felt his blood boil as the knight said, "my king," as an afterthought.

"How dare you question my authority!" The king yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. "Three months in the dungeon! Three months for your whole regiment!"

Sir Wilt paled, but kept his mouth shut.

"Guards!" The king called and four men rushed into the room as if their life depended on them being as quick as possible. It probably did.
"I want you to thrown these two men into the darkest, coldest part of the dungeon. Then throw the rest of the 23rd regiment in there with them. Tell the wardens one year."

The guards nodded as the king turned back to Sir Wilt. "Maybe that will be enough time for you to feel the consequences of back-talking your king."

He looked at the guards, giving them permission to drag the knights out of the room. Jord looked like he was going to thrown up and Wilt glared.

'Let him hate me.' King Florence thought, 'I'm here to rule a kingdom, not make friends.'

Once the knights had been taken out of his sight, King Florence felt a pinch of guilt. 'It's not your fault.' He told himself. 'It's their own faults and Riptide's.' He shook with hatred for the boy. The unwanted one. He could help but hope the boy died by himself out in the wilderness. He could still remember the nightmare that was his fortieth birthday.

* * *

His wife, the queen, had set up a huge surprise party for him, but since he hated surprises he had forced a young serving girl to spoil it.