The Kingdom of Smosh

Chapter 7

With the snow partially melted, a shivering Olivia met with a rugged up Mari at the palace doors to be let in. The instant feeling of warmth had her remove her coat and proceeded to find Ian at this ungodly hour of the morning. The pair strutted to his chambers, assuming he would still be asleep, and were denied access to his room. Olivia exclaimed that is was important to the fate of the kingdom, but Mari went ahead a cast an ancient hypnosis charm on the standing guard and forced him to let them pass. Once inside Mari lit the log fire and Olivia coaxed Ian from his sleep.

Much to his distress, he realised who was in his room; the oracle and sorcerer historian. Once they explained that they believe that the man in the prophecy is Damien, they debated on whether to tell him if he is a prince or not. After a few minutes of confusing arguing, a knock was heard at the door. It was Shayne, appearing for his work to begin for the day. No one answered the door immediately, fearing Shayne's reaction, so they continued talking quietly for a few more minutes.

As half an hour passes, Shayne knocks on the door to let Ian know that it's time to start his day. To his shock, the door opens and Mari and Olivia forward out, thanking Ian as they both turned and left the wing. A stunned Shayne makes his way into the King's lavish chambers and doesn't question their encounter. Ian smiles knowingly and proceeds to enlighten him about the possibility of Damien being the person to be from the prophecy.

Shayne agrees with all the Ian had said, and also mentions the letter that he opened at the previous nights dinner. Ian thought nothing of it, but Shayne saw it as a potential threat, one that could lead to conflict. Ian thought the idea was far fetched, but thought about the conflict being the one Olivia mentioned. So he walks to his desk and pulls out Damien's letter he lent Ian, and reread it to Shayne aloud.

"It sounds like me need to find the person who wrote this letter, otherwise this could go south very fast." Shayne concluded. "Agreed, but how could me possibly check?" asked Ian. "Check the wax seal?" assumed Shayne, and he was right. The pair made their way to Mari's study for her to compare the seal to any notable crests. After presenting her with the letter, textbooks thud onto the table as they were violently flicked open by the historian and she examined their contents.

After a very short amount of time, and after reading the content of the letter, the crest was found to belong to the royal household of Aveil. "Thus meaning, they want Damien back." Mari concluded. A surprised Ian and Shayne waited for her to continue her reasoning. "Assuming he's the only heir, especially because he's male, he holds their line of succession. And if they have just learned of their escape, they'd be finding a way to tack him down. But we mustn't tell him, who knows what could happen." Mari ended.

Her words hung in the air like a thick fog. Knowing that they are on the verge of war with no absolute protection needed to be addressed immediately. "We must notify all other provinces and towns in Smosh, and tell them to ready for war. This town shall be the last place for defence. We can try and reason with them to only come here, and avoid any unwanted casualties." Ian planned. Shayne hummed in agreement, still fixated on Damien, and Mari left to consult Boze on strategies of war.

Keith arrived back into town sooner than expected, but without his wagon. Noah greeted him gleefully, but was cautious about his intentions for being back so soon. "Aveil, they're coming to fight now, for Damien." Keith said breathlessly. Then he asked was Noah where the King was, and he made his way straight to the palace. A befuddled Noah could only watch and stare at his friend so early in the morning. Keith bashed on the palace doors and asked for an audience with Ian. He met with Ian in the throne room and had Shayne by his side as he came to tell of his urgent news.

"Sire," Keith puffed, "I have returned from Aveil early, as I have escaped the clutches of their forces." Ian now hung on his every word. "I was held against my will for any information of Damien's whereabouts, and I apologise, but my life was at stake, so I had to tell the truth. But I am here now telling you of their invading forces. They won't negotiate, and are coming for Damien." Keith concluded.