Needle in a haystack
Footsteps could be heard pounding against the hard surface of the central road. A lone figure was walking quickly in the direction of the court. Normally, a man of his status would not be seen at this late hour unescorted. However, these were not ordinary circumstances.
Taufus Lanse was the assistant of the chief diviner and record keeper of the kingdom. Above all, he was a mage.
Long ago according to tradition, magic was all present throughout the world. At the time when gods lived among men, certain people could wield its powers.
After the demons invaded, and the gods moved away into their celestial realm, magic slowly trickled out of the world. Only small amounts of it are left. Mages are one of the few who can still employ it.
Taufus was hurrying up to give news to the king of a discovery he had made while rummaging through old records. King Plamus IV., the ruler of the western port city of Akelon, had tasked him with one very important mission.
"Use your magic, if you have to," he recalled the king as saying.
Finally, he was able to deliver.
Akelon was one of the city-states on the western side of the continent. It was located at the edge of the Green Sea, and served as an important hub for goods coming from both the interior, but also from across the seas.
The ancestor of Plamus IV., a certain man named Bloodbeard the Rough, had been a pirate. He preyed on the merchant ships of the Green Sea, and grew enormously rich doing it. With his ill-gotten wealth, he was able to assemble a large flotilla of ships and conquer the city of Akelon.
After the conquest, he installed himself on the throne as the first ruler of the Bloodbeard dynasty. In order to have insurance in case things didn't work out for him in the city-state, he had hidden away a large portion of his gold on some remote island.
No one knew where it was. Apparently, he had left clues to its location in his former home, an old pirate fort, but the location of that had also been forgotten through the ages. Plamus had tasked Taufus with trying to find where it was.
Taufus might finally have succeeded. Among the old records, hidden away in an ancient library, he found the diary of one of the captains of Bloodbeard's pirate flotilla. While Bloodbeard himself was illiterate, that was not always the case among his commanders.
"You can find gold in the most unexpected of places," one of his old teachers used to say. Who knew this could also apply to a few sheets of rotting paper written by a crook.
"A royal dynasty stemming from a pirate," murmured the mage, a grin on his face.
As he approached the king's palace, the mage made sure to appear presentable. After days spent wading through the decrepit library, he had developed severe black shadows under his eyes, and his clothes certainly looked like clothes that hadn't been cleaned in weeks.
Recognizing the assistant of the chief diviner and record keeper of the kingdom, the guards at the front gate let Taufus through. However, now he had to deal with the king's chief slipper keeper. That one was always a tough cookie.
Coming down in his nightgown, the chief slipper keeper did not look happy.
"What is the matter with you? Can't you see people are sleeping? What are you doing here at this ungodly hour?" Screaming at the top of his lungs was a specialty of the man whose role was to give the king his footwear in the morning.
Apart from that function, the chief slipper keeper also played a variety of other roles. He was the king's chief advisor, his chief assistant, kept his agenda, and also tasted and poured his wine during meals.
"Why do you want to disturb His Royal Majesty King Plamus the Fourth of His Name, Ruler of Akelon, Lord of Astal, Oberon, Tikanmul, the Isle of Flowers, Lord-Protector of the Seas, Destroyer of the Fire Bridge, most beloved of the Gods? This is despicable," stated Bulus, the king's assistant, in the most annoying voice possible.
"Sorry, sir. It's just that I have news that cannot wait," apologized Taufus, as he nervously hopped from one foot to the other.
"Very well. What do you have for us?"
Taufus straightened up and pulled out a very scrappy looking book from under his sleeve. It appeared old and worn, and many of the pages were falling out.
The man in the nightgown took it from his hands. Flipping through it, he would periodically stop in order to read certain passages.
"Is this what we were looking for?" He asked.
"It certainly could be. The pages contain sets of coordinates and other information. I am still trying to decipher some of the passages, but it really does look like we found the needle in the haystack," replied Taufus Lanse.
"Excellent," smiled Bulus.
"Can I see the king? It's what he was waiting for," Taufus was quite eager to present what he found to the royal.
"Come in! Come in! However, the king is sleeping now. We don't want to disturb him," stated the chief slipper keeper. "We will have to present the book to the king tomorrow. Together."
"But... He told me to come day or night," protested Taufus.
"No, I have instructions to let him sleep. Tomorrow morning, I bring him his slippers. Then we can present the book," stated Bulus, ushering the other man inside.
He then paused, as if to think. An idea popped into his head.
"You can also exceptionally preside over the divination ceremony. The king is to make some important decisions and would like guidance from the gods," he continued. "But now is time for rest."
Taufus, attempted to protest once again, but was quickly taken to a side bedroom and left alone. Everything will have to wait until the morning.
--
The plot
"It's done, my lady," bowed the servant.
"So you have delivered the message?" The mid-aged woman continued to look in the mirror as she was adjusting her make-up.
"Yes, my lady," answered the short man standing at the door.
She gave him a brief glance and then motioned for him to come in. She pointed at a small sack of coins on the table.
"You are very generous, my lady," smiled the servant.
She just nodded. With that, the exchange between the two was finished. The servant took the sack of coins and went on his way.
The lady smirked, while painting her eyebrows. Her plan has been set into motion. Slowly things will fall into place.
Lady Kikadema, or Kika, was the fifth wife of king Plamus IV. She rose from being a lowly concubine in the king's harem, to the official position of his wife. The fifth, and final wife. There were four other ladies in front of her in the hierarchy.
Hard as she tried, she never bore the king an offspring. That put her in an uncomfortable position. The wives who are mothers of the king's sons usually enjoy certain privileges and influence.
Traditionally, it is the oldest son that inherits the throne. Prince Plamus the Younger, was the official heir. He was to become the ruler upon the death of his father.
He was the son of Lady Estera, the first wife of the king. There was no love lost between her and Kika. It was very evident that when the change of ruler would take place, the fifth wife would be banished from the palace.
"What an arrogant prick," Lady Kika mumbled under her breath. It annoyed her that Prince Plamus the Younger was already present at all the official functions. She couldn't stand the way his arrogant gaze coldly scanned the room. It sent shivers down her spine.
In her mind, Lady Kika pictured his every little, annoying mannerism. How he paced the room when angry. How he would tap his fingers when nervous. How he liked to raise his voice and berate anyone who challenged him.
She felt a sense of dread whenever she thought of him. It was he who was going to hold all the power in the kingdom. If the current king died, her status would be reduced to nothing.
In a world, where Plamus the Younger ascends the throne as Plamus V., there was no place for Lady Kika. There was one factor playing for her however. She had not gotten this far by being passive. She knew what needed to be done.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Soon, if things went according to plan, prince Plamus the Younger would be no more.
--
The golden slippers
Taufus Lanse woke up at the break of dawn in order to witness the king's morning handing of the slippers ceremony. He put on his clothes and walked over to the side of the palace where the grand sleeping chamber was located.
When he arrived at the door to the chamber, a small crowd of dignitaries was assembled there already. They were chatting between each other in low voices, anticipating what was to come. On the side, Bulus, the king's chief slipper keeper was talking quietly to a small stocky man dressed in wide, free-flowing robes.
Taufus took a glance at the stocky man, and noticed a thick silver chain wrapped around his neck. His eyes zeroed in on the three round green stones at the bottom of the chain. He had never seen such a design before.
At that moment, the guards in front of the door to the chamber uncrossed their pikes and stood at attention. The time had come. Bulus, stopped talking with his companion, and moved towards the front of the crowd. He grabbed a pair of golden slippers that an attendant had brought him, and placed them on a tray.
Putting the tray on his hands, he recited a small prayer. After this, two of the guards opened the doors, revealing a large room with a huge bed. The king lay on a humongous white pillow, and was covered up by a stack of sheets.
One of the attendants walked in first, and opened up the curtains. Rays of light immediately illuminated the room. Bulus, the chief slipper keeper, marched in after him, and slowly tucked on the king's sheets. King Plamus, just turned around and continued on sleeping.
"Sire, it's time to wake up," said Bulus softly. "We have some very big news for you today." He then gently shook the king's shoulder. On that, the king finally opened his eyes.
"Damn it! I had such a nice dream," Plamus replied, as he wiped his eyes.
"I am sure you did, your highness." Bulus bowed his head and continued, "Here are your slippers. They have been blessed for the day."
"Very well," the king got out of bed and put on the slippers his chief slipper keeper handed to him.
During this exchange, most of the people waiting outside quietly entered the room. Taufus was among them. It was not the first time he attended the ceremony, but it's been at least two years since he was present.
The king was then escorted to take his morning bath, and to get dressed. This took about an hour. In the meanwhile, the crowd had dispersed. Only Taufus was left sitting outside the king's sleeping chamber, waiting to be called upon.
Finally, one of the attendants arrived and ushered him into the king's private study. There, the king sat, dressed in golden robes laced with precious stones. To his side, his chief slipper keeper and advisor Bulus was staring intently at the man who had just entered the room.
Taufus bowed his head, and then proceeded to sit on a chair across from the king.
"You have some wonderful news for me, I hear!" King Plamus flashed a smile.
"I do, your Majesty!" Taufus took out the book from under his clothes.
Plamus' eyes lighted up. "Is this what we were looking for?"
"It could be. There is a list of coordinates. These will of course need to be checked out, but I have the suspicion that one of these is the place," replied Lanse, leafing through the book.
"Very well," Plamus then looked at Bulus, his advisor. "I want these coordinates checked out. Please make the necessary arrangements."
Bulus lowered his head and replied, "Yes sire. However, this will require significant resources and the mounting of an expedition."
"Spare no expense," snapped back the king. "We need this to be found. We will be rewarded a thousand times over!"
"It will be done, sire!" With that Bulus took the book and motioned for Taufus Lanse to follow him.
--
Dispute between neighbors
In the afternoon, the king attended to his routine matters. Yet, his mind was focused on other things. A heavy cloud had been hanging over him in the past few weeks. His kingdom was on the brink of conflict.
Storms were brewing on the horizon. The situation on the borders was getting tense. A delegation from the neighboring city-state of Baudan had arrived at the court. Its ambassador had been clamoring to meet the king as soon as possible. King Plamus IV. was hesitating.
The meeting with the delegation was finally scheduled for that day. Before that was to happen, he wanted to be briefed by his top generals and advisors.
He called them over to the giant strategy room. Painted maps covered its walls, full of statues of prominent generals and diplomats from Akelon's past, it was one of the most impressive parts of the palace.
In the middle, a grand table was covered by a large map of the Green Sea.
"Sire, as you can see here on the map, our kingdom is situated in a very delicate geographical position," stated general Akus Aktal, one of the top commanders and a master strategist. He continued, "that means we have to weigh our options carefully. Here you see Akelon, the capital city. Below, on the coast we have Astal, and then inland the city of Oberon."
The general described the country's major cities located on the continent. Formerly their own city-states, they had been incorporated into the kingdom hundreds of years ago.
"Has the situation on our southern border stabilized? The hostilities have ended, but it still worries me," asked the king.
"Sire, we have concluded a peace treaty with the kingdom of Dasmoydan. We have scored a decisive victory against them. Our kingdom is secure there," stated the general.
"Yes, we have built up our fortifications, and garrisoned extra troops. Somehow I feel that might not be enough." The king had a worried look. He knew how vulnerable his kingdom really was, how the war with its southern neighbor had exposed weaknesses which were hard to cover up.
The royal took a long breath, and sighed. He then eyed the map and posed another question to the general.
"But what about the Isle of Flowers, and our position on Celenor?"
The general pointed at the map and replied: "Your Majesty! As you can see here on the map, the Isle of Flowers is highly strategic for us. It sits halfway between the continent, and the much larger island of Celenor. It's a small island, but due to its location this is where the bulk of our navy is placed."
"And Celenor? Here we hold Tikanmul," quizzed the king.
"Yes, that is correct, sire," answered the general. "As you recall, Tikanmul was conquered by your illustrious ancestor, Bloodbeard. It's a veritable architectural wonder, it contains many stony temples, and is known for its elaborate stone carvings of heads of ancient rulers and gods. It is a spiritual capital for us, and of course my hometown."
The king smiled: "Yes, you come from a lovely region. Hopefully, I can visit again one day."
"You are welcome, Your Majesty! Your loyal subjects there are eagerly awaiting your arrival," replied general Aktal. "It will bolster their spirits."
"Do we foresee any troubles?" The king steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. It was a source of his constant worry.
A prophecy had once foretold that a careless king will forsake the legacy of Bloodbeard and cause his kingdom's downfall.
"I am not careless", he kept reminding himself in front of the mirror in private. "I take care to secure my kingdom."
In the past few years, the situation had been growing more difficult. Enemies were circling around his country, like vultures waiting for a feast. He would not give them that satisfaction.
There were days, even weeks when king Plamus neglected his ruling duties, however the fear of the prophecy kept him coming back.
Often falling into daydreams, the king always needed to mentally slap himself to get back to reality.
With his kingdom spread across the sea, its defense was difficult. The king knew he needed to place adequate resources in the right places, resources he didn't have.
"What's the situation in Tikanmul?"
"Its position makes it vulnerable to attack. Far away from the motherland, and nestled between several hostile states, we have made the territory into a veritable fortress," general Dumu Sanmal stepped in.
"Do we need to strengthen its defenses?" The king had a worried look.
"Unfortunately, the kingdom of Akelon is not always on friendly terms with the surrounding countries. While the different disputes do not necessarily spill over into real armed conflicts, the army is eternally on the edge," answered general Sanmal.
He then continued: "While the different states on Celenor are threatening, we don't feel they are a grave danger at the moment. It is Baudan, here on the continent that is an especially problematic neighbor."
"Very well. We will need to be tough with them," concluded the king.
After the king's session with the generals closed, he moved over to the grand throne hall where he received his audiences. The royal ministers were already there, getting ready to welcome the delegation of Baudan.
At that time, Taufus Lanse joined the king and his ministers. He presided over the divination ceremony, in order to try to gauge the future. These were held every time an important decision was to be made.
This time, the omens were inconclusive. They pointed to the need of strong action, but with caveats. The strength of the fighting forces needed to be augmented before anything was to be done. The king discussed the signs with his ministers before the delegation from Baudan was let in.
Before the doors to the hall were opened, the official announcer played the horn, and then announced who was to come in.
"Your Majesty! The official delegation from Baudan. Here to discuss matters of neighborly relations," shouted the announcer. As he finished, the guards swung the doors wide open.
In entered a group of five men. The ambassador was in the front. Dressed in white wide-flowing robes laced with gold, he held his head high. Behind him, walked three men, similarly dressed, only with their robes being laced with purple. One of them was holding the crest of Baudan. Behind them, a man dressed in military gear followed.
At the front of the hall sat the king. Perched high on his throne, he stared intently at the men walking towards him. To his right, sat Plamus the Younger, the official heir to the kingdom. His piercing eyes were scanning the room, from time to time settling on one person, and then moving on.
The delegation stopped a short distance from the king, bowed, and then raised their heads. The ambassador cleared his throat, and began a short speech.
"Your Majesty! Greetings from His Royal Highness King Manel, the Second of his name, king of Baudan, the Blessed Isle, and the Sea Territories, beloved of the gods, protector of the seas, and guardian of the oppressed," stated the ambassador.
"Greetings to you, ambassador. May the friendship between our nations ring eternal," replied the king of Akelon.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! However, we are here on a mission from our king pertaining to a rather delicate matter. Your ships have been blocking our fishermen from accessing their primary fishing grounds," came back the Baudian ambassador.
"Yes, but those are located in our territorial waters. I would like to further point to our trading fleet not being able to pass through the strait between Baudan and the Blessed Isle. This means they have to go far west of the Isle on the open waters, making it a much more dangerous and lengthy passage back to our ports," stated Plamus IV.
Everyone in the room was fixed on the faces of the Baudian delegation. Plamus the Younger was giving them the evil eye. He was sure nothing good was going to come out of the talks.
The ambassador coughed, and with a strained voice replied: "They are welcome to pass, but they need to pay the toll. All ships passing through the strait must pay the tax."
Plamus the Younger could not hold himself back: "This was not the policy in the past. Ships could get through unimpeded."
"Yes, but the past is the past. This is the present, and all ships must pay the toll," replied the ambassador.
"Then no Baudian fishing ships may pass through our waters!" Plamus the son began shouting. His father put up his hand and signaled him to calm down.
"Go back to your king, and tell him this. We will let your fishing ships pass through our waters to their fishing grounds, as long as you lift the toll for Akelonian trading ships and let them pass through the strait. That is our condition," stated the king while looking at the ambassador.
"Very well. I shall deliver the message," replied the ambassador. While he uttered those words, the delegation bowed their heads and walked backwards to exit the hall. As they left, the guards shut the doors behind them.
