A deep chapter this is, but this is the start of 'shit hitting the fan' so to speak. As always constructive criticism is always welcome, thank you for your support.
The Journy, Chapter 8 - previous chapter
Chapter 9.
The king drank and drank and drank, snarling and hurling abuse at anyone that came near him, Hannah cried in her chambers refusing to eat or drink.
The atmosphere in the palace, in the citadel was sombre, like a never ceasing storm cloud hovering high up over the place waiting to burst and thrash it’s anguish on all those below.
The king called Vivi and Rubian to the throne room. He sat there in silence, but neither one of them dared to speak, they stood with their heads bowed looking at the red carpet.
“Rubian, I want every single home, shop, stall, warehouse, barrack, waterway, well and gardens searched, for any signs of magic. Anyone found in possession of such items is to be killed right there and then! In fact kill the whole fucking family!” Rubian was pleased with this, anything he could do to cause harm he was more than happy to oblige.
“My lord, please forgive me, but is that wise? To kill that person and the whole family? They might not know they possess an item of magic, they could be clueless.” Vivi pleaded with the king to try and get him to see reason. “My lord never have I led you astray, for it is against mine nature to do so, bound by the ancient language. I cannot lie to you, but this course of action could lead to revolt with your people.”
The king sat slumped on his throne groggily looked up at Vivi, his eyes dark as dark could be, the usual hazel colour no longer there. He tried to stand but fell back on to the seat. He motioned for Vivi to come closer. Vivi slowly but cautiously moved forward, but still the king beckoned him to come closer, until Vivi was standing right next to him, his face to the side of the Kings.
Thomaz whispered, spitting at the same time, “Ser Vivi… Did I give you permission to fucking speak?” Suddenly the hilt of a dagger hit Vivi hard in the jaw making him stumble backwards.
Vivi rubbed the side of his face, nursing the welt that began to appear as Rubian sniggered by the side of him.
“But as usual the Elf is right… Rubian, any item of magic you find in the search, confiscate them and destroy them. Raise the taxes. Anyone who can’t pay will be arrested, or I will deal with them personally” Thomaz said, smiling as he remembered how he’d dealt with Aaron.
Julia walked into the throne room, she curtsied low to the ground. “My lord I apologize for interrupting, but it’s her majesty the queen, she hasn’t eaten or drank anything in 3 days.”
“Why isn’t she eating or drinking? I’m fucking drinking” Thomaz made a point of draining his goblet and demanding more wine to a nearby maid. “They were my kids too and I still manage to do my job, like telling this dickheads what they should be doing.”
Julia didn’t respond, she wasn’t sure how too, the lack of response angered the king. “For fuck sake” Thomaz slowly stood up, wobbling as he did, he stood rooted to the spot for a few moments until the room stopped spinning, he staggered forward, and down the red carpet of the great hall, until he got to the doors, he stumbled, clutching the door frame, he projectile vomited all over the floor. Vivi went to move forward to offer assistance but Thomaz pushed him back forcefully.
“Queen Hannah please, please don’t do that!” The wet nurse screamed loudly. “Please, please don’t do that…”
Hannah’s mind was lost, from the heartbreak and distraught from losing her babies, her mind had fallen into the depths of darkness. Thomaz stormed in to find his wife screaming and wailing words that made no sense while waving a knife around in the air.
Hannah’s eyes met Thomaz’s and paused, her face full of rage. “It’s… your… fault!” She spat at him, but Thomaz didn’t move, he stood there and let his wife throw insult after insult at him, telling him how bad of a husband, king, brother, and father he is. Screaming about how worthless he is, and his father was a much better suitor as king.
Thomaz walked forward grabbing Hannah’s wrist and pulled the knife from her grip, handing it to Vivi behind his back, Vivi taking it carefully and handing it to a guard outside.
“Vivi,” Thomaz asked, “Can you make her sleep?”
“For a few hours, yes my lord” Vivi walked forward, no showmanship this time, he placed a glowing orange hand on Queen Hannah’s head and she quickly succumbed to sleep, Thomaz catching her body weight and gently placing her on the bed.
Thomaz sits in a chair next to the bed, staring at Hannah quietly. His face is blank of any emotions. He stands up suddenly, “Rubian go do what I told you to do.”
Thomaz walked to the doorway of his chambers, then glanced over his shoulders at Vivi. “The dwarves have asked for your assistance. Go see what they want and report back to me!” With that he disappeared down the corridors of the palace.
Vivi sighed, he gave instructions to the wet nurse to keep a close eye on the queen, and made for the stables.
Rubian takes a group of soldiers and ransacks every property, shop, stall and warehouse, leaving chaos and damage in his wake, finding no magical items or artefacts but coming across a few simple shrewd crosses of worship, and deciding he’d confiscate those instead.
The hag, the witch of the caves, the illusive snake walks through the palace in the dead of the night as she often does, but this time with an ulterior motive. No magic involved this time because the blasted elf she hated so much, this time it would be simple but effective, straight to the point. Glancing around to make sure the coast is clear, she walks into the queen's chambers, Hannah exhausted, and is seen attempting to reach her goblet for a drink…
“Now, now my dear queen” The hag said, trying to put on her best voice, but still with somewhat of a croak. “Let me help you with this.” She reached for the goblet and poured a small vial of clear liquid into it before handing it to the queen. “There you go, drink it up nice and slowly my queen.”
The queen drank up, and lay back down, no sooner than she did her eyes glazed over, and foam appeared at her mouth, with a small rattling breath she fell asleep never to wake up again. The hag cleaned up the foam from the corners of Hannah’s mouth before disappearing into the shadows once again.
Thomaz walks into his chambers and lays down in the bed, his arm brushes against Hannah and he feels how cold she is, he reaches to pull the covers over her, realising he’d had no response he shakes her gently, pulling her body close to him he notices here colourless clouded eyes, he pauses his minding struggling to process what he is seeing. Roaring in rage, panting heavily, spit drooling down the corners of his mouth, he unsheathed his sword, and storms through the palace killing every single maid and servant in the building, leaving a bloody mess of carnage behind him.
The Journy, Chapter 8 - previous chapter
Chapter 9.
The king drank and drank and drank, snarling and hurling abuse at anyone that came near him, Hannah cried in her chambers refusing to eat or drink.
The atmosphere in the palace, in the citadel was sombre, like a never ceasing storm cloud hovering high up over the place waiting to burst and thrash it’s anguish on all those below.
The king called Vivi and Rubian to the throne room. He sat there in silence, but neither one of them dared to speak, they stood with their heads bowed looking at the red carpet.
“Rubian, I want every single home, shop, stall, warehouse, barrack, waterway, well and gardens searched, for any signs of magic. Anyone found in possession of such items is to be killed right there and then! In fact kill the whole fucking family!” Rubian was pleased with this, anything he could do to cause harm he was more than happy to oblige.
“My lord, please forgive me, but is that wise? To kill that person and the whole family? They might not know they possess an item of magic, they could be clueless.” Vivi pleaded with the king to try and get him to see reason. “My lord never have I led you astray, for it is against mine nature to do so, bound by the ancient language. I cannot lie to you, but this course of action could lead to revolt with your people.”
The king sat slumped on his throne groggily looked up at Vivi, his eyes dark as dark could be, the usual hazel colour no longer there. He tried to stand but fell back on to the seat. He motioned for Vivi to come closer. Vivi slowly but cautiously moved forward, but still the king beckoned him to come closer, until Vivi was standing right next to him, his face to the side of the Kings.
Thomaz whispered, spitting at the same time, “Ser Vivi… Did I give you permission to fucking speak?” Suddenly the hilt of a dagger hit Vivi hard in the jaw making him stumble backwards.
Vivi rubbed the side of his face, nursing the welt that began to appear as Rubian sniggered by the side of him.
“But as usual the Elf is right… Rubian, any item of magic you find in the search, confiscate them and destroy them. Raise the taxes. Anyone who can’t pay will be arrested, or I will deal with them personally” Thomaz said, smiling as he remembered how he’d dealt with Aaron.
Julia walked into the throne room, she curtsied low to the ground. “My lord I apologize for interrupting, but it’s her majesty the queen, she hasn’t eaten or drank anything in 3 days.”
“Why isn’t she eating or drinking? I’m fucking drinking” Thomaz made a point of draining his goblet and demanding more wine to a nearby maid. “They were my kids too and I still manage to do my job, like telling this dickheads what they should be doing.”
Julia didn’t respond, she wasn’t sure how too, the lack of response angered the king. “For fuck sake” Thomaz slowly stood up, wobbling as he did, he stood rooted to the spot for a few moments until the room stopped spinning, he staggered forward, and down the red carpet of the great hall, until he got to the doors, he stumbled, clutching the door frame, he projectile vomited all over the floor. Vivi went to move forward to offer assistance but Thomaz pushed him back forcefully.
“Queen Hannah please, please don’t do that!” The wet nurse screamed loudly. “Please, please don’t do that…”
Hannah’s mind was lost, from the heartbreak and distraught from losing her babies, her mind had fallen into the depths of darkness. Thomaz stormed in to find his wife screaming and wailing words that made no sense while waving a knife around in the air.
Hannah’s eyes met Thomaz’s and paused, her face full of rage. “It’s… your… fault!” She spat at him, but Thomaz didn’t move, he stood there and let his wife throw insult after insult at him, telling him how bad of a husband, king, brother, and father he is. Screaming about how worthless he is, and his father was a much better suitor as king.
Thomaz walked forward grabbing Hannah’s wrist and pulled the knife from her grip, handing it to Vivi behind his back, Vivi taking it carefully and handing it to a guard outside.
“Vivi,” Thomaz asked, “Can you make her sleep?”
“For a few hours, yes my lord” Vivi walked forward, no showmanship this time, he placed a glowing orange hand on Queen Hannah’s head and she quickly succumbed to sleep, Thomaz catching her body weight and gently placing her on the bed.
Thomaz sits in a chair next to the bed, staring at Hannah quietly. His face is blank of any emotions. He stands up suddenly, “Rubian go do what I told you to do.”
Thomaz walked to the doorway of his chambers, then glanced over his shoulders at Vivi. “The dwarves have asked for your assistance. Go see what they want and report back to me!” With that he disappeared down the corridors of the palace.
Vivi sighed, he gave instructions to the wet nurse to keep a close eye on the queen, and made for the stables.
Rubian takes a group of soldiers and ransacks every property, shop, stall and warehouse, leaving chaos and damage in his wake, finding no magical items or artefacts but coming across a few simple shrewd crosses of worship, and deciding he’d confiscate those instead.
The hag, the witch of the caves, the illusive snake walks through the palace in the dead of the night as she often does, but this time with an ulterior motive. No magic involved this time because the blasted elf she hated so much, this time it would be simple but effective, straight to the point. Glancing around to make sure the coast is clear, she walks into the queen's chambers, Hannah exhausted, and is seen attempting to reach her goblet for a drink…
“Now, now my dear queen” The hag said, trying to put on her best voice, but still with somewhat of a croak. “Let me help you with this.” She reached for the goblet and poured a small vial of clear liquid into it before handing it to the queen. “There you go, drink it up nice and slowly my queen.”
The queen drank up, and lay back down, no sooner than she did her eyes glazed over, and foam appeared at her mouth, with a small rattling breath she fell asleep never to wake up again. The hag cleaned up the foam from the corners of Hannah’s mouth before disappearing into the shadows once again.
Thomaz walks into his chambers and lays down in the bed, his arm brushes against Hannah and he feels how cold she is, he reaches to pull the covers over her, realising he’d had no response he shakes her gently, pulling her body close to him he notices here colourless clouded eyes, he pauses his minding struggling to process what he is seeing. Roaring in rage, panting heavily, spit drooling down the corners of his mouth, he unsheathed his sword, and storms through the palace killing every single maid and servant in the building, leaving a bloody mess of carnage behind him.
