Felton's Throne
Felton stood before his throne, pondering with great difficulty. Where had he gone wrong? Why had the divine plan he had for his kingdom gone totally amiss, he, Felton the great king, master over all he surveys, lord of an undefeatable army. His word was law and his power immeasurable; he was none other than Felton the great king of El-von, the rock that never fades, then he chuckled, the wretched king whose line had reached its end.
He was once married to one of the fairest damsels the kingdom could offer, just the memory of her loving touch sent shivers down his royal spine. Her voice always had the nature of melting his male dominance into a small puff of smoke, what a woman. She was the love of his life, but, how cruel is the hand of fate? When its evil claws stretched forth to claim her from him, in a moment all his happiness had faded into a whole world of shade and shadows.
How many times had he contemplated suicide, how many times had he mourned his wife; wondering if his spirit would ever be free of the guilt that weighs him down. Though his servants had suggested that he pick another, but whom will he choose? Who would be able to fill the void that his loving wife had left behind? No, it will not be possible. After all, the memory of his wife was like an invaluable artifact that he would not dare relinquish. If he should take another, the memory of his beloved wife would fade into nothing, and the only thing that had kept him going up until now, are those memories, “no, I will not abuse the memory of my beloved wife, This is the voice of the king.” he voiced out, he was surprised by the sound that escaped his mouth.
So what should he do concerning his kingdom? How is he to ensure that his royal lineage would continue? How can he protect the royal seat from the wolves and tyrants that seek to claim it when it is time for him to join his ancestors? He wondered, it seemed as though this was a riddle too great for him to solve. If only Lord Joel were here, he would be able to advise him. He always valued the man’s insight in politics, and then it hit him. “Lord Joel, and his son Julian,” yes that would be the perfect solution.
The king rose from his throne and called out in a loud resounding voice, different from the one he had used earlier, summoning his servants to himself. They had been ordered not to disturb the king while he meditated in seclusion. Now they practically ran over each other in order to fulfil the king’s sudden command.
“Summon Lord Joel; tell him I need him in my presence now! And you!” he shouted, pointing to another “summon the court wizard! Tell him he must be here before sunset!”
“Yes my lord,” the servant replied.
“And you,” the king said facing the third servant. “tell the royal cook to prepare a banquet fit for a king,”
“Yes my lord,” the servant, replied, then he hesitated. “what should I tell the cook? I mean the occasion,”
Felton smiled, “the occasion?” He voiced as though the sound of the word had a sweet-smelling savour to it. Then he looked into the eyes of his confused servant and whispered the words slowly, as though he couldn’t believe it himself. “it is a betrothal, between my family and lord Joel’s. This is the voice of the king”. his servant, smiled with such joy that the king felt warmth in his heart.
“It shall be done milord, and congratulations”. then he hurried away.
The Oath
Felton proved to be a man of tact, why else had he become king in the first place. Outwitting all his political competitors and putting them to shame. His father before him had hoped to convert the El-vonian Empire into an elder council ruled state. A process that empowers the hundreds of elders to make all the major political decisions concerning the kingdom. It would have succeeded but for Felton’s quick thinking, proving beyond all reasonable doubt that he was a worthy candidate of the crown. Those were the good old days, the days where he played mind games, exposed secrets, and manipulated the truth. The days when he deceived his allied enemies into destroying each other while he watched at a distance, yes, those were the days. He knew that even though those days were far behind, and his present reign was a period of peace. The moment he passes on, the cycle of political warfare would begin anew, and he needed someone capable of handling things when he was gone.
The great doors leading to the hall slowly opened and one of the guards announced the arrival of Lord Joel, one of the kings most trusted nobles. The king sat proudly on his throne and smiled the moment his friend walked in, Lord Joel stood by the door with half a smile. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt of a traditional make, over a dark pair of trousers, which matched with the dark jacket he wore over his shirt, the man walked boldly towards the king and paid his respect by kissing Felton’s ring.
“Welcome my friend”, Felton greeted, “please sit down, we have much to talk about, This is the voice of your friend.”
Lord Joel was a very cautious man, especially around the king. Years of experience had taught him that any time the king was in a festive mood, then that means that deep down the king was in pain or scheming something nefarious. If he was bursting with energy then he’s deeply troubled, and if the king suddenly decides to make an individual the centre of the universe, like now, then he wants something from that person.
“This is very good wine your highness”, Lord Joel voiced, several minutes into the conversation.
“Definitely a quality brew for a special occasion”. the king replied to Joel’s discomfort.
“I see your highness”, Joel commented, “I guess, I will just have a little, after all, I have no intention of being scolded by my son.”
The moment Lord Joel mentioned his son, he felt the aura of the king’s countenance change. He had unwittingly struck one of the kings sore spots, he wisely kept quiet and waited for the king to speak before he attempted to neutralise the situation.
“If only a king had a gift fit for a king”, Felton whispered quietly, this made Joel uncomfortable.
“I… I don’t understand my lord?” The noble voiced
“You have a son who scolds you when you drink too much wine, and I have none, what you claim is a fortune to you is a misfortune to me”, the king said, “if only I had a son, this is the will of the king”.
“But my lord, you are still blessed with a beautiful daughter”. Joel countered gazing into his drink, thinking he should change the topic of the conversation.
“A daughter who lacks the wits to rule a great kingdom, a daughter unworthy of the political power this throne offers”. the king mourned
“I believe she will make you proud”, the noble adolescent, “She is after all your daughter”,
“You are too naive Joel”, the king replied in a firmer tone, slamming his fist into the armrest of his throne. “She will never reign long in this kingdom with her feeble mind, she will never succeed, not with all those plundering dogs abroad”.
“But your highness...” Joel started trying to plead on the princess’s defence but was cut short by the king’s authoritative index finger.
“Enough Joel, I know my daughter and you do too, do you see a leader in her? Answer me truthfully, heed my voice.” the king growled.
“I see hope”. The noble replied.
“Hope!” the king mocked, “Hope? Hope.” He finally acknowledged, “One reason why you have always been by my side. You always see the best in people, but sometimes hope is not enough. I know one day she will be worthy, but for now she’s useless, we need someone to guide her. This is the voice of the king.”
Lord Joel was about to respond when he noticed that the king had not finished, there and then, he knew that he had ignorantly walked into the king's fabricated trap, the entire conversation had been orchestrated to this very moment. “the grand finally”. The king brought out his ageing hands from his pocket and handed a small golden necklace to his most valued noble with tears in his eyes.
“Joel, son of Aaron you are not a stranger to my crown, and I need a good and strong king to rule this kingdom”, Felton said suddenly.
“But Sire! You are not making any sense,” Joel said in a confused tone, “you know that I live only to serve the crown, not to claim it, I'm not worthy…”
“My friend Joel”, Felton continued, ignoring Joel’s last words. “please, grant my one wish; swear, give me, by your name, an oath to the king”
Lord Joel realised that the king was seriously grieved in his heart, whatever decision the king makes at this moment would become law, such is the way of the king, his instability usually shakes the kingdom right down to its very foundation. At this moment, to disagree with the king, would be like inviting death to ones own doorstep.
“What do you want me to do my lord?” Joel inquired, “I have been faithful from the beginning, up until now, every word you speak is law, and my command”, placing his fist towards his chest.
“Your son is a powerful reflection of his father, evidence of the strength, the meaning of power and the hope of tomorrow…”
“Yes, my son is a young lion, hidden within the golden grass, preparing to call out its resounding battle cry”, Joel voiced in pride.
There was a triumphant smile on the king’s face, “Give him to me, let him be my son and king over this kingdom, so I may die in peace”. Felton spoke after a short pause.
Joel looked at the king for a while, this man wants only the peace of the kingdom, and not the happiness of his only daughter, but who could blame him. It is the duty of a king to bear the burden of the people, to make sacrifices where necessary, such is the burden of a king. One reason why Joel dreaded the crown.
“Sire as you know, even if you offer us all the kingdoms of the world we will not receive it,” Joel said, attempting to refuse the kings offer, without offending the crown. “our purpose is to serve”.
“Which is why I give you the duty of telling your lion-hearted son to marry my beautiful wayward daughter, this is the voice of the king”.
“Your highness, with respect to your throne and your daughter”. lord Joel continued, “please, forgive me when I say this, my son will refuse to marry your daughter. As you well know, to my family, beauty means nothing. We treasure only humility, and the purity of one’s heart. I myself taught my son to look at the beauty within, and not the illusion that most females blind us with, and your daughter? She is as unstable as the water”.
“My friend, it is true that my fatherly love has spoiled my little girl”, Felton said, regretfully, “I showered her with too much money, gold, and precious silver, I was a bad father”
“Bad in bringing up a little girl, but good in making choices for a loving daughter”. Joel corrected,
Felton gave a grin of gratitude to his friend and faithful servant, but that had not solved the problem at hand, so, he tried the direct approach. “Tell me will you convince your son to marry my little girl. This is the voice of the king”.
Once again, Joel was unsure. He knew his son, and an arranged marriage would not go well with someone like Julian, “I don’t know,” was the only responses that the discouraged noble gave.
“You have never refused any of my requests before”, the king said with a serious voice, “Joel please, do not deny me now.”
“The problem is not with me your highness, it is with my son…” Joel responded, “I will try my best, sire, but the decision is his, and his alone.”
“I Felton, the king of EL-VON, hereby offer my daughter, Amina, to Julian, son of Joel, my best friend, and my most faithful servant, captain of the host of EL-VON’S army. This is the voice of the king”.
“My lord!” Joel exclaimed, totally alarmed by the king’s pronouncement.
“It is done on my part. Now swear your oath, and bestow your son to me, this is the voice of the king!” the king demanded
“I.. I,” the noble said, with a heavy heart, “Joel, son of Aaron, captain of the army of EL-VON, humbly, give my son Julian, to the daughter of the king. In honour of my friendship and faithfulness, to the kingdom of EL-VON”
The king smiled triumphantly, as he looked at Joel, who was too busy looking at the ground in defeat. it was obvious that he had no choice in the matter of his son. The king can be forceful at times, but at what cost. How was he to tell his son, how would he obtain Julian’s forgiveness? “Your highness”, he said soberly, “the weight of this deed is too much for my conscience to bear, I do not know how to share this news with my son”.
“You won’t need to tell him,” Felton replied calmly, “we will bind the stars of my daughter and your son together, using the mystic arts, this is the reason why I summoned Xlon, my royal wizard.”
“Do you assume mere magic can change the mind of my son and the nature of your daughter?” Joel inquired doubtfully, His voice slightly raised.
“We can surely try”, Felton responded ringing a small bell that commanded an immediate response, a young man dressed in casual attire rushed into the royal hall and bowed to both the king and to lord Joel, “summon the court wizard now,”
“Yes, sire”, the young man replied, then, ran off to carry out the king’s bidding.
**********
Knowledge of the Stars.
The king and his Noble chatted away when the Court wizard finally walked in, he was an elderly man adorned in the ceremonial cloths of a practitioner of the mystic arts. This brought an end to the royal conversation, as the old man and his son walked in and paid his respects to the king, the tension and the awkwardness returned.
“Xlon you are my trusted wizard,” Felton began, “I wish for you to look upon the stars of my daughter and his son”. Then, he said in a more serious tone, “and bind them together in wedlock. This is the voice of the king”.
“As the king wishes,” the wizard replied, scratching his beard, giving the king a questioning look. ‘This old man is always demanding the impossible,’ he thought quietly,
“but,” the mystic continued, “I will need to locate the stars first, the stars of each of them, then offer sacrifices on behalf of both children. changing their destinies in the process. This will be a loooong process. It will take at least 3mooonths, stars are not easssy to manipulate as other things in existence. It requires a great amount of knowledge and the ability to maintain the balance of existence, the Stars are unstable entities and the act is something that can only be attempted by the godsss, I will then join them in wedlock, but if the gods are not in favour, their stars will never be joined together. The mystic arts are filled with mysteries”.
The king made a gesture of approval and so did Joel, not understanding even one of the mystic’s words. The wizard then tapped the boy who stood beside him twice which prompted the lad to draw out a white handkerchief from his bag. The handkerchief was then placed on the ground neatly (the handkerchief had several magical runes and seals inscribed on it, along with the glowing symbols of the brightest stars in the night sky) then the wizard chanted a few words of magic in an attempt to invoke the celestial forces. In the next instant, the darkroom became as bright as a summer beach, illuminated by the white light flushing out from the small piece of cloth. The king and lord Joel had to shield their mortal eyes from the divine radiance that issued forth from the nether realm, after a long moment the light began to congeal at multiple points imploding upon itself slowly creating a pattern that no human could comprehend. The congealing light produced small white balls in the room, (a perfect replica of the universal star system). “my lords, this is how we the wizards study the stars”, the wizard said in an impressive voice to his two-amazed audience.
Then the wizard spoke a few words and the star of the princess was revealed.
“Sire that is the star of your Daughter” the wizard said as if he had to prove to the king that he was capable of the task, then he spoke some more words of magic and waved his hands as though he intended to banish the star but to his astonishment, it still remained in the same position as before undisturbed.
“I assumed that now the star of my son would be seen, where is it?” Joel observed.
“Lord Joel, yooou are indeed right in your observation. Your son’s star should be seen at this point, but it is not, The mystic arts are filled with mysteries”. even the wizard seemed confused, Joel observed from the furrows on the wizard’s forehead that he is deep in thought. “It can only mean one thing, and I know what It means”, the mystic said with joy, clapping his hands twice to end the illusion and restore the room to its formal state, then, he picked up the white handkerchief which still glowed with starlight radiance and placed it in the boys bag, smiling.
“Where is my son’s star?” Lord Joel asked in a worried tone.
“It seems that I will never understand the ways of wizards, are you going to join the stars together or not? This is the voice of the king!” the king demanded.
“Don’t need to”. the mystic replied offhandedly, as he gathered the rest of his personal possessions.
“Where is my son’s star?” Lord Joel demanded in a panicky tone.
“You saw it,” Xlon replied in a serious tone.
“If that was his son's star, then where is my Daughter’s”, King Felton snapped with a wave of panic equal to that of Lord Joel.
“You just saw it”, the wizard replied, as he finished packing. handing the entire additional load to the servant in waiting. “after all, there is no need for me to manipulate a faith that has already been pre-ordained”.
“What!” The king and Joel said at the same time, completely confused by the wizard’s reply.
“Who can understand the mind of a wizard”. Felton grumbled, “Explain the events of fate with words that even a fool can perceive, or do I have to employ a new court wizard with the wit to share knowledge with a fool? This is the voice of the king.”
“No need for that your highness”. the wizard replied, with a slight smile. “the laws of wedlock are based on the laws of one. In other words, when two stars are in wedlock, they become one”. then he faced the boy that stood by his side, raised his finger of instruction and spoke. “My son when this happens, both stars are already in wedlock”, he gave the king a courtly vow and declared. “Your daughter and his son are already in wedlock, so, be at peace, the Gods are in your favour, my king”. then he put on a serious face, “But there are many trials that they will face.”
With those words, the wizard and his son walked out of the room with the blessing and goodwill of the king, while the king and Lord Joel celebrated as though they had won a war.
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