Home
through mist and shadow
IP: 82.19.140.112
Posted on January 29, 2014 at 04:30:25 AM by arthur

Tyrannical rulers made unstable kings; a monarch made a contract with their people when they were crowned, to serve and to be served. Fear could only achieve so much, Arthur believed, it required mutual respect and affection for a kingdom to thrive. A bad king could be deposed, for he was one man and his subjects were many and he could not hope to stand against them alone. A king who held the love and loyalty of his subjects was fortunate indeed. Arthur had learned in his first life that to be the ruler he wanted to be he had to put the concerns of his subjects above his own. What he did he did with their best interests at heart, always. He was teaching son to do the same. Arthur had raised the boy to duty and service and despite the boy’s adolescent wildness; he hoped that his lessons had been absorbed. Tristan would need them when he was gone. A crown was a heavy thing and a kingdom pressed upon the shoulders of he who bore it.

Arthur looked back over his shoulder at the guards when the girl mentioned the man on the parapet, an amused smile playing subtly in the corner of his mouth.
“Look into it, Captain,” the king said slowly, his gaze settling back on Norah. The other man opened his mouth to protest,
“Your Grace,” he argued, “she’s obviously ly—” Arthur waved him into silence, turning to face the guard once more, his eyes taking on a slightly sterner edge.
“And yet,” he replied his voice firm, but retaining some of the lightness of good humour, “we believe in justice. If she is not lying and you find this other intruder, then her case is substantially strengthened. I would say it was worth looking, wouldn’t you?” The king had not once raised his voice, it remained even and even conversational and yet the Captain was perturbed from arguing any further. He nodded, gesturing for two of the guards at his back to join him as he gave them their instruction; Arthur returned his attention to their prisoner. “What’s your name?” he enquired, not unkindly, his expression more encouraging than forbidding.

“Leave us,” the king commanded without allowing his gaze to wander from the intruder’s face. She had his curiosity peaked and all of his attention. The Captain however protested again, and Arthur waved for his silence once more. “You can wait on the other side of the door, Captain,” he said, smiling anew, “I don’t think we’re going to try and harm one another, are we?” The guard’s hazel eyes fell on Nora, narrowing as he studied her face suspiciously before finally complying. The door swung hut at his back with a groaning of hinges before the lock clicked into place and the king was left alone with his mysterious trespasser. The resultant silence seemed to buzz, filling up the spaces where the guards had stood just moments ago. They had taken the sounds of breathing and clinking of armour with them out the door. The only one left with a weapon of any description was the king.
“Speak,” he urged her eventually, filling the hush with his deep voice, still playing the part of monarch, not man. “Do you have information?” he mused out loud, his eyes taking on a playful glimmer, “or do you seek it?”

photo by james_clear at flickr.com






Replies:

Post a reply:
Name:
Email:
Subject:
Message:
Link Name:
Link URL:
Image URL:
Password To Edit Post:
Check this box if you want to be notified via email when someone replies to your post.






Create Your Own Free Message Board or Free Forum!
Hosted By Boards2Go Copyright © 2020


<-- -->