Prince Lennor waited patiently for his father, King Gombar, to finish giving the last of the orders before sitting down and starting his breakfast. The Prince himself did not want to sit down on any of the twelve seats around the oversized, round table that were positioned in front of big windows overlooking the Palace Garden. Not that he was offered a seat. He did not even want to be there, would have rather preferred taking a long ride in the forest chasing rabbits and foxes. But he had no choice as his father insisted on hearing the latest reports, and that was Prince Lennor’s duty. Giving news. This morning, they were mostly bad, so bad that Prince Lennor knew a shit storm was to hit him, and his stomach has turned into a knot expecting the worst of it.

"So, what do you have for me?" the King asked, but then interrupted his third son before he could speak.

"You look rather pale this morning. So, I guess it's nothing good."

"No, my lord. We have reports from our Southern Border with Matians. They have crossed, burned one of our guard towers, and raided a village."

"What is the damage?"

"Sixteen soldiers and fifty-five villagers killed. They took women and children, about a hundred of them. Two hundred cattle have been lost as well."

"Did they return across the river or continue going north?"

"No, my Lord, they returned across the river before we could send our troops to confront them."

"Monstrous cowards. Just like that. Raid during the night and go back to their desolate lands before the sun comes up."

Prince Lennor left it unsaid on his lips how their lands were poor and ruined ever since his King father last venture there where he burned the whole country down together with all the forest, not more than four years ago.

"If they don't stop, I'll have to send reinforcements there, make them cross the river, burn every one of their villages down. Just like last time."

"Yes, my Lord."

"I'm going to be fifty summers this year. Have been king for the last twenty. I know a thing or two about burning down the villages. Maybe I'll go on a raid or two myself. It's been years since I've done that. Let them just try and do that again."

King Gombar dropped the hot bread bun he just opened up and buttered to his plate without even bringing it to his mouth. He grabbed another bun and spread a thick layer of goose pate over it.

"Now, Matians have been raiding us on and off during the last three seasons. That is not why your face is so pale. So, spill it out."

“Certainly, my Lord, there is also something else. We have information that King Udoln of Spring Elves have gathered a large party and had moved outside of their border to the No-Kings Land."

"Where is he heading?"

"We do not know, my Lord."

"He can't enter No-Kings Land! He knows that. He's risking war? Why? None of the Seven Kingdoms are going to stand up for that. What is he thinking? We won't stand up for that. Get two, no, let's say five regimes to instantly march east. Alert our troops on the border. What is our neighbor, the Weasel doing?"

"King Weezlow is..."

"Oh, don't call him that. He does not deserve it."

"He is celebrating his sister's birthday this week. The City of Lan should be a very jovial place for the next few weeks. Your Majesty has received an invitation as well."

"I'm not interested in going, spending five days in a carriage just so he can brag how rich he is. No, send your niece Martha and my sister Hala in my place."

"Yes, my Lord. I think that is a smart move. Every kingdom was invited and probably will be there. It would look bad if we had no representative there, and Princes Hala-"

“Don't talk to me about my sister. I'd rather want to know... about your sister? Any news about her?”

“The last information we have is that the Knights of Ramtin had engaged Orcs in Sledge Mountains. The report said that a beautiful young woman with long red hair was seen with them. However, we do not know if it was her.”

“Don’t be stupid! How many beautiful young women with long red hair do you think are riding among those Knights of Ramtin?”

“Probably not many.”

The King looked at him with disapproval. “You say 'not many', I’d say not more than one. So, it would be safe to assume that is her.”

“Yes, my Lord”

“In Sledge Mountains? That’s ten days ride from our eastern border. What are Orcs doing there?"

"My Lord, I have informed you the day before yesterday that they raided and burned-"

"I know what you have said two days ago," the King snapped at his son again. "It's just… Ten days. That's not... Not too far away. Maybe she will decide to come home. Maybe she will want to come back."

Prince Lennor decided not to remind his father how his sister vowed never to see her father again unless it was on the battlefield. Some things are better left unsaid.

"I could never understand her," his father continued after a while. "What has possessed her to join those clowns and leave all the comfort and riches that I have bestowed upon you all, leave it all to go and ride with those… misfits and dropouts. Call themselves knights. Fighting monsters? More like children, disobedient, disloyal, spoiled little children doing things to upset and spite their poor loving parents.”

The Prince cleared his throat as he looked for the courage to speak “My dear sister Zuina has not been herself since Martix has been killed.”

“I know that.”

“She loved him dearly.”

“I know. And he was a good boy. A good boy. But to throw everything away to join those… imbeciles… to ride through four corners of Kingdoms and Beyond, to fight Orcs and all the other monsters?”

He stuffed the bread in his cheeks, swallowed it without much chewing, and drank his tea with it.

“I mean, if she wanted to fight monsters, I’ll give her a whole division, a full regime, five hundred spears strong. You tell her that. She can use them any way she wants to. Naturally, she would have to answer and report to me."

"My Lord, I do not have contact with my sister, not since she left."

His father heard him, but it seemed he did not and continued to talk more to himself than anyone else.

"Besides, what is it that we know about those knights? They are supposedly independent of any king, have no liege of their own. Mostly renegade soldiers, and sons and daughters of noblemen whose parents have not…” the King was lost to the words, fully knowing that he was one of the parents, “Taught them that family always comes first. No matter what. And, and… to tell you the truth, I am not so sure that the Weasel is not behind this all. Isn’t his nephew one of the top lieutenants in this gang?”

“Yes, my Lord, Sir Mamaran the Seventh, the son of the king’s younger brother. He left the Kingdom of Lakeshore to join the Knights six months ago.”

“I’m telling you, there is more to this than we know. I bet the Weasel is pulling their strings. I bet they are all doing his bidding. My own daughter.”

“They are very popular in all parts of-”

“I know. Everyone seems to be talking about them. The other day, didn’t you give me the Manifesto of their Code?”

“Yes. It seems very popular with people.”

The Prince was going to add how they seem very popular with commoners and serfs since they take nothing from them but try to protect them, how they might be even more popular than some kings who fail to fight the raiders that come into their land to pillage and murder. He wanted to say those things, but some things are better left unsaid unless you like to hear some harsh words and be verbally abused, feel the brunt of the burning anger of the king.

Silence is golden. Less you speak, the better.

“I think it’s all just gimmicks. I think if not the Weasel, then Ekrian must be behind it all. We need to know more about them. Need to send a soldier who is loyal to us to join them, someone who they cannot turn, someone who can be our informant.”

“That sounds very smart, my Lord.”

The King rubbed his beard for a moment, thinking. “Yes, why don’t you create a list of possible candidates for me? Now, a good candidate would be someone who is high up but, who still has a family here that we don’t mind hanging unless he does what is asked of him. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Make that list. And we’ll go over them later today. We definitely need to keep our eyes on this group of rebels.”

“As you command, my Lord.”

“Is there anything else?”

We have received reports that three of the priests, including the High Priest himself, have moved to our town. I think they are searching for refuge. Should we grant them one?”

“But of course. What do we have to gain if we turn them away?”

“My Lord, their monastery has been mysteriously destroyed as I have informed you yesterday.”

“Yes, yes you did.”

“We do not know by whom. If the same force was to attack them here, our whole city might have the same faith. Some are saying even…”

“What, what are they saying??”

“That the power of Bardan has been summoned and that its Star has destroyed the whole area.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You are too… irrational. The Star of Bardan! How long have old women scared little kids with those stories? And my own son, my own flesh and bones, to believe something like that?”

“I, I was just repeating.”

“Stop stuttering! And stop looking so pale and weak! I order you to sit down and have a cup of tea with me. Some good hot pink water might do your stomach some good, stop you from being such a nervous young boy. Drink some pink, lad! Grow some strength.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“And make an appointment for the High Priest to come and see us. I have a lot of things to discuss with him. He has turned me down previously. I wonder if he will take a knee now or give me the same amount of crap as he did the last time he stood in front of me."