The King's Ancestors Read online

  He longed to tell Master Fields the whole truth, but knew he needed to wait until the time was right. Now it seemed that the time had slipped away from him and he thought: Soon, Master Fields, I will take you to Andronicus and tell you everything.

  Aunt Jessica smiled as she viewed the couple walking toward her hand in hand. She was very hard on Lorriel for isolating her for over 3 years with Andronicus up above Brickens' Falls. She had to endure the knowledge of the battle with the Wickshields, Edward’s death and then her husband’s. She wept and cried alone during those years, hurting even more because she could not be there for her other two children.

  When Lorriel finally came to her she vented that anger and frustration on her for the imposed exile. But now, no trace of that anger remained, it was forgotten in the birth of her grandchildren and the joy of seeing her children happily married.

  Raven, likewise had turned out to be a gifted and resourceful king, and she was very proud of him. She was still wearing the smile as she headed off to find little Edward for breakfast.

  Midway through breakfast, a messenger entered the great hall and bowed. King Raven motioned for him to approach and deliver his urgent message, already knowing what it would be.

  “Mason Zandel has sent me to inform you that his father has passed away in the night. He invites you and the rest of the dukes to honor his father at his burial tomorrow.”

  Raven nodded and said; “Inform Mason we will come tomorrow to honor the passing of a great duke of Glenfair.”

  The man saluted the king and spun smartly about face and marched in a military fashion out of the great hall.

  Rebekka turned to Raven and said what he was thinking: “What will this mean for the dukes of Glenfair?”

  “I do not know,” replied Raven. “Tomorrow will reveal to us what Mason intends to do now as duke. I am sure the Crestlaws will come here tonight so we can journey tomorrow together. Lorriel would not miss an opportunity to see you or aunt Jessica, so we should make preparations for their arrival.”

  Master Fields entered the dinning hall and approached those sitting at the table. He greeted Rebekka, the king and aunt Jessica (feeling more comfortable with her now that time had passed), .

  “Sire, I have just heard of Balcor’s death and would like to go with you to the funeral if I may.”

  Raven smiled and said, “Indeed you shall go with us tomorrow, for the Zandels are your relatives and you should be there.” Master Fields seemed to relax at this statement as Raven continued to speak “Tonight, after the Crestlaws arrive, I would like you to join us for a meeting.”

  Master Fields then left to attend other business as Raven turned and spoke to Rebekka, “Talk to Lorriel and inform her of Balcor’s death, then make sure they are coming here tonight with Sauron.”

  Rebekka closed her eyes and concentrated her thoughts, reaching out to Lorriel’s mind across the distance of Glenfair and after a long pause said to Raven, “They will be here.”

  Early evening came and the Crestlaws arrived. Lorriel dismounted quickly, ran up to aunt Jessica and gave her a big hug, then Rebekka and lastly Raven. By that time Andrew and Sauron had dismounted.

  When they greeted the king, Raven requested a meeting in his council chamber after they had gotten settled.

  Soon Raven, Master Fields, Sauron, and Andrew were seated in the council chamber discussing tomorrows events. There seemed one looming question before them all, what kind of duke would Mason Zandel be. There had been nothing but cooperation and trust since the war and Raven wanted nothing more than to keep that same peace in Glenfair. He knew that could be quickly ruined by one ambitious duke who did not support the feast or tried to acquire more land than was allotted. Power sometimes had a way of changing people.

  Andrew spoke of his concerns with Raven as they discussed Mason’s temperament and past reputation for cruelty.

  As the young men conversed back and forth the older men kept silent until this was noticed by Raven. “You have not said anything Master Fields or you Sauron.”

  Master Fields then cleared his throat and spoke: “I hesitate to say anything sire, for Mason Zandel is a relative of mine and I feel perhaps my opinion would be of less use in this discussion.”

  “Nonsense,” replied Raven, “please speak forth your opinion.”

  Master Fields began again; “It is true that Mason has in the past exhibited a cruel streak, and a hardness in character, but I noticed something about him after the war. I think the war changed him, made him see beyond himself to the greater picture of the whole of Glenfair and not just his little realm. When you explained the advantage the special armor gave you in the battle, it was Mason who spoke up on your behalf. He has been running the affairs of the Zandels since his father was unable, I have heard no evil report from my relatives concerning him.”

  “Perhaps he has changed,” Raven dared to hope. He then looked to Sauron and motioned for him to speak.

  Sauron, in his relaxed way began his opinion; “All dukes are subject to the king, and the king is subject to the dukes. It should be made very clear to him that he will be subject to the king’s laws, and the rest of the dukes will hold him accountable for any misuse of his position. But be assured of this, we should judge no man until his actions prove him untrue to his dukeship or his king.”

  Raven nodded gravely remembering the actions of his father against the Crestlaws with no visible proof. He would not follow that path and prejudge Mason before he proved unfit as a duke, on the contrary he would give him more leeway than was necessary to prove himself.

  “I agree,” Raven stated, “we shall not assume or take any ill action toward Mason unless it is clear he is unfit to rule. We will give him the standard encouragement and instruction which is traditional as we officially declare him duke of the southeast.” With that the meeting was adjourned and everyone retired to their quarters.

  In their quarters Rebekka questioned him about the meeting and the next day’s events. “You are worried about what kind of duke Mason will be, aren’t you?”

  Raven nodded but did not say anything.

  Rebekka smiled and went on, “Before you were king you never thought about what kind of dukes ruled and how they treated their people, but now it is a great concern to you. I know you care for the kingdom greatly and want what is best for her people, it is what makes you a great king. But I think worrying about things before they happen can be too much of a burden for you. Let time take care of some of the matters you can not change.”

  Raven started to say something but Rebekka held up her hand and continued, “Should I worry about what kind of child we will have? About its health and all of its toes and fingers? Do not misunderstand, I will eat well and get enough rest, but that is all I can do. I must trust God with the rest for that is something I cannot control.”

  Raven frowned a little and then smiled. That is why he loved Rebekka so much, she always seemed to understand the situation and come right to the point.

  “You are right,” Raven declared, “I do take some of the responsibilities that belong on the shoulders of God as my own from time to time.”

  Rebekka then added, “Who knows, maybe Mason will surprise everyone.” Then she paused and looked at Raven, “Lorriel and I want to come along tomorrow.” And then hastily added; “Your aunt Jessica can watch the children, she loves them so.”

  Raven nodded and said, “I think that will be fine. You are not too far along with our child and it will not be a hard ride. It has been a while since you and Lorriel have visited without the children around.”

  Rebekka smiled and hugged Raven and then said, “We had better get some rest.”

  The next day came early as the group set out for the Zandel dukeship, with Raven riding between Sauron and Andrew, catching up on the latest news in the north part of the kingdom.

  Lorriel and Rebekka rode and talked as well which made the time pass much faster. They talked of motherhood and
how wonderful life had become for the both of them and the blessings and difficulties of raising royal children.

  Lorriel just had to ask Rebekka; “Does Edward ask questions all the time, hard ones to answer?”

  Rebekka nodded, “It seems to be this way with our boys, interested in so many things. I think it partly our fault for it being so!”

  “How do you think that,” Lorriel asked?

  “We are the ones who sought out the wisdom of the ancients and had to solve the riddles, doing things others have not done since the ancients lived here. I think some of that has rubbed off on our children.”

  Lorriel just laughed and said. “I hope so, life has been a great adventure for us and I hope for our children as well.”

  Soon they could see the Zandel castle ahead and were met by an escort of the Zandel dukeship. Raven viewed this hospitality with interest, not expecting Mason to make such a fuss over their arrival. He would have to wait and see if this was show or genuine hospitality. Raven thought back to the first time he had noticed the genuine joy and gratefulness of the people who surrounded the Crestlaw dukeship. Those people truly honored his family every time he went to the Crestlaws.

  Before Raven knew it, the gates loomed up before him and they were entering the court of the Zandel castle. Mason was there waiting for them as they stopped and dismounted.

  Women servants came rushing out to help Rebekka down and almost carried her into the castle for refreshment and rest. Raven viewed all of this with a bit of humor, for Rebekka looked back at Raven and frowned because of the attention she was getting. He could barely hear her say to his mind; “What’s all this fuss about, I am not a cripple, just with child!”

  He was snapped out of this thought however by Mason’s bow and greeting, “Your majesty, you do us honor by coming.”

  He then looked over at the retreating ladies and said, “Queen Rebekka need not have come in her condition.”

  “Nonsense,” Raven said, “she wanted to be here.”

  “She does honor us and the memory of my father by being here,” stated Mason reverently.

  Raven glanced at Master Fields and he was looking at this whole situation with his mouth slightly askew but when he caught Raven’s eye he snapped it shut and stood more formally.

  “Please,” Mason said, “refresh yourself in the castle hall while the others arrive for the funeral.”

  Then he went on to greet Sauron, Andrew and Master Fields. They then entered the castle and once Mason saw that they were attended to, left to wait on other business.

  All of them sat in silence for some time until Sauron spoke; “I do not think that kind of greeting was what any of us expected.”

  Raven and Master Fields nodded, then Raven spoke. “It is a bit confusing when something happens that you do not expect from someone. I do not know if this is for show or if Mason is showing us a side of himself that we never saw before.”

  There was nothing more to say so everyone waited until the other dukes arrived, and then they proceeded outside in procession for Balcor Zandel’s burial. All the dukes and some of their families were present to pay their respects, but what was surprising was the number of people from the Zandel dukeship that were in attendance.

  Raven viewed this with interest, for it showed how much the people loved Balcor, and hinted at what kind of duke he had been. When the people had finished speaking and the funeral was over, they made their way back to the castle hall for a meal provided by the Zandel dukeship.

  After a while Mason himself entered the hall and thanked everyone for coming to honor his father. Then the remaining dukes and the king called a meeting to appoint Mason to the southeast dukeship.

  The appointing by the other dukes and the king was a mere formality and was steeped in tradition, for the dukeship like the kingship was always handed down to the eldest or remaining son. In reality, the other dukes and the king could forcibly remove or refuse someone a dukeship, but it had never happened as far as Raven knew. It also went a long way to showing acceptance and approval to the new duke. As the dukes gathered around Mason for this official recognition they waited for the king to speak.

  So Raven began: “We have gathered here Mason, to pay respects to your late father Balcor and to appoint you to the southeast dukeship. We pray that your time as duke will be a prosperous one, and that you will rule your dukeship with justice and compassion. We also adjure you to pledge loyalty to the kingdom of Glenfair, for the strength of this kingdom rests not in might but in the loyalty and unity that the dukes and the king give to it. Without that strength of loyalty and trust among ourselves we would soon become prey to those who would conquer us from the outside, as we have seen in the past war with the Wickshields. We all, including myself as king are subject to the laws of the kingdom, and are accountable to the other dukes. If any of us strays too far from the path of this land’s fair laws, the others will hold him accountable and exact from him the penalty due his actions. Do you, Mason Zandel, accept this dukeship under the accountability of your peers?”

  Mason started to kneel and answer yes, but instead rose and looked every one in the eye as he spoke:

  “All of you know that in the past I have been hard and maybe even cruel in my self ambition. My whole world revolved around me and what I wanted out of life. I thought that by being strong and hard no one would challenge me, and through this course of action, I would get what I wanted out of life. All of that began to change the day King Raven defeated me in the duel at the summer feast years ago. I realized that my strength might not carry me through the way I had thought it always would. But then the people still clapped even though I lost which was at first confusing to me. After contemplating that, I realized they were cheering not for a winner or a looser but for a good duel and the good sportsmanship King Raven showed which I grudgingly returned. Then the war came upon us and I was forced once again to think of something other than my own ambitions. I have to confess, the war changed me, and I believe for the better. I realized for the first time that Glenfair was not just the Zandel dukeship, if one dukeship falls, we all fall with it. The day of the great battle was the first time in my life I fought for something other than myself. When I saw that King Raven risked his life so the whole kingdom could be saved, I decided that I would be that kind of leader in my own dukeship someday.”

  Then Mason looked Raven in the eye and said, “Tell me if it is not so. You did not believe you would survive the diversion you would cause to give us the opportunity to save Glenfair did you?”

  Raven did not answer, although all eyes were now upon him so Mason continued: “We all know what kind of sacrifice the king made that day, and I resolved to follow that kind of leader. And when he gave us our families armor, a special steel equal to his own, I knew he did not want to be better than us but an equal. But because of actions like this, we all know he is not our equal, he is our king, and shows himself to be so. When I returned home I watched my father, Balcor, rule this land. I saw for the first time his justice, his love for our people. When he became ill, many came to visit him because they loved and respected him. I want that same love and respect from my people, and I know now how it is to be won.”

  And then he said with forceful emotion as he kneeled, “All of you, keep me on the path!”

  Raven looked around on the faces of his dukes and their sons. Some were stunned, others smiled, and some of the older men had a tear in their eye, renewing their own commission through Mason’s confession.

  Raven drew his sword and placed it on the shoulder of Mason and said: “We do as your peers commission you to this dukeship in the sight of God. Rise Duke Mason Zandel.”

  A cheer arose from the crowd surrounding the dukes as Mason rose and shook hands with those about him.

  That was the way of things in Glenfair, sadness often mixed with joy, loss accompanied by gain.

  As Raven mused on these things he thought; “We have gained another great duke,
how wrong I have been about Mason.” And then he realized that everyone could change with God’s help, thinking of the changes he had gone through years before as well.

  Mason invited the king, queen and the Crestlaws to spend the night which they accepted. Mason had many questions to ask Raven about governing and some solutions to problems he faced. Raven gave advice as best he could and answered the questions Mason asked.

  And when they had finished Raven made this statement to Mason; “There may come a time again when we need the support and help of all the dukes to save Glenfair.”

  Mason said without hesitation. “If you call, I shall come to the kingdom’s aid, whether foe or pestilence, in famine or prosperity I will endeavor to do my best for Glenfair!”

  Raven smiled and said, “I believe you will.”

  The next day as they were returning to the king’s castle, Raven rode beside Sauron and they talked of the previous days events. Sauron could not in his lifetime remember a better acceptance speech by any duke. Raven agreed and confessed his total amazement at Mason’s change of heart.

  “We live in good days,” was all Sauron said in answer to Raven’s statement.

  “We do indeed,” Raven echoed, thinking to himself, how everything in Glenfair was going so well. Peace, growing families, prosperity and another good duke to rule the southeast.

  With his mind satisfied with the state of affairs in the kingdom, he turned his attention to collecting the southern tribute in a week at the Prescott dukeship. He would enjoy a visit to his in laws and the hospitality they would offer. It would be like a vacation for his whole family, with little Edward enjoying the visit with his grandparents as well.

  Chapter 2

  New Secrets

  “Mankind will make all kinds of advancement over the years, but one advancement will elude us all; the advancement of human nature, it seems to remain constant through the ages.”