WORRLGENHALL (86 page)

Other than the friends who laughed, the entire room came to a halted silence because a
ll knew of whom he spoke; then three men slowly turned.

The three some of Belon
’s Red Men and high in command, they half unsheathe their swords and methodically spaced themselves apart, but said nothing.

“
Spare Bregon,” Enek ordered them, as again his eyes turned cold, “Grand Commander Belon will enjoy hearing his bolds words about him to his face, instead of behind his back.”

After watching it all the way up until the three men separated, one of the servants in the garrison hurried down the hallways and
ran to king’s chamber floor.

“
I have words for Grand Commander Belon!” he quickly told the floor guard as he breathed hard.

“
What are you waiting for, speak them?”

“
Men high under him have withdrawn their swords and are about to fight with guards in the guard garrison!”

Right away, he hurriedly told Ciron, who pounded on the door to relay the news.

“What?” Belon asked when he came to the door protectively blocking it fully with his body.

“
A servant in the garrison speaks that many of your chosen lay dead in the guard garrison,” Ciron lied.

Belon jaws clenched, as he closed the door and rushed to Aderac.
“It has begun,”

After Aderac looked over at the children busily playing with toys by the fireplace alongside Belo, he put his hand on Belon
’s arm and pulled him more over so the children couldn’t hear them.

“
Belon,” he whispered softly, “We must be wary that this could be their trap.”

“
I know,” Belon spoke soothingly back to keep him calm, “Take the children and Belo,” he then kissed him, “and go within our secret room and close it tightly, just as we spoke of.”

“
But, Belon I reasoned we would all go within it when it was time,” Aderac said hesitantly, not wanting to go in it without him, as he tugged at his hand urging him to go inside with them.

“
As soon as all is done,” he lovingly assured him, as he pulled his hand away, “I will come get you and the children.”

Aderac
’s eyes showed his worry.

“
But… but… but… Belon,” he stammered.

Belon quickly put one his fingers over his mouth to keep him from spe
aking more; then put his strong hands on his shoulders.

“
You will do as I command,” he sternly said, “Go inside it now.”

“
Then hold me Belon, and I will.” Aderac anguished, wanting to feel his body to his one last time should something happen to him, “…and tightly my love.”

“
Aderac,” Belon calmly said, as he held his head between his hands and he spoke in his ear.

Aderac blinked
away glassy eyes.

“
Fret not such as this,” Belon still trying to assure him, “Go inside.”

Aderac
’s body trembled desperately wanted to defy him, but unable to stand against his will, he relented. 

“
Children,” more anguished words, “Gather your things, and Belo, and come with me.”

After making sure Aderac and the children were within the secret room safe and secure, Belon dressed;
then hurried out.

“
Strike down any that try to come through this door,” he commanded Ciron, “If any should pass it, it had better be only for the reason you are dead as well.”

Heavily, he walked down the hallway; then looked down at his belt.

“My ax,” he stopped, and said aloud when he realized he had rushed out without it.

As he looked back down the hallway, already closer towards the guard garrison than his chamber, he decided not to go back to get it; but as he started heavily walking again, the same
servant that spoke the warning was waiting in the hallway.

“
Grand Commander,” he called out; then began walking alongside him.

“
Speak what took place in the guard garrison,” Belon requested, as he walked.

“
Bregon walked inside and insulted your commander Enek and you,” he quickly revealed, “And three others under you heard it and withdrew their swords.”

 
    “And...

 
    “And I ran to speak it to you before they fought.”

 
     “How many of my men lay dead?”

 
    “No one…”

 
    Surprised, Belon stopped and looked at him. “Ciron spoke that many under me lay dead. Were those your words?”

 
    “They were not.”

 
    “Curses!”

 
     Before the servant could even utter another word, all he saw was the back of Belon’s head.

 
    “Go back and give word to Enek of this with haste!” he yelled out, as he ran.

**

      As the children played unaware of any danger, Aderac paced back and forth waiting; then when he heard Ciron calling for him; he apprehensively put his ear to the door.

 
     “Great king! Great king!” Ciron called out excitedly to get him to show himself when he didn’t see him, “The Grand Commander has been badly wounded and calls for you with dying breaths!”

 
     Horrified, Aderac felt his heart stop beating and with a wild frenzy began unlocking the door.

 
     “Do not come out for any voice other than Belon’s or mine,” he fearfully warned them, “If something befalls us, do not tarry. Do as we have spoken to you both at length. Get to the roof from the stairs and down to the stables for your horses. Flee south following the roads of dark sand to the red ponds and find a bald man name Sidor. He has been charged to get you to WorrlgenHall safely.”

 
     “Father!” Beladera said, as she began to cry, “Stay with us.”

 
     “Shsss,” Aderac said, and put his arm around her; then held out his other arm to Ihon to hold him, “You are both loved.”

 
     After he instructed the children and held them, Aderac hurried out of the room.

 
     “Where is Belon? Where is he?” Aderac’s frantic question after he relocked the door so no one could get in, “Take me to him!”

 
     As Aderac stood waiting for him to answer, Ciron withdrew his sword.

 
     “Take me to Belon!” he ordered again still not realizing the true threat was in front of him.

 
     Slowly, Ciron walked forward. His sword drawn in front of him, when Aderac saw the sinister grin on his face, knew he had betrayed him and withdrew his own sword to defend himself, which made Ciron mockingly laugh.

 
     “Do you reason you can challenge me?” Ciron spewed his question, “All you have ever done is sit high on your throne commanding others fight for you, you cowardly king.”

 
     Aderac looked at him cross for his insult, refusing to lower himself by replying; then Ciron suddenly lunged towards him. As he tried to strike Aderac down, he quickly discovered it would not be as easy to slay this cowardly king as he thought it would be.

 
     “More skilled you are now,” Ciron again spewed an insult surprised, “I see you have learned more than just how to have your mouth around what hangs from Belon each night.”

 
     Just as Ciron spewed his second insult, Aderac’s eyes sparked when he heard loud hard pounding on the chamber door and knew Belon had come back.

 
     “Aderac, Aderac! It is me at the door!” Belon yelled, as he pounded on it frantically with the pommel of his sword, “Get to the door. Get to the door!”

 
     “Belon!” Aderac yelled out, “It is Ciron! It is Ciron! He has sealed the door from inside and is now trying to kill me! I cannot get to it!” 

 
     Right away, when Belon began forcefully kicking at the door, Ciron fearing his time running out, again lunged towards Aderac fiendishly trying to strike him down, but Aderac knowing he was fighting for his life fended him off as the deadly attack went all over the chamber. 

 
     The door reinforced with heaviest wood and thickest steel in the land, when Belon realized he wouldn’t be able to kick it open alone, ran down the hallway to the secret entrance to enter the chamber from there.

 
     “Father!” Ihon cried out when Belon rushed inside, “Father went back into his chamber and now we hear banging!”

 
     “Worry not,” Belon quickly said, while hurrying pass him, “And both of you stay within.”

 
     The door locked also, Belon called out loudly, as again he began forcefully kicking with his powerful long legs.

 
     “Aderac! Unlock the door! Unlock it!”

 
     “Belon!” Aderac cried out, as he leaped to his left crashing into the door with his whole body almost dislodging his shoulder, before scrambling to unlock it, but Ciron relentlessly wildly wielding his sword at Aderac made it impossible to unlock it without him slicing into him.

 
     Finally, after several powerful kicks the door flew open. Its loud hard crash against the solid wall echoing throughout the chamber as the heavy metal hinges clanged and chimed while bouncing on the stoned floor when they fell, and as Belon suddenly appeared, Aderac leaped towards him.

 
     “Belon! Belon!” Aderac cried out, as he flew into his arms and pointed to Ciron, “It has been this treacherous dog all along!”

 
     Although, holding Aderac tightly, Belon never took his eyes off Ciron, and as he cautiously stepped forward, Ciron inched backward.

 
     “Why, Ciron?” Belon asked, as he protectively moved Aderac behind him.

 
     “Why not?” Ciron spouted hatefully. “Did you believe I want to be a guard all my life or listening to you rut within the chamber until I am old?”

 
     “You swore an oath to me!” Aderac shouted when he heard Ciron’s words. “Did you not?”

 
     “I wish to rather be dead!”

 
     Suddenly, when sounds of kicking started again at the chamber door, Ciron turned surprised.

 
     “Grand Commander Belon!” Enek shouted, as all four kicked at the door forcefully with their long muscular legs determined to break it down, “Are you inside?”

 
     “You shall have that wish!” Belon said, as he quickly grabbed the ax he left on the table and threw it at Ciron.

 
     When the ax head sank into Ciron’s upper chest, he howled in pain right away trying to pull it out, but Belon rushed forward and grabbed him by his throat.

 
     “My ax will not have the glory of taking your life…” Belon’s raw words, as he forced Ciron by holding his throat to look right into his eyes, “You will die by my hand,” and crushed his windpipe with his powerful grip.

 
     As his body fell limp to the floor, Aderac rushed to Belon again and leaped into his arms.

 
     “Did he harm you?” he asked, as he moved him back and looked at him from head to foot worried Ciron had.

 
    “He did not!” Aderac answered; the adrenaline from fighting with Ciron still pumping through his veins making him feel as if he could fight off a hundred men alone, “I fought him off Belon. I fought him off.”

 
     “Yes you did,” Belon said proudly, “And well.”

 
     As they spoke, suddenly the chamber door loudly swung open; then Enek and the other three who were with him in the guard garrison burst inside with swords drawn, then after they saw Ciron’s lifeless body on the floor; one of them dragged Bregon inside and pushed him down at Belon’s feet.

 
     “…the others with him?” Belon questioned, as he looked at all four of them.

 
     Enek half smirked.

 
     “Foolish question,” his simple words, the guards no match for them, were easily, as well as quickly cut to pieces.

 
     Belon nodded content; hatefully looked down at Bregon; then back up to Aderac.

 
     “What shall you do with him?”

 
     Aderac sneered; then spat on him.

 
     “As you can see you were not the only between the queen’s thighs. If you speak your plot with the queen truthfully I shall have you freed.”

 
     “It was the queen. It was the queen!” he confessed at once, “And once you, Grand Commander Belon, and even the boy were dead, after a time, I would move high in place or even become king.”