Chapter 58 Help Arrives
The royal court.
They were seated in a chamber adjacent to the throne room. The maids served wine in goblets to the eleven nobles. Twenty guards, each with one of four different noble banners on their armor, looked at one another.
Guillermo: Does anyone know where High Priest Danilo is?
Tatiana replied: He feels a little weak and wants to be alone in case he is unwell. Out of respect for the elders of the court.
Guillermo: Oh, how thoughtful of him! Then we can begin.
Esteban: Captain Pedro, send two of your men to guard the door.
Octavio interjected: I will feel more at ease with my guards on the other side of the door.
Marisela: Why your men, Count? Count Esteban oversees security at the castle.
Valero: For now.
Guillermo: Lords! A compromise. One of each tabard.
Bartolo: Who will choose the four?
Heinrich: Me.
The blond man took out his bag and counted out four silver coins. He threw them toward four guards without looking directly at them. Each one flew toward the center of their chests. They captured them with their hands, pressing them against their breastplates. Many noted the casual accuracy.
Heinrich: Go guard the door, or what I throw at you next will be much sharper!
They left with nods of consent from their masters.
Guillermo: Well. is everyone ready?
He looked at them all for a sign of agreement and waited for each one to show it. He opened the bag of coins and chose the first one. The silver coin had a unicorn on one side and a knight holding a sword over his head on the other.
Guillermo: Captain Rodrigo.
The knight stood up to receive his symbol. He sat back down and touched his forehead with the coin as a salute.
Rodrigo: The Blue Knights and the Unicorns serve the king. Our oath forbids us from commenting on the succession.
He placed the coin directly in front of him on the table as a sign of neutrality. The herald placed his large hand in the purse and took another coin. He handed it to the count of Colina Verde.
Octavian: Count Valero is the only candidate for the throne. We must grant him power immediately so we can prepare for war against Aurelio.
When he dropped the gold coin on the table in front of Valero, shouts were heard from the hallway.
Esteban: Captain!
Pedro walked quickly toward the door, but before he reached it, the door opened. Peador and the other three island nobles entered.
Peador: Lords! Forgive me for the delay. For part of our journey, the wind was blowing against the sails.
Valero: This is a meeting of the royal court; you have no place here.
Peador approached the herald and handed him a leather scroll that looked very old and a silver coin with the head of a ram on both sides. The warrior grabbed an empty chair and brought it closer to the priestess with a slight bow. She sat down with a smile. And the three noblemen found their chairs.
Guillermo reading: Gennady, of ye Bison tribe, shall be ye lord of ye Isla de yee Ovejas, and ye title shall pass to his lineage with a seat at ye royal court of ye kingdom of ye Costa de dos Lunas. Confirmed by King Rafael de yee Colinas Gemelas and ye Costa Lunas.
Peador: I am the lord of Isla Oveja and I have a position on this court. Oh, and is there a maid who knows anything about treating wounds?
A woman in her twenties approached the red-haired man.
Maid: MLord, I can clean your knuckles and find you some clean cloth to bandage them.
Peador: Ah, it is not for me. There are three guards in the corridor who need you. The royal guard was sensible and stepped aside.
Marisela: Did you attack three guards?
Peador: They started drawing their swords. I defended myself with two punches and an elbow to a nose.
Maite: I am sure the guard of Lady Marisela was breathing when I stepped over his legs. It seems the herald also had to fight to enter.
Guillermo covered his bandaged hand.
Octavio: This position has not been used for more than a century.
Beñat: Herald Guillermo, do you know of any royal decree that invalidates this royal decree?
Guillermo: No. But the other three must leave.
Peador raised his enormous mace, held it a width of a hand above the table, and dropped it. The thick wooden table trembled slightly, and some goblets spilled a few drops of wine.
Peador: They are my advisors and they stay.
Several men, both weak and strong, considered protesting, but all remained silent. Guillermo mixed the old coin with the others in the bag and chose the next one. The silver coin showed the royal tower on one side and a scroll on the other.
Hector: The throne needs a strong and decisive king.
His coin was placed next to that of Octavio. Guillermo continued choosing coins and handing them over to the corresponding nobleman.
Emiliano: Olivia is the daughter of King Aloisio. Nothing else matters.
He stood up and dropped the coin in front of the empty royal throne.
Heinrich: The Duchess has not yet decided.
The gold coin with three ships on one side and a quiver of arrows remained in front of him.
Bartolo: A girl cannot earn the respect of nobles.
He added his own coin with the tower and a writing quill to those already in front of Valero.
Marisela: Olivia
She passed the coin to Esteban and he placed it next to the other coin.
Esteban and Tatiana showed their support for Olivia without saying a word.
Valero: With your foolishness you will kill thousands of people.
Guillermo took the coin of Danilo and placed it under the bag. The next one belonged to Peador.
Peador handed the coin to Maite.
Maite: Under the reign of the previous king, two islands lost all their sacred turtles to hunters. The ones on our island were almost destroyed before we started hanging the hunters. Strength resides in the heart, not in the penis.
She returned the coin and Peador tossed it into the pile for Olivia.
Guillermo: The court is divided. Please, each member must search their heart tonight. A decision must be made tomorrow. We will have an early meeting tomorrow. At the toll of one in the day. Now we can talk about the preparations for war.