NOTE! This is an ongoing story. If this is your first visit, please read the About This Page link, and then use the Table of Contents links to go the first chapter.
The populace had started to gather in the courtyard when the suns rays broke the horizon. As the crowd grew, so did the volume of the murmuring until it was loud enough to be heard by the King and the companions as they peered through a crack in the curtains.
“I hope those aren’t your best kingly robes there, Ronnie.” Tink added.
“It would appear that your assessment of my popularity was accurate, mage,” said the King, a slight beading of sweat appearing beneath the crown.
“It is our intention to change that,” Bob responded. “Just stick with the speech that we rehearsed.”
“It’s time,” Sam stated as she parted the curtains and stepped confidently onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard.
Tink followed, dragging a chair noisily across the stone floor. She positioned it next to Sam and quickly climbed to it seat where she stood, glaring down at the crowd as if daring them to throw vegetables at her. Bob and Lilly took up positions on the other side of the balcony, leaving the center position open for the King.
Ronald wiped his brow with his cuff, and squared his shoulders before striding confidently to the railing. He ignored the jeers and catcalls from the crowd as he turned to Bob and gave a slight nod. Bob raised a finger, and the King’s voice was magically amplified, overpowering the restless crowd.
“Good citizens of Rom!” He cried. “I owe you an apology.”
“Damn right!” a voice erupted from the sudden silence. Other voices rose in agreement. Ronald waited a moment, giving the crowd time to quiet down.
“For too long,” he continued, “I have allowed the Kingdom’s affairs to be directed by my Chancellor, and my son. As a result, you have suffered while I failed to notice your plight. The people standing beside me opened my eyes to the condition of my Kingdom, and its people. They have also shown me those responsible. As a result, I have banished from this Kingdom the Chancellor, the Court Magician, and also, my son.”
The crowd fell into a stunned silence. Ronald waited a moment for the information to sink in before continuing.
“In their place, I have appointed these people to oversee several plans to bring the Kingdom into its former glory. First on the agenda is Tink, the new exchequer.”
Tink cleared her throat to speak and winced as it was magnified by Bob’s spell. She glared at him momentarily and was met with an apologetic shrug.
“I have reviewed the state of the Kingdoms finances and discovered evidence showing how you were wronged. You have been overtaxed; your food has been confiscated while you starve. The King has authorized me to offer tax rebates to all of you. The King recognizes that gold will not fill your bellies, so the first order of business is to grant you all full access to the Kingdom’s food stores. When you leave today, you may assemble at the storage bins and take what you need.”
The low murmuring began anew, punctuated by a smattering of hesitant applause.
“In addition to the food, the King has also authorized me to grant each family a tax rebate of one hundred gold pieces.”
The reaction to this news was more enthusiastic. Tink had to wait several minutes before she was able to be heard, even with her magically amplified voice.
“Representatives will be coming to your homes over the next several days to disperse your refunds.”
The enthusiasm suffered a moderate blow as the crowd realized they wouldn’t be getting any gold today. Tink stepped back from the railing as Bob stepped forward.
“People of Rom!” He called. “I am not a native of your country. I am not a citizen. I have not suffered as you have. I have, however, seen the evidence of the injustice you have suffered. I have made a series of proposals to the King for improvements that can be made to the Kingdom to ease your burden. The roads that lead from your homes to the town center will be repaired. New roads will be constructed. These improvements will make it easier for you to buy and sell your goods. The King has told me that your assistance will be required, as well as your patience. Those persons able to work on the construction of the roads will be paid a wage for their work.”
There was no cheering to interrupt Bob, and he continued.
“The King has also reviewed the condition of his army, and has appointed the task of restructuring the troops to Samantha and Lillith.”
Bob vacated the center spot with a deferential hand to the warrior women.
“Your army has gone too long without adequate training,” Sam said without preamble. “We are going to change that.”
A smattering of laughter circled the crowd. One grizzled farmer, pitchfork in hand, was laughing harder than the rest.
“What in the hell could a couple of washer-women teach an army?” he asked the crowd. “That the uniforms ain’t pretty enough? How to get bloodstains out in the wash?”
Lilly moved in a blur, and a loud “twang” erupted from her frenzied motion. The old farmer took a sudden stumble backwards. His eyes locked on the arrow suddenly bisecting the handle of his pitchfork.
“You might be surprised as what we ‘washer women’ can teach you,” Sam continued in the silence. “The most important thing we can teach you is how to make sure the bloodstains you are washing out aren’t your own. This Kingdom will once again be worth fighting for, the King has made that promise. I promise that the army will be trained to not only fight for the kingdom, but to win. If you want to learn how to fight for your country, your land and yourselves, the army will pay you to learn. If you’re interested, find a member of the army and they will get you signed up.”
Sam stepped away and the King resumed the position.
“I have wronged you, good people of Rom,” he said sadly. “I do not mean to make gifts of tax rebates and food stuffs to gain your trust and favor, I intend to earn both. All I ask is that you give me a chance to redeem myself in your eyes. I pledge to you now, that with the help of these good people, and with your assistance, I will be the best King I can be, and you will once again be the citizens of the greatest kingdom on earth!”
Ronald waited, obviously hoping for cheers, but was disappointed. The crowd began to slowly disperse, most moving in the direction of the food stores. The rumble of conversation once again rose to the balcony.
Without a word, King Ronald turned and walked into the castle, his head hung low.
* * *
The companions found the King seated at the banquet table.
“That could have gone better,” he said with a sigh.
“It could have gone a lot worse, too,” Sam told him with a slight rebuke in her voice.
“Yeah,” Tink piped in. “You didn’t get pelted with any of that rotten produce they were packing.”
“Celebrate every victory, no matter how small,” Bob advised, one finger raised.
“He sure does that an awful lot,” Tink said in a loud whisper to Sam, gesturing over shoulder at Bob with her thumb.
“Does what?” Sam asked, in the same whisper.
“Spouts off things like that. He’s always got some big, mysterious saying about everything,” Tink answered. “I wonder where he read that.”
“Hush,” Sam ordered, grinning. “He wants us to think that he is very wise.”
Bob faced the women, grinning.
“I’ll have you both know that I am, in fact, very wise, as opposed to just being a wise ass like some elves I could mention.”
“Then how come you never do anything wise?” Tink asked.
“Like using the same spell I used on the prince to make you less of a nuisance?”
Tink’s eyes flew open wide.
“You wouldn’t!”
“Not permanently, no,” Bob said as he stepped forward and mussed Tinks hair.
“Cut that out,” Tink ordered as she stepped away and tried to straighten her unruly hair. “Besides, no matter how small you make me, I can still annoy you.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” Bob said with a laugh. “A person’s worth is not measured by their stature, but by their spirit. In your case, it makes you a giant.”
“He’s doing it again…” Tink whispered to Sam.
King Ronald interrupted the exchange with a throat clearing cough.
“How long do you think we should wait before telling the people about the probable attack?”
“That depends on how long we have before it is likely to happen,” Lilly answered. “I hope that we have at least a couple of weeks.”
“Sam has recommended a handful of candidates for scouting and spy work,” Bob told the King. “I am testing will be testing their loyalty to the Kingdom tomorrow, and dispatching them as soon as possible.”
“That one farm boy is the best woodsman I have ever seen,” Sam said. “He could track a mouse through a pile of dry leaves and the mouse would never know he was coming.”
“So,” Lilly said with a sly glance at the King, “It appears that we have some free time.”
“They do,” Sam countered, “you and I don’t.”
“What?” Lilly shouted. “Why the hell not?”
“We have some recruiting to do,” Sam answered, “and it’s going to take both of us to get it done.”
“But I thought we weren’t going to do a massive recruiting effort yet?” Ronald asked.
“Not the locals,” Sam answered. “I have a special recruit in mind.”
“Who?” demanded every person seated at the table.
Sam smiled at her grandmother.
“Sometimes,” she said, “a girl just needs her daddy.”
