Disclaimer: Welcome to the realm of FanFiction!
---
The King arrived in Wythin within the week. Within a day after that, he was in the capitol city, Wyth. He arrived home within the hour, and his wife met him at the gates of the palace.
"Oh, my beloved! Where is your guard and the men that went with you?" She cried, as she perceived he came alone.
"They died and honorable death protecting their King. As it were, I was the only on to escape the bloody battle that killed my comrades and friends. The men that set upon us were fierce fighters and killed most of them in short order. The rest stood by me, and fought to their deaths. The bandits escaped with but a few of their lives left. I escaped with the lives of only my good mare and myself. I have made it home after two years of traveling and trading." The King sighed heavily and looked at his wife. "Where are my children?"
"Come, my love. They are eager to see you again." The Queen took her husband's arm and led him inside the great stone palace.
"Papa!"
"Father!"
Two small children rushed into his open arms. He scooped them up and hugged them together. Showering them with kisses he held them tighter and tighter until they started to squirm.
Laughing, he pretended to drop them, and then he set his two older children down on the floor. The lines that had been engraved into his face only moments before lifted as he smiled and held his children.
A nurse walked up, carrying his youngest child, Selena. He took her into his arms and smiled down on her. She opened to big blue eyes and smiled at him, revealing a few pearly teeth. "Papa." She lisped.
The King smiled wider and kissed the golden crown of curls on her head. "Hello, my daughter." For a time, the cares of the King were lifted from his shoulders.
At the great feast held in his honor, he once more told the story of what had happened to him and his fellow travelers. Many cheeks were wet by the time the King was finished with his tale of woe and tragedy.
The King lay awake that night, pondering the strange turn of events that had lead him to promise one of his children to a Kalid-Na'in. He had returned from his journey a changed man.
In his mind, he reviewed all he knew about the Kalid-Na'in. He knew that they were fierce warriors, and they were swords for hire. Only three existed at any given time. There could be less, which was quite common, as he recalled. The Kalid-Na'in did not train to become so, they were chosen. Only those who were chosen could ever find their way to the ancient training grounds. He recalled one last thing up from the dregs of his memory: the Kalid-Na'in were virtually immortal: never aging, never dying, as long as they kept their hearts.
The King could not fathom what this could mean. He drifted off into a fitful sleep. Beside him, his Queen slept soundly all through the night.
In the soft light of the morning sun, the King awoke to the mournful cooing of a mourning dove. It was fitting, he thought, for even the birds mourned his lost companions. He wondered idly to himself why he had not told Shari about his pact with Thayer the warrior.
He reasoned to himself the wisdom of keeping something like that from her, but in the end, he decided not to tell her.
If Shari noticed that he was keeping anything from her, she certainly didn't let on. She was as loving and as caring as she had ever been, holding him at night, and showering him with love in the light.
Even still, the days that passed by them took a toll on the King. Each month had aged him as a year would have prior to his journey. The lines in his face grew deeper, his hair more streaked with silver. His hands became as gnarled as the old oak tree that had grown in the palace gardens for generations. His step lost the joy that had once propelled him forward. His eyes lost their luster and love of life.
The people of Wythin saw this, and they grieved for their King. He had been a wise and fair King, and they were sad to see him failing so. The only time he smiled was when his family was near. He delighted in the antics of his children, as they strove to make him laugh. He smiled tenderly at Shari when she displayed her love for him. He watched his children grow into adolescents with clouded eyes.
The courtiers that surrounded him watched with heavy hearts as the trades of Wythin started to fail. The once prized silks were now only second rate. Wythin became a hindrance to the Alliance of the Three Kingdoms.
The King of Wythin refused to use his eldest daughter as a bargaining chip for an alliance. He began to lose respect in the eyes of the people he ruled. Although he had many offers for Selena's hand in marriage, he refused to wed her as well, until she was old enough.
The other two kingdoms of the Three Kingdoms began to slacken their support of Wythin, leaving it open to attacks from the west and south. Wythin declined slowly over the years.
When all seemed lost, the aged King announced something that won back some of the respect he had lost. His younger daughter was to be married the second day of the Flower Month to the Crown Prince of Lamar: Alejandro. There was much rejoicing. The alliance had been restored with the strongest of the Three Kingdoms.
Many of the courtiers that surrounded the King wondered why he had not married his elder daughter, as she was almost past the acceptable marriageable age. Her younger sister had just come of marriageable age and would have been acceptable for more years to come.
The King kept his own counsel on these matters.
---
---A/N--- A short chapter, this one. The next one should be longer. Do you people like this story yet? Or do you think it needs a bit more plot to it...Hmmm. I'll work on that.
Later on...as in after we get into the story a bit more...I will be holding a contest for the plot line...heehee. Start thinking...please!! And remind me that i want to do this...there is a small chance that I might remember, but with new tire swings and all, I may not.
I did get a new tire swing, if you couldn't infer that from the previous sentence. I put it up all by myself! More than once, actually, since it kept falling down...but it stays now! Well- enough rambling about my tire swing! How bout about my lovely three reviewers!
---Kates- thanks for reviewing and i like Thayer too. He is really just-cold-blooded liked you said.
---MapleRose-Yeah, I think Sky comes in somewhere. Maybe. Although he won't play quite as large a role as in "Runner of Syrlan." Maybe I'm wrong...We'll see what happens.
---cherrychica-my first reviewer of this story!! so here's the next chapter...
I need a new title, I think. Does anyone have a better idea? Suggestions!!!!! :o)
---EvenSong---
---
The King arrived in Wythin within the week. Within a day after that, he was in the capitol city, Wyth. He arrived home within the hour, and his wife met him at the gates of the palace.
"Oh, my beloved! Where is your guard and the men that went with you?" She cried, as she perceived he came alone.
"They died and honorable death protecting their King. As it were, I was the only on to escape the bloody battle that killed my comrades and friends. The men that set upon us were fierce fighters and killed most of them in short order. The rest stood by me, and fought to their deaths. The bandits escaped with but a few of their lives left. I escaped with the lives of only my good mare and myself. I have made it home after two years of traveling and trading." The King sighed heavily and looked at his wife. "Where are my children?"
"Come, my love. They are eager to see you again." The Queen took her husband's arm and led him inside the great stone palace.
"Papa!"
"Father!"
Two small children rushed into his open arms. He scooped them up and hugged them together. Showering them with kisses he held them tighter and tighter until they started to squirm.
Laughing, he pretended to drop them, and then he set his two older children down on the floor. The lines that had been engraved into his face only moments before lifted as he smiled and held his children.
A nurse walked up, carrying his youngest child, Selena. He took her into his arms and smiled down on her. She opened to big blue eyes and smiled at him, revealing a few pearly teeth. "Papa." She lisped.
The King smiled wider and kissed the golden crown of curls on her head. "Hello, my daughter." For a time, the cares of the King were lifted from his shoulders.
At the great feast held in his honor, he once more told the story of what had happened to him and his fellow travelers. Many cheeks were wet by the time the King was finished with his tale of woe and tragedy.
The King lay awake that night, pondering the strange turn of events that had lead him to promise one of his children to a Kalid-Na'in. He had returned from his journey a changed man.
In his mind, he reviewed all he knew about the Kalid-Na'in. He knew that they were fierce warriors, and they were swords for hire. Only three existed at any given time. There could be less, which was quite common, as he recalled. The Kalid-Na'in did not train to become so, they were chosen. Only those who were chosen could ever find their way to the ancient training grounds. He recalled one last thing up from the dregs of his memory: the Kalid-Na'in were virtually immortal: never aging, never dying, as long as they kept their hearts.
The King could not fathom what this could mean. He drifted off into a fitful sleep. Beside him, his Queen slept soundly all through the night.
In the soft light of the morning sun, the King awoke to the mournful cooing of a mourning dove. It was fitting, he thought, for even the birds mourned his lost companions. He wondered idly to himself why he had not told Shari about his pact with Thayer the warrior.
He reasoned to himself the wisdom of keeping something like that from her, but in the end, he decided not to tell her.
If Shari noticed that he was keeping anything from her, she certainly didn't let on. She was as loving and as caring as she had ever been, holding him at night, and showering him with love in the light.
Even still, the days that passed by them took a toll on the King. Each month had aged him as a year would have prior to his journey. The lines in his face grew deeper, his hair more streaked with silver. His hands became as gnarled as the old oak tree that had grown in the palace gardens for generations. His step lost the joy that had once propelled him forward. His eyes lost their luster and love of life.
The people of Wythin saw this, and they grieved for their King. He had been a wise and fair King, and they were sad to see him failing so. The only time he smiled was when his family was near. He delighted in the antics of his children, as they strove to make him laugh. He smiled tenderly at Shari when she displayed her love for him. He watched his children grow into adolescents with clouded eyes.
The courtiers that surrounded him watched with heavy hearts as the trades of Wythin started to fail. The once prized silks were now only second rate. Wythin became a hindrance to the Alliance of the Three Kingdoms.
The King of Wythin refused to use his eldest daughter as a bargaining chip for an alliance. He began to lose respect in the eyes of the people he ruled. Although he had many offers for Selena's hand in marriage, he refused to wed her as well, until she was old enough.
The other two kingdoms of the Three Kingdoms began to slacken their support of Wythin, leaving it open to attacks from the west and south. Wythin declined slowly over the years.
When all seemed lost, the aged King announced something that won back some of the respect he had lost. His younger daughter was to be married the second day of the Flower Month to the Crown Prince of Lamar: Alejandro. There was much rejoicing. The alliance had been restored with the strongest of the Three Kingdoms.
Many of the courtiers that surrounded the King wondered why he had not married his elder daughter, as she was almost past the acceptable marriageable age. Her younger sister had just come of marriageable age and would have been acceptable for more years to come.
The King kept his own counsel on these matters.
---
---A/N--- A short chapter, this one. The next one should be longer. Do you people like this story yet? Or do you think it needs a bit more plot to it...Hmmm. I'll work on that.
Later on...as in after we get into the story a bit more...I will be holding a contest for the plot line...heehee. Start thinking...please!! And remind me that i want to do this...there is a small chance that I might remember, but with new tire swings and all, I may not.
I did get a new tire swing, if you couldn't infer that from the previous sentence. I put it up all by myself! More than once, actually, since it kept falling down...but it stays now! Well- enough rambling about my tire swing! How bout about my lovely three reviewers!
---Kates- thanks for reviewing and i like Thayer too. He is really just-cold-blooded liked you said.
---MapleRose-Yeah, I think Sky comes in somewhere. Maybe. Although he won't play quite as large a role as in "Runner of Syrlan." Maybe I'm wrong...We'll see what happens.
---cherrychica-my first reviewer of this story!! so here's the next chapter...
I need a new title, I think. Does anyone have a better idea? Suggestions!!!!! :o)
---EvenSong---