Chapter Three
I guess I should have expected it, but upon approaching the castle the guards promptly blocked my way with stern looks on their faces.
"State your business, if you please!" One of the guards said.
"I-" What was my business? I didn't exactly have a task in mind. "I'm…not entirely sure." I cringed as the words left my mouth.
"Riiiight. Son, I'd suggest you turn around and go back to wherever you came from before things turn sour." He said with narrowed eyes.
"Well, I can't argue with that logic." I shrugged my shoulders and turned around to walk away.
It's not like I really owe Varlent anything anyway. As much as I'd like to avert the future I saw, I really don't wanna do anything drastic that would be lil old me in danger.
Before I even took my first step away from the castle, a voice rang out that I couldn't believe I was hearing.
"Ah, Samuel! What a surprise to see you here!" Valter said. I turned my head to look back, seeing him strut towards me from the direction of the castle. "Guards, I hope you weren't harassing him, after all, that man is a good friend of mine."
"N-no, of course not, sir!" The guard who had spoken to me earlier was now quivering in fear as he backed away back to his position. I stayed where I was, trying to suppress my own fear upon seeing Valter again.
"Come now, don't be shy, Samuel. You were looking to enter Castle Krakenburg…were you not?"
"I-I…ah…y-yes, that was my intention."
"Wonderful! I'll escort you inside and you can be my guest at the disgraced Commander Cormag's hearing." He gestured with his head for me to follow him, and given what I'd seen of his personality so far, I didn't think it would be a good idea to refuse his…invitation.
He started back towards the castle and I jogged to catch up with him, making sure to keep a considerable distance between us. I looked over at the guard and saw deep sympathy written on his face as he removed his helmet, placing it over his heart. I swallowed nervously.
The inside of Castle Krakenburg was much more luxurious than the fortress I had woken up in. Red carpets ran through every single hallway, as far as I could see in any case, crystal chandeliers hung above every intersection, and tapestries and priceless vases littered the sides of the halls.
"You know, I'm quite surprised to see you here, Samuel. After you fell into the Bottomless Canyon I thought you were no more. Care to explain?" Valter glanced back at me.
"W-well, I um…" THINK FASTER, BRAIN! FASTER! "I…landed on a cliff not far from the top and found my way out?" I didn't intend for it to sound like a question, but that's the way it came out.
"Ohh, I see, that seems plausible." I breathed a sigh of relief. "However, you must be pretty fast on your feet to beat my wyvern back here. Tell me, what route did you take?"
"I…I…" I had literally no explanation for that. For whatever reason, I felt the need to keep my meeting with Varlent a secret, especially from Valter.
"Ahaha, I won't press you for answers but just remember that there should be no secrets between friends." He gave me a wink that sent shivers down my spine.
Friends? Does he really believe that we're friends? No, there's no way that's what he thinks; he's just toying with me like a cat toys with a mouse before eating it.
We walked in silence until we reached a large pair of double doors. Valter thrust them open without a word, revealing the room beyond: Inside I could see Cormag standing in the middle of the circular room, shackles adorning his ankles and wrists. At the back of the room sat the very same black armored man I'd seen in the vision Varlent showed me. I observed him for a moment before letting my eyes sweep the rest of the room which contained numerous spectators.
"Forgive me for my lateness, your highness." Valter bowed on one knee and I figured I should do the same.
"It's no problem, we had not yet started. Please take your seat, Valter." The black armored man said. "I'll have you explain your guest afterwards."
"Of course, King Garon." Valter stood up and I did the same, following him into the spectator's area. I briefly considered not sitting next to Valter but quickly dismissed the idea since he was the only person in this room that I knew…but putting one seat between us couldn't hurt. A pair of soldiers closed the doors and the proceedings began.
"Commander Cormag of the Royal Nohrian Army, you are hereby charged with murder of Hoshidan soldiers, disobedience to the orders you were given, and assault of a superior officer. How do you plead?" King Garon spoke with an authoritative tone that demanded silence from all except the accused.
"Innocent!" Cormag spat angrily. "That devil, Valter, is the one who killed the Hoshidans!" A low murmur arose throughout the room.
"Silence!" Garon growled. "Do you have proof of your claims against General Valter?"
"I do. I have another who was a witness to his crimes, and he is in this room." The low murmur arose once again.
"Very well, who is this witness?"
"None other than the guest Valter brought with him." All eyes turned to me as the spectators whispered to one another.
"Stand and state your name!" Garon said gruffly.
"M-my name is Samuel." I said as I stood up, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on me making my knees shake nervously.
"Can you confirm Commander Cormag's claim?" Garon stared at me intensely, as if he was trying to glean my reply from my very soul.
Without hesitation, I began to answer with the affirmative until I glanced back at Valter, seeing a smug smirk growing on his lips.
Why is he so confident? If I say yes, he'll be found guilty of the charges against him, right? So then why doesn't he look worried?
I looked at Cormag's face; his eyes were pleading with me to take his side, and I would have in a heartbeat after what happened at the Bottomless Canyon…but Valter's smile told me there was something he knew that I didn't. I turned to Valter once more and saw him nod his head ever so slightly to me.
"I-I, w-well, it's just that, u-um…" I stumbled over my words, still trying to figure out what I should do.
"Spit it out, boy! I am not a patient man!" Garon yelled.
"I…cannot confirm Cormag's claims." The murmur in the room became a dull roar as everyone began discussing this new turn in the trial. I looked at Cormag and saw the disappointment and anger spread all over his face; I hadn't known the man very long, but knowing that I had condemned an innocent man to life imprisonment or worse to save my own skin weighed heavily on my soul.
"Order! Be silent!" Garon demanded once again. "As your claims have been found to be false I hereby deem you guilty and strip you of your rank and title. Your sentence will be decided by me. Everyone is dismissed to attend to their respective duties."
The spectators of the court stood and began to slowly file out of the room. I noticed a number of them shooting me nasty looks while others gave me nods of approval; there were obviously two different teams at play here. I got up to leave the room as well but was stopped by Valter grabbing my wrist.
"Stay here. The king wishes for you to be present during the sentencing." Although he was speaking to me, his eyes were fixed on Cormag.
I sat back down and waited…and waited…and waited. Only Cormag, Garon, Valter, and I remained in the room, but Garon made no move to do anything. Eventually, a single man entered into the room; his darkly colored robes billowing behind him and his boots making a distinct clicking sound against the marble floor. He took his place next to Garon's throne, and looking at the two of them next to each other, I couldn't help but think that even though Garon was the king, the man next to him had a superior air of authority.
"Who's that?" I whispered to Valter, scooting into the seat next to him.
"That's King Garon's younger brother, Vigarde. He's one of the king's most trusted confidants." Valter chuckled. "And since when did you become so friendly?" Realizing he had a point, I scooted back to my own seat.
I really shouldn't be dropping my guard like that around him. I don't think he'd do anything in front of the king, but who knows what someone as depraved as Valter would or wouldn't do.
Vigarde leaned down, allowing Garon to whisper something in his ear. Vigarde whispered back shortly, earning a slow and thoughtful nod from Garon.
"Cormag!" Garon barked suddenly. "By law, the charges against you certainly mean death; however, I will leave your fate in the hands of the man you maliciously accused."
"W-what!? B-but, your majesty!" Cormag attempted to protest.
"Enough! You are lucky to be receiving such mercy. Valter, what is your verdict?" Garon asked.
Valter stood up slowly, a cruel smile playing across his lips as he stared at Cormag.
"Your majesty, I would have him pardoned in full on two conditions: that he completes a task of my choosing, and…" He licked his lips slowly, carefully preparing his words. "That he rejoins the Royal Nohrian Army as a foot soldier under Zelgius' command."
Garon sat up straighter in his throne. "Are you quite certain, Valter? That's an extremely lenient sentence, in fact, that's hardly a sentence at all; merely a demotion."
"I'm quite sure, your highness. After all, I've had a bit of a soft spot for Cormag ever since his brother met his untimely end. But, I will need time to prepare his task."
"Well, I suppose if that is your decision then I will allow it. However, Cormag will be kept under close supervision; Iago will see to that." Garon stood from his throne. "Brother? Would you mind sending Cormag to a cell until Valter is ready to speak with him?"
Vigarde bowed slightly in affirmation before raising his hand and pointing it at Cormag. An orb formed in his palm; crackling with dark energy. It suddenly shot from his hand, enveloping Cormag and disappearing along with him.
"You're dismissed, Vigarde." The man bowed once more and strode out of the room just the same as he had come in; boots clicking and robes billowing. "Now, Valter, I would have your explanation for bringing this guest of yours here without prior notice."
"Ah, yes, of course. As he has stated, his name is Samuel. I arrived at the Bottomless Canyon just in time to rescue him from Cormag's mad rampage."
"So he's Hoshidan then?" Garon growled, now glaring daggers at me. "A spy?!"
"No, your majesty! He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, you see?" Valter explained.
Garon calmed down slightly. "Hmpf. He's under your care then." And with that, he left.
I could feel Valter's eyes boring holes into me. I turned to look, seeing the wide smile on his face.
This is the part where I die isn't it? Based on his smile, this is definitely the part where I die again.
"So, Samuel, I know I tried to throw you over the edge of the Bottomless Canyon-"
"And you succeeded." I chimed in.
"Haha, right, but I'd like to apologize for that and I'd like to ask a favor of you."
Something's not right. Valter is apologizing?
"Um, thanks for the apology I guess, but…what kind of favor would you want to ask of me?"
He smiled wider. "Look, if we're being honest, there's no way you could have survived your fall into the Bottomless Canyon, and there's no way you could have made it to the castle before I did. I promised I wouldn't press you for answers to that conundrum, but it's clear you either have amazing power or friends in high places." I started to sweat a little bit; he was hitting a little too close to home. "And that brings me to my favor: I'd like you to stick around so I can observe you further, and perhaps learn the source of your abilities."
Stick around!? You tried to kill me! Why would I want to be near you? In fact, I'd like to stay as far away from you as possible!
"I-I don't know…" My eyes shifted from his face to the floor.
"Of course, you don't have much of a choice in the matter. If you refuse, I'll simply kill you when no one is looking and throw your corpse into a ditch. If you accept, then I'll make sure you're taken care of; I take care of my friends, Samuel. And you'd do well to find yourself numbered among them."
"Okay, I'm just gonna speak freely for a moment. First off, you tried to kill me once already and you almost succeeded. Second, you made me take your side in the trial thereby causing Cormag to be found guilty. What would posses me to ally myself with you?" I realized I was scowling now.
"You did that second one by yourself; I didn't make you do anything." He's right…I made my decision based on his facial expression, but he never said anything to coerce me into saying what I did. "I can assure you it was the right choice though since the king wouldn't have taken your word over mine. And besides, Cormag isn't all there; he's been driven half mad by the grief of losing his brother, and the other half of his sanity was driven away by his desire for revenge."
"So, you're saying that Cormag is insane? Is that it?" I looked at him incredulously. This was coming from the man who looked like he could be the poster child for any number of mental disorders.
He laughed. "I know that seems strange coming from me, but believe me, I know Cormag better than most; he's not been himself since General Glen died. In any case, I'd like your answer now: Yes or no?"
"You already said it yourself, didn't you? I don't have a choice." I said bitterly.
Getting roped into deals that I don't have a choice in is something that I've gotten really good at lately…and that's not a good thing for me.
"It's good to see that you know when to give up, Samuel. Follow me, please; I'll get you set up so you'll feel right at home here in our glorious Castle Krakenburg." Valter strutted towards the door with his head held higher than usual. I followed him, with my head hanging lower than usual.
So this is my life now, huh? Cooperating with a murderer and condemning innocents. Quite a change of pace from my old life…
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought of it and how I could improve.
Thanks for Reading! Farvel!