The Thief's Crusader Part 4
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of this story! And speaking of which, got a question for everyone. As you've no doubt been counting this is the fourth part of this story and my current plan is for it to be the current ending of the story. So if this is a good enough ending for you and you're ready for me to get started on the next 'IF' story then let me know. Or if you want to see a bit more of this story, also let me know. And, compulsory advertisement, feel free to check out my book, Plains Riders, on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited! Now then I've talked long enough and with no review questions this week let's dive on in!
Within the Great Castle of Lugnica
Ulric had heard from Reinhard and the rest of his family how revered the great dragon, Volcanica, was among the people of Lugnica. But it was only now that he was in the castle itself that he truly grasped just how revered. Walls, ceilings, pillars and even parts of the floor had decorations or symbols resembling that of a dragon, or at least what Ulric had been told was a dragon when growing up. And those were not the only immaculate sights which greeted him and Reinhard as they proceeded through the massive castle.
Fine curtains and tapestries hung from the walls and windows and the marble floors gleamed in such a way that one could nearly see their reflection in it. Ulric also caught a glimpse of some of the rooms with carpeted floors, having little doubt they were of some of the finest quality. The same could be said of the statues and vases that decorated the longer stretches of hallway, letting no one forget that this was the wealthiest location in all the capital. "It is quite a magnificent place, isn't it," Reinhard said as he noticed Ulric's awe.
"It is perhaps the largest and most immaculate structure I have ever had the privilege of being in," replied the Crusader, "Even a fully restored Jerusalem would have a rival in this castle's beauty."
"And should Lady Felt take the throne, it shall be beautiful in both form and function," said Reinhard as they entered a massive hall with several decorated pillars and a pair of massive, red-painted doors decorated with more dragon symbols. It did not take one knowledgeable about castles to realize that this was the entrance to the throne room. And in front of the doors stood a tall man in full plate armor with a short, military-style haircut. Though what surprised Ulric the most was that his hair was green.
"Sir Reinhard," said the man with a slight bow, "you seem to running a little late on such an important day as this."
"Perhaps I am, Marcos," said Reinhard with a pleasant smile, "have the rest of the candidates already shown up?"
"Lady Crusch and Lady Anastasia have already entered along with the majority of the summoned knights and nobles," explained the man named Marcos before turning to Ulric, "and who is this that you've brought with you?"
"This is Sir Ulric Arkwright," introduced the Red-haired knight with a flourish, "a new trainee under the care of the Astrea family. Make no mistake, though, he is a good learner and shows great promise. I believe the other knights will quite like him."
"I wish only to serve this kingdom to the best of my ability," said Ulric with a bow, "and it is a pleasure to finally meet another Knight of the Lugnican military. I've heard countless tales of your exploits in the last several days."
"You'll doubtless hear more in the days to come," said Marcos, "since you're new I feel I should introduce myself with my full title. I am Marcos Gildark, Captain of the Imperial Knights. And if Reinhard is even half-right about what you're capable of, I think you'll have some fine tales for all of us in no time."
"God willing it shall be so," said Ulric, "though there is still much I have to learn."
"Indeed," said Marcos, "and your fellow knights within can tell you much. So please proceed and find your place in the chamber. The conference shall be starting soon." The Head Knight opened the large double doors then and admitted the other two knights in. And once again, Ulric had to work to keep the look of awe off of his face.
The inside of the throne room was gigantic, easily accommodating the dozens of people already present within the room while leaving plenty to spare. Expectedly it was the most ornate of all the rooms he'd seen in the castle so far with two rows of large windows, bigger than a person, illuminating the space while several window-like cutouts adorned with green and gold decorated the back wall. Reddish-black pillars with bands of gold and blue on a couple sections rose up around the room and the floor was made of black and white hexagonal stones. In the middle of the room was a long red carpet which led from the door all the way up to the red and gold chair that served as the throne of Lugnica.
On either side of the throne were a pair of elaborate desks with five chairs on either side, one for each of the ten wisemen, all of whom were currently seated. A massive awning covered the throne and council seats, adding to the picture of importance the throne was supposed to exude. As for the people gathered in the chamber, Ulric could tell with only a glance who was who. Naturally they were dressed in differing outfits with the knights wearing similar white outfits to the one Reinhard had while the nobles and other business leaders of the kingdom wore black robes with purple collars.
Even if they hadn't had differing uniforms, though, the calm yet professional air exuded by the knights contrasted with the random assortments of laid back attitudes or jittery nerves displayed by the nobles on the other side. 'Some of them must fear what a shift in the current balance of power will do,' surmised Ulric as they approached the left side of the throne room. Reinhard, unsurprisingly, led them up to the front of the knight's formation where they were greeted by a purple-haired knight and another knight with brown hair and cat ears. "Ah, Reinhard," said the purple-haired knight with a smile, "it's not like you to run this late."
"We had some preparations to make," replied the Red-haired Knight with a smile, "but rest assured, Julius, the time we had to take was well spent."
"I had heard the rumors that you'd taken on a couple of new proteges," said the now named Julius as he turned his attention to the Crusader, "what do they call you, Sir Knight?"
"I am Sir Ulric Arkwright," he replied with a customary bow, "a newcomer in this land, so forgive me if I am somewhat ignorant of a few of your customs as Reinhard has had limited time to teach me."
"You definitely don't smell like you're from around here," said the cat knight as they leaned forward to sniff him a bit, "where are you from, anyway?" A month ago such a sight would've made Ulric exceptionally uneasy. Fortunately, the Astrea family had given him more than a couple lessons on demi-humans and the normality of their presence in the kingdom.
"I hail from an English village in a land known as Europe," Replied Ulric, "though for whatever reason I can't find the location of it on any map of this land I've been shown."
"Nya-ow that is interesting," said the Cat Knight, "I've never heard of either of those places."
"I am not familiar with such lands either," said Julius, "oh, but it seems we're the ones who've forgotten custom. We haven't properly introduced ourselves. I am Julius Juukulius and this is my fellow knight, Felix Argyle."
"Nya-ice to meetcha, Ulric," replied the Cat Knight while holding up two fingers with a smile.
"And just so you know," Reinhard whispered to Ulric, "Felix is a boy."
"What, are you sure?" Ulric couldn't help but whisper back. All signs from his appearance to his mannerisms had the Crusader thinking the Knight was a girl up to that point.
"Yep, I'm a boy," said Felix with a mischievous grin, "but you only have yourself to blame if you made the wrong assumption."
"My apologies," said Ulric, "as I said there is still much I have to learn about this land."
"Ny-o worries," said Felix as he patted Ulric on the shoulder, "I was just messin' with ya anyway."
"But since we're on the subject of things I am ignorant of," said Ulric, "would either of you happen to know anything about the other candidates?"
"Certainly," said Julius, "I am, after all, the principal knight of Lady Anastasia Hoshin. She's a powerful and clever merchant whose business practices have allowed for increased prosperity throughout the kingdom in recent years." He indicated one of the two women standing before the throne, a purple-haired girl wearing a white dressed with a furred cape and round fur hat.
"And I'm the knight of Lady Crusch Karnstein," said Felix as he indicated the green-haired woman standing next to Anastasia. Unlike the Merchant Girl, she was dressed in a blue, military-style uniform and her posture was that of a disciplined soldier. "Her family has been allies of the Lugnican royal family for generations and always has the good of the kingdom in mind when making decisions."
"Have they now," said Ulric, "that might be a subject for Reinhard and I to discuss later."
"Oh, are you scheming behind our backs already, Sir Knight," said Felix with a playful grin.
"I wouldn't call it scheming," replied Ulric with his hands behind his back, "it simply occurred to me that if Lady Crusch's ties to the royal family are as deep as you say, I might call upon her for an inquiry in the near future."
"Oh, and what would someone who clearly isn't from around here want to ask Lady Crusch?" Questioned Felix while quirking his eyebrows.
"I'm afraid that would be telling," replied Ulric, "but worry not. The reasons for my silence on the matter shall become clear quite soon."
"It's good to see you know when to hold your tongue," complimented Julius, "my own Lady Anastasia would no doubt enjoy a conversation with you." The Crusader might've replied to that but the wide double doors opened once again to admit two newcomers: one being a familiar white-haired girl in a white cloak decorated with ears of all things that had purple tips. The other was a man who was apparently determined to stand out thanks to the white makeup and other painted decorations on his face that gave him the appearance of a clown along with his purple suit that was completed by an overly large, purple cape. And upon closer inspection Ulric noticed he had a ludicrously small hat atop a head of long, blue hair.
"Isn't that Lady Emilia," Questioned Ulric, already half-suspecting the answer. He didn't know why but for some reason her face seemed obscured somehow.
"Indeed it is," replied Reinhard, "and she is being escorted by Lord Roswaal L. Mathers, the court mage of the Kingdom and lord of the Mathers Domain."
"You'll forgive me for saying so but he appears to be in the mood for entertaining today," observed Ulric, "surely he doesn't always dress in such a manner?"
"It is true that he's a little more dressed up than usual," said Julius, "but he always wears something along those lines, and I don't think I've ever seen him without his makeup on."
"I can already tell that he would make for an odd dinner guest," commented Ulric as the double doors opened wide once more to admit two more people. It was the complete reversal, almost, of the pair who'd walked in earlier with the apparent royal candidate wearing a bright red dress that showed more than a little of her cleavage and shoulders. In contrast, the Knight escorting her was wearing only a helmet, black pants, a green vest with no shirt underneath and an almost raggedy looking yellow cape tied around his neck. It also didn't escape Ulric's notice that the Knight was missing one of his arms.
"And that must be Priscilla Barielle," said Felix, "she's the matriarch of house Barielle and hails all the way from the empire of Vollachia. There've been all kinds of rumors about whether or not she was responsible for the deaths of her previous husbands, but one things for certain: she's a proud and absurd woman." Ulric had a feeling he knew what Felix was talking about as the blond woman passed by them, her red eyes sweeping the room like a girl looking for a playmate as she hid the lower half of her face with a black and red fan. She snapped it closed as soon as she took her place in line in between Emilia and Crusch.
"It's about that time," said Reinhard, "take formation in the block, Ulric." The Knight nodded in understanding as he took position behind his red-haired compatriot. Silence fell upon the room then as the green-haired captain, Marcos, walked forward and turned to face the assembly. "Now if I may be so forward I, Marcos, leader of the Imperial Knights will act as the director for all of the day's precedings. The events that have brought us here today happened half a year ago, when members of the royal family, starting with the king, went into hiding-."
"Excuse me," said the Purple-haired candidate, Anastasia, "I get that you want to talk things up and put on a good show here, but I'm a busy girl. In case you didn't know we have a saying back in Kararagi: time is money." 'Yep, a merchant through and through,' thought Ulric as Hoshin continued to complain about the issues of standing on ceremony. Yet what came as a surprise was the one who spoke next: Crusch Karnstein.
"I couldn't agree more," she said with a nod of her head.
"Lady Crusch," replied Marcos with a raised eyebrow, "are you sure the head of the Karnstein family should be saying such a thing?"
"I acknowledge the importance of observing formality," said Crusch with her arms crossed, "but it is also a fact that our time is rather limited. So it would be wise to inform us why we are here rather immediately. Naturally, however, I do have a general idea."
"Am I to take it you are already aware of the purpose of this meeting," said one of the elders, a man with a massive, white beard which was styled like a braid.
"I am indeed," said Crusch with a slightly smug expression, "for a drinking party, of course. One day soon we shall be facing each other as rivals. But by sharing drinks and conversation at the same table we'll have a better chance of learning more about one another."
"I'm afraid that is incorrect," said the Elder getting a look of surprise from the Green-haired Woman.
"Felix," said Crusch as she turned to the cat-eared Knight, "this is not what you told me earlier."
"What I actually said was that it 'might' be a drinking party," said Felix as he pawed the air like a feline, "I never said I knew that for a fact or anything."
"I see," said Crusch before turning back to the council, "forgive me for jumping to conclusions. I'd like to retract everything I just said."
"Now wait a second," said Anastasia, "just because she's backing down doesn't mean my opinion's changed on the matter. We all know how the Royal Selection process works so there's no need to go over it again. Am I right?"
"I still think it might be a good idea," Emilia started to say before getting cutoff.
"I don't remember asking your opinion on any of this," said the Purple-haired Girl dismissively. Ulric raised an eyebrow at this, curious about the amount of animosity being directed at the White-haired Girl. That is until the knight, Al, suddenly spoke up.
"Hey, I don't really know how the Royal Selection works," he said while raising his single arm high in the air.
"Is this true," asked the Elder from earlier before shifting his gaze, "we'd been informed that this man was your knight, Lady Priscilla. Have you really not explained the selection to him?"
"Whether I have or haven't makes no difference," replied Priscilla, "you men will still ramble on about it, won't you? So please continue, Marcos." The Green-haired Knight nodded before doing so. Fortunately, Reinhard had explained the process to Ulric so he instead decided to whisper a question that was on his mind.
"Did Lady Crusch really assume this was a party merely based on what you said?" Questioned the Crusader to Felix.
"More like she figured what I said was all she needed to know," Felix whispered back.
"She must trust you a great deal to ignore any of the signs that said otherwise," noted Ulric, "does this happen often?"
"Cruschy and I have known each other for a long time," said Felix with a smile, "so these things happen now and again. What I'm more curious about, is why we're all gathered here with only 'four' candidates?"
"Why indeed," said Ulric as he turned back to the front while trying to hide his own knowing smile. He didn't really consider this to be 'lying' per se. It just wasn't his place to reveal what was really going on. That honor belonged to another.
"Reinhard Van Astrea, step forward," called Marocs as he signaled for the Red-haired Swordsman.
"Show time," Reinhard said with a wink towards Ulric before stepping out of the line, up to Marcos and the candidates before giving a slight bow. "Honored Council of Wisemen, I, the Imperial Knight Reinhard Van Astrea, would like to announce the completion of my mission. The fifth and final candidate mentioned in the prophecy of the dragon has been found!" Then, just as planned, the double doors opened wide as Felt came walking in, a look of both awe and bewilderment on her face.
Her outfit was now that of a shoulder-less yellow dress with white gloves that reached all the way up to her elbows. The skirt of the dress was actually long enough to require both Flam and Grassis holding up the back as they walked along behind the blond girl. Mercifully, she at least had been allowed to wear a pair of brown boots as she wasn't quite used to high heels yet. "She is also the one I revere as queen. I give you, Lady Felt!"
She continued forward, her eyes slowly scanning the room until they landed on Reinhard and Ulric. The Red-haired Knight stepped back into the line though remained turned towards Felt. Ulric did the same as both he and the Sword master bowed respectfully. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Lady Felt, it's wonderful to see you again." Felt smiled as she walked up to the both of them.
"Hey Reinhard, Ulric," she said before her face suddenly twisted into a scowl. She raised the skirt of her dress then and lashed out with a kick aimed at Reinhard's face. Ulric moved back involuntarily while Reinhard merely caught the kick effortlessly with his hand.
"You surprise me, Lady Felt," he said, "have we done something to bring on this sudden aggression towards us?"
"I'm not angry at Ulric just you!" Exclaimed Felt, "you didn't tell me there'd be this many people here!"
"I believe I said many of the top-ranking knights had been called for this meeting along with the top officials," said Reinhard as he kneeled while putting Felt's foot down on the floor, "there happen to be a fair number of them."
"I feel in some way I should apologize," said Ulric, "I never thought to bring up the subject and assumed Flam and Grassis would inform you."
"Don't apologize when it's not even your fault," said Felt as she let loose another kick, this time at Ulric who blocked it with his arm, "this one's on Reinhard, got it."
"If you so insist, your Ladyship," said Ulric with a nod as Felt lowered her foot.
"Lady Felt," said Marcos, "if you're done rekindling old friendships then I'd like to ask you to please step forward."
"Right," said Felt as she moved up next to Emilia, "I know I was supposed to be here and everything but a certain someone was a little fuzzy on the other details."
"I'd assumed most of what needed to be done would be self-explanatory," said Reinhard as he took Felt's hand and placed the insignia in it. "And it might be good if you at least try to remember some of the etiquette we've been teaching you." Felt simply shrugged at that as the red stone on the insignia began to glow as before, proving her status as a royal candidate. The sight drew more than a few murmurs from the gathered members of the throne room.
"As you can see," announced Reinhard, "the dragon gem has recognized Lady Felt as a priestess. Now that her participation has been approved by the powers that be, I believe it is time to begin the Royal Selection process in earnest." Marcos's reply to that was to put his hand over his heart along with the other knights who did so as a form of salute. Though somewhat expectedly, not everyone was ready and willing to accept such circumstances.
"Even if this girl has been recognized by the dragon stone," said one of the nobles, a sickly looking man with a long goatee, balding head and dark shadows under his eyes, "isn't her selection a bit problematic?"
"Are you implying that the Imperial Knights have made an error," Marcos questioned back as the rest of the knights turned their heads towards the nobles. It was clear there was more than a little animosity between them all. Then there was the murmuring among the nobles about whether or not Felt was fit to be a candidate.
"If you all believe that you could find a better candidate," Ulric spoke up suddenly, "then why not leave right now and do so. If finding the other candidates was anything like finding Lady Felt, I imagine there shall be far fewer of you in the next meeting."
"What did you say! Who are you! Such insolence!" Came the raised voices of the other nobles.
"Kinda stirring the pot there, Ulric," said Reinhard, "you know there's no need for that right now, I hope?"
"You and I both knew there would be challenges to Lady Felt's candidacy," replied Ulric as he glanced at the Knight, "so we might as well make it known that we have no intention of backing down just because of the disapproval of a few disgruntled officials."
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," replied Reinhard as the Wisemen called for silence.
"Knight Reinhard," said the Bearded Wiseman, "would you please recount to us the events that led to her discovery."
"Of course," replied the Red-haired Knight, "but in order to do that I must also call forward my compatriot." He signaled for Ulric to step forward as the both of them kneeled. They also removed their swords and placed them next to them.
"Honored Council of Wisemen," said the Crusader, "my name is Sir Ulric Arkwright, a knight of a land far from here. It was about a month ago that I found myself in this kingdom where I met both Sir Reinhard and Lady Felt. I have since pledged my loyalty to her Ladyship and intend to see her on the throne if that is what she truly desires."
"And where was it that you met Sir Reinhard and Lady Felt?" Questioned the Wiseman.
"We both encountered and took custody of Lady Felt in the slums exactly one month ago," informed Reinhard.
"What?! She's a gutter rat from the slums?!" Exclaimed the Sickly Noble from earlier.
"Well sorry if they happened to find me in the slums," said Felt, "but I'm the one who's here against her will!"
"All of this long-winded blather couldn't be any more tedious," said Priscilla, "but then again I suppose it's quite possible you were a gutter rat because all you could manage was tedious conversation."
"What was that," said Felt with narrowed eyes as she turned to Priscilla, "if you're looking for a fight, you got one."
"Such insolence," said Priscilla as her mouth was hidden behind her fan, "do you have any idea who I am you little urchin?" She raised her fan then with obvious intent to strike the blond girl. But the blow never landed as both Reinhard and Ulric moved in front of her with the Crusader swiftly swatting the fan out of the red-eyed woman's hand.
"If you truly do find all of this so tedious," said Ulric with a stern look on his face as the aura of his light magic faded, "then you should do us all the honor of leaving. And I'd recommend the same for you as well, Lady Hoshin."
"You've got a lot of nerve throwing me in with her," said Anastasia with a look of disapproval on her features.
"I merely speak the truth as I see it," said Ulric as Reinhard bent down and picked up Priscilla's fan, "what's being discussed now is the future of an entire kingdom. If you can't even handle a little tedium then you should not only leave but drop out of the Royal Selection entirely and leave it to those who will actually take the matter seriously. Being a ruler isn't for the feint of heart, after all."
"You really must be a foreigner," said Priscilla as she swiped her fan out of Reinhard's offering hand, "if you actually knew who I was you wouldn't doubt me for a second."
"Who you are is inconsequential," said Ulric as he walked over to Felt, "it will be your actions from this day onward which will determine whether or not you're capable of ruling."
"Now you're starting to sound like Julius," said Anastasia with a sigh.
"You'll have to forgive Ulric," said Reinhard with a bow, "he has only been my pupil for a short while so he still has much to learn. But there can be no doubt about his loyalty."
"And you shouldn't be starting a fight in such a hallowed place anyway," said Emilia, "what were you even thinking?"
"Oh I was merely attempting to teach this undisciplined little bitch her place," said Priscilla, covering her mouth with her fan again.
"You're not even-," Emilia started to say before Ulric held up a hand to stop her.
"There is no need to waste your breath on her, Lady Emilia," said Ulric, "she is not the type of soul that considers decency towards others." The White-haired Girl looked unsure for a moment but eventually nodded her head in understanding.
"If you're all quite finished," said the Bearded Wiseman, "we'd like to proceed now." Ulric bowed to Felt and Emilia before returning to the line, picking up his sword as he went. Reinhard remained as Marcos again spoke up.
"As you are called, please step forward," said Marcos as some of the other knights stepped from the line and joined their candidates, "Lady Priscilla Barielle and her attendant, Al."
"This entire selection process is pointless," proclaimed Priscilla as she raised her fan in the air, "I'm the only one who's suited to rule this nation! All you people need to do is serve me and grovel before my feet!" 'Proving me and likely many others right already about your inability to rule,' thought Ulric.
"The Head of the Karnstein family," continued Marcos, "Lady Crusch Karnstein and her attendant, Sir Felix Argyle."
"Should I be elected as the new ruler I vow to sever the contract between the dragon and the kingdom of Lugnica," declared Crusch, "this nation belongs not to some beast but to its people!" Ulric wasn't sure what to think of a statement such as this as, unsure of the effects of such a decision.
"Lady Anastasia Hoshin of the Hoshin Trading Company," Marcos introduced next, "and her attendant, Sir Julius Juukulius."
"I'm a greedy little gal," she said with a bow, "so I want everything. No amount of commercial success can satisfy me, which is why I want to have my very own nation!" 'At least she's being honest about that much,' thought Ulric as Emilia stepped forward next.
"Lady Emilia and the man who's endorsing her," said Marcos, "Lord Margrave Roswaal Al Mathers."
"I have only one wish," said Emilia with a hand over her heart, "equality for everyone. I desire to create a nation where all citizens are equal!" Roswaal went on to comment about how out of place he felt, drawing out some of his words in an odd manner Ulric didn't recognize.
"Finally," said Marcos, "Lady Felt and her attendant Sir Reinhard Van Astrea."
"Now let's get something straight right now," said Felt, "I'm still not one hundred percent onboard with this whole thing, but if I do somehow manage to win," she turns and points at the nobles, "I'm tearing down the nobility, I'll find better uses for the knights, and I'm throwing out the whole crummy system of this country and bringing in some fresh air!"
"What kind of joke is this?!" Exclaimed the Sickly Noble, "I've overlooked this because the situation was urgent but it's senseless to drag it out this long!"
"He has a point," said another of the Wisemen, a bald man with exceptionally large blue eyebrows, "the Astrea family offers a gutter rat to rule us while Margrave Roswaal endorses a half-devil! It is utter foolishness!"
"Now let's mind our manners," said Roswaal with a smile, "it's not polite to call a half-elf something so cruel."
"I must also object to such statements," said Ulric, stepping out of line, "to my understanding Lord Roswaal is your most trusted wielder of magic in all of the kingdom. Furthermore, Sir Reinhard is the most skilled and powerful knight that this nation has ever bared witness too and has demonstrated time and again to have sound judgement. Yet such statements as yours just now doubt not only them but the very system you relied upon to locate the candidates in the first place."
"I recall you are a foreigner, yes," said the Bald Wiseman as he indicated Emilia, "so perhaps you are unaware but that woman there resembles the white-haired half devil, the Witch of Envy who once terrorized this world generations ago."
"I know of the tale," said Ulric, "which is why I believe it is foolish to compare Lady Emilia to something so dreadful. If she was or had any connection to the Witch of Envy, why would she come here in an appearance you'd all recognize? Furthermore, if her power is as foretold, why would she even bother with something like the Royal Selection? She'd merely kill us all."
"You seem to know quite a bit for someone who only arrived here recently," observed the Bearded Wiseman. "And what say you of our judgement of Lady Felt?"
"As said I question your faith," replied Ulric, "using the dragon stones to locate candidates was the method you chose and your loyal knights carried out your wishes. It has taken half a year just to locate these five using all of the resources you have available, yet you choose now to doubt the dragon whom you've trusted for generations merely because not all of the candidates are what you expected? Why even bother listening to the prophecy if you're going to dismiss your own system so easily?"
"We take the words of the dragon quite seriously," said the Bearded Wiseman, "and you have made a fair point of your own. Our kingdom is in peril and the longer we put this off the more dire the situation shall become. Have you anything else to add, Sir Ulric?"
"I do but I'd rather get my approval from Sir Reinhard first," said Ulric as he turned to his compatriot, "shall I reveal to them Lady Felt's secret?"
"I believe you've done plenty at this point," said Reinhard as he stepped forward, "in fact you've said so much that there isn't much for me to say except for this." He turned to the council then. "Honored Wisemen, if you'll recall, around fifteen years ago a royal disappeared. She was the daughter of Ford Lugnica, brother to our previous king, Randohol Lugnica. If you'll look closely, her age is appropriate and her red eyes and blond hair lend greatly to only one possibility: she is of the royal bloodline of Lugnica!"
A murmur went through the nobles as the wisemen straightened up, taking an actual look at Felt this time. "Hmm," said the Bearded Wiseman, "that is intriguing if it proves to be true. Regardless, I believe more than enough valid points have been made. Please return to your positions."
"Of course, and thank you for lending us your ears," said Reinhard as both he and Ulric bowed and returned to the block formation of knights.
"Now then, odd as some of the candidate's circumstances may be, they are all here at last," said the Wiseman, "the Royal Selection can now begin!"
A Short Time Later: Royal Waiting Room
"Jeez, what was all that back there, Ulric," said Felt who was sitting on a red-cushioned bench, "Sure I've only known you for a month and I made that whole speech about tearing down the kingdom, but I didn't think you'd ever talk back to anyone like that."
"I do apologize for making such a spectacle of myself," replied Ulric as he kneeled before Felt, "I just felt compelled to speak out on such an important matter. It's likely the Lord moved me to do so."
"I really hope you don't start using that as an excuse every time you do something weird," said Felt, "I've told you before I've never heard of this God you keep mentioning."
"No one in this land seems to know of the Lord," said Ulric, "perhaps my presence here is meant to change that. But I am a knight, not a priest, so I cannot offer quite the same insight."
"I'm certain you'd do fine if push comes to shove," said Reinhard with a smile, "though I too must admit my surprise. One does not normally speak to the council or the nobility in such a way, at least not lightly."
"My family back in Northern Europe were lesser nobles," explained Ulric, "many knights come from nobility there, similar to your family, Sir Reinhard. Father and on occasion, Mother, were in charge of the affairs of a small village but we still entertained a number of nobles as guests. I suppose you could say people of a higher social standing don't intimidate me as easily as they might intimidate some of the other citizenry."
"That certainly explains a lot," said Julius from further up the hallway as he came strolling towards them, "your pattern of speech and mannerisms seemed to indicate you had such a background." Interestingly, he was also accompanied by Felix and Emilia.
"Sir Julius," said Ulric as he stood up, "and I see you've brought Lady Emilia and Sir Felix here with you."
"You can just call me Felix right now," said the Cat Boy while holding up two fingers, "we're not in a super formal setting right now, after all."
"That being said I do hope we're not interrupting," said Julius.
"Not at all," said Reinhard with a smile, "we were just going over some of the meeting details."
"If anything I'm glad you're here," said Ulric, "I was hoping to tell you that I meant no offense towards you or your lady with what I said earlier. I was merely voicing my thoughts on the importance of this selection."
"No offense taken, Sir Ulric," assured Julius, "your passion was actually quite surprising. For a foreigner you seem to care a great deal about this nation."
"I've sworn my service to the one who might rule someday," said Ulric, "naturally I'd be concerned for the wellbeing of the kingdom even if it's not my homeland."
"I'm just glad to see that you and Felt are doing so well," said Emilia, "I'd heard you'd made a full recovery but I was still worried."
"We were okay on the days the twins weren't beating on us," said Felt, "so I'm not sure we're doing that well." This got a small laugh out of everyone there before Felix spoke.
"Well I guess whatever the circumstances we're all rivals now, so let's do our best!" A chorus of agreements answered that, save for Felt who simply rolled her eyes.
"I guess it's really started then," she said before standing up, "I hope you and Ulric are ready Reinhard because we've got a lot of work ahead of us."
"My sword is yours, Lady Felt," said Reinhard with a bow.
"Whatever challenges you may face in the future, know that we shall be there to face them with you," said Ulric as he also bowed.
"Then it's like Felix said," replied Felt with a smile, "if you're both going to give it your all and the rest of the competition is going to do the same, then I've got no excuse to not give it my all too. So let's win this thing!"
And there you have it, Felt's candidacy is confirmed for all the kingdom! Seems she was a bit easier to convince in this story, but regardless I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Once again let me know if you want more of this story or if I should just move on to the next along with what you liked/disliked or if you've got any requests for future stories. And don't forget to check out my book, Plains Riders, on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited! See ya in the next story.