THIRTEEN YEARS AGO
Hector was walking through the palace of Dalriada, steps echoing against the stone floor. Servants easily moved out of his way, recognizing the haste in his stride. The paper between his fingers felt like the heaviest thing in the world as he headed towards the councilroom. His blue cape swept across the floor behind him, marking him as a trusted knight. His chainmail was shifting and as the links hit each other, it was one of the few noises he was able to hear throughout the entire hallway.
As he approached the doors he forced them open with his hands. He heard the paper crinkle under his hold, feeling the wooden splits threatening to dig into his hands. Letting his hands drop to his side, he strode behind the chairs of the councilmen, towards the end of the room. The men turned back to look at him as he passed by each of them. He ignored them and went to the side of his king and leaned down to whisper in his ear, setting the letter down on the table. His king looked at the familiar writing on top of the letter, before turning to the council.
"I will need you to excuse me."
He led the king back past the council chairs and out of the room. He was able to hear the noises of sudden outrage and annoyance at the interruption. His own steps continued to speed up so that he was able to stay beside his king. The silence between the ruler and his most trusted knight hung heavily on anyone they passed. As they passed by, people got quieter, growing concerned about the tension coursing through the hallways.
Heading into the king's private chambers, Hector closed the doors behind them, double checking that they locked behind him. He turned back to the king as he opened the letter without even sitting down at his desk. The ink along the paper was smudged, the edges fraying, and stained with who knows what.
"Is this the truth?"
"Yes, the letter was given to me directly by Sir Lucan."
His king sat down and read over the letter once again, seeming to drag his fingers along the words on the page; as if that would be able to realize what he was reading was the absolute truth. If it was given to them by almost anyone else he was positive that his king would not believe it. He knew that if had not been Lucan, then he wouldn't have believed it either.
"When did he say that this happened?"
"Three months ago, he said that this was the earliest that anyone was able to reach another kingdom."
"Did he say anything about the fate of my brother?"
"Yes. He said, while it is unconfirmed, he is believed to have been killed while helping out the Galte Clan."
His king nodded, putting his hand over his chin and leaning onto it. He watched as his eyes scanned back over the letter once more, considering the contents carefully. Dalriada had been a solidary kingdom for almost two decades at this point, but he knew this would be a difficult decision for his king. This did involve his own elder brothers after all.
"And his wife?"
"Gone. She was rumored to have run two months ago. It is not certain if she was forced to or ran off on her own accord; but no one has seen her since then."
"Okay. Okay… and my nephew?"
"He is assumed to be alive, but no one is quite certain where he is. Your brother arranged for him to study in another kingdom while he was fighting in the war, but no one is certain what kingdom he was sent to."
His king rubbed his forehead and set the letter back down onto the desk. The edge of it was lifting up as the wind blew in through the windows. Once more, the silence that hung between the two of them was heavy. Hector had guarded his king since he was just a young boy; so for neither of them to know what to say to each other, was certainly a sign of how grievous this matter truly was.
"Sire… are we going to offer assistance to them?"
"My nephew and sister-in-law are nowhere to be found?"
"Yes."
"...then no. Dalriada will continue the neutral status of our kingdom."
"Of course." He nodded and began to turn towards the doors, not yet taking the steps he needed to leave.
"Is there something you wish to say, Hector?"
"Yes."
"Then speak, you know I trust your counsel."
"Why are you refusing to help? I realize that Dalriada is a neutral kingdom, and that the crown prince is missing, but those that remain are still your nieces and nephews."
The King sighed and rubbed his temple, running his hands through his hair, forcing himself to look up. He felt his eyes wandering over Hector's face, he knew he was looking for his sincerity and Hector knew it wouldn't be hard. To the public he would always support his king's decision, but like this, in private, he would talk to him as an equal.
"I realize that I am… effectively abandoning my family; but with my eldest nephew missing, there is no one who would be able to inherit the throne."
"What about your eldest niece?"
"My brother never got around to changing the law for a princess able to inherit the throne. So only one of my nephews would be able to; and until there is certainty that the crown prince is deceased…
"No one else is able to take over the throne…" Hector finished, realizing that it would mean that the throne would be left empty; or his king would be forced to take it over.
"I will need a few moments to properly collect myself and then… then I will go and inform the council. After that, the Kingdom of Dalriada will release a statement that we will not be providing any assistance to the Kingdom of Lothian."
"Of course, sire… what if your nephew does show up?"
King Angusel hummed in thought and rubbed his chin, "Along with that… I will personally release a statement saying that I will personally provide a very generous reward for the return of Crown Prince Gawain of Lothian."
