Chapter Three - The Stone of the King

The next morning, encouraged by the events of the day before, Lady Kathryn consented to come down to breakfast. This time walking down the hallway was a bit easier than before, but they still took their time going down the staircase.

“Sometimes, I wonder,” Kathryn said.
“Yes?” asked the tall squire beside her. He looked down at her, dressed in a pale blue gown with a filmy white veil covering her hair. “What do you wonder?”

She only laughed, a light clear laugh like crystal. “Sometimes I just wonder. I wonder about wondering. I just, simply wonder.”

Later, as they were sitting in the garden and Edmund was describing the view from this direction, Kathryn heard the soft patter of slippers on the stone path. She turned her head to the sound of the feet. Edmund followed her and saw a young girl come in sight. Well, not that young, he decided, but younger than Lady Kathryn. She had blonde hair that was plaited in two braids, and she wore a pink and white dress. As she turned the corner she came straight towards Kathryn.
“Kat!” she cried.
“Jessica!” came the surprised response.
“Kat! What are you doing out here?”
“I came out for a change, at Edmund’s insistence.”
“Edmund?” Jessica asked in surprise.
“This is Edmund, next to me,” responded Kathryn. “He was assigned to be my guardian by Sir Uncle.”
“How do you do, Edmund?”
“How do you do?” came his response.
“This is my sister Jessica,” introduced Kathryn. “But, come, sister, I can tell by your voice there is more you came to say.”
“Civil war has broken out!” cried Jessica. “The Duke of the Seventeens has attacked.”
“What happened?” asked Edmund in astonishment.
“The Duke sent an army to attack Ge’irdae. The militia there found them before they could attack however.”
“The Duke?” queried Kathryn.
“Yes. The militia from Ge’irdae noticed they were from the Seventeens. That can only mean that the Duke has attacked. King Eldor has declared war.”
“I knew there was trouble with some towns,” said Edmund, “That’s why Sir Paulo left. But, war?”
“Yes,” nodded Jessica. “But that isn’t the only complication. The Duke sent King Eldor a message, challenging his right to the throne.”
“On what basis?” asked Edmund.
“On the basis he only has the torc, and does not have the Stone of the King.”
“But that’s preposterous! For what reason does that not give him the right to the throne?”
“The Duke says that since he does not have the Stone of the King, how can Eldor know it will shine with the Kingly Light for him, and if he does not know that, how can he be king?”
“And how does that support the Duke’s claim?” asked Kathryn.
“Simple. All the Duke does is convince everyone that King Eldor is not the rightful king. Then, he can take the throne under the pretense of holding it until the rightful king shows up. Since no one has the Stone of the King, no one will know who can make it shine with the Kingly Light, and thus, no one can know who the rightful king is.”
“Has anyone looked for the Stone of the King?” Kathryn said quietly.

The others turned to her in astonishment. Where would one even begin to look, let alone how would they find it? The Stone of the King had been missing for over three generations. Certainly there had been those who had considered looking for it. They had gone north, to the Drimvue Forest, and never been heard from again. Why they went there, no one knew, but one thing they did know. The Stone of the King had been missing for decades, for centuries, and no one knew where it was.

“No,” responded Edmund. “Why would they? What point would it serve? No one’s been able to do so; they’ve never returned. So, they’ve stopped looking.”
“We could try,” Kathryn said. “It may be the only way of preventing this war.”
“But how?” asked Jessica.
“Let us start by asking Sir Rupert.”
“Why would he know?” said Edmund.
“He knows a lot of things,” explained Jessica. “He’s been around for hundreds of years, and he’s ancient!”
“No he’s not,” protested Kathryn. “He has not been around for hundreds of years, and he is not ancient. He has travelled far, and in his travels he has acquired much in the way of knowledge.”
“Very well then,” conceded Edmund. “Let us ask him.”

~~~~~~~~

Binks Vizzini and Hayden Potter were standing around a map of Elenaesia together. They had been talking quietly and discussing the paths they were taking. It was a cold and windy morning, and they could hear the breeze whistling past as they spoke. Then Potter went out and glanced around. No one was in sight. He came back to Binks and motioned him to the back of the tent. Motioning for him to be silent, he spoke in a low whisper.

“Do you really want the Duke on the throne?” he asked Binks.
“If it’s a choice between the Duke and the King . . .”
“Why a choice between them? Could we not put someone of our own choosing on the throne?”
“What are you saying?” cried Binks.
“Hush!” came the response, along with a hand clapped over his comrade’s mouth. “Do you want all to hear?”
“What are you saying?” repeated Binks, in a lower voice.
“I’m saying that, if we win this war for the Duke, is it not possible we would have enough influence to set someone else on the throne?”
“It’s possible.”
“What do you think? Are you with me?”
“How do you expect me to give you an answer right now? Let me think on it.”
“Do so. But hurry, we don’t have a lot of time. If all goes well, we’ll have less than two months.”

The two parted their ways, but Potter felt some nagging worry. What if Binks told someone? And what if that someone told someone else? And so on and so forth until it reached the ears of the Duke? He was done for, that much he knew.