The Four Swords Chapter 128: Banishment?

Carrion seed pleased with himself. I have no idea what he woke up thinking he might accomplish today, but I don't think this was it.

"Very well then! It seems all settled. What formalities do I need to complete for my Swordsman ceremony tomorrow?" Carrion bead.

"I am afraid that we need a few more days to prepare for another Swordsman ceremony." Queen Valerie squashed Carrion's smile with one statent.

"May I ask why there is a delay, Your Majesty?" Carrion pushed his luck. After having already embarrassed himself in court today, I would think he might have the sense to let that mory fade before thrusting himself into the focal point yet again.

"My attendants have already pushed themselves in a ti of mourning to prepare one Swordsman ceremony for Lord Jacobson. He did not have the luxury to choose when he took the Sword of the clan of Stag from his father." The Queen's knowing pause spoke volus on her opinion of Sir Carrion's rise to power.

Sir Carrion looked like he might bubble over in anger. He must have loved getting every lesson in manners from his sovereign.

"I will give them a little ti to recuperate. This will also give you the ti you need to et with your father on the state of the Clan of Wolves. It might smooth over the transition a little more if your family appears to have a united front." Queen Valerie softened her last statent with her compassionate tone.

"Thank you, Queen Valerie. May your rule be long." Carrion tried to dismiss himself.

"One more thing, Sir Carrion," The Queen stopped him from turning on his heel. "I suggest you spend this ti with your father. Not only because you both should have input on who your champions for the tournant might be, but because the infirmary is where I will seek you if I need further clarification on any happenings of this morning. I hope your ti debriefing about your clan is productive."

Queen Valerie waved her hand and her chamber doors opened further to allow Carrion a wide berth of an exit. I think the queen's guard must be almost all knowing in terms of the monarch's tendencies since the transition was seamless.

I turned to Cali. She nodded at my unspoken question. We both stood to leave. It seed appropriate since the topic of our previous conversation had just been dismissed himself.

"Not so fast, you two." The Queen's command bood as the doors closed behind Carrion in punctuation of her aning. I could not think of a reason that we both would be in trouble.

"I have delayed the Swordsman ceremony and Carrion's coveted tournant for more purposes than previously ntioned. Tomorrow morning, we will have a Swordsman eting. I expect Lady Calista to attend to represent the Clan of Wolves. Please do not tell your father or your brother about the eting." Queen Valerie's eyes shifted from Cali to .

I could feel a lump forming in my throat. The queen was willing to exclude the clansn that just dueled from a Swordsman eting. She must think that the transition of power was questionable at best.

My gut told that it was paramount she be inford about the prophecy scene that just played out before us. My heart regretted being a man of my word. I would keep Cali's secret for now.

"Speak of this eting to no one except the Swordsn and my daughter. All should be in attendance. Be prepared to relate everything you saw today about the challenge duel. Please relay these desires to these people on your way out of the castle," Queen Valerie again motioned toward the door.

As if on cue, both doors opened again. I suppose the people invited to the Swordsman eting and the two guards at the door would be the only ones to know about it. Queen Valerie must trust them with her life.

"Oh and Lord Holden, please find out for Sir John who the Swordsn want to be their two champions for the tournant." Valerie added as an afterthought. I guess I had two jobs.

Cali and I stood for the second ti to leave. I motioned for her to take her leave before . I followed closely behind. It seed apt that she took the lead since she seed to be calling the shots earlier.

The queen's chambers closed behind . I nodded at the two gentlen standing there.

"Lord Holden, these arrived for you while you were in your eting," the swarthy guard handed a stack of letters.

I followed Cali down the hall while opening the correspondence from my n. Several of my scouts along the border had reports from the citizenry of strange happenings before the King passed away. Missing goods. Scorched crops. But all seed to stop the day King Caderyn faced the Autarch.

We should have been more observant before the invaders made it to the castle. I might need to retrain my n. At least the Norads have seed to retreat for the ti being. Who knows if that is a good thing.

I stopped midstep as I looked at the final letter in my hand. It was not any official correspondence, but a letter in my mother's hand. Usually my mother sent letters to Benate's house and not directly to at the castle. My head ran through a million scenarios of what might be amiss, but did not expect what was in front of my eyes.

Calista joined as I stopped short. My worry-stricken face morphed into a bemused smile.

"What happened?" Cali questioned timidly.

"My dear son and valiant Swordsman," I began to read the letter. "I have taken my orders under your command very seriously. The two clansn of Falcon that you left in my care have made great strides in their training.

"Although both of them are becoming more acquainted with the way we live outside of the city, one is having more trouble than the other. Young Gavin is learning quickly how to help the farrs and serve the people of our humble town." Cali and I smiled at each other knowing that the gentleman ntioned before was not who was giving my mother trouble.

"In a closely related note, I seek clarification on my powers as a close relative of a Swordsman. Do I have the authority to ban soone from lands our clans protect? That child Balor will learn one way or another..."