Chapter 18: Reynard

Duke Reynard was pondering many heavy things as his carriage rumbled through the streets of the capital. It was the dead of night and he was on his way back to his manor house after the startling events at the castle. The envoy’s message had shocked the entire royal court; even Ghaldor, who had never shown any interest in civic affairs, had seemed a bit perturbed.

The Alliance’s offer of joining their ranks was beyond surprising, it was unprecedented. The five nations of Scepter, Penglos, Zarta, Tamsin-Annessi, and Cennik were the remnants of the great Altrech Empire. Ever since that mighty institution’s fall, the five had been the inheritors of its role. They had kept order and peace over the continent of Casaad, and for over nine hundred years there had never been a full-scale war in the human lands. And never once in all those centuries had they ever considered including a sixth member in their coalition.

Until now. Until Duncan had summoned a Hero of its own.

In all of the court’s planning and devising, in all their predictions on what the Alliance’s response to their actions would be, the concept of enlistment into their ranks was never even considered. The notion was so far-fetched that it had never even occurred as a possibility in their minds. And yet the unimaginable had occurred.

King Alcor had maintained a straight face while the Alliance envoy was in attendance. Once the man and his entourage had left, the king let the mask drop. His Majesty was all but thrilled at the notion of becoming the Alliance’s sixth member. All throughout his reign, Alcor III had been focused on, some would say obsessed with, making his kingdom a powerhouse on the international stage. One rich enough and powerful enough to stand up to the Alliance and win. He had taken many gambles in the pursuit of this goal, one of which was taking in a disgraced Synod wizard and making him the kingdom’s Chief of Magic.

Such a gamble had seemed to pay off. Ghaldor was, for all intents and purposes, a genius in his field. The old man had produced many breakthroughs for the kingdom, from new agricultural techniques and farming devices to military equipment and weaponry. His efforts had made Duncan rich and powerful, just as King Alcor had wanted. Yet it wasn’t enough.

Ghaldor Skybreaker. Reynard had attempted to investigate the man but unfortunately, his agents had found nothing of value. Age unknown, family unknown, place of origin unknown. All the information that could be found on him was a collection of records from his time as a member of the Alliance’s Synod of Magicians. Ghaldor had spent over forty years there, rising to the rank of Grand Magus, before being expelled. The reason for his expulsion? “Research into arts encroaching upon the taboo.” At least that was what the official Synod records had stated, which of course did not explain much. The category of taboo subjects for the Synod ranged from something as minor as human experimentation to the truly impossible such as time travel.
Yet later events would tell Reynard all he needed to know about the old man’s taboo research. The king would eventually tell his court of his wizard’s mad plan: to summon a Hero. Ghaldor had all but convinced the king to commit precious resources to perform an act that was, for all intents and purposes, the purview of the gods. Many saw it as sacrilege; although there was no true religion anymore after the gods had left the world, there were still those in power who held steady to the old beliefs. Duke Hatcher of Minfert was one such person, and he was very vocal about his objections. Of course, the biggest proponent of Ghaldor’s plan was King Alcor himself, so such objections were noted but never acted upon.

Reynard belonged to the faction representing the middle ground in the controversy. Although he saw many benefits to Ghaldor’s plan, he also believed that it would bring as much peril as it did prosperity. The biggest hazard, of course, was the Alliance. For millennia the act of summoning Heroes from Earthworld was the sole domain of the Empire and its heir nations; they would not see kindly to a usurper kingdom performing the same miracle that was given unto them by the gods.

And yet it seemed as if all his worrying was for naught. The Alliance seemed much more receptive to the idea of a sixth Hero than he thought, enough as to invite the Kingdom of Duncan into their own regal fraternity. Although the negotiations would take weeks to iron out, the kingdom joining was all but written in stone.

Duncan would become a member nation of the Altrech Alliance.

The Duke sighed as he leaned back into the plush velvet cushions of his seat. His eyes glanced out the window and into the streets, which were still filled with people even at this late hour. From merchants closing their shops to drunkards returning from the tavern, they all just went about their business without a care in the world. None of them could have known that a historic event had just occurred a mere few hours ago.

Eventually, his carriage pulled up to the gates of his manor house. Although he had a sprawling estate in his home region of Ginkrest, he owned a modest manor in the capital which he stayed in whenever his presence at the king’s court was required. The guards at the front saw his family’s crest on the carriage doors and quickly admitted them inside the grounds. The horses pulled his carriage past the wrought iron gates and trotted the short distance past an ornate fountain to the front doors of the manse.

His butler met him at the front door. Reynard handed the man his coat while the servant asked if he wished to have dinner.

“No, I think I shall retire for the night,” the Duke told him. “I believe I shall have breakfast early in the morning, though. My presence may be required at the palace once again.”

“Very good, sir.” The butler bowed as Reynard headed towards his first-floor study.

Upon entering the poshly appointed room, the Duke trudged over to his large desk where he all but fell heavily onto the chair. He felt utterly exhausted and wished for nothing else but to head to his bed. Yet he knew he couldn’t do so; he had several letters to write, one to his wife and others to his various allies across the kingdom. They needed to be informed of what had just occurred so that they could properly prepare for upcoming events. His wife especially. Since his presence would be required at the king’s side for the foreseeable future, and as Kasen was with him at the capital, the running of operations in Ginkrest fell upon her. This wouldn’t be the first time she had overseen his territories, so Reynard wasn’t too worried on that front. What had him concerned was the future and what it had in store for Duncan as a whole.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Father? It’s me, Kasen.”

“Ah,” the Duke said aloud. Good timing; he had yet to inform his son of what had transpired. “Come in.”

His heir and only son entered the room and Reynard couldn’t help but feel proud of the young man he had become. Tall and handsome, the seventeen-year-old had always been popular with his peers. He was also well-built and outgoing, so unlike his father who had always been lanky and weak. The boy probably got his looks from his mother’s side of the family. Good looks aside, Reynard had been sure to raise the boy to also possess a good character. He detested the arrogance and frivolity he often saw in other young noblemen and made doubly sure that his children would not behave in such a poor manner. Along with their education, the Duke made sure to teach them lessons in manners and morals. He wanted them to know that nobility was much more than a mere title; it was a state of being.

“Father, are you alright?” Kasen asked, concern heavy in his voice. “You were gone for so long and you missed dinner. Did something happen at court?”

The Duke sighed and leaned back heavily in his chair. “You could say that. Something did happen. Something monumental, even.”

“Oh. Did it have anything to do with the Alliance dignitaries that had arrived at the castle?” Kasen asked. “I heard they brought a Hero with them.”

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Duke Reynard narrowed his eyes in disbelief at his son. “And just how in the hell did you learn about that?”

The boy rubbed at the back of his head and smiled in embarrassment. “I, uh, sort of heard your conversation with the messenger this morning. Sorry, but you were talking so loudly that I could hear you through the door!”

“Is that so?” Reynard sighed again. He needed to get thicker doors installed in his study. “Very well, since you know most of the details anyway I shall illuminate you. The envoy brought a letter from the leaders of the Alliance. It was an official letter, signed by their kings and leadership.”

“What did this letter say?” Kasen asked, looking very interested in the answer.

“It was a formal invitation for the Kingdom of Duncan to join the ranks of the Alliance.”

Kasen’s eyes widened in shock. “W-what? Are they serious?”

Reynard nodded. “Very serious. It seems as if our unprecedented act of summoning a Hero has enured their leadership into seeing us as potential allies.”

Or a potential threat, the Duke thought. Could this be why the offer was given? Were the Alliance worried that Duncan could be so dangerous to them that they had no choice but to have the rogue nation join them? The alternative would of course be war, and no one wanted that.

His son thought for a moment. Reynard saw the look on the boy’s face and smiled slightly. It was a familiar look, one he often wore himself when in deep thought. Kasen truly was his son, and he would make a great Duke someday.

“This is excellent news, then,” Kasen spoke up. “I know how worried you were about Alliance retaliation. With Duncan joining them, then we have nothing to fear from them.”

The Duke frowned as he nodded. Although one avenue of worry was averted, these events only opened up more in his mind. The king’s original plan was to stand at the forefront of a new age, one where the Alliance did not have sole control over world events. With a Hero of their own, Duncan was supposed to be the representative of the other smaller nations and would serve as a foil to the Alliance’s usual machinations. Yet, with this offer, such plans were quickly tossed into the flames.

Joining the Alliance would, of course, come with many, many benefits. Defense, for one, was all but assured. The Alliance sported the largest army in the human lands, six times as large as the next largest army, which ironically was Duncan’s. Various technical advancements would also be shared. The Alliance nations were the most technologically advanced in the world, boasting wonders unheard of outside their borders. And Duncan would share in those wonders once they had joined.

But perhaps the biggest benefit to joining the Alliance would be the Heroes. One Hero was said to be the equal of a thousand soldiers. Perhaps ten thousand. And Reynard had personally seen their effectiveness in action. With just one Hero, Duncan was able to avert a civil war. Imagine the possibilities of having five more at their disposal.

Heroes were the absolute game-changers on the international political stage. They were weapons capable of committing mass destruction. No army could stand up to one let alone six. Heroes were the reason why the Alliance had such a hold on the continent for over twelve hundred years, and why peace has reigned for over nine hundred. They were potent pieces, like a queen on a chessboard. Only this queen piece had no limitations placed upon it.

“This should be great news for Lady Amelia, at least,” Kasen remarked. “With five other Heroes on her side, it should make her job much easier. I bet she’ll be thrilled at the prospect of meeting others from her world as well.”

Reynard frowned. If there was one thing he disliked about his son, it was his fascination with that girl. That Hero. Ever since first meeting her, Kasen had all but sung her praises. The boy went on and on about how great she was, of how brave and kind and pure of heart the girl had been. He supposed he could see why his son was so smitten. Amelia, despite her albinism, was quite the pretty girl. Perhaps her deformity even added to her appeal, making her seem exotic to the male gaze. Her innocence also attracted many to her side, men especially, as it called upon their specific natural urge to protect. So yes, he could see why Kasen would be so enamored with the young Hero. She was charming, sweet, and virginal.

Yet the Duke could not help but dislike her. He couldn’t put his finger on just why exactly he felt such antipathy towards the girl, only that he did. Deep down in his gut, he perceived that there was something deeply wrong with her. Wrong about her. His instincts told him that something about the girl was just off. Her manner, her bearing, her behavior, even her looks. It all screamed false to him. It was as if she were putting up an act for everyone’s sake, that who she was truly and what everyone was seeing did not align.

Perhaps he was just being overly judgemental. That he was overprotective of his son and he disliked the girl for that simple reason. Yet, his instincts had never been wrong before. Not in politics, not in people.

There was something deeply wrong with the Hero Amelia. And the Duke couldn’t help but think that she would bring ruin to the Kingdom of Duncan.

Book One: The Kingdom of Duncan
END

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