blogwithvalor

Prince Huron walked briskly down the stairs from his bedchambers towards the large council room. A new discovery had been made by some of the royal gardeners after the storm that passed through the Kingdom of Elsinore last night. His advisors had sent him notice that the discovery was of vital importance and could affect the future of the kingdom. Prince Huron didn’t know what this new revelation could be, but worry began clawing at the back of his mind.

As he walked down the halls, large portraits of every ruling King and Queen hung in the hall. Each and every portrait depicting the lineage that Prince Huron was a part. The Kingdom of Elsinore had been established over 100 years ago by his ancestor King Erie. Before King Erie’s rise to rule, the kingdom had been taken over by a far-off enemy known as the Chelans. They had traveled over great distances and usurped the royal family. It was believed that they had killed all the royal family, but King Erie, who was prince at the time, had escaped and eventually returned. He led the people to a great overthrow of the tyrannical Chelans and reestablished the rightful rule to the kingdom. Every portrait contained a king or queen with striking green eyes and dark black hair. A trait said to be descended from King Erie himself. It was a trait Prince Huron inherited and was expected to pass onto his first-born child. If he was ever to find a worthy Queen and finally received the title of King.

The doors to the council room swung open as Prince Huron approached. His primary advisors, Millerton and Folsom, were standing over a scroll that was unraveled on the table. Both men were hunched over, quietly whispering to one another. Behind the advisors were two young men that were aides to the advisors. Prince Huron had never taken time to know any of the aides’ names as Millerton and Folsom seemed to get new ones every few months.

His head General Isabella was standing at the entrance at full attention, her left hand resting on the butt of her sword. She was unwaveringly loyal to the crown and had been part of his personal guard for years before the prince’s recent rise to power following the death of his parents. They, like much of the royal family, were beloved by the people of Elsinore. Their deaths at sea, during a storm 8 months ago, was mourned by the entire kingdom. Prince Huron hoped to continue their legacy and be as beloved by the people as they.

Prince Huron nodded to General Isabella, who immediately changed her stance to a resting position. He approached the table and looked at the scroll on the table. “What is it we have here Millerton?”

Millerton nervously pulled at his collar, but Folsom spoke up, “During the storm last night, lightning struck the ancient tree in the royal courtyard. It was split in two and within the tree was discovered this scroll.”

Prince Huron looked puzzled, “That old tree? It’s been ages since I visited it.”

“Apparently it held an old secret,” Folsom motioned to the unfurled scroll, filled with words and at the end a drawing of what seemed to be King Erie and his royal family.

Prince Huron walked around the table. Both his advisors moved aside to provide their prince with an unencumbered view. As he quietly read the scroll, his eyes grew wide. The scroll contained the story of the invading Chelan family that ruled over the Kingdom of Elsinore during the final months of their rule. Civil unrest had grown for years during the Chelan invasion and the Chelan family never left the castle for fear of attack. The Chelan homeland had also found the takeover of the Kingdom of Elsinore to be frivolous and stopped sending reinforcements and aide. A plan had been devised by the young father of the invading royal Chelan family. He would leave the castle and return to the common people with one of the old swords of the former Elsinore royals, which were kept in the castle armory. He would show it off and claim to be the lost Prince Erie returned. He would lead the common people to a takeover of the castle and removal of the Chelan army. Then he would seemingly return to power, bringing in his family and leading peaceful lives filled with gratitude from the people for bringing them liberation. The prince reached the end of the scroll with the image of King Erie and his royal family. Their bright green eyes and dark hair still visible on the old paint.

Prince Huron’s mind raced. The story of King Erie liberating the people of Elsinore was a lie. The royal line was a lie. The love the common people had for him was built on lies. What would happen if news of this were to spread? He would not only lose the love of the people but his place as prince.

“Who has else has seen this scroll?” Prince Huron said in a soft but stern tone.

Millerton’s voice wavered as he spoke. “Only those in this room. It was not opened by the gardener or any other before us… your most trusted and loyal advisors.”

Prince Huron’s hands rested on the edge of the table, and he leaned deeply into them. He stared down at his feet for what seemed like minutes.

He looked up towards the two young aides standing at the far wall. Then he turned his gaze to General Isabella and nodded. She moved towards them and in two quick movements dealt lethal blows to them both. She wiped the blood from her sword with one of the aides’ robes before sheathing it. Millerton and Folsom both stood there frozen.

Prince Huron stood tall and straightened his shirt. “I was born and raised here in Elsinore. The people love my family and our lineage. We saved Elsinore from the Chelan invaders. This false scroll has been clearly fabricated to sow distrust in the kingdom. It is lucky we found it so soon. I believe it is of the utmost importance that we search for any other documents and destroy them. Millerton, I believe you are suited for this role.”

Millerton hesitated, “I… I… I…”

Prince Huron nodded to General Isabella. With another quick movement, Millerton’s head rolled across the scroll. His blood spreading across the parchment. Prince Huron pushed the head off the scroll and pulled out a handkerchief. He wiped off the blood, but the scroll and his hands were still stained red. He rolled up the parchment and turned to Folsom.

“Can I trust you with this task Folsom?”

“Of course, your highness.” Folsom bowed so low that the prince could see the back of his head.

“Good. Please take care of this as discreetly as possible. General Isabella, come with me. I think it’s time I revisit this old tree and see if any other secrets lie within.”