Birthright: Lord of Arda (21 page)

Chapter XXXIX

Braden

The evening had gone quickly and the morning was going faster. After Braden returned from the great temple, he had spent a few hours talking to Page about what was going to happen the following morning. About an hour after the sun set Alex had come back from Cecil's shop, he looked tired out. His eyes were heavy and Braden had spotted a new burn on his fore arm, whatever he had been doing he wouldn’t say more than it was one of Cecil's normal orders and that he was trying to learn all he could from him. Ashe was a little more open about her day’s activities, she went into great detail about what Kingston had told her. She gave a summary of the first few pages of the new book he had given her. She had left the main party shortly after finishing her story, to sit on the balcony and practice. Troy didn’t last much longer before he fell asleep on the sofa opposite, Page had been running the boy ragged, teaching him not only to read but also the basics of the castle layout and the history, nobility and hierarchy of the Kingdom. The boy had a keen mind and was picking it up quickly, he was already able to name each of the High Lords with no hesitation. Page had popped in once or twice during the evening but he hadn’t stayed long. Braden spent a few hours after dinner with Alex whose eyes were heavy after a whole day working in the smithy. After he fell asleep during their conversation, Braden told him to go to bed, that left him and Magnus. The pair sat in front of the fire for a while before the sound of a door opening and closing behind him signalled that Ashe had gone to bed and the balcony was free. He spent another hour looking out over the city, he couldn’t really remember what he was thinking about or why he stood there for so long but soon his own eyes began to droop and after checking on Troy still asleep on the sofa, he went to his own bed. Braden had woken up early the next day, his mind racing. He had struggled to stay asleep even though his body was crying out for rest, his thoughts wouldn’t let him. He eventually gave in just as the sun was brightening the night’s sky. Lighting a candle at Page's desk he pulled out a book on the nobility of Arda. He flicked through the pages idly reading the headings of each chapter, Bradley, Corla, Rathbone, Waldestein and finally at the back under the title of extinct was Drake, he read unto the sun finally rose above the horizon. Starting from his father, back through his forefathers. The day began properly after Alex awoke, Page arrived and ushered them out onto the balcony as an old man with a small leather bag, was led through the room after him. It took a few minutes for him to set up his tools on the balcony ledge. He had Alex bring in a chair from the living room, and sat Braden down facing into the sun. He produced a small blade and he ran it twice along a wet-stone after giving Braden a bowl of water to wash his face. Then he went to work, the man was methodical and an expert as he slowly began to remove the hair from Braden’s face. Not once did he catch the skin. After the shave the man went after his hair with a number of different blades.

"There you are sir, all done."

The man brushed off the cut hair from Braden’s bare shoulders handing him a damp tool to wipe himself down.

"Thank you."

Alex was next, Page had asked for a tidying up for his friend. The man started on his beard, keeping the length but cleaning up the stray edges which had taken hold over the past month. His hair was easier and only took the man a few minutes. He finished by brushing Alex down before packing up his things and making his way towards the door. Braden ran his hand over his bare chin. It felt weird to be clean shaven again but he enjoyed the cool air on his skin. He turned as the main door opened and the familiar sound of Panorin and his helpers. The girls quickly went to work setting up a space in the middle of the room, ready to dress them both. Making their way back into the room Panorin pointed to the two sets of clothes set out on either side of the room. Braden made the way to his own set, after stripping down to his undergarments, he began to pull on the custom made clothes that Panorin had designed for him. First, the black trousers with a dark purple streak down the right side, then a black shirt. It fitted him almost like a second skin, the shirt’s buttons were made of gold, and on each side of the shirt, lines of golden thread wound their way up and over his chest. Looking at himself in the mirror that Lydia had set up for him, he did up each button pulling the two sides of the shirt together. Finally when he reached the top, the outline of a golden rose sat in the middle of his chest. He pulled on his black leather boots which finished half way up his shins, again gold thread wound down the side and over the top of the boot. As he picked up his jacket, he saw Troy approaching.

"Wait you have got to put this on first."

Troy also had new clothes, he had almost a miniature version of what Alex was wearing, black trousers, white shirt and a white jacket. The jacket was the only thing with any detail, gold and purple thread lined the edges. Troy also had a new short haircut, but what caught Braden's eye wasn’t how well the little boy scrubbed up, but what he was holding. Outstretched in his hand was the sword Bronn had given to Braden. The sheath was new black leather, a golden leaf design spiralled around the bottom third. The leather was polished to a perfect finish, the steel pommel and cross guard had also been polished, new white leather had been wound around the grip and the single white rose which sat in the middle looked as if it had just been picked fresh from the King’s personal gardens. Braden ran his fingers over the flower before gripping the blade in one hand, the sheath in the other. Pulling the sword free he looked at the shimmering blade it had been reground and polished. Braden had kept it in good order but not even when Bronn had first given him the sword, had it looked so good. Smiling, he placed it back in its sheath and thanked Troy. The sheath was attached to a black leather belt by two small gold chains. As he strapped it around his waist he checked the blade, it hung at the perfect height easy enough for him to draw and was also out of the way. He thanked the boy again before he finally pulled on his jacket. It was a bright white, the edges black. It finished just below his waist, the back slightly longer and more flared out than the front. The shoulders were padded making his frame seem even more dominant. The jacket left the top two buttons and his belt buckle uncovered and was fastened by three golden clasps. He looked at himself in the mirror again, he could hardly recognise himself from the person who had left Farnshire and even less so like the one who had arrived in Alton. He turned to the side as Panorin walked up beside him.

"Here, the final touch. Do not turn it over until we get inside the grand hall and Page gives you the nod."

The tailor wrapped a cape over his left shoulder, he secured it with a clasp on his right side, the cape was pure black with only a golden outline. Lifting it up slightly Braden saw the deep purple of house Drake and smiled. Panorin pushed his hand back down so no one could see the colour underneath before walking back to middle of the room. Braden gave himself another look in the mirror before walking over to Alex, who was also fully dressed and waiting.

"It looks like you will be able to bring Magnus with you."

His friend pointed to the clasp that Panorin had fixed on him. It was in the shape of a Lion's head, the edges of the cape sat between it’s teeth. Braden smiled, looking from the clasp to the door of Page's bedroom where Magnus was probably sleeping. The door opened again, this time Mace Hearth and his son entered, Page following closely behind. The two men were dressed in white tunics over which hung polished steel chain mail, the bottom half of which was an armoured skirt of layered steel on white leather. Each of their swords hung in sheaths identical to Braden's own, only the leaves were silver instead of gold. On their left shoulders were half capes of pure white with a purple rose emblazoned on each. They each carried a simple helmet made of steel and polished to perfection. Braden stepped forward and they both knelt in front of him, he waved them up and shook both of their hands before turning to Page. He was dressed in the same clothes he had worn on the first day they met, in fact, he looked exactly the same apart from a bright spark behind his eyes.

"Are we all ready, then?"

"Apart from Ashe."

"Good, she is meeting us on the way. Now let us go the meeting, it about to start and we don’t want to miss too much before we make our entrance."

Chapter XL

Alexander

They walked in a convoy, Page walking in front as Braden strode a few paces behind. He looked so different to the boy Alex had grown up with, he fitted into the clothes and the surrounding so perfectly it was obviously in his blood. Behind him was his two newly sworn-in guards. Alex had to admit they looked striking in their amazing armour, the combination of the brightly polished steel and the white made it hard to look at them with the sunlight shining through the windows. Alex was at the rear with Troy, the little boy was bouncing in anticipation. Alex couldn’t blame him, he was about to watch his best friend become one of the most powerful men in the country. They walked for about ten minutes. It wasn’t the direct route to the great hall from Page's chambers. They left by the exit in the main living area and made their way around to the front of the main atrium before entering the great hall. The nobility were permitted to enter by one of the side entrances but everyone else needed to go through the front door. The halls were silent, all the nobility in the Citadel were already in the hall and only a few servants were roaming the halls. As they reached the end of the living quarters, Page stopped at a junction of corridors which led off into different parts of the Citadel. They stood there silently for a few minutes. Alex was about to ask Page why they stopped, when he saw why. Walking down the corridor was Ashe, she was dressed in a dark but vibrant green, her hair was curled and placed carefully around her face and falling over her shoulders. Her cheeks were slightly rosy and her lips were darker than usual. The dress was cut low and flowed down to the floor. Her arms were bare apart from her gloves which matched the dress perfectly. She walked slowly up to the group, two of Panorin's ladies walked behind her dressed in a similar green as well. As she reached Braden she curtsied. The look on Braden's face was probably the same as Alex's. Ashe looked beautiful, he hadn't seen anyone look more beautiful in his life. It took Braden another second to take Ashe's hand and allow her to stand up to her full height, she was wearing shoes with heels as she was now at Braden's eye level. She turned and smiled at Alex and Troy before turning back to Braden, tucking her arm into his, before the group set off again. Alex looked down at Troy whose mouth was wide open, he flicked the boy’s ear and ushered him along after the others. It took the group another few minutes to reach the atrium, Page stopped just before the entrance turning to Braden who only nodded. The atrium was huge, the largest in the Citadel. Along each wall were rows of benches, each one was currently full of minor noblemen talking amongst themselves. The ground was a mixture of coloured tiles, flower beds spread out across the fifty-foot space. As they walked through, one by one the noblemen started to take notice, some turned back to their conversations, but most pointed and whispered to his neighbour. They made quite a scene, as a few of the noblemen began to follow them at a distance. They walked past the great oak which stood tall in the middle of the atrium and within sight of the great doors leading into the King’s hall. In front of the doors stood twenty-four armed men, ten were dressed in the red and gold regalia of the King. The other seven pairs were dressed in the colours of their respective lords. As the group approached the doors, the two King’s men stepped forward, their hands on their swords.

"Halt, in the name of the King. I cannot permit you to enter the hall with a weapon."

The first guard motioned to Braden and as in perfect sync, Mace and his son dropped their hands to their swords in response. This caused the rest of the King’s men to do the same.

"Sir Brakwood, Sir Knowle knows of our reasons for being here."

Page motioned to the King’s guard who stood to the right of the door. His armour was much more ornamental than the others. The man's hair was greying at the temples and Alex guessed that he was the guard-in-charge. Sir Knowle stepped away from the door and moving between the two guards he whispered to them, one by one they took a step away from the group.

"Mr Page, it is good to see you again, you and your group may pass, however I cannot permit your two guards to enter."

Page nodded first to Sir Knowle then to Mace. Mace and his son stepped to the side and allowed Alex and Troy to step up behind Braden and Ashe. They had taken just a few steps, when another guard, an orange boar on his chest, his hand on his sword barred their way, his colleague followed suit, closely behind.

"Sir Knowle, I must protest. I cannot allow a weapon in my Lord’s presence without my being beside him."

"Sir Marek, Page and this man are on the King’s business, do you want to question the King? Also, I am sure your master carries his own sword."

The boar guard took a step back, Alex could see frustration in his eyes. He waved back his colleague and they retook their place. Page led the way through the doors into the great hall.

Chapter XIL

Braden

Braden stood at the foot of the great hall, Page had told him it was seventy feet wide by two hundred and fifty feet long. It was the biggest building in Arda and possibly in the entire continent. The room was decorated with tapestries along each wall and at the end was a stained glass window. It stretched from wall to wall and from six foot above the floor to three from ceiling, five stone pillars separated the window scene. Below the window stood the royal dais and in its centre was the throne of Arda. It stood nine foot high and almost five foot wide at the base. Designs were etched into the wood and covered in gold-leaf. They pictured the battles whichhad forged the Kingdom of Arda centuries before. In front of the dais a large semi-circular table stood facing the King, around it sat nine men and another two stood at the shoulders of two of the High Lords. Looking to the side, he noticed that on the benches lined along the right hand wall, small groups of noble ladies sat whispering. To his left the young men of the nobility did the same.

"This is where you need to wait, it is just Braden and me from here."

Page had gone through this part of the plan many times but Braden could still see the reluctance to leave him in Alex's eyes. His friend had always been there to protect him from childhood. He gave his friend a smile and nod, he couldn’t do much more. Eyes were now on him, he needed to act like a nobleman. Ashe curtsied again and Troy stood in silence, turning back to the room Braden took Page's lead. The walk felt as if it took forever, the room was long and empty. The table of Lords was more than three quarters of the way down and was empty except for a red carpet, which ran the length of the room. As they got closer, Braden noticed that there were three empty seats at the table, one in between two High Lords and two at the end. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, he made a conscious effort not to grip the hilt of his sword. He couldn’t give the impression that he was a threat to anyone at this table but he missed the security of holding his sword. Once they reached the table, Page led them off to the left. One of the Lords was addressing the King about the trade treaties in the North. One by one the Lords looked towards Braden and Page, the looks were unnerving and Braden’s heart was racing. One of the men stood and turned to look at him and Braden's heart sank as looking straight at him, through ginger locks was Corla. The young man’s eyes were full of malice as he realised who Braden was. He bent down quickly to whisper to an older man who Braden guessed was his father. The old man waved him away which made Corla turn red with anger, before he burst out.

"What do you think you are doing here peasent. Father, have him arrested."

Corla pointed at Braden, the outburst had caught Braden by surprise, but he wasn’t the only one. The King sat bolt upright and glared at Corla.

"Lord Cadare, please keep your son in check. Or I will have him removed."

The man who had been addressing the King angrily spoke to Corla’s father.

"Lord Cadare, I would remind you that this is the second time your son has spoken out of turn today."

An older gentleman leaned forward to look past Lord Cadare and smile at Braden.

"Lord Waldestein, Lord Bradley. I apologise, my son will not speak again, otherwise I will personally remove him from this hall."

Lord Waldestein disappeared back from sight behind Lord Cadare, a smile imprinted on his face. Lord Bradley continued with his previous conversation, however, he had just began when the King held up his hand to pause him.

"I’m sorry Lord Bradley, but I believe Mr Page has something he wants to say."

The Lord seemed a little flustered but couldn’t protest to the King. He took his seat and glared at Braden, which didn’t help with how he was feeling. All was about to happen, not only to his life but to those of his friends.

"Your Majesty, my Lords. I present to you, the only child and sole heir of High Lord Arthon Drake, Braden Drake."

The silence seemed to hang for hours before the table erupted with noise, five of the Lords jumped to their feet questioning Page and his acquisition. Lord Cadare seemed to be the quietest of the five, a plump Lord to his side was making the biggest noise. Lord Cadare stared at Braden with eyes full of hate, his son's were full of shock but instantly turned back into malice. The four men who stayed seated seemed relaxed and unmoved by the knowledge, Braden realised this must have been how Page had spent the last three days and nights doing, informing and getting these men on side. The King also sat motionless but his eyes did not leave Braden’s face, his gaze was heavy and it made Braden feel uncomfortable. He turned back to look at Corla, his eyes of malice were easier to take than the King’s unreadable stare. As the five men began to quieten down, Braden noticed a smile creep over Lord Waldestein's lips, he looked up at Lord Cadare beside him and his smile grew wider.

"Mr Page, I assume you have some evidence to this matter."

It was another of the Lords who had stayed seated that had spoken. The King ordered the rest of the Lords to be seated before Page began. He went through everything, from when Braden’s father had first began to speak about Braden’s mother to him and his other friends in court. He had spoken about his failed relationship with his wife, his death, then Braden's history from when he was born until this day. The sword, the family traits, Bronn and everything. It took Page over half an hour to go through everything he knew, which was more than Braden imagined. He couldn’t tell if some of it was made up or true, including information about a will naming his son, even though to everyone's knowledge he didn’t leave one. One or two of the Lords who had objected seemed to relax. Each one took a long hard look at him, when Page mentioned the family resemblance. Finally he finished, the room fell silent. The Lords looked between Braden and Page then spoke amongst themselves. A few looked up towards the King, who was sitting motionless, his chin was resting on his fingertips as he looked straight ahead.

"Page, do you really think your words, some old text and a look-alike are enough to convince this counsel and your King that this person is a High Lord."

It was the fat Lord who spoke up first. As he finished, he looked over towards Lord Cadare.

"I agree this seems far-fetched at best." The red haired man added.

"Mr Page do you have any other evidence to support this man's claims. You do know what the price is for pretending to be nobility."

It was the King who had spoken. For the first time Braden noticed the King’s guard standing behind the throne and hidden in the shadows, every man around the table carried a sword, even the King.

"Yes Sire and I do. Braden please, your ring."

Braden was confused, he remembered Page speaking about the ring when he first met him, how, he had told him that it was his father’s and a family heirloom. He had noticed that Page had omitted to mention it when he was talking before and now thinking about it, it was probably one of the strongest links, he had to his father. He pulled out the ring from under his shirt, it was still on the same cord that his mother had given to him back in Farnshire. He rubbed his finger on the pure white stone. Visions of his mother flashed in front of his eyes, he made an effort to control his emotions before everyone present. He turned the ring over in his hand before presenting it to the King.

"A ring, this proves nothing."

"Lord Rathbone sit down." The King shouted.

The outburst caught Braden by surprise causing him almost to drop the ring. The King's face was contorted in anger, but it quickly shifted back to the emotionless stance it had before. His eyes were locked on Braden, but this time they were filled with anticipation, for what Braden wasn’t at all sure. Looking back at the Lord’s table, he saw Lord Waldestein lean forward with a similar look in his eye.

"Braden, please put the ring on. Your right middle finger please."

Page asked. Braden stopped and exchanged the ring from hand to hand. As he slipped it over his finger he felt the same warm feeling that he got into a fight, flow up his finger into his hand and arm. He realised that it was the ring which had caused that feeling. As it passed over his second knuckle, he felt the heat double, triple, until all he could feel was the pain. He yelled out clutching his hand as the ring tightened. He felt blood drip through his fingers and up his hand onto the floor. The pain was excruciating at first but within a few seconds it had completely vanished, even now as the blood still trickled from his hand he could feel nothing. As he raised his hand up to his face he watched the ring begin to alter. The golden band seemed to expand and slowly becoming wider and flatten around his finger and the white stone began to change in colour and a purple haze washed over the stone. The blood had stopped flowing and he turned his hand over to look at the damage but there was nothing. The skin was intact and unmarked, only the drying blood showed that something had happened. As he turned his hand over, he heard one of the Lords gasp, looking past his hand he realised that one of the Lords was actually a Lady. She was beautiful, long dark hair flowing down over her shoulders, a dark blue dress closely hugged her figure. Her eyes were a deep green and her lips a delicate shade of red. She smiled back at him, which made him blush. She was sitting next to Lord Waldestein whose smile was even wider than before. Lord Cadare's eyes hadn't changed, his face was calm but his eyes were blazing with anger. His son stood confused with his mouth was wide open. Lord Waldestein looked from side to side before standing up with his arms wide.

"This proves it then, Braden is the heir to his father, Lord Arthon Drake."

"But, But..."

The younger Cadare stammered, it was his third outburst of the day which was enough to get in him thrown out Waldestein just smiled, as he patted the Braden on the back.

"That ring, is bound to the Drake family. Only someone with his blood can make the ring react in that way. When the stone turned from white to purple, it proved Page was right and Braden is a Drake, am I right your majesty?"

Everyone turned to the King, the man looked from Waldestein to Braden before standing, as he did everyone in the room stood. Even the young and minor Lords and Ladies at the back of the room, jumped up from their seats when they realised that the King had stood up.

"Yes Lord Waldestein, you are right, Braden come to me."

Braden hesitated, he was being summoned by the King. He had to remember the protocol Page had taught him, when he needed to bow, when to kneel, what to say, how to address him. It was very different being a commoner, than being a Lord. He stepped forward away from Page, he could feel everyone's eyes on him. The lords who had sat at the back were now on their feet.

"Wait, your Majesty, he is still a bastard." Lord Cadare called out.

Braden stopped in his tracks looking back towards him. "

I will handle that if it pleases you your majesty." Lord Waldestein interrupted.

The King nodded to him and he moved out from behind his chair. He circled around the table and past the King stopping in front of Braden. The older man smiled at him, they were of equal height but Waldestein showed that years of nobility had taught him how to carry himself. He motioned for Braden to kneel then Waldestein drew his sword and placed it on Braden’s right shoulder.

"Braden, by the power invested in me by his majesty the King Rupert the Seventh, of Arda, I, Lord Aldrich Waldestein, High Lord of Arda, do knight you, Sir Braden. I charge you to defend the weak and defenceless, to serve your King and your country, to live by honour, to fight for the welfare of all, to keep faith in the darkness and be a light in the world. I throw away your bastardry and return to you, your father’s name. Now rise, Sir Braden Drake, Knight of Arda."

As he spoke Waldestein passed the sword from one shoulder to the other, resting it finally on the crown of Braden’s head before drawing it back into it’s sheath and allowing Braden to stand. The older man smiled and nodded to him, before stepping aside and allowing Braden access to the King. Braden stepped past him and finally approached the throne. The dais was three steps higher than the rest of the room, making the King tower above them all. Standing at the bottom of the steps, he bowed towards the King. After a few seconds, the King asked him to rise and step forward, he took the first two steps shakily, before kneeling at the third. He placed a hand to his side to keep his balance, his mind focused on what Page had told him to do next.

"Your Sword, Sir Drake."

The King’s voice jogged his memory and Braden drew his sword. He kept the point against his body and resting just above his heart as he offered the handle to the King. It was a sign of servitude to prove that his life now belonged to the King. Taking hold of the handle, the King raised the sword to his eye level, he smiled as he recognised the white rose at the hilt, before turning back to Braden who bowed his head. Placing the sword on Braden’s left shoulder, the King spoke loudly to be sure that the whole room could hear.

"Sir Braden Drake, by the power passed to me by my father, King William the third of Arda, I, King Rupert of Arda, recognise your birth-right and heritage as the son of the late Lord Arthon Drake and I grant you the title of your forefathers. Sir Braden Drake, I entitle you Duke of the White Hills, Baron of Loxwood, Earl of Morrwood, High Lord of the Kingdom and Knight of the Realm. Now rise, Braden Drake, Lord of Arda."