Fledgling Demigod Ch. 06

6

"My lord!?" Lucinda cried and skidded to a halt in the castle courtyard. The remaining guards didn't even raise their swords. Their eyes were fixed on the balcony above. Lucinda looked up and gasped as she saw a very dead king Jasper still pinned to the wall. Galen was nowhere to be seen and she began to panic. "GALEN!?" she yelled, dispensing with his title in her worry.

A beautiful redhead looked down at her from above. "He's here," she said. "He's fine. Although..." she trailed off and looked down to her side.

Galen slowly stood from the floor and as he came into view, fresh tears flowed down his face. "NOO!!" Lucinda cried out and went to her knees. Behind her, the six remaining men in her troop knelt as well. "And Lady Matilda?" she asked, choking up.

Galen just shook his head as his body shuddered in his sobs. He began to walk across the balcony and the women parted for him. He made his way down to Lucinda with Miranda in his arms. By the time he had arrived, Rodrick had arrived with a cart. He lay Miranda gingerly on it. He gently placed his hand on the fabric covering another body.

"I'm sorry," Galen choked out a whisper. "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you." He looked at Lucinda. "Take them back to Spellthorn," he ordered.

"Duke Galen," Queen Lillian said from above. Galen turned to look at her. "What about us?"

"What about you?" Galen asked numbly.

"You killed the king," she said. "You could have killed us as well."

Galen's eyes flashed with anger. "I'm not going to fucking kill everyone because one man is an insipid douchebag," he retorted.

"I have no idea what a douchebag is," Lillian replied. "But by rights we are yours to command or possess."

Galen looked around angrily. Rodrick nodded softly. When Galen's eyes turned to Lucinda, she just shrugged. "You keep what you kill," she said. "You just effectively named yourself ruler of the Kingdom of Redd."

"What about the fuckwad that ruled before Jasper?" Galen asked.

"He died in service to the emperor," Lillian answered from above. As Galen looked up at her she continued. "Since he died with no heir, the emperor was forced to choose someone to rule."

"And of all the choices he had," Galen said and pointed to Jasper's body. "That was his best pick?"

Lillian shrugged. "No one knows why the emperor does what he does," she replied. "Maybe he wanted to give his son a chance."

Galen shook his head. "I'm no king," he said.

"Maybe not, my lord," Lillian said. "But you are our king whether you see yourself as such or not." She curtsied to him from above and the other women did the same.

Galen looked around the courtyard and all the guards had knelt on one knee with their fists to their chests. Rodrick was bowing from the waist. "Get up!" he yelled. When they didn't he said it again with more force. "GET THE FUCK UP!" They all rose and looked at him. "I don't want this!" he said angrily as he looked around at everyone. "I'm not a king! Hell, I can't protect the ones I love. What the fuck makes you think I can protect a kingdom! I didn't ask to be sucked through a goddamned portal to another fucking world! I left behind a wife and children! I had a great life with them! Nobody asked me if I wanted to be here! Nobody asked me if I was even up to the challenge of saving the world!"

When he paused, Lucinda said, "Sometimes, my lord, the things we need most are thrust upon us whether we want them or not. I know you to be a benevolent ruler. I know you to be a kind and decent man." She looked down at the bodies in the cart. "A loving man any woman would kill to be with."

["I will help you,"] the voice said in his mind.

"And speaking of that," Galen said as he looked up in the air at nothing. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Who are you talking to, my lord?" Lucinda asked.

Galen didn't answer but neither did he continue to rant, either. "I ask again, my king," Lillian said. "What about us?"

Galen looked up at her. "I don't want to be your king," he said. "I give the kingdom to you. The rest of you go home to your families."

"A woman cannot rule, my king," Lillian said.

"Yeah, well, I'm changing the fucking rules," he retorted.

"Even if you do so, my lord," one of the other women said. "A woman has no place ruling. A woman has no place other than in service to men."

"Is that so?" Galen asked angrily. He turned to Lucinda. "Take off your helm."

"My lord," Lucinda balked.

"You say I'm your lord?" Galen asked angrily. "I'm your king?" She nodded with an uncomfortable sigh. "Then I order you to remove your helm." She did so slowly, reluctantly. There were gasps all around as everyone saw that she was, indeed, a woman. Galen took note of the other guards that didn't react. "You as well," he ordered, pointing to one of the kingdom's guards. "And you three," he said again to three of Lucinda's subordinates. "And you, and you, and you as well," he said going around the ranks. Soon, everyone had their helms off and no less than twenty women were revealed to be among the ranks of the guard.

Galen looked up at Lillian. "Still believe you can't rule?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he pointed to Lucinda. "I've known from the moment I met her that she was a woman. I can personally guarantee that she will beat the shit out of any man she faces in a fight." Lucinda blushed but straightened proudly. Galen sobered slightly. "I don't know how many women I killed to get here but I have to believe they all died for a cause they believed in. Men and women alike and I can't fault them for that. The point is women are as resilient and steadfast as men. Hell, some are even more honorable than men. If I had my choice I'd have nothing but women in my guard because they don't fucking back down from shit when it comes to blows."

Lillian looked at him and her posture was proud and regal. "My father was a Duke in the kingdom of Jinx," she said. "I am of noble birth, my king, and if you say I am to rule then I will rule."

"What do you mean, was?" he asked.

Lillian looked down in sadness for a moment before she straightened. "I don't just hate Jasper for what he did to me," she answered. "I hate him for what he did to my family."

One of the other women put a comforting hand on Lillian's shoulders and she nodded slightly for the other woman to speak. "Any woman king Jasper chose to wed or be his concubine," she began. "Her family was slaughtered and fed to the emperor's hogs."

Galen blanched. "What?" he whispered. It seemed he was the only one that was surprised.

"He wanted to ensure we didn't run away when he tortured us," another woman said.

"So you see," the first woman said. "Even if you try to send us back home to our families, we would have no family to go home to."

"There's always the emperor's harem," one of the male guards said and blanched at the hateful look every woman present gave him. He didn't say another word.

Galen looked confused and Lillian spoke up again. "Seven queens and sixteen concubines and we all still possess our maidenhood."

"Aye," the female guards said in staggered unison. "We'd all go to the emperor's harem," Lucinda said but Galen could tell there was something else she was hiding. He'd ask about it later, though.

Galen's head was spinning. He glanced at the cart with his wives on it and his shoulders slumped. He placed a tentative hand on the sideboard and sighed audibly. "What do you need from me?" he asked to no one in particular with his free hand on his forehead, pinching his temples.

"I want to have children," one of the women on the balcony said and it was so filled with longing it tugged at Galen's already fragile heartstrings. It was the same woman that had said a woman has no place except in service to a man.

"I can't give you that," he whispered as fresh tears welled up in his eyes. "I don't know what to do. I need time to grieve, to process."

Lucinda put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Then take the time you need, my lord, my king," she said.

He looked at her. Her eyes were pleading with him to make a decision, to take charge. He sighed again and stood in thought for a moment. Then, he looked up at Lillian. "I need time," he said. "For the time being, I place you in charge of the kingdom. Rodrick," he said, turning to the old man.

"Yes, my lord?" the wizard replied.

"You will be her advisor," Galen said. "Lillian, pick anyone else you want to help you." She nodded. "As for the rest of you, stay in the castle or come to Spellthorn. If you can find a man to marry you then do so. If you can't," he paused then sighed again. "I'll do everything in my power to either find you someone or... I'll... marry you myself, I guess."

"What about us, my king?" Lucinda asked and she was back in her comfort zone.

"Keep up your disguises for now unless you wish to marry," he answered. "That reminds me. Everyone gather around. Ladies," he said to Lillian and those on the balcony. "Pay attention." Those within earshot gathered closer to hear what he was going to say. "I want you all to take an oath of secrecy to whatever god you serve. If you serve no god then you'll take your oath to me. But what you know about the women in the guard needs to be kept silent for now. It's probably best if you take the oath on anything here that would cause anyone harm if they found out."

"That's incredibly vague, my lord," Rodrick said.

"Take it how you will," Galen answered. "Or, just take the oath on everything that transpired since the moment I came into the courtyard, but if I find out any of you betrayed your oath it won't be just your god you'll have to answer to. Do I make myself clear?"

The men blanched as they nodded. "My lord," one of the men said. "Wouldn't it be prudent to make the oath to your god?"

"I serve no god," Galen said, then felt a slap on the back of his head. "Ow! What the fuck? Who did that?" he looked around angrily.

"Did what, my lord?" Lucinda asked.

Galen grumbled but the whispering voice in his mind spoke up. ["They can make the oath to your goddess,"] it said. ["That will be sufficient."]

"Grrr, fine," he said. He didn't like being confused. "Make the oath to my... my... goddess. Upon pain of," he paused.

["Death,"] the voice whispered.

"Death," he finished. "Really?" The voice giggled but remained silent. "So, do we have to do this one at a time or..."

"Tell us how to word the oath and we swear it," Lillian answered.

"Great," Galen said looking up at nothing. "Fat lot of help you are."

He received another slap to the back of the head. ["Don't be so unruly,"] the voice said.

"Would you stop doing that?" Galen asked.

["Then stop acting like a child,"] the voice said. ["Tell them any wording will suffice as long as they swear it to your goddess."]

"Uh," Lucinda said. "I'm beginning to become concerned about you, my lord."

"I'm fine," Galen said. "Apparently I- Mmmm!!" he cut off as it felt as if a hand with an iron grip closed over his mouth.

["You can't tell them about me, yet, my champion,"] the voice said. ["Tell them what I said and I'll see you soon."]

Galen felt a soft kiss on his cheek and his supernatural strength and power left him. He fell to one knee as it seemed all the energy he exerted caught up to him. His eyes filled with black spots and his vision darkened around the edges.

"My lord, are you alright?" Lucinda asked, concerned.

He weakly waved her away as he stood, wavering on his feet. "Just, uh, swear your oath to my goddess," he said. "The wording doesn't matter. Neither does knowing her name. It'll be good enough. Until you swear, you won't be able to speak unless to utter your oath."

He wasn't sure if that was true or not but he got his answer soon enough. ["A bit presumptuous, don't you think?"] his goddess asked.

["Can you hear me if I talk to you in my head?"] he asked, speaking in his mind.

She chuckled. ["I knew I picked well,"] she said. ["You're a fast learner."]

["Thought you were leaving?"] he asked.

["Yes,"] she said and somehow he knew she was rolling her eyes. ["It will be as you say. Now, I'm leaving."]

Galen felt a slap on his ass but he didn't react. Somehow he knew that though she had left, she was never really gone. His mind was reeling. His wives were dead and he hadn't even had a chance to mourn before he was already being forced to rule a land he didn't give two shits about. "Let's go," he told Lucinda before everyone had even finished their oaths.

Once they were outside the castle Lucinda asked, "How did you do that, my lord?"

"Do what?" he grunted.

"I saw you tear a man in half with your bare hands," she said. "I saw you run on foot faster than any horse. You killed Anders with a single punch!"

"I don't know," he said and left it at that. "When we get back to Spellthorn, prepare for the burial."

"My lord, if I may-" she started to say but he cut her off.

"If you're going to correct anything I may be wrong about then let me just come out and say I prefer you do so," he said. "I'm ignorant of the customs of this world. You don't have to ask to correct me if I'm wrong and I don't mind who you do it in front of."

"Yes, my lord," she said. "We don't bury our dead."

"You burn them?" he asked and she nodded. "That's why Miranda wasn't surprised when she..." he trailed off and his heart threatened to burst as another wave of tears clouded his vision. He cleared his throat and asked, "Where are your horses?"

"Turned them loose outside the city gates," she said. "Wasn't sure we'd live to see them again and didn't want them to suffer."

"Good," he said. "They'll be handy to pull the cart." They walked in silence for a while and as the broken city gates came into view, Galen stumbled and gasped in despair. "Talk to me, Lucinda," he said, voice thick with emotion. "I need you to help me stop thinking about them for a time. Just until we get back to Spellthorn."

"What shall I say, my lord?" she asked.

"Anything," he replied. "Tell me about yourself."

"I'd rather not, my lord," she said, stiffening.

"Then tell me what made you want to be a guard," he said.

She hesitated. "I've always wanted to fight," she finally said. "I was always good with a sword even before I started training. When I was a child the boys always stayed clear of me. I always protected the girls from them. When I came of age I... ran away from home." She gave him a sideways glance to see his reaction but he gave none. He just nodded and kept walking. "When I felt I was far enough away I cut my hair and was able to disguise myself as a man."

"How?" he asked. "If women aren't allowed to buy anything a man would need, how were you able to disguise yourself?"

"I... uh... it's not something I'm proud of," she said.

"We do what's necessary to survive," he said. "Even if it may call into question the morals of the decision."

She nodded. "I uh, looted some corpses along the way," she admitted, ashamed. "I was able to complete a set of rough armor and a helm that hid my face. From there I made my way to Spellthorn. I made my way up the ranks and within the first year I was able to rank to captain, where I was when you came along."

"How long have you been at Spellthorn?" he asked.

"Five years, my lord," she answered.

"Please," he asked. "Call me Galen."

"It'll be a hard habit to break, my lo-... Galen," she said.

"I'll be patient with you," he said. He tried to smile but his broken heart wouldn't let him. "If it helps, you can call me Lord Galen."

"Thank you, Lord Galen," she said and placed a comforting hand on his free arm. His other hand never left the cart as they walked. He stiffened at her touch and she immediately removed her hand.

"I apologize, Lord Galen," she said. "I-"

"It's okay," he said, interrupting her. "It's just going to take some time before I can think about the touch of a woman again." Then, thinking about it, he said, "Not that I think you had ulterior motives in mind, but, thank you."

"Any other time I would tease you about that, my Lord Galen," she said. "As such, I will just say that you are the first man I have come to think of fondly and leave it at that."

He looked at her with a sideways glance, then continued walking. When they reached the broken city gates there were a few guards milling about cleaning up the area. When they saw him they stiffened, afraid. They backed warily away from him as he and his contingent passed through. "Gather the horses, Lucinda," Galen ordered. "Harness one to the cart to pull it and have anyone else that can ride return to Spellthorn."

"If anyone returns without you, Lord Galen," she said. "it is possible they will be executed on sight."

"Sorry," he said. "You're right. Then have them ride ahead to secure the forest and the hill beyond."

"I'm not leaving your side, Lord Galen," she said.

"I didn't expect you would," he agreed. "And to tell the truth, I don't really want you to."

"Thank you, Lord Galen," she said and went off to relay his orders. A few minutes later she returned to his side. Without a word she took his free hand and squeezed it gently before releasing it.

Galen gave her a sideways glance but didn't rebuke her for it. "When we get back home I want you to organize a squad to search the woods to the west of the castle."

"What are we looking for?" she asked.

"A small clearing with a stone altar in the middle," he replied. "It might even still have ashes on and around it."

"Lord Beyron?" she asked. He nodded. "It will be done. You plan to have the funeral pyre there?"

"It's only fitting, right?" he asked. "To have her..." he choked up for a minute before he composed himself by taking a deep shuddering breath. "with her father."

"It is a fitting sentiment indeed, Lord Galen," she said and squeezed his hand again. "I'll see to it personally as well as the preparations."

"Thank you Lucinda," he said.

They heard a shout from behind them and turned. Lucinda's hand instinctively went to her sword but removed it when they saw it was Rodrick. "Lord Galen!" the old man said.

Galen halted and everyone around him did as well with the exception of the three guards Lucinda dispatched to round up the horses. "What is it Rodrick?"

"My lord, I have parchment for you to sign," Rodrick said breathing hard.

"What for?" Galen asked.

"Your royal decree, my lord," Rodrick explained. "The decree leaving Lillian in charge of the kingdom while you are indisposed, the decree allowing women to join the guard and have more freedoms in the city, and finally, the decree that the queens and concubines are under your protection until you can either wed them or find men to wed them to."

"I didn't make any of those decrees, Rodrick," Galen said.

"No, my lord," Rodrick said. "Queen Lillian did on your behalf and had them drawn up. She asked me to have them delivered to you at once for your signature. She assumed it might be an added measure of safety for the women of the kingdom should the emperor send his emissary before you are able to return."

"Do you really think it will help?" Galen asked. Lucinda was shaking her head slowly.

"No, my king," Rodrick answered. "But it might."

"Fine," Galen said. "Let me see them." Galen looked them over and signed all three of them, as well as three copies of each decree.

"Your signet ring, my lord," Rodrick said, and offered Galen a solid gold ring with the emblem of a skull.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Galen asked, confused.

"As you would seal a letter, you place your signet upon the decree so that none may contest it," Rodrick instructed.

"I assume with hot wax?" Galen asked.

"Of course, my lord," the wizard nodded.

"Well, do you see any hot wax around here?" Galen asked. When the old man didn't answer, Galen handed him back the ring and the signed decrees. "Have Lillian mark them," Galen ordered. "Then do whatever she feels is necessary with that ring."