The Dragonskin Chronicles Bk. 02

"Now we have new information," the Queen said, "My mother and I were never asked as witnesses by the Council. We had our eyes focused on Fydryk and saw his Corporal fall in front of him from an attack by arrows. We then saw the King was down and then our attention was drawn to the Militia being attacked by the Black Dragon and completely consumed by fire, the Dragon continued and attacked the Elves with fire and they didn't shoot back. We now know that the Elves came for peace so they had no longbows. Then our Imperial Guard were burned up around the body of the fallen king. There was so much smoke that all we could see was the Dragon flying off."

"We were not informed that the body was a Corporal, to be fair we never questioned those from the hill. We did find the tree that the Elf-arrows came from," continued Lord Staffyk. "It was summer and the trees were in full leaf. There were four assassins that had lain there hidden all night. They had tied cushions stuffed with straw to the boughs for comfort, and roped themselves in so they could safely sleep, then they slipped away in the confusion after their deadly deeds. At the time we had no idea that the archers were anything other than Elves. I wanted to investigate further but Goadrik quashed it, saying he was satisfied that the archers were disaffected Elves and the Dragon was a rogue who had private scores to settle with man and elves, so that is as far as our investigation officially went.

"As far as the Succession is concerned. Even though we were mistaken about Prince Fydryk falling, Goadrik was quite properly and legally declared king, so, Your Majesty, you are still Queen and your heirs are still your two children. Prince Fydryk was bypassed in error ten years ago, but the decision was taken on the basis of what knowledge we had at the time. Now, this afternoon the Queen's Council agreed, after the Queen stressed how important her children were to her, that she wanted to share the responsibilities with a co-King, which we have had on several occasions in the past. The presence of Prince Fydryk, makes him the ideal co-King."

"I cannot be a co-King," Fydryk rose and replied to the Council, "my mind is still confused, I cannot even believe or understand who I am and I have no memories at all of the kingship training that the Prince must have received over the years. Also, I am concerned that, if or when my memories are restored, will those returning memories of the awful things I did under the control of the Sorcerer make me go mad like others have? I am willing to serve the Crown in any way I can, as any soldier must, and I do feel that I was once a soldier here and take comfort in that, but believe that I am totally unfit for this task."

"I would be able to help you through this, Fydryk," the Queen said softly, putting a warm hand on his, "at least think about it until after Goadrik's trial tomorrow."

Korwyn held Zyndyr's hand and looked her in the eye, seeing her smile and nod, before turning to the Queen and saying, "Your Majesty, Zyndyr and I are committed to a number of tasks which must be carried out before our daughter is born in five months. I also wish to visit my Mother and, on completion of our tasks we want to take up country life far from Court business. I've never sought to be a king, nor even a general of an army, but, given that the kingdom needs a stable government, that the Crown is a family business and that Zyndyr and I have some temporary popularity among our people, that we would be happy to serve the Crown in any way possible, perhaps as part of some temporary Regency until the Princess, if she is to be the chosen heir, comes of age."

"Thank you, Korry, and Zyndyr," Queen Pleasmona smiled, "we will discuss this again tomorrow at 10 of the clock sharp. So go now and retire, the Council still have some decisions to make tonight and we will meet for breakfast upon the morrow."

***

When they returned to their suite bed chamber, Korwyn and Zyndyr were too tired for lovemaking, especially when this third time may have become the most important lovemaking of their lives, with no turning back for Zyndyr's mortality. So they slept in each others arms until awakened in the morning by the exuberant Prince Bydon.

Sitting down to breakfast with Bydon and Fydryk, the meal supplied by Palace servants, the table was set with two more places and a baby high chair. The Queen's party turned up with the young Prince and Princess just as breakfast was served and they all enjoyed breakfast together.

After breaking their fast the party made their way down to the Court Chamber which again was full of courtiers and this time with additional representatives from most of the boroughs in the kingdom. This time the presentation and audience was specifically for the Officers and Generals of the Army of Dwarves and Goblins, the Captains and senior officers of each of the Regiments that had marched all the way to Llandorn from Dharibia. Korwyn and Zyndyr were able to exchange greetings and hugs with many of the comrades they had shared the historic march with for more than three months.

The Queen called the informal gathering to order and a plea for silence. The Court happily listened to what she had to say.

"Welcome to new Friends and loyal subjects. As you are no doubt aware, because of all the preparations going on around us that, starting at dusk tonight, there will be a feast of celebration for the peaceful end to this conflict which was for justice not conquest by the Army of Lord Korwyn and his Lady Zyndyr. Even now as we speak, the Parade Ground is being fitted with trestle tables, the citizens of Llandorn are bringing up chairs from every household, each labelled with runic letters of the tongue of Mankind, so they can be laid out in futhark order of the owner's name, thus they can easily be collected in the coming day after the celebration, so please ask your men not to move them around too much," she smiled.

"We will have the palace kitchens working overtime today and the Chief Steward of the Royal Household is putting out requests to pie shops and eateries for more food to ensure that the feast never runs out of dishes to satisfy our valued guests. We have bands of musicians, jugglers, dancers and ballardiers come forward and have volunteered to put on continuous entertainment tonight. And the vintners' shelves and cellars in the city are also being emptied as we speak, to supplement the Castle's ale, wine and honey wine. Our new friends from the Dwarf and Goblin regiments that are present here, their troops camped upon the common grounds. They are far too numerous to call up and introduce individually, but I hope they will introduce themselves to courtiers as we mingle later, but first before that we have a number of honours it is my greatest pleasure to bestow."

There were many cheers as the child Prince Bydon was called forth and on bended knee, the young boy prince was knighted by Queen Pleasmona. As was the Red Dragon, who was guided into the Chamber and told when to kneel down and to accept the flat sword blade lightly tapped on his leathery shoulders and dubbed Sir Red of Llandorn.

Korwyn spoke on Sir Red's behalf in thanking the Queen and the Court, "For the generous honour of dedicated land for the dragons of Llandorn to enjoy life in the wooded mountains that he and a small group of dragons had already flown to and briefly explored at first light this morning. The land is beautiful, Your Majesty, and I know my brothers and sisters will cherish this gift of a land we can call our own forever. I myself, am thankful, I know that to be knighted by the Queen of Man is a great honour, to be a creature that Man has once feared, through the savage actions of a Black Dragon who actually was never a real dragon, makes me feel particularly humble. In conversations that my Spirit has translated for me, I understand that some here in this room think it marvellous that a dragon with fearsome weapons of sharp claws and teeth, powerful jaws and muscular body, as well as being agile in the air and breathing deadly fire, wouldn't harm, kill and eat the very first person the dragon saw. Indeed, I saw this man, the Lord Korwyn first, the first man I ever saw, shortly after I hatched, and he saw me first in the most vulnerable condition any dragon can be in, tiny, weak, with soft claws, and no fire yet in my fire box. If he was afraid of me, if he feared what I could do to him if allowed to grow stronger, he could have snuffed me out there and then, but he didn't. When I started to grow in size and power, he could have left me down in that nest chamber under the dungeons, where I'd have been trapped by my increasing size forever. But no, he supplied me with food, and more than that, affection. He cared about me as a helpless new-born and ensured that I could escape and even encouraged me to get away from him, telling me that simply being with him could endanger my life. That is what is marvellous, that a Man could let a Dragon live and fear FOR me and not feel fear OF me. That's why I have adopted him as my Father, and why I want to live with my adopted mother, father and little sister that is coming, while I grow to be an adult and learn what it is to be a great Man and great person whatever race I be born to. So while I'm proud to be dubbed Sir Red of Llandorn, the place of my birth, I really want to be known as Sir Red Korwynson of Baldyah, my preferred home."

After speaking Sir Red's speech for him, Korwyn turned to Red and announced in his own words, "My lodge is your lodge, my son, you will always have a home on my land. I even have a mountain in mind that would be perfect for you."

"Let the royal records show," Queen Pleasmona announced with a broad smile, "that Sir Red Korwynson of Baldyah is entered into the Roll of Knights of the Kingdom of Man and that his role in the bringing to justice the killer of the rightful and much-loved King of Man and nearly all of the men with him be told for centuries uncountable."

Immediately following the presentations, the trial of Goadrik began and the Courtiers considered the gathered evidence as it was being brought before and presented to the Judges.

The case against Goadrik started with an examination of his original assertion that he was innocent of all charges. He had claimed at the time that he couldn't attend the Treaty signing because he had a broken leg smothered in plaster through a fall from his horse, which he maintained was his sole reason why he couldn't attend the signing of the Hawkshart Treaty.

The former Royal physician, Dr Ghandvyk, was called as witness and he reported that he personally removed the plaster from Goadrik's leg within two days of the death of the old king, so that he could dress in the royal robes for the Coronation Ceremony, during which the physician noticed that he walked normally. The physician's official notes from the day of Coronation when he examined the new king for signs of illness or injury showed that his arms and legs were normal and had no sign of bruising, cuts or injury of any kind that would've resulted from a fall from a horse.

Lord Staffyk of Gharland had his notes from the initial investigation in the tragedy of Hawkshart, with diagrams of the tree that the assassins who fired the Elf-arrows had hidden themselves in. The cushions and ropes used for comfort during their long overnight wait had been retained and stored by the investigators, even clay impressions of the hooves of the horses indicated that the horses used to deliver the assassins to the tree were wearing shoes that could only have come from the Royal Household smithy.

A stablehand from the Castle was pressed into giving evidence and he admitted riding with the assassins to the said tree and riding away with the horses; he didn't know beforehand what was going on but was afraid to say anything to anyone afterwards once Goadrik became king. Although the stablehand said he had no proof that Goadrik was involved, he knew Montoule was one of the new King's men and he was able to identify who the other three men with him were; two of them, plus Montoule were dead, but the fourth assassin had been tried for another murder, found guilty but by Goadrik's Royal Proclamation his sentence had been commuted to a short prison term during which he upset another prisoner who stabbed him so badly with a homemade knife that he was a cripple, now living off a generous Royal Pension.

This man lived in a nearby town and had already been arrested by Lord Staffyk in preparation for this trial. The man was called in to give evidence and under oath he admitted that Montoule had hired him as a bowman and, using his own bow and several Elf-arrows that he was given, and took part in the murder. He admitted to aiming at Crown Prince Fydryk and to wounding the Corporal, but claimed he was unable to get in another clean shot with one of the spare arrows because Prince Fydryk was then on foot and surrounded by other tall Guardsmen. The Court dismissed the witness after his testimony and cross-examination but was retained as a prisoner for the crime of attempted murder of the Crown Prince, to be tried at a later date.

Called as a consultant witness, Zyndyr demonstrated to the Court the way Elf-arrows, using an Elf-bow and fired by an Elf who knew how to work the magic procedure, always return to the original quiver for almost immediate re-use. She also showed that the Exhibits presented at the trial, arrowheads found in the two murdered Royals and the wounded Corporal, which were kept on file by the investigating officers, and compared with the one that Korwyn still had around his neck, and they were all found to match exactly. This proofed that Men, not Elves, fired those Elf-arrows.

Testimony from Queen Pleasmona and half a dozen others from the Imperial Guards' baggage train, who witnessed the scene from afar, gave evidence that Goadrik appeared surprised by the arrival and attack of the Black Dragon, but seemed only interested in the deaths of the three Royals ahead of him for the crown.

Lord Staffyk gave evidence again to state that he had never completely buried the investigation into the death of his King and, while Goadrik was with his army facing Korwyn, he had managed to find out the names of three of the assassins that Mountoule had briefed to attack Korwyn during the years since he left the Kingdom of Man and that the heavy retainers paid to these men could only have come from Montoule's employer, Goadrik. Therefore, the Treasury and the ledgers from 10 years earlier were examined and revealed that the four named assassins were paid 10 royals each for 'services rendered', which were now known to be the assassination of all Goadrik's rivals for the crown.

Goadrik's first wife, the Princess and later Queen Nadrhyah, was presumed barren after being childless after some six years of marriage. Her physician during her life as a Princess was called upon to address the Court to testify that Queen Nadrhyah had been in excellent health but went downhill very quickly after a short illness which brought on stomach pains and vomiting. The physician had suspected at the time that Goadrik had poisoned her to be free to remarry and produce an heir, but admitted that this was only a suspicion on his part, he had no hard evidence.

Another Courtier gave evidence that King Goadrik tried to woo the beautiful Lady Galadriella, Korwyn's widowed mother, but she told him that she had no wish to remarry, after losing her husband so tragically and was fully occupied in nursing her severely injured son for many months, who then left home to track down the Black Dragon, and left her still grieving the loss of her husband. So after that rejection he courted and married the reluctant young orphan daughter of a late Guardsman and the late fiancée of the Crown Prince, the virgin Pleasmona.

The trial was adjourned in the afternoon, so guests could leave in readiness for the festivities to come in the evening and the Court was ordered to reassemble after breakfast the next day.

***

The evening celebration began with Queen Pleasmona introducing her guests flown in by Giant Eagles for the occasion in the Great Chamber of the Court and in the large parade ground. The beautiful High Queen Myr, fully recovered from her ordeal from the recent attempted coup on her rule, and her grandmother Queen Urmah. The High Queen and her escort party were accompanied by Goblin King Mamdhuk, his Queen Quistyn and Crown Princess Myddy, who had been driven in by carriage taking up most of the day, before meeting with High Queen Myr just outside the city of Llandorn.

Then, before everyone took their seats outside, all the Regiments were called into the Chamber in line by line, starting with the Goblin regiments, then the Imperial Guard of Mankind, the Dwarf Regiments and finally the honoured guests. All were presented with campaign medals struck over the previous couple of days by the Royal Mint and threaded with ribbons, the colours reflecting the colours of the various nations.

"The mint and all other forges in the city have been working flat out to design and stamp out each medal." The Queen repeated many times as the soldiers filed through the Court Chamber. "Prince Bydon and Captain Difaniel sat with our mint manager yesterday and worked on lists of regiments and probable numbers, so there is a slightly different design for each regiment or unit. The Royal Mint and other shops have been casting and stamping out and polishing medals all night and all day, our haberdashers and seamstresses producing ribbons in the various. Army's National Colours, cut to size and affixed to the medals.

"Now, if your Majesties and our feted heroes will please join me in presenting the medals to the soldiers involved on either side of this campaign, we get them out and taking part in the feast. At the end of the Chamber we have engravers from all over the Kingdom of Man, plus a few Goblin engravers who came here hotfoot to join in, so every single medal will be personalised for each venerated holder. Thank you one and all for taking part in this campaign, not only did it right so many wrongs, healing so many wounds, it gives us a chance to resurrect what the unsigned Treaty of Hawkshart was supposed to do, bring everlasting peace to all peoples. So I propose that we contact all of the nations in our world and ask them to return to Hawkshart Plain on this day one year from today, to draw up a new Treaty which will bring peace to the world and change the meaning of Hawkshart from the disaster it once was to one of inspiring hope for the future."

High Queen Myr rose from her chair, walked to King Mamdhuk and they held the hands of unity together and they walked over to Queen Pleasmona and group hugged in support of the proposal for a fresh Treaty.

Then the parade of the regiments through the Chamber began, with much bowing and smiling, with all the Royals taking part, including the royal children.

At the head of each line were one of the Royal Party, even Princess Glendora, helped by her Governesses and aides, managed to present some medals before she tired, after that she sat and smiled beautifully as the future Queen utterly charmed the hard-bitten soldiers who filed past her with tears of joy in their eyes.

Even Prince Fantym from his Nurse's arms handed out a few medals. The heroes, even Prince Fydryk, his role as enslaved enemy forgiven, gave out medals too.

As well as the regiments, there were those leaders of Pylanatehk who had stepped into the battle before the Dwarves and Goblins were overwhelmed and the power of the King had ended in all but the shouting and trial.

There were many tears too, as well as stories told and backed up or contradicted in good humour, and friendships formed between many different peoples. The process overran, of course, there were too many thanks to exchange, too many vows of eternal friendship to swear, too many stops for calls of "Hurrah" to Lord Korwyn and his Lady Zyndyr whose determination to find justice had brought the worlds of Man, Dwarf, Goblin, Dragon and Elf together in peace and harmony.