sensed was a man—a ruler, with a deep-seated and hidden struggle. It was not, however, the sense of a man bound by evil or bad intent; only a struggle that had caused great sadness. And the inflock understood Balki’s intentions, even though it was not fully revived after its long sleep. It understood that Balki was cloaked and that his plan was much wider than it would seem to those around him. It would wait—hiding in the medallion until such time that Balki was in a position to be of value to it. It knew, though, that now was not the time, and the inflock certainly had time.
When Balki took the hand of the king in order to kiss his ring, Zander felt a warmth run through his body. It wasn’t a physical feeling of warmth, but a feeling of tranquility, love, and trust. His knees began to buckle and his stance wavered so that with his left hand he grabbed onto the railing of the platform next to him.
It was only momentary, but the mayorgovern noticed the change and when Balki released the king of his grip, the mayorgovern asked, “Majesty, are you all right?”
“Yes, Mayorgovern, I am fine and must simply be exhausted from my trip. I think I should rest before tonight’s festivities. Can you direct us to our quarters so that we might settle in?”
“Right away, Majesty; I hope that you will find the accommodations acceptable.”
The king had traveled with an entourage on his tour of Forris and the people of each village had received word from the king’s secretary regarding the needs of the king and his entourage ahead of their arrival so that accommodations could be met. Now, the king and his men were led by the village innkeeper to their home for the coming week.
While Maske had only one inn, there was nothing ordinary or plain about the place. It was an elaborate and stately building with all of the luxuries that a traveling king and his entourage could want. It had been constructed prior to the last visit by King Alexo, and had been consistently updated in anticipation of the next royal arrival. After all, the village of Maske was known for its availability of gold and jewels and so it was thought that the king’s stay should reflect their good fortune.
****
As King Zander settled into his stateroom, he lay down on the bed to rest, but could not settle his mind. The king’s interest in Balki had been piqued, and thoughts of his encounter with him could not be shaken. Balki was with him as fully as if he were standing in the room himself.
****
The evening’s festivities were grand. There was an abundance of food and dancing, and the fireworks went on throughout the night. As promised, the Spiers had sent a delegation to welcome the king, and although they lived in the Kingdom of Forris, they were not themselves Fories. They looked upon the king with reverence and recognized him as the legitimate ruler of Forris, but they had their own internal structure of leadership. This wasn’t unusual. After all, there was a hierarchy of leadership among the fairies, Sovereign Trees, mountains and many of the animals. The king provided continuity to the kingdom and ensured that each of the various groups of inhabitants worked together in peace.
King Zander had only met with the Spiers on one other occasion. They seldom attended Forie festivals and kept mainly to themselves, but Zander would offer up the appropriate invitations out of respect nevertheless. When the mayorgovern led the delegation of five Spiers over to the king’s table, Zander was reminded of their peculiar look. They were even more slender than he remembered, and with their shortened height, the wide frame of the mayorgovern hid them completely from view as they approached.
“Majesty, may I present Lord Oxil of the Spiers, along with his delegation.”
With the mayorgovern’s introduction, the Spiers bowed their heads. King Zander did the same in order to relay his acknowledgment of their relatively sovereign status within
When Balki took the hand of the king in order to kiss his ring, Zander felt a warmth run through his body. It wasn’t a physical feeling of warmth, but a feeling of tranquility, love, and trust. His knees began to buckle and his stance wavered so that with his left hand he grabbed onto the railing of the platform next to him.
It was only momentary, but the mayorgovern noticed the change and when Balki released the king of his grip, the mayorgovern asked, “Majesty, are you all right?”
“Yes, Mayorgovern, I am fine and must simply be exhausted from my trip. I think I should rest before tonight’s festivities. Can you direct us to our quarters so that we might settle in?”
“Right away, Majesty; I hope that you will find the accommodations acceptable.”
The king had traveled with an entourage on his tour of Forris and the people of each village had received word from the king’s secretary regarding the needs of the king and his entourage ahead of their arrival so that accommodations could be met. Now, the king and his men were led by the village innkeeper to their home for the coming week.
While Maske had only one inn, there was nothing ordinary or plain about the place. It was an elaborate and stately building with all of the luxuries that a traveling king and his entourage could want. It had been constructed prior to the last visit by King Alexo, and had been consistently updated in anticipation of the next royal arrival. After all, the village of Maske was known for its availability of gold and jewels and so it was thought that the king’s stay should reflect their good fortune.
****
As King Zander settled into his stateroom, he lay down on the bed to rest, but could not settle his mind. The king’s interest in Balki had been piqued, and thoughts of his encounter with him could not be shaken. Balki was with him as fully as if he were standing in the room himself.
****
The evening’s festivities were grand. There was an abundance of food and dancing, and the fireworks went on throughout the night. As promised, the Spiers had sent a delegation to welcome the king, and although they lived in the Kingdom of Forris, they were not themselves Fories. They looked upon the king with reverence and recognized him as the legitimate ruler of Forris, but they had their own internal structure of leadership. This wasn’t unusual. After all, there was a hierarchy of leadership among the fairies, Sovereign Trees, mountains and many of the animals. The king provided continuity to the kingdom and ensured that each of the various groups of inhabitants worked together in peace.
King Zander had only met with the Spiers on one other occasion. They seldom attended Forie festivals and kept mainly to themselves, but Zander would offer up the appropriate invitations out of respect nevertheless. When the mayorgovern led the delegation of five Spiers over to the king’s table, Zander was reminded of their peculiar look. They were even more slender than he remembered, and with their shortened height, the wide frame of the mayorgovern hid them completely from view as they approached.
“Majesty, may I present Lord Oxil of the Spiers, along with his delegation.”
With the mayorgovern’s introduction, the Spiers bowed their heads. King Zander did the same in order to relay his acknowledgment of their relatively sovereign status within
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