and Elana. The young couple, their child and Michael lived happily in the place they now called home. Garrick, Häkan and the royal advisors and council members, lived in grace and favour homes on the outskirts of the palace.
The people had built a magnificent palace for the Emperor comprising a main rectangular body of four walls. Each corner was joined by a circular tower with conical spires, except for the northwest corner which held the Keep. The main building housed thirty luxury bedrooms, kitchens, lounges, meeting room, a chapel and stables. The inner castle was united to the main castle by three long rectangular walls and was surrounded by the main grounds and it held a large and lavish great hall for dining, banqueting and exquisite parties. There were luscious and luxurious furnishings and fitting; as well as a fine collection of paintings and art.
The entrance faced south and the main reception hall had black and white tiled floors that also ran west to east of the corridors. The west wing was home to the emperor’s study, his advisors office and offices for the council: and the east wing was home to Garrick and Häkan, who were joint Commanders of the emperor’s guard, and the Crest Room where the council held their meetings.
Life in the world went on as usual and three years later, Kai and Elana had another baby girl and called her Ellora. Months after, Garrick and Sarah had another boy and named him Kalon, but Sarah was much weakened by the birth of her son and died shortly afterwards, leaving Garrick a grief stricken widower with two young boys to care for.
Kai, Elana and their friends remained with Garrick through his bleakest hours and it was a full year before he was able to pick up the pieces of his life and carry on. To Garrick; Rakan and Kalon were all that was left of Sarah and he loved them with all of his heart and for them and for her, he returned to life and began to live it to the full once again.
Family life returned to normal but Michael – he had not married yet; he had met women who were more than willing to share their lives with him, but Michael could not give any of them his heart and even though he had not yet settled down, he was happy and content with the way things were – as were they all.
No one had seen Adriel since he had disappeared that day in the old palace. The Emperor’s Guard had searched the nine nations but to no avail. At first, they thought he was hiding but as time passed, Adriel was assumed dead.
‘Do you ever wonder what became of Adriel and the men in his Order?’ Kai asked his friends one day as they sat drinking mead in the Guard Commanders’ room.
‘Everyday,’ said Michael.
‘Sometimes,’ said Garrick.
‘I hope he is dead,’ Häkan said flatly. ‘Given that we have hunted high and low for him, I am optimistic that was the outcome.’
‘And his Order,’ Kai asked.
‘Dead, scattered, imprisoned,’ said Garrick.
‘What troubles you Kai?’ Michael asked.
‘Adriel’s return,’ said Kai. ‘His return, or the return of his Order.’
‘But we are at peace now,’ said Raynor; ‘and your Guard outnumbers any Order that could ever be created.’
‘And I want that peace to last,’ said Kai; ‘for my children, for our children…sometimes I think that…’
‘It will last,’ Garrick said confidently. ‘Those dark days are behind us my friend. The world over, no one wants to return to what we endured.’
‘I surely hope so Garrick,’ Kai said, his voice betraying a tone of melancholy.
‘What do you have in mind?’ Michael asked.
‘I don’t know! A gathering or a celebration of some kind. Bring the people of the nations together once a year; here in the City,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘It sounds silly I know but lately, I have been thinking of the future.’
‘It sounds like a marvellous idea,’ said Häkan, nodding slowly and then smiling at the idea.
Soon after, Kai, Michael and the others created the Celebrations.
The people had built a magnificent palace for the Emperor comprising a main rectangular body of four walls. Each corner was joined by a circular tower with conical spires, except for the northwest corner which held the Keep. The main building housed thirty luxury bedrooms, kitchens, lounges, meeting room, a chapel and stables. The inner castle was united to the main castle by three long rectangular walls and was surrounded by the main grounds and it held a large and lavish great hall for dining, banqueting and exquisite parties. There were luscious and luxurious furnishings and fitting; as well as a fine collection of paintings and art.
The entrance faced south and the main reception hall had black and white tiled floors that also ran west to east of the corridors. The west wing was home to the emperor’s study, his advisors office and offices for the council: and the east wing was home to Garrick and Häkan, who were joint Commanders of the emperor’s guard, and the Crest Room where the council held their meetings.
Life in the world went on as usual and three years later, Kai and Elana had another baby girl and called her Ellora. Months after, Garrick and Sarah had another boy and named him Kalon, but Sarah was much weakened by the birth of her son and died shortly afterwards, leaving Garrick a grief stricken widower with two young boys to care for.
Kai, Elana and their friends remained with Garrick through his bleakest hours and it was a full year before he was able to pick up the pieces of his life and carry on. To Garrick; Rakan and Kalon were all that was left of Sarah and he loved them with all of his heart and for them and for her, he returned to life and began to live it to the full once again.
Family life returned to normal but Michael – he had not married yet; he had met women who were more than willing to share their lives with him, but Michael could not give any of them his heart and even though he had not yet settled down, he was happy and content with the way things were – as were they all.
No one had seen Adriel since he had disappeared that day in the old palace. The Emperor’s Guard had searched the nine nations but to no avail. At first, they thought he was hiding but as time passed, Adriel was assumed dead.
‘Do you ever wonder what became of Adriel and the men in his Order?’ Kai asked his friends one day as they sat drinking mead in the Guard Commanders’ room.
‘Everyday,’ said Michael.
‘Sometimes,’ said Garrick.
‘I hope he is dead,’ Häkan said flatly. ‘Given that we have hunted high and low for him, I am optimistic that was the outcome.’
‘And his Order,’ Kai asked.
‘Dead, scattered, imprisoned,’ said Garrick.
‘What troubles you Kai?’ Michael asked.
‘Adriel’s return,’ said Kai. ‘His return, or the return of his Order.’
‘But we are at peace now,’ said Raynor; ‘and your Guard outnumbers any Order that could ever be created.’
‘And I want that peace to last,’ said Kai; ‘for my children, for our children…sometimes I think that…’
‘It will last,’ Garrick said confidently. ‘Those dark days are behind us my friend. The world over, no one wants to return to what we endured.’
‘I surely hope so Garrick,’ Kai said, his voice betraying a tone of melancholy.
‘What do you have in mind?’ Michael asked.
‘I don’t know! A gathering or a celebration of some kind. Bring the people of the nations together once a year; here in the City,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘It sounds silly I know but lately, I have been thinking of the future.’
‘It sounds like a marvellous idea,’ said Häkan, nodding slowly and then smiling at the idea.
Soon after, Kai, Michael and the others created the Celebrations.
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