was hearing. She looked around for someone to tell her it was a joke, but her eyes met no one who could save her sanity.
"Eslenda must be strong!" shouted Edward. "We shall cast out the Nunari and seal our borders against them. We shall prepare for the Turucks from the south and cripple their army. Eslenda shall lead the world. There shall be no place for the weak." His supporters cheered.
"You are a monster!" cried Queen Mary as she tried to strike him. Sir Plucker held her back.
"It does no good at this time, your Highness," he whispered to her. "Wait."
Queen Mary allowed herself to be restrained. Blood pounded in her temples.
"I am a monster?" asked Edward. "Are you not my mother? Did you birth a monster?" He slapped her hard, her face reddened, and tears filled her eyes. He leaned close to his mother.
"Why did you never support me over Hal? You could have swayed father to send Hal away, to banish him, to give me the throne. Am I really your son?" He stared at her with cold eyes and tension in his jaw.
"Sir Plucker, I think the Queen Mother needs to retire for the evening while I host the feast," said Edward. "Plucker, I hold you responsible for her safety."
Edward turned away from the Queen to greet his supporters.
"You still will go on with the feast?" asked Sir Howard Cane with a smile playing on his lips.
"Of course, Sir Howard. Please sit near me. We must discuss your efforts to the north. We may have to re-direct your men to Far Greening. I need James under control prior to addressing the Nunari nuisance."
"With pleasure, your Highness."
Edward rearranged the seating to compliment his supporters and the meal continued. He allowed no one to depart except accompanied by his guards and those people were detained for a later audience with the new king.
"Play!" said Edward to the musicians. "Come on. Play that merry little number you were playing when my father died. It is infectious." He turned toward the doorway where Hal was staring back at him. He waved his fingers at Hal and turned to Howard Cane.
Queen Mary Islen took a long last look at her son, and then turned her back on him forever.
Chapter 4
The bolt thudded loudly even on their side of the door. Hal waited until Plucker's footsteps died away then quickly looked through their belongings but the swords and other weapons were gone. Edward's men had searched their quarters. He looked out the windows and saw archers stationed on the walkways and parapets. The red and gray colors showed they were Edward's archers. Hal opened the window and leaned out to see the entire courtyard. An arrow struck the stone above his head. Edward's man grinned and waved.
He slammed his palm on the sill and pulled the window part way closed.
He saw several of the King's Guards led to a storeroom at sword point and locked inside. He saw only one man with his own blue and white colors, but he was dead, lying near the garden path with an arrow rising from his back. For a moment he wondered who the man was and if he had a wife and children waiting for him in Far Greening
The castle gates to the city were closed and guarded by Edward's men. One of Edward's captains addressed the merchants with carts and stalls within the castle grounds, evidently explaining the law of the new king.
"He really planned this out," said Elizabeth. "How long ago did he start?"
"I don't know. He has certainly been laughing at us over the years. Even the fight this morning was part of his plan - just to show nothing out of the ordinary."
"It was risky. You might have killed him."
"Edward loves risks. Might have been fun for him to put his planning on the line versus my dagger. It probably heightened his enjoyment. I grossly underestimated him; Henry did too. Edward is more calculating than I imagined. He seemed so compulsive and hot headed, I wonder if it was a ruse all along. This was a masterstroke by Edward. Father's death at my feet and all Edward's opponents locked up. Why did I not
"Eslenda must be strong!" shouted Edward. "We shall cast out the Nunari and seal our borders against them. We shall prepare for the Turucks from the south and cripple their army. Eslenda shall lead the world. There shall be no place for the weak." His supporters cheered.
"You are a monster!" cried Queen Mary as she tried to strike him. Sir Plucker held her back.
"It does no good at this time, your Highness," he whispered to her. "Wait."
Queen Mary allowed herself to be restrained. Blood pounded in her temples.
"I am a monster?" asked Edward. "Are you not my mother? Did you birth a monster?" He slapped her hard, her face reddened, and tears filled her eyes. He leaned close to his mother.
"Why did you never support me over Hal? You could have swayed father to send Hal away, to banish him, to give me the throne. Am I really your son?" He stared at her with cold eyes and tension in his jaw.
"Sir Plucker, I think the Queen Mother needs to retire for the evening while I host the feast," said Edward. "Plucker, I hold you responsible for her safety."
Edward turned away from the Queen to greet his supporters.
"You still will go on with the feast?" asked Sir Howard Cane with a smile playing on his lips.
"Of course, Sir Howard. Please sit near me. We must discuss your efforts to the north. We may have to re-direct your men to Far Greening. I need James under control prior to addressing the Nunari nuisance."
"With pleasure, your Highness."
Edward rearranged the seating to compliment his supporters and the meal continued. He allowed no one to depart except accompanied by his guards and those people were detained for a later audience with the new king.
"Play!" said Edward to the musicians. "Come on. Play that merry little number you were playing when my father died. It is infectious." He turned toward the doorway where Hal was staring back at him. He waved his fingers at Hal and turned to Howard Cane.
Queen Mary Islen took a long last look at her son, and then turned her back on him forever.
Chapter 4
The bolt thudded loudly even on their side of the door. Hal waited until Plucker's footsteps died away then quickly looked through their belongings but the swords and other weapons were gone. Edward's men had searched their quarters. He looked out the windows and saw archers stationed on the walkways and parapets. The red and gray colors showed they were Edward's archers. Hal opened the window and leaned out to see the entire courtyard. An arrow struck the stone above his head. Edward's man grinned and waved.
He slammed his palm on the sill and pulled the window part way closed.
He saw several of the King's Guards led to a storeroom at sword point and locked inside. He saw only one man with his own blue and white colors, but he was dead, lying near the garden path with an arrow rising from his back. For a moment he wondered who the man was and if he had a wife and children waiting for him in Far Greening
The castle gates to the city were closed and guarded by Edward's men. One of Edward's captains addressed the merchants with carts and stalls within the castle grounds, evidently explaining the law of the new king.
"He really planned this out," said Elizabeth. "How long ago did he start?"
"I don't know. He has certainly been laughing at us over the years. Even the fight this morning was part of his plan - just to show nothing out of the ordinary."
"It was risky. You might have killed him."
"Edward loves risks. Might have been fun for him to put his planning on the line versus my dagger. It probably heightened his enjoyment. I grossly underestimated him; Henry did too. Edward is more calculating than I imagined. He seemed so compulsive and hot headed, I wonder if it was a ruse all along. This was a masterstroke by Edward. Father's death at my feet and all Edward's opponents locked up. Why did I not
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