The King's Sword by C. J. Brightley

Author:C. J. Brightley [Brightley, C. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Spring Song Press

Pain is tiring. I slept deeply that night, though I woke often. My coughing was much better, and near dawn I slept more easily. When I woke, the room was bright and warm. Hakan was sitting near the window working on something at a small table.

“What are you doing?” My voice came out a croak.

He spun around and smiled. “Some of the men helped me with the map. Would you like some lunch?”

“Lunch?” Had I slept that long?

“Aye, lunch.” He imitated my tone on the word aye and smiled. “Priven sent his oldest son off south to Rysling with word that the village has sworn allegiance to me and asking for their support.” He called down the hallway for my lunch before pulling the stool closer to sit perched looking down at me, sober and very intent. “Why did you do it, Kemen? You could have been king yourself.”

I wanted to laugh, but it came out sounding rather strangled as pain shot through me. “I am no king, Hakan. That’s your place, not mine.”

Even if I had accepted the crown, the dynasty of Kemen Sendoa would have lasted for all of one generation. What woman would have me, and without a woman, how would I have an heir? And that beside my many other failures. Hakan had both the right and the better training, not to mention the chance at an heir.

Besides, if Hakan were alive, it was inherently unstable to have anyone else on the throne. The thought was terrifying.

What would happen to Hakan? When I died, who would succeed me? Someone would claim the throne and call himself king, with or without the Hero Song. Vidar. Taisto. Itxaro. Hayato. Even Priven. Anyone with the desire for power. There would be war.

Lira Twilling knocked at the door and entered quietly with a bowl of soup and bread melting into it. “Would you like water or ale? Or both?”

“Water. Thank you.” I cursed my weak voice.

She returned in a few moments. Hakan helped me sit up, and I leaned forward a moment, letting my head hang down to steady the dizziness. Suddenly I grasped the thought that had been tugging at my mind for the past two days, fluttering just out of reach in my mental fog.

“Did you hear what they said before I challenged the leader?”

He shook his head.

“They wanted food. And girls. But the food was their first demand, I think the orders they received. What do you know of Rikuto?”

“Not enough.” He was watching me closely now, and I took several bites as I thought.

“Girls are a common demand when men are riding about.” Not one I agreed with, but common nonetheless.

Hakan was already thinking aloud, speaking my thoughts better than I could have expressed them. “Raiding on horseback is hardly an efficient way of providing food for a nation. They must be desperate.”

I nodded and watched the bread melt into my soup. Breathing was difficult, and I took a sip of water and a few deep breaths to clear my head.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.