The Homecoming 4.

A Palace...

In the king's domain, Helbe the elven thief looks back at the site of one the palaces found throughout the domain. The elven magic user shakes his hooded head looking at the spot where the palace has been torn down after the events leading up to the civil war of Druvic, and the war itself.
All because Mira Reinholt the mage blew up the massive grand hall of the palace, a hall that was well in excess of three hundred yards in length, and near a hundred foot in height.
The young elven noble who is of the opinion that Druvicians go more than a little overboard when it comes to their buildings in the capital Leeabra.
As they make up most of the largest buildings and structures to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Looks northeast towards the second domain, there he can clearly see the tallest structure in the city of Leeabra, a tower in the middle of a large square, a tower where the dragon Nol once lived, among a few others.
The only resident now, well at least in the top half of the near four hundred foot tower. Is a mage who the elven princeling from Laerel can easily sense.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user who is standing upon the roof of another palace, shifts down to the ground, then shifts across the wide square below. Following after the provo marshall of the king's army. Who is accompanied by a number of his staff. Along with two others.
The knight general of the order of Saint Mar-che, and a paladin of the first rank in the same knightly order.
All three are new in those positions to the elven masterthief. Who figures they gained those ranks after the civil war nearly nine years ago.
The young elven noble who is walking just a bit behind the group crossing the square. Has learnt that the order of knights of Saint Mar-che. Were for the most part, out of favour of the crown during the civil war, and the years immediately following after it.
For the knights of the largest order, and most influential in Druvic. Were predominantly neutral in the civil war. Picking neither side. That of either the previous king, king Newkym the second's son. Or the former king's cousin.
Who was the eventual victor in the civil war, and is now the reigning monarch of the largest nation in the northern region of the Southlands, south of the Sunreach Mountains.
They've only recently over the last couple of years, become influential at court again. Though no where near as prevalent as they were during the reign of king Newkym the second.
"So what of it?" asks provo marshall Ballis, who is the second man to hold that position since provo marshall Mynell, who lead the attack against the towns, villages, settlements in the Sunreach Mountains, as well as the underground city of Kalnary in the massive mountain range.
Was killed in the upheaval here in Leeabra when a small force of elementals and others attacked the capital city of Leeabra. A force led by lord Farque and others in the group, which at the time included Helbenthril Raendril, Shur Kee the monk, Dorc da Orc and eventually Mira Reinholt the mage, who was initially on the side of the forces that invaded the Sunreach Mountains that autumn, then winter.
"One of your knights was briefly spotted in the city at the start of the week, and you want his majesty's soldiers to go out and help you find him?" adds the provo marshall, a fairly short, stocky man, who's bald headed and just over thirty years old.
Far younger than the knight general of saint Mar-che, a man, who into his fifties, is still robust and hale, even though his hair is silver.
"He's a wanted man" says knight general Dalacell, the leader of the order of Saint Mar-che continues with "For stealing precious artifacts of our order, and leaving his post in a time of conflict".
"So send out your knights and knight's apprentices, and squires and track him down" says provo marshall Ballis, who is of the opinion that there's too many knights in the city. Not just from the order of Saint Mar-che, but all the knightly orders who have headquarters and chapter houses here in the capital of the kingdom of Druvic.
The more of them piss off out the city, the fucking better, the provo marshall thinks to himself as he walks beside the knight general and the paladin.
Behind the group, Helbe the elven thief grins as he reads the mind of the career soldier, who is not of the nobility, or from a wealthy or successful family. But from the streets of a poor neighbourhood here in Leeabra, who has worked his way up through the ranks of the army, to be the head of his majesty's army.
The civil war and the fight of the succession to rule the kingdom, helped a hell of a lot with his advancement through the ranks of the royal army.
"It's not so simple as that provo marshall" says knight general Dalacell, who as they enter one of the wings in one of the many palaces here in the king's domain, he continues with "This knight is a member of the kingdom's peerage".
Hell, one of the nobility, no wonder they've come to me, provo marshall Ballis sourly thinks to himself, who then says "Who is this renegade knight then?".
"The earl of Lé Dic" is the reply of the knight general of the order of saint Mar-che. The overall commander of the royal army frowns when he hears that name. As he knows that the fief of Lé Dic, which is further east in the kingdom, has no earl. As he was killed a little over a year ago in a border dispute with baron Harkonin. And that a nine year old girl, is now the ruler of that particular fiefdom.
"There is no earl of Lé Dic, earl Maxiss died in the summer before last" says the provo marshall as they make their way along a massive, vaulted hallway, he continues on with "The lady of Lé Dic rules that fiefdom now".
"Not that earl" says knight general Dalacell, who then adds "The previous one" he, pauses before grudgingly continuing with "Sir Percavelle Lé Dic". Next to the knight general, the paladin who is as heavily armoured as his commander, scowls at the mention of that name.
For his part, provo marshall Ballis frowns as he vaguely recognises that name "Wait" says the commander of the royal army, who stops, forcing the two heavily armoured men from the order of Saint Mar-che to stop, as well as his staff members to stop too. Not to mention Helbe the elven thief, who unseen and unheard, is following all of them.
"You mean the multiple tourney champion?" says the provo marshall who continues with "Your order's last champion in the grande melee?" followed by "That paladin with the really loud voice?".
"Former paladin" sourly mutter sir Barnabiss the paladin who has come to the king's domain this morning with knight general. With a sideways glance at sir Barnabiss, knight general Dalacell says in a rather reluctant voice "The very one".
"Hell, my father used to take me to the tourney's when i was a youngster" says the commander of the royal army "I saw sir Percavelle fight on numerous occasions, he'd always win".
The provo marshall who was a teenager when he last saw sir Percavelle Lé Dic fight in a tourney. Remembers the rather loud mouth, not to mention fairly obnoxious earl of Lé Dic, was extremely popular amongst the common folk, especially those from the poorer neighbourhoods of Leeabra.
Ballis himself cheered on the earl of Lé Dic, who he recalls never lost a tourney or grande melee that he saw.
Though he might of been popular with the common folk in a tourney or a grande melee. Sir Percavelle, if the provo marshall remembers correctly, wasn't all that popular amongst the nobility, or the various knightly orders, even including his own.
Knowing that he better say something to appease the two men from the order of Saint Mar-che. For the man they want apprehended, is not just a member of their order. But also a nobleman of Druvic. And it's the crown that ultimately has the right, and decision to pass judgement if he has done anything wrong, or broken a law.
Says to the two from the order of knights of Saint Mar-che "I'll have a word with the lord high chancellor, as well as the lord high constable" the provo marshall continues with "It'll be up the two of them on a decision on this".
"And his majesty?" asks the knight general of the order of Saint Mar-che as they start walking again "The two of them will inform his majesty if they deem it necessary" says provo marshall Ballis who then adds "I'm sure the king will eventually be informed, since it's likely he'll sign the order considering it's one of the peerage where talking about here".
Knowing that's probably the best that can hope for from the provo marshall, even though he wanted him to send his soldiers out to apprehend the renegade knight immediately. Knight general Dalacell says to him "Thank you provo marshall, that's much appreciated".
The commander of the royal army nods his head, then says "Let's make it clear gentleman, he's broken the rules of your order, not any specific laws of the kingdom" he pauses and looks sideways at the two heavily armoured men walking to his right, then he says "Unless you want to count these stolen religious artifacts of yours as being regular property and not of the order".
"No that's alright" quickly says knight general Dalacell with a frown upon his face, while next to him, the paladin Barnabiss openly scowls.
The last thing they want is the property, as in this case, an artifact, in particular the shield of Saint Mar-che of their order coming under the law of the government, to be precise the crown.
As that will mean the order's property and possessions would come under crown tax law. And that's the last thing any order of knights who are either based in the kingdom of Druvic, or have chapter houses here, would ever want.
"Then you'll have to wait for the decision of the lord high chancellor or the lord high constable on the matter if you want any help from the crown" says the provo marshall of the king's army, who has told the two from the order of Saint Mar-che that he'll inform his two colleagues in the government, but not when.
The head of the royal army who has no intention of telling his two colleagues of the situation anytime soon. For the simple reason apprehending one of the nobility, is fraught with pitfalls after the civil war. As the king, and the senior members of court, as well as those in government like the provo marshall who is of the common people, don't want to upset the peerage.
Local disputes between bordering nobles is perfectly fine, but the crown arresting one of the nobility for breaking the rules of a knightly order is something else. The less turmoil in the kingdom originating from the capital, in particular the king's domain, specifically the crown or throne, the better it is for Druvic.
Behind the group making it's way through the long, and deep vaulted hallway. The blurred and shielded elven magic user Helbenthril Raendril nods his hooded head in agreement with the decision of the provo marshall.
The young elven noble who thought he might of had to cast a spell to manipulate the situation. Continues to follow those infront of him, without them knowing of his presence.
"Until then, you are free to try apprehend him if you want" says provo marshall Ballis to the two from the order of Saint Mar-che, the head of the royal army, who just over fifteen years ago joined the army of the then duke of Carville, the duchy that borders the city of Leeabra to the west, which was ruled by the cousin of king Newkym the second, the cousin who is now the king of Druvic.
Tells the two ordered knights "If you apprehend him, remember he's a nobleman of Druvic, and though he's no longer the earl of Lé Dic, it would be remiss of you to do anything, shall we say, permanent to him if he's caught" provo marshall Ballis slightly pauses before adding "His majesty would not be pleased if you did".
"Of course, we completely understated" says knight general Dalacell, who like the paladin Barnabiss, would like nothing better, than to immediately hang sir Percavelle Lé Dic if they caught him.
But they know they'll have to be a bit more circumspect when, and if they apprehend the former earl of Lé Dic. Who was once a paladin of the first rank in their order, and is now just a plain knight. One of the first things they'll do when they find him, is to strip him of his knighthood, which can only be done in person, or if the knight in question is already dead.
The knight general, and the leadership of the order of Saint Mar-che, those of the first rank, what sir Percavelle alive for that. Then they want him executed. Though that's if the government, and ultimately the crown allow them to execute the renegade knight, who after all is a nobleman of Druvic first, and a member of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che second.
The topic of conversation changes as they leave the long hallway and enter a chamber, where members of the government have gathered to discuss a number of things, including the continuing rebuilding throughout the city.
Amongst which is the long rebuild of the basilica of Narille, which is situated in the grounds of the headquarters of the order of Saint Mar-che. And is the reason knight marshall Ballis and the paladin Barnabiss have come to the kings domain this morning.
After watching and listening to the meeting in the chamber for a little while, and finding out nothing of particular interest, Helbe the elven thief shifts away as he has other places to see, and people to look on today, before he meets up again with lord Farque and Mira Reinholt later . . . . . .