The Homecoming 162.

The King's Palace...

In the chamber of the court of the king. The massive hall in the main palace within the king's domain, where the king of Druvic holds court.
The wizard from one of the two battlecruisers from the lord high constable's personal fleet, that were destroyed in the east of the kingdom.
Looks nervously about as he stands beside lord Farque towards the rear of the hall.
"Remember don't try anything" quietly says lord Farque to the officer in the Druvician aircorp as the king takes his seat on his throne at the other end of the hall.
After the wizard nods, the undead warlord glances to his right at the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che and quietly asks him "Where is he?".
"There on the left side" is the quiet, almost murmured reply from sir Dalacell the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che.
"Towards the other end" quietly adds the senior most knight in the order of Saint Mar-che who continues with "He's wearing" the knights general then gives a description of sir Twimen the lord high constable of Druvic. Whilst the prime minister, standing next to the throne, calls out a few decrees to those who have gathered for this afternoon's session of court.
The heavily armoured deathlord with the advantage of his height. Easily spots the most influential nobleman in the kingdom who isn't part of the royal family.
Draugadrottin as he's also known by to the people of his lands, glances to the right of sir Dalacell, where sir Percavelle Lé Dic stands. For now the former paladin is behaving himself as he stands with Tamric Drubine and Darid Parsen.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque who warned the former earl of Lé Dic to not do anything rash before coming in here, when they left the others behind outside. Then glances away further to the right, to the public galleries.
Des'tier as he's known to an older generation of elven kind. Slightly nods his full helmed head. In one of the better upholstered benches in the public gallery, that has a good view of the throne and the king.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy slightly nods in response to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Then the heavily armoured deathlord looks further along in the hall, this time to the left, to where the blurred and shielded Helbe the elven thief stands behind some of the nobility and court functionaries.
The elven magic user who is standing not that far behind the lord high constable, sir Twimen. Looks back to the rear of the hall when Narladene the ground pixie informs him that lord Farque is looking directly at him.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel nods his hooded head to the lord of the death realm.
Then Draugadrottin when he sees that everyone is ready and in position, quietly says to the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che "You can go ahead whenever you want".
"We have to wait until those who have been given leave to speak in the morning's session, who were unable to do so, to go first" quietly explains sir Dalacell who has been listening to the prime minister "There's just the two of them by the sounds of it" adds the knights general, who continues with "Then the floor is opened up to all supplicants. With the nobility of rank, position and importance to go first, which I'm one of".
Beside sir Dalacell, sir Percavelle Lé Dic nods his full helmed head in agreement with the senior most member of his order.
As the first supplicant steps forward to speak to the king. The wizard Calrik standing next to lord Farque mutters "Hell" as people are free to move about and quietly chat now.
"What is it?" quietly asks the undead warlord "Karol" is the reply of the officer in the Druvician aircorp, specifically the personal fleet of the lord high constable.
"He's part of sir Twimen's personal staff, his fixer, rumour is he's an assassin too" quietly says the wizard who lord Farque captured when he destroyed the battlecruiser the aircorp officer was flying on as it headed east to the Lé Dic fief.
"He's heading this way, the short fellow with the greying beard, wearing the somber uniform of the constabulary" quietly adds the wizard Calrik.
"Gnat have Helbe deal to that constable walking back to where i am" says the lord of the death realm in the ground pixie language knowing that Narladene will with ease be able to hear him "Tell him not to make a scene" adds the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The naturally magical creature nods her tiny head when she hears what the deathlord of Farque wants done, then she tells the elven princeling whose right shoulder she's standing on, what Des'tier wants done.
The young elven noble nods his hooded head, then the blurred and shielded elven magic user casts a mind control spell. He has Karol, one of the adjunctants to sir Twimen, slowly wander through the crowd on the floor of the chamber, instead of going to where the wizard Calrik stands with lord Farque and the others.
Much to the chagrin of the kingdom's lord high constable, as he wonders what the hell his hatchet man is playing at.
"Melce, go and see what the hell Karol is doing" quietly says sir Twimen the lord high constable of Druvic to one of his other adjunctants. As that man heads off after Karol, who is wandering across the floor to the otherside of the chamber, instead of heading to the rear of it as he was told to do.
Sir Twimen quietly says to another of his assistants "Go and get Tarrem, he's waiting with the others" the most influential nobleman in the kingdom who isn't part of the royal family, continues with "Something might be going on that he's able to deal with".
As the assistant turns, and makes his way to a side door in the massive hall. The lord high constable looks across to the otherside of the chamber, where a number of representatives from the various magic guilds are standing chatting with one another. He wonders if one of them is up to no good, considering magic is banned in the court chamber.
And that the king, and other members of the royal family have their own spellcasters at their disposal, who make sure that no practitioners of magic are casting in here.
The blurred and shielded Helbe the elven thief waits until the assistant to sir Twimen steps through the open side door before casting a mind control spell upon the man.
And instead of going off to get the sorcerer Tarrem who is part of the constabulary. The assistant to the lord high constable will roam the hallways and corridors of the main palace in the king's domain until the afternoon session of the king's court comes to an end.
"That first one has come to an end, the second one is up now" quietly says sir Dalacell the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che as the supplicants from this morning's session get to have their say. They seem to be minor by the looks of it, as the prime minister is dealing with them, and not the king.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic goes to say something, but he falls silent before he even gets a word out when lord Farque tells him "Quiet".
The former paladin sourly smiles, and after a sideways glance in the direction of the undead warlord, he looks to the other end of the massive hall, where the king sits upon the throne, which is on a raised part of the floor.
"Let's head up there" says the heavily armoured deathlord to the others. Draugadrottin puts his left gauntleted hand upon the right arm of the wizard Calrik, to make sure he complies, and doesn't try to do something as they all move forward across the floor of the massive hall, that's the court chambers of the king of Druvic.
Darid Parsen and Tamric Drubine, who have both spotted Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy up in the public galleries to the right.
Are here specifically to keep an eye on sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who is walking to their left. Next to the senior most member of his knightly order.
The former knight of the first class, for now, has been behaving himself. Though both the young soldier from the Lé Dic fief, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of Darid Parsen.
And the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. Know that can change fairly quickly. As the nobleborn knight who is the uncle of lady Linara Lé Dic, is as unpredictable individual you'll ever likely to meet.
Especially if he thinks things aren't going the way he wants them to go.
But for now as they walk across the chamber floor, and those in the gathered crowd down here on the floor, part for them.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic, or Percy as he's more commonly called by the others in the group. Is doing what he's been told to do. And that Tamric Drubine and Darid Parsen are waiting for him to continue to follow orders. Which he's bound not to do, sooner or later.
Up in the public gallery, as he sits on one of the more comfortable benches, as he sits with the court official who gave him a tour around parts of the kings domain.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy watches as lord Farque and the others with the undead warlord. Make their way forward across the floor. Parting those who are standing in the middle of the floor in the massive chamber.
Des'tier as he's known by to an older generation of elven kind. Leads the others with him towards the raised part of the floor, where the king sits upon the throne.
The spy Tanith then looks across to the otherside of the chamber. To where the lord high constable, sir Twimen stands with others in the nobility, as well as some of the senior ranking court officials.
Sir Twimen looks more than a little nervous as the elf from the principality of Alínlae watches him.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as the rest of the group more commonly refer to him as. Knows that prince Helbenthril Raendril is somewhere close by to the lord high constable of Druvic.
And that the hidden elven magic user is ready to act. As something is bound to happen with what's about to happen as lord Farque and the others with him get closer to the throne which the king of Druvic is sitting on.
The blurred and shielded Helbe the elven thief, as he stands just a few yards from sir Twimen. Reads the mind of the lord high constable, and finds that the nobleman originally from the east of the kingdom, is in a state of turmoil and confusion as he doesn't know what's happening.
Especially as his hatchet man Karol, hurries out of the chamber through a side door on the otherside of the massive hall.
He's soon followed by the adjunctant who sir Twimen sent after Karol to see what the lord high constable's assassin was doing. As he was told to deal with the situation of Calrik the wizard being with sir Dalacell the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che, and the others with him, including sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
That group soon walk by the lord high constable and those with him amongst the nobility and court officials.
Sir Twimen tries to get the attention of the wizard who is part of the crew of the battlecruiser Maverick, which is one of the airships in the lord high constable's personal fleet.
The wizard doesn't look this way. But sir Dalacell does, and the most senior member of the knights of the order of Saint Mar-che, nods in greeting to sir Twimen as he walks by.
The lord high constable who is on friendly terms with sir Dalacell, even though he doesn't like the man's order and the influence they have.
Slightly relaxes when he sees the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che give a friendly nod to him.
Sir Twimen, who though still confused at the situation with one of the officers from his personal fleet, being in the company of sir Dalacell, and especially sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Can think of no reason why the nobleborn knight who leads the order of Saint Mar-che would greet him in such a fashion, if he was up to something that might damage the standing of the lord high constable of Druvic.
Standing just a few yards behind and to the left of sir Twimen. Prince Helbenthril Raendril grins as he continues to read the mind of the most powerful nobleman in the kingdom who isn't part of the royal family.
How wrong you are, Helbe the elven thief thinks to himself as he watches sir Twimen, the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel then looks to where lord Farque and the others have stopped just infront of the raised part of the floor, as the supplicant who was speaking to the prime minister, moves away after he's been given a judgement.
The king sits up in his throne, when sir Dalacell says to the prime minister "Sir Galbrath a word with his majesty" the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che continues with "It's to do with the security of the kingdom, and those dwelling within it".
The prime minister sir Galbrath glances at his second cousin, the duke of Carville, who is the king of Druvic.
The king nods, for sir Dalacell as an important noble who happens to lead the most influential knightly order based in the kingdom. Definitely has a right to speak directly to the king.
It's just not because of that. It's also because the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che has with him the famous knight, sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Who if the rumours the king has heard about the former earl of Lé Dic are true. He's been stripped of his rank in his order, and demoted. Word is, that there's been talk that the knights of the order of Saint Mar-che want to kick sir Percavelle Lé Dic out of their order for good. So seeing him stand alongside sir Dalacell, is somewhat of a surprise.
The prime minister sir Galbrath says "Sir Twimen, you may put forth your case to his majesty". "Thank you m'lord" says the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che to the prime minister.
Then after sir Dalacell bows to the king, he says to the sovereign of the nation "Your majesty, there's an evil, insidious force that's trying to push it's agenda through your kingdom" the knights general continues with "I have with me proof of it, and wish to share it with you".
The king lifts a questioning eyebrow, as he wasn't expecting that from sir Dalacell, who in his dealings with him, he's found to be a straightforward and pragmatic man.
"Do go on Dalacell" says the duke of Carville, Anders the First, king of Druvic, who continues with "What is it that you speak of?".
The chamber goes quite when the king speaks, as everyone wants to know what's going on.
"What i speak of your majesty, has to do with some who are here at court this day" says sir Dalacell, who after glancing at lord Farque beside him, hoping that everything he's been told is infact true, continues with "And what they've done, and what they continue to do".
After a slight pause, the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che says "I speak of those who follow the old ways of the dark druids, and what they've be up to of late in your kingdom".
Well that got everyone's attention, lord Farque dryly thinks to himself as the massive hall falls completely silent at what sir Dalacell just said . . . . . .