PART VII: The Road Ahead
In King Leofric's office, Sao stood up from his seat after waiting patiently for hours. He paced around the office as King Leofric sat at his desk and read and stamped documents with his family's seal.
Sao let out a sigh, then said, "How long do we need to wait, your majesty? I can't stay in Stella for long, otherwise my men will start marching south."
King Leofric carefully placed the stamp in the drawer and locked it with a key, then answered, "It won't be long now, young wolf..."
King Leofric stared peacefully at Sao pacing around the room. It reminded him of painfully beautiful memories. He smiled a bit, then stood up, halting Sao in his place.
"Come, let us take a walk around the palace garden, young wolf," said Leofric.
Sao silently nodded, then answered, "Lead the way, your majesty."
Down below in the garden, the guards greeted King Leofric with a bent knee and a lowered head. As he and Sao stepped onto the stone road between the hanging garden, Sao stared in awe as he walked under the plants that crawled on fences above his head.
Some of them wore beautiful and rare flowers with a heavy, peaceful smell, and some trees carried fruits, but what caught his eyes the most were the grape vines that spread across the whole garden.
"Amazing, isn't it?" King Leofric asked, bringing Sao back from his thoughts.
"I... never knew fruits could grow this large, your majesty," Sao answered.
King Leofric smiled, then said, "That is an interesting thought, young wolf. The very few people that saw this garden were all in awe at how beautiful the flowers are, or at how plentiful the fruits are."
Sao stood silent for a moment, then asked, "And what about you, your majesty? What did you think the first time you saw the garden?"
Leofric stared in silence for a moment, then answered,
"What a waste. All these rare and expensive flowers, all these ripe and tasty fruits... sat here, where only the caretakers could touch, and only the ones I permit can even see... We should give these to the people to benefit from... instead they stay locked up here... until one day they wither and die."
Leofric's words stung Sao's heart, as he immediately thought of his father when he heard those words. "How similar," he whispered to himself.
"What did you just say?" Leofric asked.
"I asked who built it, your majesty," Sao changed his words real quick to not bring any unwanted attention towards his father.
Leofric's smile faded away. He looked ahead at the chairs and table that sat beneath a small roof in the green garden. His memories of his mother returned. He turned around to answer Sao, but before he could, a guard ran down, opened the door to the garden, and yelled out,
"Your majesty, Riger of House Provos, Commander of the Silver Knights, has arrived and is waiting in your office."
King Leofric nodded, then answered, "Let us head back up, young wolf."
Sao answered, "Lead the way, your majesty."
Leofric led the way upstairs, then through the tall and wide hallway towards his office. After turning the corner right before his office, he froze in place, blocking Sao without moving.
Sao asked, "What is the matter, your majesty?"
Leofric could not find the words to answer Sao. He went to grab his sword, only to grab air from his waist as he realized he hadn't carried a sword with him for months.
Sao noticed and took Leofric by the shoulder and pulled him back as he stepped in front of him, trying to protect him with his body.
And as Sao turned the corner ready to face the horrors that scared the strongest living knight, he met two very familiar faces. "You?" he asked to quench his curiosity. Then he opened his mouth, and before he could ask—
Tazan shook his head and said, "He's not with us."
Then Tazan walked forward with haste and knelt down, then hugged Sao gently. Sao, surprised, froze.
Then he looked at Actaeon, noticing a patch over his right eye, and then he looked back at Tazan, noticing sword slashes on his shoulder, back, and even arms.
He understood it had not been easy for those two boys, and then he lifted his arms from beside him and hugged the giant back, and said, "I am sorry, kid—I should have been there with all of you."
Leofric turned the corner and walked past Sao and Tazan as he loudly asked, "You know this giant of a man, young wolf?"
Tazan let go as he wiped tears from his eyes that he had quietly shed, then Sao answered, "Yes, your majesty, I know both of these kids.
They are Nex's friends." He paused for a second as he looked at Actaeon's furious gaze, then added, "And sworn swords."
Leofric let out a small laugh. "I must confess, when I first saw your giant friend, I reached for my sword. Haven't had that reaction in years. How is it even possible for someone to be that large?"
Tazan let out a small innocent laugh.
Tazan looked at Actaeon and whispered, "Actaeon, how do we greet him?"Actaeon did not answer, nor did he greet the king of Stella, as Leofric waited patiently for the formality he had seen from people his entire life.
Sao tried to intervene. "Forgive them, your majesty.Those two come from a... different background. They do not know how to greet a king yet—" Then Sao looked at Actaeon and noticed Actaeon standing silent, as he was collecting his thoughts.
His gaze grew harder as he stared down Sao, clenching his fists.
"Was it you?" Actaeon asked aloud.
"What?" Sao answered back with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile.
Actaeon raised his voice loud enough to echo throughout the whole hallway. "Was it you?!"
Actaeon rushed forward as guards obstructed his way with their spears. Tazan moved instantly and grabbed the spear shafts of both guards that stood in front of the office and threw them aside.
The other guards in the hallway all drew their swords and spears and moved forward to surround the two boys.
"Wait!" Sao yelled aloud, but the guards ignored him, only responding to their king's command, as he observed Sao then yelled out himself, "Stand down."
The office door opened and Tex stepped out from the office along with Riger.
"Now what is all this ruckus about, my king?" Riger asked."Commander Riger." Leofric smiled as he went to greet his old mentor, only to pause at the screams of the one-eyed boy in front of him.
"Answer me, SAO!" He cried out as tears fled down his left eye. He walked forward towards Sao, staring at the young warrior, and asked again, "Tell me you didn't do it." He lowered his voice.
Sao looked at him, then asked as his own voice betrayed him and shook, "Wha— Ahem, what is it you think I did, Actaeon?"Actaeon asked the question clearly.
"Were you the one who betrayed us?" Actaeon readied himself to reach for the small knife he had hidden in his right boot.
Sao's pupils widened as he froze, then he asked with a firm and angry voice, "What?"Actaeon, having only spent time with Sao when he was in Lumen and never on the front lines, did not expect Sao's reaction.
Sao gritted his teeth, lowered his gaze to the ground. As the voice of his father rang in his ears, he clenched his fist hard, then swiftly he lifted his right hand up in the air and slammed the back of his fist into the corner of the wall, breaking off some bits and pieces of the wall.
Tazan, Tex, and some of the guards flinched. Riger and Leofric were unfazed, and Actaeon hid his fear as he waited for an answer from him. As blood slowly dripped from the back of his fist, Sao broke the silence.
"Leofric, you better have called for me today with some news about Nex."Leofric smiled in shock from Sao dropping any formality he had previously upheld.Sao turned around and looked Leofric in the eyes, then said, "Otherwise, I promise you, I shall lead the southern front myself, and I shall bring you my army... led by Mars himself."
Leofric's smile faded when he heard the name Mars, then he answered as he stepped forward, "You would threaten me... in my own realm... in the halls of my keep, young wolf? What is stopping me from murdering all of you, including your precious little prince the moment I find him?"
"So you haven't found him yet? At least tell me you have found traces of him being in Stella," Sao asked as he met the eyes of Leofric, unbothered by the title of king or the strongest knight alive.
After a moment of silence between the two, Commander Riger let out a sigh, then said, "Your majesty, let us not lose sight of what we are gathered here to do."
Leofric took a deep breath, then he put his hand on Sao's shoulder and said, "Look, disrespect me all you want, call me names, titles, or don't. It doesn't matter, but the moment you threaten MY people, that I can't let it go..."
Sao lowered his gaze, then said, "I apologize, your majesty. I let my feelings get the better of me."
"And yes, today's meeting does bring news of Nex, so wait here until I collect a report from the Commander," Leofric said.
Leofric let go of Sao's shoulder as he smiled, then he walked past, then added, "And talk things out with that boy while you have the time."
Riger dismissed the guards with a motion of his hand, and they all went back to their positions.
Actaeon and Tazan stood in front of Sao as he collected his thoughts, pondering on what the news on Nex could be. Finding news on him so early wasn't something Sao expected.
Actaeon broke the silence by clearing his throat, then asked, "Um, so who is this Mars, to have King Leofric react so strongly? How many soldiers does he command? A hundred thousand?"
A small laugh escaped Actaeon as he joked.
Tazan smiled and said, "No way, not even the emperor could muster up an army that large by himself."
Sao looked at them, then smiled and answered calmly, "No, he doesn't control an army that large... although if he wanted to, maybe he could."
Actaeon responded, "Come on, Sao, we aren't children. We don't believe in fairy tales. No one since Emperor Braveheart the Second has ever fielded more than maybe half of that number. We know that the empire is divided, and that it is only putting on a show in front of the three kingdoms."
Sao asked, "Have you ever heard of a high knight?"
Tazan responded, "Of course we have. Every imperial kid has heard of them. The strongest soldiers, masters of every weapon, each of them carrying a ruby weapon, and tactical geniuses able to win you lost battles by themselves. If only they were real... we wouldn't even be in this war in the first place."
"So Mars is a high knight?" Actaeon asked.
"No," Sao responded, as Actaeon scoffed and said, "I knew it. There's no way they are rea—" And then Sao responded, cutting off Actaeon, "He's the highest knight, their leader, and the strongest man alive."
"Wait, so that means everyone saying King Leofric being the strongest is a lie?" Tazan asked.
"No, Tazan. he said strongest man not knight." Actaeon responded.
And after a small pause, Tazan asked, "And what is the difference?"
Sao laughed out loud. Actaeon joined in as he hid his laugh from Tazan. Even the guards, who are trained to show no emotions, smiled a bit.
"What is so funny? It isn't wrong not to know, you know," Tazan said as Sao held himself together.
"The strongest knight alive, is without a doubt that man in that room right there, that is exactly why he is in that room, ruleing over his kingdom as he once swore he would, for a knight an oath he takes is absolute, no matter what happens he isn't to break the oath, that is what makes them stronger than normal soldiers, not just their knowladge of the sword, and of war, but also their responsiblity itself becomes their strength."
Or at least that is what it is supposed to be, for you see, today it has become incredibly hard to find knights who have honored their words like King Leofric. For he has never been caught in a lie, nor has he ever harmed an innocent life, and those are oaths that he took upon himself to complete and not even required of you as a knight."
"So the more oaths one upholds, the stronger they are?" Tazan asked.
"No. He is also the most accomplished king in Stella's last five hundred years of history on the battlefield, from one-on-one duels in the frontlines to his tactical genius against the Lavat kingdom, the Wu kingdom, and even the empire."
"So, how strong is this Mars exactly?" Actaeon asked.
"Terrifyingly strong. I have never seen someone so strong and so cunning. I have seen him once duel two high knights at the same time, and he won by breaking both of their swords without harming them," Sao responded.
Tazan asked, "So he is stronger than King Leofric?"
Actaeon waited patiently for Sao's answer. As Tazan asked the question he also wanted to ask, the guards took a brief look towards Sao, and as Sao noticed, he smiled, then signaled them to move closer and whispered between the three.
"Yes, he has a ruby weapon, which could cut steel itself," Sao whispered.
Then Actaeon added, "Plus the fact that he isn't bound by any oath himself."
"Wait, isn't he also a knight?" Tazan whispered.
Actaeon whispered, "I am guessing that the high knights are different. I assume they don't have an oath to uphold?"
"No, they also uphold an oath as well." Sao leaned back and loudened his voice on purpose for the guards to hear.
"And what is that oath?" Actaeon asked to help Sao's little scheme.
"The high knights' oath is to obey the commands of their leader, without exception. Everyone has obeyed that command," he answered.
One of the guards scoffed as he thought those were all bluffs.
"And the highest knight?" Tazan asked.
"The highest knight..." Sao leaned forward again and whispered, "To hold the strongest power in the world, no matter what."
"Wait, in the stories we are told, they always protect the city of Lumen. If that isn't their oath, then why?" Actaeon whispered, asking.
"That is just because one of the previous high knights requested it. They aren't bound to that like an oath, but they still don't want to separate from the city... it is their home after all."
Actaeon pondered for a while as he was lost in his thoughts, then asked, "If Lumen is so powerful, why did we leave it? They could have protected us along with Nex."
"Because, the one thing the high knights hate the most in this life is the empire's royal family, and had we stayed, they would have only gotten angry. We would have even risked making them so angry that they would defect towards another kingdom. Honestly, even now the only thing holding their loyalty in the empire is my family and me," Sao answered.
"Wait—" Actaeon started again, but before Actaeon finished, Sao sighed and said, "Look, I have answered lots of questions for now, but this is the last question for today. Ask me the rest later, okay?"
Actaeon nodded, then asked, "How did Leofric know who Mars is, and why is he even looking for Nex?"
Sao smiled at how smart Actaeon was, then whispered, "Fine, I shall answer both, but those two are really your final questions for today. First, Leofric met him in a tournament held by the empire years ago. Although Mars entered under a fake name and a helmet hiding himself, in the arena he lost to Leofric. Mars told me that later that day, King Leofric found him again and demanded a real duel, in which no one was watching. Mars won.
Second, I am making a deal with King Leofric to look for Nex, and in return I shall make peace between the empire and Stella."
"Wait, so Leofric is afraid because he thought he would lose again?" Tazan asked.
Sao took a deep breath, then whispered, "No, it is because not only do I know he lost, but also because King Leofric doesn't know how strong the army that he is leading is."
"Now enough questions. Those people are taking too long. I swear I wanna break that door open and listen to them."
"I wonder what the news about Nex is. I wish to see him soon," Actaeon said as he looked towards the door.
But the door did not open. Soon, the sound of strong footsteps rang throughout the whole hall. From around the corner, the air had suddenly felt colder.
As Actaeon and the guards started to shiver, and as the steps grew closer and closer, finally a tall shadow laid on the ground as Sao and the other two moved out of the way. Countess Ghufran Sunrise stepped from around the corner, a bit shorter than Tazan. She saw him as her golden hair shone in the lights of the sun that poured through the windows of the halls.
Behind her, an old and grey-haired man. The Countess took a look at Tazan, scoffed, then moved in front of the office. She knocked, then said, "Your majesty, Countess of Sunrise is coming in."
The door opened, then she stepped in with her husband. Actaeon asked, "Who was that?"
Sao responded, "I don't know, but my guts hate her already."
Then Leofric's loud voice yelled out, "Lord Sao, come in." Sao walked forward and stepped inside, but before he walked in, he paused, turned back, then said, "Well? What are you waiting for? This is about your Prince. You should hear about it as well."