The empty throne, p.1
The Empty Throne, page 1
part #2 of The Blackwater Chronicles Series
THE EMPTY THRONE
Book Two
of
The Blackwater Chronicles
Paul Hewer
The Book Reality Experience
Leschenault, Western Australia
1 CONSTANCE
2 CEDRIC
3 REGAN
4 LETO
5 CONSTANCE
6 CEDRIC
7 LETO
8 OWEN
9 LETO
10 REGAN
11 OWEN
12 LETO
13 OWEN
14 DARIAH
15 LETO
16 REGAN
17 DARIAH
18 OWEN
19 LETO
20 LETO
EPILOGUE
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Copyright
Also by Paul Hewer
The Blackwater ChronicleS
The Wooden Crown
For Linda
The Great Houses of Avaleen
1
CONSTANCE
T
he flight from Sisters End had taken them from Whitehall, down the Narrows and east into the Greenhavens. For nearly two days, Sir Kyle Greenwood had led them through the Graveswood, rarely stopping except to camp or water the horses. Their progress slowed as Melina’s condition worsened. On the third morning, Sir Fergus insisted they find somewhere to stay until the princess could recover.
‘We should continue to Hampstead Heath,’ Sir Kyle had said. ‘We’ll be there in two more days, three at the most.’
‘No!’ the Noble Guard insisted. ‘Her Highness needs somewhere to rest, out of the cold.’
‘She’ll have her own quarters with a fire and everything she needs at Forest Keep, and we have a maester who can treat her sickness.’
‘None of that will help if she dies before we get there.’
‘She won’t die.’
‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Sir Fergus said, ‘but I’m not willing to take the chance, so either lead us to a suitable place, or we’ll find one ourselves.’
Constance trusted Sir Fergus with her life, but the idea of them wandering about Avaleen in unfamiliar territory made her anxious.
‘Please,’ Constance said to the young knight. ‘Her Highness hasn't been well for many weeks, and I fear for her health. We need your help.’
‘I am trying to help!’
Sir Kyle glanced from Constance to the Noble Guard, who gave him a stony look. Duncan, his lieutenant, just shrugged.
The young knight threw up his arms in defeat. ‘Fine! I should know better than to argue with a bloody Noble Guard.’
‘Thank you,’ Constance said.
Sir Kyle acknowledged her with a slight bow of his head.
‘There’s a place about ten miles east of here, just south of the main road,’ he said. ‘It’s not the closest, but I know the people there. We can trust them.’
Sir Fergus nodded his agreement.
They arrived at the small village of Willow Creek, around midday. There seemed to be no tavern or inn, but before long, Sir Kyle had arranged a room for the princess in the home of one of the residents. The small room had a proper bed and a fireplace, and within an hour of their arrival, a fire had been lit, and the princess had fallen into a fitful slumber.
Constance spent most of her time watching over the princess, who slept for the rest of the day and all through the night. A tired Constance began to think they should never have left Whitehall.
‘You should get some rest yourself, Lady Constance,’ said Sir Fergus. ‘She’ll wake when she wakes, and your hovering around won’t make it happen any quicker.’
‘I’m trying,’ she said, unable to stifle a yawn.
Constance lay on the makeshift bed on the floor and closed her eyes, but still sleep evaded her. Something always entered her mind, real or imagined, that stopped her from drifting off. When she did manage to sleep, she often woke with a start. As a result, Constance barely managed to get a few hours’ sleep at night and even less during the day. Thankfully, by the third day, Melina felt well enough to take short walks, and Sir Fergus and Constance accompanied her along the edge of the small but picturesque lake.
‘When are we leaving?’ Melina asked.
‘When you’re well enough to ride, Highness,’ Sir Fergus said. ‘A few more days, perhaps.’
‘I’m well enough now,’ Melina said, her voice soft but resolute. ‘Are we not still in danger?’
‘Sir Kyle assures me that we’re perfectly safe here.’
‘If I ask Sir Kyle the same question, will he give me the same answer?’ the princess asked the Noble Guard.
Constance agreed with Sir Fergus but didn’t want to defy the princess’s wishes. ‘Just one more day. One more, then we’ll be off to Hampstead Heath.’
‘Yes, one more day,’ the Noble Guard agreed. ‘I’ll advise Sir Kyle that we’ll leave tomorrow morning.’
Melina glanced at them both. ‘I feel I’m being conspired against, but I will accede to your recommendation.’
The princess’s words contained no venom, and that she acquiesced so quickly proved to Constance that she had still not fully recovered.
Constance smiled. ‘Only because we love you, Mellie. Isn’t that right, Sir Fergus?’
‘Err … yes,’ he said.
Constance had always seen him as the strong protector who would die before allowing any harm to come to the princess or herself. She never considered that the mention of love could cause him discomfort.
‘In your case, Sir Fergus, maybe it’s love as one would feel for a granddaughter?’ she said.
It took a few moments, but his confidence reasserted itself.
‘Like a grandfather, is it? Yes, I can live with that.’
This brought a smile to Melina’s face, one of the few since her father’s death.
‘It’s good to see you smiling, Highness,’ Sir Fergus added. ‘Even if it is to remind me of my advanced age.’
The Noble Guard broke into a slight grin, a rare occurrence. He bowed, turned, and left the girls near the edge of the pretty lake.
‘Thank you, Connie,’ Melina said, ‘for looking after me.’
‘You've been pushing yourself too much,’ said Constance, less afraid to speak her mind privately to the princess.
‘I know I can be stubborn at times,’ Melina said.
‘You’re a princess of the realm. One would argue it’s your right to be stubborn.’
Both girls managed a restrained laugh.
‘It is good to see you smile again,’ Constance added. ‘I know there isn’t a whole lot to be thankful for at the moment.’
The princess grabbed Constance’s hand.
‘If the situation we’re in has taught me anything, it’s that I should appreciate what I do have because it can be taken away all too easily.’
Constance gave the princess’s hand a gentle squeeze.
‘We may even get Sir Fergus to smile again,’ the princess added.
The approach of the Noble Guard and the young Greenhavens knight interrupted their conversation.
‘We have a minor problem, Highness,’ Sir Fergus said.
‘What now?’ the princess’s smile disappeared.
‘I’ll let Sir Kyle explain,’ the Noble Guard said, stepping back to give the young knight room.
‘Highness,’ the young knight bowed his head, a worried look on his face.
‘I sent some men ahead to Forest Keep to inform my father of our delay. They returned at first light.’
‘And?’ Melina said.
‘They reported at least half a dozen patrols along the main road alone. They were not from the Greenhavens.’
‘Whitehall?’
Sir Kyle shook his head.
‘I've had men watching the main road from Sisters End. It looks as though they’re staying their side of the Steppes.’
‘So, who are they?’
‘We don’t know.’
‘What do you propose?’ Sir Fergus said. ‘That's the only road to Hampstead Heath, is it not?’
Constance shared the Noble Guard's concern. If they couldn't get to Forest Keep, where would they go?
‘For those unfamiliar with the Greenhavens, that may be the case, but I've been travelling these lands since I was born,’ said the young knight. ‘We can go through the Deep Wood and avoid the roads altogether. It'll be slower, but there'll be no chance of us being seen.’
‘These men patrolling your roads, how do we know there aren't more of them waiting for us when we get there?’ asked Sir Fergus.
Sir Kyle did not answer at once.
‘We should head southeast, straight for Millars Landing,’ Sir Fergus continued. ‘We can travel to Cliffs End from there. We cannot risk the princess falling into the hands of the Whites or their allies.’
‘That would take ten days, if not more,’ Sir Kyle said, ‘and even though Her Highness is well enough to make it to Forest Keep, travelling to Millars Landing could kill her.’
‘Now you're concerned for her well-being?’ Sir Fergus said to the young knight.
Sir Kyle seemed offended. ‘The safety and well-being of the princess has always been my top priority, sir.’
‘I don't think –’ the Noble Guard began, but Melina interrupted the argument.
‘Sir Fergus, Sir Kyle,’ she said. ‘If we were to approach Hampstead Heath through the forest, would it be possible to ascertain if it would be safe to enter Forest Keep without making ourselves known? ’
‘We could stand twenty yards from the forest edge and not be seen,’ Sir Kyle said. ‘The advantage would be with us, Highness.’
Constance just wanted somewhere safe and warm, free from pursuit and worry, where Melina could recover properly and get strong again.
The princess glanced at her before looking up at Sir Fergus. ‘We'll head to Forest Keep as Sir Kyle has suggested.’
The Noble Guard seemed about to protest, but a raised hand from Melina silenced him.
‘If there’s any sign of danger,’ she said, ‘or Sir Fergus believes we cannot safely enter the keep, then we will make for the Shadowlands.’
‘As you wish, Highness,’ Sir Kyle nodded. ‘I'll prepare for our departure.’
They set out mid-morning the following day, led by Sir Kyle and his two scouts, with Constance, Melina and Sir Fergus following. Three more soldiers guarded the rear. They entered the Deep Wood, where the thick forest canopy cast a perpetual shadow on everything. Constance had started out riding beside the princess, but the closeness of the trees and the dense undergrowth that covered their path eventually forced them to ride in single file. Constance often turned in her saddle to check on Melina, relieved that she seemed to be holding up. Being restricted to a walking pace certainly helped.
That night, they camped on the forest floor. Thankfully, the forest ceiling that hid the sunlight during the day also kept out some of the chills of the night. Exhausted, Constance hoped that Forest Keep would be their final destination.
‘This is the longest I've been away from my little boy since he was born,’ Sir Kyle lamented as they sat around the campfire.
‘What's his name?’ asked Constance.
‘Griffen, after his great-grandfather,’ he said proudly. ‘He's a smart boy, already wielding his toy sword like he was born to it.’
‘And terrorising the servants like his father did, from what I hear,’ Sergeant Hudson added.
Sergeant Elias Hudson sat opposite Constance. She liked the old scout. He told stories and joked with everyone, including Constance and Melina. However, he avoided any verbal sparring with Sir Fergus.
Elias held his hand three feet above the ground. ‘When he was small, he used to stick the servants with his toy sword, including my mother.’
‘It was just wood,’ Sir Kyle protested with a smile, ‘and quite blunt.’
‘My mother used to come home with scratches all up and down her legs,’ Elias continued with his story. ‘Sir Kyle was quite the horrid child when you think about it.’
Constance and Melina laughed.
‘That's a bit harsh, Eli.’
‘Thankfully, he grew out of it,’ Elias gestured towards Sir Kyle, ‘and is now the fine young knight you see before you today.’
‘Yes, well, Emmaline is managing to keep Griffen under some semblance of control. Apparently, I give him too much leeway,’ the young Greenhavens knight shrugged.
‘My father did the same thing with Leto,’ the princess said. ‘He was quite the troublesome child, especially when he and Jacob got together. I'm certain you were an angel compared to him, Sir Kyle.’
For a few moments, no-one spoke after Melina mentioned both her father and her missing brother. Aside from a tinge of sadness in her voice, there weren’t any overt signs of distress.
‘You are most kind, Highness,’ Sir Kyle said, breaking the silence, ‘though I’m sure the Sergeant is overstating my horridness.’
For the next two days, they trudged through the forest on foot, leading their horses through the green maze, vines, fallen branches, and ever-thicker undergrowth impeding their progress. At times, Constance had the impression the guides had become lost, but they finally came across a small watercourse. It led to a log cabin where they set up camp in the neighbouring clearing.
‘I apologise for the rather erratic path,’ Sir Kyle said. ‘Even the best trackers have trouble navigating the Deep Wood. Eli has been walking these forests for nearly thirty years and still gets lost occasionally.’
‘How far to Hampstead Heath?’ Sir Fergus enquired.
‘We use this as a base for hunting in these parts,’ Sergeant Hudson said, pointing to the nearby brook. ‘Just follow the stream, and you'll be at Forest Keep in no time.’
‘We'll be there by mid-morning,’ said Lieutenant Foster.
‘You may sleep in the cabin, Highness,’ Sir Kyle said. ‘But there's no hearth, so it may be warmer out here by the fire.’
Constance liked the idea of the cabin, away from the forest creatures, large and small, but she would sleep wherever the princess decided.
‘This is your territory, Sir Kyle. Whatever you think is best,’ Melina said, yawning.
They slept by the campfire again. It could have been fatigue or the relief at the possibility of their journey being nearly over, but Constance slept deeply that night, having to be woken by Sir Fergus long after dawn. As a result, there was a delay in getting Melina ready to travel.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at their destination. As they neared the forest edge, Sir Kyle sent some of his men to scout ahead. They left the horses in a small clearing half a mile downstream and proceeded on foot, following the waterway to the forest's edge.
Constance could now see the castle through the trees. It sat atop a hill in a large clearing, its outer walls only a hundred yards from where they hid.
‘Look, Mellie. We're here,’ Constance whispered, and looked up to Sir Fergus, who stared out at the castle. ‘How long before we can go in?’
‘When Sir Kyle's men return, and I'm satisfied that it's safe,’ the Noble Guard said, and turned to the young Greenhavens knight who also surveyed the keep. ‘The scouts have not yet returned. Why?’
‘I don't know,’ Sir Kyle said, peering out of the woods. ‘Everything seems fine from here, but this is the back of the castle. We should move around to the northern side. We'll see more from there.’
‘What about your scouts?’ Sir Fergus repeated.
‘They'll return soon.’
They followed the knight and the rest of his men back into the forest fifty yards before they turned and made their way around to the northern side of the keep. This time, they got closer to the edge of the woods, finding a fallen tree with a trunk so wide that they could all stand behind it and remain hidden.
Constance moved a few yards to the left and peered out. She could only see the northern wall and the beginnings of the town of Hampstead Heath to the west.
‘Sir Kyle?’ the Noble Guard tried to get the young knight's attention.
Sir Fergus stepped closer, and Sir Kyle pointed east.
‘What's wrong?’ Melina said. ‘I can't see a thing.’
Constance gazed in the direction that Sir Kyle had pointed. Beyond Hampstead Heath, at the bottom of the valley, they could see a cluster of tents, men and horses. Flags flew, but she couldn't make them out.
‘Who are they?’ Sir Fergus said, but the young knight ignored him again.
Constance stifled a scream as two Greenhavens soldiers appeared out of the forest like wraiths. Sergeant Elias had one of the scouts sent out earlier that day with him. The scout sounded out of breath.
‘My lord,’ the Sergeant said. ‘Villy has returned.’
That got Sir Kyle's attention, and he turned towards the two men. ‘Report!’
‘They have control of the keep, my lord,’ Villy said.
‘Who's they?’
‘I saw banners for House Greythorpe and … … ’ the scout paused.
‘And who?’
Villy looked confused. ‘I saw banners of the King, but I thought the King was dead?’
‘He is,’ Sir Fergus said. ‘They're most likely banners of the Steward.’
‘It's bad enough the Greythorpes are here,’ said Sir Kyle, ‘but why take over the keep if they're on the Steward’s business?’
‘I'm sure we all know why they're here, and the Greythorpes have never been a friend of Lord Owen or his allies,’ Sir Fergus said grimly.
The Greenhavens knight glanced at Melina, who had been listening to the exchange. ‘My father won’t give us up, not even to the Steward.’
‘But to take control of the keep, it doesn't make sense,’ Sir Fergus said. ‘That’s very provocative, not like Lord Regan at all.’
