Duke Lousypher was amongst the distinguished guests fortunate enough to garner an invitation to the palace from Lord Chancellor Gregoire. While not officially declared regent, Chancellor Gregoire had arguably been the power behind the throne for the past year while the King had languished in his illness. Jean-Luc appeared to be most firmly in control of things now that the good King, may he rest in the arms of the Creator, had passed on.
It was rumored that the Chancellor would announce the discovery of the King's official successor at the ball he was holding in his residence within the Carpenter Palace grounds. Many believed that he had at last discovered the hidden will that rumor had buried somewhere in the kingdom. This rumor, among other unsettling consequences, had resulted in small craters dug at night near virtually every notable landmark, secluded grotto, and back alley in the land. The Great Cathedral and the Monument to King Cyrus had required extensive repairs after will-seekers had torn up chunks of the floor and support columns respectively. Duke Lousypher had even found his eldest son lowering his youngest down into the well in search of the item that would make them heroes.
The Duke counted himself fortunate that he had a personal invitation and that he was in the habit of arriving early, as tonight's event had overwhelmed the capacity of the vast halls of the Carpenter Palace. A large crowd of people who could no longer squeeze inside was beginning to gather around the outer walls in the hopes of being among the first to catch the rumors that would emerge. By arriving early, Lousypher and his wife, had managed to lay claim to a promising portion of the balcony that overlooked the better part of the dance floor and offered an excellent vantage from which to catch whispered discussions from the floor below, where people sometimes forgot that there might be someone overhead.
The scene that bloomed before the couple was well worth the efforts of procuring a good view. The polished marble dance floor of the Great Hall gleamed in the light of thousands of candles. The Kingdom's elite were gathered in the hopes of witnessing the unfolding of history itself. Beneath the dulcet tones of the best orchestra in the kingdom, a low buzz could be felt as the most powerful nobles, the wealthiest merchants, and the most influential clergymen in the land whispered about the consequences that were sure to come of the one great revelation that had already been brought to light tonight.
All three of the contestants that had thus far declared their claim to the throne were in attendance.
In one corner, Lord Marshal Tennyson and his supporters, decked out in the muted tones of their military dress uniforms jingled as they brushed broad shoulders and jangled medals of valor and honor. Despite the festive nature of the occasion, they stood with stiff backs and almost every hand that was not holding a stout drink rested on a sword hilt. The mood that emanated from that section of the hall seemed to leech the music from the air.
At the opposite corner of the dance floor was the 'Merchant King', Lord Niccolo Florenti, surrounded by the wealthiest barons, traders, and nobles in the kingdom. All were dressed in the finest clothing available, most of which had been fashioned in the last few hours specifically for this occasion. Normally, there would have been scarcely concealed leers from behind elaborately decorated fans and stage whispered ironies at the expense of those that were foolish enough - or worse poor enough - to walk by in anything less than the most up-to-date fashions. In place of the usual witty satire was barely concealed outrage and a purplish tinge of embarrassment.
Never one to miss an occasion to spread the good word, Lord Reverend Wilhelm Kelvin and his flock were scattered throughout the room distributing prayers and blessings and seeking donations to the church. Perhaps their faith in the Creator and their revered leader held them above the doubt and suspicion that was tearing at the other factions. Perhaps they just used frenetic activity to cover their nerves.
Despite their obviously vast differences, each of these groups had one stark similarity that was the subject of every whispered conversation in every corner of the room. Strapped to the left hip of each of these extremely powerful men was an identical sword and scabbard which bore a striking resemblance to the only weapon in the kingdom that none could fail to recognize: The Kingsword.
As the orchestra stopped for its first break of the night, the host of the evening, Lord Chancellor Gregoire and his wife, entered through the grand archway, atop the three story 'stairway to heaven' crafted to look like a collection of clouds. The sight could not help but remind those in attendance that in the absence of a King, it was the Chancellor that lived in the palace and saw to the day to day running of the kingdom, just as he had been doing for the past year. Duke Lousypher had no doubt that such a reminder was exactly the Chancellor's intention.
The Lord Chancellor, although in his fifth decade, was still a healthy man. Tall by the standards of the age and Duke Lousypher supposed that many women found his appearance striking. He wore his hair, which was dark everywhere but at the temples, at shoulder length as was the current fashion at court and displayed a closely trimmed beard shaved neatly to the jaw line. The Chancellor presented his wife, which the Baron did not have to suppose to be striking, and then bowed to the assemblage that had mostly gathered at the foot of the steps to hang upon his words.
"My noble guests, thank you for honoring me with the pleasure of your company. I do hope that you are all enjoying yourselves. In particular, I wish to extend my greetings and gratitude to His Holiness, His Wealthiness, and His Honorableness, Lords Kelvin, Florenti, and Tennyson for taking time away from their pressing schedules to mingle with their humble subjects in this trying time. You will all, no doubt, have heard the rumors that His Majesty's will has been found. I would that I could say this were so. It would make all rest easier to have a sure successor and avoid the unpleasantness that may come from a contest for the throne. Nevertheless, I must sadly assure you, this is not the case. I will, however, say that it is my fervent hope that, by bringing our three contenders together tonight, we may be able to make some progress toward that end. But enough of such business. We have all mourned the passing of a great man for a long time and if my close friend was here, I have no doubt that he would say, 'Rejoice! For the Creator has made such times of merriment as these to make our struggles the rest of the time worth while.'"
With that, the music resumed and Lord Chancellor Gregoire extended his hand to his Lady Wife to join him in a dance.
After a seemly time among his guests, Lord Gregoire at last sent his paige to summon the Sovereigns - as popular terminology was referring to them - into a private chamber to meet.
"My Lords, thank you for coming. I wish to extend my apologies for any 'difficulties' that may have arisen from tonight's unforeseen events. When I requested that you bring your evidence to support your claim to the throne, I assure you that I had not been aware that all three of you were in possession of these artifacts. I had hoped that perhaps we would be able to come to a mutual agreement since there was no clear successor. Apparently, the issue is far more clouded than I had believed. I will not insult you by asking where you came by these or whether or not you know them to be the true Kingsword. I know you each to be a man of integrity, and that you could only have gotten them from the most reliable of sources and have every reason to believe that yours is the genuine item. Now it just remains to see what we shall do with this little quandary."
"Well, it seems simple enough." Lord Marshal Tennyson's words cut the silence like the sword that was the point of contention. "The Kingsword makes its wielder invincible in combat. We have a very simple means of determining which blade is the true one: a trial by combat."
The Merchant King, Florenti, emitted a caustic snort and looked around the room before he replied. "Simple for you my General! I, for one, would prefer not to have my head lopped off in order to find that the sword's abilities were not enough to overcome my lack of skill with it. Yes, King Cyrus was unbeatable with the Kingsword in hand - but let us not forget that he was an accomplished warrior beforehand. Perhaps it merely augmented his existing ability."
Lord Reverend Kelvin was quick to add his support, "I agree with Lord Florenti - the Kingsword is a symbol of the Creator's Will - it was an instrument that He used to deliver His chosen leader into power. Who is to say that it would work at all for another bearer? I do not think that this matter can be settled so easily. We must attempt to determine who the Creator chooses as the new leader of His people."
With a sigh of resignation, the Chancellor concurred. "I am sorry, General Tennyson. I know that a man like yourself has probably never even considered that foul play might have been involved. What if all of the swords are forgeries? While I would never suspect you of such a thing, it is possible that another who might profit from seeing you take the throne could have sent these items in the hope that such a trial might take place. If that were the case, I think that there is no question who would win such a trial and I think I know you well enough to know that you would not wish to rule under such dubious means. I fear that we shall have to find another method of discerning the King's and the Creator's will. It appears that we shall not, as I had hoped, be able to come to an agreement on this matter tonight. It is my proposal at this time, that each of us remains in the role he currently fills, with Lord Marshal Tennyson in charge of all matters involving the military and the defense of the kingdom. Lord Florenti will remain in service as the Minister of the Treasury and have final authority over all trade matters. Lord Reverend Wilhelm will continue to watch over the spiritual health of our people in this trying time and lead the people in prayer that the Creator's will be revealed. I humbly offer my continued services as administrator and liaison between your esteemed offices."
When the arguing, wheedling, and bargaining had concluded nearly four hours later, Lord Chancellor Gregoire was exhausted. Still, he had one last item to attend to before he could retire to his chambers and his wife. Gregoire gestured to his paige, who returned in a few moments with Duke Lousypher who had been patiently waiting outside as requested through the entire meeting.
"Thank you, good Duke for your patience. I have a duty with which I would like to entrust you, as my most valued friend and ally." The chancellor withdrew a key from a hidden pocket in the fold of his sleeve cuff and opened a chest tucked away beneath the concealment of a cloth over a table near the back of his office. From within the chest, the Chancellor withdrew a long, slim item wrapped in golden silk and gently unwrapped it to reveal an exact duplicate of the weapons that each of the other men had worn at their sides. "Take this and keep it well, for upon this the fate of our kingdom may one day rest."
The Duke's hand trembled slightly as he took the blade and scabbard in hand and wrapped it once more in the concealing cloth. He could not help but wonder if he truly held the legendary weapon of the Carpenter King - or if this was a replication of some kind being given to him as a test. "Your trust shall be proven well placed My Lord."
"Of that I have no doubt."
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