Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,198

into the pot. He thought, That woman’s a tiger.

The next morning, after Early Bailem, Prince Aaron guided Sam and the rest of the group into the king’s throne room. As they entered, everyone was told to bow. They did as instructed, kneeling on one knee as they waited for the king to enter.

It was a long wait, which angered Sam. He was tired of royal protocols wasting his moments. Bow here, bow there, bow, bow, bow, and bow again was the only thing they seemed to do in this city.

Aaron had sent one of his slaves to inform the king that they had arrived, but somehow this news did not seem to create urgency on his father’s part. After being on their knees for what felt like forever, the king finally entered. They lowered their heads and waited for the signal to lift them.

The king was a handsome man with long, dark hair that complemented his brown eyes. He also had the body of a fighter and looked nothing like his son. His wife had been a handmaiden whom he married after donning the crown of Brandor many seasons ago. His decision to marry a commoner was not well received, but over the seasons, she became loved by all. It was her fair complexion that colored their son’s. She died not long after giving birth, and the king never remarried because his heart would not mend.

“Stand, fighter,” the king commanded. “Let’s have a look at what the commotion is about.” The king waited patiently for his order to be carried out. “I must admit, you have a presence about you.” The king motioned for the rest of the group to stand, “I welcome you to Brandor.”

The group did as instructed without saying a word.

Sam, however, stopped the king’s party in full stride. He was not about to spend all Peak on meaningless formalities. “Look,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’m sure we can spend our moments greeting one another. I would even bet that under different circumstances it’s fun and has its place, but can we skip to the part where we get something accomplished? I have information you need to know. The quicker we get going, the sooner we can win a war.”

As Sam was speaking, BJ was squirming. He knew this was not the way things should be done, and he expected the king to explode.

Although she did not show it, Shalee was more than ready to back Sam up. As agreed the night before, they were not about to be brushed off. She was holding Precious, and she was ready to make an impression.

The fighter walked up the steps toward the king’s throne and stuck out his hand.

The affront caught Keldwin off guard. He was unsure how to respond and looked to his son for guidance as the guards took a readied stance.

“I told you his mannerisms were strange, Father. During our flight to home, he made the most interesting claims. He said he’s not from this world, and he’s been brought here by the gods to create an empire. He further claims that they’re expected to be an example to all the worlds.”

Aaron paused for only a moment, then continued. “Father ... I hesitate to say this, but they were involved in the disappearance of the Crystal Moon.”

The king moved behind his throne. He did not care for what he heard, especially the part about Sam and Shalee creating their own empire. “So you’re the ones responsible for taking the Crystal Moon!” the king shouted. “Do you know what this has done to the fate of our worlds? You have—”

Sam ruined Keldwin’s momentum and interrupted with a voice loud enough to cover the king’s. “Keep your royal pants on, Keldwin! Put your listening ears on, and pay attention! No one said we’re responsible! Aaron said we were involved! I knew this was going to be a waste of my moments. If this is all you managed to comprehend of your son’s words, I’m disgusted! I would never serve a king with your apparent weakness!”

BJ was about to die. He knew what was coming next. Sam would be hung before sunrise. For that matter, they would all be hung. Even the prince was fidgeting.

The king was astounded. Sam’s lack of respect was inexcusable. “Guards! Seize them! Take them to the dungeon!”

This was Shalee’s cue to take action. She jumped to her feet and yelled, “Precious, illuvu sol!” Almost everything in the room froze. The only beings