and Krohn nipping at their heels, Thor wanted more than ever to ask Gwen the question. Would she would marry him? But once again, he hesitated. The time did not seem quite right. He was waiting for a magical, perfect moment, and for some reason, he just was not sure if this was it. He also became too nervous, his heart pounding and his throat going dry, every time he thought of asking her. He was too scared of being rejected, and a part of him didn’t know if he could summon the courage to do it. What if she said no? What if his asking her ruined their relationship forever? A part of him didn’t want to take that chance.
As they rounded the final hill, walking in silence, King’s Court came into view in the distance, and they both stopped in their tracks. Something was wrong. Thor could see from here that scores of The Silver, the Legion and the King’s army were pacing about in an agitated way. They were all milling outside the Hall of Arms, and Thor could feel something brewing. He could not understand what was happening: when he had left last night, they had been in the middle of the feast and had been jovial. He expected to return this morning to see them all still sleeping, recovering. But they were all awake, on their feet, alert, most of them armed and anxiously hurrying inside.
“Something’s wrong,” Thor observed.
“Yes, it is,” she said. “Let’s hurry.”
The two of them broke off at a trot, Krohn running beside them, across the plains, through the arched stone gate, and into King’s Court. They strutted across the dusty plaza and entered the crowd of men, merging with them as they poured into the Hall of Arms.
As they entered, Thor was surprised to find the hall packed with soldiers. He spotted all his friends in the Legion, and dozens of the Silver. He spotted Kendrick, Kolk, Brom, Atme, and dozens of famed warriors. The mood inside was agitated. Many warriors sat at the table, heads in their hands, as if nursing a hangover, while others paced the room, arguing with each other. There was a tense energy in the air, a murmur, as if they had all been in the midst of a heated debate.
“But it is not just!” yelled one soldier to the other. “Never in the history of the MacGils has there been anything like this!”
Thor walked with Gwen and cut a path through the center of the room to Reece and Godfrey and Kendrick, who sat huddled together, with several Silver members clustered around them. They turned and looked up at their sister, making room.
“What has happened here?” she asked Kendrick.
Thor had a sinking feeling that whatever it was, it was not good. He could not believe how the mood had changed since he had left this hall just hours ago.
“It is our dear brother, Gareth” Kendrick said, morose. “He has displaced the Silver from the Silver Hall.”
“What!” Thor yelled out, unbelieving.
“It’s true,” Kendrick said. “The Silver have lived in that hall for a thousand years, for every MacGil king. Now they are being relegated to the minor army barracks.”
“It is an insult that will not be tolerated!” a soldier added.
“But why?” Thor asked. “Why would Gareth do this? How could he get away with it?”
“He won’t get away with it,” Brom responded sternly, slamming a fist on the table.
“It seems he has brought in another band of warriors,” Kendrick said. “Lord Kultin, from the Essen province. He has hired them as a private king’s guard, his own personal fighting force. He is showering them with the best of everything, including the Silver’s Hall. It is a slap in the face. To all of us.”
“But can he do such a thing?” Thor asked.
“He is King,” Reece responded. “He can do whatever he wishes.”
Thor shook his head, shocked, as the others fell into a disturbed silence, muttering all around them. He could hardly believe that Gareth would have the audacity to do such a thing. He wondered what it meant for them all. Would there be a civil war? Clearly, a line had been crossed.
“Well, at least the Silver will finally see what we have known for a long time now,” Gwendolyn spoke up. “That our brother is not to be trusted. That he strives to cause division amongst our kingdom. That he caused Kendrick to be jailed unfairly. And that he was responsible for the death of