was a command from the King. And I was too weak not to heed it.”
“Yet it was a command to kill one of our own,” Kolk said, stepping forward. “To set up noble Legion members for death at the enemy’s hands. It was a command for treachery and betrayal. And you executed it. You know what the punishment is for betrayal of a Legion member.”
Forg swallowed hard.
“Please, my lords, have mercy!”
“Thor,” Kendrick said, turning to him. “It falls on you to pronounce a death sentence on Forg. It is you whom he betrayed.”
The entire hall grew silent, as everyone turned to Thor.
Thor’s heart pounded as he watched the man before him, waiting to be killed. A great fury washed over him, as he considered how this man had endangered his Legion brothers.
Yet at the same time, to Thor’s surprise, he felt compassion for him, too. After all, it seemed that Forg had once been a good knight; he had simply been unable to stand up to tyranny, to do the right thing when the time came, in the heat of the moment. Thor hated the idea of his being executed—and especially at his own expense.
Thor stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“It is true,” Thor called out, “Forg is deserving of death for what he did. But I would ask you all to have mercy on him.”
A surprised gasp spread through the room.
“Mercy?” Kolk asked. “Why?”
“He may be deserving of death,” Thor said. “But that does not mean we should give it to him. He made a mistake. Gareth is the evil one behind all of this. I would rather not have this knight’s blood shed on my behalf. He made a mistake. And we survived, after all. Most of us, anyway.”
“Thorgrinson,” Kendrick said, “our law prohibits us from allowing a traitor to stay within our ranks. Something must be done with him.”
“Then banish him,” Thor said. “Send him away from your hall. Let him join Gareth’s men, or let him leave the Ring. But don’t kill him.”
Kendrick looked long and hard at Thor, and finally he nodded.
“I can see that you hold much wisdom, despite your young age.”
Kendrick turned to Forg, grabbed him by the chest, and scowled into his eyes.
“You are very lucky on this day,” Kendrick said. “If I see your face before me again, I will kill you myself.”
Kendrick reached over, tore the army’s pin from Forg’s vest, spun him around and kicked him hard, sending him stumbling through the hall. Forg hurried through the room and Atme opened the door, let him out, and slammed the door behind him.
Slowly, the room burst back into life, and as it did, Brom stepped forward.
“We still have not addressed the most important issue here today,” he boomed.
The room fell silent as all turned to him.
“The gods be willing, one day, sooner or later, Gareth will be ousted. When that day comes, we will be left with no ruler of the Ring. Which MacGil shall succeed him? Kendrick, you are firstborn, legitimate or not. The men look up to you. Is it a role you will accept?”
Kendrick shook his head adamantly.
“My father’s dying wish was that Gwendolyn should rule. We all witnessed it.”
A gasp spread throughout the room.
“A woman?” one of the knights called out.
“It is true!” Reece said.
“It is!” Godfrey called out, too. “We were all at that meeting. It was our father’s wish. He skipped over all of us and chose her. As her siblings, we accept it. In fact, we all approve of the choice.”
“If you all honor MacGil,” Kendrick said, “then you will honor his final wish. You will institute and defend Gwen as ruler of this kingdom.”
All the soldiers in the room turned and looked at Gwen, and a heavy silence filled the room.
Thor looked over at her, and saw her lower her head in humility.
“If it was good enough for MacGil, then it’s good enough for me,” Brom boomed, breaking the stunned silence.
“And I!” Kolk added.
“And I!” echoed all the soldiers in the room.
“But Gwendolyn, would you accept?” Kendrick asked her.
An expectant silence followed, as she lowered her head. Several moments of silence followed.
“I know that you would be a fair and wise ruler,” Kendrick added. “Much better than Gareth.”
“You are what our father wanted,” Godfrey added, “and you are what the Ring needs.”
Finally, Gwen cleared her throat.
“It is not something I wish for, or something that I seek, my Lords,” she said. “It is true, when father pressed me, I did agree to