Traitors of the Realm - Kingmaker Book 1

Micah - The Feast Chapter 17

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up?" said King Algar as he sat on the bed beside Micah.

"Where am I?" Micah asked, groaning in pain as he tried to sit himself up.

"We're at Margaret's Inn," King Algar assured him as he hands him a cup of water.

"Margaret's Inn," Micah muttered before swallowing every drop of water the cup contained. "It's at least thirty seven miles from Mazel Town."

"It is actually," the King assured him. "We've been here a day now. It's been three days since you've been in and out of sleep."

"Your Grace," Micah muttered, "where is my uncle?" he asked.

"He's in the hall, drinking with Sir Elroy," replied the King. "It's a brave thing you did that day," he then said, "saving the Princess."

"If I hadn't, she would've died and the rebellion along with her," Micah told him.

"From my experience, it's much more than that," King Algar said with a smile.

"I have a wife," Micah confessed, "she's in Alcadia, taking care of my sister."

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this," the King took a long deep breath before continuing his sentence, "Alcadia has been taken over Micah. Prince Damien and his men are residing there. We heard reports that he has at least three thousand men with him."

"I have to go," Micah replied, getting up from his bed with loud groaning. "I have to find my sister," he said, his face becoming flustered.

King Algar stood on his feet, looking on while Micah took his time putting on his pants and shirt. He saw the arrow wounds still filled with cloth balls. When he looks over to the bed, he saw that the white sheets were covered with the stain of his blood.

"If you go alone you'll die," King Algar warned, "but if you wait just a few more weeks. We'll go together, along with more able men."

"A week ago we had less than two thousand with us," Micah said confused, "and half of them were women and children."

"Every day, close to a hundred people come rushing to join our cause," the King explained. "We can't risk the lives of the families who has placed their trust upon us to protect them."

"By then, my sister would be sold to some old fucker who gets himself off by advantaging little girls. My wife would be whored around to a different man every other night, for the rest of her life. I will murder every soul in Valtray before I let that happen."

"Fifteen years ago, when the war was coming to an end, I was in Elsinguard fighting alongside King Rohan and your father. After your father did what he did, all the great Lords and Kings surrendered while I fled home to Effilehime. As you know, the Lords were slaughtered like pigs along with their Kings. Their homes were seized and given to King Ryker's officials. When I returned home, I found my castle sacked and in ruins. At the front gate they hung my wife along with my five year old boy. They took my two daughters with them, too young and beautiful to murder, they must've thought."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Your Grace," Micah said with pity. "My sister is all I have to a family. Millie my wife, we don't see eye to eye on most things, but there's no doubt in my mind that she is a good woman."

"Have patience Micah, you'll get your family back," the King promised. "I too await the comfort of my daughters."

The King took his leave while Micah stood by himself grasping the words the wise King had told him. After a few minutes, he lifted up his head and he follows the King through the narrow corridor toward the old wooden railing and down the stairs toward the hall. He heard shouting and singing as he entered inside. He saw men and women dancing with drinks still in their hands, and when he looked over to his right he saw Old Lobo and Sir Elroy both with half naked women upon their laps. When he looked over to his left, he saw Prince Asher and Griffith both drunk, hugging each other as they lay next to one another on the dining table.