Sentria: The War for Askeran (Book 3)

Chapter Two: Losing My Religion

My father spent nearly half an hour angrily pacing and yelling about the Marbury's as my mother wept into her hands. I sat there, emotionlessly, unmovingly, watching the scene as an animal would watch a human trying to make sense of their peculiarities. Royalty was such a strange thing when you were on the outside looking in. They wanted me to marry into this family not long ago and now they acted as if they were their greatest enemies. The way people could turn so quickly was an ugly side of humanity.

"This will not be tolerated!" screamed my father at the top of his lungs. "For them to think that they could put a Colress on trial—their High Prince—is an action worthy of the guillotine! It is treason! We will not stand for this. We will—"

"I'm going," I said calmly.

Queen Vala and King Artem both stopped and looked up at me.

"What did you say?" asked my mother, looking up from her hands

"I said, I'm going. I will stand trial for the crimes I've committed."

My father shook his head slowly. "You have gone mad. You are not standing trial, Darren. Any act that a High Royal commits is a havenly act, it is for the good of the realm. Common laws don't apply to us. King Marbury knows this and I will remind him of it in my next letter."

"No," I said, "you wanted me to return to my duties, and this is what I'm doing. I will pay for my penance."

"Darren," said my mother, wiping her eyes. "We are in the midst of a war." She turned to my father. "How can King Marbury do this when the Cordathians are at our doorstep?" She covered her face again and wept even louder.

"That is enough," I stood up. "I am of age and I will go to Stargon to stand trial. It is my decision and it is final." I walked to the door and turned before I left. "Thank you for dinner."

I went straight to bed that night. I wasn't nervous or scared about the actions of Stargon. King Marbury had every reason to be upset with me and to want justice for his son. He no longer had Lucas, and while he wasn't the best father, that was still his kin, his blood, and I hoped that he and his family could find some peace through the chaos.

In the middle of the night, I woke up and something compelled me to visit the crypt of my parted ancestors. Perhaps it was because I knew that this could be the last night I spent in my castle, and I wanted something beautiful and meaningful to hang onto. I got up, got dressed, and walked the halls of Sentria Castle with my torchlight in hand. I took the secret staircase down into the bowels of the castle and unlocked the door with a key hidden behind a painting of my grandmother Queen-Mother Carla Lins.

I walked into the dark, dungeon-like crypt, a stark contrast from the beautifully decorated rooms above it, and saw the stone statue of my namesake, my grandfather High King Darren Colress II who died a year after my birth. I saw a lot of myself in him, more than my father. He seemed noble with wide eyes that looked eager to succeed and always did what had to be done for the good of his people. His Sentrian sword had a curved-shaped hilt that his statue held with both hands, pointing the blade down to the ground. Darren II was most known for leading the south during the Dynasty Wars at the turn of the century, strengthening their reign in the south. It had been a long-held belief that every "Darren" played an integral role in a war that changed the realm in monumental ways. Unfortunately for my family history, I planned on breaking that chain.

I continued to walk through the crypt, looking upon my statued ancestors, the high kings and queens of Sentria, going back twenty generations and read their plaques by torchlight. I thought of the whole lives that they lived that must have been filled with adventures of their own kind with love, laughter, heartache, and pain. This gave me a great sense of relief; even if I were to die, rotting away in a tower for the rest of my life, I would eventually be reunited with them in haven. Perhaps they had been with me all along, guiding me in my travels.

Stargon soldiers came for me in the morning, and I left willingly. The common Sentrians gathered by the steps of the castle and watched on silently as their high prince was taken away. My mother didn't make this any easier, openly weeping as my father tried to calm her to save face, but it was to no avail. They chained my hands and I went into the carriage—not a royal carriage but a common, wooden, and susceptible one, and we left northward on the Silver Road out of my kingdom.

The experience was far different than the last time. The knights didn't look at me often, and when they did, it was with a sneer. Knight Arden had informed me that I was not well-loved by the knights of Stargon, and I didn't blame them either. Had it not been for me, Knight Ral, once the greatest knight in all the realm, would still be alive.

We passed the Red Oak Inn and I saw that two soldiers from the nearby Craven Keep were standing guard outside of it, signifying that the northern threat was becoming more real.

It was nighttime by the time we reached Stargon, but the people were still awake, as if they were waiting for my arrival. As we rode through the town, food was thrown at my carriage as they booed me. Tomatoes, apples, lettuce, all to show their disdain for me. The "counterfeit prince" they called me, and as I walked into Stargon Castle, there was no one there to greet me. I was brought into the royal chamber and led up to King Marbury who looked like he had aged a decade with dark circles around his eyes and faded blond hair.

Next to him was the hairless Friar Locke and the scene reminded me of when I had first arrived at Cordath and saw the dark wizard Alaster standing beside King Solice, controlling him with invisible strings. I had heard that King Marbury had become devout without his son and looked to religion to ease his pain. It seemed as if that theory was proven true.

A knight kicked the back of my leg and I fell to my knees, looking up at King Marbury meekly. There was a long pause. The longest pause I had ever felt in my life. The Stargon king looked at me with more contempt than any dark wizard could ever muster, and all I could do was take it.

He sniffed sharply with his nose and said, "I just wanted to see you before you face trial. It's only for show, mind you. to embarrass you before the Stargon court for killing their golden boy. I want you to feel the pain you have caused this kingdom and to know that there is no hope for failures such as yourself." He stood up, walked over to me, and spat in my face. "You may take him away."

The knights roughly lifted me up and brought me out of the Stargon castle where the people were still waiting. Still with their insults and more food to throw, and I was taken to their prison.