The Year of 4 Kings

The tolling of the bells in the night awoke the city to unexpected and tragic news. People were roused from their beds by the sound, lighting torches that slowly brought the city to life.Young King Coty, first of his name and the first real Astirian King, had died. The noise was picked up across the countryside with other towers and town halls ringing out their bells too. The news travelled far and wide that night faster than any ever had. With good reason too. The King was in good health when he left that morning. The sound echoed many miles away off the side of the mountains, bringing down a chilled breeze on that hot summer night.
The tiny kingdom of Astiria, nestled in the warm forests below the Great Mountains, slept deeply that night. The sun would rise to find them preparing their fields for more planting. The weather here near the capital gave them two cycles of planting before the winters came. The first harvest had all been brought in and had been a great deal better than the priests had predicted. The smallfolk believed that the boy king, as he had been called, had made the Titan quite pleased, and had blessed them with more food than normal. King Coty was clearly favored by the God. He was the bridge, the son of the Vandian King and the Santorii Queen. He was the first Astirian.
The people would awaken to a shock that night though.
Niles Alder, the castle physician, was tired, having been woken up not much after he had retired for the night. A rider had arrived, bearing news that the king, young and strong when he left, had fallen ill and was in desperate need of help. The head steward, young man by the name of Orson, had come up to the suite he shared with his wife Hessah. He answered the door to find the man leaning up against the door frame sweating.
"Orson, you look as though you've been chased by a shadow cat."
"Come...now...there's been...an accident." He was panting, having run up the stairs from the yard below. A look of utter shock and fear filled his eyes. This struck Niles, Orson was not a man given to panic.
"What do you mean? What happened?" Niles placed a hand on his friend's shoulder
"Come...we must be ready."
Turning, Niles looked at Hessah. His wife had a exhausted look on her face. The child she carried was draining her energy, and Niles knew she would be asleep before too long. "Sleep, my love. You must get rest to make our son strong," he said with a smile. Every man hopes for a son first to be his heir, even if all the baby would inherit from Niles is a famous name and a long shot bid on the great Alder family seat up in the mountains. He walked over and put his arms around his wife and kissed her gently on the lips.
"You're so sure it's a boy. What if it's a girl? Will you dote on her the way you would a boy?"
"Of course I will." It didn't matter what it was, boy or girl, Niles would be happy no matter. "She'll look like her mother," he said with a smile, "and I'll fall in love with her too." With a final squeeze, Niles followed Orson out the door.
To the steward leading him Niles asked "What happened? Is Jarle ill?" The old Chancellor had a knack for falling ill at the least convienent times. He had accompanied the King into the field on an Aurochs hunt along with the commander of the guards.
"No, it is not Lord Jarlebank, it's worse."
Arriving at the end of the dimly lit corridor, Orson turned left and entered a door. They took the outer stairs, moving quickly as to be ready whenever the King arrived. The dark stone staircase dove down, past torches set into sconces above their heads. Their heels clicked on the stone steps. Orson went down at a breakneck pace, so fast Niles was afraid he may fall and tumble down to the bottom. The steps were slippery from dew that had formed on the stone. He didn't though, and the steward and the physician reached the door that lead out into the castle common yard.
Reaching the yard, there were only a handful of people waiting. But those waiting were very important. He saw the head of the King's Council, the tribune of the people, the commander of ships, even the Titan's Priest. With this many important men waiting in the cool breeze of the midnight moon, only one person could be in trouble. Now would be the most important time of the young man's life.
Through the first ten odd years of Nile's life, not much had been expected of him. The third son of a Lord was more like to be a knight than serve any official purpose. Instead of training him for war, his father sent Niles off to Pearl Haven to study sciences with an old Kalamese man who had taken up residence in the city. Known for their healing arts, the Kalamese were much better at caring for the sick and injured. Nile's father hoped his son would stay and study under the master and one day begin training other Astirian men in the treatment of the ill. So far all was going to plan. Niles had even managed to work his way into the castle, treating his childhood friend Coty when he ascended to the kingship.


Tonight his skills would be put to the test. And not only his career, but his life, and the life of his bride and their unborn too.


He didn't need to ask Orson who was coming back to the castle on his back. The people awaiting the wounded told volumes about who it was. Niles looked to Orson and said "how bad is it?"
Orson shook his head and replied "very bad, if the rider is to be believed. Blood from the mouth and ears. Longview sleep."
That was very bad. If his brain had ceased to work, then his body would be not far behind. Niles knew there would be very little he could do to help him if it was as he was told. The best case scenario was if he passed to the other side before he reached the castle. Niles knew what he needed to do. "Orson," he said. The steward turned to him. "I need a clean room, with a table we can lay him on."
"That will be done," the steward said and started to leave. Niles stopped him.
"I'm not done. Clean room, lots and lots of light. See if the pyromancers can bring us some oil to make white light."
"Yes."
"Send a runner to my chambers. Collect the large codex on the shelf and my bag from the work table."
"Yes, I will do that."
"Have you told Asa yet?" The queen, Asa the Fair, would want to be with her husband. Orson looked rattled by this.
"I have not. I thought you would want to see him first."
"Think twice, this may be the king's final hours, his lady deserves to be by his side. If I were to wager," Niles looked to the horizon, "or king won't live to see the sunrise." It was still black along the flat line of the ocean, as black as the pitch the shipwrights smeared on the hulls of the newly built boats. "Go now, do these things. What room will we use?"
"The small dining hall is open."
Niles thought for a second, the responded "Yes, that will work well. Go, fetch those things and the queen. We cannot waste time."
Orson walked off quickly across the yard. Nile watched him go for a second then began walking towards the royal apartment section. In here was the small dining hall. It was used by the royals when a large state dinner was not needed and no one required entertainment. He made his way past the assembled men, catching the eye of Verandus. Verandus was the Peoples Tribune, representing the commonfolk in matters of discussion with the king. What wasn't discussed, by the commoners however, was Verandus' opulent lifestyle and how rarely did he do the people's business. He was a social climber, and a damn good one at that. Verandus came up beside Niles and walked with him in silence for a second. Finally Niles broke the air and said, "You honour me with your prescence, Tribune. Are you ill?" Niles knew the answer to that already.
"Just sick. Sick, I say. Ravenously ill...with worry for our beloved king. How do you think we will find him?" The man was a leech, and was want to attach itself to anyone who could provide him with information. Niles didn't slow or waver in his pace or direction.
Suddenly he stopped, causing the Tribune to stumble. "How will we find him? With our eyes, dear Verandus. Thats how we will know he is here." He clapped the man on the shoulder, probably harder than he needed to. Then he set back off, without his shadow behind him this time.
Ten minutes passed and the small room was abuzz with preparation. This was by far the largest affair Niles had ever tried to assemble. Hessah was the master planner of the family. She was placed in charge of the servants at state dinners. Niles rarely had to coordinate anything, let alone prepare to examine a dying king. The pyromancers had assembled a large lamp fueled by whale oil to light the room from over head. Orson had arrived with the codex, the master copy of a Kalamese anatomy book, and his bag of instruments. There was a horn blast outside, and the steward raced to the main gate to accompany the king in. All work ceased on the room and all the lowborn servants exited, leaving Niles alone. He could hear the crackle of the oil lamp and the hushed voices of the men outside. Shortly the doors to the room opened and there, laying on his back being born in by several servants was King Coty. Trail behind in the macabre parade were the men from the yard, and the King's hunting companions. The young royal looked in bad shape. His skin was pale and he had much blood on him. Niles went right to work.
"What happened," he asked.
The first to speak up was Jarlebank, the chancellor. "We were on the hunt, as you know, and his chariot was charged by an aurochs. He tumbled to the ground..."
"He was struck in the back of the head by a rock," interrupted Tarasios Ebol. He was the King's bodyguard. He said it with so little inflection that it seemed to have no effect on him.
Jarlebank continued "Yes...yes, that's right. He fell on a rock as he hit the ground. Terrible tragedy. Poor Asa. She'll be heartbroken."
The King and Queen were young and in love. They were inseperable, often seen at functions holding hands and stealing time for each other. They had been betrothed since they were small, and had been married in a lavish affair several years back.The only sadness they knew were the two stillbirths Asa had experienced. Many of the King's advisors tried to convince him to set her aside, find a woman who could bear him an heir. Coty would have none of that idea, and had remained married to his sweetheart. It seemed that the King would leave no heir.
Niles looked around the young monarch's head. It was swollen and bleeding at the back, just like the men had said. The blow was severe, and may have damaged his spine. Niles moved his examination down the body and with the tip of a small dagger poked the king's fingers. There was no response. Niles pried open his eyes and looked at them. They were red and bloodshot. He used a cool wet rag to wipe the blood from his face. He had been a friend to Niles as a child, when they were both members of allied houses. As they grew older, they grew apart as young men are known to do. The paths of their lives had gone in different directions. Coty had been an excellent king, but Niles was all but certain now of the fate that had been assigned to him.
The other men talked in excited voices. Niles heard Jarlebank Catelli start to admonish something Tarasios had said quietly. The men could not agree, and by the time Nile had finished cleaning the King's face, old Jarle walked out. He was saying "No, not now, not ever." Niles gave a funny look his way and turned back to the men standing behind him.
"What happened to the Old Man?"
Tarasios replied "Iago and I were asking about the line of..."
Niles interrupted "The King is not dead. At least not yet. Let his body turn cold for the final time before you begin trying to section up his kingdom. Tarasios stared at him for a long, hard second. Niles realized he had overstepped his bounds. Tarasios was short tempered, and didn't accept the opinions of others well, particularly if that person was Niles. The Ebol family lived in the forests on the other side of the mountains. They were settlers of the frontier, and had to be a tough people. Their toughness bred a certain amount of animosity towards those who didn't have the roughneck lifestyle. They were a hearty and hard people. Tarasios was no exception.
Silence fell over the room when Queen Asa walked through the door. The men, except for Niles, all stopped and knelt down. She walked past them, her golden hair brushed and hanging in ringlets from under a modest wimple. As she passed the men she kept her eyes locked on her husband. Tears were visible in the corners of her eyes, but she held her composure. She was a strong woman, Niles thought. Hessah would not have held her emotions so well.When she approached the table, Niles moved to set down his instruments. She held up her hand, unencumbered by the rings and jewelry of royalty. She had a simple gold band on her heart finger. The event and the hour brought her into public when her facade of power was least in evidence. She was still a breathtaking woman. She always had been.
"Please don't let traditions get in the way of your job. Continue whilst we talk." He could smell the fragrance of wild blackberries from across the table. "What happened? Is he in pain?"
Niles looked at her, and was about to speak, but Tarasios cut him off. "My Queen, were hunting from chariots..."
"That man and his chariots," she said. She brushed her hand across his face.
Tarasios finished "He moved in the finish off an aurochs we had shot. It turned its head and hooked the cart with his horn."
"Quite right," interjected Jarlebank.
"Our Lord feel back and struck his head on some rocks. He hasn't awoken since," said Tarasios.
Niles added "He feels nothing right now, my lady. He sleeps deeply."
She nodded, blinking back tears. Her crystal blue eyes wore a pink cast from her crying. "Niles, will he awaken?"
Old Jarlebank spoke up, "Of course he will, My Queen. He is a man of strong faith, and by power of the Son of the Titan, he will slay He Who Is Not Named, win his soul's freedom and rise again!"
Niles just looked at the Chancellor. Niles had seen injuries like this before, mostly from training yard battles. He had yet to see someone rise again. Faith is a funny thing; it makes impossible things seem logical.
Niles just sighed and looked the Queen in her eyes. He had looked longingly into those eyes ages ago. They were still the same. They spoke without words. So he told her the truth. "I do not share honorable Jarlebank's optimism. From my experience..." He looked down to his friend. The swollen lump on the back of his neck told a sad story. "He'll be dead before the cock crows."
All the men looked from to her, waiting for her to cry out, or to weep. All they received was a single tear rolling down her round cheek. "Niles, are you saying to give up hope?" She asked. "Is it over?"
"My Queen, Asa," he said, "I will try, but to give you false hope would dishonor both of us."
She reached over and grasped his hands. She smiled and said "Then bless your hands with the power of the Gods, and do your best."
The old chancellor sneered and said "his hands reject the love of the Gods. Surely the capital has a physician trained in the light of the True Faith."
Asa turned to Jarlebank, her pale robes making almost no sound. She said "What better training can one have than that which Niles possesses? He has a true faith. He has faith in what he can do. And I for one, have faith," looking now at the healer, "in love and friendship. Niles cares for the King, that is a direct order."
"Then may the Gods protect him if he fails," said Tarasios
The bright lights the pyromancers had put together were growing dim shortly before sunrise as their fuel began to burn low. Niles was growing weary, but he had resolved to stay with the King until one of Jarlebank's priests could come and watch over the dying man. The priest wouldn't treat his wounds though, he would pray over the King, burn incense, and beg for his God to heal him.
The priest would be disappointed.
Niles would return to his apartment, and sleep for a short while, then return. If King Coty were still alive at that time, he'd need to address the King's Council. Someone would need to lead. He ran a hand across his short cropped hair. The brown strands were greasy from sweating. The lights made the room almost unbearably hot. He stood up and walked over to a cistern that was filled with water. Opening the lid, he lifted a small ladle out. He raised it to his lips and drank deeply, the water cold from the stones lining the well. It was refreshing and his nerves started to calm.
Niles returned to the King's side. Determined not to fall to sleep, he went over the injuries again, making notes in the blank pages in the codex. It may not save the King, but someone may need the knowledge in the future.
The Codex was a copy of the knowledge that the old Kalamese man, Winjim Kotar, had recorded over his life time. During the evenings when Niles was training, he learned to read, write, and translate the Kalamese language by copying this script. He had kept it since it's completion, and referred to it often. Some of the stories in the book, those poor souls that through illness found second life in script, were a collection of oddities that didn't sound real. Tales of blood drinking and the dead rising were probably allegories for strange illnesses that made for great reading just before bed.
Most of the stories were routine sickness. Watery noses, loose bowels, and youthful blemishes were chronicled among other maladies. Niles had read and reread the pages pertaining to broken necks, and the treatment was simple.
Wait for the patient to pass.
This was such a helpless feeling for Niles. A good man's light was about to extinguish, and he could do nothing to help him. Something wasn't right though. When he had first examined the King, he had noticed bloodshot eyes and an odd, vaguely sweet smell on King Coty's breath. Neither of those were consistent with a blow to the head.
Just then he heard a wheeze and a rattling sound from the table. Niles returned to the King's side. The King was mumbling between wheezes.
"Asa, Asa, the mead. They corrupted you."
Niles jumped up and began yelling for an attendant. The brown oak door creaked like an old knee when it was opened. Peering in was a young boy, no more than twelve. He was wide eyed, the yelling startling him.
"The Queen, " he yelled. "Get the Queen immediately."
Asa was alone when she raced in breathless. The nights were warm and she was in a fine blue silk shift, her hair standing out at odd angles. She must have been sleeping at this late hour. She walked quickly to the King 's side. "Niles, what has happened?"
"He spoke. I thought you would want to be here."
"He spoke? Truly?" Her excitement was palatable.
Niles knew that her hopes would be raised when reality was not in her favor. "I'm not sure what he meant, it was only slightly more than a whisper. But he asked for you before he quieted again."
The Queen smiled, and tears began streaming down her face. Cupping her face over her hands, she weeped, slumping to the floor. Reaching up, she took her husband's hand and leaned her head against it. Niles felt like an intruder in this most personal moment. He quietly moved toward the door. She wanted time, he thought.
When he reached the door he placed his hand on the black iron handle. He was beginning to pull when he heard in a weak voice "I am still Queen. I did not give you leave yet." She wiped tears from her eyes as she said this.
Niles replied "I apologize my queen. Would you like me to take leave? These are the final moments with your husband, and I wouldn't want to interfere." Niles had never been comfortable with crying women. No man really was.
She looked at him with pleading eyes, the white light that was dimming gave her face a ghostly cast. "No, I would have you stay. I don't want to be alone." She stood up and brushed herself off. She went to the window and opened the shutters. Niles joined her, and for a few moments they just looked at the darkness. The night sky to the east began to brighten. The little moon, Apophis, hovered above the six bright stars that made up Coronus, the Crown.
How odd, Niles thought, that the one called " The Dead Moon" was hanging over the Queen's Crown. The Priests of The Titan and Jarlebank would have noticed too.
"Asa, Asa, the mead. They corrupted you."
Now because of the King's few final words, Niles had nagging voices. The King seemed to be warning his wife that she was being mislead. But who? His old friend, his king, needed his help.
"He said," Niles started, " 'Asa, Asa, the mead. They corrupted you.'"
She looked at him with a face full of confusion. "What?"
"That's what he said. Does that mean anything to you?"
She sighed. "No. Those were his last words ?" She began to well with tears again.
"They were, My Queen." Niles looked down. He shouldn't have told her. "May I ask about you personally?"
"Niles, I am The Queen..."
"Apologies, Your Grace. It is none of my business."
She raised a hand to him, "...but I have also known you since we were small. My father was you father's banner man. We rode horses and I still count your sister as my friend. This crown.." She removed the simple grapevine diadem she wore now, "is worth the leaves it's made from. You can ask me anything."
"Was the King, was Coty, involved in anything that would have given him an enemy in his inner circle?"
The Temple of the Mountain was the second largest building in the capital. It's roof featured massive peaks meant to mimic the mountains west of the city. It was said that The Titan, the creator of man and sculptor of the world, lived among the rocky, snow capped peaks. The building also had the two largest bells in the whole kingdom. These had ceased ringing a few hours before Niles had arrived. The King had died as the physician had said, shortly before the cock sent his alarm. The sun would rise on the king-less Astirian people.
The yard outside the chapel was much busier than usual. The highborn Lords and Ladies had come to the morning service to offer prayers for their king, learn the latest gossip about the death, and to pray for those who were about to decide where the crown would land. That was also what Niles worried over.
Coty and Asa had not yet conceived. They had tried for several years. It was a sour point for both. He believed it was her not being able to quicken a child, and she thought he had just failed to plant the seed yet. Niles had offered advice where he could, but took great care to not offend the King. Coty was honest and loyal, but had a wrathful temper if he felt criticized. Asa had done wonders to calm him somewhat, but a King is a King, and he was not to be questioned. His motivations were his own, and his family had been anointed to wear the crown. They didn't need the guidance of those they thought of as " Beneath them ". As close a friend as he was, Niles fell into that category. So his failure to get his wife with child had led to much whispering around hearths and wells. King with no heir was a people with no future.
The question of ascendancy was on Niles mind when he greeted Hessah leaving the temple. She kissed him and ran her hand across his face lightly. That was her way of greeting him, a gesture he appreciated. It had been a long, hard night. His conversation with Queen Asa had unnerved him.
Hessah looked into his green eyes and said "I missed you last night. You look as though the weight of the whole kingdom is across your back. "
"I feel like it is," he responded. He took her hands and raised them to his lips. He kissed them as he often did.
"Perhaps now is the time to unburden yourself to the Titan." She looked at him with hopeful smile.
The Alder family had never been much involved in the faith. His father would uphold his lordly duties to the priests for the sake of the common folk, but Kevon Alder would never have described himself as faithful. His children all were raised by Titan priestess, visited shrines and holy places, and taught to respect the faith. Their father also taught them that faith is a powerful tool. It was one Niles left in the toolbox. "Perhaps tomorrow."
"Everyday is a tomorrow," said Hessah, "all I meant is that talking to someone may help." Hessah had an opposite reaction to faith. She was raised to live in the light of the Titan. She gently encouraged the faith on Niles, but had never pushed him. "Would a priest be of help now? Father Martin just gave a beautiful prayer for King Coty. He may still be around for you to unburden yourself on." They started walking away from the chapel. As they passed a flower box, he picked a small sunflower from the dirt and presented it to his wife. She smiled and took the token, tucking it neatly behind her ear.
"I fear he may not be terribly happy with me. I barred him from the King last night."
She stopped and turned to him. "You did what?" Her face was a mixture of fear and outrage. "Did they pray over him, offer him The Titan's Second Light?"
Niles held his hands up, try to calm her. "Once the time came, when I knew Coty wouldn't come back, I called them back in. Father Martin himself came in and read the prayer over him. He has been given his afterlife."
Hessah looked at him from the side of her eye as she turned to continue on to their apartment. "Playing games like that because of your lack of belief may cost you more than stern looks and uttered curses. You aren't, WE aren't, protected anymore."
"We have allies," Niles reminded her. "People have seen what I can do. And the Queen..."
Hessah shook her head. "The Queen may not be The Queen forever."
That was something that hadn't occured to him.
They walked back to their small apartment in silence. Both contemplated what this new world would hold for them. Hessah lay back on a lounge as Niles sat at the foot of the couch. He took her feet into his hands and began to rub them. Hessah had begun to swell slightly, the impending birth taking its toll on her body. Niles applied pressure to different spots on her foot to ease pain, and once she had begun to nap, he stood up and walked to the table. His personal affects had been brought back to the chamber when the servants had begun cleaning up the dining hall after the King's remains had been moved. Orson, the steward had been kind enough to go and fetch them lunch. Niles sat and ate a meal of fish, dusted in pepper and spices, some thick black bread, and some fruit called Titan Fingers. They were long and shaped like a bent finger, with a thick yellow outer skin that when peeled away left a soft, sweet inside. He washed it all down with a cup of mead, the crisp yellow beverage sweet from the honey.
He was reading through the notes from the night before. There he came upon the words uttered by the King before his death, and one stuck out to him; mead. Niles looked down at his cup, now close to the dregs. He pushed it away. What was Coty trying to tell him about the mead?
Niles nearly jumped out of his skin when a soft hand rested on his shoulder. He looked back and Hessah was there. She laughed at him. He had always been wound a little tight. She loved to scare him. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Like hell you are," was the response. He kissed her hand. "Let me ask you something. Who do you think has the most to gain from the King's death?" He stood and pulled the other chair out from the table, and moved it into place when Hessah had sat.
"The most to gain? One of his companions. Probably Tarasios Ebol. He's the type who may try to seize power. I don't know that he wants to tangle with Iago though. Why?"
"The last thing the King had said before he died was Asa, Asa, the mead. They corrupted you. Who would want to corrupt the Queen?"
"Every breathing man," Hessah said.
"Except one," Niles said. "Not that kind of corrupt though."
"Honey," she said after swallowing food, "She could very easily hold the key to the crown now."
"What do you mean?"
"She was The Queen, and she could remarry quickly. If she convinces the Faith that the man she marries is the one Coty deemed 'his heir'," she took a drink from a mug of water, "that man would be King. The only two people who can question that claim is you, and Jarlebank. This fish is delicious, but I can't finish it." She pushed her plate towards him. "You finish it. Have you spoken with Jarle today?"
Niles had not had a chance to think about all these things. Hessah had always been much more observant than he was. He ate quickly and knew the first person he had to make a call on today.