Tale of Four

Lord Deacon shook, unsure of the insanity he was hearing. For a moment it felt as if the old lord would back down and comply as he always did, but lifitng his head, a sharp glare looked toward Elias, one built from decades of service, unafraid of the Prince before him, having already served two kings. ”Are you a blind fool?”

”Excuse me?” Elias said, shocked that the old man could bring forth such power in his voice.

”I am running this kingdom for you. I am balancing on a tightrope, trying to maintain order and stability without pushing the relam into debt we can never recover from, and you now dare to tell me that you are going to destroy the power of the church. Forget if there was a war; how stupid can one be?” Lord Deacon didn’t wait for Elias to respond and turned to Elder Maxwell, ”Did war make you believe that it was the Magi’s chance to claw some power? The ever-neutral Mad House suddenly has a vested interest in religion. What is it? Revenge for a time when you were burnt as witches, or just a pathetic excuse to fulfil political ambition that you have no right to ever reach for.”

”Lord Deacon. You will watch your tone.” Elias said with a cold tone. The old man spun to him and scoffed.

”I take orders from the King, not a child. You are no king. Putting your own blood to the sword, forcing marriage, condemning her to be raped on her wedding day. It is no wonder you wish to destroy the faith, Prince Regent. You are a godless kinslayer who renounces every one of our Lord’s teachings.” Elias froze at the brazen insult. Silence fell upon the throne room, no one daring to make a sound, wondering how Lord Deacon could say the unspeakable. The old chancellor linked his hands behind his back. ”Behead me or remove me from my position. I am old and the best years of my life are gone. I do not fear whatever you may do. But until then, I will continue to run your kingdom and make sure it doesn’t collapse under the flippant whims of a child. For that is my duty ordered by the King.”

Without permission to leave, Lord Deacon waddled off, slowly walking the long hall. No one spoke, not even Elias, all stunned by the old Chancellor’s words. As the double doors slammed, Elias looked around. ”Everyone out.” He said with a slow tone. Quickly, the room vacated, and just when he thought to follow tristan stopped and turned back to look at Elias, coldly watching atop the throne.

Tristan didn’t understand why he turned back around, nor what compelled him to confront the man. ”Return, Annabell.” Not wishing to experience what Mabel did, he undid the summoning and looked up at Elias. An anger burnt in his heart, thinking of Mabel’s cries, thinking of Elias’s destructive policies. Everything about Elias was just wrong. A part of him wanted to blame his summon, but it was no longer a good enough excuse to blame. To hate him and others was acceptable, but his own sister was too far.

”I told you to go,” Elias said and rose. Climbing down the steps, he smirked at the challenge before him, yet his gaze was full of arrogance, as if seeing Tristan like an animal lashing out.

”What is wrong with you? Your sister loves you more than anyone in this world, and you betray her like that.” His anger grew, saying the words aloud, and even when he tried not to think, he did; Tristan clearly could tell he hated the man before him. Never had Elias treated him well, and it had reached a point where he didn’t even feel like bothering to keep up a front of humility and submission. Death was an outcome of what he did, but it didn’t matter anymore. He just wanted to confront the man.

”I heard my sister had spent private time with you.” Elias stepped close, only arm’s length away from Tristan. ”What is it? Do you love her? Are you jealous I didn’t order her to marry you? Or do you hope that being some heroic self-righteous bastard will change my mind?”

”Do you listen to yourself anymore? No, I’m sure you do; after all, you’re a person who can’t even stand the thought of sharing yourself and getting married.” Tristan dryly chuckled. ”Everything you claim is for the realm, that you must take the hard choices. Answer this. What hard choice have you made?”

”Did I not just make one?” Tristan let out a laugh of disbelief.

”Lord Deacon put it so perfectly. Is forcing your sister to be raped on her wedding day really a hard choice for you or her?” Elias looked down in shame for a second. It was so quick that Tristan thought he may have been mistaken, but when he met his gaze again, the same arrogant look returned.

”Do you think I enjoy what I just did? She is a princess. What other reason do they exist but to get married and secure an alliance? Better yet, why do you even care? Should I marry you off next?”

”You’re incapable of thinking about anyone but yourself.” Tristan replied, ”The mere idea of another in your mind has been so clouded.” Tristan paused and smirked to himself, ”Were William’s words sweet in your ear? Worshipped like a God.” Elias’ eyes widened. ”God King Elias. Our perfect God. Our merciful God who kills his cousin and treats his sister like a whore.” Elias’ hand shot out in response to the mocking tone, wrapping around Tristan’s neck. Tristan reached up and tried to pull it off, but struggled, not realising how strong he was.

”Tristan.” Elias’ eyes narrowed. ”I killed one cousin. I may regret I did, but I did.” His hold tightened, making it so Tristan could no longer breathe. ”What is another?” Desperately gasping for air, Tristan dug his finger under Elias’ own and was finally able to get some air.

”What... a.... benevolent... god.” Tristan mocked. His voice shook in fear at being so close to death, but meeting Elias’ gaze, he knew saying such a thing would have a greater effect than pleading for forgiveness ever would. ”Your mother.” Tristan forced the words out, and Elias’s grip loosened. ”Did you tell her?”

His lip twitched, and letting go of Tristan, Elias stepped back and turned around, pacing back and forth. ”You will never speak of my mother.”

”You didn’t tell her.”

”She was the one who had desperately wished for Mabel to be a normal girl.” Elias snapped back, ”Tell me, am I so cruel? How is what I did any different to what grandfather did to Mary? How is it any different to every Lord in this Kingdom?”

”You don’t even see how your actions are heinous. The one person who believed there was any worth in you, the one person who loved you beyond your title. You betrayed her in a way you can never understand, becuase you can’t understand others. Everything about you is so pathetic. You think Vincent is a vain individual, and he is, but look at yourself. Thinking what you did to Mabel is a slight on yourself. Thinking that if you remove the church, you can be worshipped as a God instead. Tell me, Elias, is it worth it? Will you be happy alone on a chair, no children, no family, just you and a self-deluded belief that you are superior to others?”

”A king does not need that, Tristan,” Elias smirked. ”I expect nothing less from an orphan. So desperate to cling to family to fill a void in your heart. A king makes the hard choices. A king doesn’t beg for love, he dosen’t need. Men fall before their betters, and if they don’t, you force them down.”

”A king knows when to help their enemies to their feet, so others will be more willing to kneel when the time comes.” Tristan snapped back, ”A king makes the hard choice not to stroke his ego, but becuase he alone bears the responsibility.” Tristan took a step towards Elias. ”A king understands that loyalty, true loyalty, is rare and that you don’t sell it off to be used for a pathetic alliance with a bastard child.” Elias ground his teeth.

Tristan took a deep breath and looked Elias deep in his eyes, wishing to hammer home what he had just done. ”Tell me. When Mabel arrives in the Doyle land. When she is put on the altar in her pretty dress and made to say her vows surrounded by your guards. When it is torn from her body during the bedding ceremony and her body revealed to every man present. When she is held down and raped by her husband. When she is forced to carry the child of a man she hates, knowing it was her brother who caused it. When all this happens, and the Clovers still support Brandon, will you say to me that you made the tough choice and that you are the victim in all this?”

Elias closed his eyes, clenching his fists. ”Or, when she plunges a knife through her heart, to escape a fate imposed on her, will you once again cry that you’re the victim?” Seeing Elias say nothing, Tristan scoffed, ”So pathetic.” Placing his hand on his chest, Tristan’s face broke into his usual humble smile. ”I wish you good health, dear Prince Regent.”