Chapter 5 - THE SEEDS OF REBELLION
While the army at the Sunken Citadel began its preparations, back in Oakenvale, paranoia had completely consumed King Aldric.
Inside the grand throne room, the king paced back and forth, his face pale and sunken, dark circles shadowing his eyes. The gold crown sat heavily on his head, but his reign felt more fragile than ever.
“Have the Iron Hounds reported back?” Aldric snapped at Lord Vane, who was now serving as the Commander of the Royal Guard.
“No, Your Majesty,” Vane replied smoothly, his hands folded neatly behind his back. “Captain Gregory’s unit vanished in the Whispering Pass. Search parties found only shattered armor and scorched snow.”
Aldric slammed his fist into the armrest of his obsidian throne. “She was a helpless girl! A court maiden with no military training! How is she slaughtering my best mercenaries?”
“Because she is no longer just a girl, Sire,” Vane said coldly. “The people are talking. The tavern songs are changing. They are calling her the Dragon Mother. The commoners believe the gods punished you by turning your heir into a divine beast.”
“It is a demon!” Aldric roared, his voice bouncing off the high stone arches. “A curse on my bloodline!”
“The noble houses do not see it that way,” Vane continued, unfazed by the outburst. “House Barren and House Ravenhold have withheld their annual tax payments. They demand to see the body of the queen before they commit their knights to your winter campaign.”
Aldric gripped his sword hilt. “Assemble the council. Double the guards on the city walls. Anyone caught speaking the queen’s name will be hanged for treason!”
“And what of the subterranean vault, my liege?” Vane asked softly. “The miners report that the ancient seals beneath the castle are cracking. The energy powering our siege engines is becoming unstable.”
“Tell them to dig deeper!” Aldric ordered madly. “Drain whatever power remains in that pit! I will burn the entire kingdom to ash before I let Elara step foot in this castle again!”
Unbeknownst to the king, Vane exited the throne room and walked deep into the servant quarters beneath the kitchens. He entered a tiny, windowless room where a young maid was quietly lighting candles.
Vane took a small black feather from his cloak and handed it to the girl.
“Deliver this to the resistance network in the outer slums,” Vane whispered. “Tell the Dragon Mother that the king is unraveling. The eastern gate will be unlocked on the night of the winter solstice.”
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The maid nodded, concealing the feather inside her apron, and slipped out into the cold night.
The seeds of rebellion had taken root inside the very walls Aldric thought protected him. The tyrant was digging his own grave, and the countdown to his downfall had officially begun.
