Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 70: Allegiance

1014 AF Seedmonth

Day 74

Outside the wind was blowing coldly and from the gaps of the window it brought itself into the room

The lively flames lick the wood prepared by the servants.

West dropped his letters into the roaring fireplace, letters that if found could send him to the gallows, marked as a traitor.

Letters from his family. He could see the gallows and the execution block if he was discovered with such letters.

There are letters from his father, his mother, his uncles and aunts, all which he fed to the flames.

The ink was licked away by the flames and turned to ash.

After hearing of his family's exile, West had tried in vain to get out of the Academy, but their rules were strict.

Only a Knight Brother could leave freely from the Academy.

He had tried to take quests but had been denied, the Knight Lords concerned he would take the chance to flee to his father.

So, West had remained locked within the castle grounds, receiving the letters from his family, who had taken refuge in Vern.

It was his mother Liana Stallford from House Stallford one of the prestigious noble house in the North, that recommended that his father to take refuge in Vern

Harald on the other hand, tries to keep him closer by his side in the Academy, no doubt working on the instruction of his father

Arago and Avil treats him like usual since they hail from Renasia. The matter of Alan is not their concern, they came to learn.

After months of restlessness he heard of the death of the Duke of Arouen, and with special permission Harald had left the Academy to attend the funeral.

A week later, the massacre known around the Dukedom as the Bloody Feast had occurred.

Fearing the Academy would be dragged into the war, the Knight Master sent the students home and closed the gates, and West returned to his father's side in the north.

He found his father in a war tent around Pontder, while they are still fighting against the Woodrath

Crack!

The sound made West broke from his concentration.

West watched the last traces of his letters crackle in the fire. Behind the flames on the fireplace's wall, a coat of arms flickered: a dragon, the arms of the Vermont's. West remembered what his father had said to him.

As he looks at the fire it was like he was transported back to that cold day

He entered the war tent to meet his father

"Son" he said joy in his face as his father greeted him and hug him tightly

"Father, what happen?"

He looked cautious and looking left and right before he whispers to West

"Let us speak in a place more private" he urged

West then walk together to his father tent, a large tent fit for a King, with all the basic necessities supplied, and I sit down in one of the chairs.

His father urged him to drink first, fearing that he would be thirsty. The servants immediately serve the water.

Gulping it all in almost a second, his father gestured to the servants to leave them alone. Whatever he wanted to say West know it must be something very important.

A solemn and tense atmosphere filled the tent

Servants excused themselves, bowing all the way out.

His father once again looked left and right before closing his tent, the wind still blows coldly into it despite the fire pit in the middle of the tent. With a conspiratorial look, his father looks at him.

Then his father told all that happens and why and how and what had happened and what will happen.

He then said

"Son, I have no other choice but to follow Lord Alderam."

"But why?" West asked.

"He is the Duke's son, and though they exiled us we are still sworn to the House of Alan," his father sighed.

"But I thought the Duke had chosen his youngest son to succeed him? Isn't that the real King we Palais has to serve"

West had asked at that time. He also knows of duty but he also knows of loyalty.

"Indeed, he did, but it is not the second son who holds our relatives in prison. He threatened me, what should I have done? Let him kill our family? Duty above all I said. Yet, I am of flesh and are not made of iron. I could not let him put the steel on our family. Alderam had my family in his hand. What choice do I have, son?"

"I will fight for you, father," West said, clutching his sword confidently.

"No! No, you must not. West, listen to me," his father grabbed West's hands and stared into his eyes. "You must go and swear your loyalty to the King."

"Father," said West, puzzled, "I'm no traitor. If I swear my oath, I will keep it."

"And that is exactly what I expect of you," his father replied with a bitter smile. "Go and swear your loyalty to the King. Keep your oath. It is essential. If Lord Alderam loses the war, you can persuade the King to spare our family. He will not reject you, not with our family's influence here in the north."

"But what if Alderam wins, father?"

"If Lord Alderam wins, I will ask him to spare you, reminding him of the power I helped him gain. Either way, our house will prevail."

West was clearly struggling to accept this plan.

He is honorable, virtuous, loyal and devoted and take his oath seriously but that does not mean he is some kind of idiot.

He is after all the son of Henry Palais, one of the High Lords of the Dukedom.

He knows how politic is done and he is thinking about this matter deeply.

Thinking about the suggestion of his father, he knew it was the only way their family could be spared.

And this does not break his oath. Both of them need to be devotedly loyal to their liege. His father to Alderam and him to Adrian.

Either way, that is their only chance to survive this turbulent period of war. The North and South is fighting and even now they are killing each other.

"Alright father, if you're sure," West nodded. Henry smiled weakly.

"Ride to the south tomorrow," he said, releasing West's hands. "Give the King your oath. The sooner the better."

He then releases his hand from West shoulders reluctantly like he doesn't want to let him go

He sighed. His father then gestured for him to leave. West was walking out of the tent. Then before he is leaving his father called him

He turns back and it seems there is still something that bother his father. He then hesitated before finally saying

"Son, in this time of war, from the very beginning, so many noble Houses has fallen, while new House sprouts like Nalira mushroom after rain.' He sighed and then he said

'The Bloody Feast" he muttered.

"The Bloody Feast" West reply

Then closing his eyes like he was tried his father said

"We also have relatives that died in the Feast, you know? The young Duke action.is not graceful" he said while shaking his head

West have nothing to say to that. There is a bit of silence between them before the wind blows again and then henry asked his son

"Who do you think would win this war, son?" West side and then said

"Honestly I don't know." He said honestly and Henry chuckles dryly

His father smiles bitterly as he said

"Lord Alderam has a strong army, a lot of experience and with some secret backing from some faction in other Kingdoms that do not want to see our Kingdom or Dukedom, whichever term you prefer these days, be united under one rule. He also has the backing of the House of Ancona, an illustrious family in Dostov who wanted their son in Law, to be the sole authority in Alan. And they are not shy to give Lord Alderam troops.'

And then his father sighs againlonger this timeand heavier. Then he continues.

'But Lord Adrian has a dragon behind him'

And saying it West could see his father has a bitter smile. The Palais had a very hostile relationship with the Vermont.

'The Vermont is a noble family so powerful that they exiled us without even using one single soldier, their family is loved by the common folk, and they have wealth beyond that even of our House and some say they have so much gold, that if we combine all the gold in the North it will still not rivaled the gold that the Vermont had in their Treasury. With traders all coming there, we have stop their trade to the North which also stop their trade to Vern but they still generate a lot of income from their trade with other continent, Vorthy, Ariundus, Asteros, and the other Kingdom of the South and West, notably Zettel and Renasia."

He sighed again, this time deep and hard. It was like he realizes something from his word as he chuckles dryly.

"Father?"

"It's nothing. Go"

And he returned back to the present.

West had obeyed the orders of his father, and there he stood in a guest room at the Vermont's Roaring Dragon castle, burning the letters. Written words turned to ash.

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