Kastali Dun

Mikkin shared a furtive glance with Jamie. A sheen of sweat covered the lad's forehead. "Relax," he muttered under his breath. "If they were going to figure it out, they would have by now."

Jamie blew out a breath, shifting to get comfortable on the long bench they shared with a number of other patrons. Nobility, mostly. The great hall was surprisingly full. Kane wanted to play king, and he couldn't do that with an empty castle.

Mikkin spotted plenty of familiar faces. Everyone here had sworn oaths of fealty to their new ruler. Not that they'd been given a choice. It was that, or death. He and Jamie were the only importers in the room. But if their tablemates recalled their absence during the oath ceremony, they didn't comment on it.

He adjusted his sleeve before taking a sip of water.

The mood in the great hall was dismal, at best. Patrons kept their voices low, if they spoke at all. It didn't stop the gossip from spreading through whispers.

"...the line was out the door," the man beside him was saying. "At least a hundred. All for the same complaint."

"But surely they aren't all missing," said the woman beside him.

Mikkin cleared his throat, keeping his voice low. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, you haven't heard?" The man beside him looked him over, but there wasn't any suspicion in his gaze. That didn't mean he could be trusted. Any one of these people could turn him over to Kane for a bit of favor. Just because they didn't like their new king, didn't mean they wouldn't lick his boots.

"Apparently, this morning, every single wheel in the city went missing."

His forehead furrowed. "You mean, like..."

"Wagon wheels, cart wheels, carriage wheels, you name it. Lord Murry—you know Lord Murry, don't you?"

"I know Lord Murry," Mikkin said. He sat on the lower council.

"Right. Well, Lord Murry had a standing appointment with the merchant guild. His Majesty put him in charge of drafting up their new charters. Anyway, he went to leave his town house, come to find out, his carriage was out of commission. All the wheels—gone."

Mikkin lifted his brows, feigning shock. A few missing wheels didn't sound all that worrisome. But, since his tablemate expected outrage...

"Come to find out, wasn't just him," the man whisper-hissed. "It was everyone else, too. No one can travel in or out of the city unless they're on foot, or on horseback. None of the market wares could be carted to the market. Had to close the whole thing down."

"That's unfortunate." He rubbed his jaw, contemplating. It seemed an odd occurrence. That it should be city wide screamed of mischief.

"Didn't hurt the bigger merchants any," the man continued. "They've got shop fronts so they don't rely on carting their goods about. But everyone else suffered."

"You think it was the rebellion?" Jamie asked, leaning around to whisper his question.

The man's face paled. "Sure hope not. No one knows for certain, though, do they? Only rumors. Anyway, everyone that lost a wheel came to lodge a formal thievery complaint with the steward. They all want compensation. Don't think a single one of them will get so much as a steely—"

Silence fell.

Mikkin looked up in time to see their new king silhouetted in the hall's doorway. He suppressed a shudder. The entire room came to its feet. He ground his teeth together and did the same.

His entire purpose of being here was to spy. He and Jamie were dressed in fine clothes, pretending to be cousins of Lord Glover. Lord Glover was the only member on the lower council privy to this entire charade. He knew a group of them had gotten away. That they were now in hiding. Though, he didn't know where. Having people on the inside allowed them to come and go more easily within the keep, without attracting attention.

Kane surveyed his court, red eyes tracing over faces. Mikkin's left hand clenched into a fist. Beside him, Jame shifted, keeping his eyes downcast.

He could almost feel Kane looking at him. Would the sorcerer recognize him? Months ago, he'd been a prisoner in Shadowkeep. He looked different now. He'd shaved and trimmed his hair. He was no longer covered in grime. Besides, fine clothing went a long way to transform a person.

The room seemed to exhale when Kane strode to the head table. It was empty, of course, save for a single place setting. Hey eyed Kane's attire. The breastplate was firmly in place. Four out of five stone slots were filled. Given that Kane's left hand was fisted, he assumed the fifth dragonstone was with him.

Only when Kane rounded the table and took his seat, did the rest of the hall follow suit. A few minutes later, side doors opened and servants swept in. The silence was stifling.

Normally, this would be a happy time. A time for idle chit-chat. Stories swapped. Drinks filled to overflowing.

Instead, a cloud of fear pressed in around them, suffocating the life out of the hall.

Platters of food were carefully deposited. He reached for the one nearest him, then paused. Others were likewise glancing around in confusion. He hadn't noticed anything amiss at first. But now—

A chair scraped. Worried gasps filled the hall. Kane surged to his feet, forcing every patron to stand up again. "You there!" Kane barked, pointing at a fleeing servant. The servant froze. An older man, with a neatly trimmed beard.

"Yes, Your—Your Majesty."

"Where are all the serving spoons? Where is all the cutlery?!"

"I...forgive me, Your Majesty, but...there isn't any."

Even from the far side of the hall, Mikkin noticed the way Kane's jaw twitched with irritation. "What do you mean, there isn't any?"

The entire hall seemed to hold its breath. Everywhere he looked, wide eyes stared in shock, waiting for Kane to order the servant's death, or better yet, kill the man himself.

"This...this evening, we..." The servant fell to his knees, prostrating himself on the floor. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. We looked, but it's all gone. It disappeared this afternoon. We checked everywhere. Even...even the storage rooms."

The silence stretched on. Then, "Bring me the head woman."

Mikkin's heart stuttered. Tess. Was she the one behind this? Surely not.

"What's going on?!" Jamie whisper-hissed.

"If I knew, lad, I'd tell you."

"Is this some kind of...of prank?!" Jamie wondered."Who would do such a thing?!"

"Again," Mikkin said, "if I knew, I'd tell you."

The servant scurried from the room, bowing every few steps, like that might save him. Kane remained standing, everyone did. It made it harder to see around the heads. He was taller than most, so he had a clearer view. Some people pressed up onto their toes to see better.

Tess strode into the hall, her kirtle billowing, head held high. Mikkin swallowed the acid lifting in his throat. His people needed her, relied on her for supplies down in the caves. He braced himself, knowing that he might be forced to witness her death.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" She gave a grand bow.

"What is the meaning of this?! Where is all the cutlery?"

"It is as Seth said, Your Majesty. This evening, we discovered it missing—"

"I should kill you where you stand!" Kane seethed. "If you discovered it missing, then why have you served dinner? How are we to eat, if we cannot—?"

"You informed me just last week, that if meals are not served on time, you'd have my head. I am only following orders, Your Majesty."

Mikkin's lips parted. He half expected Tess's head to roll here and now, for the way she'd spoken to Kane. That woman must have had a death wish. Admiration welled in his chest. She had courage in spades.

"This should have been brought to my attention. Immediately."

"I apologize, Your Majesty." Tess gave a bow. "You are right. In the future, when things of this nature happen, I will be sure to inform you."

Kane's lips curled with fury, baring his teeth. Mikkin's eyes darted towards the nearest servant's entrance. It wasn't far. Perhaps he could get Jamie out...

"I assume you are looking for the culprit?"

"Of course. I plan to interview every single servant in the keep, until they are found."

"Good. I want them found and brought to me. In the mean time, everyone may starve. No one eats until punishment is meted. Have dinner delivered to my quarters."

"Your...Your Majesty. You cannot—"

"I can! If my subjects think such behavior is funny, then everyone will suffer the consequences. Shut the cookery down. No one eats. Not in their rooms, not in the hall. Nowhere. Perhaps that will motivate our miscreant to come forward."

"What of all this food, Your Majesty." Tess waved towards the overflowing platters covering the tables.

"Throw it out. Feed it to the pigs. I don't care. No one in this keep gets so much as a bite—" Kane's eyes darted to one of the courtiers near the head table. The young man held a bread roll in his hand, and had just taken a covert bite. He stopped mid-chew, then quickly swallowed, throat bobbing.

"Guards," Kane shouted. Several guards stepped from the shadows. They wore Oshean livery. It seemed Kane didn't trust any of the old castle guards. "Bring that man to me."

The man flung the roll on the table, then took a quick step back. It was too late. The guards advanced on him. He turned on his heel and began to run down the aisle. Two more guards stepped forward near the main door. They grabbed the young man and dragged him towards the head table. His body was entirely supported as his feet dragged over each of the steps.

He began sobbing, babbling apologies.

"All of you. Sit. Witness what happens when you disobey my orders."

The entire room sat as one.

Kane remained standing. He muttered something, a cantrip, and the man's discarded roll soared through the air. It landed in Kane's free hand. The guards pushed the man to his knees. His body shook.

"Since you were so hungry. Here. Eat." Kane shoved the roll in the man's mouth, down his throat. He began to choke, struggling, pulling against the guards' hold.

"Look away, lad," Mikkin said into Jamie's ear.

Jamie was pale, shaking with anger. "I'm not a child."

"Yes, but you don't have to watch this."

"I imagine I'll see worse before this is all over."

The man on the dais continued to choke. Mikkin couldn't see his face, thank the gods, because he was facing Kane. His body thrashed, but the guards held tight. Eventually, he fell still. The guards released him and his body crumpled to the ground. He lay, unmoving. Dead by suffocation.

Kane nudged the body with his foot, pushing it until it rolled face up, eyes wide with shock, staring unseeing at the ceiling above. Mikkin swallowed back the acid rising in his throat.

Kane surveyed everyone. "Anyone else care to test my patience? No? Good. If I discover anyone flouting my decree, you will suffer the same fate."

Kane turned to Tess. "No one eats," he reiterated.

Her face was pale. "As you command, Your Majesty."

"Good. Clean this up." He waved a hand at the hall.

Tess backed away, then spoke to one of the servants lurking in the shadows. Moments later, servants rushed in, carrying away the fragrant platters of food. The guards lifted the dead body and dragged it from the room.

Mikkin was no longer hungry.

"I'll never look at bread the same," Jamie whispered under his breath, clutching his stomach.

Kane waited until everything was cleared away, until the body was gone, then strode from the hall. The rest of them stayed seated in silence for a long time after that.

💕❤️💕Don't forget to heart this chapter!❤️💕❤️

Hi Bookdragons!

Happy Bonus Chapter Day! Not that it was a very cheery bonus chapter. But, hey, better than nothing. 

Friday's chapter will be from Koldis's POV. I'll see you then.

--Mel