Chapter Five: The Consequence
Ralon was woken by the loud thumping on his door. Panicking, he quickly put on his shoes, and reached for his iron sword. His knowledge would not save him now, and although he knew his swordplay was worse, he knew it would give him a better chance of survival.
He assumed his stance just when the door broke off its hinges and several guards instantly rushed into his room.
“What is the meaning of this!?” He shouted at them.
“Steward’s orders, my Thane. You must come to the hall with us, or else.” The guard stated roughly.
Ralon knew something was wrong. However, he sheathed his sword and followed the guards out of his room, and towards the hall. There, he saw his brother already waiting with an impatient face. However there were no guards around him. He was staring at him with mixed feelings of hate and doubt burning in his eyes. As Ralon was brought to the middle of the hall, he was forced to one knee, and instantly, a sword was put to his neck.
At that point Ralon knew something was wrong. Very wrong. With his mind desperately searching for clues of what he had done that had caused this outcome, he shouted even more desperately at his brother.
“Talon! What is the meaning of this?”
But Talon made no reply, and merely stared at his brother with sad and furious eyes. After a few moments, he opened his mouth, but he was cut off by the steward.
“Your father… Jarl Fordolf of Sunhold was assassinated in his sleep last night.” He stated.
Ralon was frozen in disbelief. Was this some kind of bad birthday joke? His emotions were about to surface when his brilliant sense of instinct kicked in-fast.
“So… You’re blaming me? What’s the evidence?” He asked with a shaking voice.
This time, it was his brother who spoke.
“We found father’s will. It had some things….”
The steward then rolled out the parchment and read it in a loud voice.
“I, Jarl Fordolf the Executioner, Fordolf the Father, hereby grant my son Thane Talon all my position of Jarl.”
Ralon was surprised. Somehow, he knew that his brother would gain all the rights and the position of Jarl, but perhaps he did not want to believe it. Perhaps, he wanted a chance to prove to his father that he too, was capable of the position of Jarl, through the use of his talents, of persuasion and knowledge. However, the Jarl’s will did not end there.
“P.S:” continued Jothar.
“My dearest son, Talon. Beware of your brother. I fear that he would do harm to you and me after your coronation. Take extreme caution, and make sure your brother is no longer a threat. Although he is my son and your brother, I expect you to take extreme caution and if necessary, terminate him.”
Jothar then rolled up the parchment and threw it to Ralon. With trembling hands, Ralon picked up the parchment carefully and rolled the scroll out. His eyes franticly scanned the words over and over, but nothing changed.
“This… This has to be a fake. You know I would nevr do this! You know father would never write this!” Ralon looked at his brother desperately for help.
Talon said nothing and evaded his brother’s gaze, and it was the steward who spoke:
“Silence, traitor! Ralon Hawksbane, thane of Sunhold and son of Jarl Fordolf, I steward Jothar Neks, serving for the true Jarl hereby sentence you to death!”
“You, you can’t do this to me! You don’t even have the right to give out an execution! By what authority are you doing this!?”
“By the authority of the deceased Jarl, your father’s wrath and by the authority of the gods who will not tolerate this injustice I sentence you to death.”
“Talon! Please! I didn’t do it! You know this!!!”
Ralon was sweating now, and tears were forming in his eyes. He had never come close to death like this before, let alone by his own father’s steward, in his own home.
“Enough! Guards! Take him away to the execution!”
Ralon was hauled up from the ground by two muscular guards. At the door, the captain of the guards was waiting for him with the face of a lion. The captain’s warface had surfaced, and his blond hair and beard shook with power.
Ralon was going to die. And there was no escape.
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
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