Book 7/Chapter 5
To Kill a King
(Year 4, Month 5, Day 23)
Though he didn’t like it, Zeil lifted the tarp that was covering the corpse as he looked at the poor soul under it and spoke, “Neck wound… probably an instant death… I hope.”
As Zeil laid the tarp back over the body, Edelweiss who was standing next to him carrying a clipboard replied, “You don’t have to look if you don’t want to you know… we are only here to observe Grey’s activities. Identifying the soldier’s death is only an excuse I made up to be here.”
As they stood amongst the three rows of covered bodies, Zeil looked down the line towards the small field hospital as he saw Dr. Grey examining a patient who was still alive. After seeing the doctor doing his job, Zeil felt skeptic, “Are you sure he is the one causing this? He seems harmless enough, not to mention clueless about anything we may be doing.”
Edelweiss turned his head enough to see the Doctor out the corner of his eye as he replied, “Don’t be fooled, he is simply playing his roll… just as we are right now. He will stop it nothing to ensure the relic is activated on time, every time. So it is likely he will do anything to protect its hidden location.”
Acting casual, the two stepped to the next body as Zeil lifted the sheet, but didn’t look at the body as he spoke, “And do you have any idea where he’s hiding it?”
Edelweiss shook his head as he looked down at the clipboard and pretended to read something on it, “No… it’s about the size of a small melon so it could be anywhere.” He looked up the city’s perimeter wall that sat less than ten feet away, “All I know for curtain, is that it is somewhere within this city.”
As they continued to act like they were doing work, Zeil couldn’t help but look to the row across from the one they were on, as he saw something odd, in the perfect rows of covered bodies there was an empty space where a sheet was laid, but it was obvious that the body beneath it was removed. Not paying much mind to it, Zeil and Edelweiss stepped to the next body in their current row as Edelweiss spoke, “So, you mentioned something about learning magic… can you tell me what you’ve learned thus far?”
Zeil replied, “Well, mainly I’ve mastered potion making, and I’ve learned to identify perfect ingredients in doing so. Currently I’m trying to learn more about elemental magic. I’ve gotten simple elements down, such as ice, but I’m having difficulty with elements that aren’t solid. I know I will learn water magic… eventually, but fire has been difficult to learn.”
Edelweiss smiled as he nodded, “Fire magic is very difficult even I have a hard time controlling it. It is possible that it could be forever out of your reach.”
Zeil gave him an annoyed look, “That’s not very encouraging…”
Edelweiss continued, “Better to tell it like I see it and encourage you to try proving me wrong then to claim it to be easy and disappoint should you fail.”
Zeil thought to himself, “You have a point.”
At that moment the two could hear a faint conversation from the field hospital as Dr. Grey spoke to one of his nurses, “Can you take over here? I need to return to my clinic for supplies.”
As the nurse nodded, Dr. Grey proceeded to turn away from his assistant and leave the hospital as Edelweiss watched and spoke, “There… we need to follow him. It’s possible he is going to check on the relic.”
Zeil nodded as Edelweiss put the clipboard on the closest body, and led Zeil away from the row of corpses and followed the leaving doctor.
As the two followed their target through the busy streets, Zeil was somewhat surprised. Though the citizens were trapped and in danger of the surrounding enemy army, they were able to put it into the back of their minds as they trotted through the city doing their daily errands like nothing was amiss. With the crowded streets providing the perfect setting, Zeil and Edelweiss followed Dr. Grey completely concealed in the herd. As they followed, it wasn’t long before the two had made their way into the city’s main plaza where many roads seemed to connect to a large area full of bustling ponies. With the herd thick with citizens, Zeil and Edelweiss kept their focus solely on Dr. Grey however as they trotted, they started to pass a strange cloaked covered stallion. At first the two didn’t even notice the stranger, but as they passed, Zeil noticed that the stallion was giving them a glance that not only caught the changeling’s attention, it sent a strange yet uneasy feeling through his body that caused him to stop in place. Without stopping to say anything, the stranger continued passed as Zeil turned towards the stallion who was trotting away as fast as he could without running. As the stranger neared an alley, the cloaked stallion turned the corner as Zeil mumbled, “Wh-what? Who is that?”
Confused, Zeil followed the strange stallion’s path into the alley however as he looked down the narrow walkway, he saw that whoever the cloaked figure was, he had completely vanished without a trace.
Uneasy, Zeil took a moment to observe the alleyway from where he stood as Edelweiss approached him and spoke, “Mr Zeil? What’s wrong?”
Zeil hesitated as he replied, “I’m… not sure… did you see that stallion pass us a little bit ago?”
Edelweiss shook his head, “my focus was elsewhere so… no. why?”
Zeil shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know… just… a feeling I guess.”
Edelweiss looked towards where Dr. Grey was last seen before looking back and replying, “We can’t lose Dr. Grey so… let’s make haste. We can solve this matter at a later time.”
Taking only a few more second to examine the alley, Zeil nodded as he replied, “Sure… lets go.”
Nodding to the impatient scholar, Zeil decided to let it go as he and Edelweiss quickly rushed to catch up to the doctor.
Though they did lose him for a few seconds, Zeil and Edelweiss were able to catch up to Dr. Grey as they followed him through the city. Sadly, their investigation of Dr. Grey’s movements came up with no added information about the relic, its location, or whether or not the Doctor had anything to do with it in any way. After the search came up with no information, the two continued to observe the doctor for the rest of his day, at least until the surgeon finally returned home to end his day. Afterword’s, Zeil and Edelweiss returned to the royal library where Zeil sat at one of the reading tables and sighed, “All that work… for nothing.”
Edelweiss shook his head, “Patience my changeling friend, Eden wasn’t built in a day you know. Besides, we still have a full day till the attack so he may be biding his time.”
Zeil nodded, “Okay… so now what?”
Edelweiss smiled and he approached a bookshelf and replied, “You say you have only begun to learn elemental magic correct? Perhaps I can teach you a little in the meantime.” He removed a book from the shelf and trotted back to the table, “I can’t guarantee I can help you master it, but if you’ve already learned ice magic, then you’re only a step or two away from water magic.”
Zeil looked at the book that was laid on the table, though he still couldn’t read this ancient language he still could recognize by the pictures that this book taught magic. As Zeil looked at the images he smiled, “Actually that would be a big help.”
Edelweiss nodded however as he did, he looked out a nearby window as he saw the sun setting over the horizon, “But for now, that will have to wait… If you will excuse me, I have to go.”
Confused by Edelweiss’s sudden haste, Zeil watched, as Edelweiss quickly trotted towards the door to the library as he asked, “Go? Where?”
Edelweiss replied, “At this time there is an important meeting I must attend. You can wait here till I return.”
Zeil was concerned, “Meeting? With who?”
Edelweiss didn’t even look at his changeling friend as he opened this library door and replied, “My wife.”
That side, Edelweiss closed the door behind him and started sprinting down the castle corridor as he made his way out of the castle gates and into the city. Once outside, Edelweiss quickly opened his wings and flew to the furthest reach of the city’s boundaries. Once he approached the city’s furthest wall, the disguised alicorn looked down as he could see the queen of Lilith standing on the edge of the wall as she looked into the distance at the lights that were emitting from the minotaur’s base camp.
Trying not to startle her, Edelweiss landed a number of feet away as he slowly approached the royal mare who was trapped in thought. As he approached, Edelweiss stopped next to her as he sat down, looked at the minotaur camp, and spoke, “It’s not often to see a queen out here without her escort.”
Surprised, Queen Anna looked to her scholar as she replied, “Oh… Edelweiss… I… I didn’t hear you approach.”
Staying on subject Edelweiss replied, “If you will allow me the honor, I can act in place of your guards and protect you until they return.”
Queen Anna looked back to the enemy camp as she replied, “No… thank you, but I requested to be alone for the time being. I… have much to ponder.”
Acting unconcerned, Edelweiss replied, “Very well, then I will take my leave.”
As Edelweiss started to leave, Queen Anna replied, “Thank you Edelweiss, I knew you would understa-”
“Although…” Edelweiss paused as he looked back at the queen, “If you have much to ponder, and request the time to do so in solitary. Then… am I to assume that this subject is troubling?”
Before Queen Anna could reply, Edelweiss turned completely to her and continued, “And I for one, as one of your royal advisors would feel quite worried, if there is a subject troubling enough to cause her majesty such strife… so perhaps she needs some… advice on the matter? If not, an opportunity to talk about it, to… ease her frustration wouldn’t you say?”
Speechless, the queen tried to reply, “Tha- I mean, that’s none of- well… it’s not…”
Dropping the noble act, Edelweiss replied as he spoke with sincerity, “Your majesty?... what’s wrong?”
Caught off guard, Queen Anna thought to herself as she replied, “Is… is there any reason to turn over Mr Zeil? Would… would it truly deprive my honor to deliver him to General Fist in any way?”
Edelweiss smiled as he shook his head, “Mr. Zeil told me his whole story. Though none of it explains what interest he is to the Minotaur Kingdom, I will gladly say that he is a friend to Lilith, and its purpose.”
Queen Anna looked back into the distance as she replied, “Then… I can’t sacrifice him for the kingdom… but then… what should I… no… it is improper for a queen to ask such a question.”
Edelweiss gave her an uneasy look, “You say I am an adviser, and yet you refuse to allow me to give advice? How can I assist her majesty if she truly distrust my words?”
Queen Anna spoke in her defense as she looked at her scholar “It’s not that I… I just.”
Edelweiss continued, “Your majesty… please… stop hiding your pain and just say what on your mind. Tell me your troubles, if not for me… then for yourself.”
Queen Anna felt trapped by Edelweiss’s words as she tried to think of something to say, however with no way of replying in dishonesty, she looked away as she closed her eyes and spoke, “I… I… I don’t know what to do. I’m… I’m lost…”
Cringing with her eyes closed, Queen Anna started to cry as she replied, “My subjects… my kingdom… my king… I failed them all. I couldn’t save any of them. And now…” Tears dripped from her face as she opened her eyes and looked at Edelweiss, “Now… they will all fall. And… it’s all my fault. Why… why couldn’t I do anything for them… why must I face this failure alone, what can I do? I’ve searched for all the answers but without my king… I… I have none.”
Queen Anna looked to the ground as her tears fell, “I… I just don’t know what to do… As improper as it is to allow her subjects to see there queen’s tears… I… I just don’t know what to do.”
As the queen’s tears fell from her face, Edelweiss approached the mare as he stopped in front of her and replied, “Sometimes, there are no good answers… so… when that happens, the best answer is the one that makes you feel better.”
Queen Anna looked at her advisor as she replied, “But… no answer can make me feel content, if they all end with Lilith’s demise.”
Edelweiss looked towards the city as he replied, “True, but this problem won’t go away by simply refusing to choose. The king wouldn’t like that one bit… nor… would I.”
Queen Anna gave him a surprised look as the knowledgeable scholar continued, “Honestly… I doubt there is a way to save Lilith… but… even if I should fall, I think I will stand by my morals and fall doing something noble.”
Queen Anna was curious, “Noble… such as what?”
Edelweiss turned back to the queen and raised his hoof, “If I may…”
Queen Anna didn’t reply, but Edelweiss took it as a yes as he reached up and wiped the tears from her cheek before replying, “I vow to protect my queen, until my dying day. And if for some reason she should fall, then I will fall before her. I stand by that vow, and will see it to be, no matter the obstacles.”
At that moment, Queen Anna felt entirely speechless, as Edelweiss proceeded to put his forearm across his chest and bow in respect to the monarch. Then after a brief pause, he rose from his bow as he spoke, “So… what will you do your majesty? Knowing this, what course of action should you choose for your final moments?”
Queen Anna thought to herself as she replied, “I… I… I will stand by my morals and kingdom… and… fight for them both. Till my last breath.” She looked back to the enemy camp as she replied in anger, “I will protect them… from any threat… even if I cannot… I will try.”
Edelweiss smiled as he looked towards the enemy camp and replied, “Then… I will stand beside you and fulfil my vow.”
Queen Anna looked at Edelweiss as she smiled sincerely, but as she did something seemed to take hold as she started leaning in towards him as if it were reflex. Seeing this, Edelweiss’s smiled faded as he raised his hoof and spoke, “Wait… it’s… it’s not proper.”
As that was said, Queen Anna realized that she was actually leaning in to kiss him as she quickly backed away and spoke, “Wha- I… um… I mean I didn’t… uh…”
Edelweiss spoke, “I understand… The king and I were close friends… it was… just a spur of the moment reflex… nothing meant… and… no need to revisit it.”
Queen Anna had no idea what to say as she hesitated, “I… um… well…”
Edelweiss turned away as he spoke, “Now… perhaps with the hour growing late, it’s better to take my leave. I hope that… my advice was helpful to you your majesty.”
Trying to find the words, Queen Anna replied, “Y-yes, thank you Edelweiss. It was most helpful. Pleasant dreams.”
Edelweiss turned to the queen as he bowed in respect before speaking, “And to you, my queen.”
After his brief bow, Edelweiss turned away and stepped off the wall as he opened his wings and glided down to its base. After leaving Queen Anna placed her hoof over her face in embarrassment as she mumbled, “What came over me? It was as if I were standing with my king… but… he’s not… I mean… he isn’t… it’s…”
Trapped in thought the queen silenced herself as she looked back out of the city and tried to get what happened out of her mind. Down below, Edelweiss was landing at the base of the wall as he looked to a nearby shadow as he spoke, “So… enjoying the show?”
At that moment, Zeil stepped out of the shadows as he spoke, “Sorry… you left in such a hurry I couldn’t help but feel curious as to what you were doing.”
Edelweiss nodded, “Yes well… this… this is the one night every year that I can get close to her. And seeing her attempt to kiss me makes me feel like… she remembers me in a way.”
Zeil looked up the city wall as he replied, “You mean… this happens every year?”
Edelweiss nodded, “Almost word for word. She feels troubled and I make her feel better about it. And like every time… she almost kisses me.”
Zeil asked, “Did you ever let her?”
Edelweiss nodded, “I did once… but… afterword, she felt so awkward that she stayed distant with me for the remainder of the week. So… I stop her so I can be with her in the end as I said I would.”
Zeil sighed, “It must be hard… being so close yet so far away. I can’t imagine a worse pain.”
Edelweiss nodded, “I can… a worse pain… is having to kill her.”
Zeil was surprised, “Wh-what?”
Edelweiss nodded as he spoke with pain in his voice, “Yes well… when one becomes despite and looking for answers, one will do anything to find them… and one time I thought she was the one keeping the relic’s true location secret. So… hoping that I could stop its reset, I killed her.”
Zeil felt sympathetic, “Wow… I… I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Edelweiss nodded, “I had to exhaust all options and well… that was one of them.”
Zeil could only give the disguised alicorn a confused look, “The way you say that… make it seem like you cared little for that act.”
Edelweiss shook his head, “A king must do everything he can to ensure the safety of his kingdom. Even if… it means betraying one you love. For the greater good, and for the chance to end this nightmare early, I had to do everything possible.”
Remembering the situation in Spring Haven, Zeil nodded, “I guess so… though, your own wife… seems a little desperate.”
Edelweiss looked back up to the wall where his queen was standing as he replied, “For my kingdom, it was… but for her, I would do it again if it would prevent her suffering. In a way, it just goes to show that it takes more than this to kill a king. Now… let’s get back to the library. I believe I was going to teach you how to use water magic. After all since we have a full day till the minotaur attack then we can rest easy. I can teach you plenty in that time.”
Trying to end the subject, Edelweiss trotted down the street towards the castle as Zeil followed slowly as he mumbled, “The determination of a king… And here I thought they had it easy.”
Far across the battlefield at the minotaur camp, General Fist sat quietly in his tent as his eyes narrowed to the book that sat on a podium at the opposite side of the quarters. With the air in the room tense with anxiety, the general gazed at the book as if he were trying to force it into intimidation for the secrets held inside. As the general glared at the book, his captain entered the tent as he spoke, “General, we received a message from Lilith. It arrived by ca-”
“Out with it… tell me what the queen says. Did she accept my offer or not?”
The general’s intense glare shifted to the captain making him nervous as the officer tried to read the letter, “W-well…” He cleared his throat, “Dear General Fist, after much deliberation on the offer you have presented me, I’m afraid that I cannot accept it. Though it is true that the Zebra is not a member of my kingdom, nor is he in any way a subject of mine. He is still a guest of my reign and turning him over to you for crimes that have not been presented to me properly would be a tarnish on my crown and could subjugate my reign to a unessisary confrontation with another kingdom of which he is a subject. Therefore, I cannot turn him over to you and humbly aske that you choose another option to barter for the safety of my subjects. Please respond, and I will happily meet with you on the morrow to discuss better terms in person… I pray you resp-“
Before the captain could finish the last sentence of the letter, a chair flew across the room as it colligated the book’s podium shattering both pieces of furniture as the general yelled in anger “Are you kidding me!?! Pride? What Pride? Her king is gone, her kingdom at the cliff’s edge, and she knows that at any moment I can wipe her and her kingdom out of existence!!! Is she truly that foolish! Can she really say that she has any chance of holding onto any pride? Knowing that all it takes is my order and everything she holds disappears!!!”
Flinching at his general’s anger, the captain held his silence as he backed away in worry as the general took the time to breathe before looking back at the mage’s tomb that now sat on the floor amongst the pieces of destroyed furniture. As he looked at the book sitting in the rubble he started to smile, “She mistakes her pride for ignorance does she?... fine… then I’ll have to take him by force.” He looked at his soldier, “Captain! Have the soldiers bedded down for the night?”
The captain nervously replied, “Y-yes sir. They spend most of the day assembling the catapults so I gave them the night to rest.”
The general smiled, “Good, and are the catapults fully operational.”
The captain nodded, “Yes sir they are ready for the battle on Friday just as you ordered.”
The general nodded in agreement as his smile turned sinister, “Then inform your officers to prepare their troops for combat.”
The captain was surprised, “Combat?”
The general nodded, “Yes… because at the first light of dawn we move out… we will attack and destroy Lilith.” He looked at the book while keeping his sinister smiled, “I will get those secrets… but first, I will personally see to it, that no future generations will ever know that the Kingdom of Lilith ever existed.”