The Five Kingdoms

Chapter Three: Trust

Barkus had to wait over an hour before Astron arrived. Barkus had woken, dressed and went downstairs for a hot meal. Upon arriving, Florince handed him a note that read,

Dear Barkus,
         I am sorry I am not here yet. I am afraid the business I had to attend to last night took me longer than expected. I hope you can excuse my lateness. I have already paid for your breakfast and I hope you enjoy it. I should arrive in about an hour. Again, please forgive me.
         Sincerely,

                   Astron
         The breakfast that the elf had ordered for him turned out to be a plate of eggs, six sausages, bacon and fruit with tea. Surprised that the elf had ordered exactly what he liked, Barkus began to eat. While he ate, Barkus stared out the window watching for the elf. It was raining outside and great drops pattered against the window relentlessly.
         When he had finished his breakfast and was on his second cup of tea the door to the inn finally opened. Astron came in, his cloak dripping water onto the wooden floor. Barkus caught one quick glance at a sword hilt showing under the cloak before Astron covered it. What could he have been doing; wondered Barkus? Astron walked over to Barkus and took the seat opposite him.
         “Sorry I am late.” Said Astron. “But it couldn’t be helped. I hope you enjoyed you breakfast.” Barkus nodded.
         “Excuse me Ast….” Barkus started to say but was cut short. Astron flicked his wrist and something fell over Barkus’s mouth like a gag, stopping him from completing his sentence. But as soon as the sensation started, Astron flicked his wrist again and the invisible gag lifted.
         “Please do not use my name in public. It would be a great inconvenience if anyone found out what it was.” Astron said. Barkus was felling around his mouth but nothing was there.
         “What was that?” he asked, but he thought he already knew the answer.
         “A silencing spell. You should know elves can do magic.”
         “I did. It’s just…”
         A little disconcerting having it done on you. Yes, many people say that.”
         But now Barkus was becoming angry. This elf continued to treat him like a child even though it was his help he was asking for. And he hadn’t even bothered to explain what his plans were in any real detail. It was time he stood up to this elf and got some answers. He spoke in an angry whisper.
         “Look, I don’t care who you are.” He said. “You sit here and treat me like a child. I get no answers and it doesn’t even seem like you trust me. But you ask for my help! Well, if you want it, I want answers.” Barkus sat back in his chair and folded his arms, looking very much like a child who had just proven a very difficult point to an adult. The elf watched him impassively for a while, a slight smile playing on his face. Finally he said,
         “Very well Barkus. You want answers then you shall have them. No, I do not trust you. You could very well be a spy sent to stop me by the Dark Queen. However, with my adventure last night I was able to determine that you are not. So yes, you may now have the answers you seek. Even if I still don’t completely trust you.”
         “I don’t want you to interrupt and do not repeat any of this. I believe that the Kings are under control. Mind control I mean. Somehow I believe that the Dark Lady is somehow controlling them. What I want to do is figure out how. There is a friend in Triss who will be able to help me do that. Also, the reason you are a target is because the queen can now see the future. She grows stronger all the time. But now it seems you pose a threat to her. As do I and a few others she is spending large amounts of time trying to assassinate. But the fact that she wants you makes me think you may have a larger role to play in all of this.”
         Barkus’s head was reeling. None of this made sense. The Kings under mind control, the Dark Lady trying to assassinate him.          
         “Who is the Dark Lady?” Barkus asked. Astron actually laughed.
         “You ask a question that could take me a week to explain. However, I understand what you mean. I will tell you a brief overview of the Queen to help you understand her better.”
         “In the second age The Dark Lady was a mortal woman. She was married to the Fifth King when his kingdom was full of life and prosperity. But her husband was controlled by greed. He strove to control all the kingdoms by assassinating the kings or brining them under his power. But he failed. The four other kings of that time banded together and defeated his armies. They captured him and put him to death. The Lady, stricken with grief at her husband’s death, attempted to join him by killing herself. But by doing so, the Goddess of Darkness was able to possess her. Though she felt the pain of her attempted suicide, she could not die. So instead she began to think of different things. She began to think of revenge.”
         “Faking sorrow and regret at her husband’s actions, she forged for the kings four crowns and secretly created a fifth for her. She gave them to the kings begging for forgiveness. The crowns were of such quality the kings took them by greed and forgave her. Then soon after, they gave her their blessing to become queen. This was the first strange act for no queen had ever ruled alone before. Since then, the crowns were passed down from king to king, even when she turned against the other four kingdoms. And now she has ruled her own for over eighteen generations. Slowly, the lands of the Five have deteriorated. But she will not stop her assault on the kingdoms till the other Four come to her, begging for mercy.”
         “But what part do you play in all of this?” asked Barkus.
         “I believe there is something suspicious about the king’s crowns. They never take them off except for when they die. Not even when they sleep. I believe that somehow she has controlled the minds of the other kings through these crowns.”
         “But what do you plan to do about it?”
         “I hope, as I told you, to travel to Triss and prove my theory correct. If it is, then I hope to find a way to remove the crown from one of the kings long enough for him to see reason. I believe that if I can break all the kings from her hold, her power will break and she will no longer be immortal.”
         “And you want me to help you do this?” Barkus asked, astounded.
         “The queen seems to think you have some role to play. She fears you, and that’s more than enough reason for you to join the cause. But will you?” Barkus thought about it for a long time. If the elf was right, stopping the queen would put an end to this war. He would be able to settle down without fear of attack.
         “Alright, I will join you. You seem to have a true enough story. And I have heard that elves are mostly trustworthy. So I will help you. But if I find something I dislike, I will leave. Do you trust me?” The elf smiled.
         “Barkus, you should also know, elves trust no one.”