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Little Crowns and Larger Claws

Lord Regent Diatrus meets with a criminal to settle a deal while under watchful eyes.

By Eloise Robertson Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 16 min read
3

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. The sun's light wasn't always so rarely seen, or the open roads more dangerous than the unfamiliar city streets. There wasn't always a lord regent ruling in lieu of a king, but a lot had changed in such a short time.

Grey morning light filtered through the blanket of clouds, streaming through the windowpanes, and peaking through the side gaps of the thick drapes. Books lined the shelves on one side of the room, detailing the lands’ histories and politics, tragedies and successes. Knowledge was stronger than blood, but not everyone valued learning and training above the intrinsic value of the blood. Royal blood was priceless, and it was something Lord Regent Diatrus didn’t have.

There he sat at the ornately carved and heavy, dark-wooden chair behind the desk, tapping his golden rings against the arm while staring at the miserable weather plaguing the skies. Sunlight hadn’t broken through those clouds since they delegated this chair to him. He didn’t believe in bad omens but his people did, and it was very unfortunate timing.

Never in his wildest dreams did he envision himself sitting in the chair that King Eiron before him once occupied, playing the role of king instead of the role of adviser.

He was Eiron’s closest confidant, his most trusted colleague, treated as an equal (much to the rest of the royal court’s disdain). Forever at the king’s side, it made sense for him to be the prime suspect responsible for poisoning Eiron. If it wasn’t for dearest Evelyn insisting he was reading her a book that night, someone would surely have strung him up on a pike, a headless justice duly delivered.

Lord Regent Diatrus felt his heart twist at the poor girl’s misfortune. Evelyn was distraught when her father died, yet she still fought her tears back to protect him from the wrath of Eiron’s guards. She had always been a sweet girl, but sweet girls don’t survive in a royal castle on innocence alone. Diatrus read books to her when he could, preparing her for queendom, sowing the seeds of knowledge early so that she may flourish later. When he became lord regent, he ordered the captain of the royal guard to mentor her in the art of combat. If Evelyn could fight a dragon, she might stand a chance in this castle. Eiron would have fought him on the decision. As a ten-year-old, she was too young to be queen. Regardless, the responsibility was nearby and ready to smother her.

Evelyn’s voice echoed through the hallway, words indistinguishable. Diatrus fought back a smile. She was probably calling for her cat; the blasted thing battled the chefs for a snack in the mornings.

Diatrus’ smile didn’t last long as the sky grew darker. No rain would come, he was sure. He was almost believing the rumours that he had cursed the lands. If this continued, a famine would strike come harvest season.

A soft knock broke Diatrus’ stupor. “Sir, the representative from Galnar district has arrived.”

“Thank you. Please escort them here for a private audience.”

Diatrus sensed the hesitation at the door before gentle footsteps hurried off to collect the visitor. Over the decade he spent as Eiron’s adviser, he knew exactly how tedious and disheartening negotiations could be. There were never any winners.

Before long, a knock at the door preceded the entrance of the guest. The announcer dipped into a deep, irreverent bow.

“Lord Regent, I present to you Ms. Carrina Longshore from Galnar district.”

The woman did not bow. She instead gave a small nod of her head, defiantly refusing to avert her eyes from her ruler. She shuffled forward stiffly, clearly quite uncomfortable in her dress. Unlike most of his female visitors, Carrina’s faded dress was so thick it scraped as she moved instead of the soft ruffling sound of the castle apparel.

After the ceiling-high doors to the King’s office closed, a heavy silence settled. Diatrus’ brow pinched into an imperceptible frown and he cleared his throat.

“I have been made aware that you are involved in ferrying wanted criminals out of the kingdom. Is this correct?”

The woman’s jaw clenched and fear crossed her expression before she could hide it. Her hands bunched the material of her dress into her fists, gripping hard as if for safety and control.

“Lord Regent,” the words sounded hard for her to speak. “You are incorrect. We no longer live in a kingdom. Our king is dead. I am afraid I don’t know of the accusations you speak. Please explain why you summoned me here.”

Her unwillingness to admit her treason was, of course, expected. Diatrus invited her to take a seat and offered her water, wine, anything to make her more comfortable, but she refused.

“I didn’t ask you here to discuss punishment. If I wanted to punish you, I would have done so already. Instead, I want to offer you a deal.”

He expected the latter words to run over her like sweet honey, pique her curiosity, but she was very guarded. The woman’s eyes darted to the bird cage where an owl slept perched on the golden bar.

“Do you like him?” Diatrus asked.

“No. Owls are bringers of death, bad omens. Especially for a barn owl, too.” She looked at Diatrus pointedly, suspicion clear on her face.

“Barn owls are humble creatures, symbols of wisdom, silence, and mystique.”

Ms. Carrina Longshore jutted her chin out defiantly. “They’re killers, nothing more.”

Her tone was accusatory. Green eyes burned holes through him. Diatrus squared his shoulders and returned her gaze calmly.

“Yes, they are, which is why I keep him close, and why you should listen to your ruler. I have found you taking part in treasonous actions, plotting against the kingdom, and perhaps even now aiding extremists to prepare for an uprising. What impresses me, Ms. Longshore, is that this was only discovered a week ago, but I suspect you have been taking part in such things for much longer.”

Caution replaced the look of distaste twisting her features. “Lord Regent, I know not of what -”

“Please, save your breath. Depending on the outcome of this meeting, you might not have much left,” Diatrus took a deep, threatening tone.

He watched his words sink into the woman, causing shivers beneath her skin and her eyes to widen with her full and somewhat respectful attention given to her ruler. “I apologise for interrupting, Lord Regent. Please continue.”

“If you have a reasonable head on your shoulders, this meeting will end with you surrendering one criminal per month to the authorities, and you promising to provide safety to someone very important when the need arises. In return, I will let you continue your operations and I will let you live. If you refuse this offer, you will be put to trial and, after our evidence is submitted, they will hang you for treason.”

The woman looked shocked as she leaned back in her seat. She glanced at the owl again, which trained its black beady eyes on her, expectant, watching her like a bird of prey would watch a mouse.

Her heart thudded behind her chest in her concealed panic. Two decades she had helped criminals escape punishment after her father was hanged, but now she felt the rope tightening around her neck. She was caught.

“May I ask who it is I am to protect? If I dealt in illegal business like you have accused, I would have standards with whom I help.”

Diatrus smiled warmly, breaking the tension. “Ms Longshore, I understand you don’t recognise me as your king and luckily for you, I think that has benefited you. I want you to promise protection to Princess Evelyn, your future queen. You are faithful to the Chancelin family, correct?”

“I-I-of course! King Eiron - our Princess Evelyn -” Carrina stumbled over her words, leaning forward eagerly. “I may have broken the law, but I have nothing but respect for the royal family. May I ask - is Evelyn in danger?”

Diatrus felt a lance pierce through his heart as his worry for dearest Evelyn bloomed. “I fear that my appointment to Lord Regent has displeased many people, yourself included, and this means I may meet a similar fate to our King Eiron. The murderer responsible for the king’s death was never caught, and I fear they may live within these very walls. If something were to happen to me, Evelyn would be in worse danger.”

The woman’s expression turned soft, disarmed by Diatrus’ heartfelt concern. “My Lord Regent, I may have misjudged you. Seems you knew exactly the person I am, though. I will protect Evelyn should something happen to you. However, I have more to trade with you.”

Her quiet candour and sincere eyes were the most genuine thing Diatrus had seen since he gained rulership. He waited for her to continue, but she shook her head vigorously and pointed to his stack of parchment. He nodded silently, sliding a piece of parchment and his quill and ink pot toward her.

“Of course, Ms. Longshore. Please name your price for your services.”

The parchment was almost daunting. The quill felt too delicate pinched in her nervous fingers. She scrawled her message, heartbeat hammering in her ears as she confessed her knowledge and demands. By the end of her notes, the ink had blotted and smeared the page in her hurry, and her hands were shaking.

No matter how hard he tried, Diatrus couldn’t read the messy handwriting upside down. Instead, he contained his eagerness and watched with dread as the woman’s note became more nervous and more urgent. Her eyes darted toward the owl, which watched her intently, and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

“My Lord Regent, if it pleases you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Careful not to smear the ink further, Darius pinched the corner of the parchment and brought it closer to his chest while he read.

My Lord Regent, your suspicions are correct. You will meet your doom, and soon. I have seen plans for uprising, like you suggested. Before the next full moon, you will die. If Evelyn in danger, then I should collect her now. I want to protect the royal family. I have heard whispers of a name. He may head the assault against you, or he may be the person who killed our dear king - I don’t know. Urisop.

I am aware of the eyes on you. They watch us now. The eyes of two people. For this warning, I ask you to give me Evelyn now and a year’s income so that I may escape with her.

A horrible void, a gaping hole in his chest; the dread felt like it had been drilled into Diatrus. The paper quivered in his fingers, so he folded it, smudging the writing before tucking it into his breast pocket.

A singular nod was all he gave for his approval before he unlocked the chest behind his desk to pull out a plain rucksack. He wished he never had to enact the escape plan. King Eiron had something in place with Evelyn, and Diatrus hoped she remembered her cue.

Striding past Ms. Longshore, Diatrus dropped the sack on her lap and opened his doors a fraction.

“Please let Evelyn know that I have an old family friend here whom I wish her to tour the castle with.”

The staff member acknowledged the order and left to fetch the princess. Diatrus solemnly took in the office as if it would be his last time there. He perused the books, smirking at how much time he spent reading them only to have such a poor outcome. He grabbed two and hoped they would lead Evelyn to a better future.

“Take these. They will be important.”

Ms. Longshore stuffed the books into the pack, folding them in the common clothing on top of the bags of coins toward the bottom. She drew the cord tightly, mind racing. At the beginning of this meeting, she expected death to befall her, but he instead tasked her with saving the princess. This was always her goal: to save lives. A guardsman hung her father without trial for stealing bread. It was an injustice that drove her to save countless lives since. King Eiron had the guard lashed publicly, but corruption could never be controlled.

Politics were never pleasant. Any alliance was always a risk. Even now, Diatrus analysed the many paths Evelyn’s life could take by allying with Carrina. At least they had a chance for a life.

Time passed slowly while he waited for her arrival, hoping that she would understand the direction. His worst fear was if she was currently in training with the captain of the guard, Urisop himself. If Urisop killed Eiron, he may well have designs for Diatrus and Evelyn… to perform a military coup, and run a militaristic state.

It was obvious that Urisop was a snake! Too many arguments took place in this very office between him and King Eiron. His demands to raid certain districts and delivery of immediate punishments without trial to enforce the law were denied. His suggestions to march on the kingdoms to the East to secure more farm lands were rejected. Of course, bitterness and anger took root.

Diatrus kicked himself for thinking they resolved the tensions when Urisop gifted him the owl for his appointment as Lord Regent. A simple gift distracted him. Diatrus looked at the bird with regret. The owl stared at him like he was dinner. It was deeply unsettling. The stare was focused; the black orbs picked apart his soul, exposing all his weaknesses and shortcomings.

It was like Ms. Longshore said: there were always eyes watching him. Diatrus wanted to take the cage and throw it out the window, but Evelyn’s entrance redirected his attention.

“Thanks Felior!” She grinned, waving at the staff member. As the doors closed, her cheerful demeanour disappeared, and she looked at Diatrus seriously. “What’s going on?”

“My darling, you remembered.” Diatrus forced a smile to show his approval, gesturing toward Ms. Longshore. “I would like you and Ms. Longshore to take a tour of the castle together. You can take her to see all the special rooms.”

Tears pooled in her pale blue eyes. “Dia, I don’t understand. What’s wrong?”

Diatrus gritted his teeth, heart breaking at each tear streaming down her rosy cheeks. “Nothing is wrong. I would like you to show our guest your hospitality.”

Tightness strained his voice. His eyes flicked nervously to the owl again, which had come down from its perch and stood near the cage door. Kneeling by Evelyn’s side, he took her soft and dainty hands in his, pulling off one of his rings to place it in her palm.

“Look after this for me. It was your father’s, and has your family crest on it. You might need this one day, but until then, just keep it safe, okay? Remember what I taught you.”

Diatrus wiped her wet cheeks with his thumb, feigning a smile. Evelyn steeled herself, using the breathing techniques he taught her, and raised her chin up.

“Absolutely. Come on, lady. I have so much to show you.”

In the blink of an eye, the girl threw her arms around Diatrus’ neck, hugging him tightly before turning her back to him and making a beeline for the door. Any worry he had for her was quelled by her strength and pride filled his heart. She would be just fine under the care of Ms. Longshore.

“I’ll see you soon, Evey!”

Her blonde, bouncing curls vanished around the corner with her protector in tow. He wished to share a meal with her again one day, but he was certain they would never meet again.

Defeat sank in and destroyed any energy he had left. What was he to do now? A trial would never find Urisop guilty of treason, so he would have to kill him without trial. Urisop was a master at combat, so Diatrus doubted his chances of success. He could flee, but that would leave the throne open for occupation by Urisop. For hours he sat pondering the next best move, but none brought him to a desirable outcome.

“What a terrible situation,” Diatrus groaned, pushing his face into his hands. “I have been cornered so quickly. They were right; I could never be a capable ruler as you were, Eiron. I don’t suppose shouting the truth from the window will help my case, will it? Everybody distrusts me already.” Diatrus rolled his head to look at the owl. “Do you have any advice for me? You have been sitting there watching me since day one, haven’t you?”

Diatrus rubbed the headache forming at his temples, squinting at the bird as it took a step toward him. Its sharp claws scraped against the golden bars.

Why, yes, I have. My advice comes at a cost, though, if you will pay it.

The man froze for a moment, blinking at the owl in confusion. The unsettling voice was loud and echoed in his head. A horrible feeling gripped Diatrus. It sounded like the voice of Death himself, coming to collect an unwilling soul. “Have I been poisoned already?”

No, you have not. I am not a mere owl, Lord Regent. I am High Mage Cornelius Satum, from King Quinton’s royal court. It seems you are running rather short on time, so I take this opportunity now to offer you my assistance.

“A High Mage? Are you actually an owl?”

Heaven’s, no, I am not a polymorphing mage. The owl is a gateway only. Your captain of the guard asked me to report your every movement to him. It is certain he plots to overthrow you, however a neighbouring kingdom run by such a bloodthirsty man is not in King Quinton’s best interests, you see. Please, let us form an alliance. You will live and retain your position as Lord Regent, but you will act upon King Quinton’s command going forward until Princess Evelyn comes of age, and marries our Prince. Two domains will become one.

Diatrus gaped at the owl in horror. “I am afraid I can’t make that decision on Evelyn’s behalf.”

The bird hopped back up onto its perch.

I will give you time to reconsider, but be warned your time is limited. If Urisop places himself as ruler, your dear princess will follow you into the grave. Decide wisely.

The ominous voice which invaded Diatrus’ mind went silent, and it left him gripping the arms of his chair in panic, staring fearfully at the barn owl which finally closed its eyes again and settled into sleep.

Short Story
3

About the Creator

Eloise Robertson

I pull my ideas randomly out of thin air and they materialise on a page. Some may call me a magician.

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Comments (3)

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  • Mike Singleton - Mikeydred2 years ago

    An excellent story for this challenge. You are a wonderful storyteller.

  • Ayawyn C.2 years ago

    I enjoyed this story very much! Wonderful plot and characters!

  • Irene Mielke2 years ago

    I clicked on this story because of your picture of a chessboard, anytime I see a chessboard. I am excited to see what the person wrote. Chess is strategy, and your story is thought-provoking!

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