The Union

Even though he wasn"t one of them, Escanor had been part of the Resistance. He was a learned man when it comes to these kind of things. For years, he had provided them with information and he of course knew the ident.i.ty of the man.

"I go by the name of Bear, Prince Ivan" The man said to the shaken Prince Ivan.

Escanor just closed his eyes and drank from the cup. He knew it wasn"t the real name of the man. He must be too proud to tell people his name- or too ashamed.

Bear stood near the Prince, loudly tormenting everybody with his boastful booming laughter. He put his hand, which turned back to normal, on Prince Ivan"s shoulder.

"You want the crown? Ha! It"s me you want. Steel will crumple under the weight of my swipe. My charge alone is worth a thousand cavalry. Worry not for I am the strongest there is. I will smash against them with the strength of a thousand arms!"

He was not wrong, Escanor judged. Although this Bear was not the smartest, his physical strength was a thing to be feared. But he was lazy and would often pursue a challenge rather than a goal. Escanor suspected that Helios helped this Bear in doing his job or else nothing would have happened in Vanadis.

The real problem were the Spice Merchant and Silk Merchant who held monopoly over the trade of their respective goods in Vanadis. They were among the richest and a huge part of the Vanadian Treasury was theirs. There were also some n.o.bles, notably the Earl of Southport and several Barons.

What worried Escanor the most are the mercenaries. These merchants really had a foul taste when hiring armed thugs. He had heard from a conversation earlier that one of the mercenary companies they hired was Silverback.

Silverback was one of the most renowned mercenary companies in the continent. It was a mercenary company composed of veteran Castonian soldiers who had mutinied against King Leopold many years ago. The Castonians declared their freedom from the crown and left Castonia to make a mercenary company. They were not cheap to hire as they wore full sets of armor and had the discipline and toughness of a Castonian to match. Add to that the experience they gained fighting around the world for the last years, it could be said that the mercenary company was not a force to be ignored.

Silverback prided itself in being fair all the time. The leader of the company, aptly named Silver, was said to be a man of deals and contracts. He was rumored to stick to a contract no matter what unlike other mercenaries. Escanor doesn"t know much about Silver. n.o.body does. The only distinctive detail about him is his hound who was said to be as large as a person.

Other issues also merited concern. Escanor had heard from this talkative seatmate of his that a few thousand of the Navy were on their side. One of the Admirals was supporting the ousting of the Queen. The n.o.bles were also able to raise their serfs and were on their way to Holm.

Bear was still hara.s.sing Ivan with his cra.s.s talks and show of strength. Ivan was slouching in his seat, still with empty eyes. Escanor decided that it was time to go. He had gathered enough information to be of use to the Queen.

He grabbed his wooden cup and drank the remaining of his ale. Swirling the liquid in his mouth, he rose and headed to the door. All eyes were on Bear so n.o.body noticed him leaving- at least he hoped so.

He pushed the giant door of the warehouse and exited the building. The familiar cold of the snow season greeted him. The merchant district of Holm was teeming with activities. Carts and wagons were being pulled by both men and beasts. The atmosphere was much more refreshing than the one inside the warehouse.

Escanor put his hands inside the pocket of his coat. He started walking towards the palace.

**********

After the meeting of the conspirators ended, Arthur immediately boarded a carriage arranged by his mother. His mother was also inside the carriage, smiling as he approached.

"How was it?" His mother asked before he could take his seat.

It took Arthur a while to utter a word. He was still shaking after seeing what he saw.

"Mother" he said "Did you know?"

"I did. It was a shock. Really. I never knew that things like that exist in this world. But you are not so shocked right now, are you?"

"He could turn into a bear!" Arthur shouted

"He could"

"His hand has claws! Furs! And his arms are are thick as my body!"

"That is correct. Hush now my boy. It doesn"t matter what he is. He"s just here for the thrill of a coup anyway. He"s not someone who will try to gain power in Vanadis. His strength could make you the King"

Arthur turned his head outside. The falling of snow was pretty. With a slow and quiet mutter he said, "What if don"t want to be King"

His mother grabbed his chin forced him to look at her. Her eyebrows met. She was furious.

"You are the rightful monarch of this nation. That daughter of a harlot s.n.a.t.c.hed the crown from you! Stop saying nonsensical things. You will become King"

"But I don"t want to be King anymore mother. I"m tired. I"m so tired of all the conspiracies and the backstabbing and these wars. When father made Lucia the Queen I felt free. For the first time I felt free. No more expectations to burden me, responsibilities are gone. I am just a mere prince, savoring the wealth of Vanadis. Lucia could toil as long as she wants while I live a life of luxury. My life right now is easy and peaceful and I have everything that I wanted"

Arthur paused and took a deep sigh. "And I"m afraid. Do you think that mere mercenaries, n.o.bles, merchants and that thing, whatever that is, could bring her down? You haven"t spent time with them. Her husband is the King of Castonia. He is a beast of his own. His armies could wreck us several times over. And Lucia. Do you think she"s still in the dark about this? I believe she already knows"

"But you will become King. No matter what"

"But mother..."

"I"ll have none of this Arthur. Do it for me. Take what is yours. I almost died many times just to give you this opportunity. I put my neck on the line just to secure the merchants and n.o.bles to our side. The least you can do is appreciate my efforts"

Arthur shut his mouth. He slumped on the seat of the carriage and turned his head again outside. He watched the dance of snowflakes in the air. He felt a sudden tiredness. He was really tired. It would be nice if they would just leave him in peace.

**********

Somebody was following him. He was certain. He could feel eyes trailing him. It was an eerie feeling.

Escanor hastened his pace. His eyes were scanning every corner of the road but kept his head down. He was close to the palace but his pursuer was also close. He couldn"t see them. He doesn"t even know how many. All he knew is that he was being followed. He was almost certain that they were the merchants he met earlier. The Queen would be put into a disadvantage if he fails to deliver the information. He must deliver the information he got.

The area around the palace doesn"t have many people. That"s where he a.s.sumed they will strike. Escanor changed his mind of going into the palace. Luckily, his pursuers were just merchants. Child"s play, he thought. He had been running from the council for years. Escaping from mere merchants was almost an insult to him.

He turned a few alleys and blended with the pedestrians. With his dark coat he should be harder to distinguish from the others who wore the same color. A few more corners and he evaded them. His pace slowed and matched that of the other people who walked the same street.

A satisfied smirk formed on his lips. He still got it. How dare they think that someone as elusive as him, who once was chased by the Council for days and survived, would fall into their hands.

He inhaled the salty cold air of Holm and continued walking. He then noticed a person from behind match his pace. The person went closer to him. Escanor looked to his side and saw a grin from a hooded figure.

"h.e.l.lo Gold" the hooded figure said.

Escanor"s heart jumped. But then he recognized the face. He squinted.

"Shadow?"