EXILE

1013 AF LIGHTMONTH

DAY 72

Henry have been summoned by the House of Alan.

He got the letter in the morrow. And in the morning, he wears his clothes, slip on his shoes, and brought his entourage with him.

He is a High Lord. So is Hadrian.

For no matter what, House of Alan is a High Lord as he himself. The only reason he dares summon him right now is because of the blunder he made dealing with the Vermont

Usually Hadrian would snivel in the background like he is afraid, but Henry knows better.

Hadrian is not a mouse. He is a Lion. Their House symbol might be a sword and shield but Henry knows that Hadrian usually used the sword than the shield.

Everyone who thought that Hadrian is some useless person would have their comeuppance sooner or later and that is why he could never underestimate this old enemy of his.

No matter what he says this matter is his fault. The Vermont are a bigger problem than he thought. They are not some weak upstart family

If Aries responded with military threats maybe, he has a just cause to bring out his army and call upon the other vassals of the land.

And with his more experienced army he could crush the Vermont family totally. It might take years but in the end he will win.

But who would think that the common folk dare to question the decision of the High Lords?

Aries rule his county in a way different from the other lords rule their county. He gives the people in his city freedom unseen in other part of the Continent.

And not to mention a lot of people in his county are rich merchant and traders. Economic power is situated in one county. It is a golden egg basket.

That is what Henry wants.

Not this blobbing mess he is in now.

Revolts everywhere and every day. Some merchants even began hiring sellsword to aid the ongoing revolt in the county of Acro.

And other guilds in Acro also began to move to end his rule in Acro. And before he knew it he had reach the outside of the walled city.

The mighty castle of Alan. He climbed down his carriage and then accompanied by an entourage of servants, he headed to the mighty Alan castle and shivered with unease.

A swarm of nobles and their servants had gathered around the castle. What was Hadrian Alan playing at, he wondered?

His heart filling with doubt and dread, Henry entered.

He came to a grand hall.

A long table at the top seated many lords, and in the center sat Hadrian, with his two sons on either side of him.

A single chair had been placed in the middle of the hall, and Hadrian gestured to it, smiling.

"Sit, Henry." Hadrian said a smile is curving on his lips.

Henry walked gingerly to the chair and sat down. He glared at Hadrian in anger and fear.

This is a trial and he think the judgment has already been made.

"Hadrian, what is the meaning of this? This is clearly a trial."

"Is it?" said Hadrian innocently.

"Stop it," said Henry, "just tell me what you want."

"We would like to know," Hadrian said slowly, "if the rumors about you are true." His smile became wider.

"What rumors?" Henry was taken aback.

He had been expecting to be asked why he had neglected his duties and allowed riots to break out, not this.

"Rumors that you want to be king," said Hadrian, his eyes fixed intently on Henry.

"This is absurd!" cried Henry.

"So, you deny the accusation?"

"Of course!"

"What if I were to produce a witness who proves the rumors to be true?" Hadrian asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That would be impossible," said Henry indignantly. "I have no desire to become king!"

Why suddenly this trial is moving to a different way than he expected? Then he saw Hadrian smile.

He is amused at this. He is trapping him. And he finally realizes it. Henry rise up from my chair.

He need to go back. This is a trap.

He jumped out of his chair and at once a row of guards behind him unsheathed their swords. The lords along the table looked at him with a mixture of disgust and pity.

The atmosphere in the hall is tense.

"Henry, please sit down," Hadrian said calmly with a twinkle in his eye.

"You scheming old beast Hadrian, you never said this was a trial!"

"Nor did I say it was not a trial," said Hadrian, and several lords sniggered. Henry sank back into his seat.

He had to argue his case

"I swear, I have no intention of becoming a king," said Henry weakly.

"The stories say otherwise" a noble pipe up in the back

"False stories, false rumor." he replies to the accusation

"Is it true that you exiled the Vermont's because they knew of your ambition?" asked one of the low lords, ignoring him.

"You dare speak to me in such a way?" Henry spat at the man.

"Yes, he dares!" roared Lyle Guise. "You will not threaten my men, Henry!"

"I am your lord!" Henry shouted back.

"My allegiance is and always has been to the House of Alan," Lyle yelled back. "You are no lord of mine."

"Look at your attitude," said Arwin Rodan, "look at your temper. Who's to say you wouldn't take our lands and declare yourself king?" The lords along the table nodded in agreement.

Rodan is a low lord that did not swear fealty to any of the high lords. Their house is recently founded

Henry look at Rodan lie he could not believe some upstart noble family would dare to speak such a way to him

"You say you have a witness," Henry said desperately to Hadrian.

"Who is this witness? I have never wanted to be a king, and I have no recollection of saying anything that could condemn me."

"In that case," said Hadrian, clearing his throat, "may I present to the lords, Lord Helve Zephyr from the House of Zephyr."

Henry couldn't mask his shock. He stared as Helve appeared from the other side of the hall. Traitor, Henry thought.

'Tell me what you heard Lord Henry said to the other nobles'

Hadrian said gesturing Helve to come in front to address the other lords.

Helve comes in front and look at the other lords and then he sighed. After that he speaks…. lies.

"It is as you said, Lord Hadrian. I heard Lord Henry words with my own ears, boasting that he had removed the greatest obstacle in his path to becoming king," said Helve, not meeting Henry's incredulous stare.

The crowds gasped.

"The Vermont?" Arwin Rodan inquire

"Yes, the Vermont is a thorn in my liege side" Helve nodded.

He is giving false information. He is lying, backstabbing sod. Even now, he couldn't believe Helve is betraying him.

"And why have you decided to share this information, knowing full well that it means betraying your lord?" Hadrian asked.

Helve sighed in regret, his sigh could be heard, stressing his enormous burden, a great acting in front of the congregation of all the lords of the realm, and then he said.

"I can no longer bear to hide such truths, with the exile of an innocent family and the Dukedom in danger of being controlled by a tyrant," Helve sighed. "I am prepared to be known as dishonorable to protect the Dukedom."

Henry put his head in his hands.

Helve had lied and betrayed him, and from the looks on the faces of the nobles he had succeeded.

Henry was doomed. Was this Hadrian's plan? Henry stared at Hadrian's face and shook his head in despair.

Hadrian seemed to believe the story.

Could it be Aries, he thought, his heart plummeting. He had underestimated that man.

"Duty towards the Dukedom comes before personal allegiance," declared Arwin. "I would never call you a dishonorable man."

"I second that!" the Lord of House Villion also rise from his chair and then the other nobles also began rising up from their chair giving support.

The other nobles stood and applauded. Hadrian raised a hand to silence them.

"Now the truth has been uncovered," Hadrian said, "we must discuss your punishment."

"He is lying!" Henry said frantically.

"Why would he lie? He is one of your own," said Hadrian. "One of your most trusted, I believe. And you did summon him recently, did you not? Helve told me that it is at that time you were thinking of amassing a force to subjugate the other noble Houses"

"No that was for the riots."

"Excuses" Alderam said disgust in his tone. The son of Hadrian said from beside his father seat.

Hadrian creased his eyebrows seeing the behavior of his eldest but then he turned back his gaze to me

Henry didn't know what to say, and so he sat with his mouth opening and closing like a fish. It was clear that Hadrian's mind had been made up from the start. There was nothing Henry could do.

"Considering the severity of the charges against you Henry Palais, the council has decided that you are to be exiled from this Dukedom. You have two weeks to make your preparations and leave. Does anyone object to this sentence?"

Silence fill the hall. No one disagree

"Then it is decided. You will be given two weeks. Your army will be put under my House until I appoint someone more reliable than you to hold the duchy"

Henry had no room to object, so he just nodded numbly.

He could raise an army to attack Hadrian, but with the other lords rallied around him Henry would have no chance of winning a war.

As he left the castle, he wondered vaguely if Aries had felt the same way.

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Third chapter for the mass release