The Lord's Plot.

BRETVER 23RD YEAR 548 ASMERIAN CALENDAR

Alex and Zena walked out the back of the arena into an alleyway where two men with blue cloaks were waiting. The alley was cold and dark, the sun being blocked out by the buildings. The men faced Alex and Zena and lowered the hoods on their cloaks.

"Pleasure to meet you again, Sir Wentworth," Alex said as he held out his hand.

"I'm not in the business of shaking hands, Mister Daniels," Wentworth said as he leaned against the wall across from Alex and Zena. "I must say, I was impressed at little Scottkey's performance today, weren't you, Mister Daniels?"

"Yes, he's a skilled young man, but what does that have to do with what we're doing here and now?"

"People like the Scottkey's are dangerous to his Majesty. They have an influence that almost rivals his own. They also aren't loyal to Asmeria or the crown. Are you familiar with who Scottkey's are?"

"What do you mean by that, Sir Wentworth?"

"I mean, that boy is to be observed, along with his family. I already had the pleasure of forcing his uncle into slavery in Lexington. They're threats to our plan, as is the Gregorian Knight."

"Under your logic, everyone is a threat to his majesty's plan to take back power."

"Would I be wrong?"

That took Alex by surprise; he hadn't thought of the people and what they would say about his majesty trying to take back power, only himself. He trembled at the thought of another civil war that would be the end of the throne.

"No, no, I don't think you would be in the wrong at all. We cannot just kill everyone off; however, does his majesty, have a plan?"

"Yes, we've already executed his plan, and now the people will see the senate as traitors. I supervised the forging of documents, and the king is holding a trial that will kill all of the senate and most other Head Judges. All you have to do is stay true to his majesty, and you will be well rewarded." Wentworth smirked. "His majesty is most cunning, isn't he?"

"Yes, but of course, his majesty is cunning and brilliant. Why do you think he has my support through this?"

"Good answer… My lord." Wentworth said as he stood up straight. "I, Sir Wentworth, by the powers given to me by his majesty and ruler of Asmeria. Heren, do find you honorable and competent. Worthy of ruling the soon to be Narn Territory in the name of his majesty, the king. You shall be lord of the land, ruler of law and justice, and resident of Greendale. Now, kneel, my lord."

Alex fell to his knee and bowed his head. His body shaken and shivering with excitement and joy. His face was that of a gleeful boy who had found a treasure of gold and silver. He had finally become a lord of a territory for the king.

"Give this ring of nobility under the king's guidance. It shall signify your duty to his majesty and the commoners under your charge. Now rise, lord Daniels."

"Thank you, Sir Wentworth, and long live the king."

"Live long he shall, now that that's out of the way. Let me tell you what you are doing now. You must make an announcement for all to hear. And tell me this, my lord. Where is everyone right now?"

"The horse track waiting for the race to start, it would be the perfect location to announce this."

"Yes, now you will go there and announce the senate's treason against the people and the need for the king to take back power. You will be very careful about how you speak to the public, and you will not say more than is required, do you understand?"

"I do, and it shall be done, Sir Wentworth."

"Good, then I will get going to the capital with a report that you have played your part and will be of service to him. I expect you to remember what I have done for you this day. I will expect a return on my efforts, my lord."

"We both shall remember what you have done for us this day, and we shall repay when we can."

"Good, then I'll await our next meeting. Remember, tread carefully; commoners are like snakes. If you step on them, they will bite you, and you will face a fate that no one person could ever foresee."

"I will watch my footing diligently. Goodbye, Sir Wentworth, and until we meet again." Alex said as Wentworth and his accomplice walked out of the alleyway, leaving Alex and Zena behind.

Alex took a second and a long deep breath. Zena, however, couldn't hold her excitement, and she started jumping for joy. "Alex!" She exclaimed. "We did it; we're going to be nobles. We'll finally be above the rest of the commoners and be respected by all who meet us, Alex."

"We must remember that we are serving at the king's leisure Zena. It won't matter if we lose our heads and lose our nobility." Alex said. "We have a lot that we need to do for his majesty before we can worry about such things as respect and being above the common person."

"I know, but we can celebrate a little, can't we?" Zena asked as she calmed down.

"There will be plenty of time once his majesty has his revenge against his enemies. Don't you worry about that one bit, my dear." Alex said as he embraced Zena and leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

"Fine but we better hurry then, I don't feel like waiting a lifetime before we can focus on ourselves," Zena said as she wrapped her arms around him. "So, we need to be at the horse track soon, don't we?"

"Yes, yes, we do, dear, shall we?"

"We shall."

The two with arms interlocked walked straight towards the eastern gatehouse, the open Greendale to the road that led into The Bowing Wood. The horse track laid just beyond the wall and was the largest track in Asmeria and the greater continent of Alta.

Once they had reached the gate, they saw that there was an overflow of people at the gateway trying to get to the race track. Alex estimated that there were about one hundred men, women, and children waiting to get outside of the gate. Alex looked around to see if there was a way he could bypass the line and get to the race track.

It was at that moment he noticed two guardsmen standing under an awning next to a tavern. The tavern had seen better days as the wooden structure of the building looked to be rotted out, and the whitewash had all but vanished, leaving a faint impression of the walls be white at one point in time long ago. The windows were cracked and broken, and drunks came and went just as surely as a clock hand made its way around the face of the clock.

The two guardsmen were in horrible shape, neither care about their uniform just by looking at how dirty they were. The men were also drunken and stammering around in the shade of the awning that was tattered and sagging in the middle. Alex took a breath and walked over to the two drunks, and with a simple motion of his hand got their attention.

"Who… who the he-hell are you?" The man on the right said as he walked sideways towards Alex.

"I am Alex Daniels, Head Judge of this district."

"Oh, the head pudge, I mean judge…" Said the second guard.

"Yes, are you two even capable of standing?"

"What do ya th-think we're doin right now ya joker?" The first man asked.

"Making a fool out of yourself."

"Hey, those are, are some fight-" The man paused as he fell to his feet. "Whoa, I-I meant to do that." The man said as he fell unconscious on the street.

"Hey ya fucker, don't go to sleep without me." The second guard said as he started to lay down. Alex just stood there and watched as the two grown men fell asleep at his feet. Alex, while quite insulted, was at the same time amused.

"There they are!" a man with a pristine guards uniform barked. "I want them bound by their hands and ankles now." Two guardsmen came up from behind him with chains and shackles and locked the two men up.

"Take them back to the sheriff's office and let him handle these two imbeciles."

"Yes, sir.", The two men responded as they picked the men up and dragged them away to a cart that was waiting for them.

"Excuse me, Mister," Alex said.

"Ah, what is it, sir?" The guardsman asked.

"I'm Alex Daniels, and as I'm sure you're aware, I'm the Head Judge of the district."

"I am aware of this fact sir, now what can I do for you?"

"I require an escort around this crowd of people, and I need to get to the race track as soon as possible."

The man scratched his scalp and looked around at the crowd, and the two men he had detained. He faced Alex. "Well, I don't have any men to spare right now, so I guess I'll just go with you."

"Thank you, I have an important announcement to make at the horse track, and I need to get there before the races start."

"I understand, give me a moment to explain to my men, and I'll be right with you, sir." The guard said as he turned to his men. He walked over to them and explained what was going on. They nodded, and the cart started towards the sheriff's office, and the guardsman returned to Alex.

"Sorry for the wait sir, I'm ready now." The guardsman said as he quickly checked his uniform.

"You have my thanks yet again, may I ask your name?"

"I'm Junior Lieutenant Mark Lawrence, at your service, sir."

"Well then, Lieutenant, shall we get going?"

"Yes, sir," Lawrence said as he started walking towards the gate. "Make way; the Head Judge is coming through!" He barked with such volume that it made the crowd instantly split right down the center. He turned to Alex and gestured for him to follow him into the group. It wasn't long before they were outside of the wall.

It was a short walk down the street to the race track. There were buildings and shops on the way to the race track. Even an inn that was five stories tall and rivaled the structures inside of Greendale's wall. They walked into the stadium and looked for employees that could direct Alex to the owner of the track. They found a young boy, about eight years old, handing out papers and booklets.

"Get your betting cards and horse information here!" The boy shouted in his uniform. He had a tan shirt and brown pants with a dark red vest overtop. He was about as dirty as an Oxen after plowing a large field.

"Excuse me, young man, where could I find the owner of the horse track?" Alex asked as he approached him.

"The owner?" the boy repeated back to Alex.

"Yes, lad, the owner, would you know where he is at this moment?"

"No, but you could wait for him at the main balcony up there." The boy said as he pointed to a balcony on the fifth floor of the stadium. "That's where he makes all of his calls and hollers from."

"You mean announcements?"

"Yes, announents- announcements."

"I see, thank you, lad," Alex said as he handed the boy an Asmerian silver coin.

"Here, can you take one, please, Mister?" The boy held out a piece of paper with horse names and seating locations on it. "Please."

"Sure, I'll take three," Alex said as he handed the paper to Lawrence. He took the other two and gave one to Zena. The little boy was very pleased as they walked away from him, and he went back to handing out papers.

They all walked to a service stairwell in the back of the stadium next to the outer wall. It led to the fifth floor. Once they exited the staircase, they came to a hall with pure white walls and golden inlays and accents. The craftsmanship was immaculate and unparalleled, and there were portraits of the royal family and landscapes of famous Asmerian landmarks lining the walls.

Once they came to the end of the hallway, it opened to a balcony with a beautiful view of Greendale in the background. "Ah, who do we have here?" An older man asked. "I don't recall having any company today."

"My apologies sir, I'm Alex Daniels, and this is my wife, Zena. I'm the Head Judge of the district, and I require your assistance." Alex said as he bowed his head.

"Oh, I'd be happy to help you, your honor." The man said as he stood up and greeted Alex, Zena, and Lawrence. "Please, make yourself comfortable and tell me what deed I may do for you on this fine day.���

"Thank you, sir," Alex said as he and Zena took as a seat, Lawrence remained standing next to Alex.

"Now, what can I be of service for?" The man asked.

"I need to make an urgent announcement regarding the Asmerian government and important changes to the governing power."

"Oh, is that all?" The man asked as he reached for a cup of fine liquor. "Fine, let me show you how."

"I already know what I'm going to say, sir."

"Oh, do you believe that your shouting will reach every ear in the stadium? I mean, if you are that loud than be my guest, but there is an easier way your honor."

"My apologies, Mister…"

"Thompson, so kind of you to ask."

"I'm sorry."

"Boy, you need to stop apologizing for everything. Now, before you say anything else, come here." Thompson said as he stood up and walked to the balcony's edge. He stood next to a large brass pipe that led down into a large horn made of silver. "You see, this here pipe your honor?"

"Yes."

"Well, now you're going to speak loud but clearly into this pipe, and I know that all will hear your words."

"Thank you, sir-"

"Wait, just a moment there, this is all about showmanship and verbal talent. You need to be introduced to your audience, and I shall handle the introduction." He said as he grabbed a large drum from his next to the pipe. "Now observe."

He beat the drum twice into the pipe and then gave a flick on to the tube, which rang out with an incredible volume. Everyone below turned their attention to the balcony and the horn.

"Hear hear, to all of the people who took the time to come to the Thompson stadium; I thank you. Before the races can run from start to finish, we must uphold our duty as citizens of Asmeria and take a special announcement from Head Judge Alex Daniels. This announcement will be about the governance of the country that we all are proud to call home. Please welcome, Head Judge Alex Daniels!" Thompson finished by turning to Alex and gesturing him to the large pipe.

Alex took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Citizens of the thirteenth district of Asmeria." Alex started. "What I am about to tell you concerns all of you and me equally from the free man down to the common slave. The senate of Asmeria is conspiring against you, the people of Asmeria. They had planned to take control of the entire government for themselves. Leaving the will of the ones who had elected them behind. His majesty, the king, has foiled their plot to turn over large plots of land, the Lucc Empire, and the Verin Kingdom. As for the thirteenth district, you all would have been given to anyone who would ask. The king has stopped this horrid plot against our nation; however, to do so, he had to take back all powers that the crown once had. In doing so, he has informed me that there will be a return of nobility, and the republic of Asmeria will turn back into the Kingdom of Asmeria. As a reward for my loyalty to the country and his majesty, I have been granted the lands from Rosaria, north to the Gregorian border, and east to the Zander mountain range."

Alex paused to catch his breath and read the crowd's reaction. Thankfully there was no booing or rioting in the crowd, just an eerie calm.

"I will be ruling as the lord of those lands, and as such, I will be ruling Greendale as well. His majesty wants all of Asmeria to know that he is not his grandfather, and he has learned from the past to make the future brighter. That is all for the time, and I thank every one of you for listening and heeding this announcement."

Alex stepped back from the railing, and the crowd began to applaud and cheer. There was a significant portion in Asmeria that wanted the king to take back power, and now that he had done it, they were relieved. Thompson pated Alex on the back and took a seat in his armchair. "That was a good speech, your honor… or should I say, my lord?"

"My lord, as of now, Mister Thompson."

"This shall be an interesting time in history, my lord. Are you ready for what awaits you?"

"If his majesty deems it so, then, yes, I am."

"We shall see my lord. Tell me, do you have a plan on how you're going to run a territory for his majesty. Do you know what it implies, what it requires?"

"I've been a Head Judge for almost seven years in service to the commoners. I should believe that it will be easier to be in service to the king alone compared to thirty thousand commoners."

"Very well, my lord, you may have my fidelity, and I shall see you as lord of the land and commerce."

"Thank you, Mister Thompson; we'll be going now."

"Oh, you don't want to watch the races?"

"Unfortunately, matter's are dictating my presence elsewhere," Alex said as he walked to the door, both Zena and Lawrence followed him to the door. "I'm sure that there will be another time Mister Thompson."

"I should hope so, my lord, and have a good day."

"You as well," Alex said as he walked out into the white hallway. "you know, there will be a lot of changes soon, Mister Thompson. I do not plan to make everyone's life easier or less strenuous; I do plan to protect them from themselves and outsiders. I would like for men like you to aid me in my ruling of the territory."

"My lord, you may want to find a balance between their comfort and their safety. If you don't, they will make you a tyrant, and you cannot win against their wrath."

"I understand, Mister Thompson, farewell for now, and we shall meet again."

"Farewell, my lord." Alex shut the door, and the three made their way outside of the stadium and back to the wall. The sun stood at noon, and the day was still young. The people showed no sign of pausing the festival nor taking time away from activities. Men and women walked around from vendor to vendor, game to game. Children ran around carefree, and slaves worked as their masters demanded to have a chance of enjoying a game or a treat.

Alex saw a bench on the side of the street and decided to rest for just a moment as his legs grew tired. Zena sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulders. "Wonderful is it not?" she asked.

"What exactly are you talking about here?" Alex asked.

"To know that the king himself thought us capable enough to rule over his subjects and keep them safe."

"Oh, that it is, it is truly wonderful."

"I wish I were up in a castle tower right now so I could watch everything at once and admire its beauty. Like a hunter before he shoots his bow at an impressive stag."

"That would be a sight to behold dear, but we'd need to build the tower and keep, and the walls to protect ourselves and guards to man the walls and ramparts. All of which I fully plan to do someday, and honestly, there's no better place for a castle than here. With Gregoria to the north and The Bowing Woods to the east, both of which have to come straight to us through open flatlands."

"Then why don't we ask his majesty for funds to build a castle? We could cover most of the coin ourselves, but I'm sure he would see the importance of having a castle here." Zena said as she perked up her head and had an expression of a woman who knew what she wanted.

"With how much Greendale alone makes off of taxes, I'm sure that we wouldn't even have to ask for the king's purse."

"So, does that mean that we can build a castle, Alex?"

"We have a lot to do before we could just build a castle, we need to find where it will be built and design it first before we just start laying down rocks."

"I know, but I still have so many things running through my head right now it nauseating."

"Am I free to go, my lord?" Lawrence asked as he was only just standing guard for the two.

"Ah, yes, and you have our thanks for your help."

"It was my pleasure my lord, have you informed the guards and the sheriff yet?"

"There should have been messengers sent from by his majesty to take care of that. As of today, the republic of Asmeria is no more, and only the Kingdom of Asmeria will stand in its place for the rest of time." Alex said as he stood up and held out his hand. Lawrence took his hand in a firm handshake.

"I must admit that I am relieved that the king was able to stop a plot against our nation in the way that he did," Lawrence said as he bowed his head out of respect.

"It was so incredible that you couldn't even write a script for a book better."

"I see, hail to the king and have a good day, my lord," Lawrence said as he turned and walked into the crowd of people behind him. He disappeared, and Alex and Zena returned to their inn. They spent the rest of the day at Black's Tavern.