Chpater 81 - From The Eyes of a Peasant.

Jakob Dells was an ordinary man, a farmer within the kingdom of Larra that worked on one of the larger fields within view of the capital. His life for the most part had been simple, and dull. He woke, went to work, spent time in a tavern or with friends, then went to sleep, sometimes with a woman if he was lucky that night. It had been the same thing ever since he'd been old enough to work. Sure he'd had dreams, but his family had been poor, and he'd had two options, become a soldier or a farmer.

He chose farmer, and for the past 24 years, he'd spent his life on the field. The pay wasn't too bad, and over time the work had become a habit and he couldn't see himself not working on the farm, but things had changed.

War had come.

The old king had died and his heirs had begun fighting for his crown. At first, he'd brushed it off, saying that all would be solved and that there would be no fighting near the capital, spouting his nonsense to his friends.

How wrong he'd been.

The farm he'd worked in for most of his life was burnt by a group of soldiers turned bandit, within the first few weeks of the war. He'd managed to make it out, but only because he'd been working the fields at the time and had seen the bandit's comings. He wasn't proud to admit it, but he was a coward. When he'd seen the masked men, he'd turned and ran instead of trying to help those that he'd known for many years.

The sounds of screaming would follow him that day and haunt him in the months to come.

The next month had been spent beggaring on the streets of the capital, resorting to things he'd never thought he'd have to do in his life. Those days were like a stain upon him, and if he thought about it, perhaps a punishment for his cowardness, and like the way life does.

Things changed again.

He'd heard rumors of the meeting of course, and had cared little for it. Even if all went well, his situation wouldn't change, he'd still be beggaring in the alleys and dark corners of the capital.

Then the news had come, the three heirs were dead, killed at the hand of a foreign prince, no an inquisitor, no a noble from a neighboring kingdom. Rumors had flowed through the streets.

A tyrant had taken the throne and despair and suffering were bound for the kingdom. He resigned himself to it and waited, but it never came, even as a second war occurred and was crushed just as easily as the heirs had been, it had never come.

More rumors had flooded the streets, of dragons, a green giant, a queen of ice, and a flood of the same man.

He'd not known what to think of any of it, and by the time he'd figured it would be best to stop caring, news had spread that the new king was giving a speech soon and that everyone was invited, from the lowest of the low to the highest of the high.

At first, he'd told himself he wouldn't attend. What did it matter what this new king had to say. Those types didn't give a rats ass about him or those like him, living at the bottom while they lived at the top in their mansions and palaces.

So when the day came he stayed in his ally... for about all of 5 minutes before the curiosity had forced him out and towards where the speech would be held.

It was packed with people and at first, he'd thought he wouldn't get a good spot and would have to resign himself to the back of the crowd, but for once his foul smell and dirty appearance had helped him as people had scrambled to get out of his way allowing him a small comfy space all for himself. He ignored the glares and mutters, having gotten used to them by now. People weren't fond of beggars, especially dirty and foul-smelling beggars.

As he waited for the king to arrive, he couldn't help but stare at his surroundings. There were hundreds of soldiers and guards keeping order in check, and what looked like a small legion guarding an empty area, which if used would have probably made things feel less crowded. Was it for the nobles, heavens knew they didn't like being near the peasantry, the noble little shits. Perhaps the space had something to do with the king?

He shook the useless thought away and turned his attention to the palace. It looked as beautiful as ever and made him feel a hundred times dirtier and smaller. A massive building of polished stone, granite, and other expensive materials, and all that silver and gold, shining in the bright daylight, illuminating for the world as if it didn't already stand out enough.

As he once again cursed the nobles and the unfairness of the world, the crowd slowly grew quieter until all was silent. He frowned and quickly tried to follow where everyone was looking. It didn't take him long to understand why everyone had gone quiet.

The balcony which had been empty was now occupied.

The King had finally arrived.