The Crimson Prince： Awakening 54 Chapter 25: Shadow's Reach

Nathan cleared his throat nervously as he found a spot by a wall in which to stand. "M-my lord," he began nervously. "Not myself or any of my guard knew that it was you within the fifty first cell." He finished silently.

The king could stomach many things in the long life he had, but one thing he had never had time for was excuses. How could they truly do their job if they don't check the cells? He thought, completely annoyed.

"So what you're saying is," the king paced the beginning of the double stairway as he focused his attention on Nathan. "Not only have you not seen me within the last fourteen years, but even if you did, you wouldn't even know it was me?" He looked questioningly at the captain of the guard. "How exactly did I get my food if you weren't allowed to come to my cell?" William raised an eyebrow at the nervous man.

"In your absence, Advisor Aremesis has been announcing your decrees, sire." Nathan tried not to look the king in the eye, which seemed to irritate William even more. "He has been at every briefing, every dinner and has shown us the leaders.h.i.+p you couldn't provide at the time." As the captain of the guard continued his explanation, the Crimson King became even more irritated.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jonathan saw many other knights bid their heads in approval. Here they stand in front of their crowned king, Jonathan thought irritatedly. And they point their fingers accusingly at him? Jonathan felt something off in the atmosphere. As Nathan spoke, it seemed as though he was rousing the knights to his side.

"Who is this Aremesis I keep hearing about?" William interrupted Nathan's rantings. "The name of Advisor has been vacant for quite a few generations, if anyone were to have filled that role, it would be Jonathan." He pointed at the earth sage.

Nathan looked as if he were about to explode. "What do you mean there is no advisor?" he guffawed at the king. "If there wasn't an advisor, who would be running the kingdom in your stead?" he gave William a questioning glance.

"Running the kingdom?" William roared at Nathan. "Is that what it was called?" his eyebrow was raised as he looked upon the other knights. "Increased taxes? Slavery, poverty?" the king was inches away from Nathan, each word uttered was another finger to the captain's chest. "That's not running a kingdom Nathan, that's destroying it!"

"Wait," Jonathan looked at William in surprise. "You mean to tell me there hasn't been a high advisor in Ebonhart this whole time?" He waited for his friend to confirm, yet he only got a nod which was enough to send chills down his spine.

"Of course not!" William roared. "An advisor is not someone appointed, it is someone who shows themselves to be worthy with an aura as pure as their intentions!"

Jonathan's eyes went wide as he looked at the hundred strong men. "Has anyone ever seen High Advisor Aremesis?" Most of the men looked at each other with questioning expressions. "You all have eaten with the man, you've had briefings as well, can anyone tell me what he looks like?"

The knights fell silent. Jonathan looked from one man to another and noticed the same blank expression on all of their faces. All of them but one.

Nathan stepped forward from the wall. His eyes narrowed into slits as he moved towards Jonathan. "I don't care who you are to the king, I won't tolerate such insolence towards our advisor." He stopped only feet from the earth sage.

Jonathan could almost see the darkness within the man's eyes. If I were to out him here though, Jonathan thought as he saw a self righteous smirk adorned on Nathan's face. He would gain the support of the knights, I'm not sure even the king could touch him.

Jonathan rolled his eyes at the captain of the guard, playing along with the man's theatrics. Looking at the remainder of the men, he noticed that most of them were confused by the question. "Have any of you truly met the man? I mean no disrespect, but if the king himself is confused," He pointed at William. "Then I'd say it's a valid question."

Jonathan had to play on the knights memories, but had to do it in such a way to not involve Nathan. Whatever hold he may have on them, it was only when he spoke.

Anthony, the young knight Jonathan had questioned earlier was the first to speak. "I have never once seen him," He started as Nathan glared daggers at him. "I've heard him though, whenever we had briefings in the war room." He said as Jonathan tapped on the railing of one of the stairwells.

"You've heard him, but never seen him?" Jonathan asked the young knight.

"No sir, every time I tried," Anthony tried to avoid the captain's dark glare. "I always had a sickening feeling in my gut, like I shouldn't try to make eye contact."

Jonathan noticed the way Anthony was trying to keep his eyes away from Nathan, just as he was describing.

"Why would you never look at the man giving you orders?" Jonathan asked simply. "In what world do you not convey respect to your superiors by looking at them as they are speaking to you?" He looked Anthony in the eye. "What are you doing right now to prove my point?"

Anthony could feel goose b.u.mps forming on his arms. "Now that I think of it, I never truly had a reason to look at him. He would have most of the information we needed on a board, he was always off to the right. I could never truly see his face, nor would I try to."

"My king," Jonathan looked over to William. "Could I have a word with you for a moment?" He didn't wait for a response from the king before he walked up the stairwell he had been standing in front of.

William gave off a weary sigh before following his old friend. He walked up the stairs to the second floor where Jonathan waited. "I'm not the only one who feels that something is off I hope." William said in a hushed tone.

"Not at all," Jonathan said as he leaned up against the stairwell. "I think I have most of it figured out, but I need to ask a favor of you." he said as he allowed his deep hazel eyes to connect with William's sky blue.

"What kind of favor are we asking?" William asked quizzically. "Considering the circ.u.mstances, I'd say you have a plan?" he looked at his old friend, obviously amused.

Jonathan nodded his head. "It's not going to be easy," he said quietly. "If we were at all to attack the one that is orchestrating this ruse, the knights will defend him." Michael said as he cast a glance down to the first floor, Nathan was pacing impatiently. "I need the full authority over the men downstairs if this is going to work."

"Are you going to tell me the plan?" the king raised an eyebrow. He never was one for being kept out of the loop.

"No," Jonathan shook his head. "It's too risky to speak aloud."

William looked at Jonathan questioningly. "You're being rather cryptic Jonathan." he said with a hint of annoyance. "But I suppose you have your reasons."

"Shall we head back down and put an end to this?" Jonathan said seriously as he looked at the impatient Nathan who stood in front of the knights.

William raised a hand to the stairs with a half smile. "After you, old friend."

The two made their way back to the first floor. All eyes were on the king as he stood in front of them and Nathan.

"I hereby relinquish all authority of the Crimson Knights to Jonathan Carter, the Earth Sage." With the decree finished, William stepped aside for Jonathan to take his place in front of the formation.

Jonathan looked from Anthony to Nathan and then on to the rest of the knights. "The men I trained fourteen years ago," He gestured his hand in front of him. "Please step forward."

Thirty men stepped forward in ten man ranks. Jonathan gestured to William with a hand. "My lord, would you join me?" The king took his place to the right of the sage. Jonathan saw Nathan walk towards the thirty men to join them. "Nathan, please stay with the main group for this demonstration."

Nathan took his place back with the other seventy men, yet his face did not show signs of obedience as much as it did disdain.

"Men, look at me." The thirty men looked at Jonathan with a peculiar expression. "Though you can see me, without moving your eyes," He met each of their eyes to ensure they followed his instructions. "Tell me what your king looks like."

Most of the men stood like statues looking at Jonathan, but Christopher was the first to answer. "Sir, the king mostly looks as if he needs a good long bath and some relaxation as well as a change of clothes." He then cleared his throat and resumed his motionless stance.

Jonathan kept his eyes on Christopher, but scanned the room with his peripheral vision. The thirty men in front of him were easily identified as his own, but when he scanned the back formation, one knight seemed to be blotched from view.

"I think I know how you did this Aremesis." he said as he let his eyes focus on Nathan. "You used darkness to corrupt the minds of those you led, an I right?"

A deep chuckle could be heard from the rear of the formation. Along with the sound, the torches seemed to dim. A shadow seemed to ooze upward out of Nathan As the rumbling continued. "It has been too long since I've been faced with an adversary of higher intelligence." What started as Nathan speaking changed to the entire room echoing a sinister voice. "I've been stuck with a grieving king and a castle of p.a.w.ns for too long." the shadow had put out all light with the castle as it stretched to every corner.

"My king," Jonathan looked at king Ragnos while pointing at the ceiling. "Allow me to introduce you to advisor Aremesis, the being who has been ruling your kingdom in your absence."

The king glared at the shadow as it increased within the entrance to his castle. Tendrils of darkness slithered silently along the floor while oblivious knights scrambled away from Nathan as his body fell to the ground.

"It's unfortunate poor Nathan had to be dead for me to inhabit his body." the darkness whispered from every corner of the room. "Even without me, he still questioned the state of things within the kingdom." a chuckle rang out in every direction.

The king's eyes cast downwards as he summoned his aura. Pure golden light sprang forth in a ma.s.sive dome around himself and all the men in the room. "I may have been gone for some time," he said as he raised his eyes once more. "But my bloodline will always be here to protect this land from you." The gold dome of light stretched further out as he grunted softly.

The further the dome crept, the thicker the darkness became beyond. "Maybe when you were at your prime you might have been able to drive me away," Aremesis chuckled, "but now a mere husk of your former self has appeared within my domain." The dark tendrils wrapped themselves around the dome of light and squeezed. Small cracks formed along the surface while the king grimaced with the effort.

"Cainus!" William senior called out into the darkness. "I can hold him now, but we both know this is no longer my fight." sweat began forming on his forehead as the darkness gained more of a hold. "Call my heir to me!"

It's been too long since I've heard your voice King Ragnos. A voice rang from William's mind. Your son will be here soon, until then, hold on my old friend.

King Ragnos suppressed a sigh of relief. He knew he couldn't afford even a moment of relaxation. Hurry home son. He thought as he focussed on repairing the cracks. I'll hold him off until then. From the inside, the ground was illuminated with gold yet, on the outside the darkness held strong to the last light of Ebonhart.