Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 114: Let a new world be born (2)

Silas put down the letter and sighed. "What do you want, my liege?"

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Why do you always answer my question with another question?"

Silas chuckled. "Maybe because I want to hear your opinion?"

"Give me my options, Silas."

"Fine, then I will give you my unreserved opinion."

"That is what I expect of you."

"Although I must warn you, truth is always hard to swallow, and most of the time it is never comforting."

Like always, dramatic in his behavior or his speech, thought the king. Which might be the reason people are so attracted to him, either in my court or within the common folk.

"I have no choice," Adrian responded.

Then Silas take a breath before laying his options.

"The first option is to let your brother live. I will tell you what it might lead to. If you let your brother live, it would be unwise, to say the least…"

"Why?" He interrupted

Silas held up his hand. "Wait until I'm finished, my liege."

"Go on."

"If you decided to spare him, out of a misguided sense of brotherhood or familial ties, please do remember, that this man you called your brother, was and still, desires your death, your blood on his hammer, and trust me, if it is him, making this choice, he would not hesitate to choose, to smash your head with his hammer, bathe in your blood, seat on your throne and wear your crown'

"Still, he is my brother." Silas shakes his head

"Such naivety, my liege, will spell doom for you."

"You said to trust the good in people."

"Yes, I did. Contrary to popular belief, trust does not mean you have to be stupid. In your brother's mind, you don't exist, my liege."

"Maybe he does think of me."

Silas nodded. "If he had even a shred of affection towards his younger brother, he would not have crafted such a horrible plan as the Bloody Feast. It is only through your luck and perseverance that you escaped from the onslaught. Kill that man, my liege."

"What man?"

"The man that still believes that your family can be saved. It's not broken my liege, your family. It has gone away, lost in the darkness of the Oblivion, the very moment your brother hardened his heart to kill you and all those lords. It is hard to accept but you are alone. You have no brother. What brother would want to kill his own siblings?"

Adrian sighed.

He knew Silas was speaking true.

But he still dared to hope.

Hope that his brother would remember.

Remember that they were a family. That they used to be brothers. That their father in High Heaven would certainly weep while seeing his sons fighting to the death against one another.

Yet, Silas words rang true and he could not deny those arguments. But still, to kill his own blood?

Could he give such order himself? He may not be branded Kinslayer, but that's exactly what he would become.

"I hoped that my brother would remember that we were a family." Adrian sighed. "How about we exile him?"

Silas laughed vigorously.

A hearty laugh, he even slapped his hand to his thigh, finding the suggestion to be terribly funny it seems.

Then he suddenly looked at Adrian with intense eyes

"Do you wish to kill yourself, my liege? Why not drink poisoned wine or jump from the tallest tower in this castle? Why make it so hard on yourself if you wish to die, my liege?"

The king was in shock by what he had just heard. "Kill myself?"

"Certainly. It is obvious to me that you wish to end your life. Perhaps the world has no pleasure to give you anymore?" He asked again with a crooked smile.

"The world still has plenty pleasures for me to discover," Adrian said defiantly. "And I never meant to kill myself, and I refused adamantly, to your suggestion, of drinking poisoned wine, or jumping from the castle tower. I meant to exile him, to a faraway land, where he will be of no danger to anyone else'"

Silas shook his head. "To exile him is to kill yourself, my liege."

"How so?"

"Imagine my liege. Many of the lords under you right now, followed your banner, fight for you, and risk their life for you some because of honor, others because of vengeance. Their friends, families die in the Feast, and they want to settle that blood debt. Imagine how they will response when they find out the killer of their family, and their friends, is safe and well in a distant land far from their reaches. What do you think they would feel? Would they still fight for you? Risk their life for you? Raise their banner for you? Even though they spoke the words of fealty, know this, words are winds. Then…. they will direct their hatred towards you and they will come by the thousand to unseat you from the throne"

"Are you sure?"

"Nothing is certain, my liege. Only probable."

Adrian fell silent.

"Not to mention there is the matter of the throne," Silas continued. "As long as your brother is alive, he can claim as one of the claimant of the throne. Will you suffer that? What if Dostov decided that they can do more for Alderam or suddenly the Emperor of Vern find you to be the most unprofitable partner to expand his influence to the rest of the Continent?  Will they not, then throw their support to your brother? What will you do then?"

Adrian sighed, hard and deep. "Then from the beginning, I have only had one choice." He finally realizing the point Silas is making

Silas nodded. "Yes, my liege. And I think you knew it the moment you read the letter."

"True." Said Adrian while thinking.

It is hard to admit but Silas is right.

The moment he read the letter he already knows what his orders should be but he hesitated, because he is his brother, his only family, that of his own blood, his older brother.

Silas looked at his face and he too must have realized what he have been feeling.

He nodded in understanding.

This game is cruel, like it meant to be. Who would ever want to be King, if they knew this is what they had to expect?

Or is he not strong enough for this heavy crown or the dangerous throne?

Then Silas speak.

"You are.... afraid. He is your family, your last living relative, your blood brother. You want assurance, confirmation. You continue to doubt your decision, my liege, and that is unbecoming of a great king."

Adrian show him a tired smile

'In the fairy tale, the old tales, and poems, the Kings live like Gods, serve by a hundred maids, feast and song fill their court, people love him, the nobles obey him, the ultimate authority and power, from the earth to the sky above. Yet, I sit on the throne every day, yet I felt such dread and fear every time I sit on the throne and when I wear the golden crown and administer my court. Will this be my last day? I asked myself. Are there people plotting against me today? I asked myself again. Will the nobles hear my orders? Fear takes a hold of me, when I sit in that throne and wear the golden crown. Why is my life not happy like the fairy tale of old?'

'My liege, that is why it is called a fairy tale, old tales, and poems.'

Silas looked at him, waiting for his words, comforting words, consoling words. Silas knew what the King is expecting from him but he could not give it.

He then said

'Heed my words, my liege. There is never a King who underestimates the power of the throne and ended up well. You should fear the throne. Your words affect lives. It is like a sword is hanged on the ceiling, with a thin thread that holding it from falling and that sword can fall anytime, and you, my liege is under it'

Adrian looked at him and sighed.

Silas is a wise advisor and apparently he never even spares him from the truth, not a consoling word, or comforting words. He laid the truth for him and it strikes his heart with uneasiness.

"Sometimes, I wish you lied to me, Silas. Your words scare me."

"Lies, my liege?" Silas chuckled. "Do you rather trade the truth for beautiful lies?"

"Maybe. Is it so bad?"

"To be strong, truth is the only path. Truth or lies? Which is heavier? Which one takes the most strength to carry around? Which one, my liege?"

"The truth, obviously."

"And there lies your answer."

"Isn't there any other way to phrase your truth in a more beautiful way that would not make me uneasy?"

Silas shook his head.josei

"You wish to become a strong King. I wished there was an easier way but there isn't, my liege. Pain drives us, teaches us, motivates us and sometimes saves us. For without pain, there can be no great pleasure. Without great sadness, there can be no great happiness. Without sorrowful misery there can be no true beauty.  And pain mostly and usually came from the truth, like it always is. Lies are fundamentally different. Lies are beautiful. We cannot, but not be tempted by it. We love them for it tells us what we want to hear, a song in our ear, their siren calls captivated us mind and soul, if we believed in it. The nature of lies as it has always been, is to please, to soothe, to comfort. Truth, on the other hand, are painful, and have no regard to anyone comfort. It can shatter worlds or build a new one. Great and extraordinary courage is needed to hear the truth while lies require nothing big or small"

He said, clearly passionate. Silas look at him and bow slightly.

'How heavy will the truth I have to bear then, Silas? I'm the King. So does my burden heavy? Or light? A burden of a large rock or a burden of a mountain?' He said, depressed with the thought.

He was right, like he always is.

Truths are hard, hard to hear, hard to listen.

'Heavy or not, the truth is yours now, as the King and protector, truth will guide you path, though thorny, it will, someday, if you believe and persevere, one day, the truth you will hear, will be good news, untainted by lies.

"Then, my orders should be…" Adrian said glancing at the letter.

"Let the Dragon spew its flames and sink its claws in your brother. Let the lords have their vengeance. Let them end this war so you may rule. Victory is but a step away, my liege. Give your order, send the letters, and let a new world be born."

"So, it shall be."

Adrian said

And he sits down at the table while Silas looked at him. Adrian called the servants to bring him paper and began writing in the letter.

And he ends his letter with "Let a new world be borne"

*****************************************************************************

Silas like always is doing his job faitfully of advising the King while Arial fight in the battlefield. If you like the chapter please leave some comments and reviews and dont forget to vote