S
lowly, Abraham took his helmet off as the other Henchmen followed suit. With a smile, he said to the shock-faced Lewis, “Surprise.” He flung his helmet at Lewis and shouted, “King Hector! You are in danger!”
Lewis knocked the helmet aside with his hand. “I am no such thing!”
King Hector stopped his forces and turned around.
Pratt called out in a booming voice, “It is true, Your Majesty! Your son betrays you!”
“Traitor!” Lewis stabbed the unsuspecting Pratt through the heart with his sword. “Die, you lying dog, die!”
Pratt fell out of the saddle with his eyes frozen wide open. He hit the ground with a loud thud.
“Kill the traitors! Kill the traitors!” Lewis screamed.
“Henchmen! Protect the king!” Abraham spurred his horse forward. He rammed Raschel and knocked her from the saddle. He galloped by the Guardians that were still drawing their weapons and headed toward the wide-eyed king. “King Hector, you must listen! You are in danger!”
The ground exploded underneath Abraham’s horse’s feet, courtesy of a purple bolt of power hurled by Melris.
Abraham flew out of his saddle and hit the ground like a bag of bricks. He popped up to one knee and found himself surrounded by a ring of spears pointed right at him. The King’s Guardians had him dead to rights. He lifted his hands over his head. “King Hector, you must listen! Lewis and Leodor betray you again. I have proof!”
“You have nothing!” Lewis said with rage. “Guardians, kill him!”
“Hold!” King Hector said in a voice that froze everyone in their tracks. His eyes burned with inner fire. The stones in his crown twinkled with mystical life. He moved his horse closer to Abraham and glowered down on him. “This time, you try to assassinate me. How deep will your betrayal go?”
“You must believe me, King Hector. I have been on your side always. You march into a trap. The Sect is waiting.”
“Don’t listen to him, Father! He is an otherworlder, like them, a possessed man that has only brought you trouble.” Lewis slid out of his saddle with his sword in hand. “Let me kill this dog myself.”
“I’ll handle it this time,” the king said. He opened his hand and slowly closed his fingers in a crushing manner.
Abraham choked. His full suit of armor constricted as the king’s distant fingers crushed him like a can. His face reddened, and his eyes bulged in their sockets.
“Hector! Stop this madness!” Queen Clarann cried out.
The fiery stare in King’s Hector’s eyes cooled.
Abraham fell to the ground, gasping. His armor’s breastplate had a deep bend in the middle.
All the Henchmen were disarmed, dismounted, and brought to their knees. They were set down in a row beside Abraham, including the queen, who kneeled in front of Hector.
“My king, you must listen to them. They do not lie,” she said.
“Of course they lie,” Leodor said quickly. “All of them are otherworlders that serve the Sect. We have proven this. The only solace you will find is in their execution. It is the only way to defeat the enemy.”
With Clarice by her side, Clarann said, “Search your heart, Hector. I know that you are far too wise to fall for the poison that spills from Leodor’s lips. Trust me once more!”
King Hector flicked a hand. The subtle motion flattened the mother and daughter on the ground. “I’ve heard enough talk from you. Bind them all up. Hands behind their backs. Guardians, ready your swords. I’ll end these interruptions once and for all.”
“You heard your king. Bind them up,” Lewis said with a victorious smirk.
The Henchmen’s hands were bound behind their backs, and they were set on their knees, including Clarann and Clarice.
The King’s Guardians stood behind them with their swords ready to strike.
King Hector stood on the ground, with Melris, Lewis, Leodor, and Raschel disguised as Leah by his side. They talked quietly among themselves.
A few Henchmen down, Vern leaned forward and said, “Great plan, Abraham.”
The Guardian behind him cracked him in the back of the head with his pommel and said, “Silence.”
Farther down the row, Tark said, “It’s been an honor to serve with you, Abraham. All of you!” A Guardian blindsided him with a mailed fist.
The king turned and faced the Henchmen with a glowering stare ripe with madness. “You are interlopers, invaders, traitors, otherworlders, and betrayers.” He glanced at Queen Clarann. “As the king, I am the judge, and I am the jury. The sentence for your actions is death. In my mercy, I will allow one of you to speak a final plea for all. Make it short.”
Abraham exchanged a look with Clarann, whose lip was split and shoulders slumped. “Maybe you should.”
“No,” she said softly. “I can feel his anger. He won’t listen to me. My words will only wound him. It must be you. Speak as Abraham.”
Down the row to his right, he noticed Sticks leaning forward and staring at him. Her face was expressionless as ever. She winked at him and gave a stiff nod as if to say goodbye. He nodded back to her, to Horace, to all of them. “God help us.” He lifted his eyes to the king. “May I stand?”
With his nose in the air, King Hector flipped up his fingers.
Abraham cleared his throat. “I am not Ruger Slade, I am Abraham Jenkins, from another world. Since I have been put into your service, I have faithfully served your will. First, I ask for mercy for my friends. They will fight for Kingsland always. Second,” he looked at Lewis and Leodor, “I beg that if you will not believe my words, then use the emerald of truth to test my accusations that Lewis, Leodor, and Leah are all traitors that once again serve the Sect. It happened right after you took the Brand from them.”
Lewis stepped forward, gestured at Abraham, and said, “Father, this is preposterous. We’ve been through all of this. He is a snake, a liar, a curse from another world. I move that you let me strike his head from his shoulders immediately!”
“Have my actions ever shown me to be untrue?” Abraham pleaded.
King Hector lifted his hand. “Silence. You have had your say. My mind remains unchanged. Execute them.”
