"es Crispian. The King. And as for you Moryan, you can walk on your own two feet or I can put you over my shoulder and carry you. Now come along everyone and don't argue for just this once. We must get to the Palace quickly." said Arguyle.


With that he led the group of men and women faithful to Albion to the Palace. When they arrived at the gates he spoke to the guard in the guardhouse and after a few minutes the gates opened and the Captain General Windsor was there with an armed escort.


The Captain General looked at Arguyle and smiled. He extended his hand and shook Arguyle's warmly. "It has been too long Arguyle. Come I'm sure this must be important and he won't be happy with me if I detain you long here."


Then looking at the rag tag band of adventurers he smiled and nodded at Moryan. "Quite an interesting group of people you travel with in the dark Arguyle. And what in the name of Christ is that smell?"

Crispian tagged at the end of the line, pulling on soft boots over his bare feet as they moved to the Palace. He was shivering in dread as they arrived at the Gate House and he was amazed at how easily Arguyle was admitted, and a new sense of awe crept into his estimation of Arguyle.


He tagged along as they went deeper into the compound, very aware of the simple tunic and breeches he wore, thinking he should have put on his armor at least after all the cost of having it acid cleaned. Damn, if only Auntie Mirashta were here instead of down in Cornwall!

 

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As he strolled through the Palace alongside the Captain General, Arguyle marvelled at the tapestries. It didn't seem to matter how many times he saw them, they always captured his imagination and reminded him of what it meant to be an Albioner.


Then abruptly they stopped in front of a large oaken door. Outside were four guards all of them wearing the colors and cloaks of the King's personal guard. The Captain General walked to the door and knocked three distinct knocks.


"Who comes here?" came the call from inside.


"Lord Arguyle MacFadden, who has long been faithful to the King and now wishes to be bathed in the light of his grace." said the Captain General.


"By what further right or benefit does he expect to gain admission?" said the man inside.


"By the benefit of the pass." said the Captain General.


"Has he the pass?" came the voice from the door.


"He has not the pass. But I have it for him." said the Captain General.


There small wooden window in the door slid open and from inside came, "Give me the pass."


The Captain General leaned forward and whispered something to the man.


The band of adventurers could here the locks being opened and then the door swung inward.


"Enter all those faithful to the King and to Albion." said the guardsman.


As the adventurers were led through the door they found themselves on a winding stairwell just wide enough for two men to walk side by side. There were guards at what seemed to be 20 foot intervals. Soon they came to an open room filled with guards and another door.


The Captain General knocked and the same series of questions and answers followed. The door opened and the band entered. They found themselves in front of a man with long, curly black hair. He was wearing silk night clothes and appeared to have just awakened from his slumber.


Abruptly Arguyle and the Captain General dropped to one knee and bowed.

Crispian gawked at all the splendor, missing the questions, the answers, everything except the sheer overwhelming sites of the Palace.


Although he had labored at the forge nearby, this was the first time he had entered the grounds. His eyes drank in all the grandeur as they moved, apprehension not rising until they entered the stairwell, and then mounting with each step upward.


As they entered the chamber, and Arguyle and the Captain-General knelt, he sank to both knees behind them, golden head bowed in awe and dread.

 

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Moryan bowed gracefully to the King, and took her place beside her cleric, and waited for Arguyle to speak, muttering under her breath.

The King looked at the men kneeling before him and shook his head. He then looked at Moryan. He sensed that the bow that she gave him was more than most men would get and he was touched that she would think highly enough of him to do so.


"Get off the damn floor you fools. Now just what is so important that you have to wake me at this hour? There is still nearly 3 hours before the rooster crows." said the King.


"M'Lord said Arguyle. We have found much information linking Lady D'Vena to the plot to assassinate you and also linking her to Hibernia. She had letters forged with my name, the names of Moryan, Carrington and Church officials implicating myself, my Order the Wayward Band and House Whitethorne in her treachery and this plot against you. You know that I think of you as a brother and I would never do anything to harm you. I would give my own life to protect yours. We have an infiltrator as we speak retrieving the scrolls and replacing them with some of our own. It is of the utmost importance that your guards are outside of D'Vena's home at first light to apprehend the messenger. The proof you need to end this plot will be there." said the Highlander.


"D'Vena? Well, Captain General, wake the troops and make sure these letters do not leave Camelot." said the King.


"As you command Your Majesty." said the Captain. He bowed and turned to leave the room. Before he left he turned and said, "Arguyle, it is good to see you again friend."


"Aye Nigel. It is good. Strength and Honor my old friend." said the Paladin.


The King then spoke up after the Captain General left.


"Friends, you have done a great service for Albion. I shall repay all of you. I promise. But for now, I pray that you will rally your troops." He paused and went to his writing table. He wrote something upon a parchment and sealed it with the Royal Seal. Then handing it to Arguyle he continued, "I want you to all be there in the morning. After Captain General Windsor has obtained the letters and the courier I want you to be the ones to arrest D'Vena and her House. Let's see how she likes being hunted by her prey." the King laughed jovially. You would never suspect that he was a man that was to be assassinated.


"Come friends. Sit! Sit and drink for a while before you go." said the King.


And the band of adventurers, all of them commoners at some stage in their lives, sat and drank with the King.

Crispian sat nervously, watching it all happen. Then the words registered: ALL there in the morning. His throat dried, and he had trouble swallowing.


"Arguyle!" he hissed soto voce to the highlander Lord. "I can't be there! I, uh, am sort of known for a different reason there!" Moryan's open smirk made him quail even more. He was not by nature promiscuous and certainly did not feel proud of what he had done, twice, in the name of this cause. And it certainly would not help his stock with the women folk in general. “You’ve got to get me out of that part of it.”

 

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Moryan tossed back a few ales, and even grew so bold as to kick her boots up on her cleric's knees. If the King ordered her to drink with him, who was she to be complaining about it?


Crispian was looking a bit pale at the thought of meeting D'vena in the light. Maybe he was worried about seeing all those wrinkles she must have, and knowing what he'd done with them. She snickered to herself and raised a toast to him. Maybe he would garner a clue of what most mercenary and infiltrator sorts did for a living. If the pay or the cause was good, it was done. Pure and simple.


She gazed over at Carrington, and sighed softly. She wore his ring on her finger now, but... So many things crossed her mind. She was not comfortable making any more plans for the future. With all this political madness, how could she? It seemed they would not be excuted at least, and the assassination was to be foiled, but still.


Finally she looked at Arguyle, knowing what a true friend and a 'noble' soul in the truest sense of the word he was. She was proud to know the man, and wasn't afraid to let anyone else know it.

Arguyle leaned close to Crispian and whispered, "Worry not lad. Come tomorrow morning you will be a hero to the realm and all of the lasses will want you. har har...unless of course it was that old banty rooster of a Steward you were kissing. HAR HAR That old codger is just a tad light in the loafers if you catch my meaning."


Arguyle watched Crispian's face go stark white at this comment and he almost fell over in his chair.


"Lad? You didn't do that did you?" asked the Paladin.

Throwing back the rest of his ale and signalling a page for a refill, he dropped his voice even lower. "*I* did not kiss him! And I don't think I'm much of a hero. I well I just it's that well I just acted to protect some good people." He stammered to an end, starting to feel flustered and way over his head. "I'm really just a farm-boy with a sword and a few friends." His ears were enflamed nad frustatration rose higher with each moment.


"And what sort of reward is his Majesty talking about?" he continued low-voiced, hoping the jocular, black clad king was out of hearing range. "I don't want a title or anything."

 

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