Chapter 11: Meeting the King

We stood in front of the gates, which were firmly closed, and above us a group of guards looked down at us and jeering.

"Just open the gate and allow us entry!" I used Al's megaphone facility to project my voice up to the guards on the wall.

"His Majesty isn't seeing anyone at this time ... go away!" A sarcastic voice shouted back down.

"You've no idea what I've gone through because of him; I'm not just going to turn back now," I said and concentrated, feeling the power build, and then Thomasina put her hands on my back and there was a flare of the powers as hers joined with mine. "Destructo"

In front of us, the gate and part of the wall vanished as the power struck it, and several of the guards above it started to fall. But then a gale began to blow upwards, and their fall slowed so that when they struck the ground they were only winded and easy for Magnus and his men to arrest.

"Grandfather, I might need that gate at some time, and what about the safety of the castle?" Thomasina reproved.

I smiled, "Why not begin a new trend? A castle with no walls; you'll make yourself accessible to the people."

Thomasina thought about that and then she nodded before a frown came over her face, "If it's such a good idea, why did you have the wall made?" She asked me, her brow arched.

I spread my hands in surrender. "It was already up when I got it, and I didn't want to upset the builders," I said, and left it at that.

In the King's Chamber, Harold was finding it hard to get into his normal mood. He had more plants shredded and processed to the recipe he'd found and then set fire to them to increase their fumes in the room, but it still didn't give him the kick he was waiting for.

He felt ill and cold, but then he felt boiling hot. He was dizzy and found himself on the ground several times. "What is happening to me?" he called out.

'You're finding out what those drugs did to you, foolish one, ' a woman's voice said into his mind.

"You're the foolish one. When I find you ... you watch out," Harold said, his body shaking, he glanced in a mirror, and standing there was woman dressed in red. "Who are you?" he asked the figure.

She shook her head and held up a hand in which she grasped a bottle. Harold felt his face grow white as he recognised it; it was the mixture of poisons that he'd received from somewhere — even still he wasn't sure where — but one day when he'd woken up from a dream, he found he was holding the poison and knew how to use it.

"That's mine. Why do you have it?" Harold asked the woman.

'Who told you to do this deed?' The voice sounded within his head.

"Nobody told me; I had to protect myself. Charles was plotting against me. I should have been king, not him!" Harold said.

'But he was the first-born child; it was his right to succeed to the throne. Why couldn't you have waited or sought out another area to be king?' The woman asked.

"Hah! He had to have a brat from some stinking serving woman. She was the first to go, but somehow the bastard kid managed to escape. But once I find her..." Harold stopped as the mirror changed to show the form of Thomasina. "That's her. I'll get her and kill her. Then there's nothing to stop me from..." the mirror changed again to show Susan standing beside Thomasina, and he faltered. "Where did she come from? She should be dead by now. He promised." Harold sank down to the ground, still looking at the forms in the mirror.

'Who? Who promised you?' The voice was insistent.

Harold frowned and shook his head. "I ... I don't ... know. I just knew that I had to be king, that it was my destiny to rule, but my brother was standing in my way." The mirror had returned to the figure in red, and he concentrated on the bottle she held. "I found that and knew it was just what I needed ... I don't know how I knew," His eyes were unfocused and didn't see that the mirror had faded back to just a reflective surface. When he looked back all he could see was himself, and he recoiled in shock at what he saw.

The figure in the mirror was a dishevelled wreck. His face seemed more lined than it should have. His clothing didn't fit him. He tried to stand up, but his body didn't want to support him ... if only the smoke would help him ... but it didn't anymore. He went to one of the braziers where the weed was burning and inhaled deeply ... NOTHING! In a rage, he pushed the brazier aside and then screamed in agony when the searing heat registered.

"What the blazes is that?" I said as we heard the scream.

Thomasina laughed. "That was my uncle; he's just burnt his hands." She made a gesture and then, "Revitar, " she intoned, and somehow I knew that her attention was on Harold.

I shook my head. "Was that wise? I don't think he'd thank you for magically helping him."

Thomasina smiled. "I don't want him to have any excuses when he is arrested. But Grandfather, is it wise for you to appear like this, with so many portraits of you around the place? Somebody is bound to see the likeness."

I could see her point, but with the normal armour, there would be the same result. "Al, could you give me Old English Medieval armour with a shield of a lion on it, and shroud Twilight as a normal sword?"

"No problem, Boss. One metal suit, coming up." Al deployed himself around me. To tell the truth, I didn't see any difference, but then I was inside the suit with a heads-up display feeding me information. "I've based this on records of some king called Henry VIII. Do you know that their armour was so light that they could even roll around in it and still get to their feet unaided, and it still protected them from sword blows?"

"Al, can the history lesson. We've bigger things to do at the moment," I told him. "Now, where is Harold?"

"Probably in the king's chamber, up there where all those guards are blocking you," Al said, showing me a schematic of the castle with red dots showing the guards' positions.

"All right, Marcus, protect the Queen and Princess. I'm going to get Harold and we'll meet in the Audience Chamber." I ran toward the stairs before Thomasina or Susan could raise any objections.

In his chamber, Harold looked in amazement as his hands healed before his eyes; the pain he had felt was just a memory. "It's true ... I've become a god," he whispered, turning his hands over showing clear, unblemished, skin.

He looked up to the sky. "You hear me up there? Get out, as I'm going to be taking over! I am the new Supreme One," he called out but heard nothing except a rumble of thunder in the distance.

"You don't scare me; I'm the new god, and my powers are many," Harold shouted out to the sky, and then he turned around to face the door. He walked toward it and threw it open. Outside, the guards in front of his room turned to face him.

"I've decided that I no longer need a guard to support me. Since I became a god, I am above such concerns. GO!" He looked at the puzzled faces that regarded him. "Didn't you hear me? I am your god. I order you to leave my presence. I have no need of you. GET OUT OF HERE!" He screamed the last, and the frightened guards threw down their weapons and ran away from him.

As I ran up the stairs to the King's chamber, I heard the sound of running feet. I had gripped Twilight and prepared to unsheathe the sword when Al spoke.

"Boss, I don't know what's happening, but none of them are armed. They seemed to be running from something."

I quickly thought about this; I needed information, but the only source I could find was from one of those running towards me. I stepped to the side of the stairway and waited.

Shortly, a group of men passed me by without even looking at me. I grabbed one of them and slammed him against the banister rail. "What's happening?" I asked him.

"It's him ... he's gone mad ... or madder. He keeps saying he's a god. I don't know what he is but I don't want to be around him." The man said, his face showing the fear inside him. This didn't seem like normal fear, though.

"Al, subsonic scan. ARe there any vibrations in the air that I should be careful of?" I asked, knowing that some noises could induce a panic state.

"Scanning, Boss. Hey, there is something here. Very low. Analysing ... analysing ... got it. Resonance harmonics from upper floor. There's a machine near the king's chamber that's been activated. Solution being worked out ... I don't believe it; earplugs will filter out the sub-harmonics." I felt a pressure on my ears and then Al spoke again. "Earplugs fitted with communications facility. You're safe from the noise now."

I smiled. "Thanks, Al. What would I do without you."

"You know, Boss, that's what I'm thinking. Next time you leave this place, take me with you. You've no idea how boring it was just sitting in that display case."

I frowned. "I thought I put you into standby mode. I didn't realise you'd still be active. Why didn't it drive you mad?" I asked.

"I was okay, managed to download entertainment programmes when the Portal was activated. Otherwise, I was on level two million, three hundred and fifty thousand, one hundred and forty-eight of Tetris, although I think I lost count somewhere," Al replied, sounding worried. "Anyway, I've stayed active and kept up with things. I knew that you'd come back to get me. Why did you go?"

"Sorry, Al, I just didn't think. I got fed up with the whole ruling thing. I had to go back to a quieter life. I never thought of you; I thought that by taking one part, you'd automatically shut-down. I didn't know you'd still be active."

"Hey, Boss, don't worry so much, I got along okay, Sorry about your son, though; he was a good guy."

"Thanks, Al. let's have a few words with my other son, and since I don't need the armour, what about changing back to Bishop John; I've never met a god related to me before," I said as the armour shimmered and I was clothed once more in the robes of a Bishop.

I completed the trek to the King's chamber, stepping over the weapons of the guards strewnabout the floor. "Where's the source of the sub-harmonics?" I asked Al.

"Somewhere in the walls from what I can tell, Boss. But there's no real source; it's just there," Al reported.

I nodded. "Okay, we'll deal with that later. Completely shroud Twilight for me, Al, and then stand-by for action."

"Roger, Boss. Anything can happen in the next half-hour" Al said, which made me wonder just what he'd been watching. I entered the chamber to where Harold was holding his hands and smiling. When he saw me, he showed me his hands.

"You see these? They are the proof that I've become a god. They were damaged, and I healed them; me, the one without powers. I just had to think about it, and they healed. I take it that the Supreme One has sent you to show his fidelity to me?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately not, My Son. I'm here to arrest you for crimes against your people."

Harold laughed. "You're good. I might keep you on as a jester; you've got the robes for it. But I'm afraid that you're mistaken. I've become a god, and you have not rights over me."

"That is where you're wrong, My Son. You didn't listen to the stories I told you when you were younger, and your mother and I didn't let you travel through the Portals to visit the other worlds, we feared you wouldn't understand," I said quietly.

Harold frowned. "What do you mean, my mother? She left ages ago to die. And I don't remember you ever telling me stories."

I smiled. "Well, I was older then, but when I entered the Portal I reverted back to the form that I had when the Green Lady first allowed me to use the Portals. Didn't you ever understand my stories? Don't you recognise me, My Son?"

He looked at me in shock. "But you can't be. My father died years ago. You're a construct made by that Bran o'the Forest to try and trick me, but you won't. You won't, because I know that I am a god and cannot be tricked by anyone. So DIE, false one!" He pointed his hand at me.

I waited for some kind of effect, but nothing happened, and so I laughed. "Sorry, was something supposed to happen then?" I asked.

He looked at his hand. "I don't understand this. I pictured you dying from a lightning bolt from my hand. I must have to concentrate more." Harold closed his eyes and held his hand out again. I quickly looked around and found some discarded shackles — why he had them in his chamber I've no idea — and quickly picked them up.

When he opened his eyes, he saw me standing there and he screamed out in shock. "THAT CAN'T BE! YOU HAVE TO BE DEAD! It was my law that you die."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I don't like laws. Except the ones I instituted, including the one where it was against the law to oppress the people you were supposed to rule and protect. What protection have you given them?" I walked towards Harold holding the shackles out.

"They were mine to deal with as I wanted. I couldn't have anyone speaking against me. Not after I did so much to gain the throne." Harold was backing away.

"You killed your brother, My Son. You poisoned my daughter, and you've tried to kill my granddaughter. By rights, I should have killed you when I first heard about this. I should have ... But you are still my son. I had hoped that you'd see the error of your ways. I'm afraid I was wrong."

I stopped as I registered my own words. "I'm as much to blame as you, I suppose, but at least I can bring justice for Susan and Thomasina, not to mention Charles. Come with me, Son. We can use the Portal to leave this world and to—"

"I cannot allow that, Lord John; he committed the crimes here on this world. I won't allow him to leave it until he's judged by this world and sentenced." Gaea stepped out of the Mirror

"It's you! You're the one who was taunting me! Well, you won't anymore." Harold picked up a poker and threw it towards Gaea, who just stood there her arms folded. I couldn't get to her in time.

I needn't have worried. The poker went through Gaea, who shook her head. Behind her, the mirror was smashed by the poker. "That's the thing with us goddesses — we can't be hurt by mundane things. You, however..." She gestured with her hand, and then Harold was covered in chains.

"They can't hold me. I have the power of a god. See how I just think and the chains ... the chains..." He shook his body and the chains remained attached. "But I am a god! I can do anything; see how I made my hands heal themselves. That proves it."

A noise outside the chamber announced the arrival of Magnus and his men. I threw Harold into their arms. "Take him to the queen. I'll be there shortly," I said, turning back to Gaea. "So now what? Are you going to interfere with their choice as well?" I asked.

Gaea shook her head. "Not at all, Champion. I had to remind you that justice had to be followed. What would have happened to him if you took him with you away from this world? Do you think that the Green Lady would have allowed him to travel unharmed? This way, he will learn from his actions — I will see to that — but I won't harm him or allow him to come to harm, I promise you."

"What do you mean by that? Tell me." I demanded, but Gaea only smiled and vanished into the air.

Magnus dragged Harold into the Main Hall. He was screaming and shouting that it had all been a plot against him, but nobody was listening to him. Susan was sitting on the throne, and beside her sat Thomasina.

I remained in the Bishop John disguise, as it wouldn't be right for King John to show up now.

Susan had a staff in her hand. "This court is now in session. The charge before this court is the Regicide of King Charles at the hand of his brother Prince Harold. There are also the lesser charges of attempted murder of me and my niece Thomasina. Oh, Brother, how did you fall so far?"

"It doesn't matter what you say, for I will smite you all. I AM A GOD! FEAR ME!" Harold screamed out the last, the chains holding him rattling as he waved his fists.

I noticed Gaea standing beside Thomasina. She was whispering into the girls' ear. Thomasina's face began to whiten, and then she shook her head. Susan noticed this and turned to her niece questioningly.