Young Lord Kedan slouched in his tall chair at the end of the long table of the Council of Ancients. The twelve chairs around the table were filled, six on each side. Each chair filled with those who ruled the twelve lands of the kingdom. Kedan adjusted the chain and clasp that held the long robe that sat on his shoulders. He shook his golden hair and the curls bounced against his scalp. His piercing blue eyes looked up and down the council, a grimace on his full pink lips. He felt a redness touch the cheeks on his smooth skin as he was getting angry.

Kedan was being ignored as usual. The council was whispering amongst themselves, and he heard the word shadows and new king. He didn’t like the sound of any of it. Kedan slammed his hand down hard on the table.

“What are all of you whispering about? Am I not the Lord of the Kingdom? Talk to me, and tell me what is going on.”

The leader of the council, Till, the Viceroy of Aurumist, bowed his head and smiled at the young lord. “We were merely getting all the stories together so we could give you the news all at once. We know your time is valuable, my Lord.”

“I don’t like the idea of any of you deciding what I should and shouldn’t hear. Now, what is this I hear about shadows and a new king? Why would anyone talk about a king?”

“Oh, your majesty”, said a middle-aged woman named Alis. She was the Viceroy of the Grasslands just north of Aurumist. “There is still so much superstition amongst those who aren’t quite as polished as those who live around Aurumist, such as those in The Great Surrounding. They are a primitive folk who stick to their old stories, and that is what all these are, just stories. There is nothing to them.”

“What do you say, Bernot? Is all this coming from The Great Surrounding?” asked the young Lord.

Bernot seemed flustered at the far end of the table. He may have been in charge of the largest part of the kingdom, but it was a part no one took seriously. The land was not heavily populated. The villages were small, and the people were simple.

“Well, I’m sure each land has its own folktales and lore, my lord. My land is peaceful and loyal to your lordship, loyal to the Ancients. If there are tales going around about some new king, then it is nothing, but harmless stories told to children.”

Most of the other leaders nodded their head, but Kedan could see that the old woman at the other end across from Bernot did not. She was named Daracha, and she was the leader of the Forest of the Lowlands. She always seemed a mystery to Kedan. He could even admit to himself; he was a little scared of her. He sat a little higher and addressed the old woman.

“Do you agree with them, Daracha? Do you think these are just harmless stories?”

Daracha looked at the young lord with her dark green eyes. “Harmless? Hmmm. I don’t know if I would say harmless. If these stories came to fruition none of us would be here, including you, my young lord. No, they are not harmless.” Daracha said in a quiet voice.

“So, we must act in some way then. What can we do? How can we stop these stories?” said Kedan loudly.

“Ah, my young lord, acting on them would be confirming we find them dangerous. It would be admitting they could be true. Patience is what is needed here, patience and watching. We need to find out more of what is going on,” said Daracha.

“Excellent advice, Daracha,” said Bernot, smiling. “Where is your advisor, my Lord? What does Golnar have to say? Has he heard any news from his spies?

Kedan gave a snort. “Golnar barely shows himself below his tower. He hasn’t come to me in two weeks. He insists that I go see him. I am the Lord of the Kingdom.”

“Yes, of course you are, but Golnar has been advisor to the Lord and this council longer than any of us have been alive. He is due some respect,” said Till.

“Respect? I am the Lord of Regventus. I was chosen by the Ancient ones. You all serve me, including Golnar,” said Kedan loudly. “Teryn,” he called angrily.

“Yes, my lord,” answered the pretty woman who stood along the wall. She was learning to serve the future Lady, a woman who would be married to Lord Kedan. Her green eyes surveyed the council quickly and then her gaze settled on Kedan.

“Where is Golnar right now?” asked Kedan.

“In his tower as usual, my Lord. Would you like me to call him down for council?” Teryn asked.

“If it is as you say, it won’t do any good. Poor Golnar may not be able to use the stairs anymore. Leave it for another day. We have much to discuss,” said Bernot, clearly wanting some peace in the chamber.

Kedan didn’t like being told what to do, but the other council members were nodding their heads. He wanted to be done with this for the rest of the moon cycle. He knew if he could get through this meeting, they would all go back to lord over their own lands until the next cycle began. Kedan could work on putting Golnar in his place when they all left.

“Fine, let’s get on with it. What else is there to report?” asked Kedan.