SWNOVELS Chapter 9: The Weeping Men Below
He tapped his fingernails on the armrest of his throne. His eyes sternly gazing into four young men with red scarves. His teeth, clenching. His veins, gushing with blood. But he took deep breaths to maintain his posture despite his wrath.
“Farenan Oswald from the province of Galel.” The king muttered. “Have I got your name right?”
“As you say it is.” He had a reply. Velron just took another deep breath.
“You Reds have caused enough trouble to this city. You’re nothing but a group of ne’er-do-wells, yet you’ve turned my loyal citizens against me. What spell have you casted on this land?”
“No spell, your highness” Farenan snickered. “All it took was for a few people to notice a missing stone above your throne. When the news spread like wildfire…”
“Then what? The people were inspired to defy me as well?” Velron shook his head.
“You have many enemies within your walls, King Velron. They just need to know you’re not invulnerable.”
“Then you must be so proud, aren’t you?” Velron gave him a stern look. “The turmoil you’ve caused killed a handful of knights. Are you not aware that we’re at war with the Dalharians? Do you know the consequences of your childish acts on our kingdom?”
“We would never have been at war if it wasn’t for your childish acts! Did you expect to be blessed with rainbows after what you did to Dalhar?”
Velron growled and smashed his fist onto his arm rest! The sound echoed in the throne room. Everyone in there, from his advisors who sat by his side to the councilmen who stood by as witnesses, remained quiet. But then, Lady Quella, who was sitting next to him, whispered.
“Your grace, you cannot allow him to undermine you. Not in front of your councilmen”
The king nodded.
“All of you are merely common folk!” the king shouted. “You are uneducated! Ill-informed! And because of that, you meddled with things that are beyond you. Hence, I want you…no…all of you to be a reminder to the good people of Eleazar to always know their place.”
“Your pride will only send you to the Land Below, Allistair!” Farenan shouted.
“No…you’re the one who’s going to the Land Below.” The king remarked. “No more hunting the Reds. No more shall my focus be on petty rebels like you. My whisperers have gathered every known accomplice of yours in this city; from those who fund you to those who simply sell you bread. No more mercy. I will end of the Reds of Elmswood without raising a sword.”
He turned towards a minister on his left.
“Sir Roderick. Is the pit ready?”
“Yes, your highness!” he replied.
The King glanced at Lady Quella on the other side, to which she only nodded. Upon his order, the knights immediately grabbed Farenan and his comrades and dragged them out of the throne room.
“Your kingdom will implode on itself, Velron! Death to the king!” Farenan shouted last as the throne room’s doors were slammed shut.
The sun was right above the city. Not a single cloud was in sight. And there they were. Hundreds of the men and women who were involved in the riot last night. With their feet shackled to each other, they were whipped as they were forced to walk down the city streets barefooted.
Many people peeked out of their windows and went out to the roadside to see them crying and cursing as they suffered the scorching hot pavement. If one man fell down, his chains would pull another man with him. But of course, both of them will be whipped by the knights until they stand back up. On the other hand, if a man tries to break out of line, he will be clubbed on the belly until he returns to the flock.
Throughout their path, the knights were shouting out to the bystanders.
“This is the consequence of treason! Take heed of this warning!”
It was this way until they reached the outskirts of the city. And all of them trembled in fear when they found a pit so deep and wide, it would fit a full grown dragon. Around the pit were piles of soil while a great number of archers surrounded the pit itself. This was when the people started to beg for the knights’ mercy. Each one pleading for the King’s pardon.
But all was in vain as the knights whipped them and forced them to climb down into the pit. Farenan was pushed to descend first, followed by all the others. Those who refused were simply thrown in. One man after another, finally the whole pit was piling with people. All begging for mercy. It was like a sea of wriggling limbs and faces gasping for air.
When Sir Roderick gave the order, the knights grabbed their shovels and started shoving the soil down into the pit. The people were crying and wailing as dirt entered their mouths and noses. The few who tried to escape the burial was immediately shot by the archers.
As the hours went by, the pit gradually became a dirt mound. The knight stomped their boots over it to compress the earth and continued piling up more soil over it. Finally, they carried boulders and placed them atop the mounded pit. Now, what was once heard as wailing and begging alas became muffled sounds of choking; slowly fading into complete silence.
King Velron watched over the burial from atop the city walls. Lady Quella was with him there. She looked at the king. His brows still furrowed, his breath still rapid like a horse’s.
“I know it’s hard for you to do this” she said. “But as I have told you, my King. It is necessary. As long as the people remember this day, they will always fear you. They will never side with the Reds ever again. They will stay loyal.”
“Thank you for your council, Lady Quella.” The King nodded.
The fair lady’s green eyes was still set upon the king’s face. She suddenly grabbed his arm and caressed it.
“Allistairs and Meridiths have always been good allies after the War.” Her fingers start to linger to his chest. “Now, what is my King’s next plan?”
Velron gave Quella a stern look. Embarrassed, she slowly took her hands off his body. He grunted as he faced towards the dirt mound below, which was now nothing but quiet.
“At first, my plan was to release the head huntress from the dungeon and broker a peace treaty with them.” He spoke up. “But the damned Reds stole her away from me along with that thief.”
“That thief is of little significance to us at the moment. And the Dalharians would not have even consider peace; not after what we did to their envoy yesterday.” The lady said. She clasped her hands together when she saw a familiar figure coming towards them from the end of the corridor. “Shall I inform General Edoras to meet you tonight?” she continued.
When the king turned to see who was coming, he saw Queen Lorraine giving him a disappointed look. But he just turned his face away.
“Tell General Edoras that I will meet him at the council tower. We have a lot to discuss.”
The Lady gave the king curtsey and went on her way, greeting the queen as she passed her.
The King just continued to stare at the dirt mound below as the knights were placing the last few boulders on top of it. And if he could just stay quiet enough, he could still hear the stifled sounds of the weeping men below.