The Sorcerer's Ring: Book 05 - A Vow of Glory Read Online Free PDF

he wanted to respond. But it was
getting harder and harder for him to keep his thoughts clear. He kept hearing
his father's voice in his head, yelling at him, as when he was a child. It was
driving him crazy, and the voice would not go away.
    Gareth
reached out and scratched the wooden arm of the throne, again and again, and the
sound of his fingernails clawing were the only sound in the room.
    The
council members exchanged a worried glance.
    "My
liege," another councilman prompted, "if you choose not to surrender,
then we must fortify King's Court at once. We must secure all the entrances,
all the roads, all the gates. We must call up all the soldiers, prepare defenses.
We must prepare for a siege, ration food, protect our citizens. There is much
to be done. Please, my Liege. Give us a command. Tell us what to do.”
    Once
again the room fell silent, as all eyes fixed on Gareth.
    Finally,
Gareth lifted his chin and stared out.
    "We
will not fight the Empire," he declared. "Nor will we surrender.”
    Everyone
in the room looked at each other, confused.
    "Then
what shall we do, my liege?” Aberthol asked.
    Gareth
cleared his throat.
    "We
shall kill Gwendolyn!” he declared. “That is all that matters now.”
    There
followed a shocked silence.
    "Gwendolyn?"
a councilman called out in surprise, as the room broke out into another
surprised murmur.
    "We
will send all of our forces after her, to slaughter her and those with her
before they reach Silesia,” Gareth announced.
    "But,
my Liege, how shall this help us?” a councilman called out. “If we venture out to
attack her, that will only leave our forces exposed. They would all be surrounded
and slaughtered by the Empire.”
    “It
would also leave King's Court open for attack!” called out another. “If we are
not going to surrender, we must fortify King's Court at once!”
    A
group of men shouted in agreement.
    Gareth
turned and looked at the councilman, his eyes cold.
    "We
will use every man we have to kill my sister!” he said darkly. “We will not
spare even one!”
    The
room fell silent as a councilman pushed back his chair, scraping against the
stone, and stood.
    "I
will not see King's Court ruined for your personal obsession. I, for one, am
not with you!”
    "Nor
I!" echoed half the men in the room.
    Gareth
felt himself fuming with rage, and was about to stand when suddenly the doors
to the chamber burst open and in rushed the commander of what remained of the
army. All eyes were on him. He dragged a man in his arms, a ruffian with greasy
hair, unshaven, bound by his wrists. He dragged the man all the way to the
center of the room, and stopped before the king.
    "My
liege," the commander said coldly. "Of the six thieves executed for
the theft of the Destiny Sword, this man was the seventh, the one who escaped.
He tells the most fantastical tale of what happened.
    “Speak!"
the commander prodded, shaking the ruffian.
    The ruffian
looked nervously in every direction, his greasy hair clinging to his cheeks,
looking unsure. Finally, he yelled out:
    "We
were ordered to steal the sword!”
    The
room broke out into an outraged murmur.
    "There
were nineteen of us!” the ruffian continued. “A dozen were to take it away, in
the cover of darkness, across the Canyon bridge, and into the wilds. They hid
it in a wagon and escorted it across the bridge, so the soldiers standing guard
would have no idea what was inside. The others, the seven of us, were ordered
to stay behind after the theft. We were told we would be imprisoned, as a show,
and then let free. But instead, my friends were all executed. I would have been
to, had I not escaped.”
    The
room broke out into a long, agitated murmur.
    "And
where were they taking the sword?" the commander pressed.
    "I
do not know. Somewhere deep inside the Empire.”
    "And
who ordered such a thing?"
    "He!"
the ruffian said, suddenly turning and pointing a bony finger up at Gareth.
"Our King! He commanded us to do it!”
    The