What they learn of the Viceroy's actions

         Jules Mile Viceroy
Micheal Viceroy's guard
Jack Vians queen’s guard
Talbot Haird dresser of the viceroy
Cracko Muran Queen guard
Grey Arm King's guard          
Mucka

         Jules Mile and Oliva were in a coach riding away from the castle. Jules knew

That they were close by, he has seen proof of this by what he had heard about

the KIng's guard the people saw them ride through the streets at night. It made

no sense the King's guards were most often loved by the people of the ]

kingdom.


         The commoners were worried about the knights arriving here, they tried to

remain silent. They were riding from a naval community toward the castle at

night. Why were they doing this?


         Oliva was concerned, but she was not worried about them getting to the

castle.


         There were two men there in the coach with them, their hand

rested on the pommel of the swords, one of these men Jules had

been with on several occasions. The man had laid out a map on his

lap to show Jules something. Oliva did not know what they were

talking about, This man had his right hand cut off at the wrist. He had

not shaved in quite a while, his jacket was held closed by a belt. He

had never said a word in all the time Oliva knew him.


         The guards on the coach were nervous, their voices portrayed their ]

fear for all to hear. The guards' voices trembled with fear. "What do you think

the King's guards are going to do with us."


         "What do you mean, when they catch us. They aren't going to do this are they?"

followed by laughter.


         "How can you be so, sure."


         "I don't think we are coming back here. Do you?"


         "Enough of the talking. Let's get the hell out of here?"

####

         There were guards stationed at the door to Jules Mile's door. The four

guards stationed at the door to the viceroy's room stood as rigid as a stone.

They saw the King's guard enter the hallway to approach them.


         The guards looked ill at ease and were confused as the King's guard

advanced toward where they were. One of the guards Micheal said," What is

the meaning of this happenings. You can not enter the room "


"We have been told to see the viceroy, by the king's word, We have a

letter enter from the king to enter this room." Jack said as he handed it to the

guard who objected to this happening.


Micheal accepted the letter from Jack, He saw the seal of the king upon it.

he knew he could not question the King's guards. They had a letter from the King,

the guard opened the door to speak to the Viceroy.


He waited an instant expecting to hear Jules' shrill voice cry out. Yet he heard no

voice come from the room. Micheal saw the document that the guards were carrying

there. The letter had the seal of the King on it. The guard needed to remain on duty until

they are relieved. KIng's guards could not replace the viceroy;a guards. The king's guard

had more power than they had. They could issue orfders which they would have to do.

Micheal needed the viceory to read the letter. He called out, "Lord Jules, Could you come

here I have something for you to read,"


He heard a voice say, "He is not here. He left a few days ago."


The guard looked about the room, he saw Talbot sitting at the dining table, His shirt

looked stained with blood and the food before him. There was an overturned glass of ale

before him. The guard was startled seeing Talbot sitting there his wrist band was also

stained from the food he have eaten,


Micheal opened the door to allow the king's guards inside the chamber. There was a

candelabra with two candles in it, they were extinguished on the writing table there were

books and scrolls on the table, a quill protruded from an inkwell. There was some

parchment on the desk. There was a high backed chair in front of the dedk. It crowded one

corner of the vast room. The air had an odd scent to it, It stank. Made the guard's eyes to

water.


         Shrouded in darkness the heavy curtains concealed the room from the sun light that

now lay upon the windows. The guards had to strain their eyes to see what was in the

chamber. The air was stagnant, There was a chill in the air.


         It was huge, there was a large sofa in the middle of it. A bureau to the right of them. There

were papers on the bureau along with an ink pot. There was a seal there with an ink pad for you to

put ink on the pad. There was a wine glass that fell on the bureau, the documents were stained by

wine.


         The guards strode toward the bureau, they looked at the bureau. There were three scrolls

that had been sealed. The guards lifted them up.


         They head a sound to their right where the couch was. They saw a mound of black hair

rising above the couch, They heard a sound of whimpering where this mound was. As they turned

around they saw the face of the vceroy's dresser sitting there. His face was covered in food that

missed his mouth. His eyes were open, but there were no eyes in his face. Blood stained his

cheeks, there was a scar beneath each eye socket. His blouse was torn, his hands were at the

moment empty. He was thin boned. He was bald and sitting before a table where drink and food

were.The food was strewn about the table, Having heard the doors close, he turned to face the door.


         The dresser said, "Why are you here? Who are you?"


         There lay a mound about five feet long abour three feet wide, rising from the floor to Talbot's left

It was between two to three feet off the floor it looked to be a body, There was a stench of blood in the

air, that wen with gus body, Dressed in silk and satin, it had tight gloves on its hands without fingers. the

gloves went to its elbow, the wrist had two pearls and eyes for the pearts to fit into. At the bicep and

shoulder was ruffled sleeve, with a tight band about the elbow. There was virtually had no back the front

of the garment with a deep plunging neckline. The face of this body, Jack recognised as being an eunuch.

Is belly had been cut so its entrails spilled across the floor in a heap.


         "Jack is that you. The bastard removed my eyes. Where are you?" Talbot asked as he rose

from his seat to approach where the voice had come from. His hand outstretched so he could find

who he was speaking to.


         Jack said as he moved to be in reach of Talbot's hands,"When did he do this to you."


         Talbot's hands began to move about on Jack's face, He said, "So it is you. When did you

arrive? He did this a few days ago,":


         "Why did he do this?"


         "He was preparing to leave the kingdom, he said. He could not afford to be here, when Sir

Grey Arm was to arrive, The king would be angry with his doing this?" Talbot said, as he knelt down in

front of Jack.


         "Do you know what he was doing?" Mucka asked, as he stepped further inside the chamber

it was square, there was an opening where one would go to the bathroom. There was a red curtain

over the door. There was a jug of wine on a table where Talbot was until they arrived here. The floor

was covered in a rug. So, Talbot did not know of the guards' arrival there.


          Mucka picked up the documents and the scrolls that were on the bureau. Mucka did not

know what they should do. The dresser was used less now that he was blind.


          The guards returned, after gaining access to the Viceroy’s chamber. They were not happy

about this happening. The guards found that there was no one in his room. The people swore that he

had been seen since day a ago. The guards who were to protect the Viceroy said that he had it

been seen for three days after having left his room.


          The guards knew that they had seen him yesterday, yet the people who attended his needs

swore that he was not here. They told the guards what they had seen. Jules began today

left here a day ago, yet the guards told the guards that he had left three days ago.


         Sir Grey seemed puzzled by the people’s statement that he had left the community. The

guards swore that they saw the viceroy, but the guards knew that they had not seen him when they

were seeing him.


         He must have cast a spell upon his people, that's why they had seen him there. It

was the only thing that made sense to the guards. They walked out of the chamber where the

viceroy was supposed to be.


         The guards returned, after gaining access to the Viceroy’s chamber. They were not

happy about this happening. The guards found that there was no one in his room. The people

swore that he had not been seen since three days ago.


         The guards knew that they had seen him yesterday, yet the people who attended his needs

swore that he was not here. They told the guards what they had seen. The viceroy began to day,

that he should leave here a week ago.


          The guards seemed puzzled by the people’s statement that he had left the community. The

guards swore that they saw the viceroy, but the guards knew that they had not seen him when they

were seeing him.


         He had cast a spell upon his people, that's why they had seen him there. It was the only

thing that made sense to the guards. They walked out of the chamber where the viceroy was
supposed to be. Jack said,”We have been lied too,”


          “The people did not know this had happened. How could they know this?”Cracko said as he

stormed out of the room, He drove his hand into his empty hand.


         “How do we tell Grey Arm this?”


         “I don’t know how he could do this to us?” Cracko asked as shook his head in disbelief, he

had thought the Viceroy was trying to help the kingdom. Yet he knew they had been lied to by the

viceroy, He imagined him, laughing as he began to eat a meal as he watched Queen Marissa turn to

see his face.


         Marissa was concerned with what he told her, her blood in her veins boiled as she looked at

him. How she wanted the viceroy to pay for his actions. There was no reason that he could have

done this. She had heard that Oliva took various women into her bed. She bought a grey powder

that allowed you to see things that were not there. She bought a lot of this powder fed it to the

populace of her kingdom. The people were not able to get this, they would prefer to die than to not

get another portion of this powder.


          Queen Oliva could do this, under the observation of the viceroy. The viceroy did not

object to her seeing women for her bed, or buying this powder. It was able to make in roads

to the South, where deserts were in a large number there. The water was blue, there were

rice paddies there for the people to eat. They also had stones that were crystal and green in

hue.


         There ceremonies that involved letting of blood, to appease their god. There were people

to fight each other in an arena, the people were called gladiators. The kingdom was at war with

other kingdoms, Queen Marissa did not understand this happening, there were attacks on the

coast line of another kingdom.


         The people of this region had a great deal of knowledge there involving this powder, some

people were unable to feel pain after being given this powder. Some people spoke of things that

were strange, they felt as if they could fly.


         He said,”You will be safe, with Carec, You have nothing to fear.”


          Cracko remembered as she walked into a carriage, the soldiers were not told them that he

had entered it. He remembered her crying as she vanished into the coach. The king had agreed to it

happening.


         “Grey Arm is going to want blood for this to have happened.” Jack said as he bit his lip

watching the soldiers approach them. The guards did not look amused They stepped in front of

Cracko.


          Cracko stopped walking he looked into eyes of the soldier standing before him, The soldier

asked,”What have you found? Why do you not have the viceroy in your hands?”


         Cracko cleared his throat and began, “The viceroy has vanished four days ago. He used his

magic to hide his leaving the kingdom.”



         “He has to be found?” Mucka said, as he shifted to allow the two guards past him. He was

not happy to have heard this. He walked into the chamber where the Viceroy had been.


         "I don’t know how we will be able to tell Grey Arm this.” Jack said as he saw the formidable

knight step out of the Queen’s room. He looked in to the eyes of Grey Arm, Grey arm was showing

no emotion, his eyes stared at Jack as he walked toward him. Jack's hand fell onto his sword’s

pommel.


         Sir Grey said, “What have you learned?”


         “The viceroy has left the kingdom, four days ago!” Jack said as he grit his teeth, and in his

hands he held the scrolls and the document that were on the bureau where the viceroy must have

sat to read the documents and write the scrolls.


         “How did we not know this?”


         “He cast a spell on the kingdom to allow us to see him here. After he has left the kingdom.

Damn him!”


         “The ruse worked.”


         “Indeed it has?” The three of them walked back into the hallway of the royal building. They

were angry, Mucko said, “And what of Oliva?”


         “She’s been gone awhile?”


         “Find out what Coke can tell you of her leaving the kingdom. What does he know about her

leaving and the viceroy too.”


         Coke heard them say this as they were entering the hallway. He looked worried,

his brow was furled. His skin was pale, His eyes were wide with horror. He said, “I want you to

swear out a warrant on the viceroy and his aids. A thousand gold for him to be alive 750 if his body

comes back dead.”


         “The treasurer will not be happy with this being done. But we don’t know what the Viceroy

was doing as the king was away from here, nor do I know this as well.” the queen said

as she looked at Sir Grey. His arms were across his chest, wearing a silk Black jacket, his hair was

cast over his left eye.


         “I understand, but we have to know don’t we?” Jack said as he turned to look into the calm

grey eyes of the aid, he was trembling with rage as it tore through him.

####

         The Watch were not aware of what the bounty had been put up for the merchants who

were working for the kingdom. They were not aware of the danger that has happened been

brought to their attention by Sir Grey.

          They looked at one of the people that the towns people brought in
.
"The bounties on nobles and merchants."  what has happened