Chapter 20 - The Old man of The Sea

Welcome to Chapter 20

"King! I must warn you. You will regret the decision I know you are going to make." Ann said just as she was about to leave for Westerling. The King got furious. What decision? Was she talking about his war duties or his mistress, Evelyn? "Go away, old woman." He just said, not really caring much about the maid who they have had for years. "I warned you." She said and left Praaven for good.

Evelyn had invited her King on a royal dinner at the new fine restaurant who just opened outside Praaven. It was quite expensive, and only noblemen and women could afford such a meal here with golden platters and foreign wine.

She was late. King Tyrion waited for her arrival.

"My sweet King." She said and took a chair to sit down. She had great news.

"I have become with child. But as you can understand, I cannot give birth to a bastard. I would have to leave the castle My King! Do you want that for your unborn child?" Evelyn had trapped him. She knew he loved her too much to send her away with a bastard baby.

The King had just lost his belated wife, Queen Elmegaard. He had no choice but agree to take Evelyn to court.

He stood by the windows in the restaurant and had now taken a decision. They would marry the day after. No time to waste, the court must not think that she had become with child before a marriage had been done. He would loose all his credibility.

The King had invited all their family, friends and even some peasants to join in on the wedding. He was to marry his long time mistress, Evelyn. An odd thing was, that Evelyn's parents had declined the invitation and had not come. They excused it by war affairs, who had taken over Westerling.

And it was done. Evelyn and Tyrion had exchanged rings, she was pregnant and there was no going back now.

The children of Queen Elmegaard and Tyrion stood by in silence as they watched it happen. What have had become of their father? Taking a new wife only months after Elmegaard's death? Especially Prince Florian had his worries. His father so in love with the blonde witch, that he had not taken care of his royal duties for long.

Little princess Beatrice was also confused. Was this supposed to be her new mother?

She would now wear a crown even bigger and more beautiful than the old Queen. She was truly a royal now, she thought as her housebound held her hand in court.

Evelyn would sneak around the castle in order to make sure, that no maids or servants would speak badly of her new position. Everyone was on their toes.

Prince Florian had spend most of his night studying the war affairs, and things were even worse than it seemed. The enemies were only a hundred miles of the Kingdom, the spy had told him. His father was not capable of going to war, but would Florian be able to?

The gentle boy decided to leave the Castle for a while, figuring out his plans. The army would always stand ready, but if his father would not support him, he needed the trust of the people.

Just in the horizon Florian saw the docks. He had not been out of the city too often, and though he was during his father's duties, he was also excited to see more of the enormous Kingdom.

The snow had almost melted in the Fisherman's garden, and Florian asked: "Would you be willing to support the King if war would come? I need all forces I can find." The fisherman nodded. Yes, he would be willing. Afte all the prince himself had asked.

Florian was lucky this time. But he soon realized that asking every citizen in the huge kingdom would take too long. He needed to figure out something else! But how? He sobbed loudly.

Florian ran and ran through the forest, past the lakes and until night would come. He had heard rumors of an old man telling stories about a kin, that was not known to anybody but him. If the stories were true, would Florian be able to convince such people?

Florian arrived at the Inn. He had not seen any old man looking suspicious, so he would just have to be patient and wait for more people to arrive at the Inn. It was only 20.00 pm, so there was still time.

It can't be long now.. He thought and took another sip of his drink waiting for the old man with the myths. The Old Man of the Sea, they called him.