Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

nothing.
    'Well, then,' said King John slowly, 'I'll see you again, my Lord, when all this is over.'
    'Of course, Sire,' said Lord Vivian. He bowed formally to the King, and then turned and left, ignoring Harald and Julia. For a while nobody said anything, lost in their own thoughts.
    'Do you really think he's going to stay with the farmers?' asked Julia.
    'Of course,' said Harald. 'He gave his word.'
    Julia just looked at him.
    'He's a strange chap, is Vivian,' said the King. 'I've known him half my life, and I still don't understand what goes on behind those cold, empty eyes of his. He firmly believes in looking out for his own best interests, and yet in his own strange way he's intensely loyal to the Land. He follows no cause save his own, but he's never been known to break his word. He wants to be reinstated and he wants to do penance; I've just given him the chance to do both. He'll hate taking orders from peasants, but he'll do it, and cut down any of his fellows who refuse. A strange chap, Vivian, but always loyal to the Land and its needs.'
    'Don't worry, Julia,' said Harald. 'Vivian's a cold bastard, but he knows his duty. He won't betray us again.'
    'Well,' said the King, pulling thoughtfully at his beard, 'that's two problems solved, anyway.
    Unfortunately, we're still no nearer finding the Curtana.'
    Julia looked at him sharply. 'I thought the Landsgraves had it?'
    'Apparently not. I've got my guards searching the traitors' quarters, but I don't think they're going to find anything. Blays swore till the end that he hadn't taken it, and I'm beginning to believe him.'
    'Guillam or Bedivere could have taken it.'
    'Not without Blays knowing.'
    'I'm inclined to agree,' said Harald, staring soberly into his empty cup. 'And that means that somewhere in this Castle there's a traitor we haven't found yet.'
    'Damn right,' said Julia. 'The same traitor who let demons into the South Wing.'
    'I'd forgotten about that,' said Harald.
    'I haven't,' said Julia. 'I've still got the scars to remind me.'
    'Time to worry about that tomorrow,' said the King, yawning openly. 'All in all, it's been a fairly successful day, I suppose. Considering how easily it might all have gone horribly wrong.'
    'True,' said Harald. 'If you hadn't brought those crossbowmen with you, there's no telling how many Sir Guillam would have killed.'
    'Quite,' said John. 'I was lucky there. The Landsgraves openly threatened me earlier this evening, when I was meeting with the farmers' deputation, only to back down and leave when the farmers supported me.
    That intrigued me; what on earth did the farmers have that could rout the Landsgraves so easily ? The answer was simple — my guards had swords, but the farmers had longbows. So, I played a hunch, and it worked out.'
    There was a long, thoughtful silence.
    'Three hundred and forty-eight traitors,' John said finally, all the satisfaction gone from his voice. 'Three hundred and forty-eight. Not as many as I'd feared, but a damn sight more than there should have been.'
    'Don't blame yourself,' said Harald sternly, 'They're the ones who failed the Land, not you. Besides, I talked to most of them at the party. Believe me, you're better off without them.'
    'How could you play along with such people?' asked Julia. 'Living a double life, different lies for different people . . . how could you stand it? Why didn't you just turn Darius in when he first approached you?'
    'He did,' said John. 'I persuaded him to carry on with the deception, but keep me informed. The party was Harald's idea, and thanks to him we caught all the rats in one fell swoop. Now I know who I can trust, and who is false. And, I know my son is loyal.'
    Harald raised an elegant eyebrow. 'Was there ever any doubt?'
    'No,' said King John fondly, 'but it was nice to be proved right.'
    'What's going to happen with the Barons now?' asked Julia. 'More plots, more conspiracies?'
    'They won't be any trouble,' said John, smiling grimly. 'They wanted to find out which of us was the stronger, and now they know. They'll just disown their Landsgraves, publicly condemn the rebels, and
    promise me anything as long as I don't withdraw my troops and leave them to face the demons on their own. No, Julia, they won't risk rocking the boat again.'
    'Then it's all over,' said Julia. 'The rebellion is dead.'
    'Not quite,' said Harald. 'There's still no sign of Lord Darius. We did finally force that damn bookcase open, but all we found was a tunnel leading into the