Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

politely. 'It is a little cluttered in here.'
    He waited patiently while Rupert settled himself in his chair, and then tugged thoughtfully at his beard as he wondered how best to start. The silence lengthened, and still he hesitated. He knew what he planned to do was both right and necessary, but that didn't make it any easier.
    'You wished to see us, father,' said Harald, eventually. 'Is it about the wedding?'
    'No,' said the King, not missing the way Rupert's hand rested casually on his swordhilt. 'Though the wedding will have to be postponed again, I'm afraid.'
    'Oh dear,' said Rupert. 'What a pity.'
    'Yes,' said Harald. 'Isn't it.'
    'So why are we here?' demanded Rupert. 'Is it something to do with my plan to fight the demons?'
    'I'd hardly call it a plan,' said Harald. 'Mass suicide would be closer to the mark.'
    'If you've got a better idea, I'd love to hear it!' snapped Rupert. 'What would you rather do — hide behind these walls until the demons come looking for us? Believe me, Harald, it's better to die fighting.'
    'It's better not to die at all,' said Harald. 'There has to be another way. Perhaps the High Warlock ...'
    'No,' said the King flatly. 'Even at his peak, he was never that powerful. But you're right, Harald, there has to be a better way. And I think I might just have found it. If nothing else, it should improve our chances against the demons.'
    'I don't understand,' said Rupert, frowning. 'If there is another way, why didn't you mention it at Court?'
    The King met his gaze squarely. 'Because the Court wouldn't have approved.'
    'It's something to do with the Curtana, isn't it?' said Harald suddenly.
    'In a way,' said the King. 'I had planned to use the Curtana against the demons, but that sword is lost to us now. There are, however, other swords just as powerful, if not more so.'
    Rupert and Harald looked at each other, and John found a small amusement in their equally shocked faces, as they realised what he was talking about. If nothing else, it seemed he'd finally found something they could agree on.
    'You're talking about the Infernal Devices,' said Rupert, incredulously. 'You can't be serious, father!'
    'Why not?' said the King.
    'The Infernal Devices are forbidden to us,' said Harald, but King John didn't miss the cold calculation that had entered Harald's eyes.
    'We can't use them,' said Rupert. 'The Curtana was bad enough, but those blades . . . I'm not sure which scares me most, the demons or those cursed swords.'
    'Understandable,' said Harald. 'But then, you're scared of a lot of things, aren't you?'
    Rupert looked at him, and Harald stirred uncomfortably in his chair. 'Keep talking, Harald,' said Rupert calmly. 'It's all you're good for.'
    'That's enough!' snapped the King. 'Save your feuding until we've found a way out of the darkness.
    That's an order!' He glared at his sons until they both reluctantly inclined their heads to him. John leant back in his chair, and when he spoke again, his voice was calm and measured. 'The Infernal Devices are swords of power, power great enough to save the Land from the long night that threatens it. Nothing else matters.'
    'But we don't even know what the swords do,' protested Rupert. 'It's been so long since anyone dared draw the blades that even the legends have grown vague. Rockbreaker. Flarebright. Wolfsbane. Those names could mean anything! For all we know, we could be waking an evil greater than the one we already face.'
    'Even an evil sword can be put to good use,' said Harald. 'Providing it's kept under careful control.'
    Rupert shook his head stubbornly. 'I don't trust magic swords.'
    'What choice do we have?' said John quietly. 'You said it yourself, Rupert — the Darkwood's strength is based on magic, and it must be fought with magic. According to the legends, the Infernal Devices were
    the most powerful weapons ever created by man.'
    'And the last time they were drawn,' said Rupert, 'they laid waste to half the world before they could be sheathed again. According to the legends.'
    'This time, they could save the world!'
    'Or damn it, for all time.'
    'What difference does it make?' said Harald. 'Outside these walls, there's nothing left but darkness now.
    The Land has fallen. The Infernal Devices may be our last chance, our last hope ... or they may destroy us all. It doesn't really matter. We're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. Personally, I think I'll settle for a chance to take our enemies down with us.'
    Rupert scowled, and