Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

with Sir Blays before, but the two other Landsgraves were new to him. All three had arrived together, which implied the Barons had finally agreed on a common course of action, but judging from the way the three Landsgraves watched each other all the time it was an uneasy alliance at best. King John smiled slowly, and settled back in his throne. Divide and conquer, that was the way. Get them arguing among themselves, and their own vested interests would tear them apart.
    He studied the three Landsgraves carefully, taking his time. It wouldn't do to have them thinking they could rattle him. Sir Blays took the centre position, a short, stocky man with close-cropped grey hair and deep, piercing eyes. Calm, sober and soft-spoken, he cultivated an air of polite consideration, which
    fooled only those who didn't know him. King John had known him for almost twenty years.
    The impressively muscled figure waiting impatiently to the right of Sir Blays had to be Sir Bedivere.
    Rumour had it he'd killed a dozen men in duels. There were whispers that he'd provoked the duels deliberately, for the sport of it, but no one had said that to the man's face. He was young and darkly handsome, in a self-indulgent way, and the King didn't miss the weakness that showed in Sir Bedivere's puffy eyes and pouting lower lip. Some day he'd be a possible replacement for the Champion; if he lived that long.
    The quiet, timid figure to the left of Sir Blays was Sir Guillam, a man so ordinary in appearance as to be practically invisible. Tall rather than short, and perhaps a little on the skinny side, his round, open face had no more character in it than a baby's. His thinning hair was a mousy brown, neatly parted in the centre. His pale grey eyes blinked nervously as he shifted uncomfortably under the King's gaze, and King John hid a smile behind his hand. Sir Guillam was a familiar type: he'd obey whatever instructions he'd been given to the letter, mainly because he wasn't bright enough to do anything else. Such emissaries were easy to confuse, and even easier to manipulate. And then Sir Bedivere suddenly stepped forward, and bowed deeply to the throne.
    'Your majesty, if I might beg a moment of your time ...'
    'Of course, Sir Bedivere,' said the King graciously. 'You are the new Landsgrave of Deepwater Brook demesne?'
    'Aye, Sire; I speak for the Copper Barons.'
    'And what do they wish of me this time?'
    'Only what they've always wished, Sire — justice.'
    A ripple of laughter ran through the courtiers, dying quickly away as the Landsgrave stared coldly about him. Easily six foot six tall, his broad shoulders and massive frame might even have given the Champion himself pause. Sir Bedivere swept the packed Court with a challenging gaze, and then dismissed them all with a contemptuous toss of his head, as not worthy of his attention.
    'Justice ...' said the King mildly. 'Could you be more specific?'
    'The Copper Barons must have more men, Sire. Demons are overrunning the mining towns, destroying everything in their path. Refugees line the roads, more every day. We can't even feed them all, let alone give them shelter when the night falls. Already, there have been riots in the towns. Most of our guards are dead, killed trying to hold back the demons. What few men we have left can't hope to maintain law and order. The Copper Barons respectfully demand that you send a substantial part of your Royal Guard to help drive back the darkness that threatens us.'
    The King stared at the Landsgrave. 'So far, I have sent your masters almost five hundred guardsmen.
    Are you telling me they're all dead?'
    'Yes,' said Sir Bedivere. A shocked murmur rustled through the courtiers.
    They died fighting demons?'
    'Aye, Sire.'
    'How many of the Barons' own men rode out against the dark?'
    Sir Bedivere frowned. 'I don't quite see . . .'
    'How many?'
    'I really couldn't say,' said the Landsgrave shortly. 'A great many guards had to stay behind to protect the town and maintain order ...'
    'I see,' said the King. 'My men died, while the Barons' guards stayed safe behind stout town walls.'
    'This is all quite irrelevant,' said Sir Bedivere calmly. 'My masters require more men from you; how many troops will you send?'
    'I have no men to spare,' said the King flatly.
    'Is that your final answer?'
    'It is. My men are needed here. The Barons must defend themselves, as must I.'
    'They don't have a Castle to hide in,' said Sir Bedivere loudly.
    Silence fell across the Court, the