TEN
Edmund sat and watched the figures gather in the tall grass. They moved freely in a circle together. ‘Hmm...they must have cut down the area in which they are congregating. I’ll have to check it out when they clear out.’ The sun was rising now and he could see that some of them wore a white robe, one donned a red one and moved the most, one wore a light purple colour, another a pale shade of pink and the last one a vibrant yellow. ‘That’s odd. Most ceremonial robes are all the same colour except those of the leaders. The red hooded one must be the highest ranking. But why the pink, purple and yellow?’ He had come across Pagan colonies before but never seen one who wore anything but red, white and black.
Suddenly he saw candlelight and could hear chanting but his ears could not pick up the words due to the wind blowing past him. The people looked like they were waiting for someone or something. They were all huddled together except the red cloaked one. That person stood alone now.
His horse nickered at the snap of a branch and a white robed figure wearing a red sash walked out half way down the wood line from him. Their footsteps were followed by another figure who rushed, holding their robe up to move quicker. This one wore a purple sash.
The two met the others and one of them went to stand with the group. The other one stood back still in the tall grass. The red robe went to the lone person and once they reached them, they fell out of site. He stood to see where they went but could not find them in the flowing sea of green. It seemed like forever but then the white robe he thought he lost finally came back into view right in front of the red one again.
He looked on as the ritual played out. Coloured lights began to appear in front of his eyes. They were rainbow like and very bright. So, bright that he could make out each distinct ray even though the sun was moving higher now in the sky.
More chanting followed by a humming sound that continued for a good while. They were all gathered again and had one person lifted in the air. He looked down to shoo a bug from his hand and they all disappeared. He still heard the faint sounds of chanting but could not see them.
It took longer than he expected for them to pop up once more. When they did, they lingered for a bit while the red one took a white one around and around.
Soon enough they were moving towards him with haste. ‘I better get out of here before one of them sees me. I do not wish to die today.’
He backed up slowly and kept his head to the ground so they wouldn’t see the colouring of his face if they looked his way. Once he thought he was out of sight, he started to run back to his horse.
He jumped over fallen logs and skidded past piles of leaves fallen from the trees. The birds sang out their morning songs and bugs flitted before him. He hit a few spider webs, swatting at them like a crazy man. He stopped in his tracks at the sound of hooves pawing the ground. It came from the left of him not too far away.
Edmund found his horse tied to the same place where he had left the black beauty earlier. He untied him and mounted, spurring off in the opposite direction of the meadow.
‘Guess I shall be taking the long way back to the castle. I must get there soon or someone will notice I am missing.’
He backtracked through the woods enough that the people he watched would not find him, then set off to find the old path back to the castle. He picked up the pace once he reached the barely traceable dirt road and his steed lengthened out to accommodate his request.
The trail was covered in leaves and fallen debris now. He was only able to stay on track due to the lack of large trees winding through this side of the forest. He came upon a spot he knew all too well. A large pond where he may or may not have taken a few willing ladies. He chuckled at the memories. When James and his entourage went hunting, they would normally stop here and at another larger pond closer to where he watched the robed figures, to water the horses and rest for a bit.
It was not long before he reached the castle and trotted back into the stables. The stable boy looked at him in disbelief.
‘Your Grace, I’m sorry I did not realize you were out last night,’ he told Edmund.
‘No worries, lad. I felt like taking a morning ride to clear my mind. I left early this morning and did not want to wake you to have him ready. Please take Beauty and brush him down, the full works. I rode him hard. This is for your silence. If I here you speak of my leaving and arrival, I will have your tongue for it. Are we clear?’ Edmund handed him a gold coin and the reins then hurried up the steps to get back to his room before the boy could ask him anymore questions.
Edmund briskly walked through the finely decorated halls, passing no one thankfully, and down the corridor leading to his room when he heard James call his name.
‘Edmund, stop!’
James waited patiently as Edmund waltzed back towards him.
‘Is it done then? I heard rumours throughout the castle but nothing has been confirmed yet. Oddly enough, the Duke of Farnsworth is nowhere to be seen today. Rose has remained in her room. You better not have fucked this up,’ he pointed a newly ringed finger at Edmund’s chest.
‘I see you wasted no time in removing your father’s ring from his cold dead fingers,’ he chuckled out. ‘Where is the old bastard’s crown?’
‘Fuck, that. I am not wearing that old thing. I have had my own made. They are working on it now so it will be ready for the coronation. Let me just say I’ve spared no expense. Anyways, back to the current issue.’ James grabbed his shoulder and began to walk the opposite way from Edmund’s room.
James slammed him up against the wall, ‘That fucker no longer breathes, correct? No witnesses? And why the fuck have you dressed in these shitty ass rags? You smell worse than the hogs waiting to be slaughtered down in the market.’
‘You honestly do not want to know. Leave it. I took care of the problem. He no longer draws breathe. Rose will need consolation and I need to go bathe. No one saw me leave last night but the damn stable boy was there when I got back. I paid him for his silence,’ he pushed James back, a devilish grin spreading across his face.
‘See to it then and do not fucking act like I am not your superior. I am king now so treat me like it or I will have a few lessons for you to learn.’ James voice was stern as he let the words echo in the hall in case anyone was listening in. These walls held far too many spies.
James smacked him on the back and gave him a wink.
‘I do have a few things I want to run by you later. I shall find you after I talk to the guards and confirm the identity of the man found in town, slaughtered and robbed,’ he smiled grimly, thinking of how Rose will run to his arms now.
James nodded and headed off to find what Alice was up to.