Journeys Chapter One p3
Patryg's right hand shot up and caught the King's wrist, before slightly twisting and applying just enough pressure to take the King to his knees. "No, sir. You are not our King. Your Father wasn't our King, nor did we work for him." He applied just enough pressure to bring a wince of pain to the monarch's face. "We don't bow down to temporal powers, nor do we go against our word." He gazed down at the king, his eyes narrowed slightly. "What I don't understand is why you are doing this? Neither we nor they have done anything to you."
"It doesn't matter!" The king yelped as Patryg twisted his arm in one direction. "I don't like you and I don't like them. You live here, but you don't pay taxes, send your children to our schools, or even lift a hand to defend our borders.” When Patryg blinked, the King continued. “Everyone else in the kingdom, I can depend upon. They'll do their part.” He smirked, “Even mother church will do her part and declare my enemies her heretics.” When Patryg released him, he rose unsteadily to his feet, “You and your men are the only people that I can't control. You and your army.”
Patryg arched a brow. “My army?” He glanced back at his men, who shrugged.
“Yes, your army.” The Monarch reached out and brushed the monk's robe aside, revealing the chainmail armor and sword. “Knights of the Holy Rose. You aren't tied to any church, any army, you don't answer to anyone, save yourself, and you live in a heavily defended keep.” He snarled, “Do you see why I don't trust you?”
The Grand Master thought about it for a moment, then nodded, “Yes, I do. Again, what do you want?”
The king cradled his hand to his chest. “I don't trust you. I don't want you here. I want you gone.” He turned and walked back to his throne and sank down on it. “I want you gone within the week.”
The knights looked at each other, before looking back at the king. “We bought the land, built the keep. It belongs to us.” One of the others stated. “Why should we leave?”
The king grinned, as if he held the ace in the deck. “Because if you don't, I'll round up every peasant within ten leagues of your keep and kill them.”
“He wouldn't.” One of the Knights stated.
Patryg stared at the king for a long minute and sighed. “Yes, yes, he would.” He drew himself up straight and looked at the monarch. “Do I have your word that you'll give us a week and that you'll leave the peasants alone?”
“You have my word,” The King stated.....
“Patryg, we can't trust him.”
The Grand Master raised his hand, gesturing for them to be quiet, and to their benefit, they fell silent. When he spoke, it was with great solemnity, “We have to trust him. Innocent lives are at stake.”
He turned and looked at the man who had spoken. “What is our prime rule?”
The soldier bowed his head and softly stated, “The innocent must never be put at risk.”
Patryg turned back to the King. “Very well, Kalyb, son of Olwen, King of Tarnen. We will leave your kingdom within the week.”
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