The next day, everyone in the castle was up bright and
early. Everyone wanted to get started decorating for the happy event. The
castle’s butlers and maids got to work cleaning the windows and sweeping the
floors to make sure they were extra clean. The royal cooks began to cook up a
feast fit for twenty kings. The head chief wanted to back a cake big enough for
ten dragons as he said. Josun couldn’t even imagine something that big.
As for
Josun and Saurina, the royal tailors kept them away to work on their wedding
clothes. Each of them had to be measured to see how big their clothes needed to
be. They wanted to use the finest material they had to make the wedding
clothes. Josun was fine using his regular clothes, but said nothing, knowing
that it would offend the servants if they weren’t allowed to work.
After they
were done measuring him, they sent him off so they could begin working on
designing the outfit. Josun went to the dueling room inside the castle where he
could practice his swordplay. Many knights of Bylouth were there, working on
perfecting their skills or training their squires. Some of the squires were
having trouble keeping their weapons in their hands, so someone usually ended
up with a dent in their armor or a piece of their tunic cut off.
“Josun!”
One of the knights called out when they spotted him. “What can we do for you?”
“Just here
to practice.” Josun said. Reaching down his belt, he pulled up his sword
Vedion. As soon as it was out of its sheath, the silver blade gave off its glow
that made people reflect on their lives and things they would like to change.
Holding the golden hilt, Josun began to practice on a wooden dummy in the
corner.
Whenever
Josun held Vedion, he felt the responsibility of having so powerful a weapon in
his hands. He remembered the legends of how Vedion was used by kings in the old
days before it was hidden by the Maiden of Melodies. There were those who would
love to use the sword for their own evil purposes, but Vedion would not be used
by someone with dark intentions. Josun always hoped that he would be able to
resist the temptation to use the blade for himself and his own gain.
Josun
quickly shook the thoughts from his head. If he dwelt on such fears, they would
surely become a reality. Besides, the wizard Ipurv had said to him many times
that if he would not be worthy at a later time, then the sword would not have
chosen him at all. He must never let such worries keep him from drawing the
sword. He had seen what had happened to a satyr who wasn’t worthy to use the
sword, and not once had it happened to him. Nothing should make him think
otherwise, as Ipurv would tell him.
Swinging
the sword around one last time, Josun sent the arms of the dummy spinning
around, the dull metal flying out from its hands and all the way to the door.
Clapping caught Josun by surprise as he turned around and saw a young boy a few
years younger than him standing there.
“Well
done!” The boy said as he came up to Josun. “One of the best practices I’ve
ever seen.”
“Thank you,
sir…” Josun said, not knowing who this person was. He had light brown hair and
a friendly look to him.
“Oh, it’s
Grythod, sir.” Grythod introduced himself. “I’m your new page.”
“My page?”
Josun asked as he sheathed Vedion.
“Yes. I am
honored to be able to learn from you.”
“Oh. Well,
I am honored to be able to teach you. I was just finishing up.”
“Does that
mean that you’re about to leave?” Grythod asked with a disappointing look
coming across his face.
“No. If you
want we can begin right now.” Josun’s response brightened up Grythod’s face. He
hurried to the wall and grabbed some of the wooden swords to practice with.
When he brought them over Josun he took one of them and stood at the ready.
When Grythod held up his wooden sword they began with some of the basic tactics
for sword wielding. Grythod was not very experienced because in a few swipes he
had been disarmed.
“It’s okay
Grythod. It’ll take practice.” Josun said. “Try again.”
This
practice went on for a while. Grythod kept working hard and Josun could see he
was getting better the more they practiced. Josun wondered if any of his
ancestors had been warriors. Yes Grythod wasn’t a professional and didn’t show
any skill right now, yet there was something about him that said he could
become great.
It was an
hour later when Josun had finished working with Grythod. Replacing the swords
he moved out into the castle to see what Saurina was doing. She wasn’t in her
room or out in the garden, so he decided to check the library. She was there
reading a book about the legacy of the husaurs, which she now spent more time
in than any other book in the library. Josun admitted he like The Adventures of Titlonius, a husaur
who had stopped the invasion of barbarians in the land.
“Oh, Josun,
I didn’t hear you come in.” Saurina said as she looked up from her book.
“Well, this
place is filled with books. Maybe they silenced my footsteps.” Josun joked.
Saurina
smiled. “Probably. There’s a lot that’s hidden in here. I doubt even Ipurv has
read all the titles that we keep in here.” She said.
“Wouldn’t
surprise me. Your father said all the kings have been adding to the
collection.”
“At least
we don’t have to worry about unexpected surpri—what was that?” She asked as
they heard a loud boom. Standing up, the princess ran out of the library
followed by Josun. In the hall, they saw many of the nights from the dueling
room running in the direction of the entrance. They tried to ask what was going
on, but nobody answered them. Finally they decided to follow everyone to see what
the cause was.
As soon as
the doors came into view, Saurina let out a gasp. The immense wooden doors
looked as if several cannons and a battering ram had forced them open, because
they were split and heavily cracked. All around the door laid knights who
looked as if they had been hit by dragon shields. In the middle of the entryway
a man stood fighting off the incoming knights. He had on a black cloak with the
hood pulled down to show he looked middle age with messy brown hair and a
serious expression. His wooden staff withstood the blows of the knights swords
and constantly shot out beams of magic that knocked them back.
“What is
going on here?” King Ifen demanded to know as he came down the stairs. As soon
as he saw the scattered warriors and the warlock, he paled as if he had met
this person before. Queen Arias was not far behind him, and she gasped as she
saw who it was.
“So after
all these years you do remember.” The wizard said when he gazed upon them.
Holding his staff high, he proclaimed, “It is I, Jerith, Head Sage of the
Council of Magic, conqueror of the barbarian thylls, and the soon-to-be husband
of the princess Saurina!”
