Chapter Sixty-Four - Seed Of Hope And Doubt

Sinley and Demeka knew that things would be chaotic once they reopened the doors to their inn. Guests who were down to their last coin flooded the establishment, shoving and elbowing their way inside. If not for Kuval's excellent effort fixing the inn before his departure, the walls would have exploded outwards because of the crowds. The only way a sense of order could be kept was with Anoke intimidating anyone that caused trouble. The couple's newly appointed helper was like a hawk. Whenever a single drop was split, he would be there in a flash to clean the mess until the surface was sparkling.

A smile crept across Sinley's face as he watched Anoke work from behind the counter. ''I think we've made an honest worker out of him.''

Beside him, Demeka glided through the pages of the guest book. On a page in the middle of the book, she had the map of the Kingdom folded, hidden from the eyes of strangers. She took the quill next to her and crossed off a small section to the north-east. ''I've heard the White Knights have this place turned under. We can't look there.'' She whispered to herself, then glanced up at her husband. ''Sorry, did you say something.''

Sinley smiled and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. ''Nothing, my dear.''

''Innkeeper...'' a patron yelled, walking towards the couple with a beverage almost sliding out of his loose grip. In a panic, Demeka closed the book as quickly as she could, the force of the countless pages slamming together caused the counter to shake. The patron eyed them for a moment, before shrugging, too drunk to care for their antics. ''Top us up, will ya?''

''Of course,'' Sinley replied, taking the half-empty cup.

The patron scratched his chin while holding the counter for support. ''Is there a catch with this place?''

''What do you mean?'' Sinley asked.

''You charge nothing for food and drinks. Not even the rooms. I ain't a businessman...'' he hiccuped, almost falling back.

Sinley waited for him to finish his sentence, but he was only met with silence as the patron swaggered from left to right. ''Uh...we would find it unjust to charge people considering what's going on throughout the Kingdom.''

As the patron was served, with Sinley needing to hold his hand and guide it to the tankard, another man shimmied closer. ''A strategy like that, no matter how noble, would get any business in trouble with the Bluebloods.''

''This is no longer a Kingdom dominated by Bluebloods.'' Demeka said, nodding towards the dozens of men and women that occupied the inn. ''Chances are that if you look around, you'll find wealthy owners, nobles, and even those exiled from the council drinking together like anyone they once considered their lesser.''

Those listening to Demeka glanced around, taking in the sights and sounds. It was a shock to see those once divided by class now mingling together with no barriers between them. They were dancing to the same songs, downing the same drinks, and sharing laughs.

''What about him?'' the drunken man questioned, gesturing towards the far corner, where Jerimoth sat alone. ''Are Knights an exception to this little utopia you've got?''

Demeka glared at the patron. ''He wishes to be left alone. So leave him be.''

Her strong words were enough to silence him. She gazed over to Jerimoth. The former Knight kept his head bowed, ignoring everything happening around him as his sullen eyes seemed to be lost to another time and place.

''I say they get what's coming to them,'' a blonde woman sitting further away from the conversation shouted, slamming her hand on the counter.

Instantly, Anoke appeared from nowhere to tower over the woman. ''Excuse me, I just cleaned there. If I even see a splinter out of place, don't think I won't toss you out of the door.''

The woman narrowed her eyes. A second passed before she grinned. ''Ain't you that guy who ran from the tournament crying?''

Anoke's body stiffened. Memories flashed before his eyes as he recognised the woman's face. He didn't see much of her on that day, but he still remembered the feeling of Jozi's weapon coming within inches of tearing into his flesh. He let out an innocent whistle as he walked away.

Once he was gone, Jozi belched and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. ''Bluebloods, Knights, the lot of them. They acted all high and mighty behind their castles and guards, and now they can't stand being with the rest of us.''

''Do you not see what's happening before your own eyes?'' Demeka questioned.

''It won't last,'' Jozi replied, taking a peanut from a small bowl on the counter and flicked it up into the air before catching it in her mouth. ''Today, we act like we're brother and sisters. But, we'll turn on each other. The Bluebloods will step on everyone else to get back to where they were before.''

''You make it sound like a certainty.''

''Let's just say I had the foresight to see this coming, even if it's not what I wanted.'' Jozi lobbed another peanut upwards, higher than before, and caught it once again.

Sinley cleared his throat and rubbed Demeka's arm. ''With all due respect, ma'am, I think we can help make things better than they once were.''

Jozi guffawed. ''Is that so? You and what army?''

She flicked another peanut towards the ceiling. As she followed its movements, a hand reached out over the bannister of the second-floor balcony and caught it, crushing it until it was nothing more than crumbs. Jozi jumped out of her seat, gazing up to see a woman and two men on either side of her come into view.

Standing to Katelyn's left, Rene put his hand to his chest and spent half a minute clearing his throat. Meanwhile, on her right, Griff stuffed two table cloths into his ears. After a few low hums rolled off Rene's tongue, his booming voice echoed off the walls and onto the unsuspecting guests. All eyes were drawn to the balcony with a mixture of confusion and awe as their music was buried beneath Rene's operatic song. His moment in the light was short-lived, but enjoyable nonetheless, down to the last verse.

''Thank you, Rene,'' Katelyn said to him, as he bowed to her and Griff finished unplugging his ears. She turned back to the waiting crowd. ''I know that you're tired and frustrated. We wanted change. This is not that change.''

''We've heard this before,'' someone shouted. ''The White Sword said they'd make things better and look at what's happened.''

Katelyn nodded. ''What's happened is not what we intended, I-,''

''You intended? You're with them?'' another cried out in shock, prompting heckles from the other patrons.

''No, I'm not!'' Katelyn pleaded. She could see she was already losing the crowd as they searched for the exit, but she stood firm with her shoulders high. ''Kardas has manipulated us all. He used the White Sword to complete his quest for revenge. He doesn't care about anyone other than himself. We have to take a stand against him.''

''What good will that do?''

''Standing for our right is what got us into this mess in the first place!''

''You're crazy!''

Katelyn's pleas were beginning to fall onto deaf ears as she took the endless jeers and taunts aimed at the balcony. She kept herself rooted, afraid that if she backed down now, her hopes would be dashed. The crowd slowly edged forward, threatening to spill over the counter. Anoke was powerless to stop them. Demeka and Sinley locked their hands together. Out of the corner of Demeka's eyes, she could see Jerimoth rising out of his chair with a shadowed expression and clenched fist.

Suddenly, Jozi leapt onto the counter and stamped her foot. The impact sent shockwaves throughout the inn. She felt her heart pounding in her ears when peace returned. ''I wasn't with the White Sword for long. But, Kardas trusted me enough to guide me inside the castle...where I almost took the life of the Princess.''

The inn was filled with shocked gasps and bewildered whispers. Demeka and Sinley felt their hearts sink at the revelation.

Jozi looked back up Katelyn, smirking at her gawking expression. ''I see that not everyone in the White Sword was aware of my mission.''

''No,'' Katelyn said. ''I suppose it shows how fragmented we were.''

Jozi snorted and turned back to the crowd. ''When my attack was thwarted, I was imprisoned. But, I stayed strong in the hopes that my error would not be the end. I was freed when Kardas took the castle and turned his force into the White Knights. I thought I would receive a hero's welcome. No one knew who I was. I was just a cog in their machine that had outlived its purpose.''

Staying in the shadows, Jerimoth chuckled jadedly to himself.

Jozi's jaw tightened. ''We trampled over ignorance and replaced it with vengeance.''

''That's why we have to stand against the White Knights,'' Katelyn said.

Folding her arms over her chest, Jozi spat on the floor. ''And what's going to make this time different?''

To the surprise of everyone, particularly Katelyn and Rene, Griff stepped forward. ''Cause you ain't got one person leading the charge.''

Although Jozi scoffed, the aura inside of the inn had shifted, becoming lighter and breathable.

Sensing a chance to win the crowd, he leaned forward against the bannister. ''It sounds like the White Sword was doing everything one person's way so that he could win. Well, now, we've got people from the gutters and up to the top who want change.''

''He's right,'' Katelyn said. ''We fought a never-ending battle. But, we now have a chance to work together to make real change. We can spread the word to the people. It doesn't matter who. We all need to take a stand.''

The mumbling amongst the crowd grew in confidence, though some eyes were still cast down. Scattered amongst them were some who dared not to dream of hope.

Demeka marched forward. ''Kardas is no ruler. He needs to keep everyone in line. If we prove to the outside world we're ready to fight for our freedom, we can win back our home.''

''We can't make this change alone,'' Sinley agreed, coming to stand beside his wife. ''We have to unite, with everyone who lives here, to visitors from other parts of the world. We're more standing together.''

Some of the patrons in the back began clapping, encouraging others to follow. A wave of cheers rippled outwards.

Katelyn gritted her teeth and raised her fist. ''It doesn't matter if we're the White Sword, or not. We can't back down from this fight. And we can't let the hope of change fall onto the shoulders of one man. It has to fall onto all of us. Are you with us?''

Cheers erupted throughout the inn. In a flash, Griff pressed his finger to his lips to hush them. ''Keep it down, they could still hear us!''

The crowd quietened down, bringing their cheers to a flat tone that would hardly inspire motivation under usual circumstances. Still, it didn't matter to Katelyn. She stood on the balcony, needing a moment to catch her breath as Griff and Rene walked downstairs to hand out small flags that they had stitched earlier that afternoon.

Demeka and Sinley held each other tighter. Their hearts finally crawled back down their throats. They only wished that their daughter could be here to rejoice at this moment with them.

Jozi faced the couple with a smirk. ''Alright, you have your army. Let's see if we can do things right this time.''

~X~

The spark of resistance transformed into a fire within days.

Whispers passed from one neighbour to another. The Kingdom of Arsalan awakened from its dark slumber renewed. People were beginning to stand up and make their voices heard. The vast streets welcomed larger groups of people with each passing day, leaving the White Knights dumbfounded. They couldn't focus on their hunt when confronted and outnumbered by a rally of protestors.

Under strict orders from Bricen to not harm any citizen, fearing news of their revolution would leak to the world leaders, they would be forced to retreat and continue their search for the royal family elsewhere. In the protestors wake, they planted a flag with their symbol proudly displayed.

A broken white sword.

Two White Knights on horseback watched as a small group of protestors planted another flag in a small public garden before scattering.

''This is turning into a joke.'' Troy urged his horse forward and grabbed the flag from its pole. The fabric in his hand hardened into a sheet of ice before it shattered to pieces.

''We shouldn't act surprised.'' Marina sighed, leaning on her horse's neck.

He glared at her. ''What's that supposed to mean?''

Marina didn't look at him. ''We gave them hope that things would change. But, nothing has changed.''

''Are you hearing yourself?''

''Are you blind?'' she snapped. Sitting up straight, she locked eyes with her companion. ''Since the king was overthrown, we've done nothing by chase his shadow. Meanwhile, the Kingdom has been left to the wayside. What happened to making things right? Isn't that why we joined this fight?''

Troy bumped his legs into his horses' sides, bringing himself closer to Marina. He could see the anger behind her eyes. ''Don't tell me you're becoming sympathetic.''

''That's not it-,''

''Then what are you so upset about? We won! We have what we wanted.''

A scoff slipped past Marina's lips. ''We don't. That's the point. Kardas wants the King and Princess. He has neither.''

''Then we should stop bickering like children, and find them.'' Troy dismissed, turning his saddle in the other direction.

Watching him trotting down the road without a care for what was happening around them, set her stomach ablaze. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her thighs, urging her horse into a gallop. When she reached him, she reached out and grabbed his arm. Troy grunted, struggling in her firm grip. When he locked eyes with her, he couldn't stop himself from chuckling. It was a sound that Marina had become familiar with. She knew that there was a threatening undercurrent hidden beneath his laugh.

Marina suppressed the desire to throw him off his saddle. ''I followed Kardas because I believed in him. I trained at the academy so that when the time came, I would be ready to help him save a Kingdom that was broken, with its people oppressed.''

He looked at her glumly. ''Are you going to get to the part where you tell me what has you so upset? Or do you wish to make my ears bleed with empty words?''

''We are still on lockdown. No food or water is coming for the people. Only more weapons and cattle for Kardas to continue with his vengeance. Everything other than the royal family is a distraction to him. How far will he go? Will he let the people starve before he finds his enemies?''

''There'll be fewer distractions.''

Marina gasped, releasing his arm and staring at him with frightful eyes. ''How can you say that? Don't you care what happens?''

Troy's mouth quirked upward. ''You want to know why I joined this fight?''

''Clearly, not out of the goodness of your own heart.''

''I joined Kardas because he seemed the most likely to win.''

Marina shuddered. ''What?''

He leaned forward. If she wasn't shivering from his confession, she most certainly was now having his face so close to hers, his breath could cool her burning cheeks. ''I don't care about Knights or revolutions or revenge. I weighed my options and I chose to follow the path that would lead to victory.''

''Why haven't you told me this before?'' she questioned.

''If Kardas's plan didn't work, I would continue playing obedient Knight until I saw a better opportunity. You, on the other hand, were set on following through with the attack. That means if things had gone differently, we could have been on opposite sides.''

Marina found herself unable to stop shaking. ''You would have stabbed me in the back to save your skin.''

''Don't take it personally, I'd have done the same to anyone else.''

''Do you care for anyone else's life other than your own?''

Troy's lips remained sealed, keeping rash thoughts locked away. Marina stared at him, waiting with diminishing patience until she couldn't stand the silence. She turned, clicking her tongue and urging her horse to take another road.

He reached beneath the neckline of his armour and clutched the pendant dangling on his necklace. His thumb brushed over the engraving as he exhaled. ''Why do you care so much over what happens to this Kingdom?''

''I suppose that's the sort of question someone cold-blooded would ask.''

A/N: Hello guys, girls and everyone else. I'm back with a new chapter. I hope that you enjoyed this one, and don't be afraid to let me know your thoughts. What do you think of seeing Jozi back? How do you think things will go with Troy and Marina? I want to thank you all again for your support and comments so far. I hope you enjoy the rest of the journey. Take care.