Stopover Part 9
Levi
The men halted their horses before they crossed out of Brownwell kingdom. They came to a stop in a clearing overlooking a large body of water, surrounded by fields adorned with gemstone-colored flowers, glistening under the brilliant sun above them.
Areion was lifting his heavy hooves one-by-one, dancing in place, and vocally grunting in agitation. More than once, the horse jerked his head out, pulling against the reins Levi held.
“The horse agrees with me,” Harrison nodded toward the stallion. “It appears he wanted to take lives as well.”
“Then that makes two of you I have to deal with while trying to figure out the best way to handle this madness.”
“Listen to your horse, listen to your gut instincts, and as always, listen to my advice, and let us start by finishing off those spineless guards,” Harrison said.
“Areion, settle,” Levi demanded his tense horse. “I need to think.”
“Why don’t you look for the love note that is most likely placed with a kiss inside your saddlebag?”
Levi glanced back at the saddlebags that were buckled on the horse, placed behind the saddle. “Why do the horses wear these?” Levi’s mind was not firm in anything right now, and he needed to breathe out a few breaths to pull it all together.
“Why do you think?” Harrison said impatiently. “We both know that Reece sent the horses, and now we need to know why she did.”
Levi opened each side of the saddlebags, ignoring the Guardian regalia that was packed neatly in both sides, and pulled out a note. He turned and ran his thumb over his wife’s wax seal and unfolded the short letter.
“Oh, look, Guardian war clothes, and I got a love letter too.” Harrison’s voice was distant as Levi began to read Reece’s note.
Levi,
It seems as though your connection with Areion would span throughout the entire realm of Pemdas. The horse was wild and unruly when we arrived at Pasidian. Javian had reminded me that your stallion reacts this way when prepared for war.
I felt the rage in him, the concern, and the need to be at your side when I locked eyes with his fierce ones. His warrior spirit was set with determination, and I understood immediately that he and Saracen must both search out you and Harrison. I trust you’re reading this because your stallions were correct in assuming you’d both be in trouble without them.
Your Guardian regalia is packed within the saddlebags. I am unsure if this is how you’ll conduct business, but I wanted the horses armed with whatever you should need. Julian is at the palace, and I will be speaking to him about what we found and how I believe you and Harrison will need not only Pasidian’s guards but also your warriors.
We traveled ahead of the convoy, and I sensed we were leaving you both behind with trouble. Do the right thing and follow who you know you are as the ethical and compassionate man I am blessed to call my husband. Help these poor people and come home safely to me.
I am on my way to deliver your letter to your father, and I’m sure between him, the advisors, and Julian, we will have some plan as to what will be sent for your further dealings with King Brandon.
My heart is forever yours,
Reece
“Did she write a novel?”
Levi grinned, his nerves settling after the refreshing words from his wife. “She sent the horses because Areion must’ve destroyed everything in sight, proving to her and Javian we needed the horses.” Levi shook his head, looking over at Harrison, “She will be discussing with Julian, my father, and some of the advisors about whether or not some of our Guardian Warriors are to be deployed alongside Pasidian’s Guards.”
“I’ve got money on her deploying the Guardians. They’ll use the portals for sure, and now that you mentioned Julian is at Pasidian, well, that’s a no brainer,” Harrison laughed. “What else?”
Levi smirked, “The rest is her reminding me not to kill anyone, I would assume.”
“Ah,” Harrison curled his lips into a knowing grin, “The whole I trust the strong, wise, amazingly compassionate and honorable husband I proudly proclaim as my own declarations?
Levi rolled his eyes, “And you would know this how?”
“Because I know that woman well enough. When your expression changes from killing everything that breathes, to one of a man who has had a few drinks and is relaxed, I know that she had something to do with it.” He waved his letter in his hand, “Also, because she feels the need to send me letters too, lover man.”
Levi eyed Harrison in confusion, “What news did she have for you? Anything on how you will be handling your part as Guardian Commander?”
Harrison sighed, “It speaks only of her secret love for me—”
“Harrison,” Levi cut him off, “What did the note say? I need to make a plan, and I would rather do it out here without the chaos of people around us. Did she inform you of what you shall do as Guardian Commander?”
“Of course, she didn’t inform me of that. That is your job, emperor. So, I believe my orders are written to you in her love letter.”
“What did Reece have to say?”
Harrison narrowed his eyes at Levi. “Seven words, to be exact; Don’t let Levi and Areion kill everyone.”
Levi smirked. “Well, the horse and I do feed off the other’s war mentality. That’s a very strong order.”
“It is ridiculous and a waste of ink. I swear, you both sometimes drive me mad.”
Levi was distracted with Areion constantly bringing his snout back to nose Levi’s exposed legs.
Harrison laughed, “It appears you are an embarrassment to the horse in your overalls.” Harrison grinned, then eyed the front of Levi’s saddle, “Or your genius wife had our boots placed under the saddles of the horses.”
Levi and Harrison both jumped from their horse’s backs to find the soles of their tall black boots sticking out, yet somehow set to blend in with their black saddles. Both men unsaddled the horses and caught the boots before they fell to the ground.
“I shall say this is a sign we ride to Juntson Castle as the Guardian Warriors we truly are, and perhaps give the idiotic king a little idea of how warriors fight and kill?”
Levi began unpacking all of his Guardian regalia that was rolled up neatly, unrolled it, and found the trick served to keep their clothing free of wrinkles while in the saddlebags. Their capes alone took up an entire bag with its length and thick material. Levi was changed out of the hideous overalls and wearing all new undergarments and the war regalia of the Emperor of Pemdas in no time flat.
“I take everything I said back about my loving cousin, Reece,” Harrison chattered like a songbird filled with excitement. “The woman had Angie even pack new underwear, socks, a clean shirt…This is heavenly,” Harrison said in utter joy.
“They love their men.” Levi grinned, saddling his horse. “Due to their concealment of our long swords and daggers, along with the boots and clothing…I truly must thank them both for helping to keep our identity sealed.”
“Indeed.” Harrison studied Levi, “Man, you look strapping in all those ribbons with your Imperial Guardian warrior look. I bet that Astley girl would consider you now, Bort,” Harrison teased.
Levi shook his head, his attention already directly to where it needed to be. “The woman and her three companions will be brought to trial along with anyone else we find suspicious or acquainted with the king,” he said. “My priority is to find the convoy…” Levi stopped. “Hold on,” he said, reaching back for his note and flipping it over to find a quickly drawn map. “The convoy is at Forrester’s Inn, waiting for further instruction,” he read aloud.
“Forrester’s?” Harrison said. “In King Jacob’s lands?”
“Yes, in the Quisitor Kingdom.”
“Jacob is a wise old jerk, but is also the dearest of friends to Hamilton, my dad, and yours. Why wouldn’t he want to rule and inherit an additional kingdom?”
Levi looked at Harrison in deep thought, “Quisitor has always been a land where our families have enjoyed vacationing because of the caverns and the sprawling sea, which can be viewed from some of Pasidian’s highest summits. Even so, I feel I question every king at this point.”
“You question Jacob, and he shall smack you like the grandson he believes you to be,” Harrison said, reminding him how faultless that kingdom was.
“I am surprised he did not know what was going on with Brandon,” Levi said.
“That shall all be revealed when Brandon stands trial—if he survives your confrontation—after which all lands should be further investigated just as you and I have secretly investigated this one.”
“Splendid idea.” Levi nodded, then tucked his note back into an empty punch at the front of the saddle, “We shall send men covertly to gather intelligence from all kingdoms after this.”
“To act as nomads, of course,” Harrison said.
“That appears to be the only way to get your hands dirty and past the royal façade of these men.”
“I believe the Oxley Empire is changing right before my eyes,” Harrison proclaimed.
“What would we have done without your irritation with Brandon and your insane way of pulling me away from the dull atmosphere of dining with royals?”
“You are welcome,” Harrison said.
“Let us stop at Forrester’s Inn. I need to send a rider quickly to the palace for our physicians. I will have the convoy turned around and prepared to carefully transport the queen and keep her as comfortable as possible. If Brandon has poisoned her into a slow death to keep a revolting harem instead of a wife, we have many remedies that will serve to heal her almost instantly. They cannot, however, bring her back from death. Let us go. We’ll figure out our next plans after that.”
***
The men rode in the direction of Forrester’s Inn in Jacob Rylen’s kingdom. The man, virtually best friends with Levi’s father, the former Emperor of Pemdas, was easily trusted, and yet, all of this corruption with King Brandon had Levi on edge with every king in the realm.
He knew better than to judge Jacob or any other king, for that matter, but Brandon was a different story altogether. Brandon was a man who Levi found ill-mannered and too immature to be in such a high position. It all made sense now, though. Levi would enact a new decree of secret forces to live amongst various kingdoms and report to him personally, without fear of a king beheading them. The men deployed on these operations would be soldiers and secretly armed should they encounter what Levi and Harrison had just experienced.
No longer would a kingdom fall to a tyrant due to assuming a throne by bloodlines or by being an heir. This situation would be another new law Levi would put into place after King Brandon had taken advantage of his family name having rights to rule this kingdom.
Levi turned Areion onto an open road, both men slowing their horses to a gentle canter to match the bustling street of pedestrians in carriages and the workers hauling food and goods toward the large town where Reece informed Levi the emperor’s convoy was positioned.
“If your horse would stop showing off as if this were a parade,” Harrison said, noticing Areion prancing regally through the streets, “perhaps, you wouldn’t have to turn your head away from the curious civilians.”
“Areion is merely agitated that we have slowed. This horse is picking up on everything I have been feeling since discovering Brandon’s corruption. I believe he is struggling with this stop and not going directly to the evil man himself.”
“Is he…” Harrison eyed Levi, “or perhaps, it is you that is dealing with that struggle?”
The inn came into sight as quickly as the people of this town realized their emperor was in his Guardian war regalia and on his warhorse. Harrison acknowledged the cheering crowds in awe of a rare sight that no kingdom would ever have seen. The Guardians were never at war with their own; therefore, it was an extremely rare sight to see the emperor and the Guardian Commander entering their town in this fashion. In Levi’s opinion, they needed to get in and out…fast.
Sure, he was wearing the regalia used when facing an enemy outside their lands, but did he have a choice? He needed to be in an outfit and taken seriously, and the overalls Albert lent him would not serve him well when he met with Pasidian’s guards at the waiting convoy.
Levi and Harrison dismounted their stallions once two of Pasidian’s guards called out to announce the emperor’s arrival to the convoy just outside of the inn.
“Emperor Levi,” one of the younger guards lowered his head to acknowledge his superior, “we have been ordered to await your instruction.”
“Very well,” Levi answered. “Where is your commandant?”
“Your majesty, Patrick is currently with the guards of this kingdom at the moment. I’ll send for him.”
“No need, good man,” Harrison said, clapping him on his shoulder. “It appears the vocals from your emperor’s horse has not only alerted the man in question but the entire kingdom as well.”
Levi ignored Harrison, just as he had been ignoring Areion’s loud neighing and grunting the minute he dismounted him.
“Patrick,” Levi said when he spotted the Imperial Guard he left in charge, walking briskly toward him, “I believe you received word from the palace?”
“Yes,” Patrick smiled, his green eyes glinting in some humor. “It appears the Empress’s stallion is a mail carrier for the palace now?”
Levi smirked while Harrison laughed. “It appears so. Is Arrow still with you?” Levi questioned.
“Reece must be commended for being smarter than you,” Harrison telepathically chimed in. “She thinks of everything, including using Arrow as a mail carrier by way of the portals to bring word swiftly to these men.”
Levi nodded at Harrison, confirming everything he was already feeling and thinking with Reece being a remarkable help—almost knowing Levi would need this the minute she left his side.
“Yes, the Guardian stallion has been hidden and concealed by order of Empress Reece. We were instructed to keep him hidden while we awaited your arrival,” Patrick said. “The Empress has also ordered the deployment of your majesty’s Supreme Imperial Guard to Juntson Castle as well. Gregory is commanding the Supreme Imperials, your majesty,” Patrick added, advising Levi that his elite guard of at least one hundred men were deployed and racing toward the castle.
“Excellent. I’ll need Arrow,” Levi said as he took the man by his arm and led him toward the carriage that carried the emperor. “Send for the warhorse. I need that stallion to get word back to the palace as swiftly as he brought word to you.”
“This shall be exciting,” Harrison said in high spirits. “The look on Brandon’s face when the finest of Pasidian’s guards arrive as well as his emperor in war regalia charging up to that castle?”
Harrison chattered on while Levi wrote specific instructions to the physicians at Pasidian Palace. He needed all the medications that would help to heal Queen Alia as swiftly as possible. The grunting and neighing of a horse with a higher octave than Areion’s low and assertive tones alerted Levi to Arrow’s arrival.
He turned and found the horse wearing only saddlebags and smiled when he greeted Arrow by rubbing along the stallion’s face. “It appears your charming master has turned you into a mail carrier,” he taunted the fierce horse, that greeted Levi by nuzzling his chest. “I need you to run this swiftly back to her, Arrow.” Levi said, guiding Arrow’s snout away from his chest, ensuring the stallion was listening to his command.
“Are you sure Reece doesn’t feed that horse at your dining room table?” Harrison asked, watching Arrow act as if he were human.
“Sometimes, I do question my wife and her spoiling this stallion since he was a young colt…” Levi laughed while tucking the urgent message to Reece into the saddlebag. “I would not be surprised if she had secret tea parties with the children, the horses, and the zorflaks.”
“And yet, my opinion of the woman still stands: she is wise, and I believe wiser than you have ever given her credit for.”
Levi frowned at Harrison, “What exactly does that mean?”
“You know she’s been doing little hidden spoilings of these animals behind your back, knowing you would never catch her.”
“And if I should catch my wife doing such things, after all that she has done to save this mission and expedite us handling matters at hand, I would gladly join her and her animal tea party.”
“You’re such a sap,” Harrison rolled his eyes. “You get Arrow on his way, and I’ll give final orders to Patrick for when Gregory arrives with reinforcements. We need to get moving.”
Levi ordered Arrow away, and the horse swiftly fled and disappeared through the forests where Levi knew another portal to Earth was.
“Patrick is set to go. Let’s get out of here before you end up signing autographs for people who know who you are,” Harrison clapped Levi on his shoulder before hoisting himself onto Saracen’s back.
Levi turned to Patrick. “If Gregory stops here for anything, inform him to report directly to Juntson Castle. Are there medical supplies for—” Levi pinched his lips together. Of course, he had at least one remedy for particular poisons with the convoy. Something was better than nothing, but how would he ask for an antidote for poisoning without Patrick believing Levi himself was assaulted in such a way?
“Supplies, yes, we have medical supplies for whatever you may need.” Patrick answered Levi.
“Get the antidote they carry for poisoning,” Harrison called out.
“Of course, right away,” Patrick said in great concern.
“Now that you have put him on high alert—”
“We need to get down to business. I know you are trying to handle this matter with grace and poise, but now is not the time. Patrick’s the Imperial Officer. He can handle the crisis of the moment.”
“Majesty,” Patrick practically ran back to him, carrying a small pouch, “there are a few remedies in here. Hopefully, this will help in your mission at hand.”
“Thank you,” Levi shook Patrick’s hand. “Before Gregory arrives, I need you to escort only the imperial carriage, as it is the most comfortable for transporting an ill person. I need that at the castle for Queen Julip. Inform the next in your command to escort the four other carriages back to Pasidian Palace. I want minimal guards assigned to the convoy returning to the palace, and the rest assisting you in the transport of the emperor’s carriage.”
“Understood. I will speak with the men and order the convoy back to Pasidian,” Patrick answered. “The rest of the men and I will begin our journey immediately, and I am quite confident that Gregory will catch up to assist us further before we arrive at the castle.”
“Very well, then,” Levi answered. “Thank you, Patrick. Allow the armies to lead you in. I am unsure of how unsettled Brandon would be at this time. I do not want anyone injured if they are prepared to attack the Imperial armies.”
“King Brandon—”
Levi was now on Areion, and glaring down at Patrick as if he insulted Levi with his words. Patrick’s eyes were set with confusion as he looked up at Levi in pause.
“From here on out,” Levi started in a low voice. “That man is no longer known as King Brandon. It is Brandon, and he will be arrested as soon as I arrive at that castle.”
“Majesty,” Patrick dipped his head to acknowledge Levi’s announcement. “We will await any and all future orders after we arrive at the castle.”
“And hopefully, we won’t be calling for any horse-drawn hearses for any fool who decides they should wage war against the emperor and his warriors.” Harrison smiled at Levi and then at Patrick’s hint of a smile.
“Be safe, Patrick,” Levi said, and then the two were off and racing through secluded woods away from the city and fast toward a mountaintop that overlooked Brandon’s castle.
“We are just outside the portal as well,” Harrison said as the horses walked toward the steep ledge. “I shall be sadly upset if my men do not show.”
Levi grinned at Harrison, “And the Guardian Commander is afraid of Brandon’s guards? Perhaps all of those men in black and burgundy Guardian regalia would allow you to become their commander?”
“Amusing,” Harrison said, bringing his attention back to the army of men in the valley below.
“With all of those men,” Levi said, still considering how they would begin this, “I am unsure if they will fight us or allow us through?”
“True, none of those men know who you are outside your fancy and elite Emperor of Pemdas attire. If they fight us, it just means we have fewer men to put on trial.”
Levi shook his head, “I cannot believe we are about to engage in a war with our own people.”
“Those are not our people, Levi. Those are men who side with a tyrant king and will kill you and any other innocent person in our realm. You have to know this.”
“I do,” Levi said softly and looked over at Harrison, “Do you believe Brandon and his armies are beheading people?”
Harrison nodded somberly. “Yes, but the question is, do you?”
“I believe if we do not leave now, Albert could be in grave danger.”
“And that’s the man of war I know and love,” Harrison said with a smile. “After you, emperor.”
“After we arrive, we hunt for Brandon and detain the man. You will find Albert, and I will go after the queen.”
“Do we take the shortcut?” Harrison taunted the rugged and steep cliff before them.
Levi laughed. “Areion would have it no other way. As of now, we are at war with anyone who raises a sword against the forces of Pasidian Palace and the Guardian Warriors.”
At Levi’s declaration, the realm of Pemdas was now at war with an evil tyrant who had oppressed a kingdom, and as the guards who attacked Harrison and Levi proclaimed, were beheading anyone who would report the evil in Brownwell Kingdom.
This was all on Levi now. By the end of this day, all in this kingdom would know precisely who their emperor was and be acutely aware of what a true Guardian Warrior was, not the imposters they were accustomed to.
Author S.L. Morgan 