Chapter 50

"There are earth and molten fires and waters and skies and stars beneath our feet. And yet, with all that we have been set above, climbing greater heights is every man's burning endeavour when he strikes the others down en route his exalted throne."

~

The Imperial Castle,

Kingdom of Tristendyre,

The first Phrinight of the Second month,

XXI Year of Regency

Jaycob Israel felt terribly tensed, for the assassin, Ingrid Luna-ward, had not reached the notice of Regent Jehoram, but had been stolen apart while on the way by his sworn enemy, Devland Zephaniah, who collectively bore the title of 'Regent' in colloquial reference.

It appeared as if he may have interrupted the escort of the coachmen and taken her into his grasp.

But, worse: such custody was being taken place in the hallway nearest the Head Archer's office, where the Chief Eccleissor should have no business lingering around.

The olive-haired man was breathless by the time he had arrived at the Imperial Castle. He made his way swiftly towards his office: the Bureau of the Chief of Artillery.

There was an ominous feeling of tension agitating his senses as he hurried his approach. After having sensed Devland Zephaniah loitering about the hallways that led to his office, Jaycob knew that the man could, by no means, have resisted the temptation of entering his quarters and foraging therein to find dirt against him.

And the dark-eyed Head Archer always held greatly confidential papers in the wardship of his personal Bureau.

There was Sir Kenley, Chief of Weaponry, standing by the entrance of Jaycob's office, impatiently tapping his feet, as if staying guard and awaiting. The man was of the Archer's close comrades, for artillery and arms were arts that went hand in hand.

When the man noticed Jaycob's arrival, he immediately approached with the tensity of the news he bore.

"Sir Oreius, the Chief Eccleissor has conducted a search of your Bureau and has seized various documents and dealings", the man reported, walking by his side, as the Royal Archer strode in the pulse of his anxious nerves.

"What was the occasion?" he asked, sparing no time for pausing his tread to listen. The two officials of the Kingdom's defence faculty stepped into the ransacked office premises.

"There was no pre-determined reason, just a survey based on a surmise that some illegal activity may be sanctioned. Our men brought me such news, be-cause you were not about the Imperial Castle", said Sir Kenley.

There was a parchment bearing the seal of the Regent testifying that the investigation was conducted under the personal attendance of the Arch-Eccleissorship Devland Zephaniah.

Such scroll was affixed against the door of his base and Jaycob tore the page from its perch to read the names of the man's associates and the reasons dictated for the Search.

Although none of the various grounds quoted for the charge were legally viable, the articles taken from his possession were still irretrievably beyond Jaycob's reach.

Clicking his tongue in frustration, the Archer flounced to his desk and checked for what documents were wrenched of him.

He recollected the Arch-Eccleissor's words to the Regent about his potential disloyalty to the State of Tristendyre that mid-morning, prior to the execution when those men that ruled the Kingdom were walking down the secret hallways of the under-ground dungeons towards the cell where Imogen and his grandfather had been kept.

If that suspicion was truly the cause for such raid of his official premises, Jaycob had only the most dreadful course of proceedings to expect: that Regent Jehoram would believe the worst of him and may even have him exiled from the land or to be put to immediate death without trial.

Now Jaycob Oreius' predicament was so:

When Regent Jehoram desired to appease the King of Hyll-Decanta, he had appointed Jaycob to don his name 'Israel' and fare frequent journeys as an ambassador to such neighbouring kingdom on the promontory, which was the domain of Adon-Vericus IV.

In the bygone month, the Regent had even officially invited the honourable presence of the King to attend the Coronation of the Princess of Tristendyre.

When the monarch of Hyll-Decanta had not obliged as eagerly, the Regent was desperate against the reluctance.

There-fore, he had commanded Jaycob to deal deceptively in ways that he should pretend to have violated the fealty with Jehoram and feign loyalty to Adon-Vericus.

That was the order of affairs Jaycob Israel had followed as per the Regent's behest, disguised as a man that served the aristocracy of Hyll-Decanta, whilst he was also sent to recover the Princess who was suspected to be there in the Kingdom situated on the promontory.

After the Archer's charm and accurate impersonation of allegiance, King Vericus had been as convinced as to pursue various dealings with him, in the countenance of expecting Jaycob to play the game of a counterspy.

The Ruler of the neighbouring territory had further begun making letters to him secretively that the masked man could only reply to by writing, for paying recurrent visitations to Hyll-Decanta may cause the Regent's faith in him to slip.

These correspondences had proffered an attack against the Kingdom of Tristendyre on the day of the Princess' Coronation that he had formally been invited to.

Jaycob had written back to the man upon the very wings of the bird that had brought him such proposal of ambush that such plans would not serve neatly and far more deliberation should be spent upon the idea of overthrowing Tristendyre by war.

Now, such letter that he had sent to Adon Vericus was to respite any onslaught against his own State, thereby saving his own Kingdom.

Further, in his office, a copy the writ that he had sent was kept, along with the letter of offer made by the King of Hyll-Decanta which had been stored in his desk.

That had been one of the prime documents seized by Devland, the Arch-Eccleissor.

Even though the letter sealed by Adon Vericus, addressed to Jaycob was no confirmation that the Archer had obliged to the deathly proposal of the foreign land, there was also no evidence to support that he had, in fact, declined the initiation.

He had kept a copy of his own correspondence stating that he wished not for the war to be instituted on the day of Coronation, but such replica was stolen in the course of the Search proceedings.

Further, the official Seal of the Chief of Artillery was not in the confidential coffer whence he had duly kept it deposited.

The olive-haired man descended into his chair, feeling defeated.

He had specifically stored a replica of his letter to the King of Hyll-Decanta with such records, but it made no odds, for the Arch-Eccleissor would certainly annihilate any corroboration that stood to justify Jaycob's faithfulness to his fealty.

Sir Kenley sent for a lad to bring him a warm cup of petal tea, in order to soothe his senses, but that was far from accomplishable.

After Jaycob's family had been stolen of him and his past was scarred by the Regent, he had signed into service in order to secure a place closest the man's heart and trust before he could foredo him in silent revenge.

However, this position of assassination that he was steadily acquiring was not truly achieved in the fashion he had initially envisioned.

The Eccleissor had ever been sore towards the Archer's reception of graces and had consistently endeavoured against him.

It was strange and nearly inconceivable how greatly the masked man had erred from his purpose of bothering the Regent with the pangs of his vengeance.

Although his first inspiration that had set him ablaze with a passion for climbing the ranks was the prospect of avenging his family, he had, by far, only used his cunning to the advantage of the State of Tristendyre, in order to secure their favour.

The one significant affair whence he had overstepped his assignment was Jehu's escape pardoned. And even without infidelity, it was that which he was about to be charged with.

Jaycob slowly massaged his temples, contemplations dancing in his head as the steams that arise from a hot beverage to hang about in visible and seething vapours.

He could barely cognise Sir Kenley's voice calling his name amid the tension that plagued his mind.

He looked up to find the Chief of Weaponry gesturing towards a young lad that was at the door of his bureau. The olive-haired man nodded for the boy to enter and yield news, whilst he noticed that he did not bear the petal tea that had been ordered.

The lad began his words: "I bring immediate news: Regent Jehoram urgently summons the presence of Sir Jaycob Oreius."

~