Kingdom's Quest (13 page)

“Sir Gavinaugh of Chessington,” the duke said loudly. “Your words about the Unknown Lord are strange to us, but we cannot deny your skill or your victory this day. You are indeed champion of the Tournament of Lords!”

The crowd gave a riotous ovation that could not be easily quieted. After some time, the duke spoke again.

“Come and choose a lady from the nobility upon which to bestow the honor of Lady of the Tournament of Lords.”

The duke motioned to the ladies seated about him. There were many beautiful and dignified ladies. Those who had received such an honor before wore pendants signifying such. The master tournament official came and guided Gavinaugh up one of the staircases and onto the ceremonial platform. The duke presented him with a pendant and a royal robe that he was to bequeath to the chosen lady. The pendant was bright gold with a ruby set amid intricate inlays. The robe was as exquisite a garment as Gavinaugh had ever seen, made of red velvet with white lace edgings. The collar was cream colored silk that shined like the moon off the still Crimson River.

Gavinaugh looked into the faces of the women. Some sat with a dignified look of propriety, while others seemed to beg with their eyes to be chosen. Two nights before the tournament began, there had been a ball where the knights and ladies were to become acquainted, but Gavinaugh's late arrival and selection for the tournament had caused him to miss the affair. He was thankful, for being in the presence of the Thecian nobility felt like being back in the world of the Noble Knights.
He looked out into the faces of the common people and thought of the Prince. The Prince had not chosen the Noble Knights; He had chosen peasants. And Gavinaugh had seen more nobility in the hearts of those peasants than he had ever seen in the upper estates. And beyond that, the Prince had now chosen the Outdwellers since the people of Chessington had rejected Him.

Gavinaugh folded the robe over his right arm and held the pendant in his hand. He walked down the staircase away from the nobility.

“Sir Gavinaugh, you must choose a lady,” the duke said sternly.

Gavinaugh paused midway down the staircase. “I shall, good sir.”

The crowd began to murmur. They had never seen a knight so boldly cast aside the traditions of men.

Gavinaugh continued down the staircase and walked toward Keanna. As he approached, she stepped aside to let him pass, but he did not pass by. He faced her and looked into her eyes—eyes filled with wonder and puzzlement. He held out his left arm for her, but she backed away, shaking her head.

“Keanna, in the eyes of the King we are all equal—there is neither nobleman nor peasant. What He sees are people who need a Deliverer. When we accept that, we become royalty, like His Son. You may consider yourself a peasant, but the King sees a princess … and so do I.”

Keanna stared blankly at Gavinaugh and then lowered her head. Since he had never expressed his feelings to her before, he wondered if such words might rekindle the animosity she had previously felt for him. She looked back up at him, and he saw that her eyes were moist. She slowly took his arm, and they proceeded up the staircase. There was great commotion in the crowd. On the platform, Gavinaugh took the royal robe and placed it upon Keanna's shoulders. He then fastened the pendant about her neck. She turned to face Gavinaugh, and he was taken once again with her beauty.

Gavinaugh addressed the awestruck crowd. “The Prince I spoke of is coming again to rule in honor and in truth. Open your eyes and
believe, for He calls each of you, whether noble or peasant. He cares not of the stature of a man but of the condition of his heart. All are equal in the eyes of the Prince!”

Gavinaugh turned to face Keanna, bowed deeply to her, and then proclaimed, “I present to you, Lady Keanna of Arrethtrae … Lady of the Tournament of Lords!”

The applause was slow to begin, but as it started with the common people, it spread quickly. Within a few moments, there was an ovation mixed with shouts that shook the stadium. Even the nobility eventually joined, for they looked foolish to remain still.

Gavinaugh held his hand out to Keanna, and she slipped her hand in his. Though soiled by the dust of the arena, the warmth of his touch seemed to flow up her arm and fill her heart. She could no longer deny the strong feelings she had for him. When Gavinaugh nearly died during the battle against Bavol, she felt as though she would die herself. The feelings she had suppressed were laid bare by the threat of his death, and her heart pleaded with the King to save him. Now, in the presence of twenty-five thousand, he had lifted her from peasantry to nobility in an instant.

The roar of the crowd continued to fill the amphitheater, and Keanna didn't know how to respond to such a thing. At first she was horribly embarrassed and wanted to disappear, but the response from the crowd was overwhelming, and soon she could not help the tears that spilled onto her cheeks as she looked about the amphitheater. The tears she shed watered the seeds of forgiveness in her heart. They cast the beast of vengeance away. They healed the wounds of anguish. They welcomed the hope of love. Lady Keanna had arrived, and it was all because of the Prince.

Gavinaugh held her hand and turned her to face the people. Her hand felt delicate in his, and he sensed no hurry from her to abandon his touch. They descended the stairs, and he called for Triumph. He readied himself to lift her onto Triumph's back, but she hesitated and
looked at him. She smiled through her tears, reached up, and gently kissed his cheek. He felt forgiven all over again and thought his heart might leap from his chest. He lifted her onto Triumph and then walked beside her, leading Triumph toward the north gate. All the while, the cheers of the crowd did not diminish.

This Tournament of Lords would not be easily forgotten by the people of Thecia, for a Knight of the Prince had come to proclaim His work among the Outdwellers and bring true nobility within reach of the common people.

OLD MASTER

Garamond became strong in the ways of the Code, and his heart embraced the teachings of the Prince with great fervor. His home became a haven for the training of other Knights of the Prince. After many weeks there, teaching and training the new recruits, Gavinaugh called for Weston, Sandon, and Keanna.

“It is time to return to Chessington,” Gavinaugh said.

Sandon and Keanna did not fully understand what this meant, but Weston did.

“That is not wise, Gavinaugh,” he said. “You know that Kifus and the Noble Knights would love nothing better than for you to go to Chessington. At Cresthaven, I met with Sir Nias, and he assured me that Kifus's desire to find you is greater than ever, especially since your fame is spreading throughout the kingdom. If you go to Chessington, you can expect to hang.”

Weston spoke more strongly than Gavinaugh had ever heard, and Sandon and Keanna were obviously disturbed by his words.

“I appreciate your concern, Weston, but you cannot persuade me otherwise. I must meet with our fellow knights there, and if perchance I should meet with Kifus, then so be it. His sword is no more deadly than any others we have faced. The Prince will be with us.”

Weston did not look pleased, and although there was great division in their thinking, the three Knights of the Prince and Keanna prepared for their journey to the center of the kingdom … Chessington!

On the day of their departure, many difficult farewells were made, especially the one with Julian.

“It is an honor to have served you, Sir Gavinaugh,” Julian said stoically, trying to hide the quiver in his voice.

Gavinaugh knelt down and placed a hand on the lad's shoulder.

“The honor is mine, young knight,” Gavinaugh said and gazed deeply into the bright eyes of the boy. “And I am as certain as the sunrise that we will one day hear of the mighty deeds of a gallant knight who serves the Prince with his whole heart … Arrethtrae awaits you, Sir Julian, Knight of the Prince!”

Julian's face beamed his appreciation, and he threw his arms around Gavinaugh's neck. Gavinaugh returned the embrace until Julian seemed to sense a need to be more professional again. He retreated a step and bowed. Gavinaugh stood and smiled broadly at the lad, then allowed the others a chance to say farewell.

After many days of traveling, they came to the city of Chessington by night and met with Cedric, William, Rob, Barrett, and many other mighty Knights of the Prince. For days they shared their tales of adventure and how the Prince and His Silent Warriors had protected and guided them every step of the way.

Gavinaugh was overjoyed to share how the Prince was transforming lives throughout the kingdom. The havens and the Knights of the Prince were multiplying and growing stronger in many cities, and Gavinaugh felt replenished by the spirit of knightly brotherhood. Though the kingdom seemed to groan at the silent war that raged for
its future, there was a Camelot in the hearts of the knights that could not be destroyed even if Lucius unleashed his entire arsenal of evil upon them. They all felt humbled to have been called by the Prince for such a time as this. From the lowest pauper to the wealthiest nobleman, all were brothers in the army of the Prince. As the training of the knights continued, the needs of all were met by the abundance of many.

Gavinaugh remained in Chessington with the knights for many weeks. Weston returned to Cresthaven to his family, and Keanna and Sandon found opportunities to serve the Followers in many ways during their stay.

Gavinaugh sensed an entirely different atmosphere in the streets of Chessington. At first he thought perhaps it was his dramatic change of perspective, but eventually he came to realize that this was not the case. The arrival of the Prince had initiated a transformation of social and political structure that the Noble Knights could not stop, though they desperately fought to do so. Gavinaugh had felt it when he was a Noble Knight seeking to destroy the Followers, and now it became obvious to him what it was. The order of the Noble Knights was dying. It was early, like the nagging, deep cough of a man who hasn't yet realized that he has contracted a deadly disease, but it was an eventuality.

Gavinaugh suspected that the Noble Knights themselves might not have realized it, but their desperation was becoming more and more obvious. On the whole, the people of Chessington had not accepted the Prince as the true Son of the King and were, in fact, more antagonistic toward the Knights of the Prince than ever. However, despite their resistance, they had seen true nobility personified by the Prince, and as a result, the glory of the Noble Knights seemed to fade with each passing day. As the Noble Knights lost the respect of the people, they also lost their purpose. An order of knights without purpose or a noble cause dies. And the danger with a dying man is the desperate measures he will take to stay alive—even if his death is inevitable. Gavinaugh feared what the Noble Knights might do …

Gavinaugh's secret return was eventually revealed, and Kifus and the Noble Knights began to plot and search. Not all his ties with the Noble Knights had been severed, however—two knights had come to believe in the Prince and had remained to be the eyes and ears for the Knights of the Prince. As a result, Gavinaugh was always a step ahead of the fetters that bore his name, and Kifus's frustration mounted.