The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) (43 page)

Brother Flint,

I have decided to pay a visit to your fine city now that it is rebuilt and in presentable order. This couldn’t have come at a better time seeing as how it is also your daughter’s wedding. It seems like I haven’t been to Haile in ages, my brother. Is the Silver Shield still standing? Do they still serve that tasty brew, you know the one…what was it again? Silver Stout! What a fine taste it has. Anyway, my brother, I am beginning to babble. Sarah and I will be present at the wedding and we look forward to seeing you all again. Oh, before I forget, we have a little surprise for you as well.

Your Brother in Arms,

Mayor Drei Iyce

- Letter from Mayor Drei to Mayor Flint, three weeks before Elsie’s wedding

Flint didn’t waste any time preparing for his daughter’s wedding. The city had been rebuilt to a satisfactory level and he made the proclamation to the citizens. Though there was much to do around the city, he felt as though the excitement the wedding would bring was a much needed break from the hard times they had suffered during the trying last year. He went to each house individually and made the announcement that his daughter would be wed to Lawrence Sanctus. Every citizen was invited to the grand event.

When the wedding day finally came, Flint saw to it that everything at the ceremony and following celebration was perfect. Carpets of wildflowers lined the streets as the citizens of Haile flocked to the courtyard. The street posts and sides of buildings were adorned with the official banners of Haile boasting the Hailian Crest on white linens. Every Knight of Haile was lined up on both sides of the courtyard holding shields in one hand and swords pointed toward the sky in the other. They were all wearing the official armor of Haile, standing proud as witnesses to the marriage of one of their own. Members of the Pyre family gathered around a grand altar.

Lawrence stood in the castle dressed in a woven chainmail shirt emblazoned with the official crest of the Knights of Haile. His pants were perfectly tailored and smooth, and he wore a newly made pair of boots. He had bathed the night before and his shoulder length brown hair flowed smoothly as he checked it once more. Lawrence knew how important today would be to Elsie. He wanted everything to be perfect.

Tap!

Lawrence felt a hand land on his shoulder. He looked over to see a smiling Benni standing next to him. Benni was also dressed in the official armor of the Knights of Haile. He looked handsome.

The two started to chuckle. “So, are you ready for this, Lawrence?” Benni asked. “This is a big step, you know.”

“Yes, Benni, but I’m so nervous I don’t know if I’ll even be able to make it to the altar. You might have to help me. I’ve depended on you so much lately, I feel like a burden.”

Benni was reminded of their training and how he helped Lawrence regain his focus after his injuries. Deep down Benni was grateful to have a brother in arms like Lawrence. At the same time, he wondered how different things would be if he hadn’t helped him, if he had not offered to train with him. Would he be in Lawrence’s shoes right now?

“You are my brother, Lawrence; I did what any brother would have done. Besides, you would have done the same for me.”

“Yes, yes I would have. Thank you, Benni.”

Do Do De Do Do De Do Do De Do!

The two heard the trumpets sounding out in the courtyard and embraced in a hug. As they parted Benni said, “Well, Lawrence, it’s time.”

“Shall we then, my friend?”

“Yes, let’s go,” Benni replied. He pushed the door to the castle open and the two began to walk to the courtyard.

Lawrence could feel his chest swelling up as he approached the courtyard; his anxiety was getting the better of him. He kept thinking of everything that could go wrong today and it was beginning to weigh on him.

Benni caught a glimpse of Lawrence struggling. “Stay strong, Lawrence, you know your parents will be here in spirit. I think your mother and father would be very happy for you. In fact, I know they would.”

Lawrence smiled, knowing Benni was right. The two continued to the back of the courtyard. Flint took center stage at the altar and made several announcements. After a long speech about Haile, its history, and his daughter, Lawrence, who was closely followed by Benni, made his way to the altar. Lawrence watched as children threw multicolored flower petals into his path as he walked through the courtyard. Lawrence looked around and saw many familiar faces. Some, however, were missing. He lamented that his parents could not be there and that Sabre wouldn’t be in the audience, but he knew that Benni was right, they were there in spirit.

Lawrence noticed some foreign colors in the crowd; he assumed they were representatives from the city of Forstwood. With Broken Wing Pass now open, trade and communications were more openly available between the two capital cities. Over the last year the peoples of Melde and Forme had started trading and working together again. He caught a glimpse of a well decorated man sitting next to a woman dressed in the finest silks and cloths. They were purple with a silver and gold trim; these two guests were definitely of higher class. The man nodded his head slightly as he caught Lawrence’s passing glance and Lawrence returned the gesture. Lawrence and Benni made their way to the front of the crowd and finally arrived at the altar where Flint embraced both of the men in a huge hug.

He whispered with a small hint of sarcasm, “Glad to see you made it, gentlemen.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for all the riches in the land,” Benni replied, grinning. He put his arm around Lawrence, attempting to calm his friend down a bit.

Lawrence didn’t say anything; all he could focus on was the trumpet sounding to announce Elsie’s arrival. The sound caught him off guard, just as much as her beauty on that day. Walking toward him was without a doubt the most beautiful woman Lawrence had ever seen in his entire life. Her red hair was perfectly combed. Her white, flowing, lace-laden and sparkling dress was dancing in the breeze as she walked slowly to the altar. He could see her mother walking with her. They whispered to each other as they approached, and they both giggled as they struggled to hold back tears of joy. Several young ladies handed small bunches of flowers to Elsie as she continued past the throngs of people. The bouquets of flowers complemented her beauty. She was a true bride, gorgeous and stunning. If blue birds had sung at that very moment, their songs would not have been as beautiful as her. Before Lawrence could gather his thoughts, her hands reached for his, embracing them tightly, completely.

The ceremony continued as many traditional rituals and blessings were performed and placed upon the bride and groom. Finally, Flint turned to Lawrence and said, “Lawrence, it is truly a pleasure to have such a fine man as my new son. I wish to welcome you to our family.” He embraced Lawrence once more. “I love you, son.”

Lawrence could feel his eyes tear up immediately. The thought of being accepted so willingly into this family was overwhelming. He sniffled back some tears. It was more than he could bear and his only response was, “Thank you, Father.” It was something that Lawrence never again dreamed he would be able to say, a fact that made this all the more emotional for him.

Flint turned to the crowd. “What say you, citizens of Haile, does everyone approve of this union?”

The crowd began to cheer and chanted in unison, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Lawrence watched as Elsie was overtaken by the same raw emotions that he had been stricken by earlier. She began to cry as Flint continued, “Citizens of Haile, it is my pleasure to announce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sanctus!” He stepped aside and held his hand out showing off the newlywed couple.

The crowd erupted in a cacophony of cheers and celebrations. It was truly a sight to behold. The crowd was in an uproar, clamoring for a handshake or a hug or a kiss from the bride and groom. Every citizen made their way past to congratulate them on their happy day. Every moment that a citizen or a Knight was not congratulating them, Lawrence could feel Elsie grab his hand in elation; she was savoring every single second of this occasion. Eventually, Lawrence began to reach for hers. After all, they were no longer secret lovers or casual friends, they were married.

All sorts of questions raced through Lawrence’s mind as he shook a sea of outstretched hands. Would they live in the castle? Were they going to have children? How many? These and other questions lingered in his mind as Lawrence and Elsie began to make their way through the crowd followed closely behind by Benni, Flint and Maggie.

The citizens and Knights all gathered outside of the castle and in the streets of Haile for a celebratory feast that took place later that night. Inside the castle in the redecorated dining room, Lawrence, Elsie, Flint, Benni, Maggie, Bryce Maxwell and several of the other Knight Guard members and even some wearing the foreign garb joined for a private dinner. Lawrence looked around the room as he and Elsie took a seat together at one end of a great table. They were soon followed by everyone else. A seemingly endless spread of the best food was brought in for them by the many handmaidens and servants that had worked tirelessly to make this day possible.

Flint stood up to make an announcement. “Friends, family, brothers in arms, my new son, it is a great privilege to have you all here tonight. I want you to eat and drink to your heart’s content and realize that it is these precious moments that we fight so bravely for. It is times like this that make me appreciate everything that I have and everything that is yet to come. Haile is strong and with a champion like Lawrence in its midst, its future is brighter than ever. Lawrence, you will make a fine Knight Guard Captain someday.”

The rest of his speech was inaudible to Benni who grimaced internally at the thought of Lawrence achieving what he so strongly desired.
No! No! No!
Benni thought to himself as he took a sip of his wine.

“Father, that is a role best served for my brother, Benni Wakewood,” Lawrence said. “He is a strong and worthy Knight. In fact, he was the one who faced off with Razzius. He watched Razzius kill his parents. He has made great sacrifices for this city, and he is the right choice for Knight Guard Captain.”

“Bryce and I will heed your words, my son. Now, let us feast,” Flint responded.

All of the emotions that rolled in Benni’s stomach disappeared. Lawrence hadn’t betrayed him; Lawrence hadn’t turned his back on the friend who had saved his bride to be.

Lawrence sat there by his wife for much of the meal, continuing to think about the words that Flint had said.
Champion…me a champion? A real champion.... Have I really come that far? Do I really deserve that title?

Lawrence couldn’t believe it, only a year after becoming a Knight, in the eyes of the mayor and many of the city’s best Knights, Lawrence was a champion.

Suddenly, the Knights dressed in foreign garb stood and unsheathed their swords. The doors to the dining room were shut tightly and the air grew dangerous. Flint shot Lawrence a look as if to tell him to expect anything. Were the Knights from Forstwood hostile? Were they going to attack? Was this all a set up? Several of the Hailian Knights rose to their feet and drew their swords. The representatives from both cities stood at odds.

The foreigners looked around momentarily. Finally, after a tense eternity, one of them spoke, “May I present to you all Mayor Drei Iyce of the city of Forstwood.”

With those words, the doors burst open and a familiar face entered the room. Lawrence immediately recognized the man as the one in the crowd at the ceremony. He walked toward Mayor Flint, a medium sized wooden cask under one arm and a beautiful woman, also the one from the ceremony, on the other.

Flint stood up and smiled. “My goodness, Drei, I thought you had gone and betrayed me for a moment. I feared that Deminion had taken you and turned you against your old partner in justice.”

“Nonsense, my brother, as a paladin warrior, Deminion could never hope to have me! Now,” the man motioned down to the cask he was carrying and exclaimed, “let’s party, my old friend! It has been too damn long. I say, I bet we could both finish this barrel together! Come on, Flint, it will be just like old times!”

With that he uncorked the barrel and began to pour drinks for everyone at the table. He and Flint embraced momentarily and exchanged smiles and handshakes as Maggie and his wife chatted excitedly. As the meal progressed, Flint and the man made their way over to Lawrence and Elsie.

The man extended his hand. “Lawrence Sanctus, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Drei Iyce, the mayor of Forstwood, the capital of Melde.” He pointed back to the woman who was still chatting with Maggie and said, “That is my lovely wife, Sarah. So, tell me, Lawrence, how does it feel to be a married man?”

Lawrence was caught off guard by the question and was unsure of how to answer it. Elsie’s hand tightened around his slightly and pulled him back to reality.

“I can honestly say that it feels good, sire. I have been blessed to be able to marry such a beautiful and sweet woman.” He looked over at Elsie who smiled at the gesture. “I really never thought it would happen for me, but I guess things change as you grow older.”

“Yes, that’s very true, Lawrence. I can see that you both are very happy.” He turned back to Flint. “Good news, Sarah and I just found out that we are expecting.”

Lawrence didn’t know what the man meant by expecting.

“Sarah is with child?” Flint asked, surprised by Drei’s announcement. He had always thought that Drei didn’t want children.

“Yes, she is, and we are both so excited, we just found out last week. I always used to say that I didn’t want children, but you know how the wives are, they have a way of convincing you otherwise. Sometimes I wonder if I had wanted children if she would have denied me them.” He let out a loud laugh and turned back to Lawrence. “So, Lawrence, how many children are you going to have?”

Lawrence reddened immediately at the sound of the question; it was something he hadn’t even thought about yet. “Well, sire, I don’t really know yet, I was thinking…”