Chapter 3

The memorial service explains why the war came about and it also lets you know what the king is like.

The next day arrived and the order from the King stated that the memorial service was to take place within Oakhill Wall. This was the first time many of the villagers would be beyond the wall and there was a strange buzz of excitement amongst them. Each of the four towns in King Vincent’s Kingdom was to gather for it. The King arranged for the transport from the further towns by horse and carriage �" there and back. His brother Prince Quentin had also arranged some transport for his town of Southfalls to travel all the way to and from Oakhill as well.

Over a thousand carriages came through the road in Berrymore Forest and each one was open topped with around 20 people inside them. The Maxwell family made their way up to the wall by foot, just like the other people of Oakhill. They were in the same town as where the service was to take place, so no transport was needed for them.

The gate for the wall stayed open while the villager’s poured in. It wasn’t as secure a method as it could have been, but with the thousands of people passing through, it was the most efficient. As Kane passed through, he was astounded at the elegance and size of the buildings within the wall. Some of them were 5 storeys high. There was a network of cobbled streets leading through the community and up to the castle. There were beautiful statues and constructions with magnificent architecture scattered around. Most of these buildings couldn’t be seen down from the village as the wall and large trees blocked most of the view but it was almost like they had been transported to a different land. The contrast of living conditions from the village could not be emphasised enough.

The movement of the crowd slowed down and Kane spotted an arena. This must have been where gladiators and fighters would entertain the King, although of late it had not been used due to the war. It was mesmerizingly huge and Kane couldn’t believe something like this could even be built, yet here it lay. The arena was still some distance from the castle, but it seemed this is where the ceremony was going to take place, meaning the King would need to travel a short distance himself. The arena was the only place in Oakhill that could hold all these people who had turned up for the service.

Kane made sure that his mother and Rosie were close by and he stayed next to them. The crowd had become ginormous so it would be very easy to lose each other. Eleanor had clearly realised this so she picked Rosie up until it might clear.

 

After an hour or so, the circular arena had been filled. All 40,000 of the seats inside it were taken and a few improvised chairs were put in the middle to make sure nobody was left standing. The King was seated in his specialised balcony and to his left was his wife (Queen Esme), his son (Prince Bertram) and his daughter (Princess Scarlett). On the Kings right was his brother (Prince Quentin) and his wife (Princess Talia). Their sons (Lord Sebastien and Lord Basel) were seated there too, as well as their daughter (Lady Ava).

From where Kane and his family were sitting, he could barely make out any of their faces. He could only tell they were royalty by the elegant and glorious robes they were wearing. The Guards who were guiding the villagers of where to sit began to bellow, “Please take your seats, the King is about to start the ceremony.”

The rumble of conversation amongst the crowd slowly turned into a murmur until King Vincent stood up and raised his hand, wanting silence. It came instantly. He was a man who not only had the love of his people but the respect too. Now that the crowd were muted he began his speech. “Good people of the Kingdom, I thank you for your presence and your participation on this historic day.” The King’s voice echoed through the arena and despite being very far away, Kane could just about hear what he was saying. “I know many of us have suffered losses. We left the Kingdom with 50,000 men and returned with 30,000.” The King paused so everyone could take in the sizable loss. “Those 20,000 men will not be forgotten. They were brave, good men and they served their Kingdom valiantly. They died with honour and my gratitude. They gave their lives to protect their homes and their families. They helped stop the threat of the Bastien’s from The Middle Kingdom.” The Bastien’s were the opponents of the war and their King was said to have initiated it because of a financial dispute, “Their greed and their cruel intentions gave us no choice. Nobody steals from the Canterbury’s and gets away with it; nobody threatens the Southern Kingdom and escapes with no punishment. They were a sneaky, deceptive and immoral breed. They were an insult to humanity.” Kane looked around and saw a lot of women crying, probably widows of the war, “The Bastien’s were met with a swift and merciless justice. They are no more thanks to your husbands, your sons, your brothers and your fathers. It was a privilege fighting alongside them, and seeing them fight the way they did helped me realise something. It let me know that this Kingdom was chosen by the gods to excel and prosper. With the strength and unity shown in battle we have millennia left at the top of the world. The gods will ensure our survival and watch over us as our protectors.” The Kings voice began to grow in volume and passion, “Rest assured no one will ever cross the Southern Kingdom again and by the gods if they do, we will rain down on them like a thunderous storm”. The crowd let out a deafening roar, a sound which Kane had never heard anything like. His sister scrunched her face and put her fingers in her ears, while his mother looked slightly irritated. Kane stayed silent because he didn’t feel any reason to let out a cheer.  The King once again raised his hand wanting silence and the crowd slowly obliged. “Now in honour of the heroes; dead and alive, I pass you over to our priest to say a few prayers.”

 

An hour later the Priest had said his prayers, the King’s three Ministers had each presented their speech and King Vincent himself gave a final message to thank all of those who attended. The ceremony finished and eventually everyone was guided out of the arena in an organised fashion to avoid chaos. The horses and carriages rolled past the Maxwell’s as they walked back through the gates of the wall and back down the path leading to the village. Most of the people looked in high spirits but Kane’s perspective had not changed.

The Maxwell’s finally reached their home, but for the rest of the afternoon there were still loud celebrations and screaming coming from outside. Eventually the celebration died out and they could finally have a little peace and quiet in their own home. However there was no sense of victory for Kane; his father Klark Maxwell would never be returning.

Author's Note

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