A.N.D. - Wolf Woods

Wendell stared hopelessly at the stacks of reports before him as his advisors argued around the council table. He’d been ruling for six weeks now, and his unspoken hope that things would somehow become easier as he got used to it had completely evaporated.

For a brief, rebellious moment he wished he was a carefree prince again, secure in the knowledge that all the boring, difficult bits of actually running a kingdom were being handled by men much wiser, more dedicated, and more experienced than him. But those days were gone-and so were many of the men. The queen had taken care of that; anyone too close to him, anyone who tried to question or protest, anyone who tried to help the dog prince had been slaughtered. Once again, she had taken away everyone he loved and trusted, just as she had taken his parents. That had hurt, but this, he realized with a curl of nausea, was worse. Before there had been loyal retainers to protect and defend him. Now he was lost without their help, left only with the aging warriors and clueless counselors who had been on the verge of destroying his kingdom forever to “save” it from the trolls.

Across the table, Lord Rupert looked at him with pleading eyes. Now that all the ceremonial stuff was finished, both of them had been patted on the head and ignored by the rest of the council as too young to really understand the intricacies of running a kingdom.

This was his kingdom! Time to take the reins of his reign!

“Gentlemen! GENTLEMEN!” Wendell pounded his tankard on the table until the shouts trailed off and everyone was facing him. Lord Rupert leaned forward, almost quivering with hope. “I think I have a solution to one of our problems.”

Chancellor Griswold sighed. “Sire, our problems are unprecedented. To find the proper solutions will take men of much experience and wisdom.” The words which we all know you don’t have hung unspoken in the air while they glared at each other.

Abruptly, Wendell found himself losing his temper-not in the hot, impatient, thwarted tantrums he usually had, but in a new, cold, clear-headed, righteous anger. “All the assembled wise and experienced men at this table have managed to do is nothing but argue, while my people still have no recompense for the damage done by the troll wars and wolves are flooding over the borders. My kingdom is weak and wounded and we do nothing but argue!”

“I am encouraged that you feel so passionately about your kingdom,” Griswold ground out between clenched teeth, his tone adding finally.

Wendell slowly rose to his feet, never breaking the angry staredown. “I do, Chancellor. In fact, I think I feel more passionately about it than you do. Weren’t you the one who was going to allow this, the greatest of the kingdoms, to be broken up and run by the Council of the Nine Kingdoms in perpetuity?”

The muscles on either side of his tightly-clenched jaw jumped, but Griswold didn’t answer and the other council elders seemed to be in shock. Lord Rupert leaped eagerly into the silence.

“Why yes,” he said with fake casualness, “He was. I was there, I clearly remember him signing away your sovereignty.”

The sound of gritting teeth filled the chamber. “Your Majesty, I realize you had problems of your own at the time, so maybe you don’t realize that the times were dire-”

“Dire enough to commit treason, Chancellor Griswold?” There was a general gasp. Wendell and Griswold had been clashing on almost a daily basis, but things had never gone this far before. “Why was our army never mobilized? Why accept such ruinous offers of help from the other kingdoms when my father had treaties in place?”

“We were taken by surprise, Sire. We had to do something right away! The trolls were coming through unchecked, killing and enslaving our people-”

“And what has been done to rescue those who are still held captive?”

“Sire...”

“I see, nothing. And no one has bothered to mention the matter to me yet. No wonder my people see me as a wastrel still!”

“Your people! Sire, what do you know of the people?”

“More than you do! When were you last out among the people you speak of so feelingly, Chancellor?” He glared around the table. “Any of you? Do any of you really think about anyone who doesn’t have a title anymore? Do you realize that the servants who feed and dress and pamper you are people too? Well I do! I’ve been among them! And that’s more than any of you can say!”

There was a long silence. Most of the advisors looked down at the table, nervously drawing patterns on the parquet, but Griswold was made of sterner stuff.

“And what has your canine adventure taught you, your majesty?”

“That none of us understood anything at all about the people we claim to serve and protect. That one month among them was enough to humble me but not teach me. That the only thing the people will really place their trust in is one of themselves. That is why as of today, I have a new advisor-Lord Anthony. He has lived as they have lived, he will understand their needs and wants. Tomorrow he will take his place at this table and be accorded all the due respect of a hero. Is that understood?” There was a dim murmur, which Griswold did not join.

“Is. That. Understood?”

“YES SIRE!”

That was better. With a nod, Wendell turned back to Griswold. “I acknowledge that we have many problems. However, by trying to solve them all at the same time, we have nothing but arguments and no solutions in sight. So I shall spend the evening making a priority list. However, I can tell you that item number one on that list will be rescuing our citizens from the trolls. Since you, Chancellor Griswold, have proven more interested in our people than our kingdom, then I shall make you the leader on that project. When we convene tomorrow, I expect to hear at least one feasible plan for that rescue.” Wendell gathered the papers before him, mostly to hide the fact that his hands were trembling. Where did he get this courage-or was it nerve? Was he doing the right thing? Would he ever know? Too late now to admit to fear! He turned to the table, catching the gaze of each man in turn. “Dismissed!”

With bent heads, they filed out past him, except for Lord Rupert who, at a nod, closed the doors behind them.

“You were wonderful!” His closest friend bounced back to his side. “Oh, you’re so... regal!”

“I’m scared to death,” Wendell confessed.

Rupert started kneading his shoulders. “You’re so tense! You need to forget all your problems and relax.”

A old warmth spread through Wendell, one which had been forgotten in the many long weeks of his adventure and nascent reign. “And you know how to relax me?”

“Haven’t I always?”

Wendell smiled, reaching back to clasp Rupert’s hand warmly. “Race you back to quarters!”