Life After Arcon (Carries on from "The Journey Home")

[Zelda]

The Queen on being told Latenight was on his way, excused herself from the meeting of Queen Joselyn and Willows mother and headed back towards her chambers. She wasnt sure HOW she was going to approach this but she needed legal advice. Despiste his shortcomings in his choice of females, latenight knew his stuff, which is what the Queen was counting on.

[Zelda]

Latenight skidded into the Queens antechamber 5 minutes later.

"Your majesty?" he enquired, "How may I help?"

"latenight, Did Arcon ever leave a will with you?"

"Umm I am honestly not sure you majesty," Latenight replied. "I would have to go and check the royal archives."

"Could you please? I need to check something..."

"Right away ma'am."

With which latenight left the Queens chambers with a quizzical look on his face.

[lochinvar]

As they walked down the hallway from the queen's chambers, Loch looked sidelong at Jo.

"Well, mo chroi, you helped me convince the queen; now it's time to hold up my part of the bargain. When shall we start searching for Arcon? And who should come with us? I know Rosaline wanted to join us, but I don't know if her duties will allow it. Certainly we will approach her, but who else?"

[Iwant2bafencer]

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Carpe Diem

[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: Iwant2bafencer ]</p>

[DamedEscrime]

"Others seem to have various duties to attend to. Mayhaps we will be alone on this journey, Sir."

"Jo, your spirit is to be admired, but you are not ready to undertake this without some direction. You already know how difficult it was out there. If we are to do this alone, then I will have to teach you a few things as we go along. Are you willing to learn new things?"

She was so at ease with him. She trusted that he knew what had to be done. She knew that she would follow him into heretofore uncharted territory. And she would learn many new things.

"Then, so be it!" she said with confidence. "We shall go it alone and you will teach me. I will be a willing and," changing her tone a bit, "obedient" student. Well, I'll try to do what you tell me."

Loch smiled and shook his head at this and wondered to himself what the first lesson should be. Was there nothing she would not try? Perhaps a test was in order to see how obedient she was. Something a bit on the difficult side, just to see how far she would go. Following his direction could mean the difference between life and death out in the field.
"Hmmm. We'll talk more of this. For now let us talk of lighter things."

[latenight]

A will? Hmmm, were would the king's will be?

He entered the Royal Archives. He hated the archives. More than once he had been heard screaming," Damn you, Dewey, and your ridiculus decimal system!!!"

He gave a nod to Miss Booksworthy, the keeper of the archives. She seemed to be even more lovely today than usual.

Miss Booksworthy, less than a fan of his, rolled her eyes and muttered something sour under her breath.

Latenight, not quite sure of what she said, flashed a big grin. "The little flirt", he thought.

He seemed to remember something about a will. He got a ladder, climbed to the top shelves and began searching. Arconian Law, being intentionally vague, usually left much up to the discretion of the king and his council. On this matter of succession, however, there was very little wiggle room. A male heir was needed and sooner rather than later.

He continued to dig through the archives.

He smiled, remembering the last time he was here. The lovely Miss Spears needed a little , umm , educating in ,shall we say, Arconian--ummm---Law.

Latenight found the approriate volume. He would bring it to the Queen. She would be pleased with his finding the volumes so quickly.

He was just about to climb down the ladder, when he realized he could almost sneak a peek at Miss Booksworthy's ample, ummm, tomes. He leaned a little to the right, a little more.......Thwump! He dropped the text and nearly fell himself. Miss Bookworthy turned and put her finger to her lips," SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He smiled and waved to her. " Oh how she wants me!", he thought.

He picked up the text and noticed the spine had broken. So did Miss Bookworthy. " I found it like this!, he mouthed. She shook her and and sighed disapprovingly.

Latenight noticed a small piece of parchment that was now hanging from the spine. He unfolded it and began to read. "A codicil!!!!" Wait until the Queen saw this!! He hurridly ran out of the archives with the newly found document. The Queen would be very pleased, very pleased indeed.

[Zelda]

The queen had been very distracted lately and was anxious for latenight to return from the archives. She was sitting in her chambers watching the sun make its slow way across the sky. It just setting, its warm orange glow bathing the queen in its light, when latenight arrived back at her chambers.

[Swordsman]

Pardon the ignorance, but what is a codicil?

[latenight]

cod·i·cil (kd-sl)
n.
Law. A supplement or appendix to a will.

[latenight]

"Zelda, I have found a codicil, which by it's date supercede's the Arconian law of succession!" , Latenight burst into the Queens chamber. It states that if no male heir exists, a tournament shall be held. The winner of said tournament shall be named King of Arconia. It is open to all comers, even those from other realms" Latenight finally paused to catch his breath. "The tounament must be announced throughout the land, and held on the eve of the first full moon of the month.....and that is in three days time."

[Zelda]

The Queen started, 3 days?? Did latenight just say 3 days????? 3 days until she had to acknowledge that Arcon was gone. It was too soon. Way too soon.

The Queen turned to latenight and said "3 days?? Right I had better get training then!" and disappeared off to the armoury.

[latenight]

Latenight started to yell to the queen, but she left to quickly.

He had neglected to mention that the tournament would be with sharps, to first blood.

"Something tells me there is going to be quite a market for poison the next few days" he thought aloud. He shook his head, sighed, and went after the Queen.

[Swordsman]

Curse the luck! Of all the times for the master Swordsman to be out of town!

[DamedEscrime]

Loch and Jo walked quietly, not speaking for a time. Both were lost in the thoughts of events that had taking place between them. Jo's hand brushed up against his and she instinctively encirlced his fingers with hers. He did not pull away, but gripped her hand firmly as they headed down the corridor their footfalls keeping time with one another.

[Zelda]

As Jo and Loch wandered down the hall they heard footsteps hurring behind them. They parted to allows a figure to pass, rushing down the hallway. It looked suspiciously like the Queen but she was waiting for latenight in her room (wasnt she?).
The next thing they knew latenight was skidding past them calling out "But Zelda........."

[Lord Tellurine]

When Dr. Julius Abernathy reached his quiet residence on the edge of town he saw the morning sun shining on his dormant flower garden, the warm rays melting the frost from his front lawn, and Captain Johann Smithe waiting impatiently for him on his front stoop. “There you are!” the sea-loving man exclaimed at Abernathy. “Where have you been all night?”

“There was an emergency at the castle,” exclaimed Doctor Abernathy as he came up the front walk. “Pregnant sorceress-in-training.”

“I knew a pregnant sorceress,” reminisced Capt. Smithe. “One minute she was as big as a whale then POOF!” Smithe’s hands when up into the air dramatically. “She was standing there holding a 7 ounce little baby boy.”

“Fascinating,” said Dr. Abernathy without a trace of interest as he reached for his front door, finding it locked.

“Then she starts complaining how she wanted a girl. All of sudden POOF!” His hands went up dramatically again.

“Yes, yes, that’ll be sufficient,” said Dr. Abernathy cutting him off. “Why is the door locked?” he asked himself aloud.

“Your wife,” explained Capt. Smithe. “She did that the very moment she threw me out.”

Fear overcame Dr. Abernathy. Anytime his wife was inconvenienced it would make its way back to him ten fold. He asked cautiously, “My wife threw you out?”

“Sure did,” answered Capt. Smithe as if he had been an innocent bystander. “I come walking into your house yelling out your name…”

“You came walking into my house?” interrupted Abernathy. An unpleasant thought occurred to him and he asked, “What time was it?”

“About two in the morning,” answered Smithe. “As soon as the Bitter End had closed.” Dr. Abernathy grimaced at the thought of it. Smithe continued, “... And she throws me out like I’m yesterday’s garbage!”

It took a moment for Dr. Abernathy to find the right words, but finally he asked, “What were you doing here at two in the morning?”

“Did I mention the Bitten End had closed?”

“YES!” Abernathy, disturbing the calm morning air.

“Right,” replied Smithe, trying to remember what he wanted to say next. “Oh yes!” he exclaimed, remembering. “I came to tell you we have a crew!” There was a pause. “For the search for King Arcon.”

It was the first good news Abernathy had gotten in a while. He smiled joyously. “Excellent.”

“And we’re leaving right away. So pack up!”

The look of fear overcame Abernathy again. “Excuse me?”

“Pack up!” Smithe said again. “So we can leave!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” argued Abernathy.

“Of course you are. You were elected!”

“Elected what?” Abernathy asked.

Capt. Smithe announced proudly, “Leader of the King Arcon Search Party. Actually, you were the only real candidate. The other was some stupid rock named Rufus, whom I found to be quite clever, but rather overbearing.”

Abernathy recognized the name as one of Meekal’s stones. He sighed hopelessly. “I never had any intention of going on the search. I’m needed here!”

There was a hurt look on the Captain’s face that Dr. Abernathy couldn’t bare to look at. He turned to face his flower garden and heard Captain Smithe say, “I’m sorry. I thought I had been asked to come to Arconia so that I could help save a beloved king. But maybe his subjects could care less if he died. Alone on some deserted island with only the thought that his people would be looking for him… no matter how needed they thought they were.”

The sounds of Smithe’s feet scuffing as he headed down the front walk away from him resonated in Abernathy’s head. He turned and announced, “I’ll be ready in an hour!”

Smithe spun around and flashed him a wide grin. “We knew we could count on you! I’ll go tell the good news to first mate Rufus!” He hurried down the street back towards town.

Abernathy turned and looked at his beloved home. Soon he would travel across the countryside, climb aboard a ship, and search waters he knew nothing about. It was time for confidence. He could do it. Gathering his courage, he knocked on the door and said weakly, “Honey, I’m home.”

[Zelda]

Meanwhile back at the castle....latenight had finally caught up with the Queen.

"your majesty, you CANT enter the tourney....its sharps with winner the first to draw blood!" he panted as he tried to keep up with her purposeful walk to the armoury.

"So?" the Queen replied, shoving open the armoury door and startling the Sargent - at - Arms on guard inside.

"But if you get injured who will rule Arconia?" latenight was starting to whinge.

"If I get injured I CANT rule Arconia can I?" the caustic reply stung latenight, when he realised she was right....

"Oh yeah...." latenight slunk out the armoury door, on a mission to find Lochinvar and Rosaline and tell them what had happened.

[Swordsman]

I suppose there isn't really a chance of delaying the tourney until we get back, is there?

[Fencing Angel]

Please?? delay the tounry for the sake of two of your first knights??

( ed note: this message was found tied to a swallow. oh and it was a african swallow...)


<img src="graemlins/jawa.gif" border="0" alt="[Jawa]" />

[Zelda]

I have an idea, DON'T worry......just how LONG is it gonna take you guys to get back???