NINETEEN - Silvan

Silvan searches for Esmarine and makes a discovery of his own.

Esmarine had disappeared from the house before Silvan woke up, so he hadn’t been able to question her any further about Atherton or his siblings.  Even being one of the first people in all of Xantom to wake up in the morning isn’t enough to catch her before she runs off.  She won’t be able to hide from this conversation forever.

Rather than worry about her, Silvan made his way to the castle to signal the end of curfew and wake up the city.  The single beats of the drum in the morning and before rest were the only true way of telling time, and Silvan essentially had control over it.  Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he just didn’t beat the drum one morning.  He never tried his experiment, but every morning the thought came into his head and he smiled at the amount of power this position offered him.

After beating the drum, he looked out over the city and watched it very slowly come to life.  In the Outskirts, people began to light torches and come out of their tents.  In the city, he could see people coming out of their homes, torches in hand, heading towards the sewage ditch to relieve themselves after a long night’s sleep.  All of this because of me.

When he had seen enough, he began the long climb back down the spiral staircase into the castle.  He thought he knew how he could use Atherton’s siblings to his advantage, but wanted to really think it out before putting his plan into action.  There’s no sense in rushing things until I know things are going to go the way that I want them to.

This was the first time since being appointed to King’s Guard that Silvan hadn’t had a King to guard.  There wasn’t a room he needed to stand watch over, he didn’t have a post to stand at… his time was free.  And I had best use it to my advantage.  Xanthus isn’t going to solve anything, and we’re going to be in deeper trouble by the time he returns.  He made his way towards the Healer’s Room, where Willoughby would surely be able to help him wrap his head around the current state of things.

He walked past the Throne Room and heard voices from inside.  He stopped to listen.  Very clearly, he heard the voice of Thaddeus.  Who is he talking to?  Silvan stepped through the doors to find the entirety of the King’s Guard gathered around the table.

“Am I interrupting something?”  He stepped closer to the table.  Vanderford, Thaddeus, Zultan, and Castiel were all seated in their usual positions.  Willoughby was here, too.  Why wasn’t I told about this?

Everyone at the table turned towards Thaddeus, who surveyed their expressions and stood up.  “Silvan.  So glad you finally decided to join us.  Take your seat.”

“I wasn’t aware that we were having a Council Meeting today.”

“It isn’t technically a Council Meeting, as the King is not with us, but since he left me in charge, I called this meeting to explain how things are going to work until he returns.”

“Then why didn’t anyone tell me?  If I didn’t know better I’d say you left me out of this on purpose.”

“I asked Zultan to inform you to meet us here,” Thaddeus said.  He turned to Zultan.  “You informed him, right?”

“It must have slipped my mind,” Zultan said.  He turned to Silvan and flashed a toothy grin.  “Oops.”

“Well, that’s where the confusion is, then.”

“You manipulative little ditch-dumper,” Silvan said.

“Let’s not resort to name-calling,” Thaddeus said.  “Have a seat, and I’ll fill you in on everything you missed.  We’ve barely started.”

Silvan took his seat, staring daggers into Zultan, who met his gaze with equal amounts of disdain.

“Until King Xanthus returns, we are to be keepers of the peace,” Thaddeus said.  “You are to patrol the city and make sure that everything stays calm.  If anyone seems nervous, tell them there’s nothing to worry about.  The King will return with a solution to our problems.  Until he does, no one is allowed to enter the city from the Outskirts.  The guard at the gate has already been informed.  If you see anyone trying to force their way through, take them into custody and bring them here.  We can hold them in the dungeons until King Xanthus returns.  The same goes for anyone you hear speaking against the King, or any of the guards.  Take them into custody and bring them to me.”

“What if someone steals something, or murders someone?” Castiel asked.

“Bring them to me,” Thaddeus repeated.  “Xanthus will deal with them when he returns from the Hunt.”

“So essentially we are to do nothing until the King gets back?” Vanderford asked.  “Just patrol the city and wait?”

“Yes.  Do you have something you’d like to suggest?” Thaddeus asked.

“We could try to be proactive.  While he’s looking for a solution in the Barelands, we can be looking for something here.  Maybe we missed something.  Maybe Seven left some sort of clue before he died.”

“We searched the Passing of the Seventh after his death and found nothing,” Willoughby said.  “If there was something there, we would have found it long before now.  There is nothing we can do here until we find out what happens out there.”

“What if he doesn’t come back?” Vanderford asked.  The room went silent.  “I know it’s something nobody wants to think about, but he could die.  Things happen on the Hunt that we don’t know about, that we’ll never know about.  What do we do then?”

“We will deal with that, if it happens.  For now, nothing changes.  Assume that everything will go according to plan and that Xanthus will return safe.”

“So we don’t have a plan.  The city is in crisis and our only solution is to hope that someone else solves the problem for us.  I’ve sat back and done nothing for long enough.  We should do something.  I’d like to have a plan in case something goes wrong.  I for one don’t trust that a group of angry hunters won’t murder the King and say it was an accident.  We need a plan!”

“Then come up with one, and run it by me later,” Thaddeus said.  “I’m not going to waste our time on something that won’t serve any purpose.”

“Then you’re a fool,” Vanderford said.

Silvan shifted in his seat.  Vanderford has a point.  I know all too well what men are capable of when they get desperate… If the hunters blame the King, and surely they do, they’re going to do something about it.  We should be doing something.  And if everyone else isn’t going to, then I’m going to arrange for something myself.  The time has never been more right.  And it might be smart to get Vanderford on my side.

“I agree with Vanderford,” Silvan said.

“Then the two of you can talk about it together on your own time.  This meeting is over.”  Thaddeus spoke firmly.  There was no point in arguing any further.  Silvan tried to meet Vanderford’s eyes, but he wouldn’t look his direction.

“You’re making a mistake,” Vanderford said.

Thaddeus couldn’t speak.  He opened his mouth, but no words came out.  I’ve never seen him this angry.

“The King left me in charge,” is what finally came out.  “You will do exactly as I say, or I will throw you in the dungeons until he returns.”

Vanderford sighed.  Don’t fight him further.  We’ll work this out after the meeting.  Vanderford opened his mouth, Silvan held his breath.  “Understood.”  Thank you.

“This meeting is over.  Everyone go out into the streets and keep the peace.”  Thaddeus stomped from the room.  He’s like a petulant child.  It’s like this whenever he doesn’t get his way.

The rest of the Guard got up to leave.  Vanderford headed swiftly to the door but Silvan caught up to him and stopped him.

“You’re right,” Silvan said.  “It’s stupid not to have a plan.  Thaddeus must be completely blind.  The hunters may be small and skinny, but there are a lot of them.  If they decided to kill the King, we need to have a plan.”

“Don’t forget that it was Thaddeus who suggested that Xanthus leave in the first place.  None of this is coincidence.  He knows I’m right, but he’s ignoring it on purpose.  I guarantee you, he already has a plan for what comes after.”

He’s right.  It all made sense�"Thaddeus almost seemed to suggest that Xanthus was a bad King if he didn’t lead the Hunt.  Thaddeus wanted him gone, and now he’s trying to make it seem like he’s doing everything in his power to make way for his safe return.  “Oh, no,” was all Silvan managed to say.

“If he ignores the issue now, it will appear as though he had full faith in Xanthus from the very beginning,” Vanderford added, putting Silvan’s thoughts into words.  “It will gain him favor in the event that something does happen and we need to crown a new leader.  He will say that he is ‘shocked’ by the news of Xanthus’s death, that he had every right to believe that he would return alive and in full health.”

“Do you think Thaddeus could be planning Xanthus’s death?”

“Thaddeus craves power.  And he’s afraid.  There’s no telling how far a man will go when he’s desperate and afraid.”  Then Thaddeus is my competition.  I might have to move things along faster than I thought.  Vanderford continued, “I wouldn’t have thought by looking at you that you would be capable of what you did to gain your position here, but that just goes to prove my point.  There’s just no way of knowing what men are thinking.”

What is he implying?  He didn’t have to bring that up.  “You know I only did that because I had to.  They were going to kill the King.”

“Well it’s very convenient that afterwards, you were promoted to a higher position within the city and rose from there.”

“I’m on your side, Vanderford.  There’s no need for accusations.”

“I wasn’t accusing you of anything.  I was simply stating a fact.”

“It sounded like�"”

“Perhaps I was unclear.”

I’m growing tired of this.  If you have something you need to say to me, just do it.  “Then clarify.  What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying there are no ‘sides’ here.  I’m saying that what’s right and what’s wrong depends on who you ask.  When you look at our past, even our very recent past, you see that our world was shaped by the actions of men just like you, me, and Thaddeus.  Some of those things are pretty horrific.  But whether or not they were justified… I’m not here to be the judge of that.  I’m just trying to stay out of the way.”

“Stay out of the way?  Are you saying we just sit back and let Thaddeus murder our King and seize control of the city?”

“I don’t know what you would suggest we do about it.  Who knows what the world is going to look like tomorrow?  The actions that will shape it may already be taking place.  If that’s true, there’s nothing you or I can do to stop it.  And honestly… why try?  Getting in the way is a good way of getting yourself killed.  I’d like to live to see another day.  So I’m certainly not going to help you with whatever you’re planning.”

“I can’t believe you.  You were so adamant about having a plan.”

“By pressing Thaddeus the way that I did, I learned what his plan was.  It’s a lot safer to understand the people around you and let them go about their business than it is to try to stop people from doing what they want.”

“What if Xanthus is killed on the hunt?”

“Then it’s too late for him.  The most important thing any of us can do is try to find a way to survive in this world.  Right now, survival means finding a source of food and staying out of everyone’s way.  It’s hard enough without all this backstabbing.  There are greater threats than each other.”

“I will not let Thaddeus become the new King,” Silvan said firmly.

“Then you’re no better than the rest of them.”  Vanderford turned and disappeared into the darkness of the castle.

My only ally in all of this refuses to help me.  Vanderford is a fool.  If he thinks the world will be a better place with Thaddeus as King… It doesn’t matter.  Thaddeus isn’t the only person who can make plans for the future.

Silvan headed towards the front gate of the city.  I’m going to see my people.  They understand me, and they have no idea how powerful they are.  Not yet.  He arrived at the front gate, nodding at Hoyt.

“Business in the Outskirts?” he asked.

“Yes,” Silvan replied.  “I won’t be very long.”

“Your daughter was here earlier.”

Esmarine was here?  She got up before curfew and came to the front of the city? “Was she trying to head into the Outskirts?”

“No, actually.  She said she wanted to talk to me.”

She got up to speak with Hoyt?  That doesn’t make any sense…  “What did she say to you?”

“She just wanted to talk about those two kids that were brought back here yesterday.”

“Again with the kids from the Outskirts!  She’s been obsessing over them since yesterday.  I don’t know what’s gotten into her.  What exactly did she want to say to you about them?”

“She said I should keep them a secret.  She wanted to make sure I didn’t talk to anyone about them.  And she told me not to tell you that she talked to me.”

“Of course she did.  I’m going to have to have a talk with her later.  Those kids are actually the reason I’m heading into the Outskirts right now.”

“How long do you think you’re going to be outside?”

“Not too long.  An hour, probably.”

“Just to let you know… I’m not allowed to let anyone from the Outskirts into the city until Xanthus returns.”

“You won’t let me back into the city when I get back?”

“Oh, no, you’re okay.  But you can’t bring anyone with you.  If you were going to bring back any more children, or something, I can’t let that happen.”

“It’s nothing like that.  Just doing a little cleanup and damage control.  I won’t be bringing anyone back.”  I won’t have any need to bring anyone back in with me.  All of my work will be done outside the city walls.

“Understood.”

“Let me know if you see Esmarine again, or if you remember anything else about your conversation.”

“I absolutely will.”

The guard raised the gate for Silvan to pass through.  He did, and headed directly for Rhoswen’s tent.  Surely she’s watching Phineas’s son now while he’s away on the hunt.

He reached the tent and paused.  Esmarine doesn’t know what she’s talking about.  She worries too much.  This is the right decision.  It’s going to get everyone on my side, and we’ll both be better off.  He took a deep breath, pulled back the tent flap and peered inside.  Rhoswen was lying beside the child, cooing at him and smiling brightly.  When she saw Silvan, her eyes lit up with excitement.

“Silvan!  You’ve returned.  Do you have any news?  What have you accomplished?”

“Big news.  Very big news.  I think you’re going to like it.  I had a long talk with King Xanthus before he left this morning.  We discussed it at length and finally, he agreed with my plan.  This is going to have a huge impact on the future of Xantom.”

“What is it?” she asked excitedly.

“I’ll get to it in a second.  How’s this little guy doing?”

“So much better, thanks to you.”

“What can I say?  I guess I have a soft spot for children.  Which is actually what I wanted to talk to you about.  You remember the boy that was exiled yesterday?  Well, he left behind a baby brother and sister.  I just couldn’t live with myself if I let them stay out here and die; he was the only person taking care of them.  So I talked to the King and told him that I thought they didn’t stand a chance out here, that if we didn’t do something, they would die.  And I managed to convince him that he couldn’t let that happen.  So rather than place them in any random new home, he took the children in as his own.”

He paused to let that sink in.  Rhoswen’s face lit up with hope.  “Are you saying… you convinced the King to watch after the children of the people from the Outskirts?”

“I did.”

“All of them?”

“The first of many.  I told him, the children are our future!  We need them, or what are we all fighting for?  He promised me, as long as there are children starving, he will protect them.  He promised me that if he could help it, he would never again let a child die, in Xantom or otherwise!”

Tears began to well up in Rhoswen’s eyes.  “You have no idea what this means to me,” she said.  “This is more than I could have ever hoped for.”

This can’t possibly go bad for me.  Once everyone in the Outskirts has even a hint of hope that their children have a future, they’ll never let it go.  And if anyone gets in the way, they’ll have to face the wrath of every single person out here.

Rhoswen looked down at Phineas’s son.  “Did you hear that, little one?  Even if something happens to your daddy, you’re going to be okay!”

“Spread the word,” Silvan said.  “Unfortunately, I’m needed back inside the city walls, but everyone deserves to know.  Can you do this for me?”

“I can.  I promise, I’ll tell everyone.”

Now all I have to do is wait.  Within a few hours, everyone will know that I am the one who gave the world hope again.  If the King returns, he surely won’t honor the agreement.  He doesn’t even know about it.  And when he hears of it, he can’t possibly take in all of Xantom’s orphaned children.  And the people will turn on him.  They’re already prepared to turn on him at a moment’s notice; it won’t take very much to push them over the edge.

And if the worst happens… if Thaddeus has planned something and Xanthus doesn’t return, the people of the Outskirts will cry out for me to be their leader.  If Thaddeus tries to take control, they’ll turn on him as quickly as they would have turned on Xanthus.  No matter what happens, I win.  The city is as good as mine.