The Weight of Honor by Morgan Rice Page A

head on your shoulders if you intend to rally your men against us. The choice is yours.”
    The silence thickened as Bant looked about the room, seeing all of Duncan’s men, uncertainty crossing his face.
    “Consider, then, the King’s guard,” Tarnis stepped forward. “Thousands of fine soldiers stand strong here in the capital, all at my command. They answer only to the King. They will not join you. And if you threaten our men, they will stand in your way.”
    “True,” Duncan replied. “They answer only to the King. And you are no longer that King.”
    For the first time, Tarnis’s carefully composed face fell, as the room let out an astonished gasp.
    “I am sorry, Tarnis,” Duncan continued, “but you forfeited your kingship the day you surrendered Escalon. You are just an old man now; you have no authority here.”
    “Then who has authority as King, then?” Tarnis replied, mockingly. “You?”
    “Yes,” Duncan replied flatly.
    An agitated grumbling filled the room, as Tarnis scoffed.
    “And who named you King?” Bant called out.
    “You have no right to the kingship!” a noble yelled.
    They all grumbled, and Duncan faced them all bravely.
    “I freed Escalon,” Duncan replied. “I freed the capital. I started the revolt which all of you were afraid to. I have risked my life, and you have risked nothing. Is it you, then, who should hold power?”
    The room fell quiet as he looked each one in the face.
    “I seek no power,” Duncan continued. “I seek only the freedom and unity of Escalon. And if I must be the vehicle, then so be it.”
    Tarnis shook his head in disapproval.
    “No matter what you say,” Tarnis replied, “the King’s Guard will not answer to you. Not while I am King.”
    “He is right,” Kavos interjected. “The Guard will not recognize two kings—no one will. Which is why you must kill him.”
    An outraged gasp spread across the room, and Duncan felt his stomach in knots as he faced Kavos.
    “You vowed,” Kavos reminded. “Now is your time to honor that vow.”
    Duncan contemplated Kavos’s words. He had not wanted it to come to this, however little respect he had for Tarnis. He saw Tarnis’s horrified look, and his feeling of anguish deepened. For the first time, Tanis stared back with a look of real fear. A long, tense silence ensued as all eyes turned to Duncan.
    Duncan looked for a long time at the old King, debating, remembering all the years he had served him. He knew Kavos was right. He knew Tarnis should be killed.
    Yet, finally, he shook his head.
    “I shall not kill you,” he said, his voice heavy, he already hating ruling. “But I cannot leave you free to roam the capital either. You shall be detained, and kept under watch.”
    Kavos turned to him, outraged.
    “You vowed to kill him!” Kavos insisted.
    Duncan shook his head.
    “I vowed to assume power, and that I shall do,” Duncan replied.
    “You cannot have one without the other,” Kavos countered.
    Duncan stood firm.
    “I shall not be cruel, or merciless. He is no threat to any of us.”
    Duncan turned to his men.
    “Take him under guard,” he commanded.
    Several of his men rushed forward and detained Tarnis while the nobles watched, looks of panic and outrage across their faces as he was dragged out of the chamber.
    A tense silence fell, and Duncan set his sights on Bant.
    “I do not wish to kill you or your men. Join us. Let us fight as one—not fight each other.”
    Another long silence fell, a silence which did not seem to ever end. Finally, Duncan knew he had to do something to break that silence. Slowly, he crossed the room, circling the table, his men following, other men giving way, their armor clanging in the room, until finally he stopped before Bant. He disliked the man as much as anyone, and yet he knew he was king now, and he needed to do what a king would do. He had to make peace with his enemy, to unify his countrymen. If Bant followed, he knew, the others would, as would the