Lord Eden Exen’s tale left his drinking companion in awe and with many unanswered questions. “That must have been one exhilarating adventure, my Lord!”
With collected confidence the Lord replied, “Well, bar some annoyance at times, it was mostly a pleasant change of pace. Our capital, for all its glory, was often dull and tame. Yet throughout my life, excitement always seems to find its way onto my table one way or another.”
Spending time with the man he idolized for the last four years was a great deal for Daniel the cabin boy, and he could barely withhold his enthusiasm. “Then I bet the medallion led more of it your way, my Lord.”
Eden shared a delighted smile and verified, “Would my breaths be precious if thrill did not cross my path?” The Lord then abruptly slid his empty cup towards Daniel, “If you shall have another, so will I.”
“Of course, my Lord,” said the cabin boy and immediately poured the wine.
One refreshing sip later, Lord Eden began his second tale of the night, “I wore the medallion around Thyrin for some time and all it earned me was more of the same admiration. But one afternoon in a lowly tavern, I found recognition in a man; I found fear in his eyes.”
Taverns in the Kingdom were regularly crowded in the late afternoon, especially those that served cheap beer like the one Lord Exen had stopped at. As he enjoyed his drink in solitude, a young woman sitting a couple of tables away caught his eye. The short blonde with hair barely reaching her shoulders devoured her rice and loaf of bread ferociously, like she had been starving for days. Eden had seen the impoverished eat before, but this girl’s haste was striking.
The Lord would not wonder about the cause for her behavior for long as three men in soiled clothes came through the door and headed towards the girl’s table. At the sight of the brutes the young blonde suddenly stopped her hurried chewing and her eyes widened. She froze in her seat like a trapped animal, desperately hoping to be left alone. The thugs, however, had no such intentions and the leader of the trio slammed his hand on the table, “Hello, Gemma. I am glad to see you out to eat again, that must mean you have gold for us.”
The girl slowly swallowed to clear her throat and Lord Eden tried to listen in on what she said as best he could. “How did you find me here? Have you been following me around, Sean?”
The head of the three delinquent – who surprisingly kept his beard well groomed – was angered by her questions, “Some people toil away for years to earn just one gold shell and you owe mister Pellin two. We would be fools to let you wander off wherever you liked.” Gold shells were the official currency of the Kingdom. The round gold coins earned their namesake from their distinctive design as they had a seashell embossed on either face.
Gemma eyed him fiercely and she stressed, “I owe you and Pellin nothing! I have never taken anything from you and you will never see anything from me.”
Sean tried to be intimidating, placed both his hands on the table and leaned over. “Your brother took that gold from mister Pellin to feed you, you ungrateful Beilrunoty bitch!” he yelled, “You will pay it back all, do you understand?” Suddenly, Eden’s intrigue turned into wrath. The Lord felt offended by Sean’s insult when he overheard the girls’ birthplace, and although he had not intended on interfering before, his pride forced his legs into motion.
“My brother owes you for the whoring and gambling you encouraged him to seek,” argued Gemma, “So if you want your shells go after him and leave me alone!”
Before he could respond, Sean heard the backtracking footsteps of his accomplices behind him. The lowlife became frightened when he turned around and saw Lord Eden come his way. “We will talk about this again later,” he said to Gemma before trying to move away. Yet, Eden quickly pounced on him, grabbed him by the shoulders and forcefully launched him gliding across the floor.
Gemma rose from her seat and watched cautiously as the Beilrunoty Lord approached the fallen man. “No. How about we talk now?” he asked smugly and never waited for an answer. Without ever drawing his sword, Eden demanded respect in the room and he ordered everyone to mind their own business. Then, he turned to the two other thugs in the room and demoralizingly said, “Unless you want to join your friend here, you two can wait outside for him.” They were quick to quietly oblige.
In between violent coughs, Sean tried to make his way to his feet again. “I never thought you were one to know the Kingdom’s Champion, Gemma.”
Another confident smile decorated Eden’s face, “And I never thought you were one to guess who I was on the first try.”
The bearded man clarified, “It was no guess, Lord Exen. Only one man would be brave enough to wear such a medallion in Thyrin, and I do not intend to stand in that man’s way.”
“Good. Wise choices rarely come from the ill-disciplined, but I want to believe that you are an exception, Sean,” offered the Lord with derision. Eden finally felt satisfied with the look he saw in the brute’s eyes as he nodded in agreement. “Very well, then. Now, leave while knowing that I would consider it a personal offence if this young woman is ever bothered again with a debt she does not owe, agreed?”
“Agreed, my Lord,” replied Sean immediately and tried to slowly move around to head to the door.
Lord Eden, however, would only allow him to go a few steps before he swiftly drew his sword and aimed his blade at Sean’s neck. He watched in vigor as the man trembled and then sounded a warning, “Repeat what I told you to all ears in your den, particularly to Pellin’s. Share with them what you learned about the sharpness of my blade, lest they be as wise as you were today.”
A while after Sean and his accomplices dispersed, Lord Eden Exen emerged from the tavern with Gemma at his side. As they stepped into the darkness of the narrow alleys of Thyrin, the sixteen-year-old blonde dryly offered her gratitude, “Thank you, Lord Exen, for what you did in there.”
Eden could sense the girl was merely being polite and returned, “It was the least I could do for a fellow Beilrunoty. But tell me, why do you look so glum? Anyone else would be pledging their life to me for saving theirs by now.”
Gemma had always been unimpressed with the nobility of the Kingdom – Kings, Lords and Noblemen alike. She could only hold herself back so much before she would share her blunt opinion about them. “Oh, really?” she boldly exclaimed, “And why would I pledge my life to you? Because you scared off a little man with your big title?”
Confused to be confronted by this sudden verbal assault, Lord Eden calmly replied, “Perhaps that little man was right, and you truly are ungrateful.”
“Brilliant. Just Brilliant,” she began to rant while walking away. With the Lord following close behind in confusion she continued, “My Lord, I would not be so happy with myself if I were you, thinking that you saved a poor helpless damsel. No, you see I had things under control, Sean would have said his words and went on his way.”
Lord Eden shot back at her, “And now he will disappear, never to bother you again.”
Mockingly, the short girl replied, “Why? Because a passing Lord decided to boast his heroics to the world? Ha!” She stopped in her tracks and turned around to harshly deliver, “No, my Lord. Thanks to the intervention of the glorious Champion they will now be coming after me, and you will not be there. I will be left to suffer in the wake of your arrogant stunt as you disappear back to your manor feeling content with yourself!”
Eden was shocked by the audacity of this common girl with her shouting. However, what irked him the most was her criticism of his arrogance. This was a sentiment that echoed what his father, Prime Lord Merner Exen, had continuously warned him of over the years. “How dare you address your Lord in such a manner?” he angrily yelled. “I could have your head for the vile words your venomous mouth spews!” he threatened while placing his hand over the grip of his sword.
Fearlessly, young Gemma stepped forward and looked the Lord straight in the eyes. “The indifference of the nobility never ceases to amaze me,” she said slowly. “Commoners are expendable and so easily replaceable in your eyes, are we not? You can throw us to the ground, you can beat us, and you can have us slaughtered without consequence. Your titles allow it, and you exercise your cruelty at will.”
Barely curbing his temper, Lord Eden stared her down, “It seems to me that you are the one who places no value on her life.”
“If you were going to kill me, my Lord, my head would be rolling on the ground already.” Gemma broke the stare and moved away. Before vanishing into the night, she turned around one more time to face the Lord who stood still in his place and said, “Lord Eden Exen, heir to Beilrunot. One day you will be Prime Lord of the city, and oh how lucky the people will be to have you as their sovereign. Sadly, I will not be there to witness the glory.”
When The Mighty Fall 