THE HAUNTED KINGDOM 2 - Charles E.J. Moulton (good books for high schoolers .txt) 📗

a deep breath, the air making a wheezing noise as it entered his nose. “Young envoy? I have an important question.”
The messenger looked up. “Any inquiry I can respond to with information that is accurately of my knowledge is mirthful to my spirit.”
“Did Ulfaas tell you if our men are still positioned in Fraytollah?”
The young man shook his head. “I think no one actually knows from where the ship arrived.”
Alexander shook his head and walked away from the throne. He walked to the window.
“We can’t win this war, Mustafus” he said softly. “They have sorcery as a weapon.”
Mustafus looked at him and said: "My army will be ready to help you, Sire." He was impressed with the extraordinarily deep voice of the man. "And I think we must act quickly if we are to win time ..." The voice was luscious and rich like wine. “We can win. I know we can.”
"Are you willing to assist me?"
"They must be stopped at all costs." Mustafus sighed. “You are my friend. Of course I will.”
"It was just pure luck that we just signed the deal now. We are stronger together."
Mustafus wiggled his mustache and his eyebrows came together. He looked worried.
"What do you have in mind?"
"We must go the senate and tell them what has happened. We must prepare for the worst." Alexander nodded toward Roland.
"What kind of ships were they, young man?"
"Nocturanian security ships, your majesty. Only used in heavy battle ..."
"How many?"
"Twenty ...."
"Twenty?" Alexander whispered. “We are at war.”
"Yes, Sire! The Prince General and the Doctor had to summon their entire fleet of twenty-two defense-ships to give the army full resistance ... When I left there was a full scale war going on. Normally this trip takes nine days in full gallop. I made it in six. It is imperative to be quick now, Sire. I do not know how many more are dead by this time."
"Do you have another messenger that will ride to my country and fetch for help?" Mustafus asked. Alexander nodded. "Then I will ask you to bring him to me when you talk to yours ..."
"We will have to be quick now!" He shook his head. "Damn it. Lucinda was right.” Mustafus and Roland gave the king a confused look. Rolf just smiled. He knew what Alex was saying, and it was not a droll matter. Alexander's lips were dry. He licked them. "Listen to me, Roland!" He walked up to the boy. "I will send my own messenger back there right now, I will tell him how dangerous this mission is, but that he will be given sufficient compensation and leave myself tomorrow morning for the north. You must tell him exactly what you told me. Rolf will lead you to him. His name is Theo." The boy gave the king a tired smile. "You tell me anything else of importance on the way to the senate. Then you return here and have a good rest here a few days?" The boy nodded. "I will tell the kitchen to make you a large meal and that you can use our thermal baths. We have wonderful wines and my jesters and orchestra will entertain you if you wish. Just tell Rolf here ..." The boy nodded, seriously. “We have work to do.”
Alex gestured to the young messenger. "Come ..."
Roland ran after them.
"Rolf. Saddle the horses ..."
"Yes, your majesty."
"And tell Geena to treat this boy well ..."
"Yes, your majesty ..."
Four pairs of feet ran briskly down the hall and Belinda rushed in her night-clothes and a white silk bathrobe after them out of the nursery, asking what the matter was.
"War!" Alexander spat and rushed down the stairs. She rushed after them, looking like a wide-eyed terrified painting of a mother who had just found out all her children were dying.
“What?" She snapped.
"The Nocturanian army invaded the Danish channel last week accusing us of breach of agreement." He stopped briefly on the landing. "We will combine our forces to attack back." Belinda looked at Mustafus. They had met many times before. Belinda seriously took his hand. "Many have died already and more will follow."
"Good God ..."
"This is what we’ve dreaded ..." Alexander said.
"I will go with you to the senate, Father ..." Belinda said and rushed up the stairs.
“No, Belinda. You must ..."
She turned around, seriously, and pointed at him. "I am the future queen of this country, Father." She looked at him sternly. "Steven is leading the troops. It is my duty ..."
"But not to the Danehamn. I would not allow it. You must be spared."
Belinda did not answer this.
"Is Alfred with someone?"
"Erica and Marie-Louise." She was running down the hall to her own bedroom while she was saying these last words.
"Put your clothes on. Quick. The horses are being saddled." He was already running out while he had said those last words. Neither of them heard what the other one said.
Just fifteen minutes later the trio was riding out of the gates with Roland beside them , briefing his majesty on the situation and not saying a word to one another otherwise all the way to Clurafar .
All the while Erica was teaching Alfred how to play chess and Geena worried polished the silver while Rolf briefed Theo on the last details on his trip up north.
The young man was worried. But this was his job. And he would be given more than sufficient compensation. The offspring knew nothing, because Belinda had not wanted to worry them. Just that something quite fundamental had happened. Over by the Danish Channel seventy people had been killed.
Among them was the red headed General Inspector.

The Senatorial Forum in Clurafar, Friday, November 23rd, 1425 A.D.

"We have been attacked, gentlemen! The full scale conflict was provoked by Nocturanian Forces. These squadrons have attacked the Danish Channel and its insecure holdings and now the inquiry is on the verge of collapse as to who has the right to its borders. Rumours are they are marching in from the west as well and soon will be reaching us."
Alexander sighed, speaking from memory without sheep’s vellum to a full senate.
"The Danish Minister of Channel Affairs Ulfaas Nordhjiil sent another messenger that arrived yesterday saying they are holding up well and that twelve ships have been sunk. But hundred and twenty people have died and a very important assistant to the General with them." Alexander pointed seriously to his side. "I have here my ally, King Mustafus the First of Alliland. Together with him and the Margetanian army we have arranged a full scale confrontation in two parts. One army, the Margetanian with half the Allilandian, will march toward the North. The other will go to the west to conquer the three thousand soldiers that are marching into our country from there."
Mustafus, wearing his trademark fur hat with red lining and a fur vest with a red shirt under it, stood up, looking quite grim and justifiably so this morning. His large mustache and bushy eyebrows roofed lip and eyes and made little bitter twists and turns. He spoke with a deep voice, luscious but bitter like richly sour Adriatic red wine.
"Your noble majesties ..." He pointed to Belinda and Alex and Sieglinde to his left. "Senators, Sire Cretan, generals and aides." He pointed to Zedrick and Rolf to his left. "Ladies and Gentlemen ..." He looked down and sighed. Then he looked up, distinctively. "This will be short. This is not a strategy speech. It is vital for me to state that those will be held in private. What I here must state, however, is that I, with H.M. King Alexander, had just agreed upon a joint military effort the minute the infamous message was delivered by a young man named Roland Serana, who is now rightfully enjoying his luxury in the Royal Thermal Baths and the benefits of the Iuventus kitchen."
There was modest laughter.
"I shall put this plainly. I am a plain man with plain talk of plain things. War is war and no flowers will be thrown at the matter. We have all through the years felt what our ancestors felt before us. Nocturania wants revenge ... for revenge's sake. They want the channel and the borders. They want power not as a tool for development but for their own perverse glory. We know from history that Yambollah and its regime never ever have been able to maintain productivity. The people are poor and the lack of sportsmanship in the infamous gladiator games are signs of barbarism just as the people themselves are inhuman. I therefore proclaim that this country must be crushed, erased, eradicated. They are a shame to our peaceful community. They have found it useless to even discuss trade agreement. We have suffered so greatly because of this land and done really nothing to stand against their values. Let us not secretly assert our odium against a demon. Let us plunk up and admit that life would be better without them. Let us be rid of oppression. Give life a chance, even if we must die to uphold its values. We have been provoked. We have been provoked because we wanted a peace treaty with them in the first place."
With these words, an afternoon of discussions commenced and it ended with a very glum assembly returning to its’ duties. Alexander and Mustafus rode the entire way home without talking.
Alexander did agree that the country was a land of villains.
What Mustafus had just delivered, however, was a speech that encouraged inhumane behaviour to conquer the inhumane.
Was that right? His sister was inhumane, but could a volcano really be extinguished with a tornado?

Thursday, December 20th, 1425 A.D.

It had been the quickest mobilization of any army in the history of Alliland. In a matter of weeks the entire army was on its feet and marching toward the meeting point near Clurafar.
The only reason why it could be done in such a manner was because this had been so far the warmest winter since 1311 and the armies could ride fast without snow.
An angel was with them. His name was Michael.
A messenger had been sent on November 18th to mobilize the Allilandian first five divisions under the protection of General Max Yura. It was a very fast decision on the basis of a new agreement. Max Yura was the fastest and most efficient generals in the entire top level. The soldiers that Mustafus called for were close enough to the borders to make it possible for them to prepare and travel to the outskirts of Clurafar in a month.
The day when the outcome of the mobilization became obvious the largest field near Clurafar next to Shushienea Valley was filling up with all kinds of strange and wonderful characters, who all seemed to be copies of Mustafus himself. All in all 2000 soldiers, they had traveled at breakneck speed to arrive here in time.
They all knew the problem: the enemies were slowly coming closer to Clurafar. Everything seemed to be controlled by Adnicul, but no one, really nobody, had seen him for months.
Alexander watched this morning scene with fascination. Having come here at daybreak, he