4/ Suspicions

The steady beat of hoofs upon the earth grew slower as their destination came into view. Rollen and six of his men had journeyed since dawn for Allyn's Tower. After a hard day's ride, they pulled their horses to a trot as they neared the tall building. Rollen knew that they were all weary from the travel, though they did not show it. They were probably sighing in relief at the sight of the tower, but a knot twisted in Rollen's gut. Their journey had met its end, but that was what Rollen dreaded.

Nevertheless, he set his face in an expressionless mask that befit a man of his rank and held his head high, absorbing his new surroundings. 

The large tower appeared to be reaching for the heavens, painted gold by the setting sun. A high wall enclosed the perimeter, with soldiers standing guard atop it. A hardwood gate dominated a piece of the wall, only big enough for two horses to pass through at a time. As they neared it, the closest guards peered down at them. When he shone the silver token that had come with the letter at them, the gate was cranked open.

They cantered through the gate and halted at the relatively small but neat compound. Rollen watched as three officials caught sight of them and strode over. He clenched his jaw when he recognized one of them and slid off his stallion. His men followed in suit, Tyford among them.

The three men stopped before them, nodding to Rollen and his men. "Captain Palanor," the one to the right greeted. "You have arrived sooner than expected.  All for the best, though."

"Thank you, Sir." Rollen saluted. Gesturing behind him, he announced, "These are my men who have accompanied me on my travels."

"Trustworthy men, I presume?" he inquired, his sharp eyes scrutinizing them all.

"Yes, Sir."

He nodded, satisfied.

The man at the center cleared his throat. Rollen's gaze hardened. "Well, we should get to business. I am Colonel Fresier. This," he gestured to the blonde man to his left, "is Commandant Lokai and he," pointing to his right, "is Colonel Brazen."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Rollen responded automatically. He glanced at Colonel Brazen. A man in his late forties, his dark hair was silvering gradually. His weathered face was marked with few faint scars. Nevertheless, tiny laugh lines crinkled at the corner of his bright eyes. Rollen then sized up Commandant Lokai. He appeared to be in his early thirties. He stood tall and held himself high with the pride of a King. His eyes revealed that he thought he was meant for greatness, and he worked to prove it.

He met Colonel Fresier's stony gaze. He was a tall man in his late thirties. His hands were held behind his back, muscles bulging from his jacket. With close-cropped black hair and dark blue eyes, he could be called handsome. There were rumors that he was to be promoted to a General, the highest rank in the Norlain army. If so, he would be the youngest General the nation had seen in many years.

Colonel Fresier stared at him for a few seconds, before extending his gaze to the other men. "You must be worn out from your travels. Commandant Lokai will escort you to your rooms. In an hour's time, we shall have dinner. However," he glanced at Rollen, "I would like to briefly converse with your Captain."

Rollen wiped all emotion from his face . "Of course, Colonel."

Colonel Fresier nodded. "Commandant, show these men to their rooms."

"Yes, Sir." He gestured for the men to follow him as he headed for the tower. Tyford gave him a final glance before he left, one filled with caution. Watch yourself.  Rollen knew he had to heed that warning.

Colonel Fresier was one of the officers who had conducted Rollen's training. He was the youngest in the group of recruits, a boy of fifteen in among seventeen year-old men. He had to work harder than all the others just to make sure he wasn't sent away. The Colonel was one of the few officers who did not approve of his recruitment immediately. That made Rollen a target. He would be given more tasks to complete, harder training to master, worse punishments for a single mistake executed. All this was to make him give up and leave, but it gave him a thicker skin. It was what helped him begin his rise up the ranks.  

Though Rollen went through three years of training beside the usual two, he completed his recruitment as the youngest soldier in decades. Steadily, he rose up the ranks and was awarded two medals by the King himself due to his beneficial aid in battle. None of these went to his head but it stirred resentment from some officials who saw him as a youngling, Colonel Fresier among them. It reinforced hatred and formed rivalry between the two men, though they concealed it well. Rollen was forced to show him respect as his superior, as the Colonel was to acknowledge him as an army official.

"This way." The Colonel strode off, hands tucked behind his back. Rollen marched beside him quietly, unwilling to break the tense silence between them. They walked around the compound, bordering the enclosing wall. Rollen noticed some few houses had been constructed behind the tower, but didn't know what they were meant for. He barely knew the significance of the tower. Few people did.

"I presume you received the letter?" the Colonel asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Do you understand what its purpose and meaning?"

Rollen had his own thoughts, but he wanted to see if he could get all the information possible without revealing them. "No, Sir."

"Old matters, Rollen.  Our King believes trouble is stirring." He glanced at Rollen. "Do you remember the incident from a year ago?"

Though Rollen's face was set into an blank slate, a surge of panic sent his heart racing. "Yes, I do."

The Colonel stopped abruptly to face Rollen. "We think we have found the culprit."

Rollen bit the inside of his mouth, slowing his breathing to calm his racing heart. "How?"

"We have a witness."

Confusion etched itself on Rollen's features as he cocked his head slightly. What was he talking about?

The Colonel resumed walking, forcing Rollen to fall into step beside him. "A man came to the Shadow Keep and called out that one of the Generals was a traitor. He pointed at General Kion and said he was the one who conducted the assassination against the King. At first, the General denied it, saying that the man was mad or possibly a drunk. When further evidence was held against him, he grew silent, neither admitting nor condemning the accusations. That is why we need you." He glanced at Rollen. "You were the one who overheard the conversations before the attack. You heard the voices. We need you to testify whether or not he was in the plot. Circumstances show that he is the culprit but he demanded a trial, and this is the closest we can get without drawing too much attention."

Rollen felt the crushing weight lift from his chest, allowing him to breathe freely. He would have sighed in relief but for the Colonel beside him. His fears drifted away like smoke. Nevertheless, he had to be cautious and ask a few questions, lest he attracted suspicion from the Colonel.

"How do we know the accuser is saying the truth? And if he is, why wait for almost a year before finally speaking up?"

"We asked him that. Apparently, he had been blackmailed not to say a word. When he decided to suffer the consequences and tell the authorities, he was captured. He only escaped when the abductors were caught by the city guards for conducting an illegal business and were later hanged. He came immediately to tell us what he knew."

Rollen mulled over the new information in his head, silence dwelling between the two men. The King's attempted assassination was a mystery how it had almost gone undetected, more surprisingly how the King himself hadn't known about it. Rollen identifying it earned him praise and gratitude from the King.

The thought that the attempt had been an inside job had never crossed his mind, though it should have. Enemies were everywhere. But a General being behind it? Our King believes trouble is stirring. His Majesty was right. If a General would do this, it meant loyalties were wavering. He might have been bought off by the Darsan spies. Darsan had waged war on the other four Kingdoms. Two had already been assimilated. Norlay was next. Danger lurked in every corner.

"When will the trial take place?" he inquired.

"In five days' time."

Rollen nodded. "I will be there." Rollen supposed that the conversation was over, though they kept walking. He glanced at the Colonel, whose fists clenched. Rollen arched an eyebrow. "Is there anything else, Colonel?"

They both stopped under the long shadow of a building. Colonel Fresier turned to face Rollen. "I find it odd that you would detect such an attempt when our King couldn't. That you would just stumble upon it in the middle of the night." He lowered his voice, lacing it with evident malice. "I do not believe in coincidences, Rollen. I suspect you were in on the plot. Perhaps to earn trust from the King. Maybe you betrayed your fellow comrades and reported it for fame and glory. But I know you have a reason." His eyes narrowed to slits. "And I will find it and expose you."

Rollen ground his teeth at his words, feeling his blood boil. Of course he would suspect him for being part of the assassination. He only sought the faults in Rollen's actions during his recruitment and he still did. Old habits did die hard. But to accuse him of such a thing...

Rollen inhaled deeply, fighting to douse his scalding anger. "I had nothing to do with the plot." he began, voice smooth despite the storm crackling within. "The fact that you suspect me shows how far you will go just to see me fall. But I will not break, that I promise you." Rollen straightened his back, meeting his gaze evenly. "Besides, I learnt a lot in my years of training from you. You made me the man I am today." He smiled, eyes glittering. "I guess I should thank you for that," Rollen murmured.

The Colonel's eye twitched, the veins at his neck bulging from his skin. Before he could say more, Rollen held up his hand. "If you will excuse me, I am weary from my journey and in need of rest. Enjoy your evening—Colonel."

With a swift salute, he spun on the balls of heels and strode away, the smile still etched on his face.