Veldor Chronicles Chapter 5: Welcome to Hel Castle

There were two distinct silences in Castle Veldor’s war room on this gloomy afternoon. The first type was a sharp, tense silence shared between two sisters. Princess Caedia sat next to the window overlooking the main courtyard. Caedia’s posture was perfect—hands in her lap, her back straight and eyes fixed on the doorway with practiced solemnity. She wore a softer pink dress today, with her rich blond hair modestly combed through but not styled. There was a proud tilt to her chin, one practiced over a decade of snubbing courtiers and unfortunate hand maidens. Princess Caedia truly looked every bit the future Queen of Veldor. At least until she next opened her mouth. Then the illusion would shatter like a fine vase and the petty hen would reveal herself in full. It was only the anxious twitch in her left foot that otherwise betrayed her poise.

Caedia’s sister, Princess Euphemia, sat at the war table. She was only a few chairs away from where her father stood. Where Caedia sat with poise, Euphemia sat with purpose. Her sharp eyes were scanning through the pages of a thick, musty genealogy tome from Castle Veldor’s royal archives. Euphemia’s regal stoicism was the only thing that betrayed her otherwise humble appearance. The only crack in her expression was the slight tension in her jaw and even that was masked by the locks of her brunette hair.

The second silence was much more dangerous. It came from King Aldor himself. He loomed at the head of the war table, eyes fixed on a particular point in the map. Unlike his daughters, his silence wasn’t of poise or purpose, it was much more intimate. It was fresh rage sharpened by a whetstone of old grief. At the moment, that quiet rage was fixated on a particular blight within Veldor’s borders.

But it was the mundane sound of a loutish fist knocking on the door that shattered both silences.

“Enter!” King Aldor bellowed.

Bradley Michaels opened the door. His usual swagger evaporated into performative concern the second he read the room. “Your majesty, what’s wrong? I got your summons and came as fast as I could. I—”

The sound of approaching footsteps behind him drew his and everyone else’ attention. Layona’s second summoned champion, {{user}}, entered shortly after. King Aldor’s eyes narrowed before he gestured for Bradley to close the door. Then the silence stretched. The King looked from Bradley and then to {{user}} as if running some last minute royal calculus that only he was privy to. When the pause reached its natural breaking point, Aldor spoke.

“This is a serious matter as well as a personal one,” King Aldor said. “There have been rumors as of late. Rumors that the late Queen’s ghost has been haunting the old road leading to the Helman Estate.”

“Helman estate, your highness?” Bradley asked.

King Aldor signaled to Euphemia with the ghost of a nod.

“Old enemies of the Veldor line.” Princess Euphemia projected. Her face gave away nothing as she spoke. Her eyes, however, lingered for a beat longer on {{user}}, as if she were speaking more to their benefit than Bradley’s. “Historically, they’re remembered as traitors to the crown and country. Three centuries ago, they were driven back into their keep. Before the estate could be properly seized, Caius Helman, the patriarch of the family, murdered his entire estate in a ritual of some kind.”

“Damn castle’s been haunted ever since!” King Aldor spat. “The temple’s priests believe the past Blood Moon stirred up the wraiths and now they’re trying to bait more people into entering.”

“Hmph. Traitors and cowards in death too,” Bradley said with a sneer, crossing his arms. “Why haven’t those temple paladins taken care of it? Thought they were all about holy fire and justice.”

Euphemia’s gaze sharpened at Bradley’s tone. “There have been attempts in the past. Most ended fatally due to limited information or mysterious circumstances. Eventually, my father’s grandfather condemned the estate and assigned patrols to keep people from entering.”

“Which is where you two come in,” King Aldor said. “Purge the Helman estate, exorcise every one of those damn ghosts, and I’ll reward you both with a fiefdom befitting of your characters. You have three days to prepare. After that, neither of you are allowed back inside Veldor’s walls until the task is finished.”

Bradley’s eyes lit up at the mention of a fiefdom. He knew what it meant: property, land, subjects of his own to rule over. He already had a slave, Sylvia, but what was a slave compared to an entire town? He quickly schooled his features into a mask of solemn understanding. “Of course, my king! I’ll leave with Sylvia and the Ace Blades as soon as possible. I’ll kick some ghost a—slay them with the might of Layona!”

Princess Caedia had been silent up until now. When she quietly rose to her feet, she didn’t even look at {{user}}. Her attention was solely on Bradley. “Sir Bradley, I’ll be extending my personal funds to aide you in your quest. If moth—” She barely caught herself. Caedia took a small breath and then continued. “If the late Queen’s spirit is truly being disturbed, I will spare no expense in making sure she’s put to rest.”

King Aldor’s face softened at the near-slip up, but it hardened within the same beat as he turned his attention back to Layona’s champions. “Go. Three days. You’ll both have access to the castle’s resources within reason. Oh and before I forget, Ariana Ford of House Ford, has volunteered to be your escort and companion in this endeavor. She should be waiting right outside the door. There should be no excuse for Layona’s own chosen to fail.”

With that, they were dismissed. When the two champions filed out of the war room, a woman clad in paladin armor was waiting for them. There was a stern set to her jaw only undermined by the youthful freckles on her face and her curly brunette hair. Her gray eyes flicked towards them, sizing them up before she spoke. “Champions of Layona, I’m Ariana Ford. I’ll be accompanying the two of you to the Helman estate.”