Short Takes

[Mad Lews]

It was always meant to be a writing exercise thread with some folk contributing ideas and others completing short scenes. The best laid plans of Elves, Orcs, or Men etc... Here's an intro that isn't terribly erotic yet but if all goes well will someday see the light of day as a sweet romantic love story

Once upon a time, though not as long ago as you might think, There was an Island Kingdom in that place we now call Keltoi, off the northern coast of Galatae. Back in those days the kingdom ruled by a mighty monarch named Lien Venrihet the fifth.

Lien like his father before him was a tyrant. More to the point he was the type of tyrant that gave despotism such a sour reputation. He had ascended to the throne when his beloved father Lien Venrihet the fourth fell victim to unknown assassins.

The coronation ceremony was tastefully elaborate and attended by all the nobility and as many plebeians as would fit into the courtyard. A marvelous military parade followed which included every troop within the kingdoms' army. His first official act as King was to have the entire company of Royal Guards arrested.

Now it was no great mystery as to how his loving father had come to such an abrupt end. Lien the fourth better known as "The Butcher" (though not to his face of course) was truly hated and feared by the nobility who knew him well, but they were much too timid to conspire against him. The common folk simply lived in constant terror of their ruler for their lives were already much too desperate for them to waste time or energy on the luxury of hatred. All who were knowledgeable in the ways of the palace intrigues knew for a fact that Lien (the fifth) and his dear mother had joined forces with one or more officers of the Royal Guard to do away with the man who stood between Lien and the throne. It would of course have been very impolitic to mention this aloud on Lien's coronation day (or ever if you enjoyed the simple pleasure of breathing).

Before the assembled troops of his army Lien had all the officers of the Royal Guard beheaded. This was both reasonable and fair for they had indeed failed to protect their Lord and they were therefor untrustworthy. As it turned out they were also the lucky ones for rank is indeed entitled to its privileges. Once the officers had been dealt with (and any co-conspirators silenced) Lien ordered the guard decimated. The company of two hundred counted off and every tenth soldier stepped forward. Each of these men was stripped to the waist and disemboweled.

A professional executioner did the deed. He avoided severing major blood vessels so these twenty men died slowly squirming on the parade ground as their guts spilled out and turned the dust to mud. This exhibition seemed to sicken many of the nobility for some reason but the common folk found it highly entertaining. Even though many of these men screamed and flopped about on the ground for the better part of an hour they were luckier than the rest.

The remaining members of the Royal Guard, with their hands bound in iron cuffs behind their backs,were stripped completely. . Then naked before the multitude they were escorted one by one to the very chopping block where their officers had lost their heads. These poor souls each donated a sack with two jewels to the celebration. The basket into which the executioner tossed these bloody trophies grew full. There is of course no truth to the rumor that the contents of these sacks were served at the coronation dinner (of that I would almost be willing to swear). If we must be fair, we would note the executioner used a sharp blade that was heated red-hot so none of these (can we still call them men?) suffered too great a loss of blood. I leave it to you to determine if this small detail was an act of mercy.

The freshly gelded guard were slapped into leg irons and then forced into a proper military formation. The crowds howled their derision as they were paraded naked through the streets of the capital before being marched off in chains to the dreaded mines of Edtilia. Of the 180 led away only 34 survived the seventy-mile march to the mines and none survived a month in those dark tunnels.

This was how Lien Venrihet the fifth introduced himself to the country he would rule. It wasn't long before the nobility was longing for the good old days when Lien's father "The Butcher" had ruled with his cruel but steady hand.

Lien was acutely aware of the ephemeral nature of loyalty and so it surprised no one when a slow but painful wasting disease overcame his beloved mother. While she lingered in aching madness none paid much attention to the wild accusations her troubled mind spewed forth. Most were relieved when she finally found peace in death's cold grasp.