Once Ben vanished into the busy crowd, Triston made his way into the royal palace. He came across one of the King's assistants and asked where he could find the king.
"I need to speak with the king can you tell me if he is in the throne room still?"
"Good day Officer Whitaker. The king and the king's councilor are currently in the conference room. While you were traveling the criminal documents you provided the royal court with were used to arrest the corrupt officials. The king, royal counselor and the remaining officials are deciding how to deal with them."
Triston thanked the assistant and walked through the royal palace and entered the guarded conference room.
When the king saw Triston enter he interrupted the conversation between the arguing officials.
The king gritted his teeth and said, "We are wasting our time with this back and forth bickering! Let's end the meeting here for today and I will send word to you when we shall continue this fiasco!" The king replied with a hint of anger as he sent the officials from the conference room.
"Triston what happened why are you back already? Did the new king of Avalon show you the road through the Wayward Woodlands?" King Gerald Whitaker curiously asked his cousin when the officials had all left the room.
"I did see the road. I traveled with the Avalon king all the way to the Aregard Kingdom border and was even taken to his growing capital city." Triston replied.
"You were only gone a couple days how did you two travel so far in such a short amount of time?" Triston's father asked as he sat down next to his son.
"The Avalon king has creatures they call horses. They are much bigger than our Destilars, run at incredible speeds, and are very intelligent. It was an incredible creature that makes you feel like you're riding the wind." Triston explained.
"The road must have been clear of obstacles and well made to have been able to travel at such speeds then. How is it for security? Did you see any profound beasts on your travels?" King Whitaker anxiously inquired.
"It might be better if I explain our journey and everything I saw along the way. Just outside of Wolfmere we walked through the forest until we came across a large wall and towers. The wall and towers are where the road currently starts. The walls, towers, and roads are all made of a stone-like material called concrete. The Avalon king has maned those walls and towers with soldiers who protect the road entrance from hostile forces. Any trader or merchant with their guards are permitted to travel the road but if a large group of armed men was to show up they would seal the fortification up with thick iron plate gates and send runners for reinforcements from the fortress."
Triston ran his hand slowly across the top of the wood conference table slowly as he continued to speak.
"Once you are through the fortifications there is a concrete road as flat and smooth as this table top here. It looks like a flat undisturbed lake early in the morning. All along the road are twenty-foot high wood walls that prevent the profound beast from accessing the roadway. There are no gaps and these walls continue all the way through the entire forest for hundreds of miles. Also along the road are sturdy stone towers with iron doors that are to be used by travelers along the road. It is hard to believe but I actually felt safer on that forest road than the outer roads around our kingdom."
Triston stopped to pour some water into a silver chalice and drank it down before continuing.
"It took us just over a day and a half to travel through the forest. Before we went to the Aregard border we stopped at the Avalon capital. It sits on top of a forty-foot plateau with sheer cliffs all around it. On top of the plateau, cliffs are thirty foot tall and twenty foot thick concrete walls!"
The king and Triston's father gasped when they heard how thick the walls were. Triston nodded at their astonishment and continued.
"This plateau is also surrounded by a river which encircles the entire city. There is no way to approach the walls without swimming or using a boat and even if you do approach them you would be risking your life because every square foot of those cliffs and walls are covered with sharp pointed metal spikes that will stab and slash anyone who tries to climb them."
Triston went on to explain the gatehouse, drawbridge, and how it prevented enemies from attacking the city. He also told them how Ben was currently training sixteen hundred full-time soldiers and explained their gear and how they fought.
Triston's father was surprised the Avalon king would allow him to see these elite troops and how they fought. Most kings would try to keep it a secret so if they ever clashed it would be one of their trump cards in battle.
The reason Triston thinks he was shown the troops was to let the Ciral kingdom know that they did not need trump cards. If someone came looking for trouble with the Avalon Kingdom they were simply courting death.
They also heard about Ben's spirit food and the store he had opened on the main street that sold this special food. The three of them began to realize if Ben had this type of store in Goldcrest already it would explain how he could afford his large army. The money generated from his store would bring in almost as much as a kingdom would make in daily taxes.
Triston explained his thoughts and why it would be the right decision to work with the Avalon Kingdom. Avalon was already a strong and impressive kingdom and they had only just begun. It would be well worth angering the Trareniel Kingdom to work with Avalon. The Trareniel King had also bought off their officials and made himself an enemy of their kingdom so why bother worrying over how he felt about the situation.
The Avalon king had also made it known he still planned to deal with the Trareniel Kingdom so if they decided to come into the Ciral Kingdom to mess with the Avalon road they would only be hastening their own demise.
"Should we reassemble the palace officials and see what they think about working with the Avalon Kingdom before we decide? Triston's father asked the young Ciral king.
"To tell you the truth uncle I am at my wits end with these officials. I know that you only wanted to preserve my father's legacy by giving them this much power but as you can see that power has corrupted them all. They all think of themselves as lesser kings now and only work to make themselves prosper. Even though you are the kingdom councilor it is time I stand up and begin to make my own decisions. I may be young but at least I will do what is best for the kingdom and not myself. As of today, I will be revoking all the authority lent to the officials and they will begin to work for us and not us for them!" King Whitaker proclaimed.
Gerald's uncle knit his brows and said, "I am sorry Gerald, you are right I only wanted to safeguard the kingdom until you could officially be crowned but I have done more damage than good with my indecisiveness. I will remain as your royal councilor but I will no longer interfere with the running of the kingdom. Your father raised you to be the next king and I should have trusted his decision and not treated you like a kid still." His uncle said, his brows slightly creased.
"Thank you, uncle. I do not blame you I should have shown more determination from the start but after father died so suddenly I wasn't prepared to be placed on the throne. I thought he would have been around for many years to come still. After seeing the young Avalon king have the courage to start a new kingdom and stand alone against the other eight kingdoms I want to also stand up and fearlessly rule my kingdom." King Gerald said, his eyes gazing out the open window at the busy city below the wolfmere palace.
Triston looked on with a smile while thinking this would be for the best. His cousin would do a much better job at running the kingdom. Things had gone too far and the officials were now corrupt and power hungry. They went from being servants to thinking they are the masters of the house and needed to be relegated to a subordinate role.
His thoughts were interrupted as his cousin the king spoke again.
"Your father and I will deal with putting the royal palace back together again. I would like you to act as our diplomat to the Avalon Kingdom from now on. You can contact the Avalon king tomorrow after you get some rest from your journey and tell him we will agree to the Aregard ore deal and the connection of our roads to the Avalon Kingdom. Once we dethrone these officials who think of themselves as kings I will bestow the noble rank of Baron to you. Your efforts to bring these officials to justice and to delegate this deal with Aregard and Avalon have helped our kingdom immensely. If I were to have tried to make you a noble with the power these palace officials have had they would have all screamed favoritism and rejected it. From now on I will be in control and there is clear proof of your efforts in helping the kingdom. Those who have hindered your progress will have no right to speak against your commendation ceremony " Gerald said, wearing a determined expression.
Triston was stunned when he heard he would be promoted to a Baron. He had worked hard and always remained loyal to the throne and due to this, the officials had always tried to drive a wedge between him and his cousin the king. They were afraid if he earned to much power he would use it against them. Now that his cousin was stepping forward and taking charge he would finally be rewarded for all his efforts!
Triston thanked the king as he stood up to leave. He had made his report and he knew that his cousin wanted to get to work on taking control of the royal palace.
They would be up until late tonight redrafting laws and protocols. When everything was ready they would drop the hammer on those unsuspecting palace officials. Triston only wished he could be there to see their faces when they found out they would once again be regular officials who had to run everything past the king.
From now on King Whitaker would be calling the shots and the palace officials would only be along for the ride!