Welcome to Driffield

Chapter 8
==Welcome to Driffield==
King Henry awoke to the sun shining into a richly decorated room. He got out of bed and opened the window. The birds were singing. A tower stood in the distance. "That's the tower of Avo." Henry turned around. "Welcome to Driffield, your Majesty." He looked at the aristocratic woman. "My name is Lady Helena Silver-Fur." She smiled and then left the room. Henry got dressed and found his way to the study. It was here that he found the Lord and Lady reading. "Good morning Henry." Henry instantly recognized the man. "Good morning cousin." Henry replied with a chuckle. "How are you?" "I'm fine, please sit down." Henry sat on the chair opposite his cousin. "You're lucky I found you when I did or you would have been killed. That monk was a member of the now defunct Temple of Shadows." The name was familiar to Henry. His father would tell the story of how he destroyed the Temple of Shadows. Lady Helena poured tea from the pot while talking to Henry and Timothy. They didn't hear a knock on the door until the guard opened it. "Sorry to disturb you my Lord but Prince Logan is here. He looks like he has fought a family of Balverines.." Timothy looked at both his wife and cousin. "Send him in" The guard saluted and said "Yes my Lord." Logan walked in covered in blood and dirt. "Hello Logan, you look like you have been in a war." Logan looked at Timothy and Helena and then at Henry. "You made it here." Henry nodded and looked his brother up and down "What happened to you?" Logan sat beside his brother "Henry I need to tell you something." Henry looked into his brother's eyes. "Page and Lady Grey are dead and the castle is destroyed." Henry sat with both his mouth open and tears in his eyes. "How?" Logan looked at Henry. "It's hard to explain. You see Hobson is er.. well he is erm.. he is Skorm." 
Silence filled the room. Not even a mouse made a noise. Just then a voice could be heard on the other side of the door. "Where is my daughter? The winged demons are coming to get me." Lady Helena put her head in her hands and muttered something to herself as the door opened and a frail old woman entered. "Helena look at me." said the crazy woman. "Henry, Logan let's head into town." Timothy said pushing the King and Prince out of the room and as the door closed. Helena and the woman laughed. "Was I convincing your Majesty?" Helena looked at the woman. "Very, thank you. Skorm keep an eye on them." The old lady transformed into his true form "I will." 
Timothy,Logan and Henry walked across the Market Square to the Balverine's Spleen Tavern. Once inside the bartender welcomed the Lord of Driffield with a free drink. They sat at the table near the window. "This is one nice town Timothy." Henry said. Timothy nodded. As they sat there chatting a crow sat on the window ledge on the other side of the window. "So Timothy how did you save me? Were you in Oakfield at the time?" Timothy drank a bit of his drink and spoke. " I was hunting in the woods near the Temple and I saw the flames. When I arrived the monk lunged for me. He was fast but not fast enough for me." he chuckled a bit. "Well thank you." Henry said picking up his tankard. "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BASTARD." came a shout from outside. Looking out of the window Timothy, Logan and Henry saw two guards tackle a teenager to the ground. "Not again." said Timothy "Every time that boy is around something happens." He drank the last of his ale and left, no doubt to find out what happened. Logan and Henry did the same and the three walked out onto the street and set off towards the guards barracks. The crow also followed them.
The teenager was pleading his case with the guards when to their shock Timothy walked in with Henry and Logan in tow. "What happened?" Timothy asked. The guard replied " He stole off one of the stalls and when we heard the vendor shout we gave chase my Lord." He looked at the teenager before turning back to Timothy "Let me speak to him in private." The guard nodded to the second guard and both left leaving Timothy with the thief. Logan and Henry sat in the waiting room. "How many guards died in the battle?" Henry said "We won't know yet until we return to the city." Logan replied. 10 minutes later Timothy emerged from the room. "He's not telling me anything. We will let the court judge him." The guard nodded. Logan and Henry looked at Timothy. "Come on, I have to get ready. Got some guests coming for dinner." and they left the barracks.
Lady Helena was walking past the grand staircase when a crow pecked at the window. Opening it, the bird flew into one of the rooms to the side of the main hall. "Well what did you find out?" Skorm sat down. "Not much your Majesty. We will probably find out tonight." As the first of the guests arrived Lord Timothy and Lady Helena of Driffield where chatting to Laird Richard and Lady Matilda of Southcliff. 15 minutes later at the dinner table an interesting conversation began between Henry and Laird Richard. "Have you ever heard of the Bloodstone rebellion of 1865?" Laird Southcliff asked Henry. "Yes I have." replied Henry. "Do you know the true story behind it?" Laird Southcliff went on. "I'm guessing you don't. And if you did-." "Laird Richard that is enough." "Well he needs to know." The rest of the guests and the servants gave their full attention "Know what?" Henry demanded. "That your father was behind the atrocity." Timothy said and with that the whole room went silent. "Henry are you OK?" it was Logan who had spoke "Yeh.. yeh I am." The dinner guests were now talking to each other most likely about my father. I left the room and walked out into the main hall. The guards saluted me as I passed. When I entered my room I grabbed the Guild Seal from the bedside table and went to the sanctuary.
"Hello Jasper, can I ask you something?" Jasper looked at me from the other side of the map table. "Anything your Majesty." I cleared my throat. "Was my father behind the Bloodstone Rebellion?" Jasper looked away. "He was, but I don't know why he was." "Thanks Jasper." and with that said I returned to Blacksmith Manor, got into bed, and fell asleep.