Chapter 13 - The Council of Vipers
Three days later, the Great Hall was packed to capacity. Representatives from the three wealthiest southern duchies—led by Duke Vane, a slick, silver-tongued aristocrat known for his ruthless financial grip on the southern ports—sat at the long council table. They wore extravagant silks threaded with gold, staring up at Arthur with thinly veiled contempt.
Duke Vane stood up, smoothing his velvet cuffs before speaking. "King Arthur. We congratulate you on your little victory in the north. But ruling Albion requires more than parlor tricks with a glowing sword. Our duchies fund half the kingdom’s treasury, and we refuse to pay taxes to a ruler who gives away food to beggars and undermines the nobility."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the southern delegation.
Sir Gawain stepped forward, his hand resting menacingly on his sword hilt, but Arthur raised a single hand, signaling his knight to stand down.
Arthur sat upon the throne, looking down at Duke Vane with calm, terrifying detachment. "You call feeding starving children a mistake, Duke Vane? You call securing the peace of this realm a weakness?"
"I call it bad economics," Vane sneered, emboldened by the king's calm tone. "Without our gold, your guards starve, your castles crumble, and your reign collapses within a moon cycle. We demand autonomy for our ports, or the gold stops flowing today."
The entire hall held its breath. It was a direct challenge to the crown’s financial survival.
Arthur slowly stood up from the throne. He walked down the steps, the glowing light of Caliburn casting long, dancing shadows across the stone floor. He stopped just inches from Vane, towering over the arrogant duke despite his youth.
"You think gold is the foundation of this kingdom, Vane?" Arthur asked softly.
"Gold buys armies, boy," Vane retorted, though his voice wavered slightly under the intense gaze of the king.
"No," Arthur said, his voice rising in power, shaking the dust from the rafters. "Loyalty buys armies. Honor builds kingdoms. And justice sustains them. You have profited off the misery of the common people for far too long."
Arthur drew Caliburn just an inch from its scabbard. A blinding wave of golden light filled the hall, forcing the southern lords to shield their eyes and stumble backward in terror.
May you like
"You will pay your taxes in full by tomorrow morning," Arthur commanded, the magical resonance vibrating through the very stones beneath their feet. "Or your ports will be seized by the crown, and your titles stripped for treason. Do I make myself clear?"
Duke Vane, trembling with fear and fury, swallowed hard, realizing he had miscalculated the king entirely. "C-clear, Your Majesty," he choked out.
