The King

John listened as the council argued. Not just any council, his council. John was never meant to have a council or be a king. Yet here he was listening as older men suggested ideas as to how the government should be run on Amboria Island . John was only fifteen so the council would rule until he became of age. As John listened to the councilmen yelling,insulting,flattering and lying to each other he wondered if the country would preferred being run by a child or by a group of arrogent, egotistic children. John considered the men that made up his council. There was Simon, a nobleman, John decided was rather a boisterous ideot and his opinions should not be taken seriously. While the priest Benedict advise made more sense it was more idealistic than realistic. Frankly, only Badlwin, Stephen and Rowan's advise did John take seriously. However, his mother Eadgyth would make the final decision since she was the Regent. After hearing the nobles and a priest argue for almost an hour John dismissed them and was slightly annoyed when all the men turned towards his mother to see if she wanted them to leave. When she gave a slight nodd they all left.

"That was tedious and useless meeting," commented John to his mother.
"A council meeting is never useless. You need to learn how to govern so you are prepared for the future and you will attend, no matter how tedious it is." His mother replied sharply.

John was about to reply when a man interrupted. "Excuse me, Your Grace, but can I have a word with you in private, in the throne room?" asked Stephen. Stephen was the only architect that came with the exiles as such he was in charge of finding homes left by the first group that had lived here for six years before dissappearing.

"Of course, Stephen." John answered quickly before his mother could ask if they would discuss matters of state and if so she needed to come too. John did not want his mother to be there for he knew what Stephen wanted to discuss and no one besides four people could ever know about this.

Stephen and two men had made a startling discovery in the throne room. When he had told John about his findings John had ordered that they not tell anyone about it and under the cover of night to go to the throne room and hide all the evidence deep within the woods. It was the first order John had ever given as King and as such he had went with Stephen and the other men to hide the evidence that night.

Once they were in the throne room John started to questioned Stephen. "Have you found any more?"
"No. I have studied every record of the first group and they were all accounted for except for the five." Stephen gave a shrug and continued in a tired voice, "I believe I have found all their homes and it seems they finished building and planting crops during the second year.Yet the state of the-the bodies suggest they died in 1027 and had been malnourished for quiet sometime, I would say for roughly three or four years. Also I found a journal in one of the houses the last entry states, "We must retreat to the Commander's house for protection from the devils." That was dated 6/12/1025 and this is the Commander's house and seeing this is where all the bodies were found it's safe to say they came here but never left."
John gave a deep sigh and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "So the story that they died of a plague is definately wrong. They died as the result of a siege."
"But who or what besieged them?"
"Until we know don't tell-"

"Shouldn't they know? They are risking their lives here!" Growled Stephen, his lips curling in disgust.

"You said the first group seems to have started to settle near Green Forest when the 'devils' attacked and the third group disappeared in less then a month. The one thing they had in common was that they went near the West Mountains. Let us assume the 'devils' reside there and we stay away from the mountain we should be alright. I'll have a law pass saying wolves or some other dangerous animals lives near there and if anyone wants to settle near those mountains they need royal permission to do so. When anyone asks they'll recieve a very firm no and anyone how does settle there without permission will be heavily fined and go to jail."

Slowly, Stephen nodded his head in agreement. "What should we do to prepare for an attack?"

"Nothing. We will start trading with other countries and make this island into a power to be reckoned with. That was the first group's mistake; they became isolated. As long as the outside world deals with us we should be safe from the 'devils'. But we will build defenses against our known neighbors. Anyway, the four grown men, who escaped this island, constantly raved about devils in their insanity, prehaps, this plague made men insane and one of those insane men wrote that diary entry. The bodies in here were people not yet affected and they came here for protection then caught it and died."
Stephen silently looked at John for a moment and slowly raised an eyebrow. In this one action Stephen silently reminded John of one more fact.

"Yes, I remember that when we buried the bodies in the woods we found the first group's boat torn to shreds and burnt to a crisp, but if anyone finds a similar journal entry or one of the men tells about what was in this room that is what we will tell them; it was still just a plague or the ravings of a mad man, no more, no less."
"Boy-king, you have become a true king. Lie to your people and have a cover-up." Stephen commented dryly.

"I lie because there is no need to cause mass hysteria when we have no idea who caused their deaths or if they are still here."

"Also people will start raving about witches-" Stephn began.

"Then there will be witch hunts-" Continued John.

" Then people will flee in terror-"

"And since we only have one boat some would be left behind in the mayhem-"

"No one would want to return to the island so-"

"They would die."concluded John.
Stephen smiled grimly. "Like I said you are the King not the Boy-king, who needs help in everything. You could dismiss the council."

John said with fringed innocence and confusion . "But then who would be the scapegoat for when things go wrong?"