Read Online Kingdom's Quest by Chuck Black - Free Book Online

much.” Gavinaugh clapped his friend across the back. “Tomorrow we leave for Thecia.”

COURT OF THE LORDS
    The road to Thecia was long, hot, and dusty. There were smaller villages along the way that Gavinaugh found it impossible to pass through without proclaiming the Prince. Some of the men from Penwell who were contrary to his words about the Prince had brought testimony to the village leaders against Gavinaugh, and they had stirred up great dissension. On two occasions, he and his companions found it necessary to flee the villages in fear for their lives. Others, however, received Gavinaugh’s words with great joy, and more knights were added to the order.
    Once in Thecia, Gavinaugh, Weston, Sandon, and Keanna took lodging at an inn not far from the colossal amphitheater that was the centerpiece of the city. Thecia was the largest city they had yet visited, and it was nothing short of marvelous. The architecture of the buildings was spectacular, for the Thecians took great pride in their city. Here the pursuit and preservation of nobility had attained new heights. The social strata of the people were well defined, and they functioned within their estate based almost exclusively on their birth status—nobility, mercantile, or peasant—with no hope of rising beyond the freedoms and rights granted therein.
    Since the nobility were at the crest of the social pyramid, allactivities were either directly or indirectly performed to serve them. Within the nobility were levels of prestige and power that a knight could actually rise to, given that he possessed excellent skill with the sword and some good fortune. There were various methods by which an aspiring knight could accomplish this. Gallantry and courage on the battlefield were preferred, but battles were not as frequent as nobility required. The natural solution was to provide competitive events among the knights that afforded such opportunities.
    Over many years, the prestigious Thecian tournaments evolved into the grand spectacle of the present and provided opportunity for knightly progression within the nobility estate. Many tournaments were held throughout the year in the massive stone amphitheater located at the city’s center. People often traveled many days to participate in or observe the games. There were gladiator-style preliminary events where slaves from different regions were forced to battle one another, but the climactic events were the duels between knights of honor.
    Gavinaugh and his companions quartered their horses in nearby stables and walked toward the amphitheater where large white columns encircled the outer walls. What was perhaps more impressive was the Court of the Lords near the entrance of the amphitheater. The four were drawn to thirty-two statues arranged in a circle about an elegant pool and fountain that were ornamented with intricate carvings. Each statue stood three times as tall as a man and bore a name in the marble pedestal beneath it. The statues were regal in form, each depicting a powerful man of obvious knighthood. There were also bronze placards affixed beneath the marble carving of each statue with the names of knights and ladies beautifully engraved upon them.
    Weston and Sandon were each drawn to various statues, as were Gavinaugh and Keanna. Gavinaugh read each name as he passed: Lord Culverton, Lord Willoughby, Lord Barrington … He stopped at one that caught his attention. It read
The Unknown Lord
. The other statues showed the noble face of each man, but this one’s face was covered witha helmet. Gavinaugh also noticed that a brightly colored ribbon with intricate markings was tied about the right foot of each of the other statues, but there was none on this one, and no names of knights or ladies were engraved in its bronze placard.
    â€œThis one is different,” Keanna said, breaking Gavinaugh’s concentration.
    â€œYes, I wonder why.”
    â€œBecause no one knows his