Tales of the Zodiac - The Goat's Tale (25 page)

“That’s correct, Ser Torryan. And the same for anyone who wishes to join us. In twelve days, a tournament shall be held. It shall be the greatest tournament that the kingdom has ever seen. It will be not only a celebration but a trial, a trial to determine who will ride alongside us,” announces Lady Vesta, clearly directing herself to knights and lords that surround us. It is not lost on me that she has added herself to the list without directly addressing the issue.

“I need servants,” adds Leo, never far from showing himself up.

“Then you shall have them, Your Holiness. The twelve shall be composed thus: Lord Leo, Prince Libran, Lady Vesta and Ser Gruffydd. In addition to these, I wish for the four greatest warriors in the kingdom and the greatest archer. How many does that leave, Vesta?”

“Three, Your Majesty,” is the almost contemptuous reply.

“And the three most devout servants that His Holiness could wish for,” smiles the king, unashamed at not being able to get there on his own. Then he begins to roar, like a great general, screaming on the field of battle.

“Mark it, people - this moment is the beginning of our greatness. We have been visited by God. For millennia, it has been written that He shall return in our hour of need. Witness, ladies and gentlemen, the truth of these words. The time is upon us. Twelve people shall set forward from our kingdom and change the course of destiny. We are the Saved that were written of. Thank you, Lord Leo.”

I’m not sure if he quite gets the reaction that he was seeking. There is certainly a bit of excitement around the room and several of the more boisterous, or perhaps loyal, knights cheer supportively as he finishes. Not everyone does though and I can only wonder how different it might have been were it the prince who had attempted such a rousing proclamation. As it is though, I look around the room and into the eyes of the people I respect: Lady Vesta, Selene, Shara, Prince Libran. Not a single one of them is even attempting to feign excitement. I am glad to be alongside them.

To the reader, thank you for finishing! As anyone who's ever been through the process of self-publishing a novel can attest, every single reader means something to you. Not as a reading figure but as a living, breathing entity who's taken an interest in something you've done. Thank you. If you enjoyed then please take the time to leave me a review and do all the usual social media stuff. Reviews and publicity are vital to independent authors and your input could make so much difference to me. My website is www.talesofthezodiac.com and, from there, you can see the various links as well as exclusive TOTZ news!

With thanks to Jackie Davies, Heather Kimber, Harry Roberts, Jazz Moll, Ralph Kariuki, Cheikh Badiane, Agathe Rerolle, Lara Tamim, Miriam Kyama, Daniel Pardo, Jake Mwangi-Powell and Christine Gitau. I couldn't have done this without your feedback and hard work.