1019 A.N.V
13th Landrock (Seventh month of Maceb’s 13 month Calendar)
CADE SAINT
The Temple in Gold City was okay, though it was not as well-built or as well maintained as the one in Holy City. He sniffed at the obvious insult the High Lord of Bishop Stronghold was sending to his family. They were not the only ones though, no the Jacobs, Codnys, Rivers, Nadayas, Rocks and the Locksfyres also looked down on the Saints. It was quite aggravating really.
He still remembered what his father had told him, the Saints had at the beginning been seen as religious fanatics who spoke of the Holy Trinity; Father, Mother and Son. And as a result, were not taken seriously until they were invaded by Boshom, it had taken Carlos and his ‘religious zealots’ to defeat them utterly. His father said that Carlos Saint had prayed to the Father to send fire from above and destroy their enemies, and it had happened. As reward he was given the land to be ruled by him and his family in perpetuity.
The Great Families even began to build Temples to show the Saints that they had accepted them and their religion, but they were done half-heartedly, and that was why he was staring at an ugly looking building. The relationships between the seven great families and the Saints had all but disappeared as a result of the First Holy War, led by Jude Saint. It all began because the Great Families had decided to marry first cousins to first cousins in a great family and even began to have mistresses, brothels became the norm and soon, Maceb had become a land of sin.
Jude Saint had failed, utterly. The Saints had long stopped being the religious warriors they had been and had embraced domestic life and thus had no great experienced army. The fragile peace the Saints had had with the six other Strongholds was irrevocably ruined causing the entire Maceb to fight against Jude Saint. It was quite disheartening if Cade was being honest, his ancestors had been a stupid sorry lot. Who rebelled against the Crown without first having allies in the other Strongholds?
The stupidity of the Saints was compounded by the Second Holy War led by Jude Saint’s grandson as a quest to avenge his grandfather’s death and also to achieve his grandfather’s dream of a Holy Maceb. Well Peter Saint failed too and it had taken only the pleading of Brandyl Jacob to his friend Zachariah Locksfyre for Peter’s young nephew to be spared the sword.
Then came the Third Holy War led by Benjamin Saint, which he also lost. He led the war because the power of the Saints had declined drastically after the original war 500 years ago but now 100 years later, he and his Holy Father were going to achieve what his ancestors had failed to do; they would dethrone the Locksfyre King, thus why he was in this ugly abandoned looking Temple. It had taken only the threat of revolt by the common-folk to ensure that the Temples were not destroyed, but that did not mean that the buildings could not be neglected since the majority of the noble-folk were not diligent worshippers.
Cade entered the anteroom that led to the major hall. He had a visitor inside waiting for him; he was the key to actualising his father’s dream. If they couldn’t be the Kings of Maceb, then by all means they would be the kingmakers. He entered the hall that had cobwebs around the roof, some even touched the benches and before him was his visitor bowing before the Alter of the Holy Trinity. On the wall of the elevated alter was the symbol of the Holy Trinity, it was made up of two right-angled triangles, joining to form one triangle, and a circle inside at the centre of the triangles.
“High Lord Craig, I must speak with you.” Cade Saint said as he confidently approached the High Lord of Bishop Stronghold.
“What are you even doing here? Every Temple in Maceb has been under heavy scrutiny, you could get arrested.” Craig asked looking askance at the boy of fifteen. Cade almost scoffed but held himself; he had to play his part well while his father played his part.
“I had to see you. You and I both know such restriction imposed by the Locksfyre King holds no weight to the Holy Family.” Cade replied shrugging, while he waited patiently for the man to turn to face him. Thus far the Bishop High Lord was behaving rudely; nonetheless he had to behave himself.
“Yes, the defiance of the Saints knows no bounds huh? To what do I owe the pleasure of having the 'Holy Son' in my humble City?” Craig asked finally turning to give Cade the respect he deserved. Cade cocked his head to the left and smiled calmly, ignoring the barely veiled insult, though he knew his smile was anything but calm.
“You speak as if you don’t know. My father has already sent you a letter detailing that he would have the entire common-folk and the Saint army as well as the Codny army backing you for the throne; all he wants to know is if you want the throne.” Cade said gently while looking at the nobleman with a knowing glance.
Cade looked at Craig Bishop as he tried, and failed, to hide the gleeful glint in his eyes. It was true that the Bishops had no claim that was strong enough, but the fact that the first King of Maceb was the half-brother of Pedro Bishop, made Craig the perfect figurehead. It also didn’t hurt that Craig Bishop was a power hungry High Lord, much like a girl he knew.
“The Locksfyres have never lost a battle against any High Lord; the Saints have lost three huge wars, what makes the Holy Father certain that we will win this one?” Craig asked cautiously.
Cade had to hold himself from rolling his eyes; this man was acting as if he had not heard the rumours. His father had begun to strategically tell all the Templars and Holy Men in Maceb to spread the rumours of King Alfred sending his Crownsguard to kidnap common-folks from around Bishop Stronghold and then sell them to Dontarion, a kingdom west of Maceb led by a Lord Protector who was usually voted by the Five Chiefs of Dontarion, that in turn sold the people to the Silany Empire that I'd well known for slavery.
“Haven’t you heard, High Lord Bishop? The King has begun to do the very thing that his ancestor King Nathan Locksfyre had led a rebellion over, slavery. Everyone is going to desert him in order to save face, making it very possible for you to just swoop in like a saviour.” Cade said with a knowing smirk. “So what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

So what do you think?

PHILLIP CODNY
When he had returned from his self-exile to the Southern Kingdoms about seven years ago when he was sixteen, he had had no idea that he was going to return to find out his father was dead. His father had been dead for a year and he had had no idea. He hadn’t meant to be gone that long, but it seemed that fate was a very cruel mistress; she took his father just about when he had made up his mind to return home.
He was slightly surprised when his sister Rebecca Codny had recognised him; he thought he was absolutely unrecognisable. He had left Maceb as a lanky boy of sixteen name-days but had return a man with more than enough experience in war compared to anyone his age. He had thought that returning to Maceb would be a relief from the constant battle that he had been fighting in the Southern Kingdoms, but he was soon to be disproved. It was still a marvel how the Southern Kingdoms still stood, with about Five Kings sprouting out each year in a bid to rule the Kingdoms. He blamed the constant turmoil on the previous Southern King who had fathered over 15 bastards and had 20 trueborn sons in his 80 years alive.
He had only spent a month in Tiger City, which was the capital of Codny Stronghold in Maceb, when the ‘Holy Father’, as he was often called, had wanted to see him. He had at first wanted to dismiss the man, but his elder sister had told him not to. Maceb had changed, now the Saints were growing in power ever since it became public knowledge that the Holy Father could perform healings and also prophesy. She even told him that Timothy Saint had once called for the Father to send down his rain on one of the dried up river in Codny Stronghold, and immediately, rain began to fall and it filled up the river.
Phillip shuddered at the remembrance of that worrisome conversation he had had with his sister, if this man did that for Codny Stronghold and then came to him, he suspected it was because the man wanted to go to war with the Crown and he needed a renowned general like him to lead the army; predictable old man. He was inclined to help ever since he had heard the rumours that were floating about Maceb; he refused to believe it though since Prince Jonah had been his friend for six years before his self-exile, however he had heard that time could change a person.
“Say your piece old man.” Phillip said calmly as he sat down on his couch in his study. Beside him was his sister who had insisted on attending to the meeting since she worried about how he would speak to this old man.
“Phillip, stop it. This man has been so kind to us, don’t act all gruff with him.” Rebecca said with a disapproving tone.
“Don’t worry my lady, I understand your brother. He has been through difficult times only to return and hear so many pieces of terrible news.” The old man said to his sister calmly before looking at him. “You have heard the rumours”
Phillip raised his right eyebrows, so he was right then, this man wanted to plunge him into another war over a rumour? Only the Mother knew what sort of rumours have been spreading about him. “Yes I have as have you and obviously the King. What of it?”
“The King has resorted to selling people in order to raise funds for whatever secret project he is planning, are you going to let it stand? From what I hear, while you were in the Southern Kingdoms you supported a bastard man that was fighting against his trueborn brother that was selling people to get funds to raise his army. Are you going to sit back here and enjoy the sun while so many common-folks are disappearing?” Timothy said.
“Big words old man, but until I have all my facts, I will not go to war. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have places to be.” Phillip said standing up to leave.
“Brother! I can’t believe you, you will abandon the poor people getting stolen all because you want to believe in a friend whom you haven’t seen in years.” Rebecca said with a gasp.
Phillip sighed and looked at his sister. ”And somehow I am to fight with a man I have never met because he asked nicely? Haven’t you found it weird that the only place that the people are disappearing is in Bishop Stronghold? For all I know, Craig Bishop is the one doing these acts, not Alfred Locksfyre. So until I know the truth, I will not go to war.” Phillip said and left his sister who looked aghast at his vehemence.