Kingdoms of Men (Part 3)

     “He is a general, not a king!” The councilor’s declaration resounded in the chamber as he stood before his peers. He was aging, almost a relic of a bygone era. The frailty of his body did not match the absoluteness of his voice that decried the ability of the one about to be crowned. “We are at peace, and this man who lusts for war will bring us nothing but chaos.” He continued as he pointed at the rugged face of Hinshaw, “Look at this man! He is not nobility! He sleeps in the sand with his soldiers, his hands are rugged, his face burnt, his chest scarred. He smacks of barbarism. How could we allow him to handle such delicate matters of diplomacy and treaties when all he would care to do is draw is sword? What has he done for the kingdom? Answer me that!” The chamber was silent, as no one answered.

     “My dear Godsmen, it saddens me that you speak such things.” The voice of Hinshaw was quiet, but seemed to carry for eternity. “You ask what I have done for the kingdom. The jewels that cover your robes, the iron that hinges the door, the salt that preserves your meat, the marble that decorates this lovely city, they do not come from a magic tree that rests just outside the gates. They are quarried, carried, and mined. And there are many who would stop at nothing to disrupt our trade routes, steal our resources, and cripple our country. For the last twenty years I have been assuring that this kingdom operates in safety and security. So sleep in peace under your satin sheets. Yes, I sleep in the dirt with common soldiers, because every one of them would die for me, and I for them. Loyalty, respect and honor are not demanded, they are earned. What have you done to earn them, gentlemen? Sitting in a palace, pondering the affairs of the common? I have made war, and I have made peace. Simply because my blade has been stained with the blood does not mean that I am incapable of diplomacy.” Hinshaw’s voice echoed across the chamber, each word a powerful blow. The council sat without a response to the man who would be king.