A Miserable Day

Kaelis was feeling absolutely miserable this morning, and it was all the dwarves’ fault! A dwarven emissary had arrived just days before announcing the pending arrival of the Princes of the Mountain, the two sons of King Brawnanvil; lord of the largest dwarven kingdom in the country. Brawnanvil made a point of sending his sons to all corners of the continent at least twice a year to secure goodwill and often resources for his growing kingdom.

So as an emissary to the Elven lands and resident diplomat, Kaelis was required to keep ‘guests’ happy.

“Damn those dwarves can drink…” he groaned as he struggled to sit up in his chamber. The Princes never traveled alone, and their huge retinue boasted the same talent.

It came as no surprise then that a loud knock at the door downstairs caused Kaelis to wince in pain as he pressed his palms into his temples in a vain attempt to stop the echo in his head. Answering the door, Kaelis was greeted by one of the General’s foot soldiers who made a hasty salute.

“My apologies, Lord Goldenchord, but the General requires your presence at HQ ASAP.”

Kaelis was squinting hard enough that he could barely make out the image of his assailant, but managed a weak, “On my way”.

I was right… he thought to himself. It was going to be a miserable day.