Chapter Two - The Marble King - Part I

The Hall of Order was an enormous round room dressed in marble and granite. The main entrance was towards the south and consisted by two heavy doors, full, on both sides, with carvings of silver and gold. In reality it was more of a stronghold gate than the entrance to a hall of men. Twelve gigantic pillars of white marble, six on each side, followed the curve of the wall, leading up to the northern end of the hall, where lay the Throne of Kings and behind it, the thirteenth pillar, even grater than the rest. The pillars held the outer ring of the ceiling in place, for the center was made of crystal so clear and transparent that in the full height of the day, one would think that the sky itself was the hall’s ceiling. Dwarven craftsmanship and long years of labor have fashioned it to such a perfection that was considered one of the nine wonders of the dwarves, even though, it was a gift to the northern kingdom of men and their king.

Seven great steps led to the king’s Seat of Judgment, and before him in the center of the room, public meetings were held, ambassadors from other lands came to pay their respects and messengers to bring news. This was the throne of the Present King, and behind it, right before the thirteenth pillar, another throne lay, seven more steps higher, with stairs leading up to it from both the left and right side. There sat the King of Old, a man of years uncounted, his attire white as the marble in the room, with his long white hair falling over his garment. His face pale and stern, usually void of expressions, completed the image and thus justified the name that was given to him by the people: the marble king. Many a time, foreigners from lands beyond, were startled to realize that this was not a statue of an old king but a living person.

In years long ago, this very same king, has fought in the Great War defending his kingdom, and in the end, the whole world, by joining forces with a wizard and a dragon. This ordeal left him with the blessing of long life, as his life force was bound with that of the world itself. Unlike the wizard that chose to live a secluded life, Stanthas, returned to his people, and after a long reign, rebuilding his kingdom, he passed his throne to his grandson, and took for himself the role of an advisor only in times of need. Ever since he became a teacher for the youngsters of his bloodline and a father figure for all his people, working alongside with the descendants of the house of Dena to lighten the burdens of the mortal life from those in need, may it be his own people, or of other races. Long life does not come without a cost however and as he grew older and more tiresome, he rarely left the city anymore, and he assumed his honored place behind the throne of the Present King, acting as a figure of stability and peace for the whole world.