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Sons of the Flaming Throne 3 – Ch. 11 | KT OLLA

JONA saw everything that’d happened in the camp of their opponents. And he was the tongue which told everything.

The lad had gone to the palace bearing tales which the monarch wouldn’t have heard of in spite of his power and influence. Or so the young man felt.

He ran all the way to David to tell the urgent thing and, in fact, sell the news at a price if he was lucky.

But there he had been from dawn till noon, gleaning with his ear anything he could pick from the walls.

He arrived at the palace that morning and there realized that other news was breaking. But this was news more frightening than anything he’d known…

Jona saw it happening, and feared.

Several great feet moved in and out of the court between the break of day and midday.

Jona saw the queen enter, and missed the prophet. Then he saw the prophet and the queen head out to summon the priest.

He saw messengers hurry to call Zadok, the high priest on David’s side. And he saw him arrive in the company of Benaiah, governor over some military posts.

The mighty four strode out at long last: the prophet, the priest, the queen, and chief of staff.

And Benaiah bore in his hand a golden parchment. It was the prophecy scroll of Israel’s throne.

Jona watched as the glorious four matched out of the king’s court and stepped into the royal wagon. Then as they rode down the lanes, a servant led the king’s mule behind them.

The mule, a precious crossbreed of horse and donkey; of strength and patience, fear and fierceness. It was the symbol of Water, the Seventh One.

Suddenly, Jona realized that the king’s four were heading to Solomon’s court. And there followed behind them a procession of court ministers, everyone who had not heeded Adonijah’s call.

Right there the boy knew the game had turned. ‘It’s the Seventh One’s game now!’ he sighed.

But that wasn’t the truth; for it was Solomon’s reign.

Thus, the young spy followed the men to see if he was right. And as he trudged forwards, a crowd of cheerers joined, too, from among courtiers and palace retainers.

In a moment the palace four were out with their fifth man. They robed him in silken white and wore a heavy purple over his length.

They made him wield his father’s sword – that hefty blade that had slashed ten thousand foes. And there in his feet also were sandals from him, as his hair wore the wreath of kings.

Right then, Jona knew what this was as everywhere went up in a shout. It was Solomon’s time, Solomon’s reign. And the young spy cringed in fear.

Now the palace gates fell open as the Seventh Prince rode out on the king’s mule.

Before him were happy minstrels waving timbrels in the air and singing notes sweeter than birdsong.

Behind him were an array of supporters—court ministers, palace retainers, and townspeople joining them from everywhere.

Thus, the Kingdom’s Five rode towards the spring of Gihon at the Kidron Valley. It was a different spring with an altar for worship, sitting a small distance away from Adonijah’s camp in the valley place.

Therefore Jona followed the train as far as the Kidron plains, and he was surprised at where his feet were taking him.

Then, as the spring of Gihon came up in sight, he couldn’t take the weight of shame that enveloped him.

He shouldn’t be there with his father’s foes, he scolded himself. And he was so sad that he turned round and dragged his feet the opposite lane.

But when a domino falls by error in a line of standing dominos, the fallings go on and on until every man is down.

This was the game of effect—the domino effect.

So right then as Jona dragged his feet towards the other side, Solomon alighted from the king’s mule.

Then immediately, he stuck his sword to the ground beneath him, and bowed a knee before the high priest of God.

There and then Zadok lifted the horn of oil that anointed the father king; and he poured it all out on the son, the chosen one of David’s seed.

‘The Lord make your name mightier than the name of your father!’ he pronounced. ‘And your throne greater than his throne for ever!

‘O Israel of the Most High God! Behold your King whom the Lord upholds! Behold King Solomon, Son of David!’

Immediately, everyone fell on their face and bowed. They cheered: ‘Long live Solomon, long live the King! Long live Solomon, long live the King!’

The chants rose and swum in the rising heat, till it became the sound of happy noise, the shouts of merry folk.

The horns blared the sound of coronation and the brass blasted their regal flourish.

The noise went up in an endless glee as the nation matched back to palace.

Everything came and happened in an instant. And the next instant Solomon was King.

Now this was Solomon’s game. Or nay, his turn and tide... his time.

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