"That is up to you," answered the Arin prince. "You could continue living as you are, which I think is a type of slow torture, or you could kill yourself, which I think is a waste of a decent man and a loving father. There is a third alternative."
"What is it?" Zalman asked skeptically.
"You could move to Arin," offered the prince. "We will protect you from the Borundans, and you can watch Jared grow into a magnificent young man."
"Watch Jared grow up?" balked Zalman. "You do not seem to understand why I chased him away. Borunda does not know that he exists. Do you understand what I am saying? No one knows that Prince Zinan has a brother, no one except me, and now the two of you. I sent Jared away because I am getting too old to evade the bounty hunters, and I feared that they would discover who Jared is when they caught me. If they learn of him, they will hunt him for the rest of his days, just like they have hunted me for the last sixteen years. No man can be protected forever, not even by the entire Arin army."
"War is coming to the Land of the Nine Kingdoms," Gunnar replied. "When the blood has dried on the fields and in the forests, either Borunda will rule everything, or Borunda will no longer exist. Regardless of who wins, Jared will not have to endure what you have gone through. When I spoke of watching Jared grow, I was speaking of after the war. Until then, I will keep your son close to me, and probably far from Anatar. You, on the other hand, will be kept in Arin where the armies of Borunda will not be welcome, and the bounty hunters will not enjoy free reign."
"Do you really think you can protect me from the Borundans?" Zalman asked skeptically. "A border line on a map is not going to deter bounty hunters."
"No, it won't," agreed the prince, "but your pictures will not be on display in Arin. I will not lie to you, Zalman. There is no guarantee that you will be safe in Arin, but I will guarantee that we will do our best to protect you. If Arin is not far enough away from Borunda, I can probably persuade Salacia to protect you."
Kenra laughed and Zalman gave him a quizzical stare.
"Pay him no mind," chuckled Gunnar. "He is Salacian."
"Is your offer serious, Prince Antion?" asked Zalman. "Will you truly welcome me in Arin, or is this some ploy to get my cooperation?"
"You have already cooperated," smiled Prince Antion. "The offer is sincere, and I truly hope you choose it. I think Jared needs a father, and I think he does not need to be burdened with guilt over his father's death."
"He feels guilt?" gasped Zalman. "Why? All I was trying to do was shield him."
"You must think about how we will explain all this to Jared," interjected Kenra. "It is going to come as a shock to him."
"He's right," agreed Zalman. "How do I face my son and tell him that I tricked him into running away? Do I make up some story about falling in a deep hole?"
"You tell him the truth," smiled Gunnar. "What you did was not the smartest thing in the world, but it shows him that you love him. Do not sell Jared short. He is extremely intelligent. He may have already figured out that you are still alive. Did you think about that?"
"No," Zalman shook his head. "There are many things that I have not thought about. It seems my whole life has just been running from one hole to the next."
"You don't need to run anymore," smiled Gunnar. "What are your plans?"
"I want to have a decent life," answered Zalman. "I thought that was no longer possible, but you are telling me it is. I tend to believe you. If Arin will have me, I will do anything they want me to. I am not afraid to work hard, and there is not a type of work that I would feel above doing."
"Excellent," grinned Prince Antion. "Our first step is to reunite you with Jared. Do you think you can handle that now?"
"If I am to tell the truth," nodded Zalman, "there is nothing to prepare for. I will tell Jared what I have done, and why I have done it. He will decide if he can accept my actions or not."
"Then let us travel to them," Gunnar proposed. "I would like to get you out of Capri as soon as possible. It would not do to have more bounty hunters chasing you."
* * *
"Not going?" King Hector shook his head. "You can't be serious?"
"I am quite serious," King Caedmon replied as he paced the floor of his office in the royal palace in Anatar. "Borunda would like nothing better than to kill me on the way to Tarent. Oh, they would not dare do so with their own troops, but you know that they would find a way. I am quite surprised that you are going."
"I have no doubts about the desires of Prince Garrick," nodded the Salacian king, "but you are allowing yourself to fall into a trap by not going to the coronation."
"What trap?" frowned the Arin king. "My absence will be an insult to Borunda, but I am willing to risk that. They plan to attack us as soon as their army is ready. What do I care about insulting them?"
"The trap," King Hector explained, "is that the Borundans will use your absence to rally the other countries against Arin. They will claim that you are the one who is breaking the Great Peace, and they will offer your absence as proof."
"Surely, the others will not fall for such a ruse?" King Caedmon shook his head. "They have more sense than that."
"Do they?" sighed King Hector. "I know you like a brother, Caedmon, and I will stand by you no matter what, but can you truly say the same for the others? Rihad of Odessia will have faith in you, but his allegiance is to his people, and his lands lie between Borunda and Caroom. Can you really expect him to offer up his country to your enemies because he believes in you? He cannot."
King Caedmon stopped pacing and stared out the window as his Salacian friend explained the consequences of not attending the coming coronation.
"Caroom and Vineland will fall for the Borundan ruse if you fail to show up," King Hector continued. "Hyrem, Capri, and Lom have no armies to speak of, so do not expect any of them to come to your aid no matter what they believe. That leaves you and me standing against the world. If we fall before their might, old friend, our peoples will be subject to slavery and starvation. You cannot allow that to happen."
"What options do I have?" King Caedmon asked softly as he turned around to stare at his closest friend. "If I stay in Anatar, I cause the defeat of both of our peoples, but if I try to go to Tarent, I die. You paint a bleak picture indeed. It would not be so bad if I died and the problem was solved, but the bitter truth is that I would die and still be blamed for boycotting the coronation. Garrick would still claim that I failed to attend."
"Not true," King Hector shook his head. "I have a plan to get you to Tarent unharmed. The problem is that I have not yet figured out how to get you out again."
"Get me out?" frowned King Caedmon. "Borunda would not dare to kill me once I reached Tarent."
"Your death would be beneficial to him even after your spoke at the coronation," replied the Salacian king. "He would not publicly kill you, but I can almost guarantee that he would try to have you killed coming home. You do remember our last trip to the Borundan capital?"
"I do," nodded King Caedmon, "but I am willing to risk that to save my people. If you have a plan to get me safely into the palace in Tarent, I will go."
Chapter 30 - Out of Nowhere
Out of Nowhere
Gunnar rode out of the forest and paused on the bank of the Arin River, which separated Capri from Arin. Strong winds roared along the natural break in the forest, and the Arin prince's hair blew across his face. His eyes swept over the river until he saw the ford that he had been hoping to find. He waved to the others in the forest behind him and turned his horse to follow the bank upstream. He reached the ford and moved out into the river.
The level of the river was low, as it usually was when the dry winds of autumn began. Gunnar turned and gazed back at the rest of the party as they emerged single file from the dense forest. He automatically counted heads and then turned his attention to the far bank of the river. His eyes scanned the shore and the forest beyond searching for any signs of people. He saw nothing alarming. Once across the Ar
in River, the prince waited for the others. Horst was second in line, and Gunnar spoke softly as the Odessian exited the river.
"Take the lead," Gunnar instructed the Odessian. "Less than an hour along the trail you will come to a well-beaten path leading to the right. When you see it, look for the next trail to the left. It will be narrow and probably overgrown. Follow that trail, and you will come to a large glade. We will make camp there tonight."
Horst nodded and took the lead. Gunnar waited to make sure that everyone got safely across the river and then followed them. The group rode quietly and without speaking. Horst set a slow pace through the forest, favoring stealth over speed, just as Gunnar had done on the Capri side of the river. The Odessian found the secondary trail easily and soon the group was dismounting in a large glade with a brook flowing through it.
Gunnar and Kenra immediately split up and moved into the forest on foot. They checked the area around the campsite and stretched a string with tiny bells around the entire perimeter. When they were done, they returned to the glade and rejoined the group. Monte and Talot had bagged a deer the night before, so there was no need for hunting. Talot already had a fire going and Kerzi was preparing a meal. Horst and Monte were tending to the horses, and Zalman sat talking quietly with Jared.
Gunnar stopped and stared at the group, and a smile spread over his face. He saw a group of individuals of various nationalities and varied backgrounds, yet they worked efficiently as a group without the need for a lot of discussion. It was what one might expect from a squad of soldiers who had trained together as a unit, but not from such a diverse group.
"You are daydreaming again," Kenra said softly as he came up behind Gunnar.
"In a sense," shrugged Gunnar. "There are times when I wonder why some people seem to stress their differences rather than their likenesses. You and I have been very fortunate so far in life. We have lived during a time of peace and prosperity, but other generations never knew such a life."
"You are talking about the ancient times?" questioned the Salacian prince.
"I am," nodded Gunnar. "The ancient times when war was the rule, and peace was an abstract ideal that was always just beyond one's grasp. We are going back to those times, Derri, and it is ironic that a Borundan is taking us there, as it was a Borundan who finally managed to start the Great Peace. Do you think future generations will ever know peace again?"
"I don't know," answered the Salacian prince. "Maybe Zalman has the right idea after all. Maybe the Talent is a curse, and we are all better off without it."
"The Talent?" frowned Gunnar. "Why do you blame the turmoil on the Talent? It is Prince Garrick that is beating the drums of war."
"Is it?" questioned Kenra. "After hearing Zalman's story, I think it was Naveena who put dark ideas into the heads of two young and impressionable princes. I think Zinan and Garrick grew up being taught that it was their birthrights to rule over the world, and I think Naveena was driven by the dark side of the Talent."
"Your words make sense," nodded the Arin prince as he gazed at Jared. "Twin brothers, and they are as different as night and day. Whatever Zalman's faults, he kept Jared pure for sixteen years. He deserves some peace for that."
"I agree," nodded Kenra. "His life will change when we reach Anatar. Why exactly are you taking us on this scenic tour through the forests? We could have made Anatar in two days, but this route will take us over a week."
"There is no hurry," shrugged Gunnar. "I wanted the shortest path out of Capri. It may sound foolish, but I feel safer just knowing we are across the Arin River now. Besides, Horst and Kerzi ran across tracks on their way back from the village. He thinks another group of bounty hunters was in the area. Moving along the Anatar-Koar Road with Zalman would have been asking for trouble."
"Could the tracks have been from the group we killed?" asked Kenra.
"The tracks were from a group of six," Gunnar shook his head. "Either the ones we killed had two more accomplices, or it was a different group. It hardly matters in any event. When we reach Anatar, Zalman and Jared will be separated. Let them have a final week together. It will be good for Zalman's health to finally share the truth with his son, and Jared needs to know those truths. He must accept that he is filled with the Talent, and he must learn to use it properly."
"I understand," nodded Kenra. "You obviously have dwelled upon this a great deal. What happens after Anatar?"
"Jared and I must go in search of Audric," answered the Arin prince.
"To Vineland?" inquired the Salacian prince.
"Somewhere along the eastern coast," nodded Prince Antion. "Zalman could not remember exactly where, but I will find Audric if he still lives."
* * *
The Salacian contingent was the last to arrive, showing up at the palace in Tarent the afternoon before the coronation. A column of thirty-six soldiers escorted two carriages. The first carriage was large and ornate and drawn by six magnificent horses. It held the Salacian king, queen, and two princesses. The second carriage was smaller, and it held four personal attendants for the royal family. Four horses pulled the smaller carriage, and two spare horses were tied to the rear of it. Salacian pennants flew from the tops of both carriages, and residents of Tarent stopped to watch the small parade go by. They had seen quite a few such parades over the course of the week, but coronations were rare and such sights might never be seen again, so everyone stopped and stared.
The carriages pulled through the gates of the palace and swung around to the massive entrance reserved for such events. Borundan doormen immediately attended to the large carriage, and the Salacian royal family emerged. As they marched up the steps to the palace doors, the second carriage was emptied and the servants followed the royal family at a distance. Palace staff waited for the arrivals and escorted them to a suite of rooms set aside for the Salacians. The contingent of Salacian soldiers escorted the two empty carriages away from the entrance and prepared to wait until they were called to escort the royal family back to Kyland.
* * *
The Grand Ballroom in the Royal Palace of Borunda was packed with dignitaries. The rich and famous from all over the Land of the Nine Kingdoms had hurried along the roads in their fine carriages to reach Tarent in time for the coronation. Kings, queens, princes, and princesses stood in small groups all over the room discussing laws, spreading gossip, sharing news, and flirting.
Coronations were rare, and traditionally they were events that brought everyone together. Countries normally sent all members of their royal family, and it was where the next generation of rulers usually met for the first time. Many social events were scheduled and balls were held every night for a week before the coronation ceremony. By the time of the coronation, everyone knew everyone else, whether they were rich or royal.
Although the evening ball was still hours away, the ballroom had become the gathering place for everyone to meet. People, dressed in their finest clothes, flowed in and out of the room and along the corridors in the guest wing of the palace.
As King Hector and his family made their way to the ballroom, old friends stopped them along the way, anxious to hear news from Salacia. Without fail, each of the old friends asked about the Arin delegation, and why they were not coming to the coronation. King Hector smiled and shrugged each time, stating that the Arin king always did what was best for his people. The Salacians eventually reached the ballroom and were formally introduced. Seconds after the introduction, the room was once again buzzing with the drone of hundreds of conversations.
King Hector released his daughters to mix with the other guests. Queen Malatina stayed by his side, her hand resting comfortably on the king's arm. One of the first to greet the Salacian royal couple was the Crown Prince of Borunda. Prince Garrick approached with two lovely young women, one on each arm.
"Welcome to my palace," Prince Garrick said formally. "I am pleased that Salacia was able to respond to my invitation."
King Hector nodded politely. "Queen Malatina and I ar
e pleased that we were able to come. It is not often that a new monarch rises in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms. May your reign be as wise and benevolent as your father's."
Prince Garrick nodded and immediately moved on, taking the two young women with him.
"Wasn't that Princess Emilie of Capri on the prince's right arm?" King Hector whispered to his wife.
"It was," Queen Malatina replied softly. "She's a dainty thing, but very pretty. I am not sure how she came into her good looks. She does not look anything like King Quanto."
"Who was the comely brunette?" the king asked.
"Princess Belinda of Vineland," answered the Salacian queen. "She visited Kyland two years ago with King Gregory. Don't you remember?"
"Evidently not," frowned King Hector. "Perhaps she looked different two years ago."
"Well, of course she did," chuckled the queen. "She is growing as our own daughters are. You really must pay more attention to things."
"It is not the faces of pretty young girls that I concentrate on at such events as this," the king replied. "Did you notice that everyone seems to be aware that King Caedmon is not here?"
"Well," shrugged the queen, "I suspect most people would notice him missing."
"Would they?" frowned the king. "I don't think so. There are so many people here that one would have to be looking for him to notice his absence. Either that or there is already a rumor circulating that he would not attend."
* * *
The formal dining hall in the palace was enormous, but there were also a large number of dignitaries for the coronation, and seating space was at a premium. Two long tables ran parallel along the length of the hall, and a short table sat perpendicular near the far end of the two tables. Seating was prearranged with elegant nametags set out for each chair. The short table was reserved for the royal hierarchy of Borunda, and it sat on a raised platform to allow for an unobstructed view of the entire hall. The closest ends of the long tables were designated for the various royal families of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms, while the rest of the seats were for lesser nobles and notable wealthy citizens.
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