The False Prince (Fall Of A King Book 1)

by Fuller, James

  "That is my weapon!" Shania demanded, reaching for the lost blade.

  The vendor pulled the weapon away from her grasp quickly, "It can be, for a price."

  "How much do you want for it?" Barnaby asked.

  The Vendor smiled wide, "Well it is a splendid weapon, finely crafted, and appears well tested in battle."

  "I will not buy my weapon back!" Shania demanded. "Give it to me!"

  "I give nothing away!" the vendor snapped, "besides, there is no way a street urchin like you owned a blade this fine."

  Shania snapped the other blade out in her hand and leaned forward.

  The vendors eyes widened in shock and fear. "Your weapon? The previous owner to this blade is wanted for the death of the man it was found in." The vendor grinned. "You sure you want to make that claim so eagerly The city guard is just over there, I am sure they would be interested in your story of why your blade was found buried in some poor sap's chest." The vendor's grin was abhorrent.

  "You are not the one buying the weapon, I am." Barnaby cut in, looking at Shania, seeing this was not going to go well if he did not. "Now, I know it is a fine weapon - I have had the pleasure of seeing its twin in use just the other day. I am not here to barter for it, what is your price?"

  The vendor's eyes glistened with greedy anticipation. "Fifteen silver should do it."

  "Fifteen silver!" Barnaby barked loudly, completely taken back by the outrageous number. "I expected to be taken for a few extra coin, but not robbed flat out… not even by a crooked wretch like you. I will give you nine silver and you will be grateful for it."

  "I will have fifteen silvers for this weapon and you will pay it or I will be calling over the market guards and informing them to whom this blade belongs. I am sure they would reward me well for such information." He smiled maliciously, holding his hand out, awaiting payment.

  "You have no idea whom you just offended, you crust-bellied worm!" Barnaby snarled, reaching for several more coins.

  "I offend many in my line of work." The vendor held out his hand even further.

  The quick ring of steel being freed of its sheath sounded in the air, a flicker of light flashed and the thud of a blade embedding in wood was absolute over the noises of the crowded market.

  The vendor stumbled back, staring down in shock at his severed hand, left on the table. "You… you… cut off my hand!" He cried out, his other hand clamping over the stump trying to stem the flow of blood.

  Barnaby stared wide-eyed at Shania as she pulled her blade free of the table and leaped over retrieving its twin. "You cut off his hand!" He stammered out in disbelief. "I would have paid…"

  "I know his kind," Shania replied, leaping back over the table. "He would have betrayed us anyway."

  "Help me!" The vendor cried out, drawing the attention of all those around. "They are trying to kill me! Guards!"

  "We need to leave right now," Barnaby said, seeing the market guards drawing their swords and rushing over. "This way!" He grabbed Shania's arm and turned to flee but halted as the tip of a guard's short sword pressed into his chest. "This is what I was referring to about not needing any more complications in my life."

  *****

  Meath's ironwood practice sword crashed hard into the wooden cross post from a downward chop, chipping off several more flakes. He pulled the sword back and lunged forward, spearing the tip into what would be the wooden dummies abdomen. Again, he pulled his sword back and went into a defensive stance before launching into another barrage of attacks.

  Meath had ignored Master Lepha and Master Antiel's summons - they each had sent one to him by way of servant. He had sent the servants away with return word that he was occupied and would continue to be occupied until he saw fit. He had expected the Wizards to come find him and scold him profoundly. Half the day had passed and still they had not, nor had further word found him. Instead, he had spent his day training alone in a small corner of the northern courtyard, hidden away from view by unused supply wagons and an assortment of building materials.

  Meath had borrowed a training sword and had set himself up several wooden targets. He had spent most the day destroying them with hand numbing attacks that rendered the targets into kindling.

  Sweat dripped into his eye and he squinted against the stinging of salt, eyeing up the last of his wooden dummies that had not been defeated. He rushed forward, imagining his target doing the same. He fainted left with his footing as he neared his target, then changed his charge back to the right as if the target had fallen for the ruse. He hacked hard with all his strength for a low strike across the target's legs. The wooden pole holding the cross beam upright snapped in two, sweeping the target up flat, like a man who had just been bowled over. Meath carried through with his momentum, his sword arcing up high as he spun a full circle and brought the wooden blade down hard across the chest of the falling target, slamming it into the dusty earth in defeat.

  "It would appear you have defeated all your enemies," a voice said from behind him.

  Meath turned around to see Nicolette standing there in a dark blue silken dress. He stood up and finally wiped the sweat from his eyes. "That is what one hopes to be able to do." He walked over to her, resting the practice sword against an old barrel. "Yet there will always be one enemy who will forever be above me and undefeatable." He turned his eyes away from hers. "What brings you out here?"

  "Your return word to Master Lepha and Antiel has them in quite a profound conundrum. They are not sure if they should storm down here and punish you for your disobedience or just leave you be for the day. My Aunt made the decision for them - you are free for the day, but she will expect you with them on the morrow."

  "If I decide to join them on the morrow I will," Meath replied casually.

  "Ever defiant," she smiled at him, but her smile did not last long. "What is this undefeatable enemy of which you spoke?"

  Meath's casual smile turned into a grimace, "You know the one, for it plagues you as well. Status."

  There was a long awkward silence, both pained by the truth of the word, yet fixed on different ends.

  "I do not think I can do this, Meath. I do not think I can be a Queen, rule a Kingdom, and marry without love. It just does not feel right; I feel trapped, lost, confused and alone." This all blurted out in a rush, her eyes moist with tears.

  "I know, but we will have to - we will have to learn to live the life we were given," Meath told her, hating every word that came out of his mouth. "We cannot run away from our lives."

  Nicolette's eyes brightened, "Why not?"

  "What do you mean 'why not'?" Meath stammered out, confusion plain on his face.

  "Why not run away from it all, Meath? We always talked about it, so why not?" She took a step towards him, her eyes alive with wonder.

  "Do you even hear yourself? We cannot, we have… we have…" His voice trailed off. "You are serious?"

  She nodded, "More than I think I have ever been in my life."

  "What about the Kingdom, family, friends, duty?" Meath questioned.

  "I do not care anymore, Meath, I do not care. I just want away from it all, to be with you," she confessed.

  Meath stared hard into her golden brown eyes, which danced with possibility. "When?"

  Nicolette's eyes lit up more than he had seen in a long time. "We will leave before first light and be far away before anyone notices we are gone. We can do this, Meath… we can."

  "We will." Meath told her, hugging her tightly against him. "We will."

  The two cloaked figures rode hard from the small band that had left Dragons Cove before dawn. They rode northeast with no discernible destination in mind, just glad to have made it out without incident. Meath had noticed the group of people preparing to leave the city as he and Nicolette had been working up the courage to storm past the gate guards. They had decided to see if they could join up with the small group so they would be less noticeable. It had worked - the group was more than willing to take on two more.
Once they had travelled far enough from the city they had abandoned, they quickly rode off without a word.

  The sun had just pulled itself out in full from behind the eastern horizon when they slowed their horses to a walk, so the beasts could rest. They wanted to put as much distance behind them as possible, but they needed the horses and could not afford to ruin them. Though Meath had slipped into Ursa's room and taken a nearly full coin purse, which was more than enough to buy several new horses, that coin needed to last as long as possible. Meath had also left Ursa a letter explaining what they had decided to do and why they ran off. Meath would miss Ursa, but deep down he knew he would see him again, one day.

  "We need to stop for a moment," Nicolette told him.

  "What is it?" Meath asked, watching Nicolette dismount her brown mare with ease.

  Nicolette smiled at him as he dismounted. "There is something we need to do before we go any further." She pulled her dagger from its sheath.

  "What are you doing?" he asked, the confusion plain in his voice.

  "If we are to start fresh and stay hidden I will need a new look…a more permanent look." She handed him the dagger and turned around. "Cut my hair."

  "What?" Meath stammered. "No, we can keep it hidden until we are far enough away and have started a new life."

  "We cannot take that risk Meath - no one will look twice at us if my hair is short. Now do it."

  Meath collected her hair into one hand and held the dagger at shoulder length down it. "You ready?"

  "Do it." She replied, holding her breath.

  Meath ran the blade through her hair, cutting it as clean through and as straight as he could manage. "Done," he turned her around and held the clump of hair in his hand.

  Nicolette stared at her severed hair, mixed emotions rolling through. "How do I look?"

  "As beautiful as ever," Meath replied, with a grin, "though it will take some getting used to."

  "We should get moving again." Nicolette turned to mount her horse, but Meath grabbed her hand and turned her to face him.

  "I love you." He pulled her in and kissed her deeply. "We can do this."

  "I cannot take much more of this." A voice came from behind the trees and someone stepped out onto the road. "You are a hard man to find, you know that Meath?"

  Meath spun around to face the voice, his sword ringing free of its sheath. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Meath asked the man, hoping they had not been followed and caught by spies of the castle.

  "Calm down, there is no need for weapons. My name is Daden," the man said coolly, as if his name was important. His voice was sturdy and firm, "and I have been looking for you for quite a while now, but you have been all over the land."

  "Why have you been looking for me? What do you want?" Meath asked, his voice hard and untrusting.

  Daden stepped toward them, but stopped when the tip of Meath's sword rose up. "I was sent to find you, because we need your help with something." Daden laughed, "I know you are confused, I understand that, but it will all be explained later."

  "I do not know what you are about, Daden, but I have no intention of helping you, so you best be on your way." Meath ushered Nicolette toward the horses.

  Daden took another step forward. "Come now, Meath - do not be like that. I have travelled a long way to retrieve you and I would really rather not have to do it the hard way."

  Meath stepped toward Daden, his sword poised for a fight. "Do not threaten me or I will kill you." Meath spat.

  "Meath, let us just leave," Nicolette urged him, handing him the reins of his horse, before mounting her own.

  "If I catch you following us, I will kill you," Meath said sternly. He sheathed his sword and quickly mounted his horse, not taking his eyes off of Daden.

  "Do not do this, Meath," Daden warned.

  "You have been warned," Meath replied, turning his mount to ride off.

  "So have you," Daden whispered. He stomped his foot into the earth, a ripple like a stone hitting water ruptured from where his foot connected and quickly spread underneath the horses, causing the beasts to spook. Meath was thrown from his horse and hit the churned earth beneath him, while Nicolette barely managed to get her horse under control. "I warned you, Meath - we do not have to do it this way."

  Meath got to his feet, Wizards fire already forming in one hand. "You just killed yourself," he growled, throwing the crimson sphere at Daden. Before the flaming ball had cleared half its distance, a torrent of air collided with it, displacing it from its course and into the hillside - the side of the road ramped.

  "That was a little uncalled for, do you not think?" a female voice said, emerging from the other side of the roadway.

  "Leave us alone!" Nicolette cried out, dismounting her skittish horse before it threw her.

  Meath drew his sword again, and began backing away from the two strangers and toward Nicolette. Fear gripped him, as he knew these two strangers were more powerful than he was.

  "Just come with us peacefully and everything will be fine, I promise," Daden said, as he walked closer to them.

  "What do you want with me?" Meath ordered, making sure to watch both strangers and their hands.

  "That is not to be discussed here. You will not be hurt, I promise you that," the girl replied, coming to stand by Daden.

  "I want nothing to do with you, I do not care what you think you need me for, and I will not help you." Meath knew their only chance of escape was if he surprised them and acted fast. He grabbed for his dagger and ran toward the man with his sword ready. Meath got two steps before the ground beneath him turned to a thick mud and he sank down to his hips, stopping all forward progress.

  "No!" Nicolette cried out. She started for Meath.

  "Stay where you are, Princess!" Daden warned, his hand pointed in her direction, flames licking from his fingers.

  "Leave her alone!" Meath begged. "Do not hurt her, please!"

  "Will you stop trying to fight us?" the girl asked.

  Meath knew he had no choice. "Yes." He tossed his sword and dagger off to the side.

  "Good," the flames dispersed from Daden's hand. "It really did not need to go like this," Daden crouched down near where Meath was. "You know I still do not trust you." Daden stabbed a small dart into Meath's neck and within moments Meath's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped into drying mud.

  "Why?" Nicolette cried. "Why are you doing this? Just leave us alone!"

  "What do we do with her?" the girl asked, helping Daden pull Meath's limp form from the thick mud.

  "Nothing - we were sent to get him," Daden replied. He lifted Meath up. "I suggest you go back, Princess. There is nothing you can do for him. He is coming with us."

  "Please do not take him from me!" Nicolette pleaded, falling to her knees in defeat. "We finally found a way…"

  "I assure you, our need for him trumps your own." The girl replied. "Now go back home Princess - it is not safe out here."

  "Grab his things, Kara," Daden called back to her as he began climbing the embankment to the tree line.

  Nicolette watched Kara turn her back and walk over to where Meath had thrown his dagger and sword and a surge of anger erupted through her. She scrambled to her feet and charged the girl, slamming into her hard with her shoulder knocking her over. Nicolette scooped up Meath's fallen sword and swung around to face Kara, who was already back on her feet. "Let him go or I swear to you I will kill you," Nicolette hissed, the sword shaking in her hands as she pointed it at Kara's chest.

  Kara burst out laughing, "What do you think you are going to do with that?"

  Nicolette took a step forward, thrusting the blade threateningly. "I will do it, do not test me! Now let him go!"

  "What is going on here?" Daden asked, turning around to look at the heroic display the Princess was putting on.

  "Nothing I cannot handle, Daden." Kara replied. "I am going to give you one more chance to put that sword down, Princess."

  Nicolette lunge
d forward, hoping to stab Kara through the chest, but Kara had been expecting the attack. She easily stepped aside and countered, her fist connected hard with Nicolette's abdomen, knocking the wind from her lungs. The sword dropped from Nicolette's hands and she crumpled to the earth gasping for air.

  "What did I say? Now be a good little Princess and stay put now. We are not going to hurt him, I promise you that."

  "Stop playing around Kara and let us be off," Daden yelled back to her.

  "Do not try to follow us - we will be long gone before you can get help." Kara told her then ran up the roadside and disappeared into the woods.

  *****

  "You do not have to come with me," Dahak said, turning toward the castle gates.

  "Why would I not?" Zehava asked. "Two sets of eyes will be better than one."

  "Thanks Zehava," Dahak replied. "I wonder where Meath is - I have not seen him since midday yesterday."

  "I do not know - I am sure he is busy with his Wizard's training or something." Zehava's attention turned to the gateway. "What is going on over there?"

  "That is her!" Dahak cried, seeing a duo of guards bringing in two shackled prisoners. "Hey stop!"

  The guards stopped to regard the two strangers jogging toward them, their hands instinctively going to their sword hilts. "What do ye want?" One man grumbled as they got near.

  "Dahak! Zehava!" Shania cried out, relieved to see faces she knew.

  "That girl there, she is with us - she is our friend," Zehava explained to the guard, who blocked their path of getting any closer.

  "I do not care who she is to you," the guard replied. "We caught these two attacking a vendor, trying to rob him, even cut off his hand, they did. I was gonna hang them when I found out she was a half-breed savage filth. But then found out she matched the description of someone Lady Jewel was offering a reward for. Hence why we are here, now get out of my way."

  Dahak stalked up to the guard not caring at all that his hand rested on his hilt. "Watch your mouth on who you are calling filth, you whoreson!"

  "I should cut your tongue out!" the guard growled back angrily, his partner coming up beside him.