Prince of Alasia (Annals of Alasia Book 1)

by Annie Douglass Lima

  “If we’re cold here, imagine how much colder the soldiers in the Southern Woods must be,” he panted, glancing around to make sure no one else was within earshot. General Dirken and the remnants of the Alasian army had been almost all he had been able to think about since Sir Edmend had brought them the news a week ago.

  “I suppose so,” Erik agreed, pulling a hand out of his pocket just long enough to brush snow off his face before stuffing it back in again. His voice was barely audible over the wind. “I don’t envy them.”

  “I do,” Jaymin admitted frankly, trying to wrap his flapping cloak more tightly around his shoulders. He stepped aside to allow a couple of donkeys to jog past, their riders kicking them furiously to hurry them up. He was used to stepping aside for people now, though it had been an adjustment when he had first arrived in Drall. As the prince, he had always had people step aside for him.

  “At least the soldiers will be able to do something,” Jaymin continued, as they turned a corner and for a moment were out of the worst of the wind. “They’re going to help save our kingdom. That’s worth being cold for.”

  “You really want to fight in that battle they’re preparing for, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Jaymin replied wistfully. “Honestly, I hardly feel that I’ll deserve to rule Alasia someday if I just hide here in Drall and don’t lift a finger to help.”

  Erik frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t think deserving has anything to do with it yet.”

  “What do you mean?”

  His friend glanced around cautiously and lowered his voice even more, so that Jaymin had to strain his ears and lean closer to hear him.

  “Well, you aren’t the Prince of Alasia because of anything you did to deserve it. You were born into the position. You’ll rule the kingdom because your father did, not because of anything you’ve done to earn that right.” Erik stopped and turned to face Jaymin, his voice earnest. “But Jaym-Jay, you will deserve it. You may not have done anything to earn the position yet, but I think this is something that has to be earned after the fact. It’s your responsibility to become the kind of king who deserves to rule Alasia.”

  Jaymin digested his words in silence for a moment while the snow swirled down around them. Slowly, he nodded. “I suppose you’re right. But ….” He paused. “What are you looking at?”

  “Jay … don’t turn around now, but there are a couple of Malornian soldiers across the street who seem to be watching us.”

  Jaymin froze. “What should we do?”

  “Nothing. We don’t want to arouse their suspicions.”

  “Are you sure their suspicions aren’t aroused already?”

  “How could they be? We were talking much too quietly for anyone to hear us over this wind. I made sure of that. And they can’t possibly recognize you from behind.”

  Jaymin frowned nervously, wishing he felt as sure as Erik sounded. What if the soldiers had somehow seen his face earlier and had been following them?

  “We’d better keep going,” Erik advised. “We’re just ordinary boys on our way home from school, remember?”

  They started walking again, trying not to hurry. Jaymin risked a quick glance over his shoulder. The two soldiers stood beside the road, staring at them. One seemed to be saying something to the other, and then they both stepped into the street and headed toward the boys.

  “They’re coming our way,” Jaymin whispered, and he and Erik quickened their steps.

  “We should turn at that next corner,” Erik advised. “We don’t want to lead them straight back to Ana’s house.”

  The boys rounded a random corner and headed down a new street. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a smaller street with hardly anyone on it, and Jaymin realized they would actually be easier to follow now. He looked around for a way out, but there were no convenient passageways or alleys. They would just have to keep going until they came to the next corner.

  “Are they still following us?” he wondered aloud.

  “I don’t know. Don’t turn around. Just walk faster.”

  They strode as fast as they could without actually running. If they could reach the end of the street, they knew the marketplace lay one block over. It would be much easier to hide there.

  Behind them, a Malornian voice called, “Hey! You boys!”

  “Keep going,” Erik whispered. “Pretend we don’t hear.”

  They were halfway to the next street. Just another minute and they would be there. But then the sound of booted feet could be heard over the wind, pounding on the snowy cobblestones. Both boys turned and saw that the soldiers had broken into a run and were gaining on them fast.

  “Let’s go!” Erik exclaimed, and he and Jaymin began to sprint down the road. They dodged a couple of men pushing wheelbarrows and raced for the corner. Behind them, they could hear the soldiers coming on fast.

  The snowy ground made it hard to run, and every step was slippery. But eventually they reached the corner and turned left. A horse shied and snorted as they ran by almost under its nose, and a woman dodged out of their way just in time to avoid being run into. Several people called out to them to slow down or be careful, and from behind, the soldiers were yelling at them to stop. Jaymin’s heart thudded in his ears as he dodged between people, horses, and donkeys, heading for the marketplace just ahead. His foot slipped on a patch of ice and he half-fell, but Erik grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet again. The soldiers were still gaining on them, their sturdy boots faring much better in the snow than the boys’ poor shoes.

  “You there! Stop! Someone stop those boys!” one of the soldiers called. But people nearby kept walking as though they had not heard. The Alasians were not about to turn two of their own over to the invaders they hated.

  Jaymin felt his spirits fall as they finally dashed across one more street and into the marketplace. Of course, he chided himself, it isn’t going to be crowded when it’s snowing. They should have thought of that. The usual throng of merchants and shoppers was nowhere to be seen, and there were none of the tables and mats on which goods were normally displayed outside. But the little shops were still open, and customers bundled in coats and scarves hurried in and out, trying to buy what they needed as quickly as possible.

  “In here,” Erik ordered, panting, and he pulled Jaymin abruptly into the open doorway of one of the little stalls.

  “What –” began the surprised shopkeeper, but before he could stop them, the boys had slipped past his vegetable bins and out the back door. They couldn’t tell whether or not the soldiers had seen where they had gone.

  “We’ve got to find somewhere to hide,” panted Jaymin.

  “Over there,” suggested Erik, pointing across the way to a little shop evidently owned by a tailor. Outside, a rack of clothes stood on display beneath the roof’s wide overhang. Quickly, the boys made their way over to it. The tailor was in his shop showing some goods to a wealthy-looking lady, and didn’t seem to see them. No one else appeared to be paying much attention either, and for the moment the soldiers were nowhere in sight. Beckoning Jaymin to follow, Erik slipped between a couple of coats and into the narrow space between the clothing rack and the wall. Hastily, the boys rearranged the clothes behind them. Most of the garments hung nearly to the ground, so when they crouched low they were completely hidden, except for their feet.

  For what seemed like an eternity, the two of them crouched behind the clothes, trying to slow their breathing and calm their pounding hearts. The wall behind them was cold and hard, and Jaymin’s back soon felt as though it were turning to ice against it. Running had warmed him up, but he soon began to shiver again, as much from anxiety as from the cold. But at least they were out of the snow and wind now, and the clothes against their faces were soft and warm. After a moment, he followed Erik’s example and warmed his hands in the thick fur of a heavy jacket hanging before them.

  The sounds of the marketplace drifted by as the boys squatted there wondering how long they should wait before they dared t
o venture forth. Their own clothes and hair dampened as the snow on them began to melt, and they shifted uncomfortably as their legs grew stiff. Jaymin knew they had to be ready to take off running again at a moment’s notice, but it was hard to remain still in such a position. He strained his ears, listening for the sound of those booted feet, but the moaning of the wind and the occasional muffled voice of a customer in the shop nearby were all he could hear.

  He wondered why the soldiers were after them. Had they guessed who he was? Could they somehow have overheard his conversation with Erik or read his lips? Or were they perhaps the same soldiers Erik had fought by the pond, after him to get revenge for their humiliating defeat? Jaymin wished he had seen their faces closely enough to be sure.

  Suddenly, a Malornian voice spoke up from not ten feet away. “You, there. Have you seen two ragged boys? They can’t have gone far.”

  “Ragged boys don’t shop here,” came a cultured voice in reply. “I sell only the highest quality clothing. Take a look at these fine woolen tunics, for example. Poor children shop down that way, where the goods are cheaper and of much lower quality. But perhaps I can interest you –”

  “Not shoppers, you fool.” The soldier’s voice was contemptuous. “Troublemakers. They may have run past or hidden somewhere nearby. We’re willing to pay if you can tell us where to find them.”

  “Sorry, I haven’t seen any boys run past today,” replied the tailor briskly. “But if you have money to spend, I could certainly make some suggestions. You, sir, for example. I can see you’ve gained some weight since you first bought that uniform. I could easily make some alterations –”

  “Oh, shut up, tailor,” snapped the soldier indignantly, and Jaymin had to smile at his embarrassed tone. “Just call us if you see the boys, all right?”

  “There are children all over the market, so I’m sure you’ll find some boys if you look hard enough,” replied the tailor calmly. “Now if you don’t mind, I have customers waiting. Come back some time if you decide you want that uniform adjusted.”

  Jaymin listened as the footsteps moved slowly away. He didn’t dare breathe a sigh of relief, though. There was no way of knowing if he and Erik were really out of danger. He tried to remain motionless, wondering how far the soldiers had gone and listening to the murmur of conversation as customers admired the tailor’s goods. Then, without warning, someone pulled a gown off the middle of their clothing rack right in front of Jaymin’s face.

  “I’ll buy this one,” they heard a woman’s voice declare from just a few feet away. “How much?”

  All the clothes were swaying from the movement, and Jaymin froze, biting his lip in consternation, sure that they were about to be seen. If the lady were standing in the right spot, she would be able to look straight in at them through the gap where the gown had been hanging. In fact, Jaymin could see out, his view of the tailor’s legs and the woman’s skirt flickering in and out as the garments swung back and forth.

  The light was cut off as the tailor stepped closer – right up against the hanging clothes – but when he spoke they could tell his back was to them.

  “An excellent choice, my lady. Fur-lined velvet, comfortable as well as warm. Just the thing for a winter like this one; and if I may say so, you will look lovely in it. At twenty pieces of silver, you won’t find a better deal anywhere in Drall.”

  Jaymin heard the clink of coins being counted out. As the woman thanked him and walked away with her new gown, the tailor turned around to adjust the clothing on the rack. The boys tensed, ready to leap out of hiding and bolt if he caught sight of them. But he was merely rearranging a few items to fill in the empty space, and to Jaymin’s relief, he realized that there was no longer a gap through which they might be seen.

  Time dragged on until he felt sure they had been there for hours. The voices of customers grew fewer and further between, and he knew most people must be heading home for the evening now. The air had grown stuffy and his legs were cramping uncomfortably in the narrow space. Tired of waiting, he finally elbowed Erik, but before his friend could check whether it was safe to leave, they heard a quiet step close by. The rack in front of them rocked a little as the tailor placed his hand on it.

  “Well, boys,” they heard his voice softly but clearly from above them. “The soldiers seem to have given up the search, and no one else is around just now. It’s getting time for me to bring everything in for the night, so you might want to be on your way.”

  Jaymin and Erik exchanged a surprised look in the dimness. Sheepishly, they crawled out, blinking in the pale light of evening as they clambered stiffly to their feet. The tailor, a tall, light-haired man dressed in fine clothes, stood with his back to them a few feet away, scanning the empty street for danger. He did not turn around as they stood up.

  “Er … thank you,” Jaymin murmured awkwardly, not sure quite what to say. “I didn’t realize you saw us. We didn’t mean any harm ….”

  “Oh, I know.” The man waved him off with a shrug, still not turning around. “Don’t mention it. Any enemy of the Malornians is a friend of mine. But you’d better be off now before I see you. I don’t want to have to lie if they come back.”

  I like him, Jaymin thought, grinning. He and Erik hurried off down the street, staying in the shadows near the walls of the shops to try to keep out of sight and out of the snow, which was falling more thickly now. Glancing back, Jaymin noted the exact location of the tailor’s shop, adding him to his mental list of People to Reward When I’m King. Thanks to him, they had avoided capture and – who knows? – possibly even death.

  This time.

  Chapter 8

  The hardest thing about life in Drall, Jaymin decided one morning as he and Erik burst through the gates of Hilltop school, panting and out of breath and late again, was the dangerous daily trip to school and back. They never knew where they would come across soldiers standing idly around in groups on the corners, or marching in formation down the main roads, or forcing their way on horseback through a crowded street. Although some of the Malornians seemed to pay little attention to the Alasians around them, Jaymin couldn’t forget Sir Edmend’s warning: they’re hunting for you. Erik certainly hadn’t forgotten it. He made sure that he and Jaymin never went anywhere without cutting through back alleys, hiding in crowds, and sneaking quickly across the unavoidable open places.

  It may have been his imagination, but Jaymin thought that many of the soldiers seemed more alert now than they had been at first. Every time he and Erik rounded a corner and saw those dreaded red and black uniforms, he couldn’t help but wonder if this time they might not be as lucky as before. Just this morning the two of them had had to stop, turn back, and find a different route three separate times to avoid patrols. It was nerve-wracking to have to be so constantly on the lookout. Today, as he often had lately, Jaymin found himself actually looking forward to school, because at least there he knew they would be safe.

  “One advantage of being late is that there aren’t any other students outside,” Erik pointed out as the two of them started across the empty yard toward their classroom. “No one to pester us with questions.”

  “Well, I hope Miss Arrin won’t be angry that we’re late again,” Jaymin replied as they headed toward the classrooms. “I don’t want another lecture about getting to school on time.”

  Erik shrugged, his mind already on a different track. “Look, the weather’s clear today. We can go to the pond after school.”

  Jaymin brightened. That was what the two of them looked forward to most when it wasn’t raining or snowing: their afternoons spent in the wooded area outside of town. They usually stayed till after dark, when it was easier to creep back through the streets unseen. They enjoyed sword-fighting with sticks, or wrestling, or practicing all the exercises they could think of until they collapsed, exhausted, among the trees. After all, it was important to keep in shape and be ready for anything. And with the lack of challenge at school, Jaymin often felt as though his mind
, too, needed exercise to stay in shape. So he and Erik took turns quizzing each other on science and history facts and reciting the names of all the authors and poets they knew, competing to see who could quote more of their writings. Sometimes they used twigs to scratch complicated math problems in the snow or the mud by the pond, challenging each other with harder and harder ones. It helped to pass the time, and it gave them the feeling that at least their minds wouldn’t grow stagnant. And Jaymin found that it helped a little with the frustration he felt here at school, where he was sure all his classmates thought he was lazy and stupid. He knew he should be glad he had been able to fool everyone so well, but he could take no pride in such a victory when he still felt guilty about the part he was playing.

  They had reached the door to their classroom now, and Jaymin hesitantly turned the handle. He and Erik slipped quietly in, their tardiness earning a frown from the teacher as they hurried to their seats. She was in the middle of a lesson about Malorn’s Impassable Mountains, and the rest of the class was busily writing away.

  A map would be helpful, Jaymin thought as he slid into his spot on the bench, remembering the dozens of different maps he had often studied with Professor Dreytin in the palace library. Hilltop School was not very well equipped. Someday when I’m king I’ll make sure that all of Alasia’s schools have the resources they need, he decided. He picked up his slate and began jotting down notes on what Miss Arrin was saying about the Malornian Mountain Folk and their traditional way of life, knowing a quiz would follow.

  An hour and a half later, as the rest of the class filed out for the morning break, Miss Arrin called to Jaymin to stay behind. His first thought was that she was going to lecture him about being late, but that couldn’t be, since she had let Erik go out with the others. Perhaps it was about his quiz. He had gotten all ten questions wrong, though he had known the correct answers to every one of them. Professor Dreytin had taught them about the Mountain Folk of the Impassables last year.