Search for Audric

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Prince Antion had not lived in the palace for some months, and he could not depend on schedules that had most certainly changed since his last period of residency, but he had an intimate knowledge of the layout of the palace, and a good amount of knowledge about how the Arin army operated. He knew that there was a risk of being caught sneaking around the palace, but the risk was only one of discovery, and his punishment would only be the unmasking of his identity.

  The Arin prince set out on a circuitous route from the residency wing of the palace to the offices of the king and the king's advisor. Several times the prince was forced to hide as servants moved about the palace and soldiers executed their patrols, but Prince Antion finally arrived outside the king's office, only to find the door locked. Fearing discovery, Prince Antion moved immediately to the adjoining office door, the door to the office of the king's advisor. He opened the unlocked door and moved swiftly inside, closing the door in a single motion.

  The king's advisor was at his desk, and he looked up in alarm at the intrusion. His hand reached for a pull cord that Prince Antion knew would summon soldiers within seconds.

  "Don't, Evan," barked the prince. "Leave the cord be."

  The king's advisor's hand froze an inch form the cord, and he stared at the man in his doorway.

  "Prince Antion?" Evan asked. "Is that really you?"

  "It is, Evan," nodded the prince. "I need to talk to you, but I do not wish others to know that I am here."

  "Come closer," urged Evan.

  Prince Antion crossed the room and stood before the desk of the king's advisor. Evan nodded and smiled broadly as hand his came away from the alarm.

  "I can see it is you," he smiled, "but had it not been for your voice, I would have pulled the cord. It looks good on you and changes your appearance more than I would have thought. Some men look the same with or without facial hair, but yours is a fair disguise."

  "It has served me well," the prince answered. "Why did my father change his mind about going to Tarent?"

  Evan's eyes narrowed as he stared at the prince. "How is it you even know that he had not been planning on attending the coronation?"

  "I spoke with my father a couple of weeks ago," answered the prince. "It was the day after the invitation arrived. We discussed the danger and he had decided to forego the trip. What changed?"

  "King Hector of Salacia arrived here on his way to Tarent," answered Evan. "He convinced your father that Borunda would use his absence as a weapon to turn the other countries against Arin. He really had no choice in the end."

  "But my father knew that they would try to kill him on his way to the coronation," frowned the prince. "How many soldiers did he take with him?"

  "None," replied Evan. "He devised a plan with King Hector to travel as the king's personal attendant. They thought it would be sufficient to deceive the Borundans."

  "That might work," mused the prince, "but how is he getting back? Once he makes his appearance, the Borundans will not be fooled any longer."

  "I don't know," sighed the advisor. "The last I heard, your father and King Hector were going to discuss that on the journey to Tarent. I have heard nothing since."

  "Yet the coronation was a week ago," declared Prince Antion. "He should be home by now."

  "No," Evan shook his head. "If he travels by carriage, it will be another week before he arrives. Even if he rode hard by horse, today would be the earliest he could arrive. Do not react carelessly, Prince Antion. I know the thoughts that must be going through your head right now, but remember that patience is one of the kingly virtues. Many a ruler has fallen from rash actions."

  "You sound much like my father now," Prince Antion smiled thinly, "yet he may indeed have acted carelessly."

  "You are correct," nodded the advisor, "but he did not do so without thought, and he had little choice in the matter. You have a great deal of choice with your reactions should any be needed."

  "Have any troops been positioned to aid his return should it be necessary?" asked Prince Antion.

  "The king expressly asked that no troops be sent outside our borders until his return," the advisor shook his head. "I think he feared heroic movements by General Fergus might intimidate the Borundans."

  "I could understand his wishes in that respect," nodded the prince. "The general must have chafed at being denied the opportunity to provide a healthy escort."

  "He did," agreed Evan. "General Fergus is an excellent soldier, but he tends to overreact to any threat to the royal family."

  "So," frowned the prince," you are not concerned for my father's welfare?"

  "Quite the contrary," replied Evan. "I have not slept well since he left, but I will react as I know your father would wish me to. He is the king, after all, and I am but his advisor. I give him whatever wisdom I can muster, but I obey him explicitly. One in my position must never take things into his own hands. That would be usurping the Crown."

  "I apologize," the prince said with a slight sigh. "I certainly know better than to say such a thing."

  "I understand completely," smiled the advisor. "There are times when it takes great willpower to control myself, but I always remember my place." The advisor turned and looked out the window at the sun rising over the sea. He turned back to the prince and asked, "How did you manage to get into the palace if you are trying to keep your identity secret?"

  "When I was last here," explained the prince, "my father thought it best to share with me a secret that is known only to you and the king."

  "I understand," nodded the advisor. "He has prepared you well, Prince Antion," he smiled. "If you wish, I can give you a key to your father's office. No one will disturb you in there and it will give you some place to stay while you wait for an appropriate time to leave. The connecting door between our offices is currently locked, but we can safely leave it unlocked until I retire for the night."

  "Thank you," responded the prince. "I think that is a wise idea, but there is another matter that I would like to discuss with you while I am here. There are two men that I want protected by Arin. They are currently staying at the Palace Shadow. I had prepared a personal note for my father, but in his absence, I would like you to make the arrangements."

  "Of course," nodded Evan. "Tell me what I need to know about them, and what you want me to do."

  "One is a merchant from Capri," answered the prince. "His name is Kerzi, and he has been invaluable to me over the last couple of months. He is a good honest man, and I thought we could use him on runs between Anatar and Kyland. He has already brought one load of weapons down, and I am sure he can bring many more, but his wagon was destroyed in Capri. He was nearly killed there, and I would like to keep him out of Capri for a time."

  "I will see to it today," promised the advisor.

  "The other man is named Zalman," the prince began.

  "Zalman?" interrupted the advisor. "The same Zalman that Borunda has been hunting since the death of Princess Orenda?"

  "The same," nodded the prince. "Before you get excited, Zalman has told me the complete story of that night. He did not kill Princess Orenda. He was her husband and deeply in love with her. I know that the man is telling me the truth, Evan. He has bared his soul to me, and I want him protected. It will be a tricky thing to do. I understand that. You will probably need to find him a place inside the palace in order to keep him alive."

  "I do not doubt your sincerity," frowned the king's advisor, "but you are asking me to put an accused royal assassin under the roof that protects the royal family of Arin. I don't think that I can do that with a clear conscience."

  "He did not kill the princess," Prince Antion retorted strongly. "I am quite sure of it. Borunda tried to kill him to silence him."

  "Then who killed Princess Orenda?" asked Evan.

  "Naveena," answered Prince Antion. "She killed his wife and stole his son and then sent bounty hunters out to silence him forever."

  Evan sat stunned for several long moments. The whole world had
searched for Zalman the assassin for years after the death of Princess Orenda. Eventually the task was left to bounty hunters as everyone else assumed that the man had died a nameless death.

  "I cannot do this without the express authorization of King Caedmon," declared Evan. "I do not mean to rebuke you, Prince Antion, but I would be severely derelict in my duties if I acceded to your wish."

  "What if I could prove his innocence to you?" asked the prince.

  "Prove his innocence?" echoed the king's advisor. "I do not see how that is possible, but even if it were possible, the man is the father of Prince Zinan of Borunda. I cannot think of a less likely person to be placed in the royal palace of Arin."

  Prince Antion rose and began pacing the floor of the office. Evan looked on with concern for the prince, but he did not speak. Finally, the prince returned to his chair and sat down.

  "What I am going to reveal to you is a secret that you must swear to protect under penalty of death," Prince Antion said slowly and sternly. "You may reveal it only to the King of Arin and no one else without the express permission of the king or myself. Is that understood?"

  "I fully understand the nature of my position and the gravity of secrets presented to me by the royal family," stated the king's advisor. "Your father has never felt the need to express the penalty for disobedience in such a way."

  "Were my father here," retorted the prince, "we would not be having this discussion, Evan. This man must be protected at all costs, and my father would understand that. I am now going to make you understand that as well. Do you accept my terms?"

  "I do," the advisor nodded after only a brief moment to consider the gravity presented by the prince's attitude.

  "Princess Orenda had two sons the night she died," the prince revealed. "Twin boys were born the night of the fire, and no one in the world knew about this except the father who managed to save one of them from the inferno that Naveena created to kill the princess. For sixteen years, Zalman has had only one goal in his life, and that was to preserve the life of his other son. If the tales about Zalman are true, then why has Borunda never sought Prince Zinan's brother? Why have they never acknowledged his existence? And why would a man kill his beloved wife and only save one son to take with him? Why wouldn't he kill both sons or take both of them with him? Think Evan."

  "Just because the man claims that there was another son proves nothing," countered Evan. "Can he produce the boy?"

  "The boy, as you call him, is with Zalman at the Palace Shadow," declared Prince Antion. "King Caedmon has already seen the son. He is a twin and the spitting image of Prince Zinan. His voice is the same, and I, among others, have tried to kill him on sight."

  "This is incredible," gasped the king's advisor as the prince's words finally sank in. "Are we to protect the son as well?"

  "No," Prince Antion shook his head. "I will be taking the son with me on my journeys."

  "Is that wise?" asked Evan. "If he looks like Prince Zinan, that would draw unwanted attention to yourself."

  "I know," admitted the prince, "but it is necessary. Do you remember discussing my problem with the Talent, and the need for me to find a master of the Talent?"

  "Certainly," replied the king's advisor.

  "I am still on that quest," stated the prince, "and Jared must accompany me. You see, Evan, Jared is also filled with the Talent, but he has the capability to use it. We must find this master together and discover what bond exists between us, for there surely is a bond."

  "I must meet with Zalman," declared the king's advisor. "Take the key and wait in your father's office. I will have Zalman brought to the palace."

  "Have them bring Kerzi as well," suggested the prince. "He knows the truth about me and Zalman, and you can get him set up while he is here."

  "What about the boy?" inquired the king's advisor. "I would like to see him with my own eyes."

  "He is no longer a boy," smiled the prince. "He is the same age as Prince Zinan. Leave Jared at the inn. I do not want him exposed to the palace staff at this time. If you must see him, Kerzi will take you to him."

  "That is acceptable," agreed the advisor. "Go to your father's office."

  Prince Antion took the key and unlocked the connecting door to the king's office. He heard Evan summon a guard and issue instructions. The prince amused himself by browsing through the books on the shelves in the office until he heard the merchant's voice coming from Evan's office. He stood by the connecting door until he heard the guard leave and the door close before entering Evan's office to greet Kerzi and Zalman.

  Evan interrogated Zalman for two hours, asking about every little detail he could think of to trip up the man's story. In the end, Evan was satisfied that Zalman was telling the truth.

  "I would have found this story to be unbelievable if it was presented by anyone other than the Prince of Arin," Evan admitted, "but I am a believer now."

  The door to the office suddenly burst open and Prince Antion quickly turned his face away to avoid being recognized.

  "King Hector has arrived after a hard ride," announced a soldier. "He is demanding an immediate audience with you or Prince Antion."

  "Show him into the office immediately," replied the king's advisor. "We will have no need of guards. Just send him in alone."

  The guard nodded and withdrew.

  "You can hide in your father's office," suggested Evan.

  "I will stay here," declared the prince. "I must hear whatever it is he has to say."

  "But King Hector will recognize you," Evan pointed out.

  "I will trust King Hector with my secret," stated the prince, "but Kerzi and Zalman can wait in my father's office."

  The two men had barely made it through the connecting door when King Hector barged into the room. He stared briefly at the bearded man and then nodded his recognition.

  "Excellent that you are both here," declared King Hector as he closed the door. "We have a problem. I will not bore you with the details just yet, but King Caedmon is most certainly being held against his will in the royal palace in Tarent."

  "Give us the details," Evan said calmly as he indicated a seat for the Salacian king.

  "I will stand," King Hector shook his head. "I have not spent so many hours in a saddle in a long time. My family is a week behind me."

  "Why did you leave Tarent without my father?" asked Prince Antion.

  "We had no choice," answered the Salacian king. "The Borundans isolated him by placing him in the royal wing. King Rihad and I made a stand when it came time to leave, but Prince Zinan told us that your father had left the day before. We rode hard to catch up to him, but we soon realized that it was a lie."

  "Are you sure he was not killed on the way home?" asked Evan.

  "Fairly positive," nodded King Hector. "I was so upset at the time with the Borundans antics, that I did not think clearly, but after two days on the road it hit me. We smuggled King Caedmon into the palace in one of the Salacian carriages. We were not sure how we would get him out, but we had several options planned. Other than sneaking him back out in the carriage, all of the other plans revolved around him having a horse. We took two Arin horses with us and attached them to one of the carriages as if they were spares. If your father had indeed left on his own, he would have taken one of the horses. There is no doubt in my mind that the Borundans lied to us. What I cannot know for sure is if they forced him to leave in the presence of Borundan soldiers. He would not have taken one of our horses in such an event."

  "You must tell us everything you can remember about the journey," declared Evan. "Leave out no small detail in your telling."

  "Indeed," interjected Prince Antion. "Arin lives will depend on it."

  Chapter 33

  The Poem

  Prince Antion and Evan listened intently as King Hector related his remembrance of the trip to Tarent. He had just recalled his observations of the last time he had seen King Caedmon.

  "So the king indicated with finger talking that there w
as a note?" asked Evan. "And that was the last time that you saw him?"

  "That is correct," nodded King Hector. "Soldiers escorted him out of the room, and while King Caedmon was leaving, he signaled clearly that he had left a note. Now, many people had seen him enter the room with a large bound volume. He was the last to enter, and it is unusual that someone would bring reading material with him to an event as formal as a coronation, so I imagine many eyes must have been diverted to him at times during the ceremony. In fact, that evening I had many people ask me about the book King Caedmon had been reading during the coronation. Several mentioned the paper that he placed in the book."

  "So he placed a note in the book and then signaled you that he had," frowned Evan. "How was that supposed to help if you did not have access to the book?"

  "That is the thing," King Hector continued. "When the soldiers escorted him from the room, King Caedmon purposely left the book on his chair. I think he made a show of the book and the leaving of it so that I would retrieve it after he had left, but there was a flaw in his plan. Before anyone could move, Prince Zinan swept by the chair and seized the book on his way out of the room."

  "And the note was seized by the enemy," Evan nodded sadly.

  "It would appear so," agreed King Hector. "I did examine his chair before I left the room, just in case I was mistaken about his intentions, and I did find another slip of paper wedged into the back of the seat, but it is only a short poem, a ditty that is well below his skill as a poet."

  "What did it say?" Prince Antion asked anxiously.

  "I have it here," replied the Salacian king as he extracted a very small slip of paper from his pouch. "I will read it for you."

  No nation southward flows

  The flowers all are set in rows

  Amidst the early morning dew