'I think she would like to be kissed now,' said Max quietly.
'Will you please attend to your own business!'
'I'm only saying—'
'Shush!'
He took the princess in his arms and pulled her closer to him. The world seemed to stop turning. For a long, impossibly beautiful moment, there was nothing but the two of them, clinging warm to each other under the glittering canopy of stars. Then he leaned forward to kiss her—
'Ahem!'
'Not now, Max!'
'Ahem!'
It wasn't Max. It was Cornelius, who was standing a short distance away, a couple of parcels tucked under his arms. Sebastian and the princess broke apart quickly and sat there looking distinctly sheepish.
'I hope I'm not interrupting anything,' said Cornelius.
'Nothing too spectacular,' said Max.
'Good.' Cornelius moved closer. He sat cross-legged beside them, set one of the paper parcels aside and began to unwrap the other. 'I managed to scrape together a few croats for food,' he said. 'It's not much. Some bread and cheese, a gourd of local wine . . .' He opened out the sheet of paper and set the food down in front of them.
'Cornelius, you're a marvel!' said Sebastian. He tore off a hunk of bread and a slice of cheese and handed them to Princess Kerin. As she took them, her hand touched his and they exchanged smiles. They all ate for a while in silence. There were no goblets, so Cornelius passed around the gourd and they each took a swig. The brew was rough but warming.
'What's it like in the city?' asked the princess, as she handed the gourd back to Cornelius.
'Ripe for revolution,' he told her. 'Everywhere you go, people are talking about you, wondering if they'll ever see you again. Some of them have bought the idea that you've been spirited away by an evil magician . . .' He nodded at Sebastian. 'Many others are not convinced by the story at all. I heard quite a few voicing their suspicions about King Septimus. Believe me, it won't take much to tip those people over the edge, and if they go, the others will follow.'
'I wish I had your confidence.'
'You'll be fine.' Cornelius set aside his food and reached for the other parcel. He handed it across to her. 'This is for you,' he said. 'I think it will help tomorrow. I didn't have the money to pay for it, so I had to find a merchant who was willing to accept my personal promise of payment. Luckily, as a member of the Crimson Cloak, my credit is quite good.'
Princess Kerin hesitated for a moment, then tore open the paper to reveal a beautiful dress in a vivid shade of red. 'Cornelius,' she said. 'It's beautiful!'
He shrugged. 'Tomorrow, when we ride through those gates, you must look every inch a princess,' he told her. 'We'll only get one chance at this. Let's give it our very best shot.'
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. 'You've both been so wonderful—'
'Ahem!'
'Sorry, Max. You've all been so wonderful. I won't forget it. When all this is over – if it goes the right way for us – I will reward you both.'
'Let's not worry about that now,' said Sebastian. 'Let's just get through tonight. We should try to get some rest.'
It was easy to say but much harder to do. The three of them sat beneath the stars, talking and making their plans, until the first light of dawn coloured the eastern sky.
CHAPTER 30
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
They waited until the sun was well up and they knew that the marketplace would be at its busiest. Then Cornelius announced that it was time to make their preparations.
The princess stole away behind some bushes and put on her new dress. She found a little pool of water and used a strip torn from her old dress to scrub the dirt and smoke from her face. As she did so, she thought about how much she had changed in just a few days. The spoiled child she used to be would never have tolerated such a lowly act as this. When she emerged, she looked more like her old self. She walked slowly back to the others and they both instinctively went down on one knee before her.
'There's no need for that,' she told them.
'Princess, there's every need,' Sebastian told her. 'You are the rightful queen of Keladon. Of course we bow to you.' He got back to his feet and stepped closer to her. 'About last night . . .' he said.
'Let's not talk about it now,' she urged him. 'This could well be our last day together . . .'
They stood looking at each other for a moment, and once again Sebastian wondered if she was waiting for him to kiss her. But instead he took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. There was a long silence.
'Well, we've a lovely day for it,' observed Max, a little too loudly.
Sebastian and the princess stepped back from each other.
'It's time,' said Cornelius.
They mounted up, then took a few moments to arrange Princess Kerin's dress around her to achieve the look they wanted. Cornelius insisted it was an important detail. Then they set off at a brisk canter to cover the short distance to the city gates. As they drew near, a voice from the ramparts shouted down the standard enquiry.
'Who goes there? Friend or foe?'
There was a brief silence.
Then Princess Kerin spoke in a clear, confident voice. 'Soldiers of Keladon, it is I, Princess Kerin!'
There was another silence. A few men appeared on the ram?parts, gazing down in astonishment. Then, from within, they heard the sound of the beast-master shouting an order. 'Close the gates!' he roared. There was a long moment while the three of them sat there in total bemusement. Then the gates began to creak slowly open. Sebastian glanced enquiringly at his companions.
'I'll explain later,' said Max.
They rode through into the courtyard beyond. A cluster of astonished soldiers were gathered around the entrance. Cornelius recognized the red-faced officer he had spoken to a couple of nights before. The man stared at Princess Kerin for a moment and then went down on one knee.
'Your highness,' he said. 'I . . . I am delighted to see you. I was told you were gone, sent to some terrible place by . . . by . . .' He recognized Sebastian and pointed an accusing finger. 'By him!' he snarled. 'Guards, take that man and clap him in irons!'
'No!' Princess Kerin's voice stopped them in their tracks. 'Hear me now, all of you. This man, Sebastian Darke . . . and this man, Captain Cornelius Drummel, are my good and trusted friends—'
'Ahem!'
'And this loyal animal here – he too is my friend. If any one of you harms them in any way, you will answer to me. Do I make myself clear?'
The red-faced officer bowed his head. 'As you command, your highness. Now, please, allow me to send a man to the palace to tell your uncle of your safe return.'
Princess Kerin shook her head. 'Send no one,' she told him. 'I would rather . . . surprise him.' She looked around at the uniformed men kneeling in front of her. 'I want you to get your men onto their equines. Leave just a couple to guard the gate. You will escort me to the marketplace, where I will address the people of Keladon. If you have a trumpeter, make sure he comes with us.'
The red-faced officer looked doubtful. 'Your highness, I'm not sure that—'
'Do you disobey my command?' snapped Princess Kerin.
The officer bowed obediently and shouted an order to his men. 'Saddle up! We go with the princess.'
Cornelius pointed to a big wooden hay wagon standing alongside the gatehouse. 'Harness our buffalope to that wagon, will you?' he suggested. 'The princess can address the people from the back of that.'
'A hay wagon?' The officer looked horrified, but the princess gestured to him to do as he was told and he ran to obey.
'What's your thinking about the wagon?' muttered Sebastian.
'It'll be a suitable chariot for a warrior queen,' replied Cornelius. 'And with Max to pull it, there won't be much that will stand in its way'
Max groaned. 'Oh no, not again,' he protested. 'You're always using me as some kind of battering ram.'
'My dear fellow,' said Cornelius. 'Revolution never happens witho
ut a cost. We must all be willing to pay the price.'
'Yes, yes,' said Max dolefully. 'It's just that sometimes I feel people are taking advantage of me!'
Within a few moments everything was done. The three friends dismounted, Cornelius got up behind the reins of the wagon and Sebastian and the princess climbed in the back. The troop of mounted cavalry formed a protective guard on either side of them. Cornelius clicked the reins and Max started forward along the main street. They travelled the short distance to the main square, the hub of the marketplace. As they had hoped, it was packed with people. And as soon as they caught sight of the princess in her brilliant red dress, they abandoned whatever they were doing and clustered delightedly around the wagon, their heads bowed in reverence.
'Trumpeter, sound a fanfare,' said Princess Kerin. T want to be sure to speak to everyone.'
The trumpeter lifted his bronzed instrument to his mouth and blew a loud blast. Sebastian looked nervously down the road, but told himself that they were still too far from the palace for it to be heard there. At the sound of the trumpet, more people appeared, spilling out of shops, cafes and houses, moving as close as they could to the wagon, until it was encircled by a press of excited humanity.
Princess Kerin got slowly to her feet. 'Well, here goes!' she whispered under her breath. She walked to the very centre of the wagon and raised her head, her hands on her hips. She took a long slow look around her, gazing openly at the mass of puzzled faces, waiting a moment to allow anticipation to build. She drew in a deep breath and tried to fight the nervousness that was knotting itself in her stomach. Then she began to speak, as loudly and clearly as she could.
'People of Keladon. Your princess has returned to you!'
At this there was a great roar of approval and she had to hold up her hands to ease them back into silence.
'Many of you have been told that this man, the jester Sebastian Darke, was responsible for my disappearance. I tell you now that this is not the case! It is only with the help of Mr Darke and his friend, Captain Drummel – and even the mighty buffalope that pulls this wagon – that I am free to stand before you now.' She paused for a moment and gazed sternly at the sea of bemused faces that surrounded her. 'I was not trans?ported to a mystical world by supernatural powers. That was a lie, perpetrated by the people who had me kidnapped.'
At this, there were gasps of dismay from every direction. The princess waited to ensure that everybody had heard her correctly.
'Yes, kidnapped – not by witchcraft or sorcery, but by very real people who still reside in the palace along the road. What's more' – she paused for effect – 'kidnapped on my birthday!'
More gasps – and a gradually rising note of discontent.
'These people plotted my downfall. Like the skulking cowards they are, they arranged to have me sold into slavery in the markets of Brigandia!'
Now another roar came from the crowd. The City of Thieves was hated by them all, and the thought of their princess even going near the place was abhorrent to them.
'Yes, it's true!' she assured them. T stood upon the auction platform before the lowest scum of Brigandia, like some piece of livestock; and it was only the daring of these two men – and their buffalope – that saved me from being sold to the highest bidder.'
Now the sounds that came from the crowd were ones of anger and outrage. Fists were being shaken in the general direction of the palace, even though it was not visible from this point.
'And now, good people of Keladon, I come to the worst part of my story. Prepare yourselves for the awful truth of this sorry tale. The person who betrayed me – the person who cast me into so miserable a fate – was my own uncle, King Septimus!'
For a moment there was complete and utter silence. The feelings of shock were apparent. But then another roar came from the crowd, one so loud that Sebastian was obliged to put his hands over his ears. The princess waited for it to die down a little before she continued.
'Yes, your king – your temporary king – decided he did not want to hand over the kingdom to me. He decided that he would do anything, no matter how despicable, to keep his position secure. And to explain what had happened, he constructed a cold and callous lie to ensure that nobody would ever know what he had done. But I have escaped to expose him for what he is. A liar, a thief and, most terrible of all . . . a murderer!'
At this there were cries of disbelief.
'Yes, I swear it on my own life!' cried the princess. 'I have learned a terrible truth about my Uncle Septimus, a man I trusted above all others. It was he who arranged the death of my parents – your former king and queen. He . . . he and his wicked consort, Magda, arranged to have them poisoned!'
Now the tumult that spilled from the crowd was overpowering – and after a few moments Sebastian could detect the sound of a chant building from somewhere in the very heart of it. It was just a few people at first, but it grew steadily louder and louder and began to spread as more and more voices took up the cry.
'Down with the king, down with the king, down with the king!'
'So now, people of Keladon, I ask you to come to my aid,' yelled Princess Kerin, struggling to make herself heard over the noise. 'I ask you to take up whatever arms you can lay hold of and come with me to the palace, where I intend to take back the throne which is mine by right!'
Cheers followed this announcement. Then there was a scuffle on the edges of the crowd as several mounted soldiers approached from the direction of the palace. Sebastian saw that the squad was led by Captain Tench. He was staring around, steely-eyed, at the huge gathering.
'What's going on here?' he demanded. 'Who gave permission for this? Return to your homes immediately!' He caught sight of the princess standing up on the wagon and his jaw dropped open. He sat there in complete astonishment for a few moments, unable to find his voice. Then he noticed the mounted soldiers who were guarding her. 'What . . . what are you men doing?' he cried. He pointed at Cornelius and Sebastian. 'Arrest them, bring them to the palace!' But the soldiers just sat there looking at him in silent accusation and Tench began to realize that his position of power had suddenly evaporated. Terror overcame him. He tried to turn his equine round in a clumsy attempt to flee the scene.
'Stop them!' cried Princess Kerin. 'Do not let them escape!'
Instantly a sea of hands reached up to grab at the mounted soldiers.
'Get your hands off me!' bellowed Captain Tench. 'How dare you? How—?'
But he was pulled head first from the saddle and dragged, kicking and struggling, into the crowd of people. Fists rained down upon him as he fell into their midst and he did not get up again.
'Take their weapons!' yelled Cornelius. 'Take their equines. Find what other weapons you can. People of Keladon, you have been lied to, you have been bled dry by a man who does not deserve to lick the boots of the rightful ruler. But the hour of vengeance is at hand. We go to the palace!'
He flicked the reins and Max started forward slowly, moving with difficulty through the masses of people. They moved aside to let him through, and after a few moments the wagon emerged at the very edge of the crowd. The mounted soldiers lined up on either side of it and behind them pressed their army. Looking around, Sebastian saw that the market stall holders were passing out anything that resembled a weapon, and others were running in and out of their homes, bringing anything they thought would be of use. He saw pitchforks, crossbows, ancient rusting swords and spears that probably hadn't seen service for years.
'It's a pretty motley crew we've gathered,' he observed quietly.
Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools Page 25
