by Linda McNabb
**
By the time Toby and Max arrived at the suite assigned to the new prince he was already there.
“Ah, at last. Where have you been?” He didn’t pause long enough for an answer and from the tone of his voice he didn’t really expect one. He waved his hands around the expensively appointed rooms that boasted almost as much velvet curtaining as the king’s suite. “These rooms are far too plain for the heir to the throne.”
Toby wondered if he had missed something. Had there been a ceremony to officially announce this stranger as the new heir to the throne? He didn’t think so but he wasn’t going to bring it up.
“What would you like, Sir?” Max asked with a bow of his head.
“Sir?”
Toby could see the colour building up under Prince Blaise’s skin. His eyes, the most unattractive shade of brown Toby had ever seen, fixed on poor Max who was trying hard not to bolt from the room. A second later Max was on the ground, struck with a blow so fast that Toby didn’t even see it.
“Is that how you address your future king?”
“No… Your Highness,” Max stuttered as he scrambled to his feet and held his hand to his chin.
“Follow me and I’ll show you what I want.” Prince Blaise strode off with a relaxed smile as if he hadn’t even raised his voice, no matter his hand.
Toby followed as quickly as Max did, knowing that their new master wasn’t one to cross, ever. Their first stop surprised them both but they did not let it show. Prince Blaise walked straight into his step-brother’s suite as if he owned it. He immediately started pointing out ornaments and wall-hangings that he wanted. Toby briefly wondered what would have happened if Prince Rory had been in his suite. Nothing, Prince Rory never raised his voice and definitely not his fist. He would have stood aside and allowed his most treasured possessions to be taken. Strength was not one of the younger prince’s qualities.
The only room they didn’t go to was the king and queen’s suite, but from the lengthy time Prince Blaise paused outside the door it was clear he wanted to. The prince left them to collect the items he wanted while he skipped lightly down the stone steps that lead to the main doors, whistling off-key and smiling broadly.
It took several hours to collect all the items for the prince and it was an hour before dark when they were carrying the last item, a rolled up rug, down the hallway
“Do you believe he’s the king’s son?” Max muttered. His jaw was bruising already and would not be pretty by morning.
“It doesn’t really matter what we think,” Toby commented. A piercing scream, not a human one by the pitch, filled Toby’s head with an almost shattering pain. He dropped his end of the rug, earning him a glare from Max.
“What’ya doing?” Max demanded.
“Can’t you hear it?” Toby tried to shake the noise from his head but couldn’t.
“I can hear that dragon whimpering in the courtyard,” Max muttered sourly.
Klel! Toby jumped over the rug that Max still held one end of and dashed for the steps.
“Toby! Come back!” Max yelled after him but Toby didn’t wasn’t listening.
Klel was in pain and he had to get to him. What could have caused such pain and why was he the only one hearing it.
He reached the courtyard just as the king, mounted on a huge horse, went out the main gate. The royal carriage followed at the rear of a dozen guards. Toby knew the king would sleep away most of the trip north in the carriage, which was why they were leaving so late in the day.
Both princes and the queen stood dutifully by the left of the gate as the king left the courtyard. Toby took the chance that nobody would be looking his way and he dashed across the courtyard to Klel’s shelter. He didn’t even take the time to cover his footprints in the light dusting of snow on the ground. What he saw made him feel sick and had Klel not been so dear to him he would have turned and run.
Klel lay half curled up in the corner of his shelter with his eyes shut, whimpering and thumping his strong tail against the wall. The king, or someone ordered by him, had removed three scales from the soft underbelly of the poor creature. Toby knelt down next to his friend, unsure what he could do for him.
“Klel,” he whispered softly as he stroked the dragon’s head. “Why did he do it? Is there an illness in another kingdom?”
Unlikely. Klel wriggled, trying to find a more comfortable position and opened his eyes to look at Toby. The pain in them was horrible but Toby didn’t look away. Show off more likely.
Toby nodded in agreement. King Herat loved nothing better than to show off the golden scales. He rarely offered to heal anyone with them, which made it even worse. The scales would slowly lose their powers and Klel’s pain would have been for nothing.
“Will it take long for them to heal?” Toby looked at the open wounds on Klel’s chest, then took his shirt off and covered them with it. At least it would keep the cold air off the sensitive skin underneath.
One, not long. Two, longer. Three, much time. Klel sighed as he closed his eyes again. Thank you, Toby.
Toby looked at his friend and brushed a tear from his cheek. He could easily see where scales were removed in the past and had re-grown over the years. They were lighter in colour than the rest of his scales, and thinner too. His hatred for his king began to grow stronger.
Realising there was nothing more he could do for Klel, Toby slipped out of the shelter and ran back to the castle just as the last of the procession passed through the gates.
He stopped in his room, put on his only other shirt, and ran back up to Prince Blaise’s suite. Max was still dragging the rug across the floor and Toby picked up the other end and helped to spread it in place.
“I won’t forget this. If you get us into trouble with the prince I’ll make you sorry,” Max promised and glared at Toby.
A guard appeared at the door and waited for them to notice him.
“You’re to report to the prince in the practice yard,” he said and then rushed off back down the steps
Max pushed past Toby with a sour look. “He probably wants to use us as target practice.”
The practice yard? He must have gone there straight from seeing the king off. It seemed a strange choice for the first place to visit but Toby was fast realising that Prince Blaise was unusual.
When they arrived at the practice yard Prince Blaise was standing in the middle of the yard juggling stones as if waiting for someone. Toby and Max walked quietly up and stood several feet behind him but did not interrupt his juggling. Prince Rory was also just arriving by another archway. All practice had been suspended as everyone watched to see why the two princes were here.
“We could have met in more civilised surroundings.” Prince Rory shifted from foot to foot, looking very uncomfortable being so near weapons of war.
“Two swords, lads.” Prince Blaise spoke to Toby and Max without turning to see if they stood behind him. He obviously saw more than they thought.
Toby looked around for a familiar face and saw Nathan. Nathan tossed his sword to him and he caught it deftly by the handle then approached his new master hesitantly. Max had been given one too and he looked just as nervous. Was Prince Blaise expecting them to fight?
