Alutar: The Great Demon (45 page)

“By the gods!” King Harowin exclaimed. “It is you! Welcome home, son.”

“Hello, Father,” Prince Harold said softly. “Yes, it is me, and I have never felt better in my life.”

General Harford smiled as he looked at the prince, but the king merely waved for Harold to sit and then took his own seat at the table across from the prince. General Harford stared at Garth uneasily as he realized that the king had not intended to have the merchant dine with the others. With embarrassment, he sat down at the far end of the table. The four guards closed the door and flanked the doorway.

“How is it that you are healed?” asked the king. “I had the best healers in the world tend to you, and none of them could do a thing about your condition.”

“I do not know enough about healing to explain it,” answered the prince, “but Garth found me an excellent healer. He worked on me night and day until I was completely healed. I owe my life to him.”

“Where can this healer be found?” asked the king. “I would like to reward him.”

“He seeks no reward,” answered the prince. “He was happy to be of service. I think he enjoyed the challenge of it all. How have you been, Father? My brother’s men let no news of the kingdom filter into my prison.”

“Your brother’s men murdered your step-brothers,” snarled the king. “I have heard that Montero is dead, but I await the official word from Despair.” The king sighed wearily and shook his head. “Let us not talk about disturbing things, Harold. Your return to Farmin should be a festive occasion. I have ordered your old quarters to be redecorated to suit the Crown Prince, and I will engage a tutor to make sure that your studies were not ignored.”

“Am I to be the Crown Prince then?” asked Harold. “I was not sure if you had disowned me because of my sickly nature.”

King Harowin frowned. He remembered Harold as a youngster who seldom said anything and certainly not anything disagreeable. Now he got the distinct impression that the prince felt as if he were ready to take over the kingdom. That eagerness troubled the king, especially with rumors of a pending assassination in the air. King Harowin had no intention of sharing his throne with anyone, blood related or not. He was also prepared to test the young prince to see what he was made of.

“You could become the Crown Prince,” the king declared, “but only time will tell if you are fit to rule. You will be allowed to live in the Royal Palace and receive lessons. As you become accustomed to the ways of my court, I will offer you chances to prove yourself. Perhaps General Harford can assign a man to you to train you for the army. Becoming an officer would be a good step in the right direction.”

“It would be a pleasure,” stated General Harford.

“I would like to become proficient with weapons,” Prince Harold said to the general, “but I am unsure about joining the army.”

“Unsure?” scowled the king. “Why would you spurn an offer to lead your countrymen into battle?”

“Because I do not think my countrymen should die needlessly,” answered the prince. “The Federation spends the lives of Ertakans with disregard. Should I ever become king, that would stop immediately. There are many problems in Ertak that need attention far more than those dreamed up by Emperor Jaar. The King of Ertak should be looking to the needs of his own people before the needs of the Federation.”

The king’s face turned red with anger and he stood up, throwing his napkin on the table.

“How dare you speak of the Federation in such tones?” snarled King Harowin. “You think you will become king? You have just committed treason, and I will not have your words taint my office. You will hang before I associate myself with you. Take him to the dungeons.”

The guards drew their swords and Garth shouted, “Stop!”

The guards halted and everyone’s eyes turned to Garth who was standing behind the seated prince. Garth glared at the king.

“You gave me your word, King Harowin,” Garth said pleadingly. “You promised that no harm would come to Harold.”

“My word is law in Ertak,” spat the king, “and I have the right to change it whenever I want. Get them both out of here.”

The guards started advancing, and Garth sighed with resignation. He bent down and pulled two knives that had been hidden in his boots. Before anyone could determine what Garth was doing, he threw the two knives at the outer two guards. As those guards fell to the floor, Garth picked up the chair next to Prince Harold and threw it at the remaining two guards.

“Come, Harold!” he shouted as he dove towards the soldiers.

The soldiers raised their arms to block the chair, unaware that Garth’s body was already diving towards them. They batted the chair aside as Garth’s body hit them both in the legs. As they tumbled to the floor, Garth grabbed a sword dropped by one of the dead guards. He rose quickly and caught both of the soldiers with fatal slashes as they rose to their feet. Prince Harold raced to Garth’s side and seized a sword. During the commotion, King Harowin had managed to trigger an alarm that Garth had not seen. The door flew open and soldiers tried to enter, but Garth refused to yield the doorway.

“Stop,” shouted the king. “Everyone stop and sheath your swords. General Harford, order your men to stand outside the room and allow no one to leave without my permission. Harold, bring your friend back to the table. We need to talk.”

Prince Harold looked to Garth for instructions. Garth sighed as he saw dozens of soldiers outside the door. Escape was impossible. He nodded to the prince. The prince dropped his sword and retreated to the table while General Harford gave instructions to his men. Garth also dropped his sword and walked to the table. He looked King Harowin in the eyes as he spoke.

“I alone am responsible for what happened here,” he said. “I beg you to keep your word concerning the prince.”

General Harford returned to the table and sat down. The king also sat and waved his hand for Garth to sit next to Prince Harold. Garth sat.

“Why did you not attack me?” asked King Harowin.

Garth frowned. “I am not here to assassinate you, King Harowin. I am here to protect the prince.”

“And you thought you could fight your way out of the Royal Palace?” scoffed the king.

“If you had not sounded the alarm,” frowned Garth, “I think we could have made it. I feel confident that Prince Harold would have made it.”

“How?” asked General Harford.

“While everyone was rushing towards the exits to block our escape,” Garth said, “we would go upstairs to the second floor. At the end of the corridor are windows that overlook the stables. It is not a bad leap to make, and I do not think many soldiers would be there.”

“Impressive,” General Harford offered with a raised eyebrow. “What are you doing being a merchant rather than a soldier?”

“I do not consider myself a merchant,” answered Garth. “I am a special agent for Sidney Mercado. I carry very expensive items, and I am sometimes required to act decisively to protect them.”

“Your talents are wasted,” replied the general. “We knew that you would try to escape, but I never imagined that one man could best four of my men in the time it took to reach the door.”

“This was a test?” Garth asked with disbelief.

“When a prince returns in a mysterious way,” offered King Harowin, “and rumors are running rampant about an assassination attempt on me, I think it is prudent to know who we are dealing with.”

The king waved his hand in the air and pointed to the door. Out of the shadows at the far end of the room a black-cloak appeared and headed for the door. The king followed the mage’s progress until he exited the room.

“We were prepared for you to strike, Garth Shado,” stated the king. “I am pleased with the direction your fight took.” The king turned his attention to the prince. “Harold, you are young and idealistic. That is understandable, but you will learn over the coming years. Nothing is ever as simple as you think it is.”

“Things can always be simpler than they are,” retorted the prince. “Do you really put the Federation above Ertak? Do you truly consider speaking ill of the Federation as treason?”

“We are a part of the Federation,” frowned the king. “To speak against the Federation is to speak against ourselves. You must never utter such words in public. To do so is to invite death. Promise me that you will watch your tongue.”

“I will try, Father,” the prince responded, “but it will be hard for me. Tell me, who are the enemies of Ertak these days?”

A puzzled expression fell over the king’s face. “Our enemies are many,” he replied. “There is a country across the sea named Alcea. That is where your brother, Montero, has gone. By all accounts, he has died over there. Then there are the horse countries, and now we must add Karamin and Vinafor to that list.”

“Karamin and Vinafor?” echoed the prince. “What evil do they have planned for Ertak?”

“For Ertak?” asked the king. “They will pose no danger to Ertak, but they have withdrawn from the Federation. That must not be allowed.”

The prince nodded and a thin smile appeared on his lips. “I have heard mention of a second army in Farmin,” he said innocently. “I believe it is led by General Larus. That is a name that I have not heard before. Is he loyal to you?”

“Be wary of General Larus,” warned General Harford. “Especially with your thoughts about the Federation. He serves Grand General Kyrga, not your father. His army may be stationed here for foul purposes.”

“I see,” the prince said, his smile getting broader. “Let me see if I understand this completely. Karamin and Vinafor, who mean Ertak no harm, are our sworn enemies, but General Larus and his 34
^th
Corps who seeks to rule Ertak for the Federation is our friend. Is that correct?”

The king frowned deeply, but General Harford chuckled. The king shot a glare at the general, but Harford could not contain himself.

“There is nothing wrong with the lad’s reasoning, Sire,” offered the general. “The truth of the matter is that no one really cares about the countries west of the Barrier. They were taken into the Federation to fill the rolls of the army and to get horses for the Alcean war. I can’t imagine expending the manpower to bother conquering them again.”

King Harowin raised an eyebrow at the general’s words, but he eventually nodded in agreement.

“There is truth in your words, Harold,” the king said seriously, “but keep such thoughts to yourself. I am serious about the grave consequences of publicly going against the Federation. I will not be able to save you if you go too far.”

“Nor will Garth Shado,” added the general. “The Federation has spies everywhere. Do not speak ill of them.”

The prince noted that the general used the word “them” when speaking of the Federation. He wondered if the general was revealing more about himself than he intended.

“I am inexperienced in such things,” admitted the prince. “I will watch my words carefully. Still, this whole conversation started when you spoke of me joining the army. I know that I must hone my skills in the art of warfare, if for no other reason than to inspire our soldiers, but if you will give me leave, I would like to concentrate on other areas for the crown.”

“Like what?” the king asked with suspicion.

“I had a chance to spend some time in the slums of Farmin,” answered Prince Harold. “I think the conditions there are deplorable and a blight on your good name. I would like to try my hand at doing something to change the impression visitors get when they visit our fine city.”

“A prince in the slums?” balked the king. “Are you daft?”

“Not at all, Father,” smiled the prince. “How much tax revenue do you get out of the slums now?”

“Tax revenue?” echoed the king. “People are in the slums because they can’t afford to pay taxes.”

“I can change that,” the prince said confidently. “It may take a little gold to get the project started, but I think I can manage on a prince’s allowance. Do you think if I can prove to the tutor that I do not need any further lessons that I might also gain access to the funds that would have been used to pay the tutor?”

“You mercenary scoundrel,” laughed the king. “You don’t want to take my life. You are here to take my gold. Very well then. I will allow you to dabble in creating new tax revenues, but I will expect results. And you will not get the tutor’s wages until you can prove that you no longer need him. Oh, it is good to have you back again, Harold. Let us leave these two military men and sit and talk in my study. I want to know everything that has happened to you since you left home.”

The king and the prince rose and left the room by a door to the residence wing of the palace. Garth looked at General Harford with a questioning glance.

“I apologize for the deaths of your men, General,” Garth said softly. “I had no idea that it was merely a test.”

“Their deaths are not on your hands, Garth Shado,” the general said sadly. “They were warned that you would try to escape. Their deaths are the result of their own unpreparedness. Still, I wish I had foreseen your great abilities. I was serious when I said that you are wasting your talents. If you would consider it, I would be pleased to sponsor you in the Federation army.”

Garth smiled. He knew that Harold would have to end up telling of his rescue from Montero’s castle, so he decided to have some fun with the general. “What rank would I have?” he asked.

“Rank?” frowned the general. “Your skills are exemplary, but I could not make you an officer without being sure that you knew how to handle men.”

“A pity,” replied Garth. “The last time I was in the Federation army I was a colonel. I was sort of expecting to be made a general this time.”

“You were a colonel in the Federation army?” puzzled the general. “What army?”

“The 11
^th
Corps,” chuckled Garth.

“That is my army,” scowled the general. “And you were never a colonel in the 11
^th
Corps. I would surely know. Why lie to me?”

“It is not really a lie,” shrugged Garth. “I was known as Colonel Belasko.”

The general’s face paled, and his mouth hung open. “That was you?” he gasped. “You stole Prince Harold right out of Montero’s castle. Why?”