Chapter 17 - Innocence

Andres and Cable silently stared at the prisoner for a long time.  Even Andres, who generally was not comfortable with awkward silence, was utterly dumbstruck for a time.  But after a few moments, he felt compelled to speak.  And pessimism got the better of him.

"Great," he said at last.  "Our search is over.  We found the lost prince.  But now it doesn't matter, because we're locked in a prison and we'll never escape.  We'll just die and rot in here.  But we found the prince!  Big deal.  We're doomed."  He turned away from Dorian and started to walk around the room.

"Ah, so you were sent here?" asked Dorian.

"Yeah, by some guy named Ronaldus who for some reason didn't bother to tell us that this mission would wind up getting us killed," replied the embittered Andres.

"Ah, my old friend Ronaldus!" replied Dorian.  "That can only mean that the king is on the move!"  Then Dorian walked over, grabbed Andres from behind, picked him up in the air, turned him around and held him at arm's length.  Andres was shocked to see a huge smile break across Dorian's face.  "Do not be discouraged," declared Dorian, looking straight into Andres' eyes.  "There is always hope if the king is on the move!"

Cable was confused.  "What do you mean, 'the king is on the move'?" he asked.  "The king is dead."

Andres, who was still being held by Dorian, couldn't resist adding, "Yes, and you killed him!"  Cable shook his head.  Why did Andres have to say such things?  What good would it do to offend a tall guy that you're stuck in a cell with?

But Dorian appeared to take no offense at the charge.  He gently put Andres down, then sat on the floor and leaned against the wall, facing the two boys.  "Ah, so that's what everyone thinks, eh?" he asked, a wry smile coming across his face.

Andres didn't appreciate the smile.  "What in the world do you keep smiling for?" he asked.  "Yes, that's what everyone thinks, and it really isn't all that funny!"

Dorian shook his head.  He rose to his feet and walked over to the table where the guards had placed the two old pieces of bread.  He sniffed them and then handed one to each of the boys.  "The bread isn't too bad, boys," he said.  "Eat and celebrate.  Your mission is nearly complete, for the king is certainly coming.  You see, I didn't kill the king at all.  He is alive and well, and I doubt that we shall be in here too much longer."

Cable was still trying to make sense of it all.  "But hey, we heard from Kylus that he saw a headless body with the king's garments on it after the black knights attacked," he said.

"Ah, so Kylus is still alive as well?" asked Dorian in response.  "What good news!  I can't tell you how encouraged I am by your visit!"

"If this is what you call 'encouraging', I'd hate to see one of your bad days," Andres muttered.

Dorian ignored the remark.  "Boys, settle down," he said.  "Let me tell you the real story of the king's apparent death."  The boys sat down, leaned against the wall opposite Dorian, and listened.

"The story starts 10 years ago, boys, when I was about 17 years old.  One morning, my friend Dylonius and I got up early in the morning to go exploring on horseback.  It was still dark when we left.  The king--my father--had an announcement to make at noon, and we wanted to make sure we got back in time.

"We headed off toward the Jagged Mountains.  I adored the cool, clear, fresh mountain air, and I was always eager to head up to the mountains whenever I had the opportunity.  Dylonius and I had traveled for about two hours when we crested the first ridge.  Below us stretched a great valley, which we had planned to cross in order to go up to higher elevations.

"However, we found that we could go no further."

Dorian then stopped and looked at the old bread that Andres had in his hand.  "Are you going to eat that?" he asked.

"Hey, keep going!" said Andres.  He sank his teeth into the bread and motioned to Dorian to continue.

"All right, if you say so," Dorian said, with a wry smile again appearing on his face.  "The reason that we couldn't cross was that it was filled with an army of black knights.  They were in formation and armed for battle, with bows and quivers slung over their shoulders and spears and shields in their arms.  They were facing in the direction of the castle, and they were preparing to move.

"Dylonius and I, who knew the woods well, maneuvered around in order to try and get a better look.  As we looked toward the head of the formation, I saw someone I knew very well--Slumbutter.  I was filled with anger at that moment, for I knew that he was about to launch a rebellion.  I wanted to dart out of the woods and slay him that very moment.  But Dylonius grabbed my arm and pulled me back.  He whispered, 'We must get back and warn the king!'  I knew he was right, though it killed me to do so.  I turned my back on my enemy and we retraced our steps to the castle.

"When we returned, we immediately rushed to my father's chambers.  He was sitting there, almost as though he were expecting us.  I ran up to him and said, 'Dad, a whole army led by Slumbutter is preparing to attack!  They shall be here within a matter of hours!'

"My dad shook his head wistfully.  He turned his head to the side and said, to no one in particular, 'Oh Slumbutter, Slumbutter!  You were once a faithful warrior in battle.  How great was the triumph we shared over Bagowind!  But in end, what you really wanted was the throne.  And soon you shall have it...for a time.'

"I objected to my father's words.  'Don't say such things, Dad!' I replied.  'We can prepare for battle this very minute and defeat him!'

"My father wasn't convinced.  'Slumbutter has been plotting against me for some time,' he replied.  'He will have his hour of success.  Too many people have believed his lies.  But still, we must resist him to the end.'

"Then my father looked straight into my eyes.  'Look, Dorian,' he said.  'You must do something for me.  You must take my two boys away from here.  They--and you--must be kept safe.  Here, let me show you something.'  Then my father walked over to a desk and pulled out one of the drawers.  He grabbed a sheet of paper and handed it to me.  'Here is a map.  The queen comes from this village right here, named Corrin,' he said, pointing to a point on the map.  'Please see that you take the boys there.  You must leave immediately.  I command you--go now, and do not return until the messenger of the High King tells you to do so.'  He did not raise his voice, but he was firm.  If the messenger of the High King was involved, there was no room for debate.

He then removed the kingly ring from his finger.  'You must guard this at all costs,' he said.  I clutched the ring and nodded, not knowing exactly what to think.  I embraced my father, and he kissed my forehead.  It was an abrupt farewell, but I knew I had to act at once.

"I ran out of the chambers and went to find my mother, leaving Dylonius behind.  I couldn't help but wonder what mission my father would have for him.  However, as I ran through the hallways of the castle, I began to hesitate.  The king was asking me to leave the castle just when a battle was about to commence!  I couldn't do it!  I just couldn't do it!  So instead, I found Ronaldus, who also stayed in the castle.  I knocked on his door and asked to speak with him a moment.  When he came out, I asked, 'Ronaldus, could you do the king and I a great service?' 

"Ronaldus--the most faithful servant the Kingdom of Aberdeen has ever seen--said, 'Of course, my lord.' 

"So I told him, 'Then please, listen to me.  I need you to go to the crest of Mighty Hill, just west of here.  You will find a grove of trees at the crest.  One of the trees has a ladder built into it.  I'd built it as a child, for a lookout.  It will be of good use to us today.  Climb up that tree and look for me.  When you see me, in an hour or two from now, I should be carrying a basket and a boy.  Watch carefully.  I will shoot an arrow at the tree with instructions concerning what you are to do.'

"Ronaldus bowed before me.  'I only wish to serve my lord the king,' he said simply.  Even though it meant that he might never see his own family again, he didn't hesitate to obey.  He is perhaps the greatest man I've ever known.

"You see, I couldn't just tell Ronaldus to take the boys himself.  The queen would never surrender the boys to him, and she would certainly know that it was my job to attend to their welfare.  So I figured that I would take the boys, deliver them to Ronaldus, and then come back and fight.

"I left Ronaldus, went back to my room, and donned my armor.  I then ran to the castle ramparts.  To my surprise, the enemy was within sight of the castle gates!  Flaming arrows were already being launched, and fire had already broken out in parts of the castle.  I knew that I had to act quickly.  So I found my mother and, with no explanation, grabbed the boys out of her arms.  It was perhaps the most difficult thing I've had to do.  I could hear my mother's crying..I can hear it even today.  But my father had given me charge of the boys, and I knew that any delay could mean their lives would be in danger.

"I then made my final preparations.  I grabbed a basket from my room and placed baby Abello in it.  I took the ring that my father had given me, placed a string through it, and laid it in the basket with Abello.  Then I grabbed the map that my father had given me and wrote the following: 'Ronaldus--please see that these boys are safely taken to Corrin.  Please watch over them until the messenger of the High King tells you to move.  And guard the ring with your life!'  I carefully wrapped the map and instructions around the shafts of one of my arrows.  Leaving my shield behind, I grabbed my sword, along with the boys, and ran to the castle's stables in order to get my horse.

"My horse seemed to sense the urgency of the situation.  He ran from the castle faster than I'd ever seen him run before.  I was seen by a couple of the black knights, but no one bothered to pursue me.  There wasn't a horse in the kingdom that could keep up with mine.  I raced to the foot of Mighty Hill, hoping that Ronaldus had also seen the urgency of the situation and was in position to act.

"I got to the base of the hill, from which I had a clear view of the grove of trees.  I thought I saw Ronaldus hiding in the treetops; this greatly reassured me.  I took the basket with Abello in it and hid it under a bush.  Then I took Cornicus and said, 'You may not understand this, but please do as I say.  Crawl under those bushes and watch over your brother.  Do not leave his side, no matter what.  Soon, a friend will come by and take you away for a little while.'  Cornicus seemed to understand.  I don't know how he could--he was only two-and-a-half years old!--but he had the heart of a young king.  He obeyed me without question and started to crawl under the bushes.

"No sooner had Cornicus gotten on his knees when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw an arrow flying.  I instinctively dove and covered the boy.  The arrow struck me in the side, knocking the wind out of me.  Oh, how that hurt!  I pushed the boy into the bushes and struggled to rise to my feet.  Turning my head, I saw a tall black knight rapidly approaching.  The coward!  He would sooner shoot at an innocent boy than fight me!  In my fury I forgot about the pain in my side and steeled myself to fight to the death.

"As we fought, I was amazed at the skill of my adversary.  I was one of the best fencers of all the White Knights of Aberdeen, yet the rogue deflected my every thrust.  It didn't help that he had a shield while I had none.  And his strength was nearly overwhelming.  He kept pushing me further and further from the bushes in an obvious effort to get between me and the boys.  Only one man I knew had strength like that--the evil Dor-ko, whom my father had let go many years earlier.  It appeared that he--the ungrateful wretch--had joined forces with Slumbutter to overthrow my father.

"Finally, Dor-ko succeed in knocking me down.  He raised his sword to pin me to the ground.  I knew that, unless I gathered my strength for one last attack, both I and the boys would be dead within a minute.  So I rolled away from the slashing sword, leaped to my feet, grabbed Dor-ko's shield and thrust it upward into his jaw.  The blow knocked him senseless.  I should have finished him off at that moment, but my mind was immediately diverted to my primary mission--to see that Cornicus and Abello were safely delivered to Corrin.

"At that point, I came to a terrible realization.  As the smell from the burning castle pierced my nostrils, I realized that I would not have a chance of getting back into the castle if I kept my white armor.  The castle was surrounded, and I'd have to fight my way through a thousand enemy soldiers.  The only way to get back in would be to somehow switch armor and pretend to be one of the black knights.  I hoped that, once I got into the castle, I could at least save my father, if not my friends.  As I looked at Dor-ko's body, I realized that he was as tall as I was.  It would be a perfect fit.  So I made the decision to switch armor with him.

"Once the switch was complete, I reached into my quiver and grasped the arrow around which I had wrapped the instructions to Ronaldus.  I sent it flying through the air and into the base of the tree in which Ronaldus was perched.  I then grabbed Dor-ko's black horse and dashed back to the castle.

"When I arrived at the battle front, the black knights were preparing to assault.  The battle seemed to be at a standstill, but when the black knights observed my armor, they thought that Dor-ko had arrived.  This seemed to inspire them, and they fought with renewed vigor.  The flaming arrows continued to assault the brave but thinning line of White Knights.  I knew that Romanix and his forces would not be able to hold out much longer.

"At that point, as I looked across the battlefield, I saw Romanix himself.  What a great man, leading his men from the front!  The White Knights have never seen so courageous a leader.  I wanted to salute him, but then I realized that he was preparing to draw his arrow and shoot me down.  For of course, he thought I was Dor-ko!  In self defense, I quickly drew an arrow myself and let it fly.  As I'd hoped, I struck him in the shoulder--enough to stop him from killing me, but not enough to kill him.  I then charged forward, and the black knights followed me.  I knew that if I kept going, the black knights would find Romanix and thrust a spear through his heart.  So, when I came upon him, still writhing in pain on the ground, I dove on top of him and protected him.  Once the line of black knights passed, I got back to my feet and continued to press forward, into the castle.

"However, as I ran forward, I got the feeling--the sixth sense of the combat warrior--that I should turn around.  When I did so, I saw that brave Romanix had somehow stood to his feet and was preparing to shoot me from behind.  I raised my visor in order to show him that it was I, not Dor-ko.  I then saw, behind him, the great messenger of the High King.  I pointed to him in wonder, for it was the first time I had seen the owl in many years.  But as I pointed, Romanix turned around and followed him.  I was relieved for the moment.  At least one of my old friends would be saved.

"I continued to press forward.  My next goal was to get to my father's chambers in hopes of protecting him.  It wasn't hard to get there--the thousands of black knights were overwhelming the courageous but horribly outnumbered White Knights.  When I got to the room, I threw open the door and looked to the far corner.  There was my father, backed into a corner yet singlehandedly holding off six black knights.  In a great fury, I yelled out, 'I have returned, Father!' and ran headlong at the knights.  Together, my father and I made short work of the vile filth.  The last one paid for his treachery with a great swipe from my sword that sent his head tumbling to the floor, separated from his body.

"Finally there were a few brief moments of calm.  My father and I both leaned against the wall and slumped to the floor, exhausted.  For several moments we just fought to catch our breath.  He said, 'I knew you wouldn't leave,' to which I replied, 'How could I leave my father's side in battle?'  Then he asked, 'Are the boys safe?'  I said, 'They are in Ronaldus' hands now.'  My father said, 'Then they are safe.'

"At that point, my father rose to his feet.  'Come with me,' he said.  I replied, 'I must stay to the end, Dad.  I...I just can't leave.'  Then he took his sword and touched both my shoulders with its tip.  'You are not just an heir to the throne,' he told me, 'but you are also the bravest of warriors.  I am proud to be your father.'  Then he reached down and helped lift me to my feet.  As I stood, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.  'I leave you with one more mission, my son.  Please deliver this to Kylus.  It is a brief message, but he will need it.  And know this, that I will come back for you.  Never give up, and never lose hope.  I will come back.'  With those words, he went over to the other side of the room, grasped a small handle that protruded from the floor, and lifted up.  A trap door was raised.  He descended into the opening in the floor, closed the door behind him, and disappeared.

"Then an idea struck me--one that could deceive the enemy, if nothing else.  While the room was calm for a moment, I went to my father's wardrobe and grabbed some garments.  I then walked over to the headless knight, pulled off his black armor, and put on the king's garments instead.  Then I took the knight's head and heaved it out the window.  I hoped that, when people saw the body, they would think that the king had died.  I figured my father would be back in a few days and surprise everybody.  Little did I know that ten years would pass before he'd be on the move again!

"At that point, I became very concerned about my mother.  I had forgotten to ask my father if she had been taken care of!  So I dashed out into the hallway.  I heard great commotion to my right.  I stopped and turned and who should I see but Kylus!  I raised my visor to show him that it was I, and to let him know that I had a message for him.  But there wasn't time to explain anything, for one of the black knights was coming up behind him and preparing to cut him down.  Quickly, I drew another arrow and let it fly.  Kylus ducked, and the arrow struck the black knight in the throat.

"But evidently, Kylus thought I'd been trying to kill him.  So he raised his sword in anger and charged at me.  I fled around the corner and waited for a minute.  Hearing the door to the king's chambers close, I figured that Kylus must have gone in there.  So I ran back to the doorway, grabbed the note that my father had given me, and slid it under the door.  Then I ran down the hallway in search of any other White Knights that I might be able to aid.

"But my search was in vain.  The black knights had overrun the castle.  When I saw that no one was left, I walked up to Slumbutter and pulled off my helmet.  'You are not fit to wash my father's boots,' I declared.  Having no more strength to fight and no hope of escape, I laid down my arms.  Without so much as looking me in the eyes, he turned to a couple of knights that stood before him and said, 'Take him to the dungeon.  Give him enough food to keep him alive, and no more.  He will draw his father back here one day, and then we shall finish him for good.' 

"Well boys, that was when I was thrown into this cell.  And I've never left it since that day."