"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
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 was 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
For Glynis there is such a view
Makes one reach from on his toes
"Were it not for the mention of Glynis," frowned Evan, "I would not attribute such poetry to King Caedmon. I suspect he may have written it while under a great deal of stress."
"He is a much better poet than this," agreed King Hector. "I wish he had left the poem in the book and the note in the chair."
"This is the note," Prince Antion declared. "My father can be quite devious when he wants to be. He would never be so obvious when seeking stealth as to utilize the large book for anything but a smokescreen. You have discovered exactly what he wanted you to find, King Hector."
"This poem?" balked the Salacian king.
"Yes," Prince Antion nodded exaggeratedly. "These five lines are my father's last words to us. They are his instructions."
"No nation southward flows?" Evan questioned as he looked at the first line of the poem. "Is he suggesting that no one attack Borunda over his capture?"
"Or is it a play on words, an anagram of sorts?" posed King Hector. "Did he wish to say Antion rather than nation?"
"Meaning that the prince must not go to rescue him?" suggested Evan. "That certainly makes sense. Arin could ill afford to lose the Crown Prince and the king."
"Salacia is prepared to mass her armies with those of Arin for the march on Tarent," King Hector declared. "It burned me to leave Borunda without your king, but I could do little with three-dozen men."
"Let's move on," urged Prince Antion. "We can argue later over who will rescue or avenge my father."
King Hector's eyebrow rose at the prince's words, but he nodded in silent agreement. "Line three is obvious to me now that we know this to be instructions from King Caedmon. I should have realized it sooner. Amidst the early morning dew speaks of a time of day. Whatever the rest of the poem says, King Caedmon is framing it around the predawn hours of the morning when sentries wobble and dream of bed."
"So he is giving us a time frame for his rescue?" inquired Evan. "How can he mention a time of day, and not the day itself?"
"He has no way of knowing when help might arrive," answered Prince Antion, "but it indicates that he does not expect the Borundans to kill him. I find that encouraging."
"So he will be prepared for action each and every morning before sunrise," nodded King Hector. "That does make sense. He always was an early riser, and it would be the best time for an attack or a rescue."
"Line five appears to speak of stretching," commented Evan, "as if you were reaching for something on the top shelf, or over your head."
"I agree," nodded King Hector, "but it doesn't tell us much."
"Perhaps he is describing his location?" questioned Prince Antion. "There are several levels to the royal palace in Tarent."
"True," sighed the Salacian king, "but merely indicating that he is on the top level does us little good. The palace is quite large."
"Line two describes a flower garden," interjected Prince Antion. "The flowers all are set in rows. I have never seen the residency section of the palace in Tarent. Is there a garden there?"
"There is," stated King Hector. "In fact, there are several gardens, and most of them can be seen from the residency section. I am afraid that the clues are too sparse to tell us what King Caedmon had hoped to tell us."
"Assuming our thoughts are correct so far," the king's advisor said, "there is only line four to consider, and it makes no sense at all. For Glynis there is such a view. What can he possibly mean? Princess Glynis has never been to Tarent."
"Nor is there a garden view from her rooms," added Prince Antion. "I am at a loss to discover my father's meaning, but I know what the course of action must be. I will not let my father rot in the palace in Tarent. We should get General Fergus in here to prepare the army to march."
"I agree," nodded King Hector. "The Borundans have committed an act of war. The Salacians will gladly join with your forces, Prince Antion. There is no greater bond in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms than the one that exists between Arin and Salacia."
"Wait," frowned Evan. "Have both of you lost all sense of reason? King Caedmon's message said that there was not to be an invasion. No nation southward flows. It is the first thing he spoke of, and one must assume it to be the most important."
"I still think General Fergus should be in on this discussion," insisted the Arin prince. "Whatever we do, the army of Arin is bound to be involved."
"You are the Crown Prince," nodded Evan, "and under the circumstances, I will serve you as I have served your father, but I urge the greatest caution in regards to this situation. Think for a moment what the Borundans may be trying to accomplish with this seemingly foolish gambit."
"Provoke a war?" questioned the prince.
"And make it appear that Arin is the aggressor," nodded the king's advisor. "E
ven with the Salacians at your side, your armies will have to fight for hundreds of miles to reach Tarent."
"And the Borundans will be able to pull their armies from Dulga and the east," sighed King Hector. "They will greatly outnumber us."
"And they will have supplies handy," Evan pointed out. "We will have supply lines stretched over hundreds of miles. Let me summon General Fergus as you requested, Prince Antion, but I plead for rational thought before decisions are made. The general is prone to hastiness, especially where the royal family is concerned."
"I understand," Prince Antion said softly. "I am not anxious to spread Arin or Salacian blood across the miles between here and Tarent, but I will not accept the situation as it exists."
"Are you prepared to reveal your disguise to the general?" asked Evan as he nodded in the direction of the king's office, "Or would you prefer to wait elsewhere?"
"General Fergus will now learn of my disguise," conceded the Arin prince. "I cannot put my own interests above the welfare of my country. Send for him."
A runner was sent and General Fergus hurried to the office of the king's advisor. He had been informed of King Hector's arrival and was expecting the summons to appear.
"King Hector," bowed the general. "Prince Antion, how may I be of service?"
The prince had purposely kept his face averted from the doorway so that the runner did not see him, and he was shocked when the general addressed him calmly.
"How is it that you recognize me so easily?" asked the prince.
"Please, Prince Antion," smiled the general, "I have not obtained my lofty position by remaining ignorant of what goes on around me, especially when it deals with the royal family. This is your second visit to Anatar in the last few weeks. I have a small, trusted squad that keeps its eye out for you and makes sure that you are not followed or accosted."
"You are spying on me?" questioned the prince.
"No," the general shook his head. "I am looking out for the country's royal family. There is a great difference. My men are not concerned with what you do, or where you go, only that you remain safe. They have orders not to follow you outside the boundaries of Arin, but when you are at home, we will make sure that no assassins take aim at you."
The prince was concerned that he was followed to the statue. He had promised his father to maintain that secret.
"Was I followed this morning?" Prince Antion asked.
"Unfortunately not," sighed the general, "and I will have a talk with my men about that. They assumed that you have not left the Palace Shadow yet."
"Do not disparage your men, General Fergus," ordered the prince. "Had they followed me, it would have wasted valuable time. I want you to disband or reassign the squad detailed to spy on me. I will not have my actions under scrutiny."
"You misunderstand," frowned the general. "I have no intention of scrutinizing your actions. I am sworn to protect you, and that is all I seek to do."
"Let him do his job," interjected King Hector. "The very fact that you were surprised by his knowledge of your identity proves that he is loyal and performing as he should." Prince Antion's mouth opened to argue, but King Hector raised his hand to silence the prince and continued, "I know exactly how you feel, Prince Antion. I was a prince once myself, but you will get used to it. It appears that your father chose well when he selected General Fergus to lead the army. His discretion has been most admirable."
"Alright," agreed the prince. "This is neither the time nor the place for this conversation. Show the general the note, and bring him current with our discussion. I need to get some food."
"Go into your father's office," suggested Evan. "I will have several plates of food delivered to you, and I will gather you when the general is current with the situation."
Prince Antion walked through the connecting doorway to his father's office. Zalman and Kerzi were sitting and talking quietly and he informed them that food would soon be delivered. He unlocked the door that led to the corridor outside the office and then sat in a chair in the corner of the room that was not visible from the door. Zalman and Kerzi gathered around and asked what was going on. The prince explained the whole story and then there was a knock on the door. Kerzi hurried to answer it and accepted a large tray with bread, cheese, and meat on it. Kerzi placed the tray on the desk and closed the door. The three men moved to the desk and began to eat.
"The poem intrigues me," Zalman said. "Why do the royals excel at such endeavors as concealing the truth?"
"I am not sure that they do excel at it," pondered Prince Antion. "I think everyone employs such tactics at one time or another, but it is the royals who are usually pointed at and discussed."
"That makes sense," nodded Kerzi. "I've met many a merchant who could say things in such a way that its meaning changed depending upon who was listening."
"I suppose you are right," conceded Zalman. "Perhaps I just have a sour taste in my mouth because of the way the Borundan royal family treated me."
"Princess Orenda was part of the royal family," interjected Prince Antion. "She did not treat you poorly."
"No, she didn't," agreed Zalman, "but she was ostracized because of it. Our romance created a rift between Orenda and her brother. I always felt bad about that. Eugeon was not a bad man. At first he acted merely as if I was not quite good enough for his sister, but as our romance developed, he became quite bitter and adamant that she should leave me. That attitude hurt Orenda a great deal."
Kerzi had written the poem on a slip of paper and had been staring at it while he ate. "Who is Glynis?" he asked.
"She is my sister," Prince Antion answered.
"Is it just the two of you?" asked Kerzi. "I mean do you have other brothers and sisters?"
"No," Prince Antion shook his head as he finished his chuck of bread. "It is just the two of us. I should get back and see what General Fergus thinks of the situation."
Prince Antion rose and started towards the connecting door, but Zalman's hand reached out and grabbed his arm. The prince turned with a questioning gaze.
"Just the two of you?" asked Zalman. "One prince? One princess?"
"Yes," frowned Prince Antion. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Nothing wrong," replied Zalman, "although royals tend to breed more like rabbits. I am thinking about the poem."
"What about the poem?" asked the prince.
"For Glynis there is a such a view," stated Zalman. "Your sister has nothing to do with Tarent, and she is unlikely to be involved in any rescue attempt, so one wonders why your father mentioned her."
"And you think you know?" asked the prince.
"I do," nodded Zalman. "He used your sister's name because he dared not mention the name of Orenda in case the note was discovered. The significance is that she is the lone princess of Arin, as Orenda was the lone princess of Borunda."
"Why would my father be talking about Princess Orenda?" Prince Antion asked.
"Because that is where your father is being kept," declared Zalman. "Her rooms are directly over a flower garden in the rear of the palace. It all makes sense now," he said excitedly as he snared the paper from Kerzi. "He is housed in Princess Orenda's suite above the garden. He will be prepared each morning before sunrise to be rescued, and do not start a war to retrieve him. It all makes sense."
"Have you been to Princess Orenda's suite?" asked the prince.
"A few times," nodded Zalman. "I was not allowed in the palace, but Orenda used to sneak me in. One time she even lowered a rope from her window and I climbed up from the garden."
"Are there guards in the garden?" asked the prince.
"There were at times." Zalman nodded. "But we are talking about sixteen years ago. You must not depend upon my recollections to determine what the situation is today."
"Palaces are mostly steadfast in their routines," Prince Antion shared. "They will make changes in reaction to certain threats, but for the most part, if things have worked well for centuries no one sees much need to
change them. Still, I will make sure to reconnoiter the situation before the rescue."
"So you are going to Tarent then?" asked Kerzi.
"Of course," replied Prince Antion. "Would you expect anything less?"
"No," answered the merchant, "but neither would the dark prince. Have you thought that it might be a trap to snare you?"
"The thought crossed my mind," nodded the prince, "but I cannot entrust this task to anyone else. If the rescue attempt failed, I would blame myself for the rest of my days, and a cold, bitter ruler is not what the people of Arin deserve."
"When will my wagon be ready?" asked Kerzi.
"Your wagon?" balked the prince. "What does that have to do with anything? If you think you are going to Tarent, you have gone mad."
"Oh?" grinned the merchant. "Perhaps you need more time to think about this? You and your warriors are going to ride along the Koar-Tarent Road, stop at the royal palace, and return home. Is that the plan? You tell me who has gone mad."
"And you think your wagon will travel undisputed?" scowled Prince Antion.
"It might," answered Kerzi, "especially if we are not heading where they expect us to be going."
"What do you have in mind?" the prince asked.
"We travel as merchants as always," answered Kerzi. "We pick up a load in Tarent and head east towards Dulga. Now, once the escape is noticed, the Borundans will be on the lookout for any group of riders, especially ones who appear to be in a hurry. They won't bother with merchants, but they won't find your father in any group of riders either, so they will then start searching the merchants. Their problem is, of course, they will be checking merchants heading for Anatar. By the time they get around to checking the roads to the east, we will be in Odessia."
"It might work," nodded Zalman. "They would never expect you to take the king eastward."
"And once we reach Odessia," grinned the merchant, "your friend Horst can arrange for an Odessian army to escort the king to Arin. The rest of us can continue onward to Vineland and search for that mystic you are so keen to find."
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