The False Prince (Fall Of A King Book 1)

by Fuller, James

"Your friends are quite defensive," Barnaby whispered to Shania as he watched the men argue.

  Shania smiled wide, "They good friends."

  "What is the meaning of this!" Lady Jewel barked out above the shouts of Dahak and the guards.

  "My Lady," the guard bowed. "My apologies for my outburst, but I bring you the half-breed you were looking for."

  Lady Jewel looked toward Dahak and Zehava. "Is this your friend, the one who helped save you and the Princess?"

  "Yes, this is her," Zehava answered, letting go of Dahak's arm, now that he was no longer trying to attack the guards.

  "Release her." Lady Jewel ordered.

  "My Lady?" The guard asked in surprise. "I caught these two robbing a vendor…"

  "I said, release her." Jewel said again, her voice stern as she cut his off.

  "Yes, my Lady, sorry for my impudence." The guard quickly unlocked Shania's shackles, "and him?"

  "Do you know this man?" Jewel asked Dahak and Zehava. They both answered no. "Then show him to a cell and we will deal with him when we have time."

  "Yes, My Lady."

  "What?" Barnaby bellowed out. "But I helped your friend!"

  "I am sure you did, for some price or another, or you were going to rob her…" Lady Jewel started but her sentence stopped short, her eyes no longer on Barnaby. "Child, what happened?" Jewel pushed past the group to where the Princess now stood in the entranceway of the gate.

  "They took him… they took Meath!" she cried as she collapsed to her knees.

  12

  Meath awoke to the sway of a horse - he opened his eyes to see his hands were bound by a hemp rope and tied to the saddle. His head shot up and if not for being tied to the horse, he would have fallen backward. He felt like he was drunk, everything was disoriented and blurred. He tried to focus on the people in front of him but could not make them out - his horse was tethered to the one in front of him. He wondered where he was being taken and who these people were. Meath closed his eyes hard, trying to clear his mind and vision, when the last thoughts he could remember came back to him. Anger raged and he yanked on the ropes to slow the horse, but the beast did not pay him any heed.

  The horses stopped and the figure in front of him turned to look back. "He is awake now. We should stop and rest the horses anyway," Kara called forward to Daden.

  "You are right, but do not let him out of your sight," Daden grumbled, sounding clearly unhappy.

  "I do not think he is going anywhere anytime soon - the drugs we gave him will keep him tame for a few more hours at least," Kara replied with no concern in her voice at all.

  Daden dropped down from his horse and helped Kara from hers. "If we let you down, will you be good?" Daden asked Meath mockingly.

  Meath tried to talk, but no tangible words came out, so he nodded his head in agreement. The two Gifted strangers helped him down from his horse, his legs felt like jelly and the world spun around him. They walked him over to a tree and rested him against it. Meath knew even if he wanted to there was no way he could escape these people in the state he was in, he would have to wait this out.

  "You stay here and watch him. I remember a creek being around here somewhere. I will fetch some water for the horses," Daden told her, grabbing a large water skin from his horse.

  Kara quickly went to her horse and grabbed something from her saddlebag then returned to Meath. "Here, drink this. It will help counter the effects of the drug," she whispered to him, making sure her companion was nowhere around.

  Meath was not sure he should trust her, but realized if they wanted to hurt him, they could easily do so at any time. She pressed the small vial of topaz liquid to his lips and he drank it in a few small sips.

  "There…In a few moments things will start to clear up and you will be able to talk and maybe even walk again," she told him, sitting down on a nearby rock.

  Kara sat there watching him; slowly things started to resolve a little and Meath's vision began to clear. By the time things had cleared enough for him to realize he might be able to attempt escape, Daden had returned and was letting the horses drink from the skin.

  "Why are you doing this to me?" Meath finally managed to ask bitterly. "What do you want with me?"

  "I know you do not know it yet, but we are helping you and a lot of other people too," Kara replied, a hint of compassion behind her words.

  "What do you mean? Where is Nicolette?" he barked, trying to stand.

  "She is safe - we did not harm her," Kara said, pushing Meath easily back to the ground.

  "Enough questions - let us get moving, and we were told not to tell him anything Kara."

  "I know I was just…" Kara started to say before he cut her off.

  "Yes, I know you were just trying to ease his mind, but you know our orders."

  "I remember them clearly, Daden," Kara snipped back.

  Soon they were moving down the path again, faster than before, now that Meath was coherent enough to stay in the saddle without falling off.

  Meath thought about escaping, but he doubted he would be able to do so, with both of them so close, in his still disadvantaged state. It did not appear as if they had any plans to harm him, so he could bide his time.

  *****

  "What were you doing out there Nicolette?" Lady Jewel questioned sternly, her voice on the edge of rage, "and do not dare lie to me!"

  Nicolette stood there looking into her Aunt's unyielding golden-brown eyes; she could tell by her Aunt's demeanor that she already had figured out the truth. It would have been nearly impossible to hide with all the facts pointing to it. The well supplied horses, the traveling clothes, the secrecy of sneaking out, the distances they had travelled and then her hair. "You already know the truth, so why ask?" she replied, trying hard to look into her Aunt's eyes without guilt.

  "Why would you do something so imprudent? What were you thinking?" Jewel scolded angrily. "You are to be a Queen - to rule this Kingdom in the name of your father. Does that mean so little to you? What if they had taken you, or worse?"

  "I do not care, I love him!" Nicolette cried in frustration, tears falling freely now. "I never wanted all this. I never asked for this birthright!"

  "You had better start caring!" Lady Jewel exploded furiously, stepping forward and gripping Nicolette's shoulders roughly. "No love is worth further ruining a Kingdom that is already falling into turmoil! More lives than just your own hang in the balance of the decisions you make now." Jewel released Nicolette and stepped back, composing herself. "I know you love him - I have known it since you were a child. I know it hurts, but you were born into obligations; to your family, to your people, to your Kingdom. You must put this to rest, accept it, and move forward for the betterment of your Kingdom. You are no longer a child, Nicolette, but a Queen - you need to learn to act like one." Jewel turned away, went to the windowsill, and stared out into her city.

  Nicolette stood there, feeling more alone than she ever had before. Her Aunt had always been there for her, had always been kind, compassionate and understanding of her needs. She had hoped out of all people, Jewel would have understood what she had tried to do. "What about Meath?" Nicolette asked, stifling her tears.

  "I have sent out several search parties, along with Master Lepha," Jewel replied, not taking her gaze from outside. "They will find Meath and bring him back to us, where he will follow instruction from Master Lepha and Master Antiel until Ursa has returned. We will solve our problem in Draco and put your father's killers to justice - then you will be ordained Queen. You will learn to rule as your father ruled." Jewel turned back to Nicolette. "Then, when the time is right, you will find a suitor and marry."

  "That is it then," Nicolette said, not in question but in statement. "My life has already been mapped out, detail by detail of how I am meant to act, who I am meant to be, whom I shall marry!" she barked out bitterly, her anger flaring through her meek demeanor. "Yet no one ever asked me what I want."

  "I know you are confused child, and hurt. Y
our world has taken a horrible plunge with the recent events and your emotions are in turmoil." Jewel stood in front of Nicolette again, her façade softened. "You were born to be Queen; that is your destiny. You need to embrace it, not fight it."

  A soft knock at the door turned their attentions to a servant.

  "Yes, what is it?" Jewel asked, annoyed at being interrupted.

  "Sorry to disrupt you, my Lady," the man bowed his head, "but Lord Marcus is having another coughing fit, and Master Antiel told me to find you."

  Concern flashed in Lady Jewel's eyes. "Yes, thank you. I will be there shortly."

  "Yes, my Lady." The man bowed and left.

  "You have had a long, trying morning - go get some rest. I will inform you as soon as I know anything more on Meath," Jewel told her with a compassionate smile.

  "Thank you, Aunt," Nicolette replied, her tone indifferent.

  Nicolette paced her room. Angry curses erupting forth one moment, tears of sorrow the next. She prayed Meath was all right and that they would find him and the bastards who had taken him. She cursed herself - if only she would have been stronger, faster, and less afraid, she might have been able to stop them from taking him and they would have been able to run away together as planned and none of this would be happening.

  She fell to her knees in defeat - she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep until Meath was found. She looked over to see her refection in her mirror. How pathetic, she thought. The person looking back at her was weak and frightened. Tears stained her face - her eyes clouded with fear and limitations. They wanted her to be Queen? How can I be a Queen, responsible for an entire Kingdom when I cannot even keep myself together?

  Anger flared through her and she threw the mirror to the floor, shattering it into pieces. "I will not be her any longer!" she yelled to herself determinedly.

  There was a light knock at the door. She wanted not to answer, but knew she had too. She opened her door to Zehava, Dahak and Shania.

  "Are you all right?" Zehava asked, true concern in his voice.

  Nicolette just stared at the trio overwhelmed with emotion. These were Meath's friends - dare she say, her friends - and they had been through so much together already. She went forward and hugged Zehava tightly, silent tears falling onto his shoulder.

  "We will get him back! Do not worry, we have been through worse." Dahak lied.

  "I just cannot believe he was taken." Nicolette whimpered, they came in and she shut the door, not caring if anyone saw. "Why would they take him? How did they know where to find him?" The last question brought an awkward silence and Nicolette could sense what they were thinking. "Yes, we were running away together," she said bluntly, her eyes not leaving theirs. "The only way for us to be together was to leave everything behind. So we did, or tried to."

  "I am sorry it did not work out as you two had planned it," Zehava replied remorsefully. "You were nearly all Meath talked about when we were in the army, you know."

  "Leave again, once they find him and bring him back, leave again." Shania said straightforwardly.

  "It would not work - they will watch us and never allow something like that to happen again. My Aunt has already made that more than clear. We were foolish to attempt to disrupt our destinies."

  "We will help you if you would like," Zehava told her, his tone serious.

  Nicolette chuckled softly. "You really are the truest of friends to him." She smiled deeply.

  "Not just him, but you as well." Dahak smiled softly.

  Nicolette's smile almost overwhelmed her tear-streaked face, "Thank you."

  "Does he always get into trouble like this?" Shania asked, trying to change the mood a little.

  "As much as I hate to say it…yes," Zehava chuckled.

  "Meath has a way of attracting trouble," Dahak added with a smile.

  Nicolette watched the trio talking, making jokes - she knew they were trying to lighten the mood and she thanked them for it, but still guilt gripped her heart. "Teach me to fight." They stopped in mid-sentence.

  "Pardon?" Dahak asked, thinking he has misheard her.

  "I want you to teach me to fight; to use a sword, to throw a knife, shoot a bow, to be strong, to fight and kill if necessary!" she begged them.

  "Why would you want to learn to fight?" Zehava asked, though he knew the answer.

  "If I had known how to fight, he might not have been taken, had he not had to worry about me…"

  "You cannot blame yourself for that…" Zehava started to say.

  "Yes! I can." Nicolette countered. "Every time something bad happens in my life everyone tells me it is not my fault, that I cannot blame myself. Well I do and I am. If I had known how to fight and defend myself, I might have been able to help save my father and none of this would be happening. Had I been able to fight, Meath might not be gone now!" She roared out. "If, if, IF! No longer will it be if. My Aunt told me I am Queen, and that it is time I start to act like one if I am to rule this Kingdom as my father ruled it. My father was a warrior - he knew how to fight, and he rode into battle with his men. He fought fearlessly and held the respect of everyone in the kingdom because of his deeds. If I am to rule this Kingdom, then I need to know how to defend it! How will I be able to defend a Kingdom if I cannot even defend myself?"

  The room was silent as everyone digested what Nicolette had just said.

  "I will not stand by helplessly again and watch those I love fall victim to danger because of me," Nicolette cried out in frustration.

  "I help you - I teach you to fight - everything I know," Shania said, high respect for the Princess and her reasons unfolding from her every word.

  Zehava ran his hand through his thick brown hair in contemplation. "All right, we will help you when we can, but Dahak and I have been consigned back to full service here until we can go back to our regular posts."

  "I will deal with that - it is time I start being a Queen and having my voice and wishes heard and followed." Nicolette smiled boldly.

  "If you deal with that, we will deal with the rest." Zehava reached for the door handle.

  "We will get you first thing in the morning, I guess," Dahak added following Zehava.

  "I want to start right now," Nicolette told them. "The day is not yet half done."

  *****

  Meath woke again from the rocking of the horse. He did not know when he had passed out - he only remembered vague parts of when he was awake last. His vision had cleared totally and his mind was no longer scattered. He looked around and could tell it would be getting dark soon. He looked up and saw Daden and Kara riding in front of him. He summoned his Gift to burn the hemp rope binding his hands. Pain shot through his body like when he had been held prisoner at the barbarian camp. He tried to fight back the scream of agony, but could not.

  "We will stop." Daden looked back to see Meath barely on his horse now.

  Kara turned her mount around and rode to Meath's side. "I would not try to use your Gift again."

  "Why are you doing this to me?" Meath demanded, trying to sound threatening.

  "Calm down - you will find out when we get there. Until then, do not try anything stupid and everything will be fine," Daden said, unhooking Meath from the horse so he could get down and stretch his legs. "Now come on down and walk a little. I do not want you to get blood clots in your legs."

  Meath climbed down from his mount and as soon as his legs hit the ground, he drove his shoulder forward, knocking Daden to the ground. Wasting no time, he bolted into the lightly wooded forest as fast as his stiff legs would carry him. Meath had no idea where he was running to or where he even was - he did not care. Right now, he had to get as far away from his captors as possible.

  He was only a few hundred steps into the woods when several thick tree roots shifted upward, catching Meath's foot causing him to trip. With his hands tied, he could not break his fall and he crashed hard into the earth with his left shoulder.

  Meath groaned, rolling over onto his back. He knew his chance
of escape had just ended. He looked over to see the roots slowly return to their rightful places under the ground. "What the…"

  "I really did not want to have to do that," Kara said looking down at him. "Now, are you going to behave or am I going to have to ready another spell?" Kara held her palm down toward the earth and Meath could see black markings on the inside of her hand.

  "You are a Druid?" Meath muttered in shock, forgetting all about the pain in his shoulder.

  Kara smiled down at him. "Answer the question please."

  "You bastard - if you ever do that again I will…" Daden yelled catching up to them, rubbing the back of his head from where it had hit the ground.

  "It is okay, Daden. I have him under control now. He is not going anywhere," Kara called back. "Are you?" She smirked back at Meath.

  "Are you part of the Shyroni?" Meath hissed out, fear gripping him at the thought.

  Daden laughed, "Why does everyone always assume that?" He reached down and pulled Meath to his feet roughly. "You hit me again and next time I will hit back," Daden threatened, raising his meaty fist and giving Meath a shove back to the horses.

  "When I hit you again, I will make sure you do not get back up," Meath muttered.

  "What was that?" Daden growled.

  "Meath, look out!" Kara screamed.

  Meath turned around as a torrent of air collided with him and threw him a dozen paces, slamming him into a thick cedar tree.

  "Daden!" Kara snapped, running to Meath's aid. "What are you doing? We are not to hurt him! He is the key to so much! What is the matter with you?"

  "He is fine. If he is so tough then that will not bother him…much," Daden replied acidly. "Besides, he threatened me. I am just letting him know he does not stand a chance."

  Kara pulled Meath to his feet slowly. "Are you okay? You are not hurt are you?"

  Meath grimaced slightly, but otherwise showed no thought to the pain at all. "I am fine - it will take more than a coward's backstab to hurt me."

  "Move," Daden ordered, pointing back toward the path and their horses. "As you know, your Gift is useless to you. That hemp rope that binds you has been coated with a rare substance that ensures it. To save you the trouble of finding out later, if you try to cut through it, you will find the pain might just kill you - so I would not suggest it."