Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools

by Philip Caveney

  'What a blast!' he roared. 'Did you see it? Fantastic!'

  A great wave of smoke washed over them, as Sebastian moved over to his equine and clambered up into the saddle. He reached down and pulled Princess Kerin up behind him. Even in the heat and excitement of the moment, he registered how good it felt to have her arms clasped around his waist. He glanced down at Cornelius and saw that he had just vaulted onto Phantom's saddle. But ahead of them now lay a seemingly impenetrable press of yelling, shoving people. How were they ever going to get out of here?

  'Max!' yelled Cornelius. 'It all depends on you now.'

  Max lowered his head and pawed the ground a couple of times while he gathered every last bit of strength into his massive shoulders. He looked up briefly and saw the fat merchant and his wife, sitting in their sedan chair, staring at him white-faced and terrified.

  'So,' said Max quietly, 'I smell, do I?'

  And he put his head down again and charged. He felt the impact of the wooden chair against his horns, and then he tossed his head to the side and the thing went tumbling away, flinging the two screaming merchants onto the heads of the crowd. Max didn't hesitate. He continued on his way, driving everyone and everything before him, a chaos of running, shouting people, braying animals and clattering vehicles – it was all the same to him. As he moved on, he closed his eyes, concentrating on utilizing every ounce of power at his disposal, and he was aware only of a series of impacts against his head, things that broke or moved aside or went flying over his mighty shoulders, and he told himself he was not going to stop now, not for anything . . .

  Princess Kerin hugged herself tight against Sebastian, hardly believing that he was still alive, that he had come all this way and risked so much to help her. She looked across and saw Cornelius, crouched low in the saddle of a tiny equine, racing along beside her. Just behind him, she was astonished to see another familiar figure on an equine. It was Peg, and she was urging her mount along like there was no tomorrow, and a sense of joy sprang up in Princess Kerin's heart to think that her new friend would escape and make her way back to her husband and children. Their eyes met and Peg shouted something, but the princess could not hear her words over the tumult of yelling people.

  She opened her mouth to shout something back, but the words died as the head of another equine moved into her line of vision and she saw that the rider was Kasim. He was hunched down in the saddle and he was urging his mount to go faster as he closed on the princess, one huge tattooed arm outstretched to make a grab at her. He wasn't finished yet and he was clearly intent on preventing her escape.

  'Sebastian!' she yelled; but if he heard her, he was too focused on the way ahead to take any notice, and now she was aware that the slave-master's fingers were brushing against her arm, looking for a hold, seeking to pull her back out of the saddle. His mouth curved into a grin of satisfaction as he sensed victory . . .

  Princess Kerin turned back to try one last shout into Sebastian's ear—

  And then a huge wooden fruit barrow came flying through the air, thrown up by Max's horns and flung recklessly backwards. Sebastian saw it and ducked, pressing the princess down with one arm as he did so. Peg saw it and ducked; and Cornelius was so near the ground already that he had no need to duck; but Kasim didn't see it at all – not until it crashed full into him and sent him tumbling backwards off his mount with a scream of mingled pain and terror. Then he was gone, lost in the rapidly thinning crowd as Max powered his way to the very edges of it.

  And quite suddenly they were free, moving out from the crowds of people and racing along the main street that led to the entrance arch and out onto the plains beyond.

  CHAPTER 29

  SEIZE THE DAY

  Around midday they came to a shallow valley with a small stream meandering through it and they finally dared to stop for a while. Cornelius spent some time up on the ridge scanning the plains behind him with his telescope, just to assure himself that nobody was following; and it was only then that he allowed everyone to descend into the valley.

  'At last!' groaned Max. 'I couldn't have gone on another step without a drink.' He waded straight into the shallow water and began slaking his thirst in a series of noisy gulps. Sebastian could see that his mighty horns were dented and splintered from the ferocious battering they had encountered back in Brigandia. He helped Princess Kerin climb down from his mount and she immediately hurried across to Peg. The two women met midstream and hugged each other delightedly.

  'Peg, I'm so glad you escaped,' said the princess. 'It all happened so suddenly back there, I had no time to even look for you.'

  Peg smiled. 'When you went off the edge o' that platform, I followed three steps behind. There was this nobleman sitting on an equine just a little way off. I persuaded him to part company with it.' Peg looked down ruefully at her knuckles, which were badly grazed. 'He took some convincing,' she added.

  Princess Kerin laughed delightedly. 'What will you do now?' she asked.

  'Me? Oh, I shall make my way back to the hills of Torin. I reckon a couple of days' hard riding should get me back to my family. I'll just have to hope that they're safe and well . . . and that they haven't forgotten me in the weeks I've been away.'

  'I doubt they will have done that,' the princess assured her.

  'But more important, what will you do now, miss?'

  'Yes,' said Cornelius, who had just walked up to the water's edge with Sebastian. 'A very good question. What will you do, your highness?'

  Princess Kerin frowned and looked down at the clear water swirling around her feet, as though seeking an answer in those glittering shallows. 'I really don't know,' she admitted. 'I do not think that I can ever go back to Keladon.'

  'Why not?' demanded Sebastian. 'It's rightfully yours.'

  She laughed at that. 'Oh yes! And do you think my dear Uncle Septimus will ever allow me to set foot inside the palace again? He would have me executed in an instant.' She shrugged her shoulders. 'But then, where else am I to go? It's been my home since I was born. I don't know anywhere else.'

  Cornelius took off his helmet and sat down in the sand at the edge of the stream. For a few moments he trailed one tiny hand in the water, as though deep in thought. Then he scooped up a handful and splashed it over the still raw wound in his shoulder. He gritted his teeth against the pain, then shook his head.

  'I know what I would do,' he said at last.

  Princess Kerin looked down at him. 'Tell me,' she said.

  'I would go back and claim what is mine.'

  'That's easy to say,' she told him. 'But not so easy to do. Uncle Septimus has a mighty army at his disposal. He would crush any resistance we could organize without a moment's thought.'

  'He won't be expecting any resistance. As far as he knows, you've been sold as a slave in Brigandia.'

  'But it won't take more than a day for news to reach him of our escape,' said Sebastian. 'He'll know by . . . tomorrow afternoon at the latest.'

  'Which is exactly why we must make our move before then. First thing tomorrow morning our army must be ready to make its attack.'

  'Army?' Princess Kerin stared at him. 'What army? I have no army!'

  'Princess, you have the hearts and minds of every man, woman and child in Keladon,' said Cornelius. 'I have seen the way you are adored by them. If they were to learn of your uncle's treachery, I don't doubt that every one of them would be willing to fight to put you back where you belong.'

  'It's true enough,' agreed Sebastian. 'They all know that you're the rightful queen. And no matter how powerful an army he has, it cannot stand against everybody in the city. And I believe that many of those troops would switch their allegiance in a moment if they knew what had happened. Remember, as far as they're aware, I've used witchcraft to make you vanish. You'd only have to walk back through those city gates and tell them what really happened to you.'

  Princess Kerin was still doubtful. 'I don't know,' she said. 'Supposing we try and fail?'

  'Better
that than to skulk in the shadows while a liar and a coward lords it over your kingdom,' said Cornelius. 'But, Princess, I'm only airing an opinion. It's entirely up to you to do what you think is right and just.'

  There was a long silence, during which the trickling of the stream seemed to rise to a roar. Then Peg spoke.

  'Your highness, if it be your wish, I'll come with you and fight at your side.'

  Princess Kerin smiled at her friend and shook her head. 'No, Peg. I thank you from my heart, but your rightful place is with your husband and children.'

  'And yours is with your people. Listen to what your friends are telling you, I believe they too speak from the heart.'

  'I do not doubt it. Now, Peg, please be on your way and may good fortune guide you safely home to the arms of your loved ones.'

  The two women embraced again and then Peg stepped away, grabbed the bridle of her equine and swung herself nimbly up into the saddle. But she hesitated a moment and leaned down until she was close to the princess.

  'I'm off then; but if you ever want the help of Peg o' the Hills, you just come looking for me. Whatever happens back in Keladon, there'll always be a hot meal and a roof over your head, should you have need of it.' She glanced quickly across at Sebastian, then smiled slyly. 'You was right,' she whispered. 'He is a good-looking lad!'

  The two women clasped hands for a moment; then Peg kicked the flanks of her equine and it moved off across the stream and up the gentle slope of a hillside. When she crested the rise, she reined in her mount for a moment and waved. Then she was gone, racing down into the valley beyond.

  Princess Kerin stood gazing after her for a while. Several moments passed and then she realized that three pairs of eyes were watching her. Max too, having slaked his thirst, had stopped drinking and had ambled back downstream a little to see what would happen next.

  She walked over to him and stroked his battered horns with her hand. 'I haven't thanked you, Max,' she whispered. 'You were absolutely magnificent back there.'

  Max considered this for a moment. 'I was pretty incredible, wasn't I?' he said.

  'Your poor horns, they're absolutely ruined. I wish I could do something to make them better.'

  'Hmm . . . you haven't got any fresh pommers on you, by any chance?'

  'Max!' said Sebastian.

  'Oh, all right, it was worth a try!'

  Princess Kerin turned away. 'I . . . I need some time alone. To think,' she told them; and she moved to the edge of the stream and away along the riverbank.

  'Don't take too long, your highness,' Cornelius called after her. 'Don't forget, somebody may have followed us from Brigandia.'

  But she didn't reply. Sebastian sighed and slumped down beside his friend at the water's edge. He felt tired and travel sore, but he knew that there was still more to do. He wrenched off his boots and cooled his feet in the river, letting out a great sigh as he did so.

  'Oh yes,' he said. 'That's good.' He glanced at Cornelius and the thick crust of dried blood that had seeped through the chain mail at his shoulder. 'You should let me clean that wound,' he said. 'It could become infected.'

  Cornelius made a dismissive gesture. 'I'll clean the wound when all this is over,' he said. He stared along the bank to the solitary pacing figure of Princess Kerin. 'I don't envy her the decision,' he said. 'It'll take guts to go back in there after what's happened.'

  'But what else can she do?' asked Max. 'That's the trouble with being a member of royalty. You're not equipped to do anything else with your life.' He gave Sebastian a sly look. 'Perhaps she could try being a jester. She couldn't be any worse than some people I've heard.'

  'You watch it,' Sebastian told him, but there was no real venom in his voice. The truth was that he thought Max had been positively heroic back in Brigandia. Without him, they'd never have got out of there. He was about to say something to that effect but Cornelius punched him on the arm.

  'Hey up!' he said.

  Sebastian turned his head to see that Princess Kerin was striding back towards them with what looked like new determination.

  'You're right,' she told them, as she drew near. 'Why should I take this lying down? It's him that's in the wrong, not me.'

  'To Keladon?' asked Cornelius.

  'To Keladon,' she said. 'To take back the city . . . or die trying!'

  They camped that night within sight of the walls of Keladon, a short distance from the main road that led to the city gates, so that they'd be able to see if anyone approached from the direction of Brigandia. Nobody did.

  'Probably too busy licking their wounds,' Sebastian told Princess Kerin. 'Let's face it, Kasim won't be in too much of a hurry to tell Septimus that he's let you escape.'

  He and the princess sat with their backs against a mighty tree, watching the road for signs of life.

  'Where has Cornelius got to?' she wondered. 'He's been gone ages.'

  The little warrior had headed off towards the main gates some hours back and appeared to have had no trouble getting in.

  'He said there were a few things we needed,' said Sebastian. 'I hope one of them is food, because I'm absolutely starving.'

  Princess Kerin shook her head. 'I don't see why we didn't all just go in there. I feel like we're wasting time, sitting here.'

  'We need to wait for the right moment,' Sebastian told her. 'Tomorrow morning, when the market is at its peak. Half the population will be out on the streets and the rest of them within earshot.' He smiled at her. 'And don't worry, they'll listen to what you have to say.'

  She studied him for a moment. 'You know, I haven't even thanked you, have I?'

  'Thanked me? For what?'

  'For coming after me. For risking your life for me back in Brigandia.'

  Max, browsing on the grass a short distance away, gave a meaningful cough.

  'Yes, you too, Max. All of you. I will be for ever in your debt.'

  'Oh, don't be silly,' protested Sebastian. 'I just . . . we just . . .'

  'I know it would have been easy for you to slip away and leave me to my fate. But you didn't. Why?'

  'Because . . . well, because I . . .' Sebastian sat there looking at his feet, unable to say the words that were in his heart. 'What I'm trying to say, Princess, is that I . . . I really—'

  'He loves you,' interrupted Max. 'Quite obviously.'

  Sebastian shot a withering look at the buffalope. 'If you don't mind, I'll speak for myself!'

  'Well, I'd get on with it if I were you. She's liable to be an old lady by the time you get around to it!'

  'Is that true, Sebastian?' asked the princess.

  'What, that you'll be an old lady?'

  'No, you idiot! What Max just said.'

  He turned back to look at her. Her lovely face was inches

  from his own and his heart was pounding in his chest. 'Oh, well, I . . . I suppose it is . . .'

  Her eyes were burning into his. He had the impression that every muscle in his body had turned to jelly. He just sat there, staring back at her.