“I will find out,” Captain Kincaid told him and released his shoulders. “However, I think you need to lie down before you head home. I won’t have you following off your horse and breaking your neck.”
“I’m fine,” Simon insisted. “I need to know what happened. Please look into it for me.”
“I will. Go to your tent and lie down. I’ll call you in an hour.”
“I don’t know if I can sleep,” Simon told him.
Captain Kincaid helped the boy stand and urged him toward the doorway. “I’m not asking you to sleep. I’m giving you time to rest and gather yourself for the journey home. I won’t pretend to know what this is about, but you have to know getting worked up like this won’t help.”
Simon nodded and allowed himself to be ushered out. Stumbling to his assigned tent, he ignored the faces casting him troubled glances. He entered his tent and collapsed on the makeshift cot.
Closing his eyes was a bad idea. Instead, he stared at the cloth ceiling and listened to the sounds outside his tiny room. Murmurs of voices, the scent of coffee, and the subtle clopping of horses filled his ears. Yet, he could hear Cassie’s voice through it all.
“What if they killed her?” he wondered aloud. “Her step-siblings may have killed her.”
He couldn’t shake the thought. It was possible. He’d seen them push her down the stairs. However, four bodies had been found. If they’d meant to harm her, they got caught up in their own mischief making as well.
Maybe it was the witch? He just couldn’t figure out why.
There was a pain inside his chest. He rubbed at it, but it wouldn’t go away. Placing his fists over his heart, Simon continued breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth.
Now there was nothing else for him to do but head home.
16
Simon approached the castle with his escort. They had left an hour past dawn as Captain Kincaid had instructed. He spotted the guards about their duties, and they saw him with open mouths. By this time, the escort was aware of who they were seeing home.
Entering the front gates, Simon curved to the left and headed to the stable area. There, he dismounted with the others and greeted the stable master.
“Prince Simon! You are here!” Mr. Kennedy shouted. “It’s good to see you!”
He reached forward and took the harness from Simon’s hands. He bowed and nodded to the prince. Simon clasped the older gentleman on the back and smiled.
“Kennedy, it’s very good to see you. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”
“Aye, Prince Simon. It’s good to have you home. I suppose you’ve been updated on this war we’re facing?”
“Yes, Kennedy. I have heard all about it. I’m sorry to hear our long-observed peace is being disrupted. I know father has plans to dissuade King Ammandon from pursuing this course of action.
“Aye, he does indeed. I’m hoping it will work out for the best. You have arrived in time for the ball the king’s throwing this evening. I suppose it was planned.”
Simon caught the attempt to dig into his absence. He was aware of King Iver’s family arriving several days ago. Everyone was suspicious of why he hadn’t been present.
“My own work detained me. If you will help with our horses, I’m going to show these men where they can clean up and get something to eat. They have more work to conduct before the day ends.”
“Aye,” Kennedy nodded, his head drooped with disappointment before calling to his helpers and beginning his work.
“Please come this way,” Simon said and lead them to the kitchen area, which was the closest door.
They followed him inside, where he startled the cook and her maids. “Prince Simon!” she grabbed her chest and heaved. “We weren’t expecting you!”
Everyone dropped into a curtsey and irritated by this form of address, Simon waved a hand at them. “Please, no curtseying. I’m happy to see you all. I’ve come from an important mission, and these men have assisted me home. Will you please show them where they can freshen up and get them some of your delicious food?”
“Of course, Prince Simon,” the cook bubbled.
Rupert stepped into the room from his pantry and smiled. “It’s good to see you home, Prince Simon. Can I assist you in any way?”
“No, thanks, Rupert. However, if you’ll help these men, I’d appreciate it. They’ve had a long morning. Also, is father available?”
“I believe the king is in conference with his advisor. Would you like me to tell him you’ve arrived?”
“No, thanks. I’ll check on him in a few minutes. I’m going up to change myself.” Simon turned to the men as cook was leading them from the kitchen. “Thank you, men. I appreciate your assistance.”
“Any time, Prince Simon. It was a pleasure to work with you,” the eldest spoke and exchanged a smile with him.
Simon nodded and turned to exit the room. Rupert followed him. Simon didn’t bother to inquire why the butler was keeping pace with him. He knew his friend wanted a word with him out of everyone’s earshot.
They were headed up the steps when Rupert spoke quietly, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Rupert. Thanks for asking.”
The butler nodded and hesitated before telling him, “Your father and mother have been worried about you. King Iver is here with his family, and your grandparents and uncle are also in residence.”
“I had heard. I know they were worried, but I had a job to do. It has been completed, so I am home now. I heard there’s to be a ball this evening as well?”
“Yes, Sir. It’s the next step in the king’s attempt to end the war. He’s invited King Ammandon, and there’s a Stay of Arms.”
“I’m aware. I hope it works out. If all else fails, perhaps we will know more about what King Ammandon wants. After all, I doubt he’d create all this fuss over a piece of land.”
“Agreed, Sir. Peter should be in your rooms. He’s been keeping everything prepared for your return,” Rupert told him.
“Thanks, Rupert.” Simon paused at the top of the steps and stuck his hand out. Rupert shook it. “I’ll see my father once I’ve cleaned up. Please don’t tell him I’ve arrived yet.”
Rupert’s brows rose, but otherwise, he nodded and turned to go back downstairs.
Hoping for a few minutes peace, Simon walked down the halls toward his room. He went into his bedroom and locked the door behind him. Sighing, he walked straight to the window.
Simon peered out and looked across the land south. The trees which lined their property rose in the distance, but he knew where the burnt ashes sat upon the ground. He could picture each dead man he'd had to leave behind, and Captain Kincaid had sent men to bury them.
Cassie’s dead.
His thoughts didn’t stray far from this one fact. It replayed over and over again since he’d first heard it that morning. Being alone in his room, he was able to acknowledge the awkward ache in his heart and the feeling of being damaged in a way he’d never experienced.
“If it was the witch or King Ammandon’s men, they must have hit right before receiving the word of the Stay of Arms,” he whispered, “None of the other neighbors were hit, and no word came of anyone seeing any of his army. It almost appears to be a random act.”
The outdoors blurred in front of his exhausted eyes. He hadn’t slept at all during the hour he’d laid down before departing. It didn’t surprise him to find sleep would be long in coming.
His escort hadn’t paused at all on their push to the castle. None of them wanted to be responsible for anything happening to the prince under their watch. They pushed through, and sped on in seven hours.
Thinking back on the words he spoke, Simon could see why the Captain had sent him home. He'd sounded broken. His words were disjointed and felt as if another man was speaking them.
A sigh turned into a groan, and his head welcomed the cup of his hands. He hadn't cried at all. A month of knowing he'd lost so many people had come and gone and still th
e tears wouldn't come.
Dropping his hands and looking out the window once more, Simon tried to figure out his next course of action. He stared long and hard at the woods in the distance. The more he stared the more he realized how much he hated this witch.
“There has to be some way to stop her!” he whispered to his reflection. “There must be a way to put an end to her murdering. Think, Simon, think. You know this story well. Delano told it.”
Rubbing his forehead, he turned on his heel. “Think! Did he tell all of it? Wasn't there more to it than that? His grandfather saw what happened. Perhaps his father will know what to do?”
Knowing he must act at once, Simon strode to his door and yanked it open. On the other side, he startled his ever-faithful valet.
“Prince Simon! Sir, I am most happy to see you!” Peter reached out a hand as if to touch him but dropped it in the same instant.
Reaching out, grabbing the hand the valet had dropped, he gripped and shook the man's hand.
“I am most pleased to see you again as well, Peter. I must tell you of my travels later. For right now, I must go find father. Where is he?”
“In the library with the council and Scholars. They are working hard to put an end to this war. You know the witch has threatened your father, Prince Simon, and King Ammandon is coming for a ball this very eve. Much has happened.”
Although he said no more, Simon could tell he wanted to, and saw how Peter bit his tongue to keep from asking impertinent questions.
Sharing with Peter would have to wait. He first needed to see his father and ask about Delano's family. They must find a way to end this war and end the witch.
“I will go down immediately,” Simon spoke, more to himself than Peter.
Peter bowed low as Simon veered around him and down the hall. Small sightings of the domestic help alerted him that his presence had been noticed. Soon the whole castle would know of his return.
Trotting down the steps, he walked the hall to his father's library. Rupert was already there and let him in with a knock on the door.
“We will need to proceed –” King Tritium cut off in mid-sentence when Simon appeared. “Simon,” he stated, amazed.
“Hello, father,” Simon nodded, as the room of Council Members and Scholars rose to their feet and bowed low to the prince.
“Prince Simon, it is so good to see you back!” Councilman Jacobs told him, and the others agreed with raised voices.
“Your father was just sharing with us word of the bright light you saw. It is amazing! Just as it was decades ago. You must tell us your firsthand account,” Councilman Jacobs added.
“Yes, I would be happy to share my findings,” Simon agreed, eyeing his father’s stone-faced countenance. “However, I’d like to speak with my father for a few minutes, if you all wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not!” several members erupted.
Simon took the seat next to his father and nodded. King Tritium allowed the Adviser to shuffle the others out and sat staring at his son. Simon couldn't gauge his mood by his expression, but he guessed how angry his father was by the twitch at the side of his father's eye.
“Father,” Simon acknowledged.
“Simon,” King Tritium growled.
Neither spoke for a few more minutes. Simon heard the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. He waited for his father to unleash the words he wanted to speak.
“Of all the idiotic, selfish, stupid, pig-headed – Do you know what would have happened if that witch found out who you were and where you were? Did you ever stop to realize the danger you were in?” King Tritium slammed his fists down on the table with a huff.
Standing, abruptly, the king wandered to his desk and then back to the meeting table.
“Well?” he demanded. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I needed to prove to myself that I could fight alongside our men. I didn’t want to hide in King Iver’s castle or even here. I had to see what was happening out there. This is the first war we’ve had in a century. Surely, you can’t blame me?”
“I do blame you! I blame you for putting me in a position of worry and having to lie to everyone!” King Tritium snarled low. “You could have been killed. What would I have done then? Or your mother?”
Taking a deep breath, Simon shrugged. “I didn’t mean to worry either of you. I didn’t plan on getting myself killed either.”
“No one plans on dying, Simon! It can happen in the blink of an eye. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking I wanted to help. I was thinking I wanted to be out there with other men instead of holed up in a castle like I’m a child. I wanted to defend our kingdom side by side with men who were willing to die for it and us! Can’t you understand?”
“Understand? You wanted to prove yourself. I understand it more than you know. However, until we knew exactly what we were up against, I needed you safe. You can’t plan to win when there’s a chess piece creating havoc on the board for his own ego!”
“Father! It wasn’t ego. I just wanted to prove myself. I didn’t die. Can we move on from what I should have done and figure out how to win this war? Captain Kincaid told me he sent you the report of what I saw?”
“Yes, and a good thing he recognized you and sent you home too,” King Tritium heaved.
“I won’t do anything else without your consent, Father. Happy?”
Shaking his head, growling, King Tritium threw his hands up in the air. “I suppose it’s useless to talk sense into your head. Fine. Proceed.”
Taking his seat, he crossed his arms and raised his brows. Simon cleared his throat and swallowed.
“Thank you. Now, we’re fairly certain King Ammandon is working with the witch. The bright light happened again, and this time, it killed my entire unit. If I hadn’t heard a noise and went to investigate, I would have been there.”
Narrowed eyes and pursed lips caused Simon to rush on.
“I went to the next unit and found Captain Kincaid. He agreed the witch must be involved. There are a few other things you should know,” Simon told him and went on to share the pairs of men from King Ammandon’s army, Cassie’s burnt home, and his suspicions of King Ammandon’s involvement.
“So, Ammandon has magic. He and the witch are in cahoots. An entire unit was wiped out in a matter of seconds leaving no trace of the culprit, and a random house has been burnt down. A house you claim you stayed in and knew the family.”
“Right. The house was near a large patch of woods. It’s several miles from the campsites where our men have been stationed. It’s several miles from where my men were. I just find it weird that it’s the only reported house burnt down. Did King Ammandon and his witch partner decide to start burning the homes of innocent bystanders or was there more to it?”
“Do you think it happened before the Stay of Arms?”
“According to what Captain Kincaid’s men found out, it happened two days before the truce went out. It might mean a company of his men have infiltrated the area. If the war isn’t resolved this evening and the truce is called off, more people will die. I suspect that neighborhood will be the first.”
“We’ll need to dispatch men to that area just in case,” King Tritium speculated aloud.
“Our troops are thin as it is, and if this is magic at work, we don’t stand a chance. I’ve seen firsthand what it can do and how quickly. I don’t know if we can win this.”
“Simon,” his father’s voice reprimanded him. “You can’t say a thing like that. The council has been working night and day to find an answer. We’ve been researching the light you saw. The same night she created twenty-odd years ago. There has to be a way to beat her.”
“What have you and the council found out so far?”
“Everything you know, we know,” he told his son. “The Scholars have been hard at work, but until we know her exact plan, there’s no way to counteract it. We won’t resort to magic fighting magic again.”
>
Simon nodded and sighed.
“What else happened out there?”
“What?” Simon jerked upright and met his father’s eyes.
“Something else happened out there. You seem different,” the king reiterated.
Simon shrugged and looked down at the table. He folded his hands and twiddled his thumbs. Staring at them and trying not to tell his father the truth, Simon focused on his breathing.
“Simon,” his father’s voice was low. “I know you’re hiding something.”
A half-smile pulled the right side of his lips up. Simon looked up into his father’s eyes. “How is it you always seem to know everything?”
“Practice,” the king shared. “I know you.”
“Even after eight years apart?”
“Yes, Simon, even after several years apart. You know I didn’t send you away to be cruel.”
“I know,” Simon agreed.
“It’s what we do to foster trust in each other. Plus, you know your mother hoped you’d become interested in one of Iver’s daughters.”
The truth hit Simon like a slap in the face, and he shook his head. “They’re like my sisters. I don’t like them beyond that. Mother doesn’t expect me to marry one of them, does she?”
Seeing his distress, King Tritium laid a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Simon, you know we’d never force you to marry anyone. King Iver wouldn’t do that to his daughters either. The marriages between kingdoms is encouraged. However, it isn’t a set rule. You know this.”
Simon exhaled and closed his eyes. For a moment, he pictured Cassie. What could have happened if they’d known each other better? Would he have wanted to marry her? Could she have wanted to marry him, even if she thought he was the son of a family of bakers?
“Simon,” his father’s voice commanded.
“The house,” Simon started, “was my friend’s home. Lachlan Alasdair lived there with his family. They fed me and gave me a place to stay on my way to a signing camp. I traveled to the camp with Alasdair, and we became good friends. In the battles we fought in for the last three months, he had my back and I had his. Until the bright light.”
The Four Tales Page 13