Kingdom's Edge (6 page)

“It is your shield that will protect you when your enemies fire their flaming arrows at you,” the Prince said. “It will stop the deadly blows of their axes and swords. I gave each of you a shield. Take good care of it, for the enemy may strike when you least expect it.”

Two hours passed. At first, the shield seemed awkward and clumsy in my hand. But soon, it was natural to hold and use. I enjoyed the feeling of security it provided.

I was so engrossed with my training that I did not even see them coming. Three of the Noble Knights descended from a hill toward the south of us. Their swords were drawn, and they attacked quickly. Although I was surprised,
the Prince was not. He was always ready. He had already positioned Himself for the onslaught with His shining sword in hand.

These Noble Knights were three of the best. I recognized them from the training they conducted frequently in the square. My initial reaction was to flee. There were four trainees, and we were no match for the Noble Knights. Not yet anyway. Despite my instinct to run, I raised my sword for the fight, as did my companions.

“Stand down, gentlemen,” the Prince said. “This is my fight.”

It was clear He was right, for the Noble Knights focused exclusively on Him. We did not seem to pose a threat to them at all. We watched, but did not sheathe our swords. We had pledged our lives to the King's Son, and this could be the day to make good our vows.

“Cedric, your sword,” the Prince called.

I tossed my sword fifteen feet to the Prince. As my sword was midflight, the Prince turned to His right to engage the first approaching knight. A split second later, the Prince snatched the flying sword blindly with his left hand and brought it to bear on the second knight. His timing and reaction were perfect.

The knights fought with cautious tenacity, for the Prince's skill as a swordsman was legendary. They tried to encircle Him, but the Prince moved quickly toward a hill that rose up out of the flat ground we were training on. The rise was steep enough that a man
could not easily climb it or fight from its slope. With the steep terrain at His back, the Prince forced the Noble Knights to engage Him head-on.

The swords flashed through the air with deadly cuts. I studied the face of the Master as He fought, but I found no panic or fear at all. His jaw was set, and His eyes were focused, as though they were weapons themselves.

“You have committed crimes of treason against the King,” one of the knights said. “We are here to end Your traitorous deeds!”

“If you truly knew the King, you would also know Me and why I am here,” the Prince said. “You have become ignorant and foolish in your ways. I am here to reestablish My Father's kingdom of honor, truth, and justice … to restore the true meaning of the Code in Arrethtrae.”

The three knights formed a semicircle around the Prince. His predicament seemed hopeless, but I knew not to underestimate His skill. He had surprised me many times before. He parried with His left sword and attacked with His right.

I thought that surely with His concentration split on three Noble Knights, He would make a mistake and it would soon be over. But the knights found no flaw. To this day I have never seen a sword fly so swiftly. He met each thrust with absolute precision. The harder the Noble Knights tried, the quicker His sword flew to meet each stroke.

The knight to the Prince's right made the first mistake. I suppose he thought he saw an opening and thrust forth with all his might, fully expecting to feel his sword meet
flesh and bone. The Prince finished glancing a vertical cut from the center knight and met the knight's thrust from the front, causing the sword to pass behind His back. The knight was now overextended and slightly off balance. The Prince struck a blow to his head with the gold handle of His sword, which knocked him to the ground unconscious.

The two remaining knights pressed harder, appearing eager to finish the fight. One knight sent a high vertical cut toward the Prince at the same time his partner launched a knee level slice. The Prince pulled His left sword off the knight delivering the slice to the knee and met the vertical cut from the front in the crux of a cross formed by His two swords as He jumped to escape the knee cut. The low sword passed beneath Him, and the Prince planted a forceful heel into the chest of the knight on His left. The knight stumbled back and fell.

The Prince landed and turned on the remaining knight with both swords. Stark fear clouded the Noble Knight's face. He put forth his sword to defend himself from the impact of two swords, each one commanded by arms more powerful and skilled than his own. In one powerful blow, the Prince crosscut both swords with such force that they sheared the knight's sword in two!

The Noble Knight stood dumbfounded and afraid. The knight that had fallen was now on his feet and slowly moving toward the Prince and the sword-less knight. The Prince placed a sword at the neck of the knight he'd just beaten and moved him toward the approaching knight with the edge of His blade.

“Drop your sword,” the Prince said.

I knew these knights were not used to being humbled, but better judgment prevented the knight from meeting a senseless death. He dropped his sword.

“Take your unconscious friend and leave,” the Prince said. “And tell Kifus that he must do his own dirty work in the future.”

As they turned to pick up the other knight, one of the knights turned back toward the Prince. “Are you truly the King's Son?” he asked.

The Prince studied his face and said, “What does your heart tell you?”

The Noble Knight was silent. Then they all turned and left.

THE TEAR

William, Rob, and I walked with the Prince through the streets of the poorest quarter of Chessington one morning before our training began. The crisp air and fresh sunrise were overshadowed by the absence of joy. The sounds of playful, giggling children had been replaced by moans of hunger as they rummaged for a scrap of food. The early morning song of motherhood had been exchanged for the wail of a suckling babe with no milk to drink. The poverty of Chessington had grown to encompass thousands of its citizens, and the Noble Knights did not seem to notice or care.

I longed to leave these wretched streets, for I could not bear the pain. But the Master lingered in solemn silence.

“My Lord,” I said softly, “shouldn't we be on our way to begin our training?” I'd hoped to move on to the country, away from such despair.

As the Prince turned toward me, I saw deep sadness in
His face. A tear fell from His cheek and was swallowed by the dust at our feet.

“Your training is here today, Cedric,” the Prince said. “Bring the rest of My knights here as quickly as you can.”

“Yes, my Prince,” I said.

We left at once and found the rest of our brothers at the training site.

When we returned, I was once again astonished by what I saw. The Prince was sitting on a stump with children all around Him listening to a story He was telling. Two were sitting on His lap. Children! Children covered in dirt and filth. Why would the mightiest warrior in the kingdom waste time with children? It seemed like such a contradiction. Power, might, strength, and wisdom matched equally with kindness, compassion, and gentleness, all in one man—the King's Son.

He finished the story before addressing us. “Gentlemen, you will feed these people.”

We looked at each other rather stupidly, and I was trying to decide if I'd heard right.

“How many people, my Lord?” Rob asked.

“All of them.”

Although I had seen many amazing things done by the Prince, I don't believe I was alone in thinking that He had crossed the line of rationality. There were thousands of poor people, maybe more. How could we possibly provide for such a mass of hunger?

“My Lord,” William said, “I told You I will never forget the poor, and I won't. We will gladly feed them if there is some way, but You are asking the impossible.”

“Today, William, you will begin to fulfill your duty in remembering the poor. You all will, for this is the meaning of the Code. Go to the docks. There you will find ships full of provisions sent from My Father at My request. Organize yourselves in teams of two, and deliver these provisions to each home. Do not miss a single household.”

It was just as the Prince said. All the knights worked day and night until every home had food. It was glorious work. None of the knights complained at the labor but instead stepped with light feet as each delivery was made.

The people wept with gratefulness. We wept with joy. Children jumped with glee at such a grand gift.

Here was Compassion that acted. I had never seen its equal.

NO ESCAPE