Redemption (4 page)

Prince Zinan found himself holding the head of his father. He dropped it to the floor in horror and stared at his hands as if to wonder why they had disobeyed his commands. He purposely flexed his fingers to see if they would respond, and they did. He was not sure how long he had stood staring at his fingers, but a distant noise brought him back to reality. The officer turned and hurried out of the library. He had not gotten very far when he heard a shrill scream from the direction of the library. The officer picked up his pace and hurried towards the palace gates.

Well before he reached the front entrance to the palace, horns blared out from several directions. Soldiers started running through the corridors and several of them looked strangely at the officer, but they didn't say anything to him. The dark prince frowned with suspicion and glanced down at his clothes. His uniform was splattered with blood, and he realized that it was only a matter of time before he ran into someone with enough authority to stop him and question him.

The dark prince turned from the path to the front door of the palace and angled towards a side entrance. The horns continued to blare annoyingly, and he heard distant shouts from other officers as they gathered their men to seal the palace. Prince Zinan finally slipped out of the palace into the old cemetery. He could see patrols lining up at each end of the cemetery and he knew that his time was short if he were to make good his escape. He ran towards a small door in the wall leading to the city streets. The door was locked, and as he tried to open it, shouts rang out in both directions. He swiveled his head and saw both patrols converging on his location.

The dark prince backed away from the door and glared at it in an attempt to use the Talent to smash it open. A thunderous crack split the air, and columns of dust rose skyward as not only was the door blown to vapors, but the stone wall on both sides of it crumbled in small chunks of stone. Prince Zinan raced over the debris and onto the city streets.

* * *

The corridor outside the king's office was crowded with soldiers. They guarded not only the door to the king's office, but also the door to the office of the king's advisor because of the connecting door between the two offices. Inside the king's office, three men sat in solemn consultation as sunlight flooded through the window.

"The officer had nothing to do with it," insisted General Fergus.

"He was seen by dozens of your men," argued Evan. "There was blood splattered all over his uniform and he was moving away from the library. There can be no doubt about it."

"I am at a loss to explain what happened," admitted the general, "but there are enough facts for me to determine that the man did not commit the crime. His body was found in a room at the Palace Shadow Inn. He was bound to a chair and his throat was slit. His uniform was found in an alley not far from the old cemetery alongside the body of a courier."

"Perhaps he was murdered after he left the palace?" posed Evan.

"No," General Fergus shook his head. "He was already disrobed when his throat was slit. While the uniform was splattered with Zalman's blood, there was no blood flow upon it as there would have been from the inflicted throat wound. Nor was there any blood splatters on his hands," the general added, "as there must have been on Zalman's killer."

"Then how do you explain the sightings in the palace?" frowned the king's advisor.

"I can't," sighed General Fergus.

"I think we are dealing with another situation similar to the Prince Calitar of Caroom one," interjected King Caedmon. "Someone has the ability to assume the face of another. This does not bode well for our security. It disturbs me greatly that a man who had escaped capture for sixteen years in the wilds could be murdered in the library of our palace while he was supposed to be under our protection."

"It makes us look like fools," nodded Evan.

"I am not overly concerned about how it makes us look," retorted the king. "I am concerned for the continued well being of the royal family. I came close to demanding that Prince Antion remain under guard in this palace. It appears that that would have been a grave mistake."

"I will make sure that it never happens again," vowed General Fergus.

"And how do you plan to do that?" asked the king's advisor.

"Access to the palace will be restricted," replied the general. "No man assigned to the palace will be allowed to travel alone into the city. Spending the night outside the palace will result in reassignment outside the palace, and the soldier will no longer be eligible for any position within the palace."

"That is a good start," nodded King Caedmon, "but I want to be careful about restricting access to the palace. It is fine to do so with the soldiers, but I do not want guests to feel as if we are under siege. I will allow your men to escort guests within the palace, but only two escorts per guest. I think we need to insist that your men always remain paired so that one of them cannot be taken over by our enemy."

"It will be as you wish," nodded the general.

"I also want the royal residency sealed at all times," the king continued. "No lone soldier or servant will be allowed to enter or leave without escorts. No foreign dignitaries will be allowed in the residency without my express permission."

The general silently nodded his understanding.

"What bothers me about this whole thing," mused the king's advisor, "is why someone would take such a great risk to kill Zalman. I doubt anyone would waltz into the royal palace and kill the man because of a crime committed sixteen years ago."

"Zalman was innocent of the charges," retorted the king, "as we all now know. Still, I agree with you. The assassin could just as easily killed me, but Zalman was more important to him."

"Let's not beat around the bush here," interrupted the general. "We all know that Borunda is behind this murder. There is no one else to point to."

"Agreed," nodded the king. "Zalman knew that Naveena was the true murderer of Princess Orenda, and I can well imagine that she would be thrilled at the man's death, but there must be more to it than just that."

"What if Prince Zinan learned that he has a twin brother?" posed Evan. "What would he do about it?"

"He would seek to destroy him," the general answered without hesitation.

"Zalman knows where Jared is," frowned King Caedmon, "and Antion is with him. That would prove to be too great a lure for the dark prince to ignore."

"What are you saying?" frowned the general. "Zalman would never reveal what he knows to anyone."

"Prince Antion said that the dark prince has the ability to peer into one's mind," declared the king. "I am inclined to believe him on this point. If such a thing is possible, Prince Antion and Jared are in serious danger. We must get word to them."

Prince Zinan galloped through the gates of the palace in Tarent, his borrowed horse foaming with fatigue. It was the fourth horse he had ridden to the point of infirmity in his dash to return from Anatar, but such things did not concern the dark prince. Prince Zinan was hungry and tired to the point of exhaustion, but he was buoyed by a rage for vengeance. He leaped off the horse and dashed into the palace, pushing aside a soldier who was in the process of coming out the door. When people in the corridors of the palace saw the dark prince approaching they quickly stepped out of his way. Prince Zinan burst into Naveena's chambers. Although the morning was well underway, the wisper was still in bed. She quickly got out of bed as the dark prince slammed the door shut.

"You killed my mother!" the prince shouted as he glared at his former caretaker.

Naveena opened her mouth to explain, but she did not get the chance. The wisper's body flew backwards and slammed into the wall. She hit the wall hard and pain shot through her left arm as an audible crack resounded through the room.

"All these years you have been laughing at me," spat the dark prince as Naveena's body was thrown along the wall to a corner where it collided with another wall. "You made me call you mother! No wonder you wanted Zalman dead so badly. You knew what I would find out. Well, you should have taken care of it yourself, mother," he shouted. "Your henchmen failed for years to cover your tracks."

"Let me explain," pleaded Naveena as she tried to approach Prince Zinan.

An invisible force picked up the wisper's body and pinned it to the ceiling. Her face filled with horror as she stared down at the boy she had raised as her own.

"There is nothing for you to explain," snarled Prince Zinan. "All that is left for you is to suffer."

Naveena's body was suddenly released, and she fell to the floor with a sickening thud. Pain shot through her body, and one of her legs bent under her body at an impossible angle. She was faintly aware that her nose was broken, and she could feel blood flowing from her ear onto her neck. Her left arm had no feeling in it, and her vision was blurred.

"Garrick is going to marry," the wisper croaked harshly.

She did not know if Prince Zinan had heard her or not, but her mangled body suddenly flew into the corner again. A loud crack filled her ears and a searing pain shot through her right arm.

"Garrick is going to marry," she shouted with all her strength.

Prince Zinan seemed to be in a daze as he stared at the blood-smeared floor. He gazed at the crumpled heap in the corner, and his rage began to subside.

"Garrick will never marry," he said calmly.

"He is going to Laborg next week," Naveena gasped through her pain. "He doesn't want you to know. He thinks you killed Emilie and fears that you will harm Belinda. He will not allow you to do that."

"He won't?" sneered the dark prince. "Who does he think he is to allow me to do anything? No one gets in my way when I want to do something."

"Be careful, Zinan," sobbed Naveena. "Everything I have done has been for you. Never forget that."

"You have done nothing for me," spat Prince Zinan as he spun around to leave the room. "I hope your death is as painful as it looks. Goodbye, Mother."

The dark prince walked calmly out of the room and shut the door, leaving the wisper to die. He paused in the corridor for a moment as he decided how to approach the new problem that the she had presented to him. He smiled and nodded to himself before heading for the office of General Wikner. The general was at his desk discussing something with an officer. When he saw the prince arrive, he quickly dismissed the officer. The dark prince entered the office and shut the door.

"Good morning, Prince Zinan," welcomed the general. "What brings you to my office?"

"I understand that King Garrick is going to Laborg next week," stated the dark prince. "What are the security provisions for the trip?"

General Wikner became obviously uncomfortable, and the prince smiled thinly.

"Yes, I know that I am not supposed to be aware of the trip," Prince Zinan said, "but my spies speak of a possible threat to the king's life. Should I ignore it?"

"Of course not," gasped the general as he sat erect in his chair. "Have you informed the king?"

"Now how can I do that when I am not even supposed to know of his trip?" smiled the prince. "Besides, I doubt that he would believe me if I told him. He is enamored with Princess Belinda, and I doubt he would believe that her countrymen plan to assassinate him."

"King Gregory is behind this treacherous act?" scowled the general. "That is hard to swallow. What does he hope to gain?"

"I am not sure," shrugged Prince Zinan. "I don't know if the assassination is planned for before or after the wedding. If after, it might give Vineland a claim to the Borundan throne."

"Well we could spirit him out of the country right after the wedding," mused the general.

"And if he is assassinated before?" posed the dark prince. "You should take no chances where the safety of our monarch is concerned."

"Of course not," agreed the general, "but I cannot imagine a threat to his life before the wedding. There is no motive."

"You surprise me, general," Prince Zinan shook his head. "You make decisions with so little information. I happen to be going to Vineland tonight. Do you know why?"

"I have no idea," admitted the general. "You seldom discuss your travels with me."

"True," smiled the prince. "I have had credible reports that Prince Antion of Arin is in Vineland. Why would King Gregory be consorting with our enemy at the very same time as he is entertaining our king? Sometimes, general, it is best if you follow instructions from someone who has more information than you do. What are the security preparations for the king's visit to Laborg?"

"I will be personally commanding a large escort for the king," stated the general. "An assassin will have a hard time getting to the king."

"I like the large escort," Prince Zinan nodded thoughtfully, "but I don't think you should be part of it."

"Why not?" frowned the general.

"Because you lead the eastern armies," answered the prince. "If for some reason the escort fails to protect the king, Borunda's response should be swift and thorough. You will be needed to lead the armies into battle."

"Into battle?" echoed the general. "What are you saying?"

"If King Garrick is killed in Laborg, general," declared the prince, "I will be the king of Borunda. My response to such treachery will be immediate war. In fact, I want all of your armies prepared for such an event. They should be posted on the Odessian border and ready to march on Laborg, and whatever you do, make sure they are kept out of sight. I wouldn't want King Garrick to have a fit if he saw them."

"Why?" asked the general. "King Garrick will surely know of our plans."

"He should know nothing of our plans," Prince Zinan shook his head. "I certainly am not going to tell him, and I forbid you to mention it."

"You forbid me to inform the king of the precautions we are taking?" frowned General Wikner. "That is unheard of."

"Perhaps," shrugged the dark prince, "but it is necessary. I will not have King Garrick go into Laborg looking like a scared child, glancing over his shoulder every minute of the trip. I would allow you to confide in him if you could guarantee that the information would cause him to cancel the trip, but not if he insists on going."

"I could not guarantee his response to what you have told me," admitted the general.

"Then follow my orders, General Wikner," commanded the king's advisor. "I want my cousin properly protected. If you manage to do that portion of your job correctly, the reserve armies I am ordering you to assemble will never be needed, and we will never have to discuss them again. Do you have a problem with preparing for all eventualities?"

"I have no problem with your plans," conceded the general. "My only problem rests in not informing the king of what we are doing."

"We are not doing anything that you had not already planned for," the prince pointed out, "unless the king dies, in which case, he will hardly care what your other precautions were."

"That is true," sighed the general. "It is just a precaution and can easily be explained as training maneuvers."

* * *

Prince Zinan fumed over being refused entry to the palace level of the city of Laborg. It appeared that King Garrick had left no stone unturned in making sure that the dark prince would not be allowed to get near Princess Belinda before the wedding. The Vinelanders had been polite but firm in their refusal to admit the Borundan prince. Prince Zinan had not expected his cousin to be so thorough, but the rebuff strengthened the resolve of the dark prince. He rode through the city streets until he reached the river's edge, being careful that he was not followed.

The dark prince raised his hood before entering the old tavern. He stepped inside the door, searching for a familiar face. He smiled inwardly when he saw Tabansi sitting alone. The sturdy Vinelander appeared to be well into his ale, although the day was still young. The dark prince crossed the room and sat opposite the spy.

"Chike!" welcomed the Vinelander. "It has been a long time."

"I do not need the whole tavern to know that I have returned," scowled the dark prince. "How did you know it was me?"

"The day was fair when I came in," shrugged Tabansi. "Who else would wear a hood in such a case? Besides, I am low on funds and was just wondering when you would return."

"I have paid you a great deal of gold," frowned Prince Zinan. "How is it that you are out of money? Gold seems to run through your hands like sand through a sieve."

"It is the gambling," scowled the spy. "I think they are cheating me just to get my gold. It could not possibly be my bad luck. Nobody has luck that bad."

"Perhaps you should report those who are stealing from you to the authorities?" the dark prince suggested to see what Tabansi's reaction would be.

"That would hardly do any good," Tabansi shook his head. "Who do you think runs the games? I would love to take revenge on them, but they hold the power."

"Perhaps that will change," smirked Chike. "I have a task for you. Several tasks as a matter of fact."

"Excellent," grinned the spy. "I am anxious for some more gold."

"Do you know an officer named Belon?" asked the Borundan.

"Aye," nodded Tabansi. "I know him well. He runs an elite group of soldiers whose main duty is protection of the royal family. He also uses those soldiers as enforcers for the men who run the games. He has threatened my life more than once, but if you want him killed, I am not the man to do it. I like your gold, Chike, but I want to live long enough to spend it. Belon's men obey him without question. If he told them to kill me, not a one of them would ask why, and each of them would revenge Belon's death. I am not quite ready to die yet."

"I don't want Belon killed," replied Prince Zinan. "I want to meet with him alone, but on my terms."

"What are your terms?" The spy's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Does he ever spend the night outside the palace walls?" Chike asked.

"Once a week," nodded the spy. "He has a woman that his wife does not know about."

"That is what I had heard," nodded the dark prince. "Do you know where and when?"

"That is only a secret from his wife," laughed Tabansi. "Everyone else knows. Surely, that is not the only reason you came to see me?"

"Hardly," Chike shook his head as he placed a small pouch on the table, "but that information is vital to my plans, and I will pay you well for it."

"His tryst is tonight, as the fates would have it," Tabansi grinned as he picked up the pouch of gold. "I will take you there myself later. What else do you need?"

"I have a long list of assignments for you," declared Chike. "By this time next week, you will be a very wealthy man, or a powerful one."

"Powerful?" Tabansi's eyebrows rose. "That would mean more than gold to me. How can you make me powerful?"

"That depends," Chike replied cautiously. "What is your loyalty to the Crown?"

"My loyalty is to me and those who pay me," smirked the spy. "I care nothing for the pampered rulers who run this country. Tell me how I can have power."

"I have a number of things to accomplish in a short period of time," proposed the dark prince. "If you can accomplish everything on this list, I will guarantee that you become a man of great importance in Laborg."

Tabansi accepted the list and began to read it. His brow creased with confusion.

"Some of this makes no sense," he said. "You want me to protect the bridge over the Vine River, but no one in Vineland would attempt to destroy it. Everyone's prosperity requires trade, and that bridge is vital to the city."

"If no one attempted to destroy it," smiled Chike, "then your task would be easy, but that will not be the case. An attempt will be made to destroy the bridge. Soldiers will be the ones to destroy it. Are you enough of a leader to gather people to defend the bridge?"

"Citizens against soldiers?" balked Tabansi.

"Yes," nodded Chike. "You want to have power, don't you? First you must be able to lead in order to get it. Are you capable?"

Tabansi sat quietly for a moment. The thought of uttering false bravado entered his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Such words would not impress Chike, and the spy knew it. If he truly wanted the power that was being offered, he had to be sure that he could deliver what was on the list.

"I can do it," the spy finally said. "It will take a great deal of organization, but I can do it."

"What about the rest of the list?" asked the dark prince.

Tabansi reviewed the list again and nodded. "The bridge is the hardest," he replied. "Once I get the people together to accomplish that, the rest is easy."

"Good," smiled Chike as he placed a large pouch on the table. "This will help you attract the people you need, but you must keep the items on the list secret. Trust no one with knowing more than any one item on the list. If word leaks about your preparations, the soldiers will be down on you before I can help you."