The Path Of Destiny (6 page)

King Edward paced the floor a few times, his face turning
red, opened his mouth, then shut it again as if continuing to think. He slowed
and motioned for Richard to sit down on one of the Belorian-made chairs, which
sat in front of his desk. He moved the chairs closer together. Richard sat in
silence and rubbed his hands back and forth on the carved wooden handles. Years
of wear made them almost as smooth as glass.

The King took the other chair facing the desk and turned it
towards Richard. He sat motionless for minutes, looking up at the large
painting some artist had done of the Everlasting Meadows.

Edward took a few deep breaths, leaned forward, and spoke as
if in pain. “Richard, I am sorry about your family. You are not aware how
important they are to me. I . . . am.” The King stumbled for his words before
continuing. “I wasn't going to tell you until you needed to know.” He paused,
and Richard wondered what bothered the King so much. Usually so direct and
confident in his speech, this was unusual for the Edward There was nothing
pertaining to the Realm that Richard didn't already know.

What was going on? What is the King hiding from me?

“My family? What of them?” Richard leaned forward.

“You know I don’t have a son to follow me to be King.” His
speech slowed.

Richard nodded. This was public knowledge and had been a
worry to the King, the councilors, and as well to the Realm in whole. Everyone
had always wondered why he hadn't re-married. Many said he couldn’t find space
in his heart to love again. Many councilors were already planning and
positioning themselves for the day when a new king would need to be chosen.

“Richard.” He looked him straight in the eye. “There is one
who is alive today who is of the direct royal line. Even more direct than me.”

The royal line. Who? I know everyone!
“But you have
no brothers, sisters, or children.”

The King paused as he tapped his fingers on the arm of the
other chair. He gazed with intent into Richard’s eyes and said one word that
shattered Richard's world. “You!”

Richard jumped back as if something had hit his chest. “But
how? What are you talking about, Edward? This is nonsense! Are you just trying
to keep me here by any means? Because this won’t work.” Richard stood up,
red-faced.

“Sit down, Richard. Now!” he commanded, then softened his
features. Blue-grey eyes, almost the color of Richard’s, pierced his gaze.
“Your father, Alric, and I were brothers,” the King spoke in a whispered tone.
“In fact, your father was my older brother by almost twenty-one years.”

“But he was so poor.” Richard could not believe what he was
hearing. His heart pounded and he felt dizzy and light-headed. His father was
only a poor bricklayer in the outskirts of the city.

“Let me explain.” The King paused. “My father, King Charles,
banished your father for something he had once done. It was before I was born.
He even made him change his name from Montere to Williams. Your father left the
city for a while and cut off all ties with everyone he knew. When he came back
with his wife and son no one knew him for who he really was. He took the last
name of Williams, a common enough name in these parts. No one would ever know
him to be of the royal line if everything went according to my father's plan.”

“What plan?” Richard wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“If my daughter wouldn’t have died she would have been Queen
after me. You must wonder why I didn’t remarry and have more children. My
father told me on his deathbed in case something like this happened.”

“Well . . . I . . .” Richard couldn’t find the right words
to say. The implications of what the King said were more than he could get his
mind around. Was he to be the next king? The thought seemed blasphemous.

“The banishment of your father and his current family was
permanent, signed with the royal seal, in blood, and is kept in my personal
safe in the upper room of the castle. You were one year old at the time, so of
course you don't remember.”

Richard’s thoughts of being king crumbled with King Edward’s
word of his entire family being banished. He shook his head in confusion.

“My father was quick to restore the line. A little less than
a year later, I was born,” the King said, pointing a finger at himself. “What
my father, your grandfather, did was wrong, but I am not able to overturn his
oath and decree.”

“I cannot believe this. How can this be right? Wouldn't
others know?” Richard thought about his poor father. No wonder he could do
nothing else but hide. “The pain he must have had to see us raised up in
poverty when we should have been in the palace.”
And I treated him so
horribly for it!

The King looked at Richard with compassion and continued.
“Stories were told at the time that King Charles’s eldest son had died in a war
out in a ship on the Blue Sea. My father mastered the tale himself. He told the
people he had sent your father off to fight in the war. No one else knew. Your
family moved to the Crystal Lake area for a few years. Alric DarSan Montere
became Alric Williams. He changed the way he dressed and talked, and picked up
new work.”

King Edward paused for a moment to let it all sink in.
“After a few years your family returned to Anikari, living at the edge of the
city, and nobody knew who you were. Even though my father had banished him,
when my father died I found your father. I kept in secret contact with him
until your mother and then he died, and I promised I would take care of his
family. He was a good man, Richard. So you understand now why you must stay
here with me, and why you must say nothing to anyone, including your family. No
one must find this out until the right time, until I am ready to die.”

Richard looked confused. Everything was coming too fast! His
head spun and his body went numb. “Why is it so important for me to stay so
close to you? As you said yourself, his family was included in the banishment.
I cannot be king.”

“But your child can,” King Edward said.

A spark of understanding flashed in Richard’s eyes and
astonishment swept his face. “So . . . my son . . . Darius, he could be . . .”
Richard tried to breathe, tried to believe the wild tale.

“He
will
be the next king,” finished Edward. “He was
not yet born when the banishment was made. The crown will be restored again to
the direct line and no faction can vie for authority over it. But he must not
know yet. There is still training he must go through. He must become strong.
One of the strongest kings we have had, to keep this people in safety. He must
be trained in the ways of the military, of the nobles, and trade. He must
become a leader and understand the politics of this Realm like no one else. He
would be in too much danger if he found out now. There are many who would like
to see no rightful heirs to the throne. If Darius found out now, his life could
be in danger. If he died, there would be civil war for sure. Do you understand,
Richard? Do you understand now?”

Richard couldn’t find any words to speak, but only nodded
his head as the King continued. “You must learn all you can now so that when I
pass the crown to him at the right time, you can be by his side. You will be
your son's councilor, if I can leave that instruction for him. A unique ruling
team that has never happened. It will give you and him the extra strength that
will be required.” The King’s eyes gleamed in excitement.

Richard was stunned beyond belief and sat still for a few
moments, then with a pale face excused himself to go to his own office. Before
exiting the room, he whispered barely loud enough for the King to overhear, “He
will now have another excuse to hate me.”

He wondered if his family would ever forgive him for the
terrible secret he must keep. They hated him for what he wasn't . . . or maybe
was. Now he had to be even more deceitful. Yet he grasped the situation now and
recognized he had no choice in the matter. He wouldn’t risk the life of his son
or civil war. Despite what others may think, he loved his family and the Realm.

Richard walked out on the western balcony, outside of his
office. The landing overlooked the city. One day his son would be the king of
this city. Not just this city, but as far as the eye could see. From the
Superstition Mountains to the Blue Sea. He would rule from the forgotten lands
to the border of the Gildanian Empire. He put his hands on his face and cried.
He cried for the pain he had caused and still would need to cause his son. He
cried for his father, whom he now understood, and he cried for what his son
would have to go through to keep peace in the land.

THE CREMELINOS

“
F
ather, come quick,” called
Jakob, Haman’s only son.

“What is it, Jakob?” Haman walked
around the side of the large barn to find out what distressed his boy. His long
legs carried his wiry frame up next to the fence where Jakob stood.

Jakob pointed out across the grassy field towards a group of
Cremelinos that seemed to be running, all together, around in a large circle.
The large pure-white horses continued to speed up until the sight to behold
became a dizzying blur.

Haman Widing, his wife, and his son, were the current master
caretakers of the herd of Cremelinos on White Island—an honor passed down from
father to son for more generations than any could remember. Although White
Island sat off the eastern coast of the Realm, opposite Mar, it was the
responsibility of one family. This family was paid and supported by each king.
A small village had grown up over time in a western bay of the island to
support all of the activity.

Everyone in the village shared the responsibility to care
for the white horses, from farmers growing fields of hay, to groomers, doctors,
and caretakers. In current times four distinct herds covered the island. Haman,
as master caretaker, cared personally for the largest herd. From this herd the
king chose those that would pull his own carriage.

As the man and boy watched the strange behavior, one by one
each horse left the circle and raced towards them. Haman put out his hand and
the lead horse approached, touching Haman’s hand with his mane. No man other
than a caretaker touched a Cremelino without their permission. In fact, once
they allowed a rider, that rider bonded to them for life.

A soft voice filled Haman’s head as the horse stayed in
contact with his hand. It took a few minutes of concentration for him to
recognize what was being said.

Master caretaker, a wizard has found his power again. A
true wizard of royal birth walks the Realm again.

Haman could feel the excitement in the horse’s voice.

“Father, what did she say?” asked Jakob.

“They are excited about a wizard in the Realm again.”

“A wizard? Really? I want to see a wizard, papa. Is he old
like in the stories? Does he do magic? What’s his name?”

Haman tousled his son’s hair and laughed. “So many
questions.”

Tell him he is only a few years older than your son. His
name is Darius and he will impact the entire Realm and beyond for either good
or evil.

Haman relayed the message to his twelve-year-old son.

“I would like to meet Darius,” commented Jakob.

The other horses joined the man and boy next to the fence.
One of the younger ones reached his long white mane over to Jakob, toughing his
skin slightly, and spoke.

Soon you will meet him, but he doesn’t understand who he
is yet. In fact you will escort me to him to be given into the care of another.
I will watch over the young wizard. It is the beginning of the prophecy.

Jakob jumped. This was the first time one of the horses had
had direct communication with him. It was thrilling. “Papa. It’s wonderful. I
heard her voice. She spoke to me.”

Haman smiled a large, toothy grin, which looked almost too
large on his thin face. Looking down at his son, he felt the pride he was sure
his father had felt when Haman had heard his first Cremelino voice. He felt the
connection with himself, his son, and the Cremelino.

His son looked up at him and brushed away some of his blond
bangs. “She said there is a prophecy about Darius, and I will meet him. What do
you think that means, Papa?”

“I am sure I wouldn’t know, Jakob. Things of wizards are not
known much to man. I hear the Jordanian empire have their share, and I have
heard of a few from the Kingdom of Arc, and of course there are rumors of great
wizards across the Blue Sea to the east, but none have walked the Realm for a
long time.”

Haman reached out again to the Cremelino nearest him, while
his son still touched the smaller female. They both heard the words at the same
time.

Forgotten lines of ancient magic and the power of the
throne

One will make them both his
own if his heart sees the true power. . .

Jakob took his hand away. It became clear the Cremelino was
not going to share any more of the prophecy. “I’m going to go tell Mom!” Jakob
yelled as he ran off towards their small home.

Haman cleaned up a few things in the barn before heading
back. The sun hung low above the harbor. Shading his eyes with a tanned hand,
he could just make out the strait of water between the island and Mar. He
spotted a speck on the horizon. Watching for a few moments, he saw the shadow
continue to grow: a ship coming to port. A large one.

“Hmmm,” he said out loud to himself. “I wonder whose ship
that is?”

All of a sudden, the herd started neighing and putting their
forelegs up in the air. They seemed frantic about something. Haman tried to
make soothing noises, afraid they would overrun him. He’d never seen them this
way before. The lead horse came back to him and bumped into his hand.

Another one comes on the ship. A wizard. A wizard of evil
power. One that is not natural, but learned. One that could destroy the
prophecy. Keep him away from us
.

Haman covered his head with his hands. The words were more
frantic and louder than he had ever heard. He tried to soothe the worried horse
by running his hand over the horse’s mane and nose. “I will always protect you.
I will open the back gate and you can run inland. No one will hurt you.”

Thank you, caretaker. Make sure that man doesn’t go out
of the village on his own. He is dangerous.

“
Who is he? How will I know which one is him on such
a large ship?”

You will know. A pure heart like yours will sense the
evil in his.

Haman ran to the wooden gate and threw it open; thankful the
other herds were on the far side of the island this month. It was early summer
and new grass was growing in abundance all over the island. It was normal for
him to rotate the herds to graze in different fields.

The Cremelinos ran through the gate in a hurried blur of
white. The lead horse turned towards him and sent a final message.

Don’t let him see your son and don’t tell him about the
other wizard.

This was the first time they had spoken to him without
direct contact. His surprise must have shown through.

We can do much more than you think, kind caretaker. In a
short time, the true testing of the young wizard will come. If all goes well,
we will be with our masters once again.

And with that they were off so fast that by the time Haman
closed the gates, they were specks of fading light running into the coming
night.

The middle-aged man walked with concern towards his home.
The small but sturdy stone home sat up on the hill next to the fields where the
white horses roamed. The village sat about two miles west inside the bay. As he
looked out, the ship continued to grow in size, coming closer to the island
port. Even though the air was still warm, he shivered at the thoughts the herd
leader had shared with him earlier.

Opening the door, he was met with the aroma of baked bread
and stewed meat, and he took a moment to breathe it in. The tasty scent wasn’t
enough to take the stain of worry from his heart, but it helped. Haman looked
around the room and smiled at his wife and son. He would protect them at all
costs.

Later than night, Haman took a lantern and headed into town.
The large ship stood in the dock, and he watched sailors, with their sea gait,
moving supplies from the town’s small warehouses. He entered the nicest tavern
closest to the docks. Immediately he recognized who the Cremelinos were talking
about. His heart lurched and terror filled him as he looked on the man.

He stood with confidence, tall and broad with short-cropped
auburn hair. An aura of power and command circled him. Men were falling over
themselves to please him, and gathering around him to hear him talk.

Haman stayed in the background by the wall, but moved closer
to where he could hear what the man said. The warmth of the large fire in the
hearth spread throughout the room, casting strange shadows on the listening
group of men.

The man talked about keeping themselves protected from the
Realm and taking more freedom for themselves. The men seemed enthralled with
his words, but Haman noticed they did not have much meaning to them here on
White Island. They had a good life here, and were free from most of the Realm’s
doing, except for the raising of the Cremelinos.

As Haman thought about the horses, the man stopped talking
and turned towards the caretaker. Haman tried to hold the stare back, but he
felt as if the man dirtied his soul with his gaze. He then took two steps
forward, towards Haman.

“You must be the caretaker?” asked the man.

Haman didn’t know how the man knew, but he just nodded in
the affirmative.

“I would like to meet and observe these Cremelinos I have
heard so much about. Such beautiful horses that our king keeps must be a sight
to behold. Could I by chance be taken to one?”

Haman was glad he had let the horses move inland, and also
happy he didn’t have to lie about it. This man surely would discern if he did.

“I am sorry, sir,” said Haman in an even manner. “Just today
I have let them out to roam the middle of the island. The grass grows tall
there and will help make them strong. It’s too far and dangerous to go out
during the night, and hard to even find them in that vast area during the day.”

“I see. How do they know when to return?”

Haman wanted to tell the man they would return when they
sensed his evil gone, but didn’t. “They are fickle animals, with a mind of
their own. They will probably be a few days at least. Who knows?”

“Who knows?” the man repeated. “I am sure that you as
caretaker must know.”

Haman only shook his head. It was all that he could do not
to run from the man. His stomach felt sick and his head pounded.

“Hmmm. A caretaker that doesn’t know where his animals are.
Not much of a caretaker I would guess.”

The flippant remark stilled the other men in the room. They
all held the highest regard for Haman and his ways with the Cremelinos. Haman
kept his tongue still.

The man seemed to think for a moment, then smiled a smile
that didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, I must be off in the morning. So maybe
another time. I must get back to Belor to check how my city has been doing in
my absence. I am sure to have work to do there.”

“Yes. Maybe another time would be better,” echoed Haman,
relieved the man would not be pushing the idea to visit them sooner.

The man turned back to the group, ordered some food, and
resumed his tales of the eastern kingdoms and their higher level of thinking.

Haman soon turned and left the building, taking a deep
breath only after exiting into the night air. He hoped he never met that man
again. He felt sorry for the Belorians if they didn’t see past his evil.

The next morning Haman returned to the harbor to make sure
the evil visitor was gone. The ship was pulling out of the harbor as another one
pulled in. He could see the profile of the man he had met standing on the bow
of the ship. As the other ship passed by him, he seemed to stop and stare at
the two men standing on the other ship’s bow.

Haman saw a frown form on the man’s face and he waved to his
captain to stop. Haman watched as the other boat came up beside a dock. After
securing the ropes two men came down the walkway, apparently leaving a captain
to stay onboard.

The two men approached him and Haman saw they were younger
than he had first thought. Not much older than eighteen. One stood tall with
dark brown hair, carrying himself like a noble, while the other was shorter,
with bright red hair, not unlike the color of the man going to Belor.

“Hello, sir.” The first one spoke to Haman. “Can you tell me
where I can find the caretaker?”

Haman frowned only slightly. These two were young to be here
on their own. “Who can I say is asking?”

The second boy spoke up. “I am Kelln El’Han, and this is
Darius San Williams, son of councilor Williams. We recently graduated from the
academy and we have been given a task from the King to pick up a few more of
his Cremelinos.”

Haman opened his mouth wide and his face paled. He looked up
at the ships in the harbor and noticed the man from Belor still looking in
their direction.
Darius.
That was the name spoken by the Cremelino.

Trying to distract the man on the ship and protect the young
men, he pointed towards an inn. “If you will go and wait in that inn, I will
find him.”

The boys smiled their thanks and Haman walked in the other
direction. Hiding around a corner of one of the warehouses he watched the man
on the ship shake his head and then proceed to direct his captain to pull out
of the harbor. Only when he was clear of the harbor mouth did the caretaker
return to the inn to find the two young men.

Opening the door, he spotted them at a table. The redheaded
one was flirting with a young barmaid. Haman tried to compose himself. The
Cremelinos had said this man, Darius, was a wizard. He approached slowly and
sat down opposite them.

“You are the caretaker?” asked Darius. “Then why the
misdirection?”

Haman did not feel evil coming from this young man as he did
the other one. He took a deep breath and let it out in a big puff. “You said
your name was Darius? Why were you chosen to come here?”

“My father is councilor to King Edward. This is one of our
first assignments after graduation from the Academy. He thought it relatively
safe to send us here to choose a few of the Kings horses to bring back.” Darius
paused as if listening to something. “Is it safe here?”