Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 12:15:16 +0200
From: Adrie van Dijk <ganymedes62@hotmail.com>
Subject: Princes of the Realm - Chapter 1

Princes of the Realm

Chapter 1 -- Revelations

This close to the Northern Peaks in Fall, the early morning was as chilly
as the late evening. Carl could only hope that the boy in the hanging cage
had survived the night so he could keep the promise he had made to
Daltin. As he neared the place where he knew the cage hung, the silence
though became almost eerie. There was nothing left of the heartbroken sobs
he had heard the day before.

As he reigned in the horses near the cage, Carl could see the boy was
slumped against the bars. He quickly took a waterskin and approached the
cage, hoping the boy still lived. He was yet breathing though shallow and
Carl knew that the first priority would be to provide him with water. Carl
carefully lifted the boy's face, removed the gag and put the waterskin to
Jorthun's mouth. The boy took the gift and slowly regained some of his
strength.

Jorthun took hold of the waterskin and kept drinking greedily. This allowed
Carl to have a look at the locks, which he soon deemed flimsy. Carl took
out a knife to break the locks, which caused Jorthun to cower back in
terror. He relaxed slightly when he saw that Carl was using it on the locks
and not on him. As the last lock broke, the bottom of the hanging cage gave
way and the boy, waterskin in hand, tumbled down onto the ground.

With the boy freed, Carl's mind started to race. He couldn't leave the boy
here, that would be as much a death warrant as if he had just left him in
the hanging cage. He would have to take the boy with him to Chizum, where
at least he would stand a chance to survive. So Carl gently picked up the
boy, who had once again fallen unconscious, and carried him towards the
back of the cart.

After putting the boy down, Carl proceeded to open the tailgate. As he did
so, Daltin's face burst into view. The boy looked terrified, but there was
also a clear hint of defiance to be seen in his young visage.

"Is he alive?" Daltin asked in a trembling voice.

"He lives but he is weak. I wanted to put him into the cart, but it seems
you've already taken his place." Carl replied with a proffer of irony in
his voice.

The irony was lost on Daltin, who quickly jumped off the cart and raced to
Jorthun's side. He embraced his friend with such heartfelt passion and
love, it brought tears to Carl's eyes. The scene brought back strong
memories, but Carl quickly put them aside again, they had to be on their
way before anyone saw them.

"I think we had better put him into the cart and get going." Carl said.

But Daltin wasn't ready to let go of his friend just yet. His gaze
alternated between looking upon his friend's face and a spot somewhere in
front of Carl's feet. It was obvious that the boy was struggling; fear,
relief and trust all fighting for supremacy at the same time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you would let me come with you and I had to be
sure you saved him. I ...".

"I love him." His voice wavered as he gazed into the drowsy eyes of the
young boy in his arms.

"I know," Carl answered matter-of-factly. "You proved that last night. Now
let's get him up here, shall we?"

Carl picked up Jorthun and sat him in the back of the cart. Daltin kept
close, never releasing the one hand he held as though he was afraid it was
all a dream and letting go would cause him to wake up. As soon as Jorthun
was settled against the wooden supports, Daltin jumped in beside him and
embraced his friend yet again.

"Will you take us with you to Chizum?" Daltin's childlike voice pleaded.

"I'll take you." Carl answered, as he closed the tailgate. "You just take
care of that friend of yours. Make sure he doesn't drink all of that water
at once and use some of those blankets to keep yourselves warm."

Carl then walked around the cart and climbed back up onto the drivers
bench. He quickly surveyed the surroundings, ensuring himself that they
hadn't been seen. Seeing that the boys had settled themselves, he gave the
reins a quick jerk and the horses got them back on the trail.

As Carl concentrated on the trail, Daltin took care of Jorthun, who slowly
recovered from his ordeal. He made sure his friend only took small sips of
water at a time and kept him warm underneath the blankets. As midday
approached the weather improved and the boys discarded the blankets. At the
noon, Carl stopped the cart to give the horses a rest and Daltin was quick
in taking care of them. They had a quiet meal before loading up again and
resuming their ride.

"Do you think he'll take us to Chizum?" Jorthun, who had regained his
strength, whispered to Daltin.

"I think so." Daltin whispered back. "He said he would."

"What are we going to do once we're there?" Jorthun quietly inquired.

"I don't know yet." replied Daltin equally quiet. "I have the money we
saved up and I guess there will be plenty of inns in Chizum that could use
a good stableboy."

"Do you trust him?" Jorthun asked, nodding his head towards Carl, while
keeping his voice low enough so their conversation couldn't be overheard.

"I think we can." Daltin said. "He freed you, didn't he, and has taken us
along without asking for anything in return."

"I have an idea." Jorthun revealed. "If we show him we can work really
hard, maybe he will let us be his apprentices."

"I don't know," Daltin replied sceptically, "but we can try."

Well before darkness Carl and his companions reached the large clearing
that he normally used as his overnight camp site. The clearing was large
enough that nothing could approach undetected and the nearby stream
provided fresh water. Carl reined in the horses and turned to face his two
passengers.

"Are we going to camp here for the night?" Daltin asked, scanning the area.

After Carl nodded his answer, Daltin scrambled to his feet, jumped out of
the cart and went to work unhitching the horses. Jorthun also stood and
jumped out.

"I'll gather some firewood." he said and wandered off to the tree line
without looking back.

Soon the horses were picketed out and enough firewood had been gathered to
see them through the night. The meal was again taken in silence and
afterwards they sat around the campfire, the boys close together and
opposite Carl. It was Jorthun who broke the silence.

"I owe you my life, sir. I don't know exactly why you freed me from the
hanging cage, but I'm glad you did." The clarity of his voice and the look
on his face, seen in the amber glow of the campfire, all added to the
sincerity of his declaration.

"I freed you because your friend there asked me to and because I believe
you to be innocent. The villagers took their fear out on you without any
justification and I just can't stand injustice." Carl replied.

"You said you will take me and Daltin to Chizum and I was wondering what
you would want in return?" Even in the diminishing glow of the campfire
Carl could see that suspicion had replaced gratitude in Jorthun's eyes.

"Yes, we know that nothing in life comes without a price." Daltin piped in
as he shared a worried look with his friend.

Carl was nearly overwhelmed by the candour about the harsh realities of the
world from two so young and for the second time that day, memories came
flooding back.

"Let me tell you a story." Carl said, poking at some smouldering embers
with a thin branch, collecting his thoughts before he continued.

"A long time ago, two boys about your age, fell in love with each
other. One was the son of a poor farmer, the other, the son of a wealthy
merchant. The two boys managed to keep their love a secret for a few years,
but one can't walk a tight rope for so long and not fall off from time to
time." Carl's mind raced back and he struggled to keep his composure.

"Inevitably someone who knew the merchant's son discovered the secret and
told his father. Rage stole away his sanity. The arrangements for his son
to be married to the daughter of another merchant were ruined. That
evening, when his son returned home, he confronted him. The boy had no
option but to confirm that he was in love with the farmer's son and that he
would marry no other." Carl coughed to hide the sob that shook his chest.

"The merchant pulled a knife and then killed his son by stabbing him in the
heart. Not wanting to face the executioner, the merchant also used the
knife on himself." Carl continued, the anger in his voice unmistakeable.

"When the farmer's son heard what happened, he was grief stricken. He
welcomed death so he might be with his beloved again, but before he could
put his thoughts into deeds, he was visited by the ghost of his love."
Tears started to roll on Carl's cheeks as he spoke.

 "Borran told me that the Gods weren't ready for me yet and that I must go
on living. I also had to make a promise. Whenever I encountered true love,
I should help in any way I could." Even after all those years, Carl could
still picture those final moments he shared with his love as though it was
yesterday.

"So you see, I was the farmer's son and I'm keeping my promise." Carl
finished and as he lifted his eyes, through blurry eyes he could make out
the silver trails etched on cheeks and glistening in the night.

"He must have been very special, and one day, in the distant future, I look
forward to meeting him." Jorthun said as he leaned into Daltin and kissed
him on the cheek.

The boys looked at each other, got up, rounded the fire and sat down beside
Carl. They embraced him, and the three of them sat in silence until sleep
overwhelmed them.

When Carl awoke the next morning, he could see the boys had been busy. The
horses had their haversacks, the campfire had been rekindled, and the
waterskins were filled. They had even caught some fish which were cooking
over the fire.

In the distance he could hear noises coming from the nearby stream, which
was hidden from view by a small patch of trees. Then the two boys busted
through the trees towards him, laughing and ... stark naked. Finding Carl
awake and grinning, they stopped dead in their tracks, quickly turned
around and ran back to where they had left their clothes.

Soon they reappeared, fully dressed, but with a flush on their cheeks no
one could miss.

"You two are just in time. I think these fish are done." Carl said, with as
straight a face as he could muster.

Not wishing to add to their embarrassment, Carl started eating and so did
the boys. The breakfast was quickly over and between the three of them the
site was cleared and they were under way again.

As they neared their destination the cheerful mood soured to one of
silence. Around midday, some two hours away from Chizum, Carl stopped to
rest the horses. He also wanted to have a talk with the boys. An idea was
taking shape in his mind.

"I know you boys wanted me to take you to Chizum, but what are you planning
on doing there? Do any of you have relatives there? " Both boys shook their
head.

"You do know that in a town like Chizum, any job available to non-locals
isn't likely to be particularly pleasant or legal." Carl said. He knew that
the only way for two non-local boys to survive in Chizum would be either
prostitution or thievery. A fate neither of the boys deserved.

"We can't go back to Tentras, so we don't have any choice." Jorthun replied
and the two boys looked crestfallen.

"Yes, I thought about that, and I'm going to offer you a choice. You boys
remind me of the many good times I had with Borran, times I had all but
forgotten. So if you want, I would like you boys to stay with me. Travel
back home to Tanryan with me and become my apprentices. It's the least I
can do." Carl proclaimed.

The silence that followed felt like an eternity to Carl. He wanted the boys
to stay with him. They had brought back so many happy memories that he
didn't want to lose, not again.

The boys looked at each other and slowly a grin stretched their lips. They
turned to Carl and, in near unison said: "We'd love to stay with you."

At that moment Carl lost his balance. Grasping for anything to hold on to
he just tumbled over the drivers bench and into the back of the cart. There
was nothing he could do but laugh and cry at the same time. The boys'
laughter seemed to feed his own as he struggled to get back up.

Another merchant's cart coming up the road interrupted the revelry. The
driver just shook his head as he passed.

"We had better get going, or we risk finding the gates closed." Carl said
as the three of them found their own spots and were off again.

When the walls of Chizum came into view Daltin became quite excited. Unlike
Jorthun or Carl, he had never been beyond Tentras and the prospect of
seeing a real city incited an enthusiasm he'd never felt before. His head
and eyes turned all over the place once they had passed the gates.

"Chizum is just a small garrison city." Carl reminded Daltin. "Just wait
until you see Tanryan, now that's a real city."

The comment was lost on Daltin, but not on Jorthun. He pulled Daltin down
onto the bed of the cart.

"We can't attract unnecessary attention. We're Carl's apprentices so we're
used to cities." He warned Daltin.

That did the trick and both boys sat quietly in the cart as they travelled
the narrow streets of Chizum to the Golden Crown Inn.

The Golden Crown was a relatively large and comfortable inn. It had a huge
balcony overlooking the common room where business was conducted. During
the height of the trading season it was usually filled to capacity, even
though it had plenty of guest rooms. Now, with the onset of winter, it was
fairly quiet and Carl liked it that way.

He purchased a large single room with three feathered beds and the three of
them retired soon after they finished dinner. The previous days had been
emotionally exhaustive and they all felt the draw of a soft bed. Carl was
fast asleep, seconds after his head met the pillow.

When Carl awoke early the next morning he found that sometime during the
night, the boys had decided to share a bed. Seeing the tangle of arms and
legs in the single bed made him smile. There was innocence and beauty in
their intimacy. It was a pity to have to wake them up, but they had a long
day ahead of them and besides, breakfast was waiting for them in the common
room.

After they washed and dressed, Carl noticed for the first time that
something had to be done about the appearance of both boys. It wouldn't do
for them to look like paupers if they were to pass as apprentices. So after
breakfast they went to one of the clothing shops near the inn.

The owner, a heavy-set man named Tollan, had to contend with the boys'
ticklish nature as he fought to take measurements and Carl laughed at his
frustration. The clothes wouldn't be ready until later that day, but at
least the boys would have proper attire.

The next stop for the party was Kholtans, Carls main reason for his trip to
Chizum. Kholtan was a jeweller and gem trader, an expert in his field,
having learned his trade in Tiaell. He had moved to Chizum only a couple of
years ago, and had quickly gained a considerable reputation. It was
rumoured that he had actually worked for the Imperial family of Tiaell, and
there could well be some truth to that. Whatever Carl bought from Kholtan
was sure to sell in Tanryan at a considerable profit.

As Carl explained the reason for them being there, a slight smile crept
across Jorthun's face.

"I wondered why your cart was near empty, traders normally carry a lot of
stuff."

"You are quite perceptive," Carl said, "and most of the time I do carry
other goods as well, if only to throw off anyone being a bit too curious
about my business."

The conversation continued for a short while until they reached their
destination, entering a simple looking shop. Only a few plain items were on
display, those were intended for locals. Our little group was quickly
ushered into one of the back rooms, where most of Kholtans business was
actually conducted, and told that the proprietor would be with them
shortly.

Indeed a few moment later Kholtan entered the room, but almost immediately
stopped. His face turned ashen as if he was staring into the eyes of
Honney, the goddess of Death herself. "This can't be," he started to
mumble, "by all the Gods, this can't be." All the while he was looking
intently at Jorthun.

"Who are you boy? Where are you from?" Kholtan was a tall man and Carl
could see he was upset. His meticulously groomed mustache twitching under
his nose.

"These are my apprentices," Carl started, but was cut off.

"Nonsense. I know as well as you do that you don't have any apprentices,"
Kholtan almost barked and turning back to Jorthun he repeated his
questions.

"My name is Jorthun. I'm an orphan and I think I'm from Peltan, at least,
that's where I lived when I was young."

Kholtan was shaking his head. "No, I don't thing you are Jorthun from
Peltan, but I need you to take off your shirt to be sure."

Jorthun turned to Carl with a questioning look. Not seeing any real harm,
Carl just nodded.

Jorthun got up and slowly removed his shirt, pulling it over his head. As
Jorthun uncertainly straightened up again, Kholtan suddenly dropped to his
knees.

"Lianna, the Goddes of Fate, be blessed," Kholtan exclaimed. As he bowed
his head deep he continued: "You are Thokan of Tiaell, son of Theron and
Palina, you are my true Emperor and I am your humble servant. Please
forgive my impudence."

"What?" Three voices recounted.

Kholtan raised his head again and pointed to Jorthun's chest. "The dragon
tattoo just above your heart."

"Oh," Jorthun said, "I've had that all my life I think."

"I know," Kholtan answered, "I was there when you got it, your Highness."

Looking at Kholtan, Carl noticed the tears streaming across his
face. "Would you please tell us what is going on here? "

Instead of answering Carl's question, Kholtan kept his eyes on Jorthun and
asked: "With your Highness's permission I will tell you what I know."

"Please do," Daltin said, which earned him a dirty look from Kholtan.

Jorthun didn't say anything but just nodded.

Kholtan got up from his knees and moved over to the table, only to stop and
wait.

"I can't sit down until after you are seated, your Highness:", he said to
Jorthun, who was still standing.

Jorthun quickly sat down and then so did Kholtan. Then, with his eyes
locked on Jorthun, he began his story.

"23 years ago I met the Emperor Theron and Empress Palina for the first
time. They had just married and were a very happy couple. It seems they
were very impressed with my work and soon after I was appointed imperial
jeweller. Life at the Imperial court was well, your parents were kind and
very well loved by the people.

The gods were less kind to them though. Their first child died during birth
and it seemed that another was not forthcoming. Then, after nearly ten
years, it was announced that the Empress was pregnant again and there was
great joy, both inside the imperial court and out. Your birth was a happy
occasion in all of Tiaell.

"Like all your ancestors, you received the imperial tattoo five days after
you were born, marking you heir to the imperial throne. It was the first
and the only time I saw you until now." Kholtan swallowed hard. He
remembered how proud he had been to be invited to the ceremony.

"A few months after you were born, an invitation was received for your
parents to attend the wedding of Ibanu, the elf queen. The voyage, first
over the Great Sea and then by land to Usktura would take quite some time
and your parents didn't want to be separated from you for that long. So
when the imperial convoy left the harbour of Atgar, you were all aboard the
imperial flagship." Kholtan recounted and then fell silent for a few
moments as if he was gathering his thoughts.

"Only one small ship made it back to the harbour of Atgar two weeks
later. The imperial convoy had been ambushed by a host of pirate ships and
except for those on that small ship, no survivors were to be expected."
Tears had started to form in Kholtan's eyes and emotions nearly overwhelmed
him.

"Soon after, your uncle, Thereld, claimed the imperial crown and the
priests had no choice but to comply with the claim. He's a wicked man, your
uncle, and rumours were that he somehow had a hand in the pirate attack on
the imperial convoy. Tiaell changed after he became emperor. Spies were
everywhere and most of the nobles that had opposed the initial claim of
Thereld mysteriously disappeared." The bitterness that had slipped into his
voice could almost be tasted. It was obvious that Tholkan held no love for
Thereld.

"Thereld had little use for jewellery and I had little pleasure in working
for him or any of the nobles that were loyal to him. So with great sorrow,
I left Tiaell, travelled around the three kingdoms of Trahan for a while
and finally settled here in Chizum.

Now the gods have blessed me. If you had not been the spitting image of
your mother, may Honney be kind to her, I would never have recognized you.

You are Thokan, son of Theron and Palina, and you are my true emperor."
Kholtan concluded his story telling.

Carl could hardly believe his ears and wondered what in the world he had
gotten himself into.