“Greetings, friend,” said the prince as Garinor was brought forth into the tent. “A pity this has been such a rainy day, but fortuitous that we have this chance to speak. I trust you have been well kept?”
He hesitated only for a moment. “Yes, your majesty. Very well, thank you.”
“Very good. Now, please sit.” He gestured to a cushion across from the stool on which he was seated. The effect was to put Garinor beneath him, but Garinor didn’t bother to notice. “I am glad you have stumbled into my protection, I must say. Wine?” he asked, holding a goblet out to him.
“Er, thanks.” He waited until the prince saluted him with his own goblet before tasting the blood-red liquid. It was a heavy wine and it sank deep into the pit of Garinor’s stomach.
“As I was saying, it is fortunate you have come to me instead of roaming the lands. That simply would not do. It seems,” he added with a note of scorn, “that some of my men are unable to follow orders.” He swirled his cup of wine and then added an ironic sigh. “Some of them, it seems, were under the impression that you were to be slain. It is unacceptable, and I have been working to correct the error by writing letters to be sent by messenger to all of those working with me. I do apologize.”
Garinor tried to keep his presence of mind. “Very gracious, your highness,” he said half-heartedly. “But, why seek me at all?” He knew of the prophecy, but he wanted to know the prince’s point of view.
The prince buried his head in his hands. “You were summoned by his majesty, the king, my father?”
“Yes, your highness.”
“And you were not told as to why?”
“I asked, but no, I wasn’t told. And then everything went out of control.” Garinor felt better that this much was at least completely true.
“What a fool,” the prince muttered dramatically. “I apologize, I should not speak of his majesty the king in such a manner, but his lack of insight has led to some dangerous times for you. However, I wish to correct his oversight.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. So let me spin for you a tale. It is one that was written many years ago but it affects us today. Do sip your wine as I indulge your right to know.” He smiled, tipping his goblet toward Garinor amicably.
Garinor did as instructed and drank his wine as the prince unraveled his story. The heavy alcohol wearied him and it became difficult to concentrate on details, but the prince spoke without pause.
“Years ago, there was a great Seer who was given profound knowledge,” the prince started, his voice carrying a tone much like a father spinning a mystical tale for his child. “The knowledge held within it a secret deep and powerful. It was knowledge that could alter destiny itself and change the very landscape of the world around us.
“You see, the wise woman was given a prophecy. It was a true prophecy and not something suggested by bone-readers or card-flippers. The Seer died upon receiving the Vision, you understand. The ancient histories all point to the same cost of such things, the light of truth, as it were. It costs the soul of the one who sees it. But as it is the light of truth, it cannot be wrong.
“My father,” the prince added with disdain, “does not understand the true importance of this. But once I heard there was a prophecy in full light, I sought at once to learn everything I could.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial volume. “You would be amazed at the things I discovered.”
Garinor took another sip of the red wine, wondering if he was supposed to comment, but the prince continued.
“The light of truth costs a human soul and the Seer of old died when she was given the prophecy. The words were recorded and stored in a secret location within the king’s chambers. It took months of research in the old histories for me to uncover where that location was, but once I did it was a mere matter of waiting for the opportunity to investigate.
“There are three parts to the prophecy.” He enumerated them on his fingers as he spoke. “The first is that there is an heir to the throne hidden in the land. The second is that there is a prince already in line for the throne. The third part says there is a scepter hidden in a cave, and someone will claim it to choose the ruler among the heir and the prince.”
Garinor brought the goblet up to his face to hide his expression. He knew of these things already and he didn’t want to betray his knowledge to the prince.
“All boys and men wish to be king,” the prince said plainly. “But there are many more aspects to the job than sitting on a throne and doling out orders. I have been trained as a prince to take over rule from my father when he passes into the next realm. And though there is another heir out in the world, I do believe I am suited to the task.”
“Of course, your highness,” Garinor slurred a little and his cheeks burned red in embarrassment.
The prince didn’t seem to notice. “My father has spent years hunting down the heir. When he thinks he’s found the boy, he summons him to the castle and then he sends them off on a treacherous errand all in the name of the kingdom. Those who refuse him are cast into the dungeons and are likewise never heard from again. It is despicable, and I loathe my father for such tricks.”
“I—I never thought—”
“Of course not. The king hides such things, as he will. And it pains me to reveal the truth to you, but I have my reasons.” Obviously agitated, the prince swirled his goblet then took a large swig of wine. “It is clear to you that I am mentioned in this prophecy.”
“Yes, your highness.”
“There is other evidence pointing to this era and to me in particular, but that is not what concerns us at the moment. As I was saying previously, my father was seeking the heir. He threw gold to anyone who would offer him even a mote of information on where the boy could be, even that which was as far-fetched as you could imagine. From every glimmer of news, he sent off a guard to capture the boy, to reel him in to the castle and then to sentence him to death, even if he did not know that was his destiny.
“But I was not idle. I was leery of the gossip coming to my father and I marked up a map trying to pinpoint the location of the true heir from all the ramblings of the so-called mystics brought into my father’s court. And over and over again I heard of a town to the south of the castle hosted by the river. The descriptions were often vague, but after piecing together enough of them I was able to narrow down the whereabouts to the surrounding area.
“But because the threads of information were not detailed or coming from wholly trustworthy sources, I needed to use caution. I set up a contingent of followers who have been out seeking the king’s guard as he fishes out one of the heirs. They were ordered to slay the corrupted ‘protector’ and to rescue the boy being carted away. And it is here that my orders were misunderstood, you see. Some of my warriors apparently accepted the task in order to kill the boy as well.” He shook his head sadly. “I wish I had known sooner.”
Garinor felt strange as he sat there listening, wine in hand, and an odd pressure in his temples. He could hear the genuine pain in the prince’s voice and see the anguish on his face, but it was hard to forget that he had been pursued and nearly killed several times.
The prince was caught in his story and he sipped his wine and continued, not noticing the internal struggle being waged in Garinor’s eyes. “My soldiers have been patrolling the roads on the lookout for the king’s followers. And they thwarted the attempts of many, but not always with success. At last, my father received word from an accurate Seer who could give more specifics to the location of the heir.
“The very next day, the guard was sent to claim you.”
Garinor looked up in earnest.
“Yes, your highness,” the prince said, lowering his head in homage. “And I have been looking for you desperately ever since.”
Garinor sat, stunned, for several minutes. He had suspected it before, but to hear the prince confirming it was shocking to him. It was all he could do not to drop the cup of wine.
“I deeply regret the trouble you have seen,” the prince said, bowing his head. “And I hope I might find a way of correcting it.”
Even muddled from the wine, Garinor was able to push a few coherent thoughts through. “But we’re at odds for the same role, aren’t we?”
The prince nodded again. “Yes, your highness, we are. In many ways, it is like the rift that has formed between myself and my brothers, who cannot rule unless I am dead. It is an unfortunate circumstance, but one that I feel has a resolution, if you would hear it.”
Garinor nodded his head. “What do you propose?”
“As I said earlier, I have been raised to take over the kingdom, whereas you have not. I have been in court sessions all my life and have watched my father preside over countless meetings with ambassadors of other countries. I have also conducted some such meetings with success as well. And though I do regret to admit it because of the one flaw in my orders, I have organized a troop of followers who are true to me in every way they can be.
“So I would like to ask you to let me do what I was born and raised to do. Let me lead the country from the throne, running the day-to-day business and keeping our land from war. And in exchange I will see to your every comfort for all time, and to that of your family and closest friends. You would work a job only if it suited you and you would not need payment at all, for I would supply you with anything you ever need.”
The prince hesitated only for a moment. “I urge you to think on it. I wish very much to correct my father’s errors and to bring a deep prosperity to this land. And you would benefit from it without the toil or trauma that must go with keeping the responsibilities of being king.
“Would you at least take some time and think on it?”
Garinor bit his lip and then said, “It’s an interesting offer. Yes, I will consider it.”
The prince bowed respectfully and then rose to his feet. “Then tonight join me in feast with the others and tomorrow we will seek out a new destiny.” He touched Garinor gently on the arm and guided him out of the tent toward a blazing bonfire and a selection of food the troop had collected throughout the day and evening.
Garinor’s mind buzzed with everything the prince had told him and it both clashed and meshed with what he had learned before. And as he looked at the tall man who carried himself with pride, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the prince’s actions had been misunderstood after all.
The meal was grand for one struck up after a rainy day on the road. After the meal, Garinor was taken again into the prince’s tent. He lounged on the soft pillows and curled into a rich blanket where his mind whirled about, wondering what he should do. He drifted to sleep, determined to let his dreams help him to decide.