related closely with a number of the council guards. At the request of the prince, Arman asked Hyra to pick the guard he trusted most. That would be the person Hyra would go to with the prince’s questions. They had also come up with a plan for how and when information would get back to the prince.
It was three days after Leon had gone into hiding. News reached Prince Herman that evening that the council guards had gotten a hint to where Leon was hiding and that they were heading there immediately.
“He says that Leon lodged with an old man the night he first arrived.” Arman informed the prince. “The old man goes by the name Ivo.”
“What makes them think he would go back there just because he lodged there once before?” Herman asked.
“A couple of farmers living around there say they saw him return there for a visit a while back. And when the old man saw him off, they seemed on very friendly terms.”
“Where does the old man live?”
“In the outskirts of the city. It is quite a distance from the city.”
“How fast do you think you can get there?”
“I’m not so sure your highness. Are you sure you want to get that involved in all this.” Arman was concerned.
Herman nodded. “Very much so. I know my father has left a lot in the charge of the high council but they are not allowed to conduct a search of this level without his approval. I want to know what’s really going on. Why haven’t they sent message to the palace about what they are doing?”
It was decided that this should be approached very quietly and cautiously so that the king wouldn’t find out. The prince wanted to be the one to talk to his father about his findings. It was time the king took an active role in ruling his own kingdom and if this was how Herman could give him a push, he would do it.
Herman had organized a couple of royal guards. He ordered them to dress in normal clothing. The imperial guards riding around in the regalia would draw too much attention. As much as possible, Herman did not want the high council knowing what he was up to. So he took some horses from the servant’s quarters and gave the guards. They were to head there with Arman so Leon would be able to recognize one of them and be more willing to follow them. Knowing also that the old man may not believe that they were from the royal palace, Herman gave Arman a note with the royal seal on it.
When they did get there, Agatha showed uncertainty at the idea of letting them in—just as the prince had rightly suspected would happen. Arman presented the royal note with the seal. Upon seeing the seal, Agatha knew that this was serious. She let them in quickly.
“Yes he was here.” Ivo answered Arman minutes later.
“Was?”
“There was no way he could continue hiding here without being found. Word travels fast in Mordelan. It would only be a matter of time before the council checked here.”
“Are you saying they’ve taken him?” Arman asked, his tone grew strained.
“No he’s still in hiding but not here. The council has been here but didn’t find him.”
“Where is he now? Do you know?”
“He’s at my father’s old barn house. I took him there myself on the night of his arrival at my house.”
“Then take us there at once.” Arman ordered.
They got to the barn house. It was a secluded place farther out of the city. Clearly, the house had been around for a very long time. When they stepped in through the door they did not see anyone and Arman at first thought they’d lost the foreigner. Then Ivo walked over to a corner and knocked on the wooden floor. It was a special knock. Before long they could hear the sound of keys working through a key hole. In seconds a square shaped entrance was opened and Leon peeped out. He was standing on a wooden staircase that led to a special room underground. Thanks to Ivo, he’d been hidden there with his family. And there they’d been waiting.
“Some people from the royal palace are here to see you.” Ivo announced with a smile.
Leon climbed out and seeing Arman, immediately recognized him from the prince’s visit. He had pretended to be the rich man who was interested in his horses.
“I must say that there is definitely something distinctive about you.” Arman began. “The prince sent me to look for you and bring you to the palace.”
Leon nodded; his heart beating wildly. He’d known that all he had to do was wait and there would be a way out.
They left for the palace under the cover of darkness. The night did its job perfectly. The royal guards took great care to navigate the city in a way that would keep them hidden from any council guard lurking around. In some time they were approaching the palace. Leon could not believe it. The royal palace. This was turning out better than he’d imagined.
TWENTY
PRINCE HERMAN KNEW this was the time. He had some points to prove to his father. And if the king insisted on hiding for the rest of his life, he Herman would ask to stand in for his father and begin actively ruling the kingdom. The life of a whole land hung on this very thing. He squared up and knocked on the door of the king’s private parlor.
A low deep voice sounded from within the room. “Enter.”
When Herman opened the door and stepped into the room, he immediately spotted his father in his usual position on a big arm chair at a big brown elaborately designed desk. A thick old book sat open in his hands and a cup with some minted drink was on the table to his right. His grey hair matched his grey beard and his grey sad eyes. His red velvet night robe rested cozily on him. It was just after dawn. The king was always awake at that time and seated in his chair every morning.
“Good morning, father,” the prince greeted, secretly hoping that his father would give him more audience than he usually did.
“Good morning, son,” he answered without looking up from his book.
“There’s something very important I want to talk with you about.”
The king’s eyes came up to his son. “You’re fully dressed so early?”
“Yes. There’s business to be taken care of.”
The king turned back to his book and continued as though Herman weren’t standing there.
Herman cleared his throat. “I would really like your audience, father.”
“And I would give it if I didn’t already know the subject of this discussion. I’m tired of arguing with a little boy about how I run my kingdom.”
Herman was working hard not to loose his temper. He kept his voice calm, though it shook a little from his struggle to keep it that way. “I am not a little boy. I am above twenty. A lot of time has passed, father. You just don’t want to see it.”
Herman knew what his father was doing. It was a ploy to get his tempers flaring and send him leaving the room before anything significant was said. Well it wouldn’t work this time. A lot had led up to this moment and so they would trash these issues out no matter how long it took. Herman was ready.
“Your high council is now the king instead of you,” he announced, his voice still calm. “They have begun to carry out actions, no matter how important, without informing you about it.”
King Petro’s eyes came up to his son’s face; his expression, one of questioning. “How did you find this out?”
Herman sighed. “I should start by letting you know that I’ve been leaving the palace secretly to visit the city.”
His father’s eyes widened and disapproval was evident on his face. His eyes showed displeasure at his son’s disrespect of his instruction. He closed his book.
TWENTY ONE
THE MEETING BETWEEN king and prince was taking what seemed like an eternity. At least Leon felt so. He was about to fuss when he realized again that he was in the royal palace. Just yesterday he and his family were hiding under the floor of a barn house. Now he was in the palace. He remembered Kuno, Bion and Krates. How they had fought to protect his family and himself. The Father had achieved a wonderful orchestration of events. So Leon would wait. And allow the Conductor coordinate his music.
It t
ook a while but the prince finally emerged from the king’s parlor. He walked over to where Leon sat at the passageway.
“He wants to meet with you.” Herman announced.
Leon stood and walked with the prince right back into the parlor. As soon as the king raised his head to look at him, Leon bowed.
“You are Leon,” the king said admiring the foreigner’s robe.
“Yes your highness.”
“I have listened to my son and I have decided to assemble the high council in the throne room this very afternoon. If indeed everything you have told my son is true, then the council men have a lot of questions to answer.”
“Thank you your highness.”
“My son is very impressed by you. He seems to have made a friend.”
In the palace throne room, the people were agog at the events that were unfolding. The king wouldn’t admit it but it made him feel like his old self again. The room was very large and spacious and for the first time in so many years, it was filled with the whispers of people who had been invited for this important session. In the hall were assembled the captain of the imperial guard with the two guards who had escorted Leon back to the palace, the captain of the council guard with some of his men, the high council members themselves with their personal attendants, scribes, palace workers, Prince Herman , Arman, and Leon along with his family.
The prince invited some of the Mordelanders who had witnessed significant events and whose information would provide