“And how long would such a discussion take?”
“The sun is now setting, and we have ridden far,” said Bregnest, looking toward the west. “Let us have until morning. I am sure the new day will bring you the answer you desire.”
“As you wish,” said Kappa, bowing stiffly. “I will return when the sun rises, with great hopes for our future understanding.”
“You are most kind,” said Bregnest, bowing in return.
Kappa hurried away from the camp, and once he was gone, Bregnest spat.
“If I had not agreed to your plan, Alex,” said Bregnest, shaking his head and scowling.
“You did well,” said Alex. “Now, as long as Kappa doesn’t try something foolish, we should be fine.”
“What do you think he’ll try?” Andy questioned, looking confused.
“I don’t think I’ll give him the chance to try anything,” answered Alex.
“How long will you wait before seeking your audience?” Bregnest questioned.
“At least two hours. Kappa needs time to think about your conversation, and I wouldn’t want to rush him. We might as well have our evening meal while we wait.”
“Very well,” said Bregnest. “Be careful of Kappa, Alex. He is little more than a well-dressed goblin.”
“That is exactly what I’m counting on,” said Alex with a grin.
Halfdan prepared a meal for them, but only Alex seemed to have any appetite. Alex was fairly sure Kappa would do nothing until morning, and by then there would be nothing at all that he could do.
After eating, Alex lay down and considered exactly what he would do and say once he’d arranged his audience with Varson. He wanted to make the prince believe that the idea of a contest with the Horn of Moran was his own. The prince’s pride would be his most effective weapon, and he knew that he would have to play up to the prince if he wanted to win the day.
After two hours had passed, Alex got to his feet and prepared for the next part of his plan. With a nod to his friends, he walked toward the guards who stood around them.
“I wish to speak to Prince Varson and his adviser, Kappa,” Alex told the guard in a low voice.
“The prince and his adviser are not to be disturbed,” the guard answered sternly.
“If you will send a message to the prince or to his adviser, it will be to your great advantage,” said Alex, producing three gold coins and slipping them into the guard’s hand.
The guard looked at the coins and then at Alex. Alex could see he had judged the man’s price correctly, and he soon found himself being led to the elegant tent of Prince Varson. Before entering the tent, Alex removed his weapons and placed them inside his magic bag.
“You’re a member of Bregnest’s party,” said Kappa, as soon as Alex entered the tent.
“I am,” said Alex, bowing first to Prince Varson and then to Kappa.
“And what do you wish to speak to us about?” Kappa questioned angrily.
“About the Horn of Moran, of course.”
The color drained from Kappa’s face, but the prince seemed to come alive with excitement.
Alex tried not to smile, though it was exactly the reaction he had hoped for.
“And what do you have to say about the legendary Horn?” Kappa snapped.
“As you may have guessed, our company was searching for the Horn at the request of King Trion.”
“And are the legends true?” Prince Varson questioned, moving closer to Alex. “Does the Horn exist?”
“The legends are true, my lord,” Alex answered with a bow. “And I can assure you that the Horn of Moran does exist.”
“Do you carry this Horn?” Kappa asked before the prince could ask another question.
“I do not, but one of our company does,” said Alex. “And I am sure that the Horn could be produced, if the proper reasons were given.”
“Bah! You are a trickster hoping to play us as fools,” said Kappa. “What reasons do you need to produce the Horn? What proof do we have that your company even has the true Horn? This could all be some story you’ve made up in hopes of receiving a reward.”
“The reasons are obvious,” said Alex calmly. “I do not wish to see war in Athanor. The proof, of course, is in the Horn itself because it will only play a note for the true king of Athanor. As for more proof, I can give only my word that I speak truly. And as for rewards, I will leave that decision to the true king of Athanor.” Alex bowed to Varson, which seemed to please the prince, but Kappa looked worried.
“You are full of lies,” Kappa yelled. “You seek only to deceive us and ruin our hopes.”
“Silence, fool!” Alex yelled back at him.
With a wave of his hand and a blinding flash, Alex turned Kappa into a donkey. “Forgive me, my lord,” Alex said to Varson in an apologetic tone. “I have lost my temper. Your adviser’s claim that I had lied to him was really too much.”
Prince Varson seemed almost as stunned as the donkey, and he looked from Alex to the donkey and back again, not knowing what to do or say.
“As you can see, my lord, I am a wizard,” Alex continued. “My only wish is to see peace in Athanor and the true king on the throne.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” said Varson in a shaky voice.
“Your adviser’s doubts about your kingship troubled me, and I beg your forgiveness for my rash actions.”
“Not . . . not at all,” said Varson, recovering from his shock. “He did sound rather doubtful, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did, my lord. But I assure you that I have no such doubts.”
“You are most kind,” said Varson, trying to sound more businesslike.
“It is no great kindness to serve a true king. However, I am troubled by your preparations for war.”
“Oh, yes,” said Varson, waving his hand in a dismissive way. “It’s because Trion won’t accept me as the true king.”
“Of course,” said Alex understandingly. “I suppose you are as troubled by all of this as I am.”
“Why, of course I am. I . . . Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“I am Alexander Taylor, my lord. I am an adventurer and a wizard, and I am at your service.”
“Thank you, Master Taylor, that’s very kind. You know, to be honest, I don’t think Kappa believes I am the true king. He didn’t seem at all interested in my recovering the Horn of Moran.”
“How could he doubt you?”
“Well, he’s been acting very funny, I must say,” Varson continued, obviously pleased with the sound of surprise in Alex’s voice. “You know, he didn’t even want me to send another party of adventurers in search of the Horn.”
“Why would he oppose such a brilliant and well-conceived plan?”
“I don’t know,” said Varson, looking at his adviser thoughtfully. “You know, I think you should leave him as a donkey. At least until I’ve proven my true kingship.”
“As you wish,” said Alex. “However, how will you convince Trion to accept you as the true king?”
“Well, as you said,” Varson explained as if Alex was a bit slow. “I’ll play a note on the Horn and that will be that.”
“Very wise, my lord. You will prove yourself to be king and remove the threat of war from the kingdom at the same time. A bold move. Might I make a small suggestion to enhance your plan?”
“Of course, you may speak freely.”
“Would it not prove your kingship to all of Athanor if you challenged Trion to a contest?”
“An excellent idea! Yes, most excellent. In fact, that is what I’ll do. I’ll insist that the people of Athanor gather, and then I’ll compete with Trion. I’ll ask him to play the Horn, and when he fails, he will look a total fool. Then I will play the Horn, and everyone will know that I am the king.”
“A most inspired plan. However, my lord, perhaps you should play the Horn first. There is no need to make Trion look like more of a fool than he already is. And such a gesture will show your people your great kindness
and win many hearts that may not otherwise be yours.”
“Yes, of course,” said Varson. “The true king should be kind to fools like Trion. That is what I’ll do.”
“And how soon will you be able to prove yourself and claim your throne?”
“Tomorrow at high noon, I think,” said Varson with a satisfied tone. “There are a lot of people in Athanor, and I will have messages sent to the nearby towns as well. We will march forward in the morning, and before tomorrow night, I will be king. That will end the threat of war quickly, and everything will be as it should be.”
“Wonderful,” Alex gushed.
“You have been most helpful, Master Taylor. I would be pleased if you would accompany me to the contest.”
“A great honor,” said Alex. “If I may be so bold, perhaps you will allow me to hold the Horn. That way Trion won’t be able to use any magic to make himself appear to be more than he is.”
“Another grand idea. You are a wonder. If there is anything I can do for you tonight, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“There are two small matters,” Alex said slowly. “I hate to bring them up at a time like this, so perhaps I should not.”
“No, no,” said Varson, waving his hand. “Please, let me do what I can for you.”
“You are most kind, my lord. The first matter concerns some bandits that my company and I captured on our way here. No doubt you will wish to judge them, once your throne is secured. In the meantime, if a few soldiers might be spared to guard them, it would be helpful.”
“Of course,” said Varson, trying to look and sound like a king. “I will have some men sent right over to take these bandits off your hands. Now, what else would you ask?”
“The second matter concerns the fate of the adventurers traveling with Master Nellus. Our two companies have several friends in common. It would be, shall we say, awkward if anything unpleasant were to happen to Master Nellus or his companions.”
“Yes, I can see that clearly enough,” Varson agreed. “That fool Kappa has had them placed in chains, but I can remedy that. In fact, I think they did me a great service in attempting to find the Horn, so I am in their debt. I will have them freed at once and returned to your camp. That way your company will see how kind the true king can be.”
“You are generous and kind, my lord. Now I suppose we should both get some rest, tomorrow promises to be an important day.”
“Yes, yes, it does,” said Varson, almost falling over in his excitement. “I will send an honor guard for you in the morning, and you will ride beside me to Athanor.”
“You do me a great honor,” said Alex.
When Alex reached the door of the tent, he turned to look back at Varson and Kappa the donkey.
“Shall I ask your guards to remove this donkey?” Alex asked.
“Yes,” said Varson in a definite tone. “Send them in at once. And thank you again, my friend.”
“Not at all, my lord, not at all.”
Alex had a hard time controlling his laughter as the guard led him back to his friends. As they approached Bregnest and the others, Alex slipped the guard three more gold coins for his service. The guard bowed to Alex, and then hurried back to his post.
Before Alex could tell his friends what had happened in Varson’s tent, more guards arrived, escorting Nellus and his company to the campsite. The guards bowed to Bregnest, removed the chains from Nellus and his friends, and then took the three captured bandits away with them.
Once the guards had departed, Alex told his friends everything that had happened. He had a hard time keeping them all from laughing too loudly as he told the story. Once, when a guard seemed to take too much interest in the noise they were making, Halfdan quickly praised Varson loudly. This seemed to satisfy the guard’s curiosity, and he soon returned to his post.
“He actually thanked you for turning Kappa into a donkey?” Andy asked, wiping tears off his checks.
“He did,” said Alex. “And he’s also asked that I ride beside him to Athanor in the morning. I will be holding the Horn so Trion can’t play any magic tricks with it.”
“You are a genius,” said Bregnest, slapping Alex’s shoulder. “This will be far better than anything I had hoped for.”
The following morning, before everyone was awake, Alex asked Bregnest to send a short letter to his cousin, King Trion. Bregnest explained to Trion what would be happening that day and asked him to go along with it. Bregnest also told Trion that Alex was a member of his company and that his only goal was to prevent all-out war in Athanor.
With his message sent, Bregnest returned the Horn of Moran to Alex with a bow, and Alex stored it safely inside his bag. Shortly after Alex and his friends had finished their breakfast, the prince’s personal guards appeared to escort Alex to Varson. Alex said good-bye to his friends with a bow and a wink, then followed the guards to Varson’s tent. Holding Shahree’s reins behind him, Alex waited patiently outside the tent for the prince to appear.
Varson arrived, wearing his finest clothes and looking excited and pleased with himself. He grinned at Alex as he awkwardly mounted his own horse and prepared to lead the entire company toward Athanor. Alex felt a little sorry for Varson; he wasn’t an evil man after all, only a very foolish one.
As Varson’s army moved forward, Alex acted his part as well as he could. Varson seemed confident that he would be king before the day was over, and he made several promises to Alex and to the rest of the adventurers, including offering to pay whatever price Trion had promised for the return of the Horn and add to it. Alex simply smiled and said Varson was far too generous. When they approached the city of Athanor, Alex leaned toward Varson and spoke in a lowered voice.
“Before we begin, perhaps I should remind the people that the Horn will sound only for the true king,” said Alex.
“Yes, I think that would be best,” agreed Varson. “In fact, you may say that you are there to judge the contest fairly and announce to the people who their true king is.”
“You honor me, my lord. But surely there are others more qualified than I who can judge this competition. I am not from this land, so perhaps someone who lives here should act as judge.”
“You make a good point,” said Varson after some thought. “I will have the captains of my army act as witnesses, and if Trion wishes, the captains of his army as well.”
“An excellent solution, my lord. Then there will be none in Athanor who can doubt the true king.”
“That is correct, my friend,” said Varson with a nod. “After all, I don’t want war any more than you do. I can’t blame Trion’s soldiers for his mistakes after all.”
“You are most wise,” Alex replied.
Varson seemed lost in his thoughts of becoming king, and he didn’t say anything more as the company approached the gates of Athanor. A messenger rode into the city with a request for Trion to met Varson at midday to prove once and for all who was the true king. The rest of the army assembled outside the city walls. The messenger was only gone for a short time before returning with Trion’s answer.
“The fool has accepted,” said Varson, waving the message in front of Alex. “He must actually believe he has a chance.”
“Men will often do foolish things to prove what they believe.”
“Yes, I suppose they will,” said Varson, sounding almost sad. “I wish that Trion would simply accept me as king. I really hate to embarrass him this way.”
“You are kind, my lord. Perhaps Trion will concede the contest once you have blown the Horn.”
“Yes, that would be better than seeing him try hopelessly to sound the Horn. Then at least some of his honor might be saved. You know, he is an honorable man, and he has run the kingdom very well over all.”
Alex did not reply but simply nodded.
As midday approached, Varson’s soldiers set up a large, raised platform so everyone would be able to see Varson and Trion compete with the Horn. Alex commented on what a good idea it was and praised
Varson for thinking of it.
At midday the gates of Athanor were opened wide, and Trion and his captains emerged from the city, followed by a large crowd. Even more people gathered on the city walls to watch the competition. Alex was pleased that there would be so many witnesses. No one in all of Athanor would be able to question the true king after today.
Varson and Trion met at the foot of the platform and bowed to each other. Varson’s captains lined up on one side of the platform, while Trion’s captains lined up on the other. Varson then led Trion and Alex onto the platform, looking at the crowds confidently.