Chapter Nine
Linkoln II
“You do understand why I have called you before me, yes?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I assume it has to do with the recent attack on the grandmaster.”
Link stood at perfect attention, looking down at the king as he sat draining a goblet. Link was among the few men physically larger than Daerunt, a trait he inherited from his father. They used to say that his father was descended from giants.
“Before this they came after me, and I can only assume that it is a matter of time before they come for my son, too. He cannot defend himself like Gentler or myself. You are all that stands between them and him.” He looked into the bottom of his goblet, not even making eye contact with Link, and then held it upside down. “More wine!” he called to his squire, Marcelo Leones, a plump black-haired lord who fidgeted as he poured the wine from a carafe into the king’s goblet. Marcelo was the grandmaster’s son and heir, although he was nothing like his father. Link knew Gentler to be a man whose sheer presence demanded respect, a strong dark man known for his great honor, but his 15 year old son was quite the opposite. Marcelo was more of a serving boy than a squire to the king.
“I know, Your Majesty, and I am perfectly willing to die for Prince Domino.” “I don’t want you to die for my son, Ser Linkoln. I want you to live for him! I am thinking of moving him, housing him outside the capital for the time being.”
“Your majesty, we can protect the prince here.”
“But you can also protect him somewhere else. The Shadow Fox only seems to be focused on the capital. It is likely they do not have the numbers to fight us on multiple fronts. My son may be safer far away from here. I have not made my decision yet, but when Lord Nands returns from Isseaos I will be holding a meeting of the council and discussing it there. I would like you to attend that meeting, Ser Linkoln, as you are sworn to protect my son.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I will gladly attend. Do you need anything else of me?”
“No, you are free to return to my son’s side. Take extra watch with you. He is not to leave the keep anymore. Thank you, ser.”
“I know, Your Majesty, and I am perfectly willing to die for Prince Domino.” “I don’t want you to die for my son, Ser Linkoln. I want you to live for him! I am thinking of moving him, housing him outside the capital for the time being.”
“Your majesty, we can protect the prince here.”
“But you can also protect him somewhere else. The Shadow Fox only seems to be focused on the capital. It is likely they do not have the numbers to fight us on multiple fronts. My son may be safer far away from here. I have not made my decision yet, but when Lord Nands returns from Isseaos I will be holding a meeting of the council and discussing it there. I would like you to attend that meeting, Ser Linkoln, as you are sworn to protect my son.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I will gladly attend. Do you need anything else of me?”
“No, you are free to return to my son’s side. Take extra watch with you. He is not to leave the keep anymore. Thank you, ser.”
Link did not move, though. He still wanted to speak with the king about Daniel, and why the king let him be executed. Why, after all Daniel did for Daerunt, could he allow that? But Link dared not ask. If the King hadn’t told him, it was because he didn’t want to. So he bit his lip and turned to walk away.
When Link returned to Domino’s side, the boy had just finished his studies with Nottoc for the day. He rushed to see Link, excited because he knew the knight had gone to meet with his father. He looked up at Link with bright blue eyes that mirrored Link’s own.
“How was your meeting with Father, Ser Link?”
“It went well, young prince. We talked about the great progress you’ve made in your studies.”
“I have been doing well lately! You can ask Nottoc, she will tell you.”
Link looked over to Nottoc, who gave him a gentle smiling nod. “I believe you, Your Highness.”
“So can we go to the market tonight then? I’m way ahead of everything I need to do today and I would love to go to the market. It’s so exciting there and I haven’t been in so long.”
“I’m afraid not, my prince. Your father does not want you to leave the keep yet.”
“But I don't want to stay inside all the time. I haven’t left the keep in ages!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do anything about that, Your Highness.”
“Well, what if I order you to take me? I order you to take me to the market! Take me, take me, take me!” The prince began to whine.
“I cannot, my prince. I am sorry.” Link knelt down and grabbed the squirming prince in his large hands. “You have to be brave, Domino, and patient. Your mother wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
Whenever Domino got upset, Link brought up the prince’s mother. She died giving birth to him, so she was an enigma to the boy. He never knew her, but still he didn’t want to upset her.
“Did my mommy ever have to stay behind these walls when she didn’t want to?” the boy asked in a disrespectful tone.
Link grabbed him tighter at the remark. “In fact she did, but there were many times too when she couldn’t and wished that she could. Your mother was brave, Domino. She risked a great deal so that we can enjoy the peace we now have. Take grace in the fact that you are safe, and stop trying to put yourself in danger.”
“Okay Link, I’m sorry.”
Link released the prince and patted him on the head. “It’s all right, Domino.”
“Could you tell me about my mother Link? Again?”
“I don't know what I could tell you that I haven’t already. She was a strong-willed woman. She took things into her own hands. She looked just like you, with a strong build and long black flowing hair. She was the daughter of a king, graceful with a sword, brave and cunning as anyone. It was she who really brought an end to the war. She was a hero.”
“And then she married my daddy and had me, right?” Domino said, looking up at him with a smile.
“That’s right. And then she had to go away.”
“And she’s not coming back, right?”
“No, Domino, I don’t think that she is.” Link was now starting to feel some moisture in his eyes. He missed the queen. “How are your magic lessons?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
“They are difficult,” the prince pouted. “I don’t like magic stuff. I don’t like when they try and make me do stuff that’s hard.”
“Well, anything worthwhile is something worth working for, my prince, and usually those things are hard to work for as well.”
“I know, but I never can do it. I don’t know why it has to be so hard.”
Link didn’t have an answer for the prince. He knew that the child was likely wasting his time practicing magic, but it was not his place to tell him so. He was the prince’s protector, not his advisor. “I think it’s time you head into the keep. Your father will be expecting you for dinner.”
“It went well, young prince. We talked about the great progress you’ve made in your studies.”
“I have been doing well lately! You can ask Nottoc, she will tell you.”
Link looked over to Nottoc, who gave him a gentle smiling nod. “I believe you, Your Highness.”
“So can we go to the market tonight then? I’m way ahead of everything I need to do today and I would love to go to the market. It’s so exciting there and I haven’t been in so long.”
“I’m afraid not, my prince. Your father does not want you to leave the keep yet.”
“But I don't want to stay inside all the time. I haven’t left the keep in ages!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do anything about that, Your Highness.”
“Well, what if I order you to take me? I order you to take me to the market! Take me, take me, take me!” The prince began to whine.
“I cannot, my prince. I am sorry.” Link knelt down and grabbed the squirming prince in his large hands. “You have to be brave, Domino, and patient. Your mother wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
Whenever Domino got upset, Link brought up the prince’s mother. She died giving birth to him, so she was an enigma to the boy. He never knew her, but still he didn’t want to upset her.
“Did my mommy ever have to stay behind these walls when she didn’t want to?” the boy asked in a disrespectful tone.
Link grabbed him tighter at the remark. “In fact she did, but there were many times too when she couldn’t and wished that she could. Your mother was brave, Domino. She risked a great deal so that we can enjoy the peace we now have. Take grace in the fact that you are safe, and stop trying to put yourself in danger.”
“Okay Link, I’m sorry.”
Link released the prince and patted him on the head. “It’s all right, Domino.”
“Could you tell me about my mother Link? Again?”
“I don't know what I could tell you that I haven’t already. She was a strong-willed woman. She took things into her own hands. She looked just like you, with a strong build and long black flowing hair. She was the daughter of a king, graceful with a sword, brave and cunning as anyone. It was she who really brought an end to the war. She was a hero.”
“And then she married my daddy and had me, right?” Domino said, looking up at him with a smile.
“That’s right. And then she had to go away.”
“And she’s not coming back, right?”
“No, Domino, I don’t think that she is.” Link was now starting to feel some moisture in his eyes. He missed the queen. “How are your magic lessons?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
“They are difficult,” the prince pouted. “I don’t like magic stuff. I don’t like when they try and make me do stuff that’s hard.”
“Well, anything worthwhile is something worth working for, my prince, and usually those things are hard to work for as well.”
“I know, but I never can do it. I don’t know why it has to be so hard.”
Link didn’t have an answer for the prince. He knew that the child was likely wasting his time practicing magic, but it was not his place to tell him so. He was the prince’s protector, not his advisor. “I think it’s time you head into the keep. Your father will be expecting you for dinner.”
The next morning Link made his way to the courtyard to meet the prince just before his lessons with Nottoc. The prince was unusually late; his tutor arrived before he did. It was Ser Benjamin Sheets who was responsible for the prince overnight. He was supposed to get him from his chamber to the courtyard before he went off duty. Link hoped he hadn’t decided to sneak out early and leave Link to retrieve the prince.
“He’s not usually late like this. Should we go check on him?” Nottoc suggested.
“He’s not usually late like this. Should we go check on him?” Nottoc suggested.
They hurried to the prince’s chamber within the keep, trying not to draw attention to the fact that they were without the prince. When they got there, Ser Sheets was still standing guard outside the door.
“Have you seen the time of day, Ser Benjamin? Why have you not brought the prince for his morning lessons yet?”
“The prince will not be attending his lessons today, it seems. The brat threw a fit when we said he couldn’t go to the market. Closed himself up in his room. I’m glad you’re here now, though. You can take over. I’m exhausted.”
“Who said you could let him miss his lessons? Does his father know this?”
“No, he just refused to come with me.”
“Have you seen the time of day, Ser Benjamin? Why have you not brought the prince for his morning lessons yet?”
“The prince will not be attending his lessons today, it seems. The brat threw a fit when we said he couldn’t go to the market. Closed himself up in his room. I’m glad you’re here now, though. You can take over. I’m exhausted.”
“Who said you could let him miss his lessons? Does his father know this?”
“No, he just refused to come with me.”
“Yes, hiding. Let us find him then.” The two knights began to search the room, but it became increasingly apparent that there were not many places within the chamber big enough to conceal someone of the prince’s size. Where did he go, Link wondered, and how did he get there? The window was too high and the prince would not have been able to climb down. Link turned away from it.
It was then that the statue on the wall caught his attention. It was a small bust of Stallworth Lagrest, the first king. All the royal chambers had one. There was something about him though, something in the thick of his floppy stone hair. The ear—the ear was crooked. It was out of place, and Link gravitated toward the inconsistency. He laid his hand upon the ear. It was loose. He pulled and could hear the turning of gears in the wall.
“I think I may have found where are young prince is hiding, Ser Sheets,” he said.
“A passageway,” Nottoc noted, entering from the hall. “Perhaps the prince had this escape planned.”
“Ether way, we need to go after him. It’s best we recover him before his absence is noted. Otherwise we will all be chastised,” Ser Sheets said.
“I agree. Let us see where this leads.”
“A passageway,” Nottoc noted, entering from the hall. “Perhaps the prince had this escape planned.”
“Ether way, we need to go after him. It’s best we recover him before his absence is noted. Otherwise we will all be chastised,” Ser Sheets said.
“I agree. Let us see where this leads.”