“I agree,” stated Prince Harold. “I was on the verge of death when the Alceans came to me. They healed me, which none of the Federation mages were able to accomplish. But even then they made it clear that I was free to do whatever I wanted. They hoped that I would assume the throne and treat my citizens as people should be treated, but it was not a requirement of their healing. Before I was healed, I expressed a desire to merely go somewhere where no one knew me that I might live out my days in peace and obscurity. They told me that if that was my choice, they would honor my wishes. I could walk out of Herinak Castle today and be free if I wished.”
“You would be most welcome in Zarocca,” smiled Bonnay. “If that is your desire, I will speak to my father. I am certain that he would welcome you to his barony without question.”
“I am not prepared to leave Herinak Castle at this time,” answered Prince Harold. “I have read enough to know that the situation in Ertak is horrible. The people are starving and crime is rampant. People are dying of diseases at an alarming rate, and yet we continue to build the largest army ever seen in history. If I can change that in some way, I would feel obligated to try.”
“You are a fool,” laughed Prince Bultar. “Do you really think the Federation would stand for a young upstart telling them what to do? You would be crushed in an eye-blink.”
“Perhaps,” frowned Prince Harold, “but I am not a coward who will change sides solely because it is expedient.” Prince Bultar recoiled at the verbal slap, but Prince Harold continued. “I will stand for what is right in the world, or I will not stand at all. I have been staring into the face of death for many years, Bultar. It no longer scares me. It is, in fact, the fear of death that is debilitating, not death itself. When my death arrives, I will die with a smile on my face knowing that I have done some good that will hopefully be remembered and imitated for generations to come.”
Bonnay applauded and Prince Samuel and Princess Jeanel smiled broadly, but Prince Bultar was scowling.
“Is that how Ertakans see us in Candanar?” he asked.
“No personal offense meant, Bultar,” interjected Princess Jeanel, “but Candanar has a reputation for going along with whoever is the strongest at the moment. If I remember correctly, Candanar did not request to join the Federation. You were told to join the Federation while your borders were threatened by Federation troops. Am I mistaken?”
“But it was an unnecessary provocation,” countered Prince Bultar. “My father was already thinking of joining the Federation. He just hadn’t made up his mind yet.”
“It was probably a wise decision at the time, Bultar,” stated Prince Samuel, “but it is typical of Candanar behavior over the centuries, and maybe that is as it should be. Candanar is a sparsely populated country in the crossroads of the continent. I imagine a defiant stance in the past might have resulted in the demise of your country, but that is no reason to ridicule Prince Harold’s taking of a firm stance in Ertak. Should I ever ascend the throne in Spino, and I must point out that such a situation is unlikely, I would support Prince Harold as long as he truly stands for the betterment of the populace.”
“And I would heartily accept such help,” smiled Prince Harold, “and offer the same in return. Perhaps these Alceans are wiser than even I give them credit for.”
“How do you mean?” asked Bonnay.
“From what I understand, the Alceans do not want war, but they will spiritedly defend themselves if attacked. Should they be lucky enough to be the winner of such a conflict, ruling over Zara from such a distance would be a difficult task. Wouldn’t it be far easier for them to select rulers who would never threaten them again?”
“And open up trade routes between the two lands.” Princess Jeanel nodded enthusiastically. “I think you have stumbled upon the true intent of the Alceans.”
“But can they win the war?” asked Prince Samuel. “It does not look promising from what I have heard.”
“I grow tired of all this speculation,” frowned Samana. “You all act as if these mysterious Alceans are behind everything. I only need to point out that Alceans did not bring Rynda and me here. A Federation general rescued us from kidnappers. General Forshire would not be in league with Alceans.”
Princess Jeanel’s eyebrows rose. “General Forshire is an Alcean.”
Samana’s eyes widened with disbelief, but it was Prince Bultar who spoke.
“I thought General Forshire was Tyronian?”
“The real General Forshire was Tyronian,” answered Princess Jeanel, “but he was a traitor to his country. He was in league with the Federation and tried to assassinate my father and me. There was an Alcean named Clint McFarren who had an uncanny resemblance to General Forshire. He helped us escape the assassination attempt and killed General Forshire. He then had his face magically altered to assume General Forshire’s identity.”
Rynda looked at her sister. “You are in love with an Alcean? What will father say?”
Samana rose to her feet as the shock of the truth hit her. Tears filled her eyes, and she turned and ran away from the others. Sitting on the wall over the heads of the heirs, a tiny winged-woman slowly rose to her feet and took to the air to make her report.
Chapter 4
Shadows in the Night
Colonel Donil of the A Corps sat on a bench overlooking the Sea of Tears. With his back to the Imperial Palace, he could easily be spied upon, but no one would see the tiny green man hiding in the hair near his ear.
“That is all I have to report at this time, Peanut,” the colonel said softly. “Wait. That is not quite true. Inform the general that I have heard mention of a 38th Corps. I do not know the significance of this, but I have never heard of any armies beyond the 32nd Corps which occupies Tyronia. I have also seen more than one colonel enter the Imperial Palace and leave as a general. If you add these two together, it might indicate that Grand General Kyrga is still aggressively expanding the armies of the Federation. Ask the general if I should try to pry information out of Colonel Taerin about this. Do you have all of that, Peanut?”
“I will remember every word,” chirped the fairy. “If you think of anything else, you can tell me in the morning. I am going to spend the night here.”
“Where do you sleep when you stay overnight?” asked the colonel.
“There is a very comfy tree hollow over near the abandoned shed,” answered Peanut. “It is warm and dry in all weather.”
“You are welcome to stay in the barracks with me,” offered the colonel. “There is plenty of room. I have the whole building to myself.”
“Thank you,” replied Peanut, “but I enjoy an occasional night with nature. Fairies were not meant to live in pockets, but we are often required to. I will see you in the morning.”
Colonel Donil felt the fairy’s tiny feet move about on his shoulder as Peanut checked to see if anyone was watching. The colonel sat unmoving until the pressure of the little feet disappeared, signaling the fairy’s departure. The colonel sat for a while longer and then rose to head into the palace for the evening meal. He was not surprised to bump into Colonel Taerin on the way to the palace. Such an occurrence happened far too frequently to be coincidence, and Colonel Donil suspected that Colonel Taerin was probably spying on him.
“Enjoying the sunset again?” Colonel Taerin asked in a friendly manner.
“In a manner of speaking,” smiled Colonel Donil. “While the bench does not offer a view of the sunset, the sky over the Sea of Tears is often painted in beautiful colors. You should experience it some time.”
“You seem to mimic your master,” Colonel Taerin said with a slight smile. “He also liked to sit on that bench and meditate.”
“I will assume that you are referring to General Forshire,” retorted Colonel Donil. “As for the meditation, the bench does offer a secluded place to sit and think, and I find the gentle motion of the water soothing. Were you looking for me?”