“I do not think he will learn about the trap. I intend to concentrate on the king’s unannounced retreat to a private estate and nothing more. That is why I do not want to hear your thoughts and plans until later. I also plan to take two soldiers with me as guards. If the demonkin tries to magically delay me to probe further, they will have specific instructions to drag me out of the shop after a certain amount of time has expired. Artimor will not tip his hand by attacking me. I am not one of the big fish he is hoping to net.”
“Be careful, Oscar,” Alex said with concern. “Artimor is not like dealing with a bandit. Tread softly.”
Prince Oscar nodded and exited the library. He left the Royal Palace, but halted in the courtyard where a number of soldiers stood ready to defend the palace. The soldiers straightened in the presence of the prince. Oscar strode in front of the soldiers, examining their boots. When he found two soldiers whose boots were in need of repair, he ordered them to accompany him. He said nothing to them about his destination until they had left the grounds of the palace.
“I have one stop to make,” Prince Oscar announced to this newly formed escort. “Listen to my words carefully and ask no questions. I am going to enter a shop and make a purchase. If I am not out within three minutes, you are to enter the shop and get me out, even if you have to do so forcibly. You will say nothing to me or anyone else until we all return to the palace. Do you understand?”
One of the soldiers opened his mouth to ask for clarification of the strange orders, but he suddenly thought better of it. Prince Oscar was well known within the palace for being exact with his orders. The soldier nodded his understanding. The shoemaker’s shop was fairly close to the Royal Palace and within minutes they reached the entrance to the shop. The two soldiers immediately took up posts on each side of the doorway and the prince entered the shop. A tiny bell rang as Oscar closed the door. An old man with thick, white hair hobbled through a curtain and entered the room. The shopkeeper looked at the prince with a puzzled expression.
“May I help you?” asked Artimor.
“You may,” Prince Oscar smiled warmly. “You are the shoemaker who made the boots for the king?”
“Were they not to his liking?” asked the demonkin.
“Quite the contrary,” replied the prince. “He wears them every day. I must agree with him that the workmanship is exquisite. As I am in the market for another pair of boots myself, I thought that you should be the one to provide them.”
“Ah,” nodded the shoemaker, a hint of skepticism in his voice. “You are Prince Oscar, are you not?”
“I am.”
“And you want me to make you something similar to what I gave to the king?”
“Not at all,” replied Prince Oscar. “I merely need a pair of simple boots to use during inclement weather. They need not be anything special, but I thought I would buy them from you to show the king’s appreciation of your gift.”
Prince Oscar felt a tingling sensation in his mind. Had he not been expecting something to happen, he would never have felt it. He concentrated on his plans to secure the old estate of Duke Everich for the king to convalesce in. The feeling lasted only a minute, and Oscar suppressed a sigh of relief.
“Perhaps something that you have in stock would suffice,” the prince continued. “I am rather short on time today.”
The shoemaker nodded with a smile and walked to one of the shelves. He took a pair of new boots off the shelf and handed them to the prince.
“These boots are your size,” said the shoemaker. “You will not even need to try them on. Trust me. I am an expert on feet.” Artimor paused and then lowered his voice, “Some of my customers have been lamenting the fact that the king has not addressed the plague that is running rampant in the city. Is he not well himself?”
Prince Oscar started as if someone had just uncovered a state secret. He glanced around the shop anxiously and then returned his eyes to the shoemaker. He sighed and nodded slightly.
“He is feeling a bit under the weather,” the prince replied confidentially, “but it is better not to talk about such things. Besides, I am sure that the citizens do not need the king to tell them about the sickness plaguing the city. How much are the boots?”
“They are a gift,” Artimor smiled.
“No,” balked the prince. “You have been more than generous already. I insist on paying. A merchant should not be expected to provide for royalty at the expense of others.”
Just then the door opened, and two soldiers entered the shop. Prince Oscar shoved several gold coins into the shoemaker’s hand.
“I must leave,” the prince said apologetically. “I will stop by again and let you know how well these fit.”
The prince and his escort left the shop and walked back to the Royal Palace. Before passing through the gates, the prince made the soldiers swear not to reveal where they went or what his orders had been. Once parted from the escort, Oscar hurried up to the library to join in the planning.
“The deed is done,” reported the prince. “Now we can get to the details of this plan.”
“Are you sure he knows about the Everich estate?” asked Alex.
“I felt a tingling in my mind,” answered the prince. “I am sure that he was probing it. “Why did you pick the Everich estate for the ambush site?”
“It has certain features that we can make use of,” smiled Alex, “but mostly because it will contain any damage to an area where there are no innocents. Now we have to plan how to get Arik into the estate without being attacked.”
“Keep the king heavily shielded while transporting him,” suggested Balamor. “While Artimor can likely blast away the shields, he will be hesitant to do so if he thinks that the shields will be dropped once the king is on the estate. He will want the maximum effect of his spells to do damage, not be dissipated by shields. I think you should have multiple, powerful mages shielding him for the trip. The more the better. Let him sense the power of the shields.”
“Wycaramor was strong enough to destroy this library,” commented General Gregor, “and Lycindor destroyed two rooms in the palace. If the Mage is correct, and Artimor is the most powerful Claw of Alutar, Duke Everich’s estate will not fare well under the demonkin’s attack. It will likely be damaged. Are you sure it is wise to have the king inside such a structure? He will be trapped.”
“The King will be safe,” promised Alex. “We just need to be sure of Aritmor’s location at all times.”
“The fairies will handle that,” chirped Prince Midge. “I have already assigned fairies to keep watch on the demonkin.”
“Then we are ready to plan the rest of this,” declared Prince Oscar. “Let me explain how I envision this unfolding and then Alex can present the military requirements for the ambush. We will need to discuss everything quickly, but thoroughly. There will be no room for ambiguity, and we have little time to put everything in motion.”
* * * *
Colonel Dukirk sighed anxiously as he rode through the swamp with twenty other riders. He was now five leagues ahead of the main column of Team Danver Shores, and he was not happy with what he was seeing. Instead of the roadway widening and returning to forested land as he had expected, it had continuously narrowed until the murky waters crowded the road on both sides. The road resembled a land bridge through the watery muck, and there was not a decent campsite in view.
As if responding to the colonel’s sigh, the squad leader spoke. “It doesn’t look good, Colonel. The road stays rather narrow up ahead as far as I can see.”
Colonel Dukirk nodded in agreement. “We are already at the distance of a day’s march, but I cannot imagine camping here for the night. We will ride on a bit farther.”