“I wouldn’t bother closing it,” the captain smiled. “We have a large list to fill, and my men will be coming and going so frequently that it makes no sense to close it. It would only slow us down. Unless you plan to help with the loading, you can take a break for a while. We will make sure that no one sneaks in while we load the wagon.”
The soldier laughed and nodded. “It’s not like anyone ever tries to sneak in through the kitchens anyways. I will be in a room just down the hall. Wake me when you are ready to leave.”
The captain nodded and slapped the soldier on the back. As soon as the soldier was gone, the captain signaled his men. His men gathered near the rear of the wagon to shield an additional soldier who had been hidden inside the wagon. The hidden soldier wore the patch of the 16th Corps of Spino, and he carried a gaily wrapped box with a big bow. The infiltrator moved with the soldiers of the 15th Corps as they moved down the stairs and into the kitchens. While the soldiers were entering the kitchens, the captain moved through the rooms until he found a young serving girl. He smiled at her as he pulled her aside.
“We’ve run into a soldier from Spino,” he whispered to her. “He is carrying a special gift for Prince Lyker from Princess Anadale, and he is trying to deliver it secretly. Do you know a way to reach the prince’s quarters without being detected?”
“There are servant ways,” frowned the young girl, “but only servants are allowed in them. He should speak to the guards at the front entrance of the palace.”
“That would sort of spoil the surprise now, wouldn’t it?” smiled the captain.
“The prince would still be surprised,” the girl answered, clearly confused by the captain’s words.
“While the gift is for the prince, the need for secrecy is to keep the king from finding out about Prince Lyker’s romance with Princess Anadale. He would be furious if he knew about it, but they plan to wed.”
“Oh!” brightened the young girl. “How sweet. Can they do that without the king’s blessing?”
“They feel confident that King Harowin will agree once he is properly prepared,” answered the captain, “but they don’t dare broach the subject while the king’s mind is on the Alcean War. Can you escort the Spinoan to the prince’s chambers?”
“The prince is not in his chambers,” replied the serving girl. “He is with Prince Lindmyr and the son of one of the nobles. I just took some ale up to the three of them. If you wish, I could deliver the gift to him. I will keep it secret.”
The captain’s smile widened. The difficulty of the mission had just lessened a great deal. “Take the Spinoan to the princes,” urged the captain. “He will see that you are amply rewarded for your service to the heir of Spino.”
The infiltrator walked into the room and stood beside the captain. The young serving girl looked at him and the precious gift he held in his hands. She smiled and nodded. The captain whispered in the ear of the Spinoan soldier and then departed.
The girl led the Spinoan soldier through the underground corridors and opened a door in the corridor. She led him up a narrow stairway that was unlit, warning him of all the sudden turns and chattering on about her life in the palace. The Spinoan soldier paid no attention. His mind was elsewhere.
Eventually the serving girl opened a door unseen by the soldier. The light flooding into the stairwell seemed brilliant, but it was not. They stepped into a dimly lit corridor and the young girl moved to a door across the hallway. She knocked on the door and someone called back, but the words were unintelligible. The young girl merely smiled. She seemed to know what was expected of her, even if she hadn’t been able to decipher the actual words. A moment later, the door opened a crack and someone looked out at the young girl. He mumbled a question and the girl turned to point to the Spinoan soldier who had not been noticed up to that point. The soldier pushed the young girl into the room and leaped over her, dropping the gaily wrapped package and drawing his sword.
The three young men in the room leaped away from the door, but the soldier was prepared for just such a reaction. He raced across the room, his sword swinging in a wide sweep as he pivoted sharply. He sliced open the belly of the younger prince and hacked into the arm of the visitor with the same swing. The young girl started screaming, but the soldier paid no attention to her. He had little time to get away, and he could not afford to be distracted. The elder prince made a break for the door, but he was not quick enough. The soldier raced after him and shoved the sword into his back. The blade passed through the prince’s body, taking his life force with it. The girl was still screaming, and it suddenly annoyed the soldier. He pulled the sword out of the prince’s body and stabbed the girl in the throat. The screaming stopped. As silence reclaimed the room, the soldier turned and surveyed his handiwork, making sure that his Spinoan patch was visible to the visitor. Satisfied that both princes were dead, the soldier left the room and headed for the servants’ way just as distant voices shouted in alarm.
Chapter 31
Swamp Creatures
King Harowin of Ertak was outraged. He shouted at anyone who came within the sound of his voice, and he struck anyone foolish enough to come within his reach. When General Harford entered the room, he stood in the doorway and surveyed the devastation. Chairs were overturned and banners were ripped from the walls. Shards of pottery littered the floor and wall paintings were slashed. The king stood near his throne, a long sword in his hand. The general wanted to sneak out of the room before he was seen, but it was already too late. The king had seen him.
“What have you discovered, Harford?” shouted the king. “Has the culprit been caught? Where is he?”
The general glanced around the room again to see who was within listening range. The few servants present in the room were all cowering in the corners.
“I have need to speak with you in private,” the general replied. “May we retire to your study?”
The king raised his sword threateningly and his mouth opened wide to shout an answer, but his energy was spent. He dropped the sword on the floor and nodded. Without a word, the king turned and left the room. General Harford quickly followed the king and the two men entered the king’s study. The general closed the door.
“What more bad news do you bring, Harford?” the king scowled as he walked around his desk and sat down.
“The duke’s boy will survive,” replied the general, “but he may lose his arm. The story he tells is frightening, and we need to discuss it before it spreads.”
“Out with it then,” snapped the king.
“The boy said that the soldier who killed your sons wore the patch of the 16th Corps.”
“The 16th?” gasped the king. “Is he sure?”
“He says that he is certain,” answered the general, “but the boy is not in his right mind. I don’t know that we should take his word as truth, and I can’t imagine how a Spinoan could have gotten into the palace, never mind out of it again. It makes no sense.”
The king rose suddenly from his chair and the general flinched, but he need not have bothered. The king began pacing the floor behind his desk, his mind considering the implications of the Spinoans sending someone to assassinate his sons. Eventually he stopped pacing and turned to face the general.
“Queen Samir is a despicable tyrant who would not hesitate to assassinate someone, but she gains nothing from killing Lyker and Lindmyr. Who came into the palace today, and who left?”
“Mostly the usual people,” answered the general, “but there was one strange group. Captain Ergard and a squad of men from the 15th Corps arrived for supplies. They produced an authorization from General Montero to get supplies from the kitchens.”