GAME OF TRUST

THE ARREST.

Early the next day, king Alonso arrived at the place of Merry with his troop just as Tory had predicted. As Marry and his household saw him they were full of fear because not because he was there but because he had come with a great number of soldiers which could be used to defend the country against enemy attack.

"My lord, what brings you to my house so early? Hope we are not in trouble?" Merry asked as he shivered with fear.

"Is there anyone left inside?" Alonso asked as he only saw Merry, Clifford and Alvat cause Nicolas had returned home with his family.

"Only my wife and daughter." He replied.

"Call them out." Alonso ordered.

"Kyle! Victoria! Please come out of the house." Merry called with a loud voice.

"Is there any problem?" Kyle replied from the inside.

"Just come out with Victoria." Merry answered.

So they both came out, seeing the multitude of soldiers fear gripped them also as Kyle asked. "What is going on here?"

"Where is the Prince?" Asked the king.

"We don't know my lord." Replied Merry in pretence.

"I ask again, where is the Prince?"

We do not know who the Prince is." He replied again.

So Alonso called forth the soldier who had given him the information and asked. "Is this not the place?"

"My lord, we are in the right place. The Prince was seen with these two in the woods." The soldier replied pointing at Alvat and Clifford.

"You heard the soldier, so where is my son?" Alonso asked but this time in an angry tone.

"We only know of a friend by the name Tory." Clifford answered.

"You even address him by his name. Well where is he?"

"We do not know and he never told us that he was the Prince." Alvat replied.

"Search the house and bring out my son." Alonso shouted. Immediately a few soldiers went in and tumbled the whole room.

Within fifteen minutes they came out again and said. "He is nowhere to be found inside, my lord."

"Where have you got him?" Alonso angrily asked.

"We told you already that we do not know where he is. Tory left without telling us where he was going although we tried to make him tell us." Merry answered.

"I was told that you were four, so where is the third one? Since you say my son left without informing you where he would be going." Alonso asked as he referred to Clifford and Alvat.

"We do not know." Clifford answered as he covered up for Fili so the soldiers won't go after them.

"Well this explains everything. You have sent the Prince into hiding with the other one." Alonso responds. "Guards! Seize them!"

"My lord, what have we done?" Merry asked as he tried to stop the soldiers from taking Alvat and Clifford with them.

"Bring him also." The king added as he pointed at Merry.

"Please my lord, do not take them with you." Kyle and Victoria pleaded as their eyes covered with tears that rolled down their faces.

But the king was a man of strong heart that he did not feel any form of pity for the ladies and still took them prisoners with him.

As they left, Kyle and Victoria cried for a while without knowing what to do. After a long moment of sadness they both left their house to that of Nicolas to inform him about what had just happened.

"What is the matter? Why are your countenance sad?" Nicolas asked as he saw Kyle and her daughter.

"Please come in and tell us what the problem is." Olivia said, inviting them into the house.

As they were seated, Nicolas asked again. "What is the problem?"

"It's the king." Victoria answered because her mother was not able to say a word. "Where is Fili?" She asked in addition.

"He was about to go to your place." Nicolas answered. "So tell us what has the king done?"

Then Fili came out of his chamber as he heard the voice of Victoria. Seeing her with her mother she said. "Aunt Kyle, what is the problem? Why are you looking sad?"

"The king has just arrested my father and brother." Victoria said in response to Nicolas' question.

"What! Why did he do such a thing?" Olivia said out of shock.

"He has accused them of hiding his son. He also asked about Fili."

"And did you tell him where to find us?" Nicolas asked.

"No, we did not say anything concerning where to find him." Kyle replied.

"Tory had told us that something like was coming but we had no idea that the king would do such a thing." Fili said as he wondered what to do next.

"You have to leave this place." Olivia said.

"But where do I go?" Fili asked as he kept on thinking of what to do.

"I say it's time you return back to our kingdom." Nicolas advised.

"Which kingdom? Is it the one we ran away from because the people of Imladris were overthrowing?" Fili asked.

"Yes, that is the best place you can hide. Go back to our house and stay there for the time being." Nicolas answered.

"We have nothing left there, the king of Imladris had already claimed that land and I can't run away leaving my brothers." Fili said.

"It's for the best, we don't want to lose you." Kyle said. "Take Victoria with you and return there as a sojourner while we plead for the release of your Merry and his sons."

"Like I said, I'm not running away because I know what to do." Fili said as he came up with an idea.

"What are you going to do?" Olivia asked.

"I have to look for Tory, he alone can help us get them released." He replied.

"You don't know where he is nor do you believe he will help us. Do you realize he is the reason behind all this yet you still trust him." Olivia said again.

"He gave us his word, so I trust him." Fili replied and then went into his room to prepare himself so as to embark on a search for Tory.

While king Alonso returned to the palace with his troop, he came past Tory was wearing a hood so he did not recognise him nor did the soldiers who escorted him.

When Tory saw them, he realized that they were coming from the direction of Merry's house, he immediately suspected that they had gone to search for him so he began to imagine what his father must have done to them that he had to return instantly to see how they were doing.

As Tory drew close to the house, he called aloud. "Victoria! Clifford! Alvat! Sir Merry! Lady Kyle!" But no one answered so he repeated again and again till he got to the door post of their house yet there was no response.

"Is anybody home… I'm back, cmon it's Tory." He said and till he got replies other than silence. So he pushed the door open and entered.

Tory was amazed at his sight since the place was so scattered with nobody inside. He did not know what to do other than to sit on the floor and weep while he blamed himself for leaving.

After a brief moment of crying, he stood up and said to himself in a low voice. "Let me go over to the place of sir Nicolas and find out if they are there." So up he went.

Soon enough he got there and knocked on the entrance saying. "Is anyone home?"

Instantly Olivia opened the door and saw him, then she asked. "Why are you here?"

"Is Victoria here with her brothers?" Tory asked in return.

"That does not answer my question. Why are you here?" She asked again.

"I was at the place of sir Merry earlier and I could not find any of them so I thought they would be here. That is why I have come."

"We were told you left so why did you come back?"

"I saw my father return from this direction with his troop so I came to check if they were safe but on reaching the house of sir Merry no one was there and the whole place was scattered. This was the next place that crossed my heart, so please tell me are they here." Said Tory.

Hearing this, Olivia allowed him in, then he was offered a seat.

Looking around he could not find Merry, Clifford, Alvat and Fili so he asked for their way about and they narrated to him what had just happened to them.