The destiny of a prince

Chapter XII

                                                                          Infiltration among the villagers

                        Rohan walked from room to room, waiting for news from the squads he had sent to Shinestone. It had been two days since he had received no sign, and this greatly annoyed him. Soon, he would tell Gharel about the problem, and he had nothing to say.

                        After two hours, Rohan left the room, when the door opened, and Gharel came in dressed in a black robe, and with a stick with a black crystal on his tip.

                        - Rohan, did you want to go somewhere?

                        -No ... no, Rohan said scared.

                        - Then can you tell me what you found out? Have you solved the problem with Corvin?

                        - My schools haven't come back yet. I wanted to send someone to see what happened, now, when you walked in without knocking on the door.

                       - Take care as you speak. Your life hangs by a single thread. If you want to know, Corvin's not in Shinestone anymore. left a few hours ago.

                     - Where do you know?

                     - It seems the orcs know what to do. They will be mindless creatures as you said them, but at least they know how to accomplish their mission without being seen.

                    -And where is he heading? Tell me to send someone after him and kill him.

                    - Orcs and goblins will take care of them, stay safe. You should worry about yourself. Blackscar knows you sent scouts to him in town.

                   - This is the reason why the news is delayed ...

                   - Your people are dead. Be careful what you do next, this is your last chance. If you make a mistake, you will die once.

                   - You can't kill me. If it's not me, nobody will help you in the fight. "People will not serve you without me, Rohan said, laughing at Gharel.

                    -Quiet, Gharel said loudly, then hit him hard with his stick over his legs, causing him to kneel. Do you think that without your help we will not be able to carry out the plan in the end?

                    -That's right, Rohan said, clutching his leg, and cursing Gharel.

                    - Ha ha ha. You're wrong, Rohan. You are only a small pawn, you are only alive because it is not time to die yet, but rest assured, if you fail once more, you will die.

                   - I will not be afraid of you or Lucifer. I was loyal to you, I did everything you asked of me, I even killed the king for you. You can't get away with it so easily, I'm still important in your plan, "Rohan said, grinning as he got up.

                    - But who said we were going to kill you? Someone will come and take revenge for what you did.

                  Rohan was stunned to hear Gharel's last words, after which Gharel disappeared. He knew that Gharel could kill him whenever he wanted, but he wasn't as afraid of him as he was of Corvin. At one point, he had to face Corvin, but he hoped that he would kill his subjects or orcs before he could even take his eyes off him.

                   Rohan went to look for Braien, his right hand. Finding him, he told a guard to send him to the council room, as soon as he could find him. Just as Rohan wanted to go and see if he was spotted, Braien entered the door.

                    - I heard you were looking for me, sire.

                   - Where the hell were you? Rohan asked.

                  - I went to find out why the report was delayed. I was gone last night. when I found it very strange that I was not given the report and I found out that….

                   - I know what happened, Gharel told me everything. We have to do something with that boy.

                   - Whatever you decide, you should think faster, it seems to have a road partner. A very skilled young woman with a bow.

                  - So you mean Shinestone will help him in his mission?

                  -Probably. This girl is not from Shinestone, she is from somewhere else, said Barien.

                  - If the Shinestone people defended him when I sent them there, that means they joined him. One village does not make a difference, it cannot do anything without the other kingdoms. The others are harder to convince.

                  -Yes. But we have a small problem here in our kingdom, Braien said.

                   - What's the problem?

                   - Those at the bottom of the kingdom where they are only poor have spread the rumor that the son of Corvinus III is alive ... now they have hope and if the truth will prove. they will rebel against you. What will we do?

                   - How far did this rumor go?

                   - Not far away. But there is no more and it will reach the ears of all, and then we will have the whole kingdom against us.

                   - Then we will have to give an example to those who believe in this rumor. You will have to send some disguised soldiers to kill those who want to spread this untrue rumor.

                   - Of course. We'll do our best not to spread this rumor, but if it's too late, what will we do?

                   - I don't think that will be a problem. The people there didn't want me as king and that's why I live in poverty, I don't think anyone will believe them. In case they start believing, I will close their mouths by law. The one who will stain Corvinus III's royal family with the rumor that he is alive will be whipped to the pole.

                 -Let's hope he doesn't get there, said Barien, then exits the room to fulfill Rohan's mission.

                  Braien and two of the guards he trusted, changed and went to the lower village of the kingdom, where only the poor and still loyal to the late king lived. He had to integrate each one into a group to find out more information and to find out who the rumors started. After two hours they met in a more dilapidated house, where they could exchange information and see what each one found.

                - So all I found out is that there are five people who will speak in the old market and we still don't know who started this rumor.

                 - That's right. Maybe someone will show up tomorrow when that word is spoken, one of the guards said.

                  -Everything is possible, said Braien. We'll wait until tomorrow to see what will happen. We will continue our mission here, each one where he found his place can find more information. When is the meeting tomorrow?

                    - At 12 fixed.

                    -Okay. We'll meet there in the old market, and after it's over we'll see here, did you understand?

                    - Yes, both guards had said.

                   They left that house, and each went in different directions, spending the evening with those villagers, where they listened to all kinds of stories. The night when each villager went to bed, one of the guards, before taking his sleep, thought about what the villagers were saying, that Rohan is in love with Lucifer and that he wants to bring him to life, he did not want to believe, but something told him that they were right. Only at the thought that Lucifer would be revived, did his hair stand up and feel a cold breeze like ice on his neck.

                    The next day, everyone gathered in the old market, where they waited for the five to appear and begin the speech. In the middle of the market were two large tables side by side, where the five climbed on it so that they could all look at each other as they spoke.

                      A 50-year-old man had left the table and started talking. The man looked as if he had been through thousands of fights. He had wounds on his hands and face, and his gray hair was a little over his shoulders.

                    - I'm glad to see more people gathered than last time. This means that we know that somewhere beyond this kingdom, the true prince lives and that one day he will return to save us from this tyrant.

                 -We must get rid of this tyrant faster, said one of the villagers who had come.

                 - We'll escape. That is why we must be ready for his coming, to support him and to help him regain his throne, said the man who spoke the first, after which a second steps next to him.

                 - You're right. We need to convince as many people as possible that the prince lives and is ready. We are not warriors, we do not know how to handle a sword, we do not have weapons like Rohan's traitor's army, but we know how to use a fork, a seam. We are villagers, but we will learn to defend ourselves and to fight.

                  The sitting had been for about two hours.

                  Braien and the two guards met to discuss everything he had heard, but one of the guards was late. He was the one who wondered if everything he had heard since he got here is true.

                 - Vermor, why are you late?

                 -Sorry Braien, I had to go around this place a lot, I felt like I was being watched, said Vermor.

All right. Then we can start. It seems that these villagers want to overthrow Rohan.

                 - Yes, but we still have a problem. The one who started this little revolution did not appear, and the five showed up yesterday and began to hide.

                  - It means he doesn't want anyone to know where they are. How many are still here?

                 - Than two. The first two spoke, and another disappeared. What do you want us to do with the other two, Braien? the other guard asked.

                 - We kill them, but I want to look like an accident. Vermor, you stay here, and he and I will go and take care of them, then we will leave here.

                  -I understood, said Vermor with little regret for the two. Before you leave, I have a question.

                 -Say, said Braien.

                 - How did the former king die?

                - What do you say there? You know how, an enemy infiltrated the castle and killed everyone, king, queen and prince. Don't you tell me you started to believe in these people? Braien asked, looking at Vermor.

                 - No, I'm a little puzzled as to why they would accuse Rohan, he didn't do anything to them, on the contrary he was nice to everyone, and they refused help.

                - That's the way they are, they don't like the new leader, and they want to do anything just to change it. Remember, if you start believing in them, you will be accused of treason as they are. Now tell me who you are?

               -Rohan. Stay calm, it was just a question. Now I know everyone must die.

               Eventually, Braien and the other guard came out of that house and each went to their targets. After a few hours, they returned to the castle to give the king's report. Arriving at the castle, they changed back into the soldiers' clothes, and Braien went to the council room, where he found Rohan, who was looking at the fire, appearing to have gone to a completely different world. Braien put his hand on his right shoulder, causing him to jerk and return from where he had thought. Braien told him everything he had found, and how he dealt with the two remaining in the village, but not with Vermor, who was beginning to question everything.

                - Are you sure they won't think they were killed?

               - Yes, it was just trivial accidents, a drowning, and a bull that pierced his master.

               - It's good. We must be careful not to lose other villagers. I want to make sure the others will disappear, but after you interrogate them. We need to find out who started this rumor.

              -Yes. Sire, can you ask me something?

              - Yes, he says.

              - What happened to you? When I entered here there was no one but a soulless body.

              - Nothing, Rohan said. I was thinking how to get rid of this Gharel.

              But that was not the truth, since Corvin's murder had failed, Rohan began to have nightmares from the day he betrayed his father. Rohan asked him to leave him alone, and to make sure no one turned against him, he didn't need any more on his head. All the villagers knew that an enemy had entered the royal chamber in the evening, killing Corvin's parents and himself, and the murderer was caught and killed by Rohan in front of everyone. But the villagers at the bottom of the kingdom never believed him. Because of this, they lived in the poorest part of the kingdom, but they knew that one day the prince would return, and make Rohan pay. It was their only hope for life