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  "Is there trouble in this land?" asked King Hector when the party reached the gate.

  "The king has been murdered," the guard stated.

  "I am well aware of that," replied King Hector. "It is the reason for my journey from Salacia. I am here to pay my respects, but you have not answered my question. Why are the gates closed and the walls manned?"

  "The gates are closed because we were ordered to close the gates," answered the guard. "They will, of course, open for the king of Salacia."

  The guard stepped away quickly as if he had no wish for further questions. He signaled to the men on the wall, and the mighty gates swung open. The two kings and their retinue rode through the gates and into the city.

  Tarent was a large, walled city, and a prosperous one as well, but on this day not a single shop was open. The streets were deserted, and the party from Arin and Salacia were the only travelers. King Arin moved his horse close to King Hector without appearing to do so deliberately.

  "I don't like the looks of this," the Arin king whispered. "There are no mourners in sight, and the city guards seemed almost embarrassed by their defenses. What do you think is going on?"

  "I am not sure," King Hector whispered in reply, "but I agree with you. That guard did not want to answer my questions."

  "I am going to demand that we each take a man inside with us when we reach the palace," declared King Caedmon. "Will you agree?"

  "Antion and Derri?" questioned the Salacian king. "But we were going to have them go with us in any event. I do not understand what you are saying."

  "They were going to come with us to pay their respects," explained King Caedmon, "but I am uneasy about that now. I would prefer to take them as individual bodyguards."

  "They will be recognized," frowned King Hector, "and we will be seen as trying to do something clandestine. I don't like the idea."

  "I am not thrilled by such deceptions either," agreed King Caedmon, "but my gut tells me it is necessary. We can have them wear full-face helms. I made sure to carry two with us in case the men chose to have some friendly competitions with the other soldiers."

  "That would be terribly uncomfortable for them," King Hector sighed heavily, "but I learned one thing about you when we were mere boys, and that is to never distrust your gut. Is there any safe exit from this if their identities are discovered?"

  "There is," nodded the Arin king with a thin smile on his lips. "We can say that we feared that their lives might be in danger. I know that I can honestly say that with a good conscience."

  "You were always shrewd with words," laughed the Salacian king. "Shall I tell them, or will you?"

  "I will handle it," replied the Arin king.

  King Caedmon let his horse falter as the rest of the column continued onward. Near the center of the short column were two young, muscular soldiers riding side-by-side. One wore the colors of the Arin Kingdom, and the other Salacian. King Caedmon expertly managed to end up riding between them without the chance that anyone would have suspected it was deliberate.

  "Good riding, Father," smiled the Arin soldier. "I see that you learned your lessons well during your stay in Odessia."

  "Some things are never forgotten," smiled the king.

  "So you also feel as if we are being watched?" asked the Salacian soldier.

  "I have no doubt about it," King Caedmon responded softly. "While I have not sensed any hostility directed towards us, your father and I have agreed to alter our plans. The two of you will accompany King Hector and me as personal bodyguards. That will require the wearing of full-face helms. Can you handle that?"

  "Tell my father that it will be my pleasure to act as his personal bodyguard," replied Prince Derri.

  "You can always count on me, Father," agreed Prince Antion.

  "Good," smiled the king. "I know this will be hard on both of you as some of your old friends are likely to be here."

  "I know that Prince Umal of Odessia will be here," nodded Prince Antion. "It will be hard not to socialize with him, but I know that you would not be taking precautions unless you felt the need. Derri and I will be fine with the arrangements."

  "Excellent," nodded the Arin king. "Once you have the helms on, ride forward and flank King Hector and me."

  The king eased forward and regained his place at the head of the column alongside King Hector. Several minutes later, the two princes appeared just behind them. Within minutes the column halted before the palace gates, which were closed. A squad of Borundan soldiers stood at the gates, but they made no move to open them. King Hector was about to loudly demand that the gates be opened, but King Caedmon gently touched him on the arm. The two leaders and their escorts sat silently before the gates, waiting patiently. Finally an officer approached from somewhere in the palace courtyard.

  "Open the gates, you fools," bellowed the officer. "Do you not recognize the standards of Arin and Salacia?

  "But…" began one of the gate guards.

  "But nothing," yelled the officer. "Open the gates immediately."

  Both gates immediately swung open to admit the foreign dignitaries. King Hector nodded his thanks to the red-faced officer, and the column moved towards the palace entrance. A squad of Borundan soldiers stood waiting for the new arrivals and held their horses as the soldiers dismounted. The two kings and their personal bodyguards moved forward to enter the palace, but the door guards immediately blocked their path.

  "Only the dignitaries are allowed inside," declared one of the door guards. "Your men will have to wait outside with the rest of the foreign troops."

  "That is unacceptable," King Caedmon said calmly and clearly.

  "Those are our instructions," insisted the guard.

  "Maybe so," replied King Caedmon, "but that is unacceptable to the nations of Arin and Salacia. Now do you wish to argue this point with me, or would you prefer to summon a general who is better suited to handling a diplomatic insult."

  The two guards looked at one another briefly with confusion on their faces. One of the guards eased the door open slightly and slid inside the palace. Within moments the door opened wide and a large baldheaded man with a thin mustache walked out.

  "King Caedmon, King Hector," bowed General Ortega. "How nice of you to come for King Eugeon's funeral."

  "All of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms mourns the loss of King Eugeon," replied King Caedmon. "We have come to offer our condolences and to restate our pledge of peace and brotherhood with Borunda. May we enter the palace?"

  "Certainly," smiled General Ortega. "We have set up a place for your soldiers outside. They will not be needed within the palace. I can assure you that you are safe within these walls."

  "Tell me, General Ortega," asked King Caedmon, "why are the gates to the city closed and guarded?"

  "That is just a precaution," smiled General Ortega. "During this sad time, most of our soldiers are mourning as well as the citizens. It only makes sense to man the gates."

  "And why are the gates to the palace also manned and closed?" inquired the Arin king.

  "Again," frowned the Borundan general, "it is just a precaution."

  "I can well appreciate precautions," smiled King Caedmon, "especially in a place where a king was recently assassinated. Just one more question, if I may? Why are you going to agree to let our personal bodyguards accompany us into the palace?"

  "I can answer that for the good general," grinned the Salacian king. "He will allow it just as a precaution. Is that not right, General Ortega?"

  The Borundan general looked from the Salacian king to the Arin king and shook his head. "Very well," he conceded, "but just the two of them. I must say that it does not speak well of your trust in Borunda."

  "Quite the contrary," replied King Caedmon as the four foreigners followed the general into the palace. "If I was truly fearful of law-abiding Borundans, I would not be in Tarent today. I do believe in small, sensible precautions though, as I am sure you do."

  "What happened here, General Ortega?" as
ked King Hector. "We have heard the rumors from afar, but I would prefer the real story from a man that I trust."

  "It is a sad affair," sighed the general. "The king's advisor lost his mind. Without any provocation that anyone could find, he plunged a knife into King Eugeon's heart. It is that simple. One insane moment, and a good king is gone forever."

  "That is a sad tale indeed," agreed King Caedmon. "I knew Lavitor fairly well. I would never have suspected such behavior from him. Was there any warning that he was troubled?"

  "None," the general shook his head. "Oh, his wife did bring the matter to my attention, but the murder occurred while she was telling me of his problems. Had the warning come a day earlier, it all might have been avoided."

  "I didn't know that Lavitor got married," remarked King Hector. "I didn't think he had a heart for anything other than protocol. He was a master at it."

  "He was married for over ten years," the general responded. "It was a good marriage by all accounts. His wife was the wisper who took care of the two princes. They appeared to be very happy."

  "You speak of her in past tense," noted King Caedmon. "Did she not take her husband's action well?"

  "What?" frowned the general. "Oh, heavens, no. She is not the type to take her own life. No, I speak of her life as a wisper in the past tense. She is actually the regent for Prince Garrick now."

  "Regent?" mused King Hector. "That is a lofty position for a wisper. Do you think she will do well?"

  "There was little choice in the matter," shrugged the general. "Lavitor was the named regent in King Eugeon's will, and that certainly could not be honored, but the king had inserted a rather unorthodox codicil. It allowed the young prince to name his own regent. The council had little choice but to accept the king's wishes. As for the wisper performing well, most think it hardly matters. The Crown Prince is quite mature for his age. He shows the promise of a great king."

  "That is rosy news for a sad occasion," smiled King Caedmon.

  The general halted outside the throne room.

  "I will allow you to pay your respects before I show you to your quarters," offered General Ortega.

  "Thank you," nodded King Caedmon as his fingers moved rapidly alongside his thigh in the sign language of the horse people.

  Prince Antion and Prince Derri had been waiting for such instructions. As the door opened to admit the two kings, the two princes slid into the throne room before the general could protest. Taking up positions just inside the door, the princes stood silently as their fathers approached the throne. Sitting on the throne was the Crown Prince. At his left stood the regent, Naveena, and on his right stood Prince Zinan.

  The meeting in the throne room was brief. The two kings offered their condolences for the death of King Eugeon, and their best wishes to the Crown Prince and his new regent. At the rear of the room, Prince Antion felt eyes fall upon him. He saw both the regent and Prince Zinan staring at him. A cold shiver ran down his spine. The feeling only lasted a moment, but Antion was relieved when the brief meeting was over and the party exited the throne room.

  General Ortega had left during the time they were inside the throne room, but another officer was waiting for them. He showed the four men to their quarters and gave them directions to the library where the other dignitaries had gathered. When the officer had left, the four men entered the Arin suite, and the princes removed their helms.

  "Who were the people behind the throne?" asked Antion.

  "The woman was the Lady Naveena," answered King Hector. "She is now the regent of Borunda. The other was Prince Zinan, the son of the late Princess Orenda."

  "Why do you ask?" questioned King Caedmon.

  "They were both staring at me," answered Antion. "It was a weird feeling. I am not sure that I can explain how it felt."

  "You don't have to explain it," replied the Arin king. "I already know. You could feel their eyes upon you, and a cold shiver raced down your back."

  "Exactly," Prince Antion said with surprise. "How did you know?"

  "You have inherited what I call my gut feel," smiled King Caedmon. "Always pay attention to it, son. It will save your life someday. Are you sure the feeling came from both of them? Is it possible that only the wisper gave you that feeling?"

  "I can't say for sure where it came from," admitted the Arin prince, "but I am sure that both of them were staring at me. Does it matter which one of them it was?"

  "Very much so," the king nodded grimly. "It is a feeling that I associate with magic. If it came from the wisper, that is understandable, but I have heard nothing about Prince Zinan having the Talent."

  "His mother did," interjected King Hector. "Princess Orenda never practiced as a wisper, but she held the power."

  "Are you sure?" asked King Caedmon.

  "Positive," nodded the Salacian king. "I talked to her about it on one occasion. I was curious about how it felt. She was not very fond of having the capability, and she told me that she avoided using it."

  "Why?" asked Prince Derri. "I mean if I had such power, I doubt that I would ignore it."

  "The power is stronger than any one person," explained King Hector. "It has the ability to heal, but it is just as capable of killing. Princess Orenda was terrified of it. She said that it could consume the wielder."

  "Do you mean if she didn't cast the spell properly it could backfire on her?" inquired Prince Antion.

  "No," King Hector shook his head. "It was more complicated than that. I never completely understood her, but I got the impression that the Talent should never ever be used for nefarious purposes. To do so was akin to selling your soul. A wise person just never attempted it."

  "The Talent is not something to be toyed with," King Caedmon said in summation. "Let us go meet with the others and find out what is news in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms."

  "Be careful with your use of the horse language," warned King Hector. "Most of the royalty of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms have been to the horse camps in Odessia at one time or another."

  The princes put on their helms, and the four men left the suite. They made their way to the library, which was crowded with foreign dignitaries as well as influential Borundans. Kings and princes immediately swarmed around King Hector and King Caedmon to welcome them. The two princes moved unobtrusively to a corner so that they could watch the comings and goings without getting in the way.

  They were in the corner for only a few moments before a young, olive-skinned man approached them. The man's long black hair was tied in a long tail with a strap of leather. He walked right up to Prince Antion and then turned around to face the center of the room, effectively blocking the prince's view of the room. Antion's hand reached out to nudge the man aside so he could keep his father in sight, but the dark man instantly seized the prince's hand. Antion could feel the man's fingers roaming over his palm and knew his identity had been discovered. He violently jerked his hand back away from the man.

  The man stepped forward two paces and clasped his hands behind his back. His fingers started moving swiftly. Prince Antion immediately turned and walked out of the library. The man followed him, as did Prince Derri. Outside the library, Prince Antion found a narrow corridor and slipped into it. The other two men followed.

  "What game are you playing at, Prince of Arin?" asked the dark man.

  "Umal," sighed Prince Antion, "you are endangering me. I do not desire for anyone to know that I am here. Come to my quarters later and I will explain, but you must not give us away."

  "Us?" chuckled Prince Umal. "So this must be Prince Derri. I did not recognize him. I should be severely punished for that."

  "We will punish you ourselves if you let our identities be known," laughed the Salacian prince."

  "This is serious, Umal," pleaded Prince Antion. "I would love very much to visit with you and have fun, but I must keep my eye on my father at all times."

  "Then you are expecting trouble," the Odessian prince surmised. "Say no more. Go in peace and do your duty.
I will also keep a close watch on both of your fathers. I will let no one harm them."

  "Thank you," Prince Antion said softly as he moved past his Odessian friend to return to the library. "Come to our rooms tonight. I do want to see you."

  * * *

  "Why were bodyguards allowed into the palace?" demanded Naveena. "I thought I had given strict instructions to the contrary."

  "I had no choice," answered General Ortega. "King Caedmon and King Hector were adamant about it. To refuse them a single guard each would have been a serious diplomatic blunder. We have just had an assassination in this palace, Regent. They refused to enter without a guard. Should I have turned them away?"

  "The general is correct," interrupted Prince Zinan. "You wanted our defenses up to test the reactions of our visitors. You have accomplished that, but to push the issue further would have created two very powerful enemies. The general acted properly."

  "I do not recall asking for your opinion, Zinan," scowled Naveena.

  "You had me trained by the master of protocol," retorted Prince Zinan. "With Lavitor dead, I am now the master of protocol. It is my place to advise the Crown when their actions are dangerous."

  "Are you assuming to take Lavitor's place?" snapped Naveena.

  "Not in all respects," smiled Prince Zinan, "but I will be the king's advisor to King Garrick when he is crowned. You would be well advised to utilize my knowledge in the meantime. Don't you agree, General Ortega?"

  "Very much so," the general sighed with relief. The general was pleased that he was no longer the object of the regent's scorn, and that the young prince had backed him up.

  "Very well," the regent huffed after a moment's pause, "but your role is limited to advice. Do not forget who is in charge of this country. Your time may come, Prince Zinan, but it is not your time right now."