Dragon’s Empire – 1. Curse of the younger Prince

I disassembled curiosity. I had to find out what a night guest in our area needs. Probably he came from afar, from some country that I never heard. After all, I was able to paint the world map only by stories of seamen. Now I was interested in questioning a stranger about his lands. His clothes, although it was rich, but did not correspond to the last fashion installed in our country. But apparently, this guest was waiting for.

I left the tower, descended down the screw staircase and stopped in front of the front halls. This usually brought all visitors, but this time it was deserted around. No magnificent reception. Only guard stood before the closed doors.

I turned into a dark gallery. It was quiet and deserted here, only knightly armoires stood in the walls of niches and the mirrors flicker coldly. Steps heard ahead. I hastily slipped behind the tapestry and from my shelter could observe how the king was accompanied by an alien. Slightly behind them, sadly lowering the blond heads, my brothers Florian and Claude walked. Since childhood, these two all the time kept together. It seems that they were not embarrassed at all that the crown would get only to the eldest son, and the average will be able to take only second place in the country.

Carefully choosing from my shelter, I followed the strange procession. The king, a mysterious stranger and both of my brothers entered the throne hall. The key turned in the castle, and all the subsided. I went to the closed doors and listened.

«Believe me, if I want, he rushes at my call and even the whole army will not be able to keep him», someone’s domineering, triumphant voice came to me. From these sounds in the head clouded. In front of the eyes there was darkness, and one single word was in my head. It seems that it was someone’s name «Rothbert». Strange, I have never heard this name before, why did it come to my mind, as if one of those magical words, with which you can get open any locks.

The door of the throne’s room suddenly swung open. Someone grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged to the side.

«Edwin, what happened to you?» The concerned voice of Claude brought me out of stupor. «Previously, you did not have any habits to sleep on the go. Maybe you are unhealthy?»

«No, everything is fine with me,» I lied and leaned back to the wall so as not to fall. «Tell me, what is the name of that gentleman, who just arrived in the castle?»

In just a moment on the face of my brother, the gamma of feelings from the complete despair to the cold indifference was replaced.

«You were mistaken,» Claude finally squeezed out. «Today in the castle they did not allow any messengers or guests. Such is the royal decree.»

«But I saw a black carriage in the courtyard of the castle.»

«It seemed to you,» Claude said with a impermeable expression. «Go back to your chambers. Tomorrow I will send to you a doctor.»

Claude himself took me to the door of the bedroom.

«Close the door and do not come out of your chambers before dawn,» he advised. It is necessary to say that his advice seemed to me strange. I have never been afraid to look in the face of danger, on the contrary, wandered on the dark banks of the capital, looking for opportunities to expose the sword. So what do I fear in the walls, where I was born and grew up. Is only the fact that the court doctor poison me with one of his potions.

Why would you suddenly begin to deny the existence of a night visitor? For the first time in life, I felt offended of my father for the fact that he did not devote me to state’s secrets.

At the bottom I was heard the crash of the wheels of the departing crew. I threw the first raincoat on my shoulders, grabbed the sword and rushed down to the stables. Claude’s warning did not have values for me. If something is hidden from me, then it is no reason. Well, I have enough courage to learn everything myself.

I quickly saddled the horse and slipped along the lowered bridge. Thin grooves from wheels and traces of horse hoofs were noticeable on a wet dirt road. The chain of traces rushed to the forest. Who would have been this strange traveler, but he chose an unsuccessful route. The dark forest road led to the ruins of the old city. People were afraid to walk there even during the day. It is unlikely that there would be a brave one in the entire capital, which at night would go to the ruins. But I, without thinking, sent my horse after the mysterious crew.

I spurred a horse, hoping to catch up with a carriage before it deepened into the forest, but, to my surprise, I discovered that despite the rush, the distance between me and the black carriage is not reduced. Well, not even better, I can follow a person who caused my curiosity, and at the same time remain unnoticed. After all, if I just catch it up and ask him directly, what did he need from my father, will he give me an honest answer? There was no rear window in the carriage, there were no grooms on the footboard. And the coachman could not see the pursuer.

When I accepted the fact that I would have to comply with a respectful distance, the horses neighed wildly. The carriage lurched slightly, there was a crack. I looked closer and saw that one of the rear wheels landed in the ditch. It must be now the driver will jump from the box to inspect the damage, and I will try to provide all possible assistance and, of course, the conversation will begin. But a careless driver and didn’t leave his seat. There was a whistling whip exploded in the night air a few glittering sparks, so bright that I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I could not help but startled a cry. The road was empty, no horses, no coach, just next to the ditch left deep furrows – the latest evidence that there has recently been stuck wheel of carriage.

I was so surprised that I forgot about my own difficulty. When I looked around, I realized that I could move off very far from the edge of the forest. The darkness deepened over the road. In this forest, even during the day it lacked light, and after the midnight thick gloom became impenetrable. I had to make the return journey in the possible shortest time and closely monitored so that my horse did not hit a hoof into some pit. The trees surrounded the trail as the fabulous giants. The thorny branches clung to my clothes and a long mane of a horse. Maybe I too succumbed to the play of the imagination, but it seemed to me that the road is rapidly shrinking, and it will be impossible to go through it soon.

Somewhere flashed a light in a thicket. I dismounted, tied my horse to the trunk of a spruce and rushed to the light. I did not believe the stories of wandering flames and was not afraid that the devil will knock me off track. The farther I went, the brighter was the light. A few more steps and I could see that the flame is burning in a window. Is someone still lives in the hunters’ house. I thought it was already abandoned for a long time, and the royal manager would still not have time to send here a huntsman.

I approached the hollow and looked into the window. There was a candle on the table. A bright radiance was spread from the candle in the room of the hut. And next to the table two girls were sitting. Judging by their luxurious outfits, I would count them to the number of noble ladies. Although what could ladies do at night in the forest wilderness? They did not notice me, and I stood at the window and could not take a look from two red-haired beauties. One of them kept in the hands of the golden yarn, and the other cleverly wove the threads in the ball. They spoke about something, perhaps they joked. One girl laughed, swung in the tact of the movement of head fiery curls. Her silver laughter echoed from the walls of the hut.

«And the youngest prince is beautiful as an angel,» the girl said suddenly. She copied with accuracy to the compliment, which I so often heard from the court ladies. By the tone of her voice, it was impossible to understand whether she was saying this with admiration or simply messengers someone.

«Yes, he is very good,» the second lady agreed more reserved. «I’m sorry for him. Unhappy, handsome boy! He is not created for such fate.»

«This beautiful young man does not even know what is waiting for him. Even the king will not be able to protect him from the wrath of sorcerers,» the girl carefully chose the words as if she was afraid to pronounce the prohibited names. «He is too noble to agree to the terms of the prince.»

«From those who like to play in honor and valor in childhood, are obtained the most revealed villains,» her girlfriend objected completely calmly.

«Is it really that he must choose the way of evil?» said the first lady. «But if he wants to survive, he will have to renounce his nobility and his mortal family. Forget that he himself was once mortal.»

«Prince will take care of opening apart before the elect of the fate the gate of the Empire,» was an answer.

«Keep silence,» the first girl whispered. «Even in the forest it is impossible to disclose our secrets. In addition, the gates in the magic world can be anywhere and at the same time remain invisible for our eyes.»

Her friend nodded silently, postponed her tangle and began to sprawl lace frills on the dress.

«And this country flourishes,» she decided to translate the conversation to another direction. «Any king would like to have such fertile lands, and even gold mines in addition. Sometimes it seems to me that the gnomes themselves violate their own laws and help this mortal to produce emeralds and other treasures.»

«Dwarfs are trying in vain. At the expense of mines grow rich only the retinue of the king and residents of cities, and dissatisfaction is growing in the provinces.»

«But the king holds a strong army and does not give the ambitious neighbors to invade his territory. Now, if his advisers were less corrupt and more intelligent. They never even asked the younger prince about his opinion, and he is smarter than all of them. Whether he is a king, then he would lead a more skillful policy than his father rather than.»

I moved closer to the window. Under the sole of my boot, the dry branch cried. The girls were fixed. One of them looked into the window and noticed me. Anger broke out in her eyes.

I hurriedly moved away from the window and opened the door. I wanted to apologize to the ladies and ask if they did not know another road leading to the castle, but there were no longer them in the hut. Only moths circled over the candle flame. The light danced on the wick a few more moments, and then went out, as if someone blew it. I did not have anything, how to return to the place where I left the horse. Even the most desperate adventure seeker does not want to spend the night in the hut, where creatures like ghosts live.

To my surprise, the milled trees were broken, freeing the roadway. Now I could safely return to the castle. The light of the moon made my way through the lush crowns of firs and felt on an uneven path. Before the edge of the forest, I got safely, only sometimes in silence I was heard a slight fluttering of the wings of the moth.

Hunt on the wild boar

Until the very beginning of winter, life at the royal court flowed calmly. The visits of ambassadors and the council meetings were replaced by noisy feasts. Passing along the halls and the galleries, I often caught admiring looks of people. Only Florian and Claude avoided meetings with me after a secret conversation with a midnight guest. In their eyes, I often noticed fear. How could I cause their fright? It was worth looking into the mirror, and I saw my beautiful twin there. Oval face looked very young, gold curls were always shone too bright, but I tagged them on the back of a black ribbon. That’s just huge blue eyes sometimes light up with a cruel, steel gloss, as if from the depths of the mirror I was looking at me not naive, blonde young man, and the evil angel, dressed in the clothes of the royal son.

Once from the tower’s window, I saw a messenger who was rushing to the castle. According to coat of arms embroidered on his clothes, I guessed that he serves one of the barons. There must be something terrible, once the servant of one of the royal vassals rushes here at full speed. Maybe the robbers attacked the baron or peasants rebelled against their master, and the needed a rapid help.

I was waiting for me to be brought into a throne hall. According to custom, the younger princes, although they did not have the right to vote, but were to be present at the meeting of ambassadors and receptions. Without waiting for invitations, I myself went to the throne room. Passing by the room, where the Royal Council was usually held, I heard excited voices. Before me came scraps of poisonous phrases and ordinary stockings. Advisors led a fierce dispute.

The door was open. I looked in the opening. Around the huge round table, were advisors. Florian, with a bored look, lifted a heavy curtain and stared out the window. He would read Knight’s poems, and not prepare to take the weight of the crown. Claude was much more interested in what was happening and even tried to ask the messenger. The king listened carefully to everyone. I saw the wrinkle on his high forehead, thoughtfulness and wisdom in the eyes, gray in blond strands. Here he is a sample of royalty. Looking at him, I thought that the real monarch could not have a young face, as it turned out later, I was brutally mistaken. Wisdom and monstrous force can be covered with eternal beauty. And beauty, in turn, is only a cover for the villains of the dragon.

The king raised his hand, calling present to silence, then with a composure, worthy of a admiration, began to ask questions. The answers were unnecessarily polite and excited. As far as I understood, the messenger was sent by one of the barons whose possessions bordered with the royal. There was in the forests of this feudal, a creature which the frightened messenger was used to denote by one word «death». And as it turned out later, this very death wanders in more often in the image of the wild boar, which helps the evil spirit.

«Several peasants died,» the messenger continued. «And the rest are afraid to move away from their dwellings. After all, anyone can be the next victim.»

«As far as I know, the Baron is one of the best hunters,» the king’s calm voice was heard. «Did he try to kill this creature?

«Your Majesty, can I, simple mortal, join the fight with… them?» The messenger thought for a long time before he spoke the last word. Whom did he mean? Why was he afraid to talk about «them»? Does one wild boar can harm the possession of the rich feudal? Maybe all the trouble is in the superstition of the peasants and in the habit everything to dramatize. I used to treat everything calmer and rely on the fight against evil only on my own strength. Let others hope for conspiracies from evil forces and amulets, and only a living being, nor the Spirit, will be able to hurt me. Before death, it will take time to read a prayer, but for now I wanted to fight with a sword.

«If the situation is exactly the case, then none of the knights will decide to help your unfortunate vassal,» the first minister said carefully, turning to the king.

«I will decide,» I responded, boldly crossing the threshold. The messenger sighed with relief. Only Florian reacted to my statement skeptically.

«How are you going to kill this wild boar? Keeping all your charm?» he asked coldly. He wanted to say something else, but he preferred to keep silent, as if decided not to disclose the secret.

«Your highness, it would be better for you to stay at the court, because the ball is scheduled for tomorrow,» the first minister addressed me more diplomatically.

«Yes, right, a great cavalier has to dance with ladies. He doesn’t wander on big roads,» one of the advisers supported him.