The Price of The Price of an Invention: The Danger of Being Royalty
(TPI.:DBR)(Chapter 4—Unexpected Devastation)
DBR All characters in this chapter and Part 2
Two galloping stallions, one ebony, the other ivory, entered the castle quickly. The pouring rain bounced off the beasts as only one rider, leapt from the lead animal. He stumbled through the crowd frantically, and raced to the king like a rabid raccoon. He ran through the mud to the concrete steps.
King Reynold, turned from his chair, to face the man on the floor. His outerwear dripped water onto the red rug, and he shook as he gathered the courage to stand up.
"Dear man, what has happened?"
The longhaired, young man of 24 raised his brown eyes to the king.
"The messenger is---dead."
"That is dreadful!" The King said, walking to him.
"I carry his belongs and own have his horse. King Buherter has claimed that no one will stop him from the conquering the land he wants to conquer."
"Any good news?"
"Prince Thomas has brought back the woman's son, who was taken."
"He, what? When?" He yelled.
"As I was riding back, the messenger was sent in. He hide in an old cart and snuck into the main area. He heard this man swearing he would get out. Thomas found some leftover explosive powder and broke him free. They released a few horses, making it look like the noise was from wild stallions. It worked for a while….until the man you sent went to speak to him. The guards saw the cart rolling by itself, and a foot stuck out. He slaughtered the messenger, thinking he was a decoy."
"If my son had let me handle business, this wouldn't have happen. He can fight wars when he is king. He has given that rite up, and I should have made him turn over all attempts to negotiate between this king and I," he spoke bitterly.
"You have my utmost apology, sire. Whatever you request I will do."
"Have the knights prepare for war. If they attack first, we will engage. But they must start preparing, now."
Near midnight, two nights later, Thomas worked on a silver object. He hammered away like the blacksmith taught him. His newest invention would be the best he could think of. The moon hid behind clouds as he placed the cover on the object; much resembling a bowling ball, it had no holes but an opening, which divided the center. The rather dull and heavy device was the newest weapon compared to what the cannon ball could do.
He smiled greatly, his face soot covered. Dim torches lit the splintered wooden work bench. He rubbed the strand of brown hair out of the way. He stared intently at his toy.
"Now, father, will be able to use this against that king who thinks the world has no boundaries."
Inside the castle, several men come out from the huts, taking off their cloaks to reveal knight's armor. Their armor bared no horse symbol, but rather, a devious wolf symbol, as they spread into the inner corridors of the castle. When instantly inside, drew their swords and fought their way to the king. Elsewhere, out loud warning of the assault rang out. The ringing of the bell gathers the attention of Buherter's other warriors.
Hearing the bell, Thomas placed his invention inside and old crate. He dragged the crate to a nearby wall. He then pulled out several bricks, shoved the crate into the wall, and placed the bricks back. He took dirt from the floor and smeared it over the wall so that it would not give away any hint of a passage.
Screaming and yelling filled the castle on several floors and clanging of swords echoed by accompanying horrendous screams. Thomas saw from the small bars outside the fleet of armed men in black and red armor. His ear was pieced by the many cries; this only ate away his bravery.
"Oh, no...he's come into this castle. Will he not stop his tirade! I can't believe this."
He runs to the burning torch and yanks it from the holder, "I have to see----"
An injured knight tells him, "Sire! You must get away from the castle---"
He takes the knight's arm, "I can't leave my family," He stares at him desperately.
The knight lowers his head. He chokes on the words. "From what I am told they...are not living."
In horror he yells, "No! They can't be! This is the Meadowll Kingdom!"
"You are the King---"He lowered his headwear.
"No! I revoked my………whatever…..I can't"
"You must leave sire, or you will have no Kingdom to run. That is not unless you want the pigpens to run. You mustn't be captured….go to the forest, Sire."
A tear ran down his face, he sniffed. He coughed. "Then I will go. This kingdom will be under our kingship again! Thank you, sir."
"Your highness, I do my best."
" 'Sir', is fine….the only highness I know is higher than us all. I pray, He will reward you finely for this," he spoke. He then dashed into the castle's winding concrete tunnels, and out past the dark, wooded area.
He tried to exist an opening. A small cave, barred with a gate, the Prince (newly king) used a key to open the rusty lock. He kicked the door open, because its rusty design did not properly open.
He tripped and fell in mud. His purple royal clothes now stained colored as he got up and ran, and ran as the pouring rain gave no sympathy for time being.
"This isn't happening. This nightmare--can't be real," he glances back seeing flames shooting from the castle and villagers being forced out. Knights now race out horses from the mass of people.He grits his teeth, "I could take down that Owen! If I did that…..then if I failed there would be no legacy.
He marches through the thick mud in his black boots…..after several hours, he sits down on a log. He rubs the wet hair out of his eyes. He's not sure where else to go. Without a horse, his legs in pain couldn't make it to the nearest kingship of his father.
He soon hears soft giggling behind him. He turned to see, in the distance, a woman running through the woods. She was dressed in blue and white, and the flowers in her hair flowed as she moved. "
"Delusions, simply delusions," he rubbed his face, "some ghostly thing to haunt me," he said grimly as she continued to run through the woods enjoying the time in the rain.
He climbed up the muddy hill to see who it was. She swirled in the rain, singing a love song. She twirled right into him.
"Oh!" She gasped upon seeing a stranger.
"Madame, your singing was quite lovely. Who has taken up residence in this area of the woods?"
"Oh…..who are you, sir?" She looked naively at him.
"Prince Meadowll is my name."
"Sire, this is….well it isn't taken. I just went for a walk in the woods for some berries and went far. If I have strayed into your land, I'm sorry. Please have mercy and do not sentence me to the stalls."
He saw her fall to her knees, "Please get up, I'm not really a prince anymore and most of all….."he reaches down, "I hate seeing beautiful ladies such as yourself as low as the mud. Please allow me to stay at your dwelling for the mean time."
She looks into his brown eyes, "Oh, sire, I do have room. It is but my father and I. My mother has been missing for months…….you can stay as you will."
A few days after the siege, the dreary weather hangs out with Thomas, just like his sadness. No amount of warm porridge or other hospitality has cheered up so far. The fair-haired woman, about his age, enters with his clothes washed and dried placing them at the empty chair, next to him.
"How can you not be a Prince? You have royal clothes. Do not tell me you stole them."
He says in a stern voice, " I am as I said before, I'm no Prince. I am now the King of--"
She sits down next to him, "I knew you had to be someone. You don't look like thief."
He laughs, "Thank you. I must--cannot stay here anymore. Thank you for your generosity. I will some how pay back your kindness."
Hours later, Thomas disguised as a poor beggar, in brown clothes, walked into the castle area carrying a large sack over his back. He spoke to guards while looking down.
"I have come to visit my dear friend in the dungeons. He has been there for a
year. Would the majesty, have mercy, to allow me to see him?"
The tall, muscular guard looked to the other. His voiced rumbled like stones, "You may see him. We cannot guarantee you'll ever get back out."
They then, wickedly laughed, as they let him enter the cold and damp stairwell. Another guard followed behind him as another lead him to the dungeon.
He spoke to the guard in front of him, "I thought that……he didn't take anyone alive."
"Whoever he did take alive," He spoke as they walked. The area became dimmer and harder to see, "wasn't many…"
An eerie glow of the two flaming torches was the only light left for the prisoners.
"Take your time--don't let the smell get to you." He cackled. " I think several of our inventors perished today," he spoke running up the steps in his clanking amour.
He walked through the metal archway. The metal door was instantly locked. He stepped slowly into the area, he once held as a small lab. Cells left and right were filled with five people, just about as packed as one could get. Cobwebs hung low over the area. As he squinted to see in the dark, one cell of only three, moaning and wailing for food echoed the halls.
What he found made him jump back. His brother looked out from sitting, on a small wooden bench. His parents were not present.
"Gilbert!"
His brother looked over, "Who are you stranger?"
He came to the cell and held his brother's arms, "It is your brother. You are alive!"
His eyes sparkled after seeing Thomas, "Yes. Our parents have not. I too am
wounded--"he shows his leg.
"Oh...I was afraid that would happen. I'll get you out---"
"No," he holds his arm, "I can't take the thrown…..the leg...is infected…..and I have been blacking out…..a wounded prince can't take the crown. There isn't much time…"
Thomas slouched down on a wooden stole. His brother sighed deeply.
"So, I am going to lose everything that I know due to this master of brutality?"
"I'm sorry. Even if you did free me…I can't last a day's journey. Free the inventors. They are being used for his purposes."
He grabbed the bars to help himself up, "I will my brother," he said as a few tears ran down his shrouded face.
Gilbert then handed Thomas a piece of his torn royal robe. The clothes he wears are of no value for prison guard has given them to him.
He sniffs and then clears his throat, "You and them will be free."
He then heads down the last stall. Thomas touched the brick wall and ripped out the brick. He pulled out a small dish of black powder. He walked back to the front of the prison.
"I'm ready to leave.."
As soon as the guard turned the key, Thomas blew the black power into his eyes and head butted him. He raced with the keys and unlocking each cell to placement.
Upon the opening of the last, he hugged his brother and helped him with his walking.
The inventors race up the stairs, some barefooted, others in torn clothing of mold and
rat -chewed-quality.
Thomas races up to the main floor, ripped off his over-garment as Gilbert escapes with the others. Gilbert doesn't notice he had gone back inside, until he is about a yard away.
He hurried into the main floor as guards leapt to stop his movement. They draw swords as Buherter halted them. Sharp metal points of the swords are pointed at Thomas' neck.
"You will return the kingdom to the Meadowll's," he scowled.
He intertwined his fingers, "Even if they were alive, I wouldn't. And who are you to make demands?"
He breathes in and out through his nose loudly, "This-- their kingdom---"
He laughs wickedly, "As I see it, it's conquer and you own it. Apparently, no one shares my interest of multi-kingdom ruling. Tell me why I shouldn't slice your head off?"
He looked to the ground then up at him, his heart beating like racing horses, "I'm the Prince."
They all burst out laughing, "Every member was killed or maimed on his or her way of dying."
He then stuck up his hand, showing the royal ring as Owen's eyes lowered to a glare.
"That was a stupid thing to do, boy. Kill him---"
Thomas ducked at the two on coming swords and pulled the rug from under both of them. He then pulled out one sword and started fighting the two men at once. He yanked another sword from off the wall behind him. He started using the other sword in his left hand.
He kicked the right knight in the shin as he swiped his sword at the left cutting his shoulder. He then kicked him onto the floor. In his right eye, he saw the flash of his adversaries sword and grabbed his arm and shoved the sword into the wall. He then punched his arm and kicked him out the over looking window.
The left over knight, grabbed him around his neck and was wrestling him. Suddenly, another flash of light came down, and cut into the man above him. Over them, stood Owen, with fire of hate in his eyes. The other man rolled over dead. Thomas rolled over and leapt to his feet armed with a sword. His sword was instantly met with his. They battled back and forth. Each of their moves only gaining more injury. Owen snagged Thomas's arm as he sliced Owens's leg.
Owen thrust his sword into the chair, in which Thomas hide behind. He took the chair and threw it at Owen. Owen fell over as Thomas held his sword under his chin.
"I reclaim my kingdom. Please don't make me kill you."
Owen furrows his sweaty brows as he lays the defeated ruler on the dusty red carpet, "Your kingdom has been conquered, it is mine! You can't order the knights to leave. They will come to my aid now that you have pushed one out a window."
He jibes, "You sure it's not you on a bad day punishing your men?"
Owen seemed to have other ideas as his eyes traced a golden thread towards the massive knight figurine, near the fireplace. He then yanked it, shaking the massive structure, while Thomas had only seconds to move. He was instantly kicked in the gut.
Owen rolled the carpet over Thomas and pushed him out of the window. Owen stood laughing triumphantly. His laughter was short-lived when he noticed his strap on his garment is flowing downwards along the carpet. He stompped his feet, pulling himself back as he's dragged out of the top floor. He plummets to his demise. Thomas get's up from lying on his back on the ledge. He climbed back into the window and stares at the sunlight from the clouds. He takes a deep breathe and sighs before taking off and out of the castle.
Gradually, quietly and truly, those who escaped Buhurter now come back to the castle, as peace is restored to its dominating order and the kingship position was once again held by a kind, royal prince, now turned king. The building's restoration and joy started to grow; regret over lost ones was still a deep, dragging pain in many of the resident's minds, and strong in King Thomas's.
King Thomas married the peasant woman, whose own father was once in a royal dynasty, but ruined by the family of the Buherter's. The greedy kings took whatever kingdoms they liked, treated their residents as they pleased. And destroyed any validating documents showing their royal bloodline. Like those oppressed and forgotten rules, their bloodline kept it's royalty, but not its highest place. King Thomas only discovered her hidden secret whence returning to thank her. She could not hide her royal blood, just as he could not hide his technical nature as an inventor. Thomas still tinkered with gadgets as the castle was run day by day. Those captured inventors in Buherter's other castles became free as his kingdom was turned over to the previous kings that were stripped of it barbarically.
As centuries passed, the legend became watered down until the existences of such inventions and kingdoms were a myth. Only now, through a family log, was the secret revealed that a royal bloodline was not wiped out by Buherter or other kingdoms that sought to destroy the Meadowll name. Along with the history of the kingdoms, an invention of such breakthrough is one that a man seeks to wrap his tentacles around.