Chapter One: The Dark Night

1768, France

"Quickly, we have to move quickly, alright? You keep the guards busy, kill them if you must, just as long as I have enough time to capture the prince." Thomas Humphrey ordered. His closest friend, Charles Cunningham nodded solemnly to show he understood, even though he really didn't. He didn't understand why Tom wanted to capture the Prince of France, and he didn't understand his friends odd obsession with ending government either. The prince had always ruled fairly, and had kept France prosperous and peaceful, just as his father before him, and his grandfather too. But no matter what evidence Charles threw at Thomas that the prince was a good ruler, Tom kept stubborn and stayed with his seemingly absurd reason.

            "On the count of three…" Thomas suddenly muttered from their hiding place on the stairway. Charles was shocked awake from his thought about how wrong everything was at that moment.

            "Tom, are you sure you want to do this?" Charles groaned.

            "Charles, I've told you over and over. I have my reasons for wanting to capture the prince."

            "Well I have nothing against him! Do you have any idea how wrong this feels for me?"

            "No, but you don't have any idea how I feel either, so we're even. Now, again, on the count of three. One…"

            "Please, Tom, can't we do this some other time?" Charles hurriedly said. Panic was beginning to flow through him like a splash of ice-cold water running through his blood. He might really have to do this after all.

            "Two…"

            "Tom, you know were risking an awful lot! They could have our heads if were caught! Think of your family!" The cold panicking feeling was now moving into his stomach, activating a burst of horrid nausea.

            "Three!" Thomas gave Charles a surprising push out of their hiding place where he faced the two guards protecting the wooden door that led into the princes chambers. And that was how Charles was forced to fight. He raised his sleek polished sword, with it's golden handle and pointed it at the guards with his right hand.

            "Move or I'll be forced to kill you," Charles unhappily said. Sadly, the guards merely laughed at the thin boy with the curly sandy hair. They knew they were far stronger then him, and also knew-no, a more appropriate word would be thought-they would win.

            "It's a pity your so stupid and ignorant…" Charles gloomily replied at their rude cackle. Suddenly, he began to dash toward the first guard, and before the guard could react, he had felt the cold taste of steel in his stomach driven into him and then back out as he fell dead to the ground. The second guard reacted faster then the first and was behind Charles before he knew it, but Charles reacted faster still and stopped the guards attack with his bloody sword, causing the irritating clang! of metal against metal. Clang! Clang! Clang! went the two swords, each time moving the two swordsmen farther from the door. Thomas took his chance while he had it, and jumped out from his hiding place, completely unnoticed by the guard as he had his back to the door. Tom moved to the door at a soft jog and kicked the door open. It fell to the ground with an odd plop!.

            Tom walked across the door and stopped and it's end, unable to find what he wanted. Within an instant he felt the weight of a body on his back, and then the feeling of cold air rushing past him as he fell to the ground. His head turned quickly a few seconds after he landed on the floor, only to meet face to face with the prince. Apparently, he had heard the noise of the battle outside and had prepared for whatever was coming, in this case, a solo rebel.

            "Who are you, and what do you want?" demanded the prince.

            "I don't answer to you!" With great speed, Tom gathered up all his strength and focused it on turning around, which he did so, making him be the one on top of the prince.

            "Are you a citizen of France?" the prince demanded again.

            "I'm a perfect citizen, you're the only problem."

            "Well, a true citizen would never attack their ruler like this," the prince replied calmly, as he pushed Thomas off him with great force. The two men quickly stood up just as a harsh rain began to fall on the outside. With a flash of lighting, the two were suddenly head to head, pushing against each other with their bare hands. Thomas, being just slightly stronger and much more determined, easily began to push the prince, all the way to the window, and then accidentally out of it.

            A shock ran through Tom's brain al off a sudden. A shock of confusion. He was unsure weather this was what he had wanted. He slowly walked to the window, still in complete shock, and softly laid his hands on the ledge and looked down. Complete darkness. A few seconds later, Charles entered the room, his sword bloodier then the last time Tom had seen it.

            "Where's the prince?" he asked, as he looked around.

            "He… he accidentally fell… out the window…"

~*~     ~*~      ~*~      

            The harsh storm blew on, fierce as ever, as the Prince of France moved rapidly by the current of a river he had fallen in to.  He soon ended up on a shore, at one of the most coincidental spots he could have: The Wizards Hut.

            By coincidence, the wizard had just happened to be outside practicing a bit of his magic.

            "Dear lord!" the wizard cried, "A man!" He immediately stopped his training and dashed toward the unconscious prince. He raised him out of the water, turned him over, and saw his face, giving a soft gasp. "The Prince! What in heavens name is he doing here? Whatever the reason, I mustn't return him to his proper place. The boy must fall in love as his father wished since the prince was born. If I keep him here with me, surely, someone will find out and I'll have my head off. The only way would have to be to send him away… to the future. Someone their will teach him to love."

            The wizard ran back to his hut, leaving the prince laying on the floor, and came out sometime later with 6 white rocks. He placed each one in a certain position so that they formed a circle around the prince.

"With thy words, I send thou away,

Far away into a distant day.

There learn to love,

From the man who knows its best to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all."

            A flash of white light, and suddenly the floor with in the circle was a swirl of white light, in which the prince fell through into another time.