Chapter 11

Meeting with the King

Riding up to the palace gates, Nicholas started to get increasingly nervous, for if he didn't say the right things, he could be taking Jeremy's place in the execution line. "Halt, how goes there?" cried one of the guards at the gate.

"My name is Lord Chase and this is my son Nicholas. We have urgent news for the king, concerning his daughter. If you would please see that the king sees us immediately, we could be able to save her life." Nicholas' father told the guard.

"Yes Sir, right away Sir. Call the king! Someone call for the king!" the guard shouted up the road. "If you would please go and wait for him in his chambers, I am sure that he will be with you shortly. He is very distressed over his daughter you see..."

"Thank you, that will be all." his father cut the guard off, riding up the road.

Once in the king's sitting room, they only had to wait for a few minutes before the king came barreling in, still in his night robes, for it was still dark out. "One of my servants said that you had news of my daughter?" he asked, obviously distressed over the matter of the princess's kidnapping.

"I do not my Lord, but my son does. If I may introduce to you my son, Nicholas." Lord Chase said, bowing to the king.

Stepping forwards to do the same, Nicholas told King Andrew what had happened that night, and everything that had happened up until then.

"You come with a strong case that you are an innocent partner in this, but why should I believe that you didn't actually hold my daughter against her will?"

"Sire, you know that we were friends as children, do you not?" Nicholas asked.

"Well, I know that you would spend a lot of time together playing but..."

"If I may interrupt Your Highness, but here is proof of my words!" Nicholas held out the silver chain bracelet with the engraving out to the king.

"What is this? This is proof of nothing!"

"Read it."

After reading the inscription, the king looked even graver than before. "So if what you are telling me is true, then my daughter could be as good as dead." he said.

"No, that is not true Sire. I don't think that Jeremy would kill Clair. I mean, Princess Clair." Nicholas corrected receiving a glare from his father and from the king. "I believe that she is safe for the moment, but I do not know how much longer she will remain that way."

"But how in the light are we supposed to find her? They could be anywhere!"
"I have an idea of where they went, but I'm not positive. As a boy, I would climb the mountains bordering the kingdom. They are not far from where we live, and I remember a cabin a little ways up one of them. If I am correct, then we should be able to find the princess, but if not, then they would have had to pass by there, because that is the only trail that a horse could follow easily, so we should be able to track them."

"You are young, about my daughter's age, yet you know so much! I am glad that your father and I arranged that betrothal for you and my daughter, but I'm afraid that it will never be carried out if we don't find her. Please, young Nicholas, find her, and you may have whatever you wish as a wedding gift. Please! She means the world to me. You must find her!" at this point, the king was on his knees in front of Nicholas weeping.

What betrothal? Wait, you mean that Uncle was right? No way! I thought that I would be rid of her after this! he thought with a silent groan. Well, I guess I'll just have to make the best of it. "Sire, I think that we should start getting men together. We should move out at first light."

"Good idea lad. Guard! Send for my son, Lord Randal. Tell him that he is to come here, even if he is not dressed."

"Yes your Highness. Right away your Highness." said the guard, backing out of the room to carry out his orders.

Minutes later, Lord Randal arrived in the room, wearing a bath robe pajama pants and slippers. "You called father?" he said, bowing himself into the room.

"Yes, gather your best tracking soldiers that will not complain about ridding really quickly, and put them on our best and fastest horses, even if they are not their own. I think that five will do. What about you lad? What do you think, since I am putting you in charge of this mission?"

"In charge father? But he is just a boy! What mission? I do not understand why I had to be roused to early."

"This boy as you call him, believes that he knows where Clair is. You are going to gather your men, and follow him."

"Oh does he now. And tell me, how do you know? Is it because you were the one who kidnapped her?"

"Don't be ridiculous! We were friends, not enemies! I will tell you about it later. I agree with the king. Five trackers, that are also skilled in fighting and hiding. They, and you, must also agree not to go running after shadows. I will tell you when to do something, and when to attack. We do not leave until I have every man's consent to those terms. We leave as soon as there is enough light to see clearly." Nicholas told Randal, unsure if he was overstepping his boundaries or not.

"Yes sir." Rand said, shocked at what Nicholas was saying. "I'll go get my best men. Meet me in the stables at dawn. If that is all right with you I mean."

Knowing that this was weird for the young lord, Nicholas agreed. After Rand had left, he turned back to the king to discuss plans and tactics in order to get his daughter back.

When Nicholas finally emerged from the room, it was almost dawn. Turning to his father, he wished him a safe journey home.

"Be safe lad, and make sure that you bring the princess home."

"Father, why did you not tell me that I was betrothed?" Nicholas asked.

"Well, you uncle thought it best not to tell you really, because you were so young. But then you stopped seeing her, well, we almost called it off. I know that I should have told you, but it was for the best not to just then."

"Does Clair, I mean, does Princess Clair know?"

"I doubt it, but when you rescue her, you can ask her for herself. Or you could just simply ask her to marry you! After all, you are both of age now. Well, I had better start out. I have a long ride ahead. Swift ridding my son." And with that, he was off.

Walking to the stable, Nicholas saw that all of the men where already on their horses, so he walked over and got onto his. Giving the command, they raced over the bridge and through the gates just as the sun was coming up over the mountains.