I never it wasn't possible, piratesswriter. ;)

Chapter 42: The Secretary Speaks

The journey went by in a whiz. Ares seemed to know exactly where he was going even though he had never taken this road. Minerva groaned a couple of times, and once even woke up. But before I could say anything, and after she had a brief glance at her surroundings, she fainted again. This time it was more permanent.

It wasn't long before we were cantering easily into the busy capitol. The people screamed and jumped out of the way. I heard a few vendors yell curses on me as I past them. Either Ares had upset some produce, or they didn't like me scaring off all their customers.

Suddenly Ares reared to a stop, I looked down to realize that he had nearly trampled a little girl who stood frozen with fear in our path. Her thumb was in her mouth and she stared up at me with piercing green eyes. Ares snorted gently, and the little girl gasped, stumbling back, as it Ares had just blown her over.

"Cora!" screamed a woman, as she dashed over, and dragged the girl back.

I continued to look at her for a while, and then nudged Ares forward onto the castle. "You better be a little more careful," I whispered softly.

He continued at an easy trot, but was soon able to run again when someone cried, "It's the Prince!"

This parted the crowds for us in an instant. I hurried Ares faster as the people stopped whatever they were doing to stare at me and whisper among themselves. I was glad when we finally reached the royal grounds and the gate. I was surprised to find that there were no guards at the gate, nobody saluted or hindered us.

There were two guards at the actual palace doors but they were lounging around and didn't even notice me until I had climbed a few marble steps. They should have been flogged for laziness. When they finally saw me they scrambled to attention and raised their spears at me. I noticed they were not the usual guards my father had posted there. In fact I had never seen these soldiers in my life.

"Halt! Where is your pass?" demanded the younger one. He was clutching his spear, but his hand was trembling.

"Pass? I don't need a pass. Can't you see this is an emergency?"

"Order of the King, whelp. You do need a pass. This is a castle not a hospital. Go get a pass then we'll let you in."

"The King?! I am the king, fools," I cried. If I didn't have Minerva in my arms I would have flogged them myself. "I am King Lance of Adelfos, don't you recognize me?"

The startled confused guards lowered their spears, and looked at each other stupidly.

"Prince Lance? I thought he was dead."

"Well, maybe I'm his ghost, please let me so I can haunt the castle instead of your own wretched huts."

I almost grinned in surprise when the two guards scrambled to open up the doors in the rush. "Of course, of course, sire ghost!" cried the younger one. "Enter in at peace. I think you might want to haunt Mordred the most, for although I shouldn't be gossiping, some say he is to take over your throne."

"You don't know nothin'!" snapped the other guard. "He's going to divorce his wife marry this queen and rightfully take the throne."

"Either way the ghost should..."

The doors slammed shut about now and I was in the great empty hall that suddenly looked so familiar and welcoming. It was still lighted by the huge chandeliers that sparkled above me and the marble floors were still shiny clean; in fact there was a small sign to the side that clearly read, 'Caution: Wet Floor.' The brown burgundy stair case was still slick and looked tempting to slide on. I almost sighed with satisfaction.

I didn't have to announce my entrance, there were already two people in the room. But it was not who I expected; Queen Cyndal of Kuran and my sister Elaine came scurrying towards with open mouths.

"Lance! I thought you'd never come!" cried Elaine, meaning she had thought me dead. She burst into sobs of...was it joy or fake show?

"Your Majesty, welcome back, we are very, very happy to see you return," smiled the Queen, her smile was plastered on and her eyes flew immediately to Minerva; she looked at her like a mean cat looks at sick puppy

"We were so worried!" gasped Elaine. "Especially when father died and Jesse was killed. We didn't know what would happen. And then King Mordred came and began helping out. Mother has been devastated and won't talk to anyone, since Jesse's death. Carrie is..." she hesitated and suddenly seeing Minerva asked curiously, "Who is she?"

"Someone who needs immediate care and attention," I said and positioned her in a more protective way. "Summon the royal physician, Elaine."

"We can't let him spend his energy on her," scoffed Elaine. "She's only a peasant not royalty. Besides, he's out of town, on urgent business."

"What business? The royalty is here." I was about to scold my snotty sister then and there but she was saved when I saw Duke Arundel. He did a double take when he saw me but I didn't even say hi. "Sir, go get a doctor now. Bring him to my chambers."

"Your chambers! Lance!"

Queen Cyndal sounded like my mother, I didn't appreciate that. But their shocked faces were so funny looking I couldn't help smirking. "You'll catch flies if you don't close your mouths. If I asked you for a room, you would refuse to house a commoner. Are you so shocked that I am helping one of my subjects?"

Queen Cyndal pursed her lips.

"I wouldn't say no, Lance."

"Carrie!"

She flew down the stairs, a huge smile on her face and she would have embraced me if she hadn't remembered Minerva. She looked hardly different, a little more tired around the eyes, and more mature looking, but still sweet and innocent.

"Oh, Lance I am so glad you are here! I never thought you were dead, but I did wonder why you were taking such a long time. Galwyn assured me you were alive...but... forgive me let me take the girl." She smiled curiously and perhaps knowingly at Minerva then at me. "I'll care for her. While you... I think you need to settle matters with King Mordred. He is in your study room."

Mordred was talking harshly to a young gentleman when I entered the room.

I coughed loudly and he turned sharply and his eyes bugged out as he gasped, "You...! Why...Prince Lance, you are alive and well!" A greasy smile creased his face.

The gentleman beside him nudged him and muttered, "I thought you said he was dead."

Mordred sent him a nasty look with caution gleaming in his eyes.

"Mordred," I said "What are you doing here?"

"Why I was taking care of affairs for you during your...sudden absence. Your mother has not been well since the death of your father and brother."

I stopped and asked, "Since what?"

A flash of triumph came to his eyes but he quickly became the sympathetic neighbor. "Your father died about a week ago and your brother Jesse was killed by..."

"You?" I asked feeling my temper coming to an end. I had not known Jesse was dead. Elaine might've mentioned it, but I hadn't listened closely to her ramblings. I wasn't even sure this was true. I doubted it, he was probably faking it. I drew my sword.

"It was an accident," stated the nobleman nodding solemnly, he glanced nervously at my sword.

"Me?!" cried Mordred staggering back in faked surprise glaring at the nobleman. "How can you suggest such a thing, your highness? Your father and I were the best of friends..."

"Until you started coveting his land," I retorted.

"I am only trying to help..."

"Yourself to the riches of my father's bounteous wealth. Sorry to tell you this, Mordred, but you are no good at faking things. I know you are here to try and take over my country, my people, and my throne, but I am not going to stand aside and let you do that. You are never going to obtain the Adelfian throne, no matter how hard you try."

"He has a point there," muttered the nobleman.

Mordred stiffened and said, "You forgot, boy, that you are engaged to my daughter, Anastasia."

"He has a point, too, Your Highness Prince Lance."

This time we both glared at him.

"That was a trap you laid that my father fell for. He trusted you, and it would have been fine if she wasn't so snotty, and it hadn't been for an evil purpose."

"Actually," said the nobleman suddenly looking down at some papers he had, "It says here that the contract between the two countries of Adelfos and Kuran and the marriage between Prince Lance and Princess Anastasia was broken several weeks ago."

Mordred snatched the paper away and glowered fiercely at the innocent parchment. "What is this?"

"It is a copy of the will of the late king," replied the Secretary.

"You're fired!" yelled Mordred, his face purple with frustrated rage. He turned to me and said, "But that will not stop me from taking the throne, whelp. You are not fit! You are just a boy, and this country needs a strong hand. A strong hand that will..."

"Look," I growled lowering my sword and rolling my eyes. "I don't want a political speech right now. I'll hear enough of those later. Right now I just want you and all your filthy lazy soldiers out of my castle and back to your own little hole in the corner. Also I don't you to mess with my family and my political affairs anymore. If you don't do this I'll kill you; I will fight you for this kingdom, and I will slice your wicked throat. Understand?"

He winced, and his former secretary backed slowly away, anticipating a fight.

"Mordred formally king of Kuran," I said. "You are under arrest for misconduct of your royal position, for being suspected to be the murderer of King Augustine of Adelfos and...perhaps...his son Jesse, and for attempting to take the throne of Adelfos through treachery and..."

"For firing your faithful servant," continued his secretary writing furiously on a piece of paper. "Also for attempting to kill Prince Lance of Adelfos with the help of the demons. All of this adds up to... penalty of death."

Mordred still had a hand to play and he threw down his last choice and his trump card. "Your suspicions were almost correct, Lance," he said smoothly. "Your brother was injured very badly when he fell from a horse only two days ago. I was here for your father's funeral and snuck Jesse away right when the doctor declared him dead. I told your mother and the princesses that I had already taken care of his body. I still have him, Prince Lance, surely you would not kill the man who has your brother's life in his hands?"

I frowned, he wouldn't tell me unless I let him live, and I couldn't kill him later without being terribly dishonorable. But if I killed him without him telling, it would take forever to find Jesse.

"I'll let you live, but I'll banish you to the island of Menfia. Square enough?"

"And what of my kingdom? My riches?"

I had expected him to ask about his wife and daughter.

"They will be mine," I said simply. Why not? "As for your wife...she can go with you, and your daughter..." I paused suddenly realizing I didn't know where Anastasia was. "If she ever pops up I'll send her to Menfia too."

"I don't want that!" he yelled, sounding like a spoiled child. "I want my kingdom. If you won't give it to me I won't tell you where the boy is!"

I sighed in annoyance. Suddenly my eye fell on the secretary and I addressed him, "Sir, you have accompanied Mordred many places. Do you know where he hid the boy?"

The secretary hesitated, glancing at Mordred's warning fury.

"If you tell me you can be my secretary."

The man took in my filthy traveler's clothes, worn cloak, haggard features, and jewel hilted sword. He stared for several seconds, mostly at the sword which proclaimed my wealth and power. He smiled and said, "He's in one of the rooms of this castle. There are dozens of them and I can't remember which one exactly..."

Mordred yelled with utter fury and attacked the poor secretary. I was afraid Mordred's madness would strangle the poor man and was about to intervene, but the wily man slipped out of his grasp and ran to the other side of the desk. Kuran's banished king chased him, and I watched with a raised eyebrow as the two bounced from one side to the other, trying avoid and get the other.

"Please your majesty," stammered the secretary. "I would likely have been killed if I had not told."

"You will be killed because you have told!"

"I haven't told him anything really important, like how you tried to use the marriage between Princess Ana and him to get his throne, or how you sent Sir Eric on a special mission to find and kill him, I haven't even told him about your plan to corrupt the young Prince and use him as a too!"

I thought Mordred was going to faint from fury, his face was changing colors, fast; from purple to red, to a sickly horrid green.

The secretary glanced at me, desperately asking me to hurry and take care of the lunatic before he did actual damage. So I did. I stepped up behind the mad monarch and whacked him upside the head. He didn't even groan or stagger as he collapsed to the ground.

"Thank-you..." breathed my new secretary.

"Thank- you," I said. "You have helped me tremendously. How can I reward you, sir, besides hiring as my secretary?"

He suddenly blushed and scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, Prince Lance, I think I've had my reward already. I'm not really a secretary. I was knighted my your father a few years ago and have been acting as Mordred's secretary ever since." He seemed to have been explaining, almost as if he were reminding me who he was. When he saw my blank expression he said slowly, "I'm Galwyn."

"Pleased to meet you, Sir Galwyn." I still wondered if I should know him, he didn't look familiar.

"Oh, I guess Carrie hasn't had a chance to tell you," smiled Galwyn understandingly.

"Tell me..." I said, almost impatiently.

"We were married a few weeks after you disappeared."