Chapter 3: On the Other Side
Benny was looking at himself in the mirror.
"Man, if the gang could see me, now." Benny said with a smile when a Vulcan male with brown eyes and black hair came in.
"Your highness, it's time for your royal duties." The man said simply as a Klingon boy appeared with a Trill girl with black hair and blue eyes who looked at him suspiciously.
"Hey sire, I'm looking forward to our fencing match after lunch." The Klingon boy said. "For once I'm gonna prick you."
"We'll see." Benny said. He took a look at his list and saw that right at the top was falcon training. "Because I might not make it past the first thing on the list."
()()()()()
Benjamin rushed up to a snow ball fight with a snowball in hand when everyone tossed theirs at him, and he was covered from head to foot in snow.
"Well that was great." Benjamin said with a laugh. "I haven't done that since Jadzia, Worf, and I were kids."
()()()()()
At the castle, Benjamin removed the hood from a falcon. It glared at him angrily, and he rushed away for dear life.
"Hm." Jadzia said. Benjamin never had any trouble with falcon training before.
()()()()()
Benjamin approached a dog in the streets that was gnawing on a bone. Benjamin took it and tossed it away.
"Fetch." Benjamin said. The dog looked at him angrily. "Uh-oh."
Benjamin ran away for dear life as the dog followed.
()()()()()
At the castle, Benny worked with an adhesive fluid Benjamin's friend Jadzia had invented. The concoction ended up causing Worf's face to get stuck by webbing.
"Oh my goodness!" Benny called out. "I'm so sorry! Let me help you with that!"
"No, I'm okay." Worf said calmly. "It sure stinks though."
()()()()()
After escaping the dog, Benjamin ended up in front of a house as Gul Dukat's second in command, Glinn Rusot, was pulling a chicken away from a young Bajoran woman with black hair who had a boy of about eleven and a girl of four helping her.
"Leave my mommy alone!" The little girl yelled as she kicked Rusot in the shin.
"Ah!" Glinn Rusot shouted.
"Nerys, no." The boy said. "Help me and mom get the hen away from this jerk.
"Relax you three." Glinn Rusot said with a smirk. "It's for the king."
"But it's all we have!" The woman protested.
"Well then it's all we'll take." Glinn Rusot said with a laugh.
"Stop!" Benjamin called out as he walked over. "As your royal prince, I command you to release that hen!"
Glinn Rusot just laughed.
"What's so funny?" Benjamin asked.
"Oh, forgive me, 'sire'." Glinn Rusot said with a smirk. "It appears you've lost your crown!"
Glinn Rusot then shoved a large pumpkin onto Benjamin's face as she went off with the hen.
"I can't believe it." Benjamin said in disgust as he took the pumpkin head off. "Stealing in the king's name."
"This happens all the time." The boy said.
"The king takes all our food away." The little girl, Nerys, said.
"Thanks for your help, dear." The children's mother said. "I'm Meru, and these are my children, Reon and Nerys."
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Nerys said as she tugged on her mother's dress.
"I know sweetie." Meru said as she put on arm around Nerys' shoulder. "I know."
Just then, a whip cracked, and Benjamin heard one of the guards, Madred, driving a carriage full of apparently stolen food.
Benjamin looked at the royal ring and put it on his finger as he got in front of the wagon.
"Stop right there!" Benjamin called out. "I am Prince Benjamin Sisko, and I command you to surrender your entire stolen inventory."
"Yeah right!" Madred shouted. "And I'm the queen mother! Get out of here, runt!"
"Will this help?" Benjamin asked with a smirk as he held up the royal ring.
"Oh… Shoot." Madred said with a groan.
()()()()()
"Give me a suckling pig to make my belly big." Julius hummed as he and Kat looked for Benny. "Now where can Benny be?"
They then saw Benny with a royal carriage full of food, and he was tossing it out to the people.
"I believe this will help you out until your husband's back on his feet Mrs. Kira." Benny said as he tossed a huge turkey to a woman Julius knew was called Meru as she caught it. "Oh, thank you, Sire."
"Oh no." Julius said to himself. "Poor Benny's flipped his wig out of hunger."
"We better hurry." Kat said.
Julius knew Kat was right. They had to take him back home before he got into trouble, but it was too late. The royal guard arrived, led by Rusot and a Cardassian with blue eyes.
"There he is." Madred said plainly as he pointed to Benny. "He's the one who showed me the ring, sir."
"You there!" Rusot called out. "You're under arrest!"
"Run for it, boy!" An old man called out as the entire crowd of peasants pelted the guards with fruits and vegetables.
As Benny ran for it, he was cornered by several guards.
"Hold on, pal!" Kat called out as she busted down a cart of barrels and rode on them with Julius to get to Benny quicker. "We're coming!"
They rolled down the guards and used a low hanging banner to change direction and jump onto the cart.
"It's back home for us." Julius said with a sigh as he snapped the reins and the horse took off. "Ya-Hoo!"
()()()()()
In Dukat's lair, deep in the dungeons, he drank and ate with Rusot as they laughed.
"Now I may be losing my mind sir," Rusot said as she calmed down before he let out one last, and random, laugh. "And I know you've told me that time and time again, but this boy acted like a nobleman, and he had the royal ring."
"The ring." Dukat said as his eyes widened. "So it was the prince I kicked out."
"You kicked out the prince?!" Rusot asked with a mad laugh. "Oh, you're gonna get it! You're gonna get it! Nah-nah-nah-nah, nah-nah!"
Dukat grabbed Rusot by his throat.
"I won't 'get it' if the prince doesn't come back, alive." Dukat said as he smiled and got a devilish idea in his head. If the pauper was the prince, then the prince was the pauper.
()()()()()
Benny was practicing his fencing against a large suit of armor.
"Take that you vile fiend!" Benny said with a smile before Jadzia and Worf came in.
"Uh… Jadzia, what are we doing here?" Worf asked.
"You're not Prince Benjamin, are you?" Jadzia asked.
"What?!" Benny asked nervously. "Of course I am. W-why wouldn't I be?"
Jadzia's eyes narrowed, and Benny gulped.
"Uh… What's with that look you've got?" Benny said.
"BY THE HAND OF KAHLES, "IT'S NOT THE PRINCE!" Worf called out. "He doesn't know the look!"
"Uh-oh." Benny groaned. "Look, Benjamin and I met when he had me see him, and he got the idea for us to trade places, so he can experience life as a peasant. Please don't tell Spock. It'll all be over next morning when he comes back."
"Alright." Jadzia said. "So, what do you think of this place?"
"Well some of this stuff is life threatening, but what life isn't like that?" Benny said. "I'm just happy that I got two good meals in today instead of one."
()()()()()
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Benny said, and Spock walked right in.
"Sire, your father is in his last hours, and he wishes to see you immediately." Spock said quietly and plainly.
"Oh." Benny said. "Well we better tell the prince, he ought to know."
"You are the prince, Benjamin." Jadzia whispered.
"Oh yeah." Benny said nervously as he got upset. Neither he nor Benjamin had planned for the king to die that day. Benjamin would be crushed when he found out his dad had died, and he wasn't there.
"I'll let you go alone." Spock said as he left.
"I'll take you to him." Jadzia said as she led Benjamin away.
()()()()()
Jadzia and Benny left.
"By the Hand of Kahles." Worf said. "Could this day get any worse?"
"Hello, Klingon." Dukat said as he appeared almost out of nowhere.
"Grr!" Worf growled as he reached for his phaser. "Gul Dukat!"
"Now, I'm afraid I need you out of the way for a bit while I arrange for a bright future for the Dukat family." Dukat said darkly as he shot a dart of a depressant into Worf's shoulder.
()()()()()
Benny walked down the hall with Jadzia.
"So, what's wrong with the king?" Benny asked.
"He's gravely ill." Jadzia said. "To be honest, I'm pretty sure Benjamin figured he'd be king by spring. He's going to be heart broken when he hears about his father's death."
"So, are you and Worf going out?" Benny asked to pass the time.
"What?" Jadzia asked. "Of course not. We're just friends."
"Sure." Benny said with a smirk before Jadzia gave him another of her "looks".
"Well, here's his room." Jadzia said.
"Okay, I'll just tell the king the truth." Benny said. "I'm sure he'll understand."
"My son…" The king said weakly. "Come closer."
Benny did so, and hearing the weakness and nobility of that voice, Benny didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.
"My son…" The king said. "From the day you were born, I have tried to prepare you for this moment. I shall be gone soon, and you shall be king."
The king extended his hand, and Benny took it.
"You must promise me… Promise me that you will rule the land from your heart, justly and wisely." The king said as his strength grew weaker.
"I promise." Benny said. He knew Benjamin would make the same promise in his place. Just then, as the king exhaled his last breath, the sole candle in the room went out.
()()()()()
Benny walked out of the room shivering.
"I've gotta find the prince." Benny said with a shiver and determination.
"Hello my faux prince." Dukat suddenly said as he picked Benny up. "Now that our dearly departed king is finally out of my way, you'll do everything I say because if you don't…"
Rusot appeared, holding a bound Cassie.
"Benny!" Cassie called out.
"Cassie!" Benny replied.
"Get the picture?!" Dukat said with a dark smile.
()()()()()
At the hovel Benny, Julius, Kat, and Cassie lived, Benjamin walked to the window and opened it as the church bells were ringing.
"Hey, what happened?!" Benjamin called out.
"The king is dead!" An old man walking below shouted out. "And the prince is to be crowned at once!"
"Dad…" Benjamin breathed. He was gone. He knew it was coming, but he still couldn't believe it. He breathed in and knew what he had to do. The Kiras and this whole village were just a taste of what had been going on all over England. He walked back inside where Julius was making some soup from Madred's inventory.
"Soup's almost ready, Benny." Kat said. "I mean, Your Majesty."
Benny let Julius and Kat believe he was crazy ever since their save that afternoon, but the time for games was over. He slipped the ring back onto his finger.
"Now it's up to me to right the wrongs I've seen." Benjamin said. "Children going hungry. Corruption everywhere."
Kat and Julius turned and looked at Benjamin's ring.
"Whoa." Kat breathed. "You really are the prince, aren't you?"
The two then bowed down.
"Sire, your wish is our command." Julius said.
"Julius, Kat, I owe you my life, and I won't forget that." Benjamin said. "Come on, pals. We must return to the palace at once!"
"Or to the dungeon!" Dukat called out as he appeared at the door with all his men. "Get him!"
All of the guards caged Benjamin and Julius in with their spears as Kat charged at Dukat, who tossed a dagger at her that got caught in her jacket and caused her to be tossed straight out the window.
"Oh… CRUD…!" Kat called out as she flew out the window, and a loud splash was heard from below.
"KAT!" Julius called out in horror as his wife didn't come back up.
"No." Benjamin sighed. Kat was gone and who knew what would happen to Benny once Dukat had his way with Benjamin and the others.
Yes sir, things look pretty dark right now.