The Lost Prince

Subject: The Lost Prince Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:28 pm

Altair lays in bed, the youngest son of the king, he's never been a fan of parties much less the affections of the ladies of court. His long black hair held in a tight cue at the nape of his neck as was the style of court. He had excused himself as soon as it was politely possible preferring to retire to the relative quiet of his room. He looses himself in the latest book he took from the royal library much more preferring to read about heroic deeds than to ever think about doing them himself. He knows full well unless there was a catastrophe he will never take the throne not with three brothers older than him.

Meanwhile at the party...

The guests begin to leave when suddenly half of them ambush the guards at the door slaying them with hidden short knives retrieving the guards swords bracing against each other to fight through those guards that offered resistance though other guards quickly turned on their comrades. a full scale Coup d'état was in effect and in the midst of the chaos laughing at the slaughter was Altair's uncle and King of the neighboring kingdom. He'd always been the ambitious sort though why he would turn on his brother is a mystery. "FIND THAT BRAT OF A PRINCE" he screams "DON'T LET ANY OF THE ROYALS ESCAPE"

As the slaughter in the ball room continues a few of the guards slip off to search for the missing prince.

Kevin, former captain of the guard, is one of the first to slip off to find the prince. Friends for years since they were Fostered together he knows exactly where the prince will be. Slipping into his room he holds a hand up to silence the princes gasp of surprise. He walks over quietly a dagger glinting in his hand. "forgive me my prince" he whispers plunging the knife into the princes stomach in such a way to maximize blood while minimizing damage to internal organs. "play along and you MAY survive" he whispers scooping the prince up in his arms. "when the time comes you will have at least one friend here"

He carries the prince out of the room smiling slightly as the bright prince realizes the rouse though not the reason it is necessary yet. The prince plays dead in his arms his eyes seemingly closed

Altair realizes that something serious must be going on for his friend to have done something like this to risk betraying such loyalty as had never been seen before. his watches what he can through eyes closed to slits. it is all he can do not to cry out though when he is carried into the ballroom painted crimson with the blood of his family. he swears a silent oath of revenge as he catches sight of the mutilated body of his mother. he feels Kevin kneel before someone. "i slew him he didn't even see it coming Sire" says Kevin with a hint of darkness in his voice that Altair had never heard before. "what should i do with the corpse?"

"just dump him in the moat his head is of no use to me" says a voice Altair instantly recognizes as his uncle. Anger coercing through his body he holds onto consciousnesses only through force of will. He feels himself being carried out of the building down through the servants quarters. "take him and ride. Only once you are clear of the city should you even risk stopping" says Kevin laying his body in the back of a wagon. The stench from the wagon made him want to retch. it was only after they were underway that he realized where he was. the 'meat wagon' used to transport the dead servants and peasants out of the city limits to one of the many burial sites typically in the woods where the nobility wouldn't have to look at them. He wonders if Kevin had been planning this all along or if it was just a last minuet plan. Slowly his eyes drift closed sending him into an uneasy sleep. He doesn't know how long he was out when he woke up but he knew that he wasn't still on the wagon. His hair felt clean against his back. HIS BACK, he sits bolt upright realizing that he must be at least partially naked and immediately regrets the decision. he glances around the room to see a rather beautiful woman laughing at him

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:13 pm

"Bit shy fer a fine looking sir, ai' ye?" she giggles from the corner. She wipes her hands on what appears to be an apron and steps out of the shadows. She has long chestnut brown hair, which falls all over her shoulders and back in loose curls, and big hazel brown-green eyes. She smiles at him toothily and checks under his bandage. She is curvy and supple looking--the ideal body image for child rearing in these times; She's the only daughter left out of her father's children to not be married off--she had too much of a mouth on her, most men hated that.

"Kevin's a right git, 'e might'a killed ye, 'bout a millimeter from yer bloody liver..." she shakes her head. "...but, I patch'd ye right up, sir, I did, ye'll have a nice scar to tell yer kids about."

She looked towards the window for a moment, then turns her head slowly back to him, smiling at him weakly.

"It'd be best not to say who ye are; I'd make an misnomer if I we're ye, yer royal highness," she whispered, with a polite, deep bow. "'specially 'cause of me father... he's a right bastard, he'd soon as turn ye in as to look at ye... but if yer common... yer the best buddy he'd have..."

She patted his hand gently then turned her back, walking out of the room momentarily. From where he was sitting he could probably hear her rummaging through some cabinets in one of the bedrooms. After quite some time she reappeared and smiled at him sheepishly, holding out a modest set of clothes.

"Anyway, up with your lazy arse, I need ye to get some clothes on... sleepin for three days, unheard of! Yer lucky my father ai' here, 'e'd use them'n smellin salts on ye... I burnt yer clothes, though... kept some of the knick knacks I found on ye... marks of yer royalty; I suspect yer gonna be after revenge... but... til then... they're safely hidden."

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:37 pm

"Izikial" he says softly "my name is Izikial, i was coming to the city to be fostered to a smithy to learn a trade when my caravan was waylaid by bandits. I fought valiantly yet even then my family was slain they would have got me too if not for the grace of the goddess, and her angelic looking servant" he smiles at her getting up from the bed. Coming over to her he puts on the clothes proffered to him. "Revenge" he says his voice turning dark "yes i will seek revenge" he glances up at her face again causing him to smile "but anyway what news of the castle?" he asks his voice returning to normal

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a dubious smile of fate Kevin finds himself appointed head of the 'kings' own royal guard as reward for his service to the kingdom. While such an exulted position is a great boon for anyone of his young age it left him in a difficult position. while yes he could now spy with far more efficiency than he ever dreamed possible he must also take far more care than he could know as such position, due to its power, comes with excessive scrutiny. It wasn't long before he discovered just why the 'king' took the throne as his royal adviser road to the castle the day after the coup. Never before has he ever met such an evil looking man. It was clear from his air that he was not, entirely, human. His workshop always had odd sounds and smells emanating from there at random times of the day and night. He splits his days between working diligently in his position and planning ways to have messages smuggled out of the castle to his contacts ready to aid the young prince when he is ready to return to his throne.

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:21 pm

"Izikial..." she repeated and mumbled what he said, to remind herself so she didn't mess up if her father came asking her any questions.

She turns her back in a polite fashion, as he changes clothes, even though she's already seen everything there is to see on him, including that curious birth mark on his lower abdomen near his pubic region. She smiles and glances back at him to make sure he's dressed before nodding.

"I heared Kevin's a big wig now, one of the king's royal gaurdsmen..." she said quietly. "I'm under the impression that 'e's playin a double agent though... 'e oft'n sends encrypted messages out to the resistance... I suspect the week we don't receive a letter from him may be the week he's been caught..."

A loud thud is heard outside the door, and then a tall framed, wiry graying man walks in, taking off his riding coat. He looks over his daughter then the stranger in his home.

"Entertaining without informing me?!" he frowns as he adjusts his spectacles. He looks over the man with disgust. "I suspect you're here to bargain for my daughter? She's off limits... she's got a right nasty mouth on her, and we're not quite sure of her purity

She gasped and pretended to swoon.

"Papa, I've never been so offended in me life!!!! I've been nursing this poor chap since the day after ye left!!!!

He set down his medical case and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so... a'right, out with it, then, what in God's green earth happened to you?!" her father questioned the poorly disguised prince. "These are hard times we're living in, forgive my brashness, I'm very protective of the only child that was interested in my craft..."

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:35 pm

"My name is Izikial, on my way to be apprenticed to a smith my caravan was beset upon by bandits the rest of my family was slain despite my best efforts to save the i was stabbed in the gut. a mere inch different and i'd have joined them in the afterlife." he explains "I know i'm older than most apprentices but they couldn't spare me from the farm till little Malakai was old enough to take my place. He was barely 13 summers old when he was struck down." he glances down wiping away an invisible tear.

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:40 pm

"Sorry for your loss, son," her father says, clapping the young prince on the shoulder... "Izikial you said your name was... Izikial... hmm... yes, slips right off the tongue... I suppose you're an orphan now, so your name will be Leich, just as my name is, my father's name was, and his father's father's, father's father's father's, father's into the lineage..." said the middle aged man. He smiled at the prince and pointed at him, pretending to be hard "put on that apron over there, you're coming with me and my daughter to the next house call. Don't expect any payment, just an education, a roof, and food, you hear me?"

"When's the next house call, papa?" she asked.

"After a nice cup of tea," her father says, falling into his sagging armchair. He waved the prince towards him once he got his apron on. "You're not squeamish when it comes to blood, are you boy?

"Yes, papa," she said, rushing to the kitchen to make some. After a few moments tinkering around she flitted back out and bowed low towards 'Izikial'. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to ask if you wanted anything...

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:48 pm

"thank you sir" he says suicently putting on the apron. "i am not at all squeamish when it comes to blood. It would be hard to be after what happened to me."

he finds himself a seat. "I would like a cup of tea if you don't mind" he says full of respect. "if i may ask what job will we be doing? i would be very glad to learn a trade though"

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Sun Jan 15, 2012 4:47 pm

"No, I suppose you wouldn't be,"he said thoughtfully.

"Okay, then... what would you like in it?"she responded, wiping her hands on the skirt of her dress.

"Well, the next round is stitches, you can watch the first couple of times then I'll let you dabble in that... then we have to go to my herb garden by the stream... I need a few things for a family with an illness... that's easy enough to do, I'll allow you to grind them down into a paste; I'll also teach you names of plants while we're out there, and what they're used for."

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Sun Jan 15, 2012 5:09 pm

"i'm rather easy going" he smiles "i'm just glad for a warm drink thank you though for your offer"

"ready when you are Sir. you will find i'm a rather fast learner and i've got rather skilled hands"

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"enter" commends Vladimir the Usuper. "Ah Kevin my loyal captain" he smiles a look that makes him look reminiscent of some kind of viper.

"you summoned me my liege" says Kevin kneeling head bowed "of how may I be assistance?"

"Your loyalty has never been in question however there are those in this castle that I suspect are malcontents funneling half rumors and partial truths out of MY castle" he says emphasizing the my as though to put the idea out of anyone's head who's listening that he might not be rightful heir for the throne "I charge YOU with seeking out these spies and destroying their nest. Use any means necessary"

"I will start at once my liege" he says bowing once more before departing subconsciously chastising himself for taking too many risks and for risking everything he had worked for. As he leaves he sees THAT man walking to the throne room. As always he feels a surge of hatred for the wizard though he keeps his face schooled into a mask of impassiveness.

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:47 am

She walks back into the kitchen to make some tea. She decides to make the Prince's tea exactly like her father's. Strong and sweet. She smiles as she squirts a very small hint of lemon in the both of them and walks out with them on a tray, real fancy like.

She sits beside the prince on the settee and sips her own tea, which is light and sweet, smiling as her father and the Prince interact.

Her father chuckled heartily.

"That's good to hear, Boy, fantastic to hear!!! You'll pick the trade up like that," he says, snapping his fingers. He takes his teacup from his daughter, inhales the scent and smiles, cozying down for a few moments. He stays in silence as she sips his tea, glancing at his daughter and making very faint gestures at the prince like 'this one's a keeper, you better not mess up'.

Subject: Re: The Lost Prince Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:30 am

He takes a sip "elderberry?" he asks licking his lips lightly "with ... a hint of lemon and something else there that i'm not sure of" he smiles "thank you for this it is quite delicious"

"wonderful" he whispers to himself his position at the moment tentative at best. He know's he'll have to close down a lot of the already open channels of communication and be twice as careful about getting anything else out. He sends his best an with one final message to the resistance warning them the present line is not safe.

So now we must hunt down 'spies' he thinks to himself. He mentally runs through a list of those knights and unfortunately servants that are expendable.

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