The King with Six Friends

Gone

When Zar next gained consciousness, his head felt like it'd been cracked open by a broadsword. His usually sharp eyes couldn't focus on anything. He didn't know if he was upside down or upright. His arms and legs were bound behind his back. He couldn't open his mouth to call out. Something felt terribly wrong in the back of his mind as he struggled against his restraints. It was frigidly cold, that much he knew.

Finally, he forced his eyes to concentrate on what was in front of him. He saw criss-crossing burlap threads against the dim light outside. He must be in a sack.

The next thing that came to his mind was that the sack was rank with the smell of an animal. He moved with the rhythm of a gallop. He tried writhing his arms out of their bindings but to no avail.

He heard a voice muttering above him. Was it the assassin again? How could he have slipped past the guards and guests at the party? Why keep him alive?

Zar was in a very complicated situation. He had no orientation at all as to where he was, he had no means to find help, and he was trapped in the possession of someone very dangerous.

~   ~   ~

The palace was a disaster- not just from the night's party, but from frantic, sleep-deprived servants searching for the missing heir. Every room was checked, every corner of the grounds reviewed, and every house and building in the village overturned. The king's heir was nowhere to be found.

Kiera searched in the walls for him in case he had gotten lost or otherwise. There was a part of her that knew he wasn't there, but she looked anyway; it was the only thing she could do. She checked in the room she had seen him last in. It all looked in order, nothing out of place. It was as if Zar had simply vanished into thin air.

She sat on the sofa, exactly where he had been when she left that night. It was a straight path to the mantle from there. She rose and examined the fireplace. The hearth was long since cold. She picked through the ash with the poker but found nothing but cinders. Nothing was out of place on the mantle.

The view from the mirror, however, seemed curious. Looking through the glass, she couldn't see the door to the hallway. The candelabra on the side table looked bent out of shape.

She crossed the room and examined it. Its center stick was bent backward and the neck of the base was warped as if someone had gripped it too tightly. She searched around the room for anything else strange.

Edge noticed her from the corridor and walked in. "Did you find something?"

"Here," Kiera said, passing him the candlestick. "Look." Edge examined the damage on it. Blood on the candle basin.

"Was Zar in here?" he asked her.

"Y- I think so," Kiera replied with hesitation. In the corner behind the table, she found a large, brown feather. It didn't seem like it would belong on a headdress or coat; it was too narrow and simple to be decorative. What would a bird be doing in the middle of the palace?

~   ~   ~

"Viscount Erik? Are you sure?" King Invictus asked with uncertainty.

"I don't think I could forget someone like him," said Dumble. "Cold fellow, dressed like winter was already upon us. From the way he spoke, I could tell he wasn't pleased about Zar being heir."

"Viscount Erik lives in Castle Brackhill in the North Territories," Kiera said. "He failed the trials, but he's ambitious. We think he's been in close contact with some of our enemies to plot a war. Abducting Zar would-"

"Kiera, you cannot accuse the Viscount without evidence," Invictus argued. "The Ball was meant to renew alliances, not start conflicts."

"But Erik- I know he did something," Kiera insisted. "We need to investigate this!"

"Absolutely not!" Invictus raised his voice. "I forbid you from going through with any more accusations." Kiera slumped down in her chair.

Invictus sighed. "Kiera, I know Zar means a lot to you. He's important to me too. I've sent messengers to the lands about. We'll find him, I promise."

He reached to grasp her hand reassuringly, but Kiera pulled away. She stood and left the room in haste. She was fed up with relying on someone else to get things done.

That night, when everyone was asleep, Kiera stole away from the palace with a pack of food and a few days' worths of supplies. She dressed in heavy clothes for cold weather. Castle Brackhill was in the northern mountain ranges, so she wanted to be prepared for anything.

When she reached the stables, she found Edge already there with a horse and pack. He blinked in surprise.

"I suppose we had the same idea," he said, leading a horse out of its stall.

Kiera retrieved her palomino, River, from her stall. "Well obviously. How well can you ride?"

Edge scratched the horse's side. It nuzzled against his hand. "Not well, but I'll figure it out." He glanced back at the princess. "Are you sure about this? I mean, the Northern Territories are rampant with mercenaries and barbarians. It's no place for a princess."

Kiera scoffed, "Believe me, I can take care of myself. You just worry about putting that saddle on right." Kiera retrieved her personal riding tack from the closet and began strapping the saddle down on River.

At that moment, Eryx walked into the stable. He pulled up short when he saw Edge and Kiera.

He chuckled awkwardly, "Well, I thought I was being original with my plan. Evidently not."

At that, Kindle crashed clumsily through the window near the tack table, spooking most of the horses. His head popped up from the mess of equipment. "So much for being quiet," he muttered while pulling a horse brush from his hair.

"Sure, let's just invite everyone in the city." Edge threw up his hands in frustration. "Anyone else?"

Eryx reached for the lead of a silver-white mare, but the animal whinnied and reared up in fear.

Eryx jumped back to avoid getting trampled. "Oh, I forgot. Horses don't like me much," he mumbled, "Actually, it's snakes they don't like."

"You can ride with me, then," said Kindle. He swung his leg around a tawny quarter horse. "My mum taught me all about horses and riding." Kindle grabbed Eryx's hand and pulled him up behind him on the saddle. They were all ready to ride.

Kiera, Edge, Eryx, and Kindle, sitting tall on their mounts, galloped into the frosty starless night to rescue the endangered heir.