The Three Kingdoms

Ch.14

Rickard was fast asleep when Nova woke him up.

            "What is it, Nova?" he asked.

            "Come on, Rickard. We're going home. We're going back to Aralon."

            "What? Aralon? How are we going back?"

            "Ron and Cressilda have agreed to help us get out of the castle."

            "Ron? Who's that?"

            "Cressilda's boyfriend. Now hurry up. Let's go."

            "Fine," Rickard mumbled before getting up and walking over to the door with Nova where Cressilda and Ron awaited for them.

            "So, what's the plan?" Cressilda asked.

            "We'll swing by the Green Fury to pick Henry up, and then we head for Aralon. Since you are the crown princess, Cressilda, you can get us out I presume."

            "Of course I can. Ron is the trainer of the guards and outranks them, so they'll have to follow his orders. If we are to go, we had better go now."

            "Okay, let us go," Rickard said.

            "Let us go indeed," Ron agreed before the three went out of the castle. Cressilda was correct, getting out was easy. After that, they trudged on into town to get Henry. Cressilda knocked on the door of the Green Fury loudly. It took a while for them to hear a groan and then see the door open.

            "What the heck is the matter. Can't you see we're closed!" the man yelled before looking up to see the princess. "Oh! Your majesty. I did not now it was you. My apologies." The man bowed.

            "Apologies are unnecessary. I'm here looking for a boy, narcissistic, came here a while ago," Cressilda said.

            "Henry you mean? Room twenty two, upstairs."

            "Thank you." As the four walked in, Nova caught a glimpse of a man who looked much like a ranger, only much older than most. The hooded figure looked down after seeing her. Cressilda knocked on the door to Henry's door when they heard sound of Come In! came from the room. Walking in, Nova could see that Henry was looking at his mirror, examining his hair.

            "What is it, Nova?" he asked.

            "We're here to get you back to Aralon. We're leaving Riden."

            "Are we now? Fine, whatever you say. Let us go."

            "And quickly to," Ron said. Henry grabbed one bag next to the bed and gave the owner of the tavern a bag of gold coins. Henry thanked the man, and then said goodbye to the other people. As the group exited, Rickard began coughing. Nova looked back to see that Rickard was actually coughing out blood. A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his eye.

            "Rickard!" Henry yelled. "Your eyes are bleeding!"

            "What?" Rickard wiped the corner of his eyes to find blood on his finger. "What the?" Rickard doubled over and coughed once again. Blood came from his ears and nose as he feinted.

                                                          *

            "How's the scar, Lien?" Mcfee asked.