Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools (13 page)

In the following silence, the crackling of the fire seemed unreal. The four survivors stood for a moment, looking anxiously around to ensure that there were no lupers left to attack them. Then they turned to face each other, grinning and nodding and generally celebrating the fact that they had survived.

'We made a pretty good team there,' said Cornelius at last. He sheathed his sword and moved back to the fire, where the carcasses of the birds were just on the point of burning. He sniffed at them appreciatively.

'Well, I don't know about you,' he said, 'but that little dust-up has given me quite an appetite.' He sat cross-legged beside the fire and started to manoeuvre the first bird off the spit.

Sebastian stared down at him for a moment and then gestured at the dead lupers strewn all around them. 'Cornelius!' he protested. 'You cannot seriously intend to go on with your supper in the midst of all this carnage?'

Cornelius glanced around, then shrugged. 'Why not?' he said. 'I've eaten in worse circumstances. Why, once, trying to evade capture at the battle of Gerinosis, I consumed a four-course meal while lying at the bottom of a heap of dead soldiers.' He extended one foot and kicked the head of a luper away from the fire. 'As long as they're not close enough to steal a bite, I'm happy enough.'

'That's positively barbaric,' said Max. T mean to say . . . we came close to dying just then.'

Cornelius grinned. 'All the more reason to celebrate the things that make life enjoyable,' he said. He tore off a large drumstick and took a big bite of the succulent meat. 'Umm. Absolutely delicious,' he said.

Sebastian and Princess Kerin exchanged enquiring looks.

'Well, it does smell good,' admitted Princess Kerin.

'Be a shame to waste it,' added Sebastian.

Then they too shrugged and went to join the little warrior, while Max looked on in absolute revulsion.

All three of them had to admit that it was the tastiest, most downright delicious meal they'd ever eaten.

The following morning was Princess Kerin's birthday. Cornelius provided her with a fine breakfast of roast fowl and promised her that they would be in Keladon in time for her celebrations. They were just finishing their meal when several mounted soldiers rode into camp. Sebastian recognized their bronzed breastplates and red cloaks as the same uniform that had been worn by Princess Kerin's guards. The troop was led by a tall, stern-faced officer, who wore a purple cloak, an obvious sign of his rank.

Sebastian reached instinctively for his sword at the first sign of the newcomers but Cornelius stayed his hand.

'Relax,' he said. 'I think they are King Septimus's men.'

The captain of the troop reined his equine to a halt and sat for a moment gazing sternly down at the people around the fire.

'What is your business here?' he demanded. 'This land belongs to King Septimus. Anyone wishing to travel across it must first pay a tax of— Good grief!' It had taken him a few moments to recognize Princess Kerin, but when he did, he reacted with evident shock. He jumped down off his mount and went down on one knee before her.

'Your highness!' he gasped. 'What are you doing out here with these ruffians? If they have harmed or frightened you in any way, by my oath, I swear they shall live to regret it!'

Princess Kerin stood up and did her best to look regal – not easy, when her face was dirty and her fine dress was caked with dust and blood.

'Fear not, Captain Tench,' she said. 'These men are heroes: they saved me from an attack by Brigands.'

'Brigands?' Captain Tench looked across the clearing at the heap of luper bodies, which Sebastian and Cornelius had stacked up the previous night. 'They are the hairiest Brigands I've ever seen.'

Cornelius laughed. 'Oh, the Brigands were the other day, back on the plains.' He pointed to the lupers. 'Those fellows dropped by for supper last night. But there wasn't enough to go round so we had to be robust with them.'

Captain Tench stared at the little warrior for a moment, as though he didn't much like what he saw. But he bowed politely. 'The kingdom of Keladon is clearly in your debt, sir,' he said. He stood up and pointed to one of his men. 'You! Ride with all speed to the city and let King Septimus know the joyful news! Speak to nobody else on your way there. Tell the king that his niece was attacked but has been saved.'

'Yes, sir!' The soldier whipped up his mount and galloped away through the trees.

'We shall act as escort to take you safely into the city,' announced Captain Tench.

'Excellent news,' said Cornelius. 'And I wonder, Captain, could you spare a man to drive the princess's carriage? I've had more than my fill of those frisky Brigandian equines and would like to ride alongside my good friend, Mr Darke.'

Again, Captain Tench bowed respectfully. 'As you wish.' He turned back to face Princess Kerin. 'Your highness, if you will allow me, I will escort you back to your carriage, where you may prepare yourself to greet King Septimus.'

'Yes, of course.' Princess Kerin looked rather regretfully at Sebastian, as though she sensed that something was over between them. 'It's been quite an adventure,' she said and he knew that she was telling him that it was now time for her to go back to being a princess again. Sebastian could almost feel an invisible barrier coming down between them. He thought how he had held her in his arms as she cried, and felt sad that they would probably never share such intimacy again.

'Perhaps it isn't over yet,' he ventured hopefully; and she rewarded him with a fleeting smile.

'Perhaps.' She turned away and allowed Captain Tench to take her arm and lead her back to her caravan.

'So,' said Sebastian, trying to sound positive. 'It looks as though our troubles are over.'

'Oh, I hope so,' murmured Cornelius, gazing thoughtfully across the fire at Captain Tench, who was shouting orders to his soldiers. 'I do hope so.'

A few hours later Sebastian's caravan emerged from the cover of the last few trees and he and Cornelius finally had a clear view of the city of Keladon.

It nestled against the side of a hill, within the shelter of the high stone walls that encircled it. A tight cluster of white painted houses, temples and villas seemed to huddle close together for security, rising in irregular steps on the steep incline that rose to the base of the king's palace. This magnificent edifice, hewn from glistening white marble, rose stark and austere from the midst of the surrounding habitation. Most imposing of all was the spire, which thrust sheer upwards from the very centre of the building, until it seemed to touch the clouds. From its very top fluttered the royal flag, a huge silk pennant featuring the royal insignia of two prowling lizards.

The scale of it all was quite unnerving. Sebastian swallowed and told himself that very soon he would be attempting to earn a living in Keladon by telling jokes. There was part of him that wanted to turn the caravan round and head back home, but he knew he couldn't do that. This was his, and his mother's, last hope.

He glanced at Cornelius and saw that the little man was gazing up at him thoughtfully.

'You seem troubled,' he observed.

Sebastian nodded. 'It's a big place,' he said. 'Jerabim is a sleepy little market town, nothing like this. I suppose it's just nerves.'

'You have every right to be nervous,' said Max mournfully, plodding slowly onwards. 'I've heard your routine.'

'Oh, thank you, that's certainly boosted my confidence,' said Sebastian.

Cornelius chuckled. 'Take no notice of him,' he said. 'He's just a prophet of doom.'

'He's got a point though. Nobody seems to like my jokes. Apart from Princess Kerin, of course.'

'Well, that's not a bad start,' said Cornelius. If you only ever have one fan, it's best to have one who has good connections. Use her as a starting point and see if it will grow from there.'

'But what if it doesn't?'

'It will if you believe in yourself.'

Sebastian frowned. 'But . . . how is it done, Cornelius? Take you, for example. You never let anything get the better of you. You're brave and courageous, and yet you're so . . . so . . .'

'Small?' suggested Cornelius.

'Well . . . I wasn't going to say that but . . . now you mention it . . .'

Cornelius laughed. 'Self-belief is such an important thing,' he said, 'particularly in your line of work. If you don't think a joke is funny, how can you expect anybody else to?'

Sebastian shrugged. 'I don't know,' he admitted miserably.

'But think of it this way. You set off from your hometown and found your way through hills and forests. You fought a bunch of Brigands and, though badly outnumbered, you drove them away. Only last night you faced up to an attack by a pack of blood-thirsty lupers and emerged victorious—'

'Yes, but Cornelius, that was because
you
were there!'

The little warrior shook his head. 'Yes, I was there, but I didn't see you standing idle, Sebastian. You were in the thick of it. You gave as good as you got.' Cornelius paused and gave Sebastian a sly look. 'And a decent fighter I may be, but I don't have what it takes to stir the heart of a princess.'

'What?' Sebastian stared at him. 'Oh no, that's . . . we just . . .'

'Believe me, I saw the way she looked at you back there. I don't have much experience of that kind of thing, but I think I know a smitten woman when I see one.'

'That's ridiculous,' murmured Sebastian. 'Me . . . and Princess Kerin? I don't think so.' He laughed, but Cornelius just sat there with a knowing look on his baby face.

'We'll see,' he said; and left it at that.

They continued on their way in silence, each lost in his own thoughts as they covered the last few miles to the city of Keladon.