The New Prince

Chapter 24

Chapter 24-Decisions

The next morning Lance woke up to a sudden harsh nudge on his shoulder. A rough voice suddenly followed. "Wake up slave! It's time to leave!"

Jerking up almost immediately, Lance's eyes focused on the lights two Drule soldiers flashed in his face.

"Move!" One of the Drule guard grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of the cot provided to him the night before.

"Alright, alright!" Lance yelled at them, "I'm up! You fucking prick!" He finished whispering to himself as the guards led him out of his cell.

Noticing that the guards obstructed his view as they headed out the cell area, Lance cringed,cringed; I won't be able to see the rest of them before I go. Damn it! "Sven!"

"I'm here!" The Norwegian shouted back as he ran toward the entrance of his cell.

"Shut up!" The guard on Lance's left grunted as he shoved him forward. The lieutenant ignored him.

"Take care of them!"

"Make sure you come back!" Sven hollered back.

"Shut up!" the other guard yelled, shutting both men down as they forced Lance out of the cell area.

Upon exiting, Lance once again made a mental note of the area where the others were being kept.

"Where do you plan on taking me?" Lance asked the guards as they led him out through the corridors.

"The prince will give you all the details once you board the ship."

"Can't wait," Lance answered sarcastically.

They led him out of the dungeons then outside of the castle walls. From there, they took him on a shuttle to a landing strip where a large Doom fighter waited for him.

Once aboard, another set of guards took him. These, however, acted very differently from the previous ones. As soon as the first set of guards left, the new guards saluted him, "Lieutenant." One of the guards stated, "The prince considers you an honorable guest on his ship. Allow us to show you to your rooms." A confused look entered Lance as the guards spoke, but they dismissed his behavior.

As they gestured him to move forward, one guard walked ahead of him, guiding the way, while the other lagged behind him.

When they finally arrived at the assigned room and opened the door, Lance's eyes widened. He had been placed in one of the royal suites. A large oval bed stood at in the middle of the room full of red and gold pillows.

He noticed the material that dressed the bed, pure silk. On top of the bed, a uniform, similar to his, but completely black, stood out in contrast to the red sheets decorating the bed. On the side of the room, stood a round table with a bowl of fruits, a variety of breads, and a pitcher of a substance that Lance guessed was orange juice.

"This is my room?" Lance questioned, with a sardonic smile, turning to the guards, "I highly doubt that his Highness would kindly allow me access to this type of room."

The guard slightly nodded, "Lieutenant, as I said before, the prince considers you an esteemed guest. He'd like for you to have some breakfast and wash up. We will come back in an hour and escort you to his Highness, where he will relay the details of the mission."

"Lovely," Lance answered as he watched the guards take leave. Keith, what the hell are you up to?

VVVVVVVVVV

Keith dressed in a new clean uniform he found in his closet. Turning, he looked over at the woman lying in his bed still asleep. He moved over to a full-length mirror and looked himself over. Suddenly, a figure stood behind him, wearing a blanket to cover herself.