THE HIDDEN KEY

A Request for the King

Slowly opening his eyes; Gilford winched in pain as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. Ow my head, He slowly glanced around the gloomy cell. where am I?

He stood up and wandered across the small room; clumps of filthy straw clutched to his boots as he dragged them across the damp, dirty stone ground as he made his way towards the heavy wooden door at the end of the room.

He paused; glancing back over his shoulder at some rusty iron chains hanging from the stone wall before turning away and peering outside into the dingy hallway to see if there was anyone outside, but there weren't any guards or soldiers patrolling the long narrow hallway.

"What are you down here for?" A voice called out from somewhere inside the cell beside him.

Gilford turned and peered into the gloom...footsteps echoed from somewhere in the cell and an elderly man, dressed in dirty old rags emerged from out of nowhere and stared at him. "I don't know."

"What is your name, boy?" The elderly man stared at him.

"My name is Gilford, and your name is?" Gilford crossed his arms and stared at the elderly man.

The elderly man grasped the metal railings without saying anything while he stared at Gilford.

"I was supposed to be meeting the king." Gilford turned away. "But I guess that won't be happening now."

"Why?" The prisoner arched his grey bushy eyebrows. "What does he want to talk to you about?"

Gilford slowly uncrossed his arms and turned towards the prisoner as he strolled towards the cell. "I'm not sure what he wants to speak to me about."

"How did you end up down here?" The prisoner leaned in closer, intrigued to find out how Gilford had ended up in a cell when he was supposed to be meeting the king.

"I guess it had something..." He paused; gazing at the prisoner and stroked his chin. Did I end up here because I had fallen out with that soldier? Did another soldier hit him from behind while he was confronting the other?

"What's wrong?" The prisoner tipped his head aside.

Gilford turned towards the cell door. "I found a letter hidden inside one of my father's books that mentioned something regarding a key."

"Did the letter mention where the key was?" The prisoner stared at Gilford.

Gilford turned back towards the prisoner. "No."

"Good, the key needs to remain hidden." The prisoner breathed heavily; running his fingers through his long scruffy dirty hair as he closed his eyes and smiled.

Gilford stared at the prisoner. "Why does the key need to stay hidden?"

The prisoner opened his eyes and stepped back, disappearing into the gloom.

Gilford peered into the inky darkness...heavy footsteps echoed down the stone steps and as he turned away, a soldier wearing a white sleeveless surcoat walked down towards the cell door and peered through the small window at him.

"King Ottoman will speak to you now." The soldier glared at Gilford as he slipped a large metal key inside the lock and unlocked the door before opening it.

Gilford stared at the soldier as he sauntered through the doorway.

"Follow me." The soldier turned away.

Gilford slowly walked behind the soldier. "Who was the prisoner in the cell next to me?"

"There wasn't anyone in the cell beside you." The soldier glanced back across his shoulder. "It's been empty for years."