A Father's Plea
King Henry is frantic! He immediately called for a morning council as soon as he read Francis' note! The prince's recklessness have serious ramifications! A missing prince can cause chaos at court! Clearly, Francis is driven by his extreme affections for his missing fiancée to the extent that he disregarded his royal duties and placed himself in grave danger! But Henry as a father, do understand that his son has been suffering for too long; he blames himself for Mary's abduction and retrieving her is his only way to redemption. Henry will do everything in his power protect the prince. Francois, the duke of Guise immediately showed up at the council chamber as soon as he received the summon. "Majesty, what is the matter?" He asks. "The prince run away to search for Mary!" Henry exclaimed. "He did what?! I will gather my men to search for him! He may still be here in France." Says the Duke. "Do so. Send a message to Spain that Bash must return to France. He must perform all princely duties while you search for Francis." The duke bows his head and replied, "Majesty, there is something you must know. Prince Bash decided to join The Order. With persistence he was able to convince King Philip to aid his disguise." Henry is speechless! His two sons, two of his successors took desperate measures to retrieve The Queen of Scots! At the moment he cannot think! He needs some time to process everything that just happened. The French king must act quickly! "Francois, we set sail to Spain at once. Send a message to King Philip; tell him that I plead for his assistance. I must see Bash... I need to speak to my son. I am appointing you to handle the realm with Queen Catherine in my absence. I trust in your capability to guard the throne while I attend to serious family matters overseas." The Duke knelt down in front of the King and replied, "Henry, we've been friends since childhood. I am and I will always be your humble servant. I swear to you that I will guard and serve France until my last breath."
A Brother's love
Through Vincenzo's connections, Bash found out about his brother's actions. Francis is unarmed and alone somewhere searching for Mary! King Henry is expected to arrive at the Spanish court any day now hoping to see him! It is strictly forbidden for an apprentice to leave while on training. Vincenzo cannot bend the rules on his behalf. If Bash gets caught trying to escape, both of them will face punishment. "Master, we must find Francis. If our suspicions are true that the Radical Party has been paid to abduct Mary, then my brother is in grave danger." Says Bash. "You know the rules, you are not allowed to leave this place." Vincenzo replies. The young prince paced back and forth, weighing his limited options. Then suddenly, an idea came to mind. "Master, I think it is time for the mercenaries to know of my real intentions. Gather them at the hall and I will tell them the truth." Vincenzo cannot believe what he just heard. "Bash, are you out of your mind?! You know what is going to happen... Your action is a grave insult to the tradition!" Bash placed his hands on his protector's shoulders and replied, "I will appeal my case to them. I trust that they will see my good intentions... If you consider me a friend, you must believe that I will win them over." With a heavy heart, Vincenzo left to do as he's asked.
The Revelation
All the members of the Traditional party are gathered by Vincenzo at the assembly hall. Everybody's curious as to why they all have been summoned in the middle of the night. Bash is positioned in front waiting for them to settle down. Now that the mercenaries are seated, it is time for Bash to talk. He must choose his words wisely; his life depends on it. The prince gathered all his strength as he stood up, looked at each of them in the eye, took a deep breath and begins to utter his appeal. "My brothers, as the newest and the youngest member, I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to work with you side by side, I admire your principles and I fully trust in your wisdom. Before I say what I must, I only ask for you to judge me fairly." The mercenaries started to whisper to one another, then Bash begins to state his revelation. "I haven't been completely honest regarding my intentions of joining The Order. I decided to become an apprentice in hope to gather information regarding a woman that I love. I firmly believe that The Radical Party is responsible for her abduction. I am desperate to get her back for she is the source my life... The reason of my very existence. I know it is selfish of me to use your trust and confidence for such a personal matter; but believe me if I tell you that if the Radical Party is bold enough to abduct the Scottish Queen without considering its consequences, then that means that they had violated the very rule that The Order had stood for for centuries." The entire hall remains silent. "My brothers, We must put a stop into this! We must act now while time is in our side." He added. Vincenzo bravely stood beside Bash and begins to address them. "Bash is right, our code dictates that we exist to serve mankind. We humbly ask for your assistance. We've been silent for too long, now is the time that we put an end to the reign of The Radical Party!" One member stood up and asks, "Bash, should we agree to help you find your beloved queen, what will you offer in return for our service?" Without hesitation, he replied, "My life. I offer to serve The Order until the remainder of my days." The mercenaries begin to continuously tap their tables with their hands, an indication that they accept his offer. Clearly, Bash had won them over. Now the deal is sealed.
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BOOK 3: One True Destiny
FanfictionMary is missing! Gone! Can Francis and Bash set aside their dispute for her sake? Will they rescue her on time? Who is behind this chaos? This is the final installment.
