Four Years Later (A "The False Prince" Fanfic)

Two

Drylliad is made up of a community of wealthy aristocrats, and some of the middle class, and there are a few beggars and thieves, but they are always given the help they need. Either by the people or the guards. 

My guards don't know that I'm out here, so now would be the perfect time to see if they actually do what I ask.

They usually do, but Roden is out of town, so they might not take their jobs as seriously.

 Lately, there have been men trying to get into the castle. We don't know why, but as normal, the regents assume it's because they want me. Therefore, security has gotten tighter, and I'm not allowed to be by myself, anywhere.

Roden has followed them to their supposed 'hideout' with fifty of our best men. They should be back any day now and I am anxiously awaiting news.

"So, Sage," Mott says suddenly. "Where do you want to go?"

I disguise my voice by making it a little bit deeper. "Well, I don't know. How about to the outskirts. I want to get out of the city for a while." He nods, and leads the way.

 Fink let's go of my hand and runs ahead, laughing cheerfully.

I laugh and chase after him "You better run, little boy!" I tease him. "I'm going to catch you!"

"No way!" He calls back over his shoulder. "You're too old!" 

I take offense to that. I'm turning eighteen in four days, no way that I'm old.

"You better watch your words!" I warn as I catch him and pick him up. I tickle him, and he's laughing and punching me playfully. 

Mott comes over, laughing and shakes his head.

"Come on you two." He says, taking Fink out of my arms and setting him down on the ground. "Quit messing around."

"Yes sir." Fink and I answer, standing at attention. Mott rolls his eyes and walks away. 

Barely containing our laughter, Fink and I follow.

We make our way through the narrow streets. Blessed with this moment of freedom, my heart becomes light again.

 But it isn't soon until I start to notice something odd.

 There is one man in a cloak, whose hood he has pulled over his head, that has been following us since we first entered the city.

Every once and awhile I discreetly look over my shoulder to see if he's still there, and he still is. 

Then I notice him looking up at one of the roofs above us. There's another two men up there. 

Then I look at the other side of the street, on the roof tops there are another two men.

They're trailing us, or most likely, me. 

Great.

 I make no mention of it to Mott, I can't without causing them to get suspicious of me. I place one hand on the handle of my sword, and I make sure that I still have my knife in my sleeve.

I speed up a little bit to walk side by side with Mott. Fink stands right behind us, sensing that I'm uneasy. Mott looks at me concernedly, and starts to open his mouth, probably to ask what's wrong.

 I shake my head, and say, "So our friends should be showing up soon, yes?"

He narrows his eyes as I mouth, "Look behind you!" He does and notices the man trailing us. 

"They should be," He answers. "Maybe we should go back home to see if they're there." He wants to go back to the castle, of course.

"No, we should keep going. They might not be here until late." Hopefully he understands that I'm referring to Roden and the men.

"Yes," Fink adds. "I want to go to the outskirts."

 I try not to punch him in my anger, he just revealed where we're going! 

But then he whispers, "There's more room to fight there."

"Good point." Mott grunts. I nod my head, reluctantly agreeing.

"Here, Fink." I say, giving him my knife. "Just in case." He accepts it and puts it in the waistband of his pants

We continue going to the outskirts, trying to look like normal villagers. Finally we get to them and I stop and turn around, waiting for the men who were trailing us to come.

Finally the man in the cloak comes out of the city, with the other four men walking in a 'v' behind him. There are no other villagers around, which is good.

"King Jaron!" The cloaked figure greets me. "What are you doing so far from the castle?" His men laugh behind him.

"Can I help you?" I ask him. "Or are you just going to blab your mouth?" This time Mott and Fink laugh.

"Yes actually, you can help me. Our commander requires your presence at his estate, he wants to talk to you." He says importantly.

"Well, maybe I don't want to come." I say pointedly. "Besides, I don't know who your commander is, so I sadly regret that I cannot accept his gracious invitation."

"He told us that you have a way with words." The man commented softly. "But our commander said no matter what you say, he is ordering you to come to his estate."

I laugh loudly, doubling over and making sure that they know that I think their idea is absurd. 

"He orders me?" I ask, standing up again and wiping a tear out of my eye. "I am the King, he will not dare not order me around. No one can."

The man answered slowly. "If you come peacefully, you will be given a very nice room with a comfortable bed. You will also meet people whom you haven't seen in a long time."

"And who is that?" I ask harshly, even though I am genuinely curious.

"I am not at a liberty to say." He answers back, just as harsh.

"And if I don't come peacefully?" I ask, but then add, "Or not at all?"

"Oh, you will be coming." The man reassures me. "And if you don't come peacefully, you will be living in a jail cell, and will be punished for your actions."

As my response I draw my sword. Mott draws his, and Fink has my knife clutched between his two hands. 

"I am not coming." I tell them, just in case that wasn't clear.

The five men also draw their swords. "We'll see about that." The man threatens, and then he runs towards me.

I hear Mott tell Fink, "Protect the King!" 

And I almost laugh, Fink protect me? Most likely, I would be protecting him.

I slice my sword at whatever's close to me. Some of the enemy men drop away, injured by either Mott's or my sword. The leader of the enemy starts attacking me, and the rest of the men go towards Mott.

Mott is overwhelmed, and Fink won't be much help. I am on my own. The man is swift and has a long blade, so it's hard to block his attacks, but I manage to.

"The other man is unconscious!" I hear one of the enemy men shout. The leader smiles and I curse. 

"We've got the boy!" I curse again.

The enemy men start making a circle around me, closing me in the center. Every way I turn, there's a man holding a sword. There's no way I can escape this.

"I told you," The leader said, taunting me. "Now, go to sleep!" Then I feel a hard blow on the back of my head as I'm knocked unconscious.

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AN:

This is a very short chapter, I'm sorry!

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