Prince of Time

Chapter Thirty - The Return to Merdia

“Maple, I am proud of you.”

Maple smiled faintly at the Master of Warriors. He scrutinised her face, as if trying to read her mind.

“You have done well. You have done as a warrior should, and returned alive.”

“Thank you,” Maple bowed. “I was well-taught.”

“Indeed.”

The Master of Warriors was still weak, fragile after the ordeal of the plague. But the last root had taken effect within minutes and he was fast returning to full health. The warrior compound hummed with activity again.

 It had been three days since the return to Merdia. Maple had spent one day in the palace, trying to deal with her damaged friends while the last root was prepared. The next day, she had been under close supervision, suspected of dangerous injuries.

  Now, she had been summoned to meet with the Master, to discuss her actions over the past few weeks. Despite the praise she had received, everybody had made it sound as though she was going to be punished.

 The return journey had been faster than before. Tobiah drove them on at a reckless pace, throughout the night, ignoring all injuries until, eventually, Ane passed out with exhaustion. He ordered Nicanor to carry her and didn’t allow them to stop even for a moment.

  They reached Merdia exhausted and battered, bearing wounds from skirmishes along the road, Nicanor and Pepper in particular still beaten up from their ordeal at the monastery. The frantic king and queen expressed only horror on seeing them.

  Since then, Maple had seen little of Tobiah. He had seemed possessed throughout the return journey, a strange hardened rage unlike the explosive fits of temper that Maple had almost become used to.

 Nicanor had explained, in a low, anxious voice, what had happened in the monastery. Maple could scarcely believe it but the corpse of the princess was evidence enough. Tobiah insisted on returning it home. Nobody had the heart to argue.

“Master, what happens now?” Maple asked.

The Master looked surprised. “What do you mean?”

“What happens now?” Maple repeated. “You told me I would die but I didn’t. So I’m still here. And the darkness is out there. I know we didn’t actually rescue Lym but we did find a cure for the plague and…”

“You have done brilliantly,” the Master said, soothingly. “Maple, you have excelled yourself. You defied all possibilities.”

Maple glowed with pride.

“However, there are practical considerations,” the Master added.

Maple’s stomach swooped. “Practical considerations?”

The Master sighed. “You are a cadet. You’re fifteen years old. You haven’t seen your family in five years. Circumstances demanded a miracle of you and you delivered. But you are still a cadet.”

“So promote me,” Maple raised her chin. “We’ve earned it, Pepper and I. We’ve been warriors. We kept the prince alive.”

“The prince concerns me,” the Master studied her. “I gave you my suspicions before.”

“Your suspicions are wrong,” Maple countered, swiftly.

“Oh?” the Master didn’t look pleased. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I was there,” Maple shrugged. “I was there beside him, nearly all the way. When I wasn’t, Pepper or Nicanor was. We know him, more or less. More than you do. More than you could.”