Nobody's Child (complete)

Chapter 16 - The King's Doubts

Chapter 16 - The King's Doubts ©2018CarolynAnnAish 

Outside the secret portal, Rambert had hesitated, listening for the sound of footsteps or voices. Since the onset of his blindness, his hearing had become extremely sensitive.

The rain ceased but the noise of numerous drips from trees mingled with shrill feminine voices and children's play cries. Rambert wondered if he could hear deeper voices buried somewhat within the din. A large group of women congregated near North bridge and he cupped his ears to decipher their gossip. They discussed the Blue Guards who invaded their homes, searching for a blind man and a skinny brown-haired boy. Differing and exaggerated opinions surfaced as to the identities of the wanted persons and one woman declared she had seen the wanted boy that morning. Another voice suggested, "He likely will be another hopeful heir to the throne; how many will that make it now?"

"I say forty-nine," a young woman said.

"I say fifty-one. He be the fifty-oneth boy to claim he be the lost prince, and..."

The voices ceased as their children scattered, calling, "Run, run!" Blue Guards were in sight.

Rambert heard sounds of boots upon the bridge road.

When the marching noise disappeared, the women's discussion began again with more intensity.

Wondering if he should let this group of women see him and thus report him, Rambert felt a little afraid of being apprehended too near the secret passage in the case he was captured by traitors who in turn would search this area for the boy and might discover the entrance. He decided, whoever caught him would search the surrounding areas and this was the last thing he wanted right now. His desire was that the king, not a group of soldiers, or guards, would be the first to find the prince. Rambert settled down to wait until the gossiping women moved on. Drawing his well-worn cloak around himself, he nodded off to sleep.

Fierce sun had dried from the path and the strong wind had blown the clouds away when Rambert awoke and groped his way from the hideaway. Retiring sunbeams radiated upwards from distant hills as he tapped his way along the canal path. He was unaware that a squadron of soldiers, reporting to their captain, quietly discussed their patrol areas, a few hundred yards ahead, hoped to catch sight of a man whose description matched that of his own.

The squadron, a mixture of both Blue Guards and City soldiers, shared their negative reports before they back-tracked in different directions on their designated patrol areas. The discouraged company were astonished and pleased to see the bald blind man tapping his way toward them, changing their unfavorable day into triumph.

Rambert was quickly surrounded and the captain demanded he give his name. Without cringing or flinching, Rambert announced, "I am Rambert."

Relieving the blind man of his staff, the captain wordlessly pointed it in the direction of Rambert's approach and, directed by two captains, several men hurried off to search for the wanted boy.

With a Blue Guard on each arm, Rambert found himself whirled around and hauled rapidly back along the path.

"Where is the boy?" a voice demanded close to his ear.

Turning his unseeing eyes towards the voice, Rambert answered, "I must tell the king; only the king. Take me to the king."

But the men did not take Rambert to the king. Mocking his boldness, they dragged him to the nearest check-point, the one on North Bridge. A more senior captain, Jurek, was in charge there. When Rambert repeated that he would tell only the king, the captain bellowed loudly at his defiance, threatening all kinds of malicious punishments, including painful death, if Rambert wouldn't tell him now, the whereabouts of the boy. In a quiet manner, Rambert once again refused, reiterating that he would only divulge the boy's location to the king.