The Princess of Blue Star Castle

Chapter 12

 Captain Leynard sat in the general's quarters. After being informed the arbalests were aiming at Tylore, allowing the prisoner, princess, and the one who freed them get away, he wanted to know why since most of these men were under his command that night. There never has been a problem like this before, it seemed too good of an escape that arbalests would aim at one of their own over those who were running away. He had seen the gash on the General's forehead buy Leynard wasn't so sure the bandit had pulled on him to grab the keys and hand them to his friend at the other side. He began to question if the general was a true ally to the kingdom. The only reasonable explanation Leynard could surmise why these events happened would be that the princess had sought the thieves for help and to use the blue star as collateral. But that wouldn't explain why they would sell it if she was buying their protection. However the general was still suspect to her escape. Although he was, like Leynard, a father figure to her. Perhaps that's why he let them escape, for her sake alone.

The general walked in after giving the king a report of the events that had happened. Likely it was the same story that the general had told Leynard. As the general sat across from him, Leynard tried his best to read the general's expression on his face to understand why he did such a thing. He hoped he could get a sense of his reason for betrayal against the kingdom. Searching deep into the general's eyes, Leynard eagerly sought that the man felt for the princess' plight and allowed her to leave for her own safety from her heartless father. After a moment he realized something odd about the general's face. It was similar to the bandit who was imprisoned with the princess. Only one reason that could be, they were in truth father and son.

"General," Leynard said, realizing the connection, "the boy... bandit, he was your son?"

"Ah, noticed the family resemblance? Took you long enough," the General replied with a smile.

"But... how.... why...?" Leynard couldn't understand that a bandit had somehow become the General of the Army to the people of the kingdom.

"Simple really. The bandits who are here, we like this lifestyle. It's better to be military than a bandit. Even though we serve the king and the kingdom, we are still loyal to those of the City of Thieves."

"How have we not known you were bandits?" Leynard asked confused.

"Again, simple. An ancestor of ours who was a brother to the original bandit, Eric Redd, was one of the first to be amongst the royal ranks. We have been secretly serving both the kingdom and the City of Thieves simultaneously ever since."

"All this time... you've been bandits this whole time. Every general. That's how the bandits are in our army. You're bandits to begin with."

"As I said," the general continued, "this is a better life. And no, not all of the generals were bandits, we only serve to earn our keep the law abiding way. But we are loyal to our friends and family who are still among the bandits. You now realize why it's so hard to catch them. We falsify stories, lead you all on wild chases all over the world, and you don't realize we're living inside and outside the gates of the kingdom."

"You live that close to the kingdom?" Leynard was now feeling shocked more so than ever.

"Well, they actually live somewhere near... Antharan I believe it's called now. But you'll never find them. You can torture me and my men, threaten to kill us, do all you wish to get the answer. You'll never get it."

"Antharan is a start at least," Leynard mumbled. "Why do you serve both sides?"

"If we were to choose one over the other, we would be the other's enemy. We choose both, that way we can be of help on both sides. Trust me, if we were against the kingdom you and your man would be dead and the army would be short five hundred."