The Lady and the Prince
Chapter 30

“I found it! At least I think I did,” Elizabeth said. She took Alice’s magic book in to Nick. He was awake and sipping tea in his curtained-off area with Ralph.

The prince took the book from her, and she showed him the passage she had found. He read it, frowned, and read it again, coughing and spitting black goo into rags his valet had handy.

“I’m not sure what this says exactly. It doesn’t say what the black stuff is it just says how you can pull it in with energy and send it out again. The book says the magicker must be very careful to expel it all because the soot has an affinity for magical energy. It doesn’t look much like soot to me. I think slime would be a better name for it.”

Ralph read over Nick’s shoulder and pointed at a passage with his good hand. “I must say I don’t care much for that, Your Highness.”

“What?” Elizabeth asked, trying to see too.

Nick read, “The purpose of this spell is to cause slow painful death to an enemy magicker.”

Elizabeth asked worriedly, “But doesn’t it say how to defend yourself against it?”

“Yeah,” Nick replied. “When you see it coming, drop your shields and all external magic so it doesn’t have anything to latch onto. Too late for that.”

“There must be some way to get rid of it,” Ralph said with some frustration.

“The book doesn’t say, but…can you get me outside by the fire? I want to try something.”

They obliged by helping the prince into a chair and having two burly guards carry him outside. Ralph followed with a blanket and wrapped him up well against the chilly fall air. Nick worked his arms free and had all the cooking equipment moved out of the way. He raised both hands and shot a gentle stream of magic at the fire.

The fire leapt up with the increase in energy, but the unseen magic became visible and turned lavender gray and gradually purplish black. Nick kept pumping it into the fire until it became pale and then invisible again. He lowered his hands and sat back, exhausted.

“What did you do, Nick?” asked. “Were you able to get rid of it all?”

The prince roused a little and said, “No, but I cleared out all the energy in my reservoirs and channels and refilled them with clean magic. The slimy stuff is in my lungs and maybe other places, but if it really has an affinity for magic, maybe it will be attracted back to where I can expel it. I think I need to go back to bed now.”

The guards helped get him back into the tent and into bed. Ralph had them start a second campfire a little farther off for cooking. No one wanted any of their food anywhere near any of the black goo, especially since an acrid odor hung in the air after Nick’s experiment. Because the prince had used the closer fire for burning as much of the slime as he could expel, that fire would just be reserved for that and only that.

Once Nick had napped a bit, he awoke with more energy and ate some soup and bread. His fever was lower, and he sat up a while and looked through his new magic book and coughed much less.

Around them the camp was beginning to pack up. Many of the conscripts were leaving as well as a good portion of the troops not directly reporting to Arthur. Two wagons were brought over and parked near Nick’s tent, and a dozen guards sorted themselves into the nearest guard campfires, while others moved out to be with specific units. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the Find ɴøᴠel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Ralph was out and about most of the day, ensuring they would have everything they needed when the rest of the camp dispersed in the morning. At midafternoon Prince Arthur came to see his brother.

Nick was propped up on pillows in his bed when Arthur arrived. The older prince considered him for a little and then said, “I have been told you are still quite ill, and it is obvious I have been told rightly. I have left a dozen guards to stay with you as well as two weeks of supplies, extra horses and the like.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” Nick replied.

“The king directed you to stay with the army, but since that is not possible under the circumstances, I give you leave to do as you must for now to recover your health and remain safe in his name.”

“Very kind of you,” Nick said and meant it. It was a big step for Arthur to go beyond the bounds of his responsibilities as Warleader and speak for the king.

Arthur frowned and twitched a little. “Remember, keep yourself safe,” he repeated. Nick suddenly realized what he was trying to say. You have my permission and, by extension, the king’s to be far away when you turn sixteen, somewhere we can’t execute you.

Nick smiled a little and nodded. “I understand, and I will. We’ll be camped here for at least a week, it’s going to take that long to clear my system, I think. Arthur? You’re a great Warleader, and I’m glad you’re my brother.”

Arthur gave Nick a delighted smile and went over and hugged him. In his ear, he said very softly, “Take care of yourself, you little scamp. I’m going to miss you, you know. We’ll get the law straightened out in time, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried. I trust you and Father and Edward, and I understand you have to follow the law. Don’t reassign my suite; I’ll be back when it’s safe,” Nick said quietly back.

Arthur left to oversee the hundred details necessary to get everyone moving in the right direction in the morning. Elizabeth and Ralph rejoined Nick. They had heard all but the quiet exchange at the end.

Elizabeth asked, “Do you really think you’ll be fine in a week?”

“My lungs are clearer, and my stomach is better, but I’ve got kind of a sour…well, it’s not a taste exactly, but a feeling in my magic system. I think it’s working, the slime is moving out of the rest of me into my reservoirs. Speaking of which, I think I need to go empty into the fire again.”

Nick was able to walk with a little help to a chair set by the fire and repeated emptying his magic gently into the blaze. It didn’t take as long as the first time, but his magical stream did turn just as purplish black for a while. There was that acrid smell that lingered a bit afterward, so they moved him over by the new cooking fire just to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air for an hour.

Elizabeth pulled up a folding chair and chatted with him about inconsequential things. When he got tired, she helped him back to his tent to lie down until dinner. She smiled when he asked what they were having and said, “Does it matter?” to which Nick laughed and replied in the negative. His appetite was coming back, that was all that was important—that and he’d nearly stopped coughing entirely.

Nick ate with good appetite but only one helping instead of his usual two. All three of them slept through the night undisturbed.

The next morning they were awakened to the bustle of everyone else doing their final packing and getting into the correct group for travel. The Duke of Aggradon stopped by to see if Elizabeth had any message for her grandfather. She kept her hair under wraps and still dressed like Elias, but without armor or padding, those who knew her recognized her easily.

Elizabeth just asked Duke Maximillian to let her family know that she was well, that her betrothed had been ill but was recovering, as well as the general news about the traitors.

“I will, Lady Elizabeth, and you can expect any return message in about three weeks. I have received word that King William has called the Council to meet in Londinum then, so I will see you there,” the duke said.

“On the witchcraft law? You will vote to change the law and spare Prince Nicholas?”

Maximillian shook his head sadly. “Yes, we meet on the witchcraft law, but I fear I cannot support changing it. I see no need for the prince to be executed, but he is the rare exception rather than the rule. What I have seen of witches, Franckish and Anglian, is that most are destructive evil creatures that should be killed whenever encountered.”

“You would destroy a good man and my happiness because others did ill?”

“My dear, the laws must be made for the good of the many, sometimes at the expense of the few. I have no desire to see the prince burned at the stake. I plan to propose a separate law excepting him personally, but I doubt the Crown will support it. We are trapped in politics and perceptions, and I see no clear way out of it.”

Elizabeth just shook her head a little. She didn’t have a solution everyone would accept either, but there must be one. “Your Grace, could I impose on you to consult with Baron Stratton on the matter? Gramp is an intelligent man. Perhaps he can find a way.”

“I will mention it to him. I would welcome his opinion, but I will have little time at home as it is, and I cannot wait on his word. Perhaps whoever the king appoints to the vacant earldom and dukedoms will have some answers. But do not hope too hard on that, Lady Elizabeth. After war and internal strife, I doubt the king will find four able nobles to put into those positions who would be pro-witchcraft.”

“I understand, Your Grace, but please think about Prince Nicholas and me when you are in Council.”

The duke just looked at her morosely and politely took his leave. His contingent left shortly thereafter, and most of the Glenriver people trundled off at about the same time. The largest group was Arthur’s with wagons of wounded and bound prisoners both walking and riding, their horses being led.

“I hope the king isn’t overly harsh with them,” Elizabeth commented to Nick.

“Denland was the main culprit, and Ulle was the leader, and they’re both dead. I think Montexter was just led by his nose because he wanted his daughter safe. He’ll lose his position, and likely he and his entire family will be exiled, although it’s possible he could be executed. The rest will be fined, reduced in rank, or exiled depending on the evidence and the king’s mood.”

“It seems harsh for those who only obeyed their lords as they should.”

“They were going against the forces of their king. The nobles, at least, knew what they were doing. The peasants don’t get a choice; do as you’re told or get out, and they won’t suffer further harm for their obedience. I feel a little sorry for the families of Ulle, Denland, and Montexter though. Their children didn’t do anything bad, but they will lose their position and wealth because of their fathers’ actions.”

“Why do they have to? Couldn’t the king just allow the oldest son or the widow to take charge?”

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t usually work well with traitors. The father’s ideas and opinions are mostly what the family has heard for years, and they all likely believe the same by now. So if Ulle told his family that the Warwicks are bad rulers and should be killed and replaced, his widow and sons will be of the same opinion. Leaving them in place just kicks the problem to the next generation for another internal war.”

“Where will they go?”

“Probably not Franck at the moment but maybe Ibarra, Drusia, or Telesia. They’re all civilized countries, but it will be hard if the family has no separate income and has to go to work. Most of them don’t know how to do much other than give orders.”

Elizabeth smiled a little. “They’ll learn, I know from experience. It may not be pleasant, but if they are willing to swallow their pride and do honest labor, they could have good lives.”

“That’s a big if with us spoiled children,” Nick joked.

“Indeed, Your Highness,” his valet said as he joined them. “Although when Arthur reaches Londinum, word will be passed to Commerce as to your location. I expect they might need several messengers or even a wagon to carry all of the paper needing your attention.”

Nick groaned theatrically. “But I’m sick!” he protested.

“You are recovering nicely, Your Highness, and it will be several days before Commerce catches up with you and by then you will be much better.”

“I can picture it now,” Nick replied. “I’ll be standing tied to a stake with one arm free signing papers just before they light the pyre. I don’t suppose I could just resign?” he asked hopefully.

“Of course not, Your Highness,” Winkershime said. He continued too softly for the guards to hear, “If all goes well, the witchcraft law will be changed, and you will go back to becoming Spymaster and still need a cover job.”

Elizabeth asked, “Do you really think that could happen, Ralph?”

“Winkershime, my lady, please. I am once again the prince’s valet rather than a comrade-in-arms. And possibly. The king will work toward bringing in four new members of the Council who will support him in changing the law to be more reasonable. Aggradon will likely support a law change as well.”

Elizabeth’s hopes fell. “I just talked to him this morning, and he says not, although he would vote for saving Nick personally.”

“Did he, my lady? Well, that’s too bad, but it might not be his final word on the matter. Keep in mind he is fresh from a series of battles with witches. He may reconsider before the Council meeting.”

Nick said quietly, “I need to tell you both something Arthur said to me. I don’t want the guards to know, so keep your voices down. He basically gave me permission to lose myself somewhere and stay safe until the law is changed.”

“Prince Arthur gave you permission to just go anywhere, Your Highness?” Winkershime asked sharply.

“He did. He made it clear he was speaking for the king as well, although I don’t know if he had been given the authority to do so or not.”

“But Arthur wouldn’t deny saying it,” Elizabeth said.

Nick grinned. “Nope, once Arthur says something, he’ll stand up to his words in front of anyone, even the king; his honor demands it. Not that the king would do anything much to him for it even if it wasn’t authorized, since it gets Father off the hook. Arthur would get a slap on the wrist at most.”

Winkershime said, “Well, good for Prince Arthur. I didn’t think he would ever move a hair outside of the law, but he’s proved me wrong. But don’t tell me where you are going or when, Your Highness. I am retiring, and it would be far better if I knew nothing about your location when I return to Londinum, which I will be doing soon.”

Nick coughed a little and said, “How soon, and what will I do for a valet? I still need you, you know.”

“I am aware of your needs, Your Highness, and I have a replacement in mind. I think since you seem to be out of danger, I will leave in the morning. I want to send your new valet with some things to reach you before you are entirely well and no longer camped here.”

“Well, right now I’m going back to the fire to make it stinky again. But don’t you dare leave without saying good-bye.” Nick did and went and lay down for a while afterward. Running that much energy through himself over and over was a strain and was starting to irritate his channels.

In the morning Ralph did come into Nick’s tent early and wake him.

“I’m leaving now, Your Highness, so I officially resign as of this moment.”

Nick got up slowly and hugged his ex-valet. “Okay, Ralph, you deserve to spend some time with your daughters and grandchild, but I also order you to call me Nick from now on and come visit me in the palace when everything gets straightened out.”

“Of course, Your…Nick. I’ll miss you, my boy. I want you to know you have made me very proud of you both as a prince and as a man.”

“You’ve taught me a lot and not just about spying. Thank you, Ralph. You have enough money for your retirement? You know if you need anything…”

“Actually, I’m fine, but you reminded me. Here’s your purse. If you’re going traveling, you’ll need money. By the way, how are you going to ditch the guards?”

“I’m not sure, but outright lying might play a big part. Ralph, take care of yourself and let Anne know what’s going on, okay?”

“Of course, Nick. And I have no objection to running the occasional errand for you while you’re somewhere unknown. Just send me a message by someone trustworthy through my daughter’s dress shop.”

“Once a spy, always a spy?”

“Something like that,” Ralph answered with a chuckle.

Elizabeth came in sleepily, still in her nightclothes too. “Are you going now, Ralph?” she asked. At his affirmative, she said, “Could you see if Sylvia could send me a couple of simple dresses? I don’t think I’m fooling anyone at this point anyway.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Elizabeth. You don’t mind if I address you familiarly?”

“Of course not, after all we’ve been through. Take care of that arm.”

One more round of hugs, and Ralph mounted and rode out of camp. Nick decided to clear his system since he was already up, and Elizabeth went to change her clothes. Once they were both dressed, Elizabeth and Nick sat together by the cooking fire.

“I hope the guards aren’t scandalized by us sharing a tent without a chaperone,” Elizabeth said.

“Not to worry. Right now I’m not strong enough to take advantage of the situation.”

“Maybe in a few days?”

“I know you’re joking, but don’t say that too loud.”

It rained in the afternoon, and the fires went out. Nick cleared his system again at the first sprinkle, but then they were both stuck in the tent. The prince read his new magic book, studying more advanced runes and a number of color-linked spells. He couldn’t experiment under the circumstances and didn’t feel up to it anyway.

The guards brought them cold food for dinner, and Nick and Elizabeth went to bed early to the sound of the rain on the tent. The morning was gray and drizzly, and Nick had started to cough again. Even when the rain stopped, the gathered wood was still wet, but he had no difficulty using concentrated fire to start up both of their campfires and fires for the guards too. The fires were smoky, but he was able to expel slime safely, and they had hot meals again.

The weather was chilly but sunny the next couple of days. Nick continued to improve; he only needed to clear his system twice a day, and his appetite was back to normal. Elizabeth was bored, so she started practicing sword fighting with the guards, finding her experience in battle had made her more aggressive; she won every bout.

Then one day two wagons rolled into camp. Next to the drivers rode Sylvie on one wagon and Parker on the other. Behind the wagons rode a Commerce messenger with bulging saddlebags.

Elizabeth was thrilled to see Sylvie, both to have another woman in camp and because her maid surely brought some other clothes for her to wear. Nick was less thrilled when the Commerce messenger handed him the heavy saddlebags.

Nick took them into his tent to start catching up and was surprised when Parker followed him in. “Yes, what do you want?” Nick asked dismissively.

“Y-Your Highness, Mr. Winkershime asked me, that is, he recommended me to take his place as your valet. I know I haven’t much experience in the field, but he did give me very explicit instructions on how to care for your clothes and keep your schedule and such, and I’m already cleared for secret material, so—”

Nick held up his hand to stop him going on. “Fine, I could certainly use some clean clothes. Aside from that, I doubt I’ll have much use for a valet for some time. But while we’re here, you can be my valet. Afterward, well, we’ll see.”

Parker said, “Yes, Your Highness. I’ll get your things moved in from the wagon.” He left with an unhappy expression on his face.

The prince started catching up on the Commerce reports, starting with the oldest and working forward. When he needed a break, he went out and found a second large tent had been set up. As soon as he appeared outside, Sylvie led a number of guards into his tent to retrieve Elizabeth’s possessions and move them into the new tent. Parker’s few things were moved into the valet’s area in Nick’s tent.

Nick went over to where Elizabeth was sitting by the fire. Her new tent was a hive of activity with Sylvie getting everything just right, and she had decided it was best to stay out of the way. Nick sat down with a sigh and said, “I guess I should have gotten well faster; no more sharing a tent with you now.”

“I’m afraid you’re right, but it’s more proper this way. Besides, you’ll be sixteen in a couple of weeks. I hope you realize that whatever happens with the witchcraft law, we are going to get married.”

Her betrothed regarded her silently for a minute and then shook his head slightly. “I don’t believe that’s going to happen, Elizabeth, at least not until the law is changed.”

“We’ll be traveling for a little while. I’m sure we’ll manage to find someone to marry us.”

“But…don’t you want the big ceremony in the cathedral with our families there?”

“I do, but if that’s not possible, then we’ll have a small ceremony with our servants as witnesses.”

“Elizabeth, I can’t allow you to come with me. I could end up in bad places, dangerous places, and yes, I know you can fight but this is different.”

Elizabeth was sitting up straight and asked coldly, “Exactly how is it different? Or is it just you don’t really want to marry me?”

“I do, but I may not be able to return to the palace or Londinum for the rest of my life. Anywhere I go I could be endangering the people with me or those who help me in any way. That means I won’t ever see my family again unless they track me down to arrest me. I can’t drag you into that.”

“Fugitives for the rest of our lives, I understand. You want to protect me, but Nick, being safe without you is not what I want.”

“Think, Elizabeth. You might never see your grandfather or brothers or anyone from your past again. Eventually I may have to take menial jobs, or even engage in criminal activities to live. I don’t want you to have to live like that. I don’t want to drag you down with me.”

“Being with you isn’t being dragged down. If I stay behind, I’ll have a choice of never marrying or marrying a man I don’t love while the man I do love is off in danger somewhere alone. That would be a torment and far worse than doing menial work. I’ve done manual labor before, if you remember, and I managed to survive it.”

“You’d pick me over everyone else, over being rich and well-cared for?”

“Look around you, Nick. I already have.”

Nick got up and knelt by her chair. “I don’t know how I got to be so lucky. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Elizabeth, but I think we’ve missed a step. We have a signed marriage contract, but I’ve never actually asked you to marry me. Will you?”

“Come hell or high water,” Elizabeth declared, and she leaned over and they kissed passionately. They were startled by the sound of applause.

They broke apart and found most of the camp was watching them. Even keeping their voices low, Nick’s gesture was so obvious everyone knew what he was doing, and Elizabeth’s last statement had come out loudly. The guards were grinning, and Sylvie dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Nick turned a little pink, mumbled something about clearing his system, and got to his feet to go to the other fire and do so. Sylvie gestured to Elizabeth to come into her tent, and she did out of curiosity.

To her delight, Sylvie proudly displayed a wedding dress. It wasn’t the elaborate dress with yards of lace and a twenty-five foot train that would have worn for an official wedding to a member of the royal family, but it was well-made with enough lace and tiny pearls to satisfy any other ceremony.

“Sylvie, how did you know to bring this?” Elizabeth asked, holding it up against herself.

“Well, Mr. Winkershime said something about it being just possible the wedding might be elsewhere and a bit less formal, so I thought I should be prepared. Here’s the veil that goes with it and the shoes. I brought a whole trunk of things for you too.”

Elizabeth carefully set down the dress and hugged her maid. “Sylvie, you are a marvel. What will I ever do without you?”

“Now, m’lady, don’t you go thinking like that. I’m your maid, and wherever you go I’m going too. Mr. Winkershime explained it all to me, about the witchcraft law and nobody knowing what’s going to happen. ‘Doesn’t matter,’ I told him. ‘When Lady Elizabeth marries the prince, that makes her a princess, and that makes me first maid to a princess,’ so there.”

“Oh, Sylvie, I don’t know if that’s going to be possible. We don’t know where we’ll be, and we may not be able to carry around trunks of clothes. But I’m still glad you brought the dress. It’s beautiful and I’ll wear it if I can, but if I can’t, then I’ll just imagine I’m walking down a long aisle strewn with flowers in it.”

“Ahem,” Nick said from outside the doorway. “Elizabeth, could I see you a moment?”

Sylvie quickly put the dress away, and Elizabeth went outside. Nick led her to the recently arrived wagons. They were half-empty from the tent and trunks being removed, but only half. There were sacks of grain, tools of all sorts, a box with packets of various kinds of seeds, boxes of kitchenware, and a large cloth bag with dozens of dried herbs carefully packaged and labeled.

Elizabeth latched on to the herbs, but once she had looked through them, she gestured at the wagons and asked, “What in the world is all this?”

“Ralph, of course. It’s a hint. There’s one more thing you should see.” Nick partially unrolled a tarp, and could see there was something colorful inside but wasn’t sure what it was. She looked at Nick questioningly.

He grinned. “Flags, Elizabeth. Warwick and Sothalia.”

“Ralph thinks we should go to Sothalia?”

“Yeah, and it’s a good idea. There’s enough of the castle left to be both inhabitable and defensible, and it’s empty and unclaimed for now. Even if the king appoints someone to the dukedom, they wouldn’t show up until spring, so it could be a safe place for us through the winter.”

“When we were there, you said you felt something dangerous and frightening.”

“That is a drawback, but whatever it is has probably kept anyone else from moving in too. We’ll just have to figure out what to do about it when we get there.”

“And in the spring?”

“I don’t know. Right now I can’t plan that far ahead.”

“Are you strong enough to travel?”

“Yes, I think so. I can always ride in a wagon when I get tired, but I think we should wait a day. I’m getting better fast, and by day after tomorrow I should be able to ride most of the day. And it would be a little mean to make them do all the work to take down your tent the day after they put it up.”

“And Sylvie, Parker, the wagon drivers, and the horses could all use a day to rest too.”

Nick nodded, and they walked slowly back to their tents. “What are we going to do without Ralph to point us in the right direction?” Nick asked.

“Don’t worry, my love, we’ll manage. We may not have his experience, but as you say, we can figure it out.”

Nick spent the rest of the day and most of the following catching up on his Commerce paperwork. There were no spy reports included as there had been before. Nick wasn’t overly surprised considering his uncertain status, but he missed having that inside knowledge of what was going on throughout Anglia and in nearby nations as well.

By late afternoon he was able to send the Commerce messenger on his way with his bulging bags. As he rode out, another Commerce messenger rode in with a much thinner bag. Nick complained about being worked too hard, but he took care of the papers in just over an hour and sent that messenger on his way as well, even though it was a bit late in the day by then.

Nick was sure the messenger was thinking unkind thoughts about him for not letting the man stay until morning, but Nick wasn’t comfortable having a messenger in camp when they left. Not that they weren’t going to be easy to locate with four wagons, a dozen guards, and two big tents, but the longer it took the palace to find out they were heading east instead of west, the better.

In the morning the tents were taken down and everything packed in the wagons more quickly and with less fuss than Nick had expected, so they got an early start. It felt good to be on Falcon again, and having Elizabeth riding next to him on Goldie made it seem like a perfect day. The trees were still somewhat colorful, although many had turned brown and were dropping their leaves quickly.

Elizabeth and Nick led the way and set the pace, although two guards rode farther ahead and scouted. Parker rode behind them a little way, acting as a messenger and fetching anything they wanted from the wagons. Sylvie rode on the lead wagon next to the driver with a cushion under her to protect her a little from the hard seat and the jouncing of the wagon.

They moved faster than the Progress had, making few stops and no detours for visits. It wasn’t quite a flight, but definitely more than a pleasure jaunt. Nick made it to midafternoon, and then he crawled in the wagon with relatively soft tent material, wrapped himself in his cloak, and took a nap, while Elizabeth took over the job of keeping them on pace.

After a couple of hours Nick was back on Falcon beside her. They traveled until near dark and camped off to the side of the road. The prince had them put up just one tent; everyone was too tired to be bothered unpacking much. They ate and crowded four cots into the single tent with a divider down the middle, Nick and his valet on one side and Elizabeth and her maid on the other.

They rose early and pushed on day after day. Nick expected a Commerce rider to find them at any time, but none did. Finally they reached the fields outside Sothalia. Unlike the last time they had been there, the area was empty of both scavengers and bodies, and they could see people in the distance going in and out of the gates to the town.

As they got closer, they saw that the damaged gate had been rehung and the street mostly cleared. Some of the houses and businesses were repaired or partly rebuilt, and people were working hard to get as much done as they could before winter. Loaded wagons came in with wood and building materials and a few with produce.

Nick murmured to Elizabeth, “I don’t see a lot of food. Do you?”

“Not much in the way of vegetables, fruit, or flour I’m afraid, but I saw a couple wagons of dried fish and one of potatoes. The fighting likely destroyed a lot of the crops, and others would have gone unharvested due to a lack of manpower. It’s going to be a lean winter.”

When they reached the stone steps that led up to the castle doorway, Nick dismounted and strode up to the top. He turned and motioned the rest of his party over to where they could hear him.

“You all know the situation. At any time troops from the king may arrive to arrest me, although I’m here legally, at least until I turn sixteen. I don’t intend to allow anyone to arrest me or execute me, period. Anyone who stays with me beyond the next few days will be guilty of abetting a witch and could be executed for it. But you can see the situation; this place needs all the help it can get, and I plan on rebuilding while I’m here, however long that may be. I can use your help, and I will protect anyone who stays to the best of my ability."

“But I won’t fault anyone who leaves either. I cannot urge you to break the law or go against your fellows loyal to the king. Each one of you has to decide for himself or herself. I will only ask you to stay today to unload the wagons. You can legally serve me that long without endangering yourself or disobeying the king.”

Elizabeth firmly mounted the stairs to stand with Nick on the landing, followed by Sylvie and Parker. Nick raised an eyebrow at Parker who just shrugged and said, “Mr. Winkershime explained it to me, and I took the job. I mean to do it as best as I can as long as I can, Your Highness.”

The lieutenant who was leading the guard contingent looked uncomfortable and asked, “We don’t have to decide this minute, do we, Your Highness?”

Nick replied, “No, of course not. Why don’t some of you see if there’s anything left of the stables in the back while the rest bring everything in?”

There were general nods of assent, and people began unloading the wagons, while some of the guards went to pick their way around to what had been the back of the castle. While the main streets had been cleared, not much rubble had been removed in the immediate vicinity.

The four on the landing went into the main hall. Elizabeth watched Nick, but he didn’t seem disturbed at all. “Can you feel anything?” she asked in a subdued voice; no point in alarming the men bringing in the contents of the wagons.

“Not much. It’s a lot quieter than the last time we were here, but then I suppose no one has been murdered in here lately,” Nick replied equally softly.

The supplies were being piled in the main hall, so Nick and Elizabeth went to find out the condition of the rest of the building. Besides the main hall, the winter kitchen directly behind it was fine as well as one detached fat four-story tower and a two-story block with an interior stair. The block had four large rooms that had likely been bedchambers upstairs and one large room and two small ones downstairs that might have been used for anything. All the rooms were empty except for broken scraps of furniture, torn cloth, shattered glass, and miscellaneous unidentifiable remnants.

The rest of the castle was only partial walls and collapsed ceilings. Some of it might be repairable in time but not before winter. The main hall to the two-story block had another hallway branching off that ended abruptly in a pile of stones and timbers and open air.

Sylvie had found a broom in the pile of supplies. While she swept, she had Parker and one of the wagon drivers picking up all the larger trash from the habitable rooms and piling anything burnable by the bedroom and main hall fireplaces while hauling the rest outside somewhere.

One guard came in and reported that there was about a third of the stable that was usable, and they were piling up loose timbers and stones to block off the damaged end. Once empty, the wagons were taken around back and the horses stabled in what was left.

Food and kitchenware were moved to the kitchen, and cots were taken to the four upper bedrooms, along with trunks and personal possessions. The guards and wagon drivers camped in the main hall except for a few guards who patrolled outside, but none of the townspeople seemed inclined to come anywhere near the castle.

Everyone spent an uneasy night. It was chilly, and they burned what wood they had, but it barely lasted until morning. There seemed to be small odd noises with no obvious source, and people occasionally awoke in the dark with the feeling they were being watched, but found no one watching.

In the morning there was a bustle of people packing to leave. The guard lieutenant came to Nick and bowed. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but if we stay we would be in an untenable position. We would either have to fight fellow guardsmen or turn around and help arrest you, and we don’t wish to do either.”

“I understand,” Nick said gravely. “And I think you are making a wise choice, although I wish it could be otherwise.” In reality, he was pleased the guards had figured out for themselves the difficulty they would face if they stayed.

The lieutenant bowed and organized his men to depart with one of the wagons for their gear. The wagon drivers left as well with one wagon to carry them and their possessions. One of them approached Nick and bowed clumsily.

“I’m awful sorry, Your Highness, sir, but this place is haunted, and while you’re a nice fella fer a witch and all, it’s just too much fer us. We’ll be goin’ back, but we wish you all the luck and such.” At the prince’s understanding nod, he gave another short bow and hurried off to join his fellows.

Nick, Elizabeth, Sylvie, and Parker watched them all leave. When the last hoof beat and wagon rattle had faded away, it became very quiet. The four of them were completely on their own in a shattered town where they hadn’t a single friend or acquaintance.

“Well,” said Nick, “let’s get to work.”

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