The King

Silently Brian had slipped from the castle. Looking up at the night sky he felt a new wave of emotion shudder through him. Turning, he caught one last glimpse of the castle. How he longed to race back inside to his mother. How he longed to at least say goodbye to Lyndsey. His departure didn't seem fair; Brian was beginning to come to terms with his feelings toward her. He remembered back to only hours before, when the two had been out in the courtyard together in the dark. Brian was going to kiss her. he had almost had his chance, but now all chances of him even seeing her again in his lifetime had slipped between his fingers.

But he couldn't stay. Brian knew that what Bartholomew had said was true. Brian was found with blood on his sword at the king's side. No one would believe him if he told his side of the story, if he was even allowed the chance. And so he had to run away and leave behind his family, his world, his life.

Little did Brian know that he was being watched from above in the castle, dark sharp eyes following his every move as he hurried toward the stables to take one of the horses.

Bartholomew watched with a vengeful grin as he looked down upon Brian. The last heir to the throne would be well on his way toward the next kingdom by the time anyone was awake in the morning. But then this smirk faltered, for in that moment he realized that if the prince escaped, there was really nothing keeping him from someday returning and taking the throne back.

Snapping his fingers, the late King's brother turned and was greeted with Winston, Thomas, and Harry, nearly at his side.

"Kill him," he growled the order, and received only curt nods from his three men before they fled. Turning back to the window overlooking the front gate of the palace, Bartholomew watched as Brian rode on mounted horse toward the gate, where it was opened by the guards.

With the castle finally behind him, Brian began the tiresome journey through the kingdom before he reached foreign territory. It was silent all around him for the first few moments, but the cry of multiple horses from behind caused the prince to jolt, looking over his shoulder. Three men on horseback were on the move, heading straight toward him, and something told Brian it was no one he would want to see. They had come to finish the job that had been started back at the castle.

Heart pounding Brian dug his heels into the ribs of the horse, leaning forward in the saddle as the horse sped up to a gallop. The cold air coated Brian straight to the bone, the chill making it hard for him to keep his eyes open. He fought the tears of irritation in his eyes as he reached for his sword, knowing without having to look that the three men were gaining on him.

"Come 'ere, you little rat!" the closest called out, and Brian barely noticed that the commotion he and his three chasers were creating was causing a few tired town dwellers to rise from their beds and peek outside to see what was going on.

Brian dared a look over his shoulder. The three men were close enough for him to realize that they were the same three men who had captured and nearly killed Lyndsey and him in Renegade Alley.

"You best be givin' up now," a cruel voice said to his right, and Brian snapped his head to the side to see the tallest of the men at his side, running neck and neck. The man was reaching for Brian and it was all he could do to pull out his sword and swing. He heard the dull 'thwack' as the metal struck with bone in the man's arm. Brian watched with bated breath, his steed still hurrying down the alley, as the man recoiled and cried out in pain.

And as Brian rode off into the rising sun, Winston backed away holding his injured arm to him as the others caught up only seconds later.

"What about the Prince?" Harry asked, looking between the small figure of Brian and Winston.

"He's as good as dead out there. He won't know where to go or what to do . And if he comes back, we'll kill him..." Winston panted as he grimaced. For only being a teenager, the prince had a good swing in his arm.

Sighing, Winston knew he and the other two would have to lie to Bartholomew. Afterall, the prince wasn't really going to come back. Winston had it made. What could go wrong?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was hours before Brian reached the countryside. he had slowed down considerably when he realized he was no longer being chased, but the prince stayed aware and at the ready, incase something were to happen again.

He continued to travel for days. The kingdom of the Haner royal family was vast, and at a slow pace it had taken Brian three days with rest in between to make it past the border.

There was hardly any food around--Brian hadn't brought anything with him, and none of the fruits and vegetables growing in the wild were in bloom yet. Water was sparse, save for a stream Brian found here and there. During one stop, he took special care at cleaning the dried blood off the gleaming sword he was still carrying. He didn't need anything that could trace him back to the king and his former life.

Days turned to weeks, and Brian was growing more and more tired, the summer sun beating down on him, and Brian felt fatigue washing over him. He had no idea where he was, or where the next castle of this new kingdom was, and that unnerved him.

But finally after a few more steps into the unknown, Brian took a shuddering breath, his body shutting down as he collapsed in the grass before him.

The prince had been left to die.