Terk’s Worst Enemy

Everyone ready for more story? I know it’s a day early, but I’m attending a funeral tomorrow for my Aunt Mary. There won’t be time tomorrow for this. Therefore, I present it now (before we get all teary-eyed tomorrow). To the story!
**********
Serene couldn’t breathe, her arms huddled close to her chest. The others were in the same state of shock that she was in. Prince Martin, dressed as a farmer, stood over the killed spy. The spy he had killed.

I just watched a man be killed, Serene thought, horrified.

Killed by the Crown Prince.

“You killed him!”

Serene jumped and turned to Lord Nick. The nobleman had taken a step forward, his face pale and his expression horrified. “You killed him!” he yelled again.

“Tracker has murdered countless of innocent lives,” Prince Martin snorted, bending down and taking the knife out of the spy. “I did the world a favor by getting rid of him. And don’t act so shocked. We’re at war.” He wiped the blood off the blade with the dead man’s clothes before sheaving the knife in his boot. Reaching over, he grabbed the fallen wig and glasses before standing.

“Martin,” Sara said, her voice quivering. “You’re bleeding.”

Serene did a double take, as did the prince, to his upper arm. A shallow cut seeped his shirt with blood.

“So I am,” he muttered, lifting his arm so he could look at it more closely. “Well,” he sighed, letting his arm drop. “That’s just another scar. I’ll survive.” He then put the wig on, carefully tucking his short hair under it.

“We’ve cleared the building,” a soldier reported, bursting into the room. “We’re safe to leave.”

“Good,” Martin said in his underclass accent, putting the glasses on again. “I suggest we get a movin’. I’d rather not be meetin’ any more o’ Terk’s mad puppets.”

Sara rolled her eyes. “They know who you are, Martin,” she said. “Why the disguise?”

Her brother winked at her. “Because Terk’s puppets don’t know who I am. I’d rather keep it that way. Shall we go?”

As before, they were herded out of the building, kept in a tight group as the guards surrounded them. Serene kept her head down, her eyes on the ground. This was too much. She was raised as a noblewoman, a gentle soul with only politicking and balls to fill her days. She wasn’t used to being captured, rescued, or watching people die.

And Prince Martin seemed used to it.

She couldn’t suppress her shiver.

The rescuers took them to another abandoned building, though she couldn’t tell what it used to be before it was abandoned. There was nothing inside except for debris. The only thing she could tell was the strong smell of fish.

“We’ll wait here for a bit,” the prince announced as the rescuers took positions around the building.

“Why?” Sara asked. Serene glanced up to see the princess wrinkle her nose at the smell. Her brother had taken off the wig and glasses, running a hand through his short hair. At least she knew now why he kept his hair unfashionably short. It was probably easier to put wigs on with short hair.

“Because we’ve got to wait for the tunnel to open,” the prince explained. “I’d much rather not have Terk discover where I’ve hidden my army. So we have no codes to open the tunnels. It just opens at certain times.”

“Army?” Lady Rose asked, turning to him in surprise. “What army?”

“The one he’s been secretly building since he got here,” Sara snorted. “My fool of a brother decided to end this war and to do that by capturing Terk. And to do that,” the princess went on with heat in her voice, “he became the bait!”

“You’re still not angry about that, are you?” Martin asked, half smiling at his sister’s anger. “The plan is going great.” He paused. “Except for you getting captured, but we worked around that. And speaking of working…” He leveled all of them a steady gaze, one that had them standing straight with attention.

“I know Tracker said a lot of things about me,” he said sternly. “And I’m sorry that you heard it. I will need your word that you will never repeat what he said and what you learned about me.”

“Then it’s true?” Serene asked, surprising herself by speaking. “You were a street urchin?”

“And I’m the Spy Alex,” the prince confirmed. “I became the Alex before I was the prince. One of my first assignments was at the Stand. I called myself Ghost Eighty-One there to keep people from asking about me. After it was discovered who I was, they decided that I should become Ghost Eighty-One. All the news reports about the battles I’ve won in the last six months are true.”

“My brother,” Sara sighed, sounding both exasperated and proud. “An Aeternan Hero!”

The prince snorted. “But no one is going to know about my acts as the Spy Alex or my sorry childhood story.” He turned his powerful gaze on all of them. “Your word you won’t say anything.”

“And if we won’t give it?” Nick asked. Serene flinched. There was too much glee in the nobleman’s tone to be good. This was exactly what Nick had been looking for. The dirty secret that could tarnish the prince’s reputation, and thus ruin his chances to the throne.

“You’re already forgetting I’m the Alex,” Martin said coldly. “I could blackmail you better than you could me.”

Nick gaped, a sorry sound escaping his mouth that could only mean that the prince had a point.

“You have my word!” Lady Rose said quickly, flashing a smile that seemed uneasy. “I will keep your secret!”

The other nobles began voicing their words, as did Serene. She had no desire to share that information anyway. The world of spies was far beyond her. She much rather not get involved.

Finally even Nick gave his word.

“Good,” Martin snorted. “Now, you might as well get comfortable. We’re going to have to wait for a bit.” He walked away, approaching one of the rescuers and having a quiet conversation with them.

Serene looked around for someplace to sit. She eventually decided to clear a space by the wall and sat with her back against it. Around her, the other nobles did the same. She sighed as she rested her head against the rough brick, closing her eyes. It had been a long day. More than a day, really. It was yesterday when she was captured. Now she had been rescued but still uncertain what was happening.

She wasn’t certain when her trouble thoughts gave in to sleep, but she did wake up to the quiet, harsh whispers beside her.

“He’s a street urchin!” Nick hissed. “Are we really going to be letting a street urchin on the throne?”

Serene quietly groaned. They hadn’t been rescued for more than a few hours and Nick was already complaining. And plotting.

“It does seem like a stretch,” Lady Rose agreed hesitantly. “But the Connection…”

“I’m telling you,” Nick insisted. “The Connection proves he’s a Santer. But he’s no prince! You saw what he did tonight! He killed that man! And now we learn that he grew up on the streets! Of Loman no less! He’s no prince!”

Serene opened her eyes, ready to argue with Nick. Just because Prince Martin had grown up on the streets didn’t mean anything. He was a Santer. It was his rightful place to be the prince. However, before she could say anything, someone else did.

“I owe Aeterna everything.”

Startled, the three of them glanced up. Prince Martin sat in a window, staring out to Nacre’s darkened streets, though his eyes seemed distant. He didn’t wear the wig or glasses, his sleeves rolled up, revealing the terrible scars of his childhood.

“What?” Nick asked, either unbothered that the prince had heard him or pretending that it didn’t.

“I owe Aeterna everything,” Prince Martin repeated, his voice soft, respectful. “I was going to be killed on the streets. The teen gangs thought that I was rising above my place as an urchin. They had plans to kill me.” He sighed, glancing down at the scars on his arms. “But what Tracker said was right. An Aeternan found me. He brought me here before the teens could kill me.” He then glanced down at them.

“I dedicated myself to Aeterna,” he said. “Everything I am, everything I could be, is Aeterna’s. This nation saved my life, Nick. This nation took me in when no one else would. I was given opportunities here, ones I could never get on the streets of Loman. To a ten year old, Aeterna was the cure to my nightmare life.

“I would have been glad to continue serving Aeterna as a spy,” he went on. “But Aeterna demands more of me and I will answer to that demand. You think I shouldn’t be the prince because I grew up on the streets? I would argue different. I’ve already vowed my life to serve this nation. Being a Santer doesn’t change that. Isn’t that what you want in a prince?”

Nick stared up at the prince, his mouth moving with no sound coming out.

“I do,” Serene answered softly. Martin glanced at her. She felt herself blush. Despite the horrible things she had just witnessed and the terrible things she learned, he was still her prince. It was only now that she realized just how deeply Martin loved his nation.

“As do I.”

They turned as Sara approached. “My brother’s past doesn’t make him,” she said, smiling fondly at the prince. “It’s what he does that matters. And I know that he’s going to be the greatest king in our history because he just loves his nation so much.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Martin weakly chuckled. “I’m not a king yet. I’m still just a prince.”

“Details,” Sara brushed off.

“The tunnel’s open!”

Martin glanced towards the door where one soldier stood. “Well then,” he said, jumping off the window. “It’s time to disappear.”
*********
Sona was surprised when Ann Norman found her. She was busy helping some of the volunteers move supplies when the annoying reporter tapped her on the shoulder.

“What are you doing down here?” Sona blurted out.

Ann laughed. “Hello to you too!” She gazed around the room as only a reporter could, taking in details of who was where and doing what. “I’m here for a story. Why else would I be here?”

“How did you get down here?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips. She didn’t like Ann at all. The reporter had no respect for a person’s privacy, nor did she know when to stop following for a story. At least Sona had learned there were limits to uncovering a person’s secrets.

“I followed one of the Ghosts down here,” Ann said with a smirk. “Irvin? I believe. I recognized him as one of our prince’s Ghosts and simply started following him. I’m glad I did. Our prince has been a busy boy, creating an army under Nacre this whole time? I bet he even planned on Terk following him here to Nacre.”

“That is the plan,” Sona sneered. “And it’s working, if you didn’t notice that.”

“I did notice,” Ann said, completely unconcerned with the tone Sona had taken to her. “Quite an ingenious plan. Lure Terk into a trap. Sabotage his army after a long march here.” She grinned. “It’s the end of the war and I’m in the middle of it!”

Sona sighed. It figured that Ann would only care about the story.

“Where’s the prince?” Ann suddenly asked. “I thought he’d be here directing the sabotage work.”

“He had to go get his sister,” Sona scoffed. “He should be back soon.” At least, she hoped so.

“Ah well,” Ann sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to wait for him to return. I have so many questions about this. How did he manage to get an army into the city without any of us knowing?”

“It wasn’t that hard,” Sona snorted. “They’ve been trickling into the city for well over a month now, ever since Martin returned.”

Ann blinked in surprise. “Really?” she asked excitedly. “They just trickled in?” She paused, realizing something. “You know the plan?”

Sona rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she said, returning to her work, picking up a box and giving it to the person next in line. “I’ve been a part of it since Martin came.”

“Really?” Ann asked again, this time surprised. “Why?”

Sona glared at the reporter. “Don’t you know when to stop asking questions?”

“No,” Ann said bluntly. “Why would Martin want you in on his plans?”

Sona debated what to tell the reporter when a commotion came from the other side of the room. She knew immediately that it was Martin.

“Seems our prince is here,” Ann said, grinning. “Let’s go!” She hurried through the crowd, trying to get as close to the prince as possible. Sona didn’t have to hurry. Many of the people recognized her as one of the lead figures in this operation, even if they didn’t know what part she played. She didn’t mind that so much. She preferred that no one knew of the Inhibitor she kept safe.

Martin and the other rescuers were followed by the nobles they had rescued. Sara looked particularly relieved. Ann was jotting down names as they filed into the storage room.

“Wow,” she said with a grin. “He didn’t just rescue his sister. He rescued some of the most powerful future leaders. That’s got to bug Terk to no end.”

Sona rolled her eyes. “That’s the point,” she said.

Ann chose to ignore that remark. “Looks like Rose has some ideas,” she said instead, eyeing the young noblewoman with interest.

“What sort of ideas?” Sona asked. She didn’t know why she did. She had no reason to care about what Lady Rose did or think.

“I’m familiar with that girl,” Ann said, pointing to the noblewoman. “She’s caused scandals in a lot of circles. And I know that look in her eye. There’s a lot of people here and she’s just been rescued by one of the most powerful men in Aeterna. And if I’m judging her correctly, which I’ll bet money on, she’s going to give our prince a great big thank you kiss.”

Sona shook. “Kiss?” she repeated, trying hard not to stutter. “Kiss him?”

Ann shrugged. “That’s what she does. She loves an audience and she would love to be Prince Martin’s mysterious woman. With this many people to watch, she could get some solid rumors started.”

Sona wasn’t listening. She focused on the young noblewoman, noticing how she kept creeping closer and closer to the prince’s side, her lips curled in a smile. It was almost like watching a predator sneak up on its prey.

“Well,” she huffed. “She can’t have him.”

“Excuse me?” Ann asked, turning to her with a frown. Sona didn’t bother answering. She walked forward. Lady Rose wanted to be Martin’s mysterious woman, huh? Well, she had to fight the truth to get that!

“Martin!” Sona called, getting his attention.

He turned just as Lady Rose was behind him. The noblewoman was about to grab him when Sona called out. She looked a bit miffed for the delay.

“Sona?” he asked.

Before Rose could try again, Sona reached the prince. Without giving herself time to think about what she was doing, she grabbed Martin by the hair and pulled him down to a kiss.

The room went silent.

When she broke the kiss, Sona knew her face was flaming. Even Martin was blushing. He obviously wasn’t expecting a short, though passionate, kiss. In front of everyone.

“What was that?” he asked softly so no one else could hear him.

“Just claiming you as mine,” she muttered, feeling very satisfied for saying it. Martin was hers. No title would ever change that!

Martin chuckled. “Well,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “If we’re going to play it that way…” He spun her into a dip and kissed her again. Sona returned the kiss with fervor, tangling her fingers in his hair.

He finally spun her back up, breaking the kiss. Before Sona could get her breath back, the room exploded in a very loud cheer. Art and Irvin were actually whooping, pumping their fists in the air. Sona covered her grin with a hand, knowing her face was bright red. Martin just chuckled, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist.

“Wait!” a voice pierced through the cheering. “How long have you two been courting!”

She and Martin turned enough to see Sara pointing at them, her jaw dropped and her eyes popping. Sona was satisfied to see the exact expression on Lady Rose’s face.

“Over a year now,” Martin admitted, grinning. “Though there were a few months when Sona hated my guts.”

“You didn’t tell me you were the prince,” Sona pointed out, trying hard not to laugh at Sara’s shock. “Of course I was mad.”

“I’m glad you’re not mad anymore,” Martin laughed, hugging her tight. Sona wanted to burst with happiness. It was nice to finally stop hiding the truth. They loved each other. That was all that really mattered.

She was about to make a remark when she felt something wet. Glancing at Martin’s arm, she finally noticed the cut.

“You’re bleeding,” she said, pulling away a bit to look him in the eye.

“Ah,” he said, glancing down at his arm. “Yeah. I haven’t had time to bandage it yet…”

“Well,” she snorted. “We should get that taken care of, now shouldn’t we?”

“But…” he said, glancing over the crowd. “We have some things to finish.”

“It’ll take a minute,” she promised. “Your office.”

“Alright,” Martin sighed, though he seemed happy. “Just let me get someone to help our guests comfortable. Steve!”

The young man burst from the crowd, looking a bit harried. No wonder, he had been helping his uncle move supplies. That was to say, he was moving supplies while his uncle watched. Steve froze when he spotted the company, his eyes wide. At first, Sona thought it was for the obvious reason. Martin hadn’t let go of her. But then she noticed that his eyes were locked on Sara’s.

Huh? She thought.

“Steve,” Martin said. “I need you to get these nobles comfortable.”

“Steve?” Sara asked. “You work for my brother?”

“You’re the princess?”

Martin blinked in surprise. He switched his gaze between the two. “You know each other.” It wasn’t a question.

“We’ve met in the palace,” Steve admitted, actually blushing. Sona had to suppress a snicker. So, it appeared that she and Martin weren’t the only ones to hide a relationship.

“Well, then,” Martin said, trying hard not to laugh. “I’ll leave it up to you to make sure she’s comfortable. Now, if you’ll all excuse me, Sona will not stop pestering me until my arm is bandaged.”

“You better believe it,” Sona snorted, allowing him to lead her away. “Someone’s got to push you around to take care of yourself.”

People made way for them, some snickering and romantic sighing following after them. Sona knew she was blushing, and she couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes, but she was nearly bursting with joy. It didn’t matter anymore that she was a commoner and Martin was a prince. They were a couple that worked together, with each other, and cared deeply for one another. That was all that mattered.

When they got to his office, people were kind enough to give them some privacy and not wait at the door. Sona wondered just how that would last. No doubt someone would try listening in while she bandaged his arm.

Well, she thought, closing the door after they walked in, they won’t hear much. She wasn’t going to allow Martin to do any funny business.

“Shirt,” she ordered, searching one of the many traveling trunks for bandages. She leveled him a glare that told him not to argue. He took one look at her face and promptly began taking off his shirt. While he was at that, she found the bandages.

“I can’t believe you,” Martin chuckled, sitting down on the cot.

“Oh?” she asked, examining the wound. It was a clean cut, though his wandering around the tunnels had gotten some dirt in the wound. She walked over to the water basin, got a cloth wet, and returned to his side.

“That was quite a show,” Martin said, flinching a bit as she began to wash the cut. “I think Sara was going to burst when she saw it. She’s been trying to set me up with Serene for a month now. She didn’t even suspect that we could be courting.”

“I didn’t want anyone to know,” Sona said as she began to wrap his arm. “Things change.”

“What changed your mind?”

It was an honest question. She had wanted to hide their relationship for so long. Why did she finally reveal the truth? She thought about it as she finished bandaging his arm. Her eyes wandered to his back. It was as horribly scarred as she remembered, though proper light made it worse. There wasn’t much of his back that was left unmarred. It horrified her to think that anyone would inflict that pain on anyone, much less a helpless ten year old. Hesitantly, she touched his back. Martin immediately shivered and began to shift away.

“No,” she said softly. “Don’t move.” She could tell it took him a lot of effort to stay still. She ran her fingers over the scars, tears coming to her eyes. Her Martin had endured so much pain.

“I changed my mind because of this,” she whispered, putting her entire hand on his back and began rubbing. He shivered even more.

“This?” he asked, closing his eyes. “My monstrous back?”

“No,” she said gently. “Because I knew that no one else would be able to get this close to you. You’ve been hurt for so long, you just never let people close. I had to fight my way towards you. You need me. You need me because I’m the only one who understands you. I know you’ve been through a lot, and I know you’ve done everything you can to keep the past in the past.”

She continued to rub his back, feeling the harsh scars and how his muscles tightened. “And most importantly,” she went on. “I can’t bare the thought of anyone else seeing you like this.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I can’t bare the thought of anyone else this close to you.”

Martin shivered again as she kept rubbing his back. “Is that all that it took to convince you?” he asked, finally opening his eyes and looking at her. “I should have shown you my back again sooner.”

Sona chuckled, resting her head down on his shoulder. They sat there in silence for a long time. Sona knew that neither of them minded the silence. What words mattered when they were in love?

“Sona,” Martin finally said after a while. “This war is going to end soon.”

“Yes.”

He took a deep breath, taking her free hand in both of his. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Sona sat straight, looking him in the eye. “No!”

He blinked in surprise, hurt fluttering across his expression for a split second.

“No,” she repeated, less harshly. “I don’t want you to ask me that question now. Wait until the war is over.”

“Why until the war is over?” he asked, frowning.

“Because then you have a reason to survive to the end of the war.”

“I’d think I’d have more reason if I ask you know.”

“Humor me,” she said bluntly.

He smiled a bit then kissed her temple. “For you, my love, anything.”
********
Queen Abigail decided that she didn’t like being captured. True, it was only her second time, and her apartment was a much better confinement than the ballroom from last time, but she still didn’t like it. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that she wasn’t allowed to leave her apartment; she was used to being able to go where she wanted, not trapped with nothing to do.

I guess I can understand my family now, she thought, thinking of her husband and children. They all enjoyed being outside the palace. Perhaps this was how they felt when they were trapped inside all day long.

Thankfully they weren’t trapped like she was.

Terk’s takeover had been quick and precise. Abigail wouldn’t be surprised if there were hardly any casualties.

Exactly as planned.

It was after dusk of the second day of Terk’s arrival that she finally had a visitor. She was in her favorite chair, reading a book, when the door burst open. Glancing up, she saw General Terk stomp into the room, his face enraged.

“Good evening, General,” she said, not letting her uneasiness show on her face. There was a reason why Terk was called the Mad General. She much rather not let him know just how much he actually scared her.

“Where is he?” Terk demanded to know, towering over her.

“He who?” she asked, glancing down at her book.

Terk made a strangled growl and knocked the book out of her hands.

“Now listen here,” he snapped, bending down over her, his hands planted on the arms of the chair. “I don’t have time for games. Where’s your brat?”

“I don’t know,” she said darkly, feeling strangely calm. This man was the reason why her family was torn apart. Instead of fear now at him, she could only feel hate. “Why don’t you have your mages try to find him? That’s what you did at the Stand, wasn’t it?”

“Your son somehow managed to mask his powers,” Terk growled. “And none of my patrols have been able to ferret him out. Now, I’ll ask again. Where is he?”

“And I told you,” she repeated. “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me what he was going to do.”

Terk meet her eyes, searching for the truth. Abigail stared back into those black eyes, not bothering to hide her hate for him. He finally stood up, his eyes cold.

“I guess you don’t know,” he said softly, coldly. “Then I must resort to something else to pull him out into the open.” He turned on his heels and stalked out.

“Or you could wait a few days,” Abigail suggested.

Terk paused at the door. He half turned, his expression questioning. “Why?” he asked.

“You don’t think Martin would let you stay?” she asked, bending down to pick up her fallen book. “He wants you gone just as much as you want to have him gone. You’ve made your own worst enemy in Martin. You helped create what he is today.” She idly opened the book, slowly searching for her place again. “I wouldn’t want to be you when he finally comes after you.”

The door slammed shut.

Abigail smiled a bit. So, it seemed that the Mad General was scared of her son. She had suspected it, but now she had proof.

No, she wouldn’t want to be Terk when her son finally came after him.
**********
Again, I’d like to ask that you try to share this story with others. Last week, no one looked at my blog. I was very sad. But, hey, no one said getting published was going to be easy, right?

Thanks for everything! Enjoy the journey!