What Makes a King

Welcome to this week’s installment of A Hero’s Wish, in which each prince will relate their quests and a decision that needs to be made. To the story!
*********
King Cameron sat on his throne, watching with the rest of the court as his four grandsons entered. This was the first he had seen them since he had sent them out on their quests. He had refused to greet them as they came, knowing that he had to see them all at once. This was a decision for the throne. He had to be objective towards his own grandsons.

The four young men who walked in were not the same young men that had left the palace one year before. Those young men had been moody, proud, high strung, and shy. Typical for princes but not needed for a king. The four young men now were not the same.

Matthew, who had always been so high strung, seemed now strong, confident in his stride and not a hint of fear around him.

Patrick, a proud prince with a reputation, was now a scrawny wisp of a man, dressed in rags but new compassion in his eyes.

Albert, a quiet young man who let others ride over him, stood with a straight back, meeting everyone’s eye without a hint of his former self.

And Ben… A moody child who had often sought solitude over the company of others, was now solemn, gazing at everyone with a sense of duty.

They’ve learned, Cameron thought. They’ve all learned their own lessons.

Now it was time to see which one learned it the best.

The king struggled to his feet, waving aside his vassal’s aid. “Welcome, Princes of Caanom,” Cameron said, his voice carrying over the court. “Welcome home.”

A cheer erupted through the court hall. Cameron knew that some truly felt joy at seeing the princes again, others just cheered because the question of the heir was about to be decided. It had been an interesting year with the princes gone. Some had tried to take the throne while the princes were gone. All attempts had been squashed before they got out of control. Cameron wasn’t going to let anyone but one of his grandsons on the throne.

“Princes of Caanom,” he said clearly, “a year ago you were sent out on a quest, forbidden from using your title, and left to complete your quest alone. A year you’ve spent out in the world, seeking the objectives of your quest. That was a year ago. Today you have returned, either to prove victorious in your quests or to admit defeat.”

The court was filled with whispers. There had been a lot of rumors about what the princes had been doing in the last year. Their appearance now caused more speculation.

“Matthew,” Cameron said, sitting back down on his throne. “My eldest grandson. You have my permission to speak.”

Matthew bowed deeply and took a step forward from his cousins.

“King Cameron,” Matthew said, his voice confident, “people of Caanom. My quest was to find the reason for joy.” Mumbles filled the hall, obviously confused at Matthew’s quest. “To say that I was shocked by this quest would be pointless, since all of you are shock,” Matthew went on to say, his voice carrying over the mumbles. “But I would not back down from my duty. The king had given me strict instruction. For a year, I was not allowed to use my title, my features concealed, and I was to find work as a sailor.”

Even his cousins chuckled at that, joining the rest of the court in laughter. Cameron didn’t smile, though he wanted to. Matthew was a known land trotter; he was terrified of deep water and only went out on a boat if he was ordered to.

“My fear of the deep has not been vanquished,” Matthew reported, smirking himself. “However, my time spent with the sailors taught me much. I learned the workings of a ship, the importance of teamwork, and at last, I learned the reason for joy.” The court quieted down, ready to listen to the prince’s reason.

“There are many reasons for joy,” Matthew said solemnly. “And perhaps a sailor knew this more than anyone. Any day could be our last, any moment terror could strike, and for that reason many people find only sorrow in this world. However, the sailors taught me to look for the good things in life. The beauty of a sunrise, the strength of friendship, pride in your work. There are moments of good and bad. The trick, though, is to keep the good moments alive, to seek for them instead of dwelling on the bad. Bad things happen, we cannot prevent that, but we can look beyond that, to find the good and beautiful things in this world.

“Joy is everywhere,” Matthew said, smiling. “But it’s up to us to find it.” He bowed. “And so ends my quest.”

The court cheered as Matthew stepped back and joined his cousins in line. Cameron nodded in approval. So, Matthew had learned his lesson. He had always been high strung, constantly finding the bad things in life. He had finally learned joy.

“Patrick,” Cameron called once the cheering died down. “My second grandson. You have my permission to speak.”

His scrawny grandson stepped forward, bowing. “King Cameron, people of Caanom,” he stood up, his face ashen. “My quest… was to live in poverty.” The people gasped in shock. Patrick had been one who loved to live a rich life, to enjoy every pleasure and sneer down on others. Poverty was the exact opposite of what he was.

“I was unduly upset over the quest my king had given me,” Patrick explained. “I, a prince of Caanom, was told to live in the dirt and common people of the streets. I will not reveal which city my grandfather sent me to, but it was quite large and there were many living in poverty. At first, I resented my quest, what I had to go through to be picked for the throne, however, the thought of the throne kept me going.” Cameron frowned, that wasn’t what he wanted to hear from Patrick.

“However,” Patrick explained, “quickly, thoughts of the throne were pushed out of my mind as the need for survival took over my every thought. I spent most of my time living in dirt, sleeping wherever I could to get out of the elements, eating anything that was remotely editable. I soon stopped being a prince of Caanom and became just another wrench living in the streets.”

Suddenly, Patrick had tears in his eyes, his voice quivering. “It was about then, when I thought I would never survive this cruel twist of fate when someone showed me compassion.” He wiped the tears away. “It was from another wrench, an older man who had been thrown out onto the streets more times than he could remember.

“This man…” Patrick coughed to clear his throat. “He showed me, showed me more than I ever thought possible. He showed me human compassion and that sometimes, we have to be the ones to show it. I saw many people afterwards who helped those in poverty, those who worked for the good of the people.” Patrick sighed, looking up and meeting his gaze.

“I understand what my quest was truly about,” he confessed. “It wasn’t to live in poverty, it was to learn compassion, to serve my fellow human beings. I am no different from the man begging in the streets. He is not any greater or less than I am. We are all of the human race and we must bear each other up or will we will all fall.” He bowed. “And so ends my quest.”

There weren’t many dry eyes as Patrick stepped back to join his cousins. Cameron let out a soft sigh of relief. So, Patrick had learned his lesson. The proud prince had finally been brought down and now knew the importance of serving others.

“Albert,” Cameron said. “My third grandson. You have my permission to speak.”

Albert took a confident step forward. “King Cameron, people of Caanom,” he bowed low, very military in style. “My quest was to find leadership.”

That got the court mumbling questions.

“My quest was fairly simple and hard at the same time,” Albert explained. “I was to join the army and achieve the rank of captain within the year. Joining the army was easy, but to rise in rank,” he paused to chuckle. “Now, that was hard.” Cameron raised an eyebrow. Before, Albert wasn’t this confident. “I was assigned to our southern boarders, where the desert people have been harassing us.

“When I asked other soldiers how they gained rank,” Albert said, “they told me that it would take time, unless I proved myself well in serious situations. Because of this, I volunteered for many dangerous tasks, hoping for my chance to prove myself. I fought many skirmishes, endured many hardships, but not once was my efforts recognized. I had thought that the quest my grandfather had sent me on was set up for me to fail.” He paused, standing proudly.

“But that is not the case. King Cameron was wise to put such a hard task before me. It was only recently that I finally became a captain. And I learned many things about leadership, how to delegate responsibility, to take responsibility, and how sometimes, you have you listen to yourself than others.

“Leadership is something that I’ve never had before,” Albert concluded. “Something I did not understand, but now, I do. It’s a great and terrible thing, one that someone should not abuse or use rashly. People follow their leaders and a leader must never take advantages of it.” He bowed before the court. “Thus I end my quest.”

The cheers were enthusiastic and Cameron nodded his head in approval. Albert had always let others ride over him, letting himself to be pushed aside. But now the young prince had learned to stand up for himself.

“Benjamin,” Cameron said once the cheering faded. “My youngest grandson, you have my permission to speak.”

Benjamin took a step forward, his expression revealing nothing of his inner thoughts. It was a skill he had learned in his youth, to cover his bitter feelings. Cameron wondered just what his grandson was hiding behind that expression.

“King Cameron,” Benjamin said, then turned to gaze at the rest of the court, “people of Caanom, I am here today to admit that I did not complete my quest.”

Gasps filled the hall as Cameron sat forward in his throne. He hadn’t completed his task? Of all his grandsons, he knew Benjamin would have the hardest time completing his, knowing there was a chance that he wouldn’t complete it. Oh, he had hoped, but he guessed that was asking for too much.

“My quest,” Benjamin continued, once the mutters of surprise died down, “was to find my father, Trenton the Hero.” He paused long enough for another round of mutters. “Or at least, find his grave.

“I went to the Caanom Stronghold,” Benjamin reported. “To the last place my father had been seen. I got there and met up with a professor who helped me figure out that my father might be hiding in a town where news did not reach. With this information, I wandered up into the northern mountains.” He started to touch his nose. That made Cameron smile a bit. Well, that habit of his didn’t seem to go away during his time away. Not that the king thought it would.

“There I had been attacked by robbers and they were about to kill me when a hermit came to my rescue.” Benjamin suddenly became very solemn, a new sort of sorrow and pain in his expression. “He took me in and had me work for my stay while I tried to get enough money to return. It was while I was there that I met several old soldiers, men who had fought in the wars.

“These men,” Benjamin said softly, “they had fought bravely in the wars and paid a terrible price for the peace we now enjoy. The price,” he said, looking up to lock eyes with his king, “was that of their own peace.”

Cameron sat back in his throne, not looking away. So, Benjamin had learned a completely different lesson than he had intended. He had wanted his youngest grandson to learn that he was different from his father, that he could forge his own way.

But this seemed more important to Benjamin.

“We have heroes who are still suffering,” Benjamin said to the court, “men who feel as if they cannot return to face the horrors that we forced upon them.” He shook his head. “I learned that a price has been paid for peace and that a duty had been done. Those men have done their job and now it is up to us of the new generation to keep the peace that our fathers have fought to have. It is now up to us to take on the duty of peace.”

He bowed. “And thus… I have both failed and completed my quest.”

No one said anything as Benjamin took a step back, everyone surprised by the sound of resolution and determination in the young prince’s voice. Cameron also took a moment to pick through the young man’s words.

He’s grown so, Cameron thought, much more than his cousins. His three oldest grandsons had learned to change something of themselves, to realize their own weaknesses and change them. Benjamin, though, did not seek to change his weakness, of being labeled as the bastard son of a hero. It didn’t even worry him.

His concern was for the people, even those who had run away.

Cameron took his time to stand back up, allowing the court time to get the mummers and rumors in before he spoke.

“People of Caanom,” he said loudly, “you have heard the reports of your princes. The time has come for me to decide.” He paused, his face hardened. “However, I do need time to consider all that my grandsons have said. Therefore, I will announce tomorrow who I will pick as my heir.”

There were grumbles, but no loud protests. Everyone must have suspected it; the princes were in no condition to receive anything. All of them still looked travel worn.

“Tonight,” Cameron announced, “we will have a feast celebrating the return of our princes!”

This got cheers out of the crowd. Everyone loved a good party. His grandsons, however, looked less than thrilled. Cameron was sure that each of them wanted at least another week to get their strength back.

But he wasn’t going to allow that. He had questions he wanted to ask each of his grandsons in private. A party was just the place to do it.
************
Ben knew that the party had another motive, but he didn’t know what it was. As usual, his cousins were the center of attention, basking in the adoration of their peers. A bit of their old selves started to show up, Matt as the calm oldest prince, Pat enjoying the socializing of the nobles, and Al gravely listening to everyone’s patter. Ben stood away from his cousins, trying to stay out of sight.

It somewhat worked. He couldn’t stop people from staring at him strangely though.

No one approached him, which didn’t surprise him. He had told the entire kingdom that he had failed his quest. No one wanted to hear the adventures of a failure; they wanted to hear about Matt’s time at sea, or Pat’s new view of humanity, or Al’s time in the army. To hear a bastard report on failing did not appeal to anyone.

And that was just fine with Ben. He didn’t want to talk about it.

I wonder what dad’s doing, he thought, keeping mostly to the walls of the ballroom. He gazed at it, knowing that his father and mother had met in this very hall. Marie’s diary provided very vivid details of that encounter and the subsequent argument that had followed. That made Ben smile a bit. Now having known his dad, he wasn’t surprised that the Hero and his mother argued. Rob wasn’t the type to listen to stupid things.

“Prince Benjamin?”

Ben turned in surprise to find his grandfather’s personal assistant behind him.

“Yes?” he asked.

The assistant bowed. “Your grandfather wishes to speak with you privately. If you will follow me.”

Frowning, Ben followed after the man, wondering what this could be about. He glanced back to the party, realizing that his cousins had all disappeared at one time or another during the ball.

He wants to talk to us privately, he realized. The party was just a cover to keep nosy nobles out of it.

The assistant led him to a nearby room, bowing out of the way to let him in. Ben entered alone, his eyes quickly focusing on the one candleholder that provided light. His grandfather sat next to the candles, seeking the flames for something. Ben closed the door softly.

“You summoned me?” he asked, not bothering bowing. The king was still his grandfather. He had no intention of forgetting that.

“Ah, Benjamin,” his grandfather chuckled, turning to smile at him. “I’m glad you’re back. It’s been quite lonely without you here.”

I bet dad’s thinking the same thing.

“You survived,” Ben said, walking up to him, noticing that there wasn’t another chair. “I’m back, no harm done.”

“Hum,” Cameron said, keeping his hard gaze on him, now searching for something in his face. “You said you failed your quest. You found nothing of your father?”

Ben almost reached for Gift hidden in his suit. He had promised his father that he would never be without it. Instead, he reached for his nose, stroking it like he always did when he thought about the Hero.

“It was an impossible task,” he said softly. “Find someone that no one could track for the last twenty years? What chance did I have?”

For a moment, Cameron didn’t say anything, frowning. “But you met up with a professor,” he mumbled. “And you came up with a plan to visit towns where news did not reach. Why? Why that sort of place?”

Ben shrugged. “If Trenton knew about me, then he would have come out of hiding and come for me.”

“Perhaps,” Cameron said, unconvinced. “He didn’t like nobles. Why come for a prince?”

Ben snorted. “What difference would that have made? I’m his son. Family is important to him.”

Cameron shot to his feet, his eyes wide. “Family is important?” he breathed. Ben bit his tongue, realizing his mistake.

“You found him,” Cameron nearly hissed. “You found Trenton! You found the Hero!” The king slammed his fist on the table, shaking the candlestick and nearly knocking it over.

“You lied!” he snapped, taking a step forward, forcing Ben back. “You lied to me! You lied to the court!” Though old and nearly a foot shorter than him, Cameron suddenly took on his kingly mantle, seemingly standing over him in rage and authority.

“Why Benjamin?” he demanded to know, shaking with anger. “Why lie?”

Ben flinched. No one ever disobeyed his grandfather when he was in this mood. “Because,” he said softly, “he didn’t want to come back.”

Cameron blinked, still scowling. “What?” he asked.

“My dad,” Ben repeated, “didn’t want to come back.” He took a deep breath, steadying himself. He had to explain to his grandfather why he lied and about keeping Rob’s existence a secret.

“I didn’t lie about those men in the mountains,” he said calmly. “There are people up there who are trying to forget the war and the peace that had been taken from them. My dad… He’s no different from them. Yes, he was the prophesied hero, but that didn’t mean that he was different from them. He did his duty, he did as the prophecy said and defeated the Tyrant.

“And he’s up there now,” he went on, noticing that his grandfather’s gaze hadn’t changed a bit. “He’s just trying to forget. We shouldn’t ask any more of him.”

“Benjamin,” Cameron said in a warning tone. “You realize what Trenton can do if he returned? So many problems can be fixed.”

Ben snorted. “Really?” he asked. “By a farm boy?”

Cameron blinked in surprise.

“He’s the hermit who saved me,” Ben explained. “I’ve worked with him and saw just how much care and attention he gives to his property.” He shook his head. “Dad never liked nobles because he only saw their greedy waste. At his very center, he’s still a farmer, someone who cares about the land and his own work. Politics will drive him nuts.”

“And what about you?” Cameron asked, his tone still harsh. “You’ve never liked politics either.”

Ben shrugged. “Yes,” he agreed. “I don’t like it, but I’ve been raised to it, at your own knee. I came back because you might pick me as king.”

Cameron suddenly took a step back. “Wait,” he said, frowning. “You came back because I might pick you? I thought you didn’t want the throne.”

“I don’t,” Ben admitted. “But I have a duty. My dad, everyone who fought in the wars, they’ve done what was asked of them. They’ve done their work, now it’s up to us, my cousins and I, to keep the peace they won.” He sighed, bowing his head.

“The Great Kings told me that I would make a good king,” he confessed. “They told me that I would make a grave mistake if I didn’t return. I came back because it’s my duty as a prince of Caanom to be here for the kingdom. If that means being the king, then so be it.”

He looked up, locking eyes with his shocked grandfather. “I’ve a duty here,” he said seriously. “My dad has no duty here. But that duty has now passed to me. That’s why I came back.”

“Then you knew,” Cameron breathed. “You knew when you were lying that you might never see your father again, if I gave you the throne.”

Ben flinched again. “We talked it over before I left,” he said softly. “We both know it might happen. We’ve both accepted it.”

“Leave,” Cameron said, his tone devoid of any emotion. “Leave so that I may think.”

Ben sighed but left and returned to the party, not knowing if his grandfather understood or would expose the truth.

I’m sorry, dad, he silently said to his father. I tried the best that I can.

And he knew his dad would understand.
**********
Cameron collapsed on his chair, exhausted from his confrontation with Benjamin.

He found Trenton, he kept thinking. And he lied about it.

And yet…

“Well?” His attendant came into the candlelight. He had been hiding in the shadows with each interview he had with his grandsons. Cameron trusted this man’s judgments and advice.

He needed that advice now.

“I can’t believe Prince Benjamin,” huffed the attendant said. “Lying about his father like that. He of all people should have been the one trying to get Trenton back to us.”

“Instead,” the king said softly, “he honored his father’s wish and lied.” He shook his head. “Benjamin has grown so.”

“All of them have,” the attendant pointed out. “Each of their quests has forced them to grow up. Picking which one to be king will be hard.”

“Not really,” Cameron whispered. “I’ve already made my decision.”

This surprised the man. “Who?” he asked.

“There’s only one of my grandsons who put others before him,” Cameron said quietly. “Benjamin has learned that he has to put his own needs and wants aside for the good of the people. He even came back when he wanted to stay with his father…” He glanced up to stare at the door that his grandsons had left through. “Benjamin is the clear choice.”

“You’ll pick Prince Benjamin?” the attendant said, shocked. “But… He’s the bastard! He even lied about finding his father!”

“A lie to respect the wishes of his father,” Cameron pointed out. “I cannot blame him for that. And besides, he did come back because he thought I might pick him.” With a groan, he struggled to his feet. “Tomorrow, I will tell the people that Benjamin will be king.”
**********
Too bad that you’ll have to wait until next week for “tomorrow’s” grand reveal. I hope you’ve been enjoying reading this novel. I had a lot of fun writing it. A nice small break from what else I’ve written in the past. It is time for me to start broadening my writing anyway.

Enjoy the Journey!

Back to Caanom

Yeah, sorry about not posting yesterday. I’m back at Life Care to work until I can find a job that uses my degree. First day back and they had me work a double shift…Sigh. I want a real job.

Enough of my complaining. To the story!
**********
A decision had to be made. He didn’t want to make it, but he had to come to a decision before the week was out. Rob was out finishing something or other and the Great Kings were out patrolling the land. However, one was still with him. As Ben understood it, the Great Kings were connected and could communicate with each other despite the distance between them.

He was glad that only one of them was there.

“Hey,” he said, looking up from his project. Rob had left the dishes for him to wash again. “Could I ask you a question?”

“You already did,” teased the King. “But sure. What would you like to know?”

“Well,” Ben said, scrubbing a pot, “I need some advice.”

The King raised a ghostly eyebrow. “Oh?”

“It’s about my quest,” he said softly.

“You want to know if you should go back.”

Ben stared in surprise at the ghost. The King smiled kindly.

“There’s no need to hide the question from us. Our friend has been worrying over what you are going to do. Your quest was to find him. And you have. But what will you do now? Will you ask him to return to the capital? Will you respect his wish and let him stay here? He’ll do what you ask, but he may not like what you ask for.”

Ben stared down at the soapy water. “I wasn’t going to ask Rob to come back with me,” he said softly. “I know he ran away from the memories and that he only wants to go back to his peaceful life. And mom is buried here. I don’t want to rip them apart.” He sighed. “But I don’t know if I want to go back.”

“Really?” the King sounded surprised.

“I like being with dad,” Ben told him. “It’s hard work, yes, but I’ve gotten to know my dad. That’s worth more to me than anything.” He moaned. “I know that grandfather wants me back in the capital, but dad’s here. I can’t live both lives.”

“Hum,” the King said, thoughtful. “That is a problem for you isn’t it. How much longer do you have to decide?”

“By the end of the week,” Ben admitted.

“Have you considered all the factors?”

Ben frowned. “What all factors? Return to the capital, a bastard prince, to tell everyone that I don’t want the kingship. Or do I stay here and be with my father, a man I greatly admire?”

“You’re making it sound like you have no choice,” the King said blandly, “but I think you failed to point out the advantages for going back to the capital.”

“What advantages?”

“Do you really see yourself living the rest of your existence in these mountains?”

Ben flinched.

The King snorted. “I thought so. You’re a city creature, Ben, born and breed. This is no place for you, even if your father does live here.”

“Then you say I should go back?” Ben asked, a bit annoyed.

The King shrugged, an odd sight considering his old armor and transparency. “It’s nice that you want to stay with your dad but… our friend has been alone a long time. You’ve notice how awkward he acts around you, and you’re his own son. He’s been the happiest here than we’ve seen him anywhere else.

“You on the other hand,” he said, pointing at him. “You have a hard time of it out here. Farm work doesn’t suit you. You’ve been here for little over two months and you still haven’t gotten used to our life.” Ben flinched. That was far too true.

“And have you considered the good of the kingdom?”

“Good of the kingdom?” Ben repeated. “I’ve heard that all my life, even done my part. I’ve saved my grandfather from assassins, I’ve kept my mouth shut, I’ve gone to court and played politics… I’ve done what’s good for the kingdom.”

“And what if you’re the one heir who will be the best king?”

Ben didn’t answer.

“We Great Kings judge character all the time,” the ghost pointed out. “You would make a good king, Benjamin. A great king if you worked hard enough. And your father thinks so too.”

Ben blushed with embarrassment. The Great Kings thought that he would make a good king? His father also thought so?

“You have to be wrong,” Ben said, dropping the dishes into the soapy water. “I’m not even a good prince! I’m the bastard! No one wants me on the throne!”

“Then why did your grandfather send you out on this quest if you think that you wouldn’t be on the throne?”

There was no answer for that.

“Your grandfather is a very wise man,” the ghost went on to say. “I and the others were impressed by him when we met him before. He knew what it meant to be a king and he obviously taught those things to you.”

Ben paled. All those times he sat at his grandfather’s knee, listened to the old man’s stories and lessons… He had learned about how to be a king since he was little.

“I don’t know your cousins,” the great king went on to say, “but I do know you. King Cameron has a hard decision on his hands to pick one of you. He wouldn’t have sent you out on these quests if he thought you wouldn’t come back.

“Can you live with yourself, Ben, if you didn’t return? To live out the rest of your life knowing that you let your kingdom, your grandfather, yourself down? Yes, your father is here, yes you enjoy his company and want to stay longer with him, but you are a grown man, one who has lived as a prince.” The ghost shook his head. “I don’t honestly think that you can stay here. You’ll only be hurting yourself.”

Ben groaned, bowing his head, his eyes closed as tears came. The Great King was right. He wouldn’t be able to stay. He had known it all along. He had to go back to the capital.

“Will my dad understand?” he asked softly.

“More than you know.”

Ben spun around. Rob stood silently just inside the door, his expression both sad and hard.

“I too had been torn from my own desires at life,” Rob sighed, coming up beside him. “Destiny pulls us all in ways that we don’t want to go, but we just have to follow and enjoy what life will bring us. For the short time I’ve had your mother, I would have never known her if not for destiny. Nor would I have you now. I don’t regret what I had to go through to get that.”

He sighed deeply, putting his hand on his shoulder. “But my time has now past. And you are a grown man. You need to fulfill your own density, whatever it brings.”

Ben said nothing, overwhelmed by what was crashing around him. He really had no choice but to go back. Not only would his grandfather be disappointed in him, he would never be able to live with himself.

He wasn’t like the other men in these mountains. He couldn’t run away from the life he knew, the world he belonged to. He was a Prince of Caanom. His duty was to the kingdom. His father’s duty was finished. His, Prince Benjamin, had just begun.
*************
“Before you go, I want to give you something.”

Ben looked up from his breakfast dishes, surprised by his dad’s pronouncement.

“You want to give me something?” he repeated. “What do you want to give me?”

Rob half smiled. “You were a fool to come up here without any weapons. I’m not about to send you back out without being prepared.”

Curious, Ben helped finish cleaning up breakfast, quickly watered the field, then followed Rob to another glen close by. It wasn’t the same one his mother was buried, but very similar in size and flowers. He immediately noticed the round targets on the other end of the meadow.

“I hope you’re not going to teach me how to use a bow and arrow,” he mumbled. “I’ve never been too good at that.”

Rob snorted. “Like I’d teach my son to use one of those primitive weapons. No, I’m going to teach you to shoot this.” He held out a small version of his rifle, a puny thing that could fit in a large pocket.

“What’s this?” Ben asked, taking it.

“It’s called a handgun,” Rob answered. “I developed it out here after the wars. My rifle is a bit large and gets a lot of stares if I take it anywhere. This thing, I can hide in my things and then use it if the need arise. I haven’t had chance to use it other than for practice, but I think it’ll do better in your hands than mine.”

Ben held the weapon up, unsure. “You sure you want to give this to me?” he asked. “I’m a prince surrounded by guards…”

“Guards can’t stop everything,” Rob said bitterly. “If worse comes to worse, I want you to be able to protect yourself. This is the best way to do so.”

Ben took a deep breath. This was a precious gift from his father, one that only he could give him. He shouldn’t turn it down.

“I’ll teach you how to use it before you go,” Rob promised. “Starting today.” He pointed down at the target. “Once you’ve managed to hit that, we’ll end for the day.”

Ben took a deep breath. It was time to learn. If learning to use this thing would put his father’s mind at ease about his up coming journey, then so be it.
*********
It was time for Ben to leave. Rob had tried hard not to think of it, even during the shooting lessons, but not thinking about it did not prolong the inevitable. Ben didn’t belong in these mountains. As a prince, he belonged to his kingdom. Ben had other duties, another life he belonged to.

Telling himself that didn’t help either.

The day came and they were both very subdued. Nothing much was said as they ate breakfast, cleaned up, and the final packing began. Ben’s horse had been restored to health by the kid’s careful hand. Rob was glad for that. While he knew animals and how to care for them, he knew more about cows, chickens, and donkeys. If the horse had been under his care, then the poor beast would have died.

Together, they packed the remaining supplies and all too soon, Ben was set to go.

“You have everything?” Rob asked. Ben smirked at him.

“For the tenth time, yes,” he chuckled. He patted his side pocket. “I’ve even got Gift with me.”

Rob also smirked. Ben had decided to call the handgun Gift. An appropriate name.

“And your money?”

Ben pointed at his boots. “It’s uncomfortable,” he admitted, “but it’s hidden. I don’t think anyone is going to rob me on my way back.”

“We can only hope,” Rob sighed. “I guess then…” He couldn’t finish.

“Yeah,” Ben muttered softly. They stood silently for a long time, saying nothing but wanting to say everything.

“I’ll try to come visit,” Ben promised. “I’ll be discrete so no one will follow me here.”

Rob nodded. Ben didn’t have to say it, but the prince had already made the decision to not tell the court that he had actually found his famous father.

This kid is very wise, Rob thought. Wiser than I’ve ever been.

“Don’t push it,” he warned. “You might become king and you won’t be able to get away.”

Ben snorted. “I doubt I’ll become king. I have three older cousins who are far more qualified than I am.”

“You never know,” Rob pointed out. “Don’t let your cousins push you around.”

“Alright,” Ben weakly chuckled. “I should go.”

Rob just nodded, a lump in his throat suddenly making it hard to talk. “Good journey,” he managed to croak out. “Son.”

Ben jumped slightly at the word. He stared at him with wide, tearful eyes. Without warning, he grabbed him in a hug, hanging on tightly. Rob returned the hug, closing his eyes against tears. He badly wanted his son to stay. Ben had been more than just a long lost son. He had been a balm to the pain, actual proof that he had done some good in this world. His only legacy won’t be that he killed a tyrant. No, his legacy would be this young man, a wonderful young man who he was proud to call his son.

“Goodbye, dad.”

Rob couldn’t stop the tears then.

Reluctantly, Ben pulled away and mounted his horse. He constantly looked back as he rode off, similar tears streaming down his cheeks. Rob just stood there, his heart wrenching as he watched Ben disappear into the forest, traveling back to the home he belonged to.

“I’m going to miss him.” The Great Kings materialized around him, also watching the boy’s departure.

“I still think he’ll make a good king.”

“He’s needed back home.”

“Still… Life seems a little empty without him.”

Just a little? Rob silently asked. Life had been empty before we met. Now… I know that life has a lot more meaning. The void that had been his life before had been filled by Ben. With Ben gone, the void was back and it hurt.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?” he asked softly.

“Of course,” one King snorted. “He got really good with that Gift of his.”

“And he is a sweet talker,” a second pointed out.

“He’ll talk his way out of anything.”

“We shouldn’t worry.”

“But we do,” Rob said softly. The Great Kings fell into silence. It was the truth. They all worried about the kid.

“I guess there isn’t much I can do,” Rob sighed, turning to his cabin. “I won’t ever stop worrying about my kid.”

It was only right for a father to worry about his only child.
***********
Ben sat in his chambers at the castle, looking out the window at the bright day. He had arrived a week earlier than his deadline, but his grandfather had taken him back in, on the condition that he talked with no one and stayed out of sight.

Ben didn’t mind that.

Knock.

“Come in.”

The door opened and his personal servant walked in. Although he wasn’t supposed to talk to anyone, his grandfather had provided him with a servant to attend to his needs and inform him of news.

“Your cousin Albert has arrived,” he announced, bowing low to him.

“So all of us are back,” Ben said blandly, continuing to stare out the window. It was such a nice day. He wished he was out, riding his horse. As always, he focused north, back to the mountains. Back to his father.

I miss him.

“The court will hear from all of you in one hour,” the servant informed him. “Your king wishes for you to come and report on your quest. Do not bother changing. His Majesty would like all of you to appear without time to groom.”

My cousins won’t like that, Ben thought. He wasn’t the first to arrive back to the capital, Matt had beaten him by an hour. Pat had arrived a few days after him, quickly whisked away like his cousins before the court could see him. Not even Ben had the chance to meet up with his cousins.

It’s all an act, he thought, ignoring the servant as he left. Grandfather wants a grand revelation, a great play, for the court to see.

Maybe he thought the theatrics were a bit much, but Ben understood what his grandfather was doing. The court was going to see princes brought low by the lessons of their quests. They had to see the change in the princes themselves.

And so did King Cameron.

Once they had made their report, the king would decide which one of them was going to get the throne. It was as simple as that.

So much trouble for one over gilded chair, Ben sighed.

But others sought that throne. Wars have been fought, blood had been split, fighting had raged over a single position in the kingdom. It was the highest in the land. With the crown on, a person could change the world.

There’s so much power with the throne, Ben knew. Grandfather doesn’t want someone to abuse it.

The Great Kings had said that he would make a good king, a great one if he worked hard enough. Ben thought they were wrong, but he couldn’t easily dismiss their words.

What if grandfather picks me? Ben wondered, staring north towards the mountains. What am I going to do? He had said that he never wanted the throne, it had never been his ambition, but what if that was what his grandfather wanted? To put on the throne a man who didn’t want it?

It’s why he sent me on the quest, Ben thought with a sigh. He had seen the cost of winning the peace their lands now enjoyed. He knew it was up to the new generation to keep the peace.

He wanted me to see that. Then, if he offered the throne to me, I won’t refuse.

If the only way to keep the peace of the land was by giving him the throne, then so be it. His father, fathers of nearly everyone he knew, had all fought for the peace. It was now his duty to keep that peace.

On the throne, he would do that.

“Grandfather,” Ben mumbled under his breath, “you’re a sneaky one. You’ve backed me into a corner.” He sighed. Backed into a corner for the throne and only his grandfather could release him from that corner.

“Your Highness?”

Ben turned to find that the servant had returned with four guards. “It’s time.”

Ben took a deep breath and stood.

It was time to see if he was released or crowned.
************
Next time: the princes relate their tales and what they learned. Enjoy the journey!

Reconsolidation

Poor Ben; his father just called him a bastard prince. Poor Rob; he’s realized he abandoned a son. Things might be just a bid awkward. To the story!
*********
Ben felt his soul had been split. His own father called him a bastard prince? Then ran off? What were you expecting? He silently asked himself. For him to accept you with open arms?

He couldn’t fool himself though. That was exactly what he had been expecting.

“You shouldn’t be so down.”

Ben snapped out of his pain and noticed that the Great Kings were still with him.

“What?” he asked, still in a daze.

“Our friend has been greatly hurt by this news,” one of the Great Kings said, floating up beside him and putting a ghostly hand on his shoulder.

“He had thought no one would care if he disappeared,” another said.

“He honestly thought no one was waiting for him.”

“But here you are. A son that had been waiting.”

“I am not following you,” Ben said truthfully.

“Trenton has seen so much death,” said the one with his hand on his shoulder. “Marie’s death was the hardest though. She was the only woman he came to care for, the only one who really came close to him after his family was murdered.”

“He ran away to get away from everyone. And the pain. His destiny had been fulfilled. Why should he have stayed?”

“We had agreed with him at the time, knowing that he would only be reminded of the loss of everyone he cared for if he had stayed. We had no idea… About you.”

“If he had known of you, he would have stayed.”

“That’s why he ran off now. You’re a new pain. He regrets that he wasn’t there for you.”

“So you’re saying,” Ben said, switching his gaze between the Great Kings, “that he ran off because he’s… he’s afraid to face me?”

“Essentially.”

“Give him time though. He’ll come back. We’re most certain that he will.”

Ben gazed off in the direction that his father had ran off. “I hope you’re right,” he said softly. “I want to get to know him.”
**********
Rob wandered around the forest for hours, his emotions and thoughts still too raw and fresh for him to even consider trying to face Ben again.

To face his son again.

A son, the thought repeated in his mind. I have a son.

That was why Marie looked so happy as she tried to reach him. That was why she was smiling as she died in his arms.

A son.

This was why fate had brought them together. A cruel trick.

A son.

Rob couldn’t stop his tears. Marie just wanted to let him know that he had become a father. That was all. He was a fool to love her. Everyone around him had gotten hurt, he always pushed them away before that could happen. It was a lonely life but it was the only way he knew to protect anyone who might come close. But Marie… She slipped through the cracks and he fell in love with her. It was heart wrenching when she died. He didn’t even stop to listen to her vassals who came with her.

I should have stayed, he thought, his feet dragging him back to his cabin. I should have stayed and learned about Ben.

A son.

It was nearing evening when he finally found some courage to go back to the cabin. Ben was sure to be there. The kid had no place else to go. He paused at the door, listening as the Great Kings talked with his son.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ben was saying. “That’s considered one of the Hero’s greatest victories.”

“Ha! He stumbled around in those tunnels for ages and got lucky when he stumbled on their secret lair.”

“A lot of Trenton’s victories were mere luck,” laughed one of them. “He has more luck on his side than skill.”

“Don’t say that. He started learning before too much longer. Towards the end, it was his wits and skills that won more than luck.”

Luck? Rob silently asked. Luck that I abandoned my son?

But fate had brought them together at last. Perhaps this was what fate had in store for him, to remind him of his past and just how often he had failed.

Standing out here isn’t going to make this any easier, he reasoned. Still, it took a few deep breaths and steeling his nerves to open the door. Inside was just as he expected. Ben sat at the table, surrounded by the Great Kings. The ghosts were very picky when it came to humans and they would only converse with those they liked. They had taken an immediate liking to Ben.

They all fell silent as he entered, each turning to him with an unreadable expressions.

“We’ll go,” one of the Kings said. In an instant, they were all gone, leaving him alone with his son.

My son.

He stared at Ben, uncertain what to say or do. He had never been good with kids. He’s not a kid though, he reminded himself. Ben has to be twenty about now.

Ben continued to sit there, his expression a mask that he couldn’t see through. That must have been something he had learned from his grandfather, King Cameron. A prince had to learn to hide their expressions in court. He was a prince…

“I’m sorry,” Rob finally blurted out.

Ben frowned. “About what?”

“Calling you a bastard,” he grumbled softly. “I shouldn’t have said it.”

Ben snorted. “I’ve been called a bastard all my life. Trust me, I’m used to it.”

Rob shook his head. “That’s still no excuse. It’s still not something I should have said.”

For a long moment, Ben didn’t say anything. “Thanks,” he finally said softly. “Many people don’t apologize.”

He’s had a hard life, Rob thought, still uncertain what to do about Ben now. He’s told me before. He’s been pawned off onto servants… been called a bastard all his life… And I left him all to that.

“Still a shock, isn’t it?”

Rob blinked. Ben lifted a corner of his mouth in a smile. “To be honest,” he continued, “I’m in shock myself.” He turned his head away. “I’ve believed that you were dead for so long… Everyone has. To find you alive…” He sighed. “A lot of things suddenly don’t make sense.”

Rob knew that feeling. His world was wrenched in so many directions when his family had been killed, then when Marie was murdered. Nothing made sense. Nothing seemed right. A solid fact, a point of his strength, was suddenly gone and he was left to pick up the broken pieces.

“Marie…” A lump appeared in his throat. He coughed to clear it out. “Marie called you after my father…”

Ben turned around again. “Yes,” he chuckled. “My grandfather wasn’t too happy about a common name for one of his grandsons, but my mother insisted. She hoped that you would approve.”

Rob somehow managed a weak chuckle. “In truth? If I had learned back then, before she died, I would have been too excited about having a child than what she called him.” He tried to smile. “But I’m glad. It’s a good name, it suits you.”

Ben’s checks colored with embarrassment. “Thanks,” he muttered, turning away.

What’s he embarrassed for? Rob wondered, walking over to the table and sitting next to his son. It’s probably because he’s never had a father’s praise before.

That thought really cut him to the center.

“Ben,” he sighed. “I’m so sorry. That I wasn’t there for you… If I had known…”

“That’s what brought me here.”

Rob frowned. “What?” he asked.

Ben turned to him again. “I told you I was on a quest. My grandfather needs to confer the throne onto one of his four grandsons. He gave my cousins and I each our own quests to complete. Mine was to find you.”

“Find me?” Rob repeated. “Why find me?” He started to get a sinking feeling. Had Cameron sent his grandson out to find him so that he would return? That was something Rob had no intention to do.

“To put my mind a rest,” Ben answered blandly, propping his elbow on the table and his fist on his face. “Or so he told me. He said it was for my own benefit than actually finding you.”

“To put your mind a rest?” Rob asked, raising an eyebrow. “Somehow… That doesn’t sound like your grandfather.”

“Oh,” Ben agreed readily, “my grandfather had another motive. I’ve finally figured that one out.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I went to the Stronghold, where you finally killed the Tyrant. I met up with a professor and we both figured that you had gone to some place where news of the outside world would never reach you. Because, if news had reached you, you would have learned of me and came out.”

That professor knows me too well. He would have. Curse the Great Kings, but if he had known about his son, he would have come out of hiding.

“That’s what sent me out here,” Ben finished. “Rumors tell of towns up in these mountains that news never reach.” He started to chuckle. “And we were right.”

“Yeah,” Rob grumbled. “Well then, what now? You’ve found me… however by accident. What do you intend to do?”

Ben didn’t answer, looking intensely at his face. Rob wanted to flinch under his searching eyes. Marie often wore that look when she tried to pull an answer out of him. It was both nerve wracking and comforting to know that Ben had inherited something from his mother.

“I don’t know,” Ben finally said. “I was just told to find you or your grave. Nothing about what to do when I finally found you.”

“Inconvenient,” Rob muttered. “Your grandfather is a tricky person.”

“I think he’s quite clever, actually,” Ben disagreed. “That other motive I mentioned? My grandfather wanted me to know just how hard everyone had fought for peace and that its now up to us to keep that peace.” He smiled. “I actually just figured that out before the bear attacked me.”

“Was that why you were sulking?” Rob asked. “I’ve had at least one King keeping an eye on you. They said you were sulking.”

Ben sat up. “Really?” he asked. “You’ve had them watch me?” He held up a hand. “Don’t answer. But… Yeah. I was sulking as I was figuring that one out.” He began to lightly finger his nose again.

“Fascinated with your nose or something?” Rob asked. Well, Ben was his son. They should try to get to know one another.

Ben immediately took his hand away, quickly hiding it behind his back as he blushed. “Sorry,” he muttered. “They’ve been trying to break me of that habit for years.”

“There are worse habits out there,” Rob pointed out.

“Yeah,” Ben muttered. “But… Well, it is a very distinct nose. For a long time, it’s all that linked me to you.”

Oh, that remark hurt.

I shouldn’t have left, Rob thought, staring regretfully at his son. I shouldn’t have left him. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t known. Ben was his son. He deserved more than just a famous father who vanished.

“I’ve always been quite proud of my nose,” Rob said. “I was very sorry when I had to break it.”

“What?” Ben asked, sitting up. “You broke your nose?”

Rob nodded. “Once I decided that I was going into hiding, I broke it so no one would recognize me. Everyone always focused on my nose. If I didn’t have it, no one would see me.”

“That’s true,” Ben agreed. “Grandfather gave me a medallion to make people forget my features even as they looked at me.” He touched his nose again. “It kept my nose hidden.”

It did a good job, Rob thought to himself. It kept him from immediately recognizing himself in the kid.

But now the medallion was gone and the truth out. They talked long into the night, talking of anything that came to their minds. Rob slowly relaxed as he talked with his son. Ben was very easy to talk to, placing him at ease as only a practiced prince could do. Rob didn’t mind though. It was nice to learn more about his son.

However, in the back of his mind, he had a new troubling question brewing. Now that he knew about his son, what was he supposed to do next?
*********
As usual, he woke up to the smell of Rob’s cooking. Ben didn’t say anything as he woke up, still just a bit surprised by everything that had happened.

He really is alive. Rob was actually Trenton the Hero but… He wasn’t at all like he imagined his father would be like. Oh, there were some things that he expected about him, but other things were completely different.

“You’re awake.”

Ben blinked in surprise. “How did you know?” he asked, sitting up in his bed.

“We told him.”

Ben was suddenly surrounded by the Great Kings. They smiled at him.

“They’re all snoops,” Rob explained, placing the food on the table. “Can’t get away with anything with them around. They probably watched us last night as we talked.”

The Great Kings sighed. “He has no faith in us.”

“He doesn’t trust us, you mean,” corrected one.

“That’s not quite it,” argued a second. “He trusts us completely, even to snoop around.”

“He knows us too well.”

Ben was still a bit uneasy around these ghosts. They did like to talk though, so he put up with the chatter.

“What?” one King asked, seeing his expression.

“You’re not what I expected,” he said honestly. “You Great Kings. I was expecting a solemn group of poltergeists who scared people.”

“Oh,” Rob laughed, “they’ll scare people. But not often. If anything, they’re all softies.”

“Except for those who try to hurt us,” huffed one. “Like that Sarries.”

That’s right, Ben remembered. These Kings had been trapped by the Tyrant for years. They vowed to do Trenton’s bidding when he freed them.

“We don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Rob pointed out. “We live a peaceful life here. No one is trying to kill us.”

“A relief indeed,” a second agreed.

Even the Great Kings wanted to get away? Ben wondered.

“We know that look!” one said, pointing at him. “Yes! We wanted a peaceful life too!”

“It’s hard for anyone to imagine,” a third said, shuttering. “We spent hundreds of years trapped by the Tyrant.”

“We were in darkness,” shivered the fourth. “No one… There was no one but my own thoughts, my own fears… It nearly broke all of us.”

“But Trenton freed us. We vowed to serve him because of his service. He literally saved us.”

“Yet, because of us, he has suffered many terrible things.”

“When he proposed that we all run away, we agreed.”

“It was the least we could do, after what trouble we’ve caused him.”

Ben stared in amazement. Oh, he knew the story well enough, but history didn’t often make mention of what the Great Kings were like. Scholars had always made the Kings seem distant and powerful, beings not of this world and didn’t understand it. They had vowed to help Trenton because he freed them.

This was the first Ben had heard that they vowed to him because he saved them.

“A lot of people forget that the Great Kings were human once,” Rob said, noticing his surprise. “Because my friends don’t always like talking with people, everyone just assumed things about them and forgot about the humanity they once had.”

“Eloquently put,” praised one of the kings.

“I’m just…” Ben said, shaking his head. “I’m just so surprised.”

“By what?” Rob asked.

“Well,” Ben said, sitting down at the table. “I’m surprised that there are so many people trying to run away from the wars.” He sighed. “I knew the wars were terrible, but I never thought that it was to terrible that even ghosts wanted nothing more with it.”

“War is a terrible thing, Ben,” Rob said, sitting. “I’m sure Cameron wanted each of his grandsons to know that.” He paused, rubbing his bearded chin thoughtfully. “That reminds me. Why did he send you and your cousins out on these quests?”

Ben rolled his eyes. “He’s trying to decide which one of us is going to get the throne.”

Even the Great Kings looked surprised.

“Why is he trying to pick one of you?” one King asked. “Shouldn’t there already be a clear successor?”

Ben shook his head. “My grandfather had only daughters and they only had sons.”

“Shouldn’t your oldest cousin take the throne?” Rob asked, frowning. “Matthew, wasn’t it? He’s the oldest, and the son of Cameron’s oldest daughter.”

Ben snorted. “As if the court will make anything that simple. They claim that because my grandfather didn’t have any sons, but his daughters did, all of us could become the heir.” He started to portion out his breakfast. “And they told him that he had to pick. These quests are a way for us to prove which should be the heir. I have no idea what my cousins’ quests are and they have no idea about mine.”

Rob got his food, his expression thoughtful. “So, you’ve completed yours… Does this mean that you go back, and if you’re first, you get the throne.”

“No,” Ben said bitterly. “We’re all supposed to stay away for a year.” He picked at his food. “Actually, once our year quest is over, we’re supposed to return to the capital and make a report about our quest in front of the entire court. Then he picks one.”

“What’s with the bitter tone?” a ghost asked, floating beside him. “Don’t you want to be king?”

The answer was out before he could even think.

“No.”

His father and the ghosts looked at him in surprise.

“You don’t want to be king?” one King asked.

“You’ve lived as a prince your entire life,” another pointed out.

“And here I thought every noble wanted the throne.”

“At least all the corrupt ones.”

Ben glared at the ghosts. “I don’t want to be king. I’ve seen what its done to my grandfather. I don’t want that.”

Suddenly, Rob laughed.

“What is so funny?” a King asked, glaring at his father.

“Oh,” he said, settling into chuckles. “I just think it’s funny. I didn’t want anything to do with nobles, ended up having a prince for a son, and he doesn’t want to be a king. At least my boy inherited more than just my nose.”

Ben immediately smiled. It was nice to know that he got something else from his father.
***********
Once the field had been watered, Rob wanted to take Ben somewhere. The boy didn’t ask any questions and went along with him. Rob was amazed at the kid’s trusting nature. And he was also very forgiving.

A trait that Ben must have got from Marie.

“Where are we going?” Ben finally asked as they walked down a faded trail.

“We’re going to a special place,” Rob answered softly. “Something I think you’ll want to see.”

They soon came to a small glen. It was a beautiful place, filled with wild flowers and hundreds of butterflies. The sunlight shifted through the trees, causing shafts of light in the tall grass.

“What is this place?” Ben asked, looking around amazed.

“This?” Rob repeated softly, walking around the edge of the glen to the other end. “This is where I buried your mother.”

Ben stopped short.

Rob came to the simple headstone he had left to mark Marie’s grave. He knelt before it, the same sadness hit him every time he visited her grave.

“I couldn’t leave her there,” he said softly. “Among all those dead… in that violent place…”

“So,” Ben whispered, coming up behind him. “You took Marie’s body?”

“The Kings helped,” Rob confessed. “Once I decided to settle here, I found this place and buried her here. I know that everyone must have wondered what happened to her…”

“Not really.”

Rob frowned, turning to see Ben’s pale face. “Everyone assumed that she had been buried in the mass grave,” Ben explained. “So many people had died there, and there weren’t enough living to dig everyone a single grave, so one large one was made and all the dead were piled in. Everyone assumed that’s where Marie’s body went.”

Ben dropped to his knees, staring at the grave, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m glad she wasn’t,” he whispered. “I’m glad…” He started to cry, bending over in sorrow that Rob knew too well.

Rob put his arm around his son, sharing for the first time the grief of loss.
*************
Next time, Ben has a hard decision to make. Enjoy the journey!

Fate

Another summer has come and gone without me posting a single bit more of story. I apologize for the long wait. It was a very busy summer and I had to share a single computer with thirty other people (with the internet going down randomly all the time). It made it very difficult to write emails home, little alone do a blog post. It was all very frustrating writing wise. Adventure wise? A blast! But it does nothing for my writings.

Ah, yes, I’ll stop complaining now and just give more of the story. Ben is now working for Rob and Rob reveals that many of the old soldiers in the mountains are trying to work themselves to death. It’s all very sad and confusing for poor Ben. To the story!
*********
Ben spent the rest of the day thinking on their conversation that morning, barely noticing the work he was doing. The field had been plowed and rows were made, all that was left was to plant the seeds. An easy process that didn’t keep his mind from the thoughts of what Rob had said.

They’re all trying to run, he thought, sticking his pole into the ground, titling it sideways to drop a seed into the hole, removing the stick, then stomping on hole to cover the seed up. Every person I’ve met up here is trying to run from their pasts.

There was something about that thought that didn’t sit well with him. It kept bugging him through the day and the next week after that. What was so wrong with old soldiers wanting to run away? It wasn’t exactly like they were deserters. They fought in the wars, running beside comrades to battle, taking care of weapons, and following orders. They only left once the war was over.

Two weeks after Rob agreed to hire him, he had gotten used to waking up in the morning, though he always woke up with a sick feeling.

“Well then,” Rob said, noticing Ben slump in his chair as he was fixing breakfast. “Seems like you’re starting to get used to getting up.”

“Maybe,” Ben grumbled, planting his forehead on the table. “But I still don’t like it.”

Rob chuckled, turning back to the mush. “Too bad you got up today. I was going to let you sleep in.”

Ben shot his head back up, surprised. “What?” he asked. “Why?”

“Planting was done yesterday,” Rob explained. “I’ll be irrigating it today. I’ve gotten the process down by myself, so I wasn’t going to bother asking for your help. I was going to let you do what you wanted today.”

Ben slumped in his chair. “You could have told me that yesterday,” he pouted. He could have slept in? This was terrible! He was awake now!

“I wanted to surprise you,” Rob chuckled, obviously enjoying himself. He continued to stir the mush when he paused and turned. “Oh, and speaking of surprises. Look behind you.”

Frowning, Ben did as he was told, unsure what could be so surprising in this simple cabin.

The bed near his couch was certainly a surprise.

“I figured that if you’re going to stay for the planting season,” Rob explained. “You might as well have a bed.”

Ben stared at the bed, the first he had seen in months, then turned back to Rob. “You made me a bed?” he asked. “Every night, after I’ve gone to sleep, you’ve been…”

“It’s the least I could do,” Rob said. “It kept my mind busy. And besides, there’s nothing quite as wonderful as a real bed after sleeping on substitutes for so long.”

Ben continued to stare at the hermit. “I thought you didn’t want an extra bed,” he said softly. “Because no one stays long.”

Rob’s back was still turned to him, hiding whatever expression he had. “I never said that,” he said softly. “About wanting an extra bed. I’ve been meaning to make one for years, but never had a reason to.” He half turned to show Ben the smirk on his lips. “I won’t lie, Ben, I tried to pawn you off on some other poor soul, but you got stuck here anyway. I’ve seen so much in my life to not dismiss fate. You came here for the skin of a rare animal, but I think that fate had something else in mind for you. It’s no mistake that you’ve come to our mountains.” He turned back to the mush, letting the silence fill the air.

Breakfast was quiet, even when Rob left, Ben didn’t say much. Once the hermit was gone, Ben took a closer look at the bed. It wasn’t much, like the rest of the cabin, but it was solid, well made.

“Fate led me here?” he asked softly, laying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “It has something else in mind for me?”

It hurt his brain to think such thoughts. He was the Bastard Prince of Caanom, a child born out of wedlock of a princess and hero. He wasn’t smart like Al, or as clever as Pat, or as noble as Matt. He was just… Ben the Bastard, a kid shoved to the side and told to mind his own business. That had been his fate, that was what he had come to expect of his life.

Why, grandfather! He silently called out. Why send me here? You must have known it would be impossible to search for my father! Instead, here I am, working my tail off trying to get home, surrounded by warriors who want nothing to do with me or the world outside, and with nothing but a growing sense of dread!

He couldn’t stand it anymore. Getting off the bed, he sulked outside, trying to sort his thoughts. His grandfather wanted him to find peace, but all he had was a sinking spirit. He started to rub his nose again, a nose that he had inherited from his father. This was all his father left him. It was all anyone left for him.

That brought to mind the medallion he had around his neck. He pulled it out, glaring at it. Because of this, no one knew that he was a prince, the only child of Trenton the Hero. He had a very sudden desire to throw it away.

I wish I could forget all this! He thought, yanking the chain off his neck, preparing to throw it. I wish I could forget it all!

He froze, his arm high in the air.

They want to forget too, he remembered. Everyone he had met in the mountains were running from something. It had bothered him, the way that they would so readily dismiss their old lives and come into such a harsh place. If they had stayed back in society, they would have been haled as war heroes, treated well wherever they went.

But, Ben realized, they paid a great price. The respect they would have had back there… All it would do would bring up bad memories.

They don’t see themselves as heroes.

Ben’s legs suddenly gave out from beneath him and he dropped to the ground. He started to breath hard, as one thought lead to another, sudden understanding filling his mind.

There were a lot of people enlisted in the wars, his thoughts raced. A lot against their will. But they did their duty. They fought, they bled, they lost and won. They did great and terrible things. All of them. Not just my father. All they wanted was to live a peaceful life….

And that was taken from them.

How could they return to their peaceful lives with those terrible memories haunting them for the rest of their lives?

“Hard work is the only way we know how to forget.” Rob explained it to me. They’re here to forget. Our war heroes, all of them. They want to leave the wars, they want peace.

They just want to live their lives in peace.

Ben started crying, realizing the truth. It was futile to search for the Hero. He was one among hundreds. Someone forced from the peace they had known into the horrors of wars.

And that peace would never find these men again.

“I finally understand,” he whispered. “Grandfather… You wanted me to know that peace only comes at a price.” He lifted his head up, feeling the sun beat down on him. “The price has been paid. At a terrible cost, but it has been paid.

“And now…. It’s up to us to keep this peace.”
***********
“What’s he doing now?” Rob asked, watching as his irrigation system flood his field.

Beside him, a man in old armor stood. Rob was glad that no one was around to see him. It would have looked very strange. Not only was the man’s armor old, but he was quite translucent, gave off a soft light, and his feet were a few inches off the ground.

“We believe he’s sulking,” the man said, adjusting the crown on his head. Rob would never understand why they would adjust their clothing. They were Spirits, after all. It shouldn’t matter.

“Sulking?” Rob repeated, frowning at the Spirit. “What’s he sulking for?”

“We know not,” the Spirit answered. “He’s been rubbing his nose like mad, though.”

Rob grunted in agreement. He had noticed it too. The boy sure did like to touch his nose a lot.

“I think he’s very upset,” the Spirit went on. “Ever since your conversation with him last week, about working to forget. He’s been… very troubled by that. Though for what reason, I could never say. I’m not a mind reader.”

“Good thing for that,” Rob teased. “I have enough trouble with my own thoughts.”

“Indeed,” The Spirit agreed. “However, I have something I’d like to ask.”

“Then ask.”

“Do you really believe it was fate that brought this boy to you?”

The answer was immediately in his mind. “Yes,” he said softly. “I’ve been pulled by fate for so long, I can recognize it’s touch anywhere.”

“True. But what do you think the fate is here for? For the boy’s own good…. Or yours?”

That Rob didn’t answer. Fate was a strange thing like that. He had long ago given up on the thought that fate had just one purpose. There were many things that fate accomplished with one task. Ben’s arrival was probably for both their benefit.

So, Rob thought, what reason did fate have in brining us together? What could I learn from Ben?

It didn’t seem like much that Ben could teach him. It seemed that the kid was getting more of a learning experience from this than he was.

“Did you know that Ben had a magical medallion on him?”

Rob shook himself out of his thoughts and turned to the Spirit. “What?” he asked. “A magical medallion?”

“It’s not very strong,” the Spirit reported, seeing what one of the other Spirits were showing him about Ben. The other two were out patrolling his land, making sure everything was alright. “I’m guessing that it only affects something about Ben himself.”

“A gift from his grandfather perhaps,” Rob suggested.

“Perhaps,” the Spirit agreed. “But it looks like he wants to throw it away. Sulking, as we…” He stopped, turning his head in the direction of one of the other Spirits. “A bear’s coming.”

“So?” Rob asked. “We get bears all the time. We don’t bother it, it won’t bother us.”

“This one is different,” The Spirit said, his eyes distant as he saw through the other’s eyes. “Something is sick about it. It’s mad…” His eyes went wide. “And it’s approaching Ben!”

Rob didn’t even stop to think. He ran for his cabin, burst into his room, and threw his locked chest open. Before him was his weapon, a thing he still kept well cared for and ready to use if the occasion arose. He grabbed it and ran after the Spirit that would lead him to where he needed to go.

The occasion had risen. Ben was in danger.
*********
Ben sat on the ground, looking at the medallion in his hands. “That’s why you didn’t want us to go by our titles,” he said, turning it over in his hands. “No one would talk to us if they knew we were royalty.”

His grandfather was a very clever man. He wanted to make sure his grandsons knew what was most important to him, what he thought a ruler should know. Cameron had seen a lot of war and suffering, Ben had heard it all on at his knees. The old king was renown for his great desire for peace. He had been called a fool during the wars but was hailed as great in the years after.

Fickle people, Ben thought. They don’t know what they want.

Snap.

Ben was brought out of his thoughts, looking around to see what caused the soft sound. There was nothing around him, just endless forest. It was just…

Why am I not hearing any birds?

Ben stood up, suddenly very nervous. What was going on?

A deep growl came from behind him. Shivering, he turned slowly, his mind blank with terror.

A large bear was not even ten yards from him, breathing heavily through a foaming mouth. Ben knew immediately that this bear was mad. He stared to breath fast, everything gone but the bear.

It jerked up to its hind legs, standing ten feet tall. Ben took a step back, terror pulling him back while rooting him to the spot.

“ROAR!”

Ben bolted as the bear roared. He ran heedless of where he was going. Behind him, the bear clashed behind, quickly catching up. He didn’t even glance back, trying to run for his life.

His food caught on a root.

Ben fell down. He turned enough to find the bear already on him, ready for the kill. He closed his eyes, turning away.

BANG!

The bear cried out in pain, stumbling away. Ben looked up again, the bear’s blood scattered on his face. The bear turned away from him, roaring at something. Ben turned to see what had caused both the sound and distraction.

Rob stood not far from them, holding something long and straight, sighting down the barrel. The mad bear slowly approached the hermit, growling deep in his throat.

“I’ll put you out of your misery, bear,” Rob growled. He pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The bear recoiled as a metal ball hit it in the eye. It roared in pain and tried to charge the hermit.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bear shuttered with each hit, quickly loosing blood and strength.

BANG!

The shot took the bear in the throat. It gurgled as its own blood drowned it. It finally collapsed, the foam still clinging to is mouth.

Ben was breathing heavily, watching the bear die. He had been saved again. He turned his shocked gaze back to Rob and what he carried. Ben knew exactly what it was. He had seen a dozen replicas, several paintings, and hundreds of references to it. It was rifle, a weapon Trenton the Hero had made. No one was certain how he made it or how it worked, but it won more battles than any arrow could.

This rifle works, Ben thought, looking at Rob. It’s him.

He’s my dad!
*******
Rob snorted in relief. He had gotten there in time to save Ben. The Great Kings had tried to stop the bear from attacking long enough for him to get there, but a second later, and he would have had a corpse on his hands.

But I don’t have another corpse, he thought, relieved. Ben’s fine. He turned to the kid, expecting another thanks for the rescue.

But Ben was staring at him with wide eyes and pale with shock, the blood of the bear splattered on his face. Rob didn’t need to ask what was wrong. There was only one explanation for the boy’s shock. His rifle.

“You’re…” Ben stuttered, unable to get up. “You’re… You’re Trenton the Hero?”

Rob flinched.

“There’s no use denying it, friend,” one of the Great Kings said, materializing beside him.

“We kept telling you,” a second said, also appearing. “You needed to show others how to make and use your metal contraption.”

“Then you wouldn’t be so easy to pick out,” a third finished.

“Foolish,” the forth said. “You’ve been found out because of your stubborn desire to keep that weapon of yours as yours.”

Ben stared at the Great Kings, then back at him.

“Ignore them,” Rob snapped, turning away. “Their advice is unwanted.” He propped his rifle over his shoulder. Yes, he had compromised his identity by saving Ben with this weapon. But it couldn’t be helped. He wasn’t going to let anyone die if he could help it.

“So you are?” Ben asked. “Trenton the Hero?”

Rob glanced back. Ben still hadn’t gotten up; he seemed to be in some sort of stupor. “Not anymore, kid,” he said. “I gave up that life. It has no meaning for me.”

“Then you didn’t know?” Ben asked, astounded.

Rob frowned. “Didn’t know what? That my entire family had been killed? That my princess was murdered? My friends? All of them dead?” He turned away again, shaking with fury. “There’s nothing for me out there. I’m a hermit, dang it! I picked this life so I wouldn’t have to remember!”

“You really didn’t know,” Ben said, sounding amazed. “Marie never did get to tell you…”

Rob rolled his eyes. He thought everyone knew the story. Marie had been killed trying to see him, even after he had plead with her to stay away. “It’s not worth it,” he muttered darkly. “Whatever she had to say, it wasn’t worth getting killed over.”

“She thought so,” Ben said softly.

“Oh?” he said bitterly, turning back to Ben. “What could be so worth it?” He blinked in surprise. Why was Ben crying?

“She was going to tell you,” Ben said, “that she had a son.”

Rob’s world stopped, frozen in time as he gazed down at the kid. The one question he wanted to ask, a question he wanted to know the answer to but at the same time not, he was unable to speak. Ben smiled, perhaps knowing the question.

“It’s me.”

Rob stared at Ben. He had found that medallion in the forest, immediately knowing that it was used to hide someone’s features. Without the magic concealing Ben’s face, he could see himself in the kid. The same eagle nose, firm cheekbones, though there was a bit of his mother’s chin. There was no mistaking who this boy’s father was.

“My grandfather, King Cameron, sent me out to find you,” Ben said, finally standing up. He laughed a bit, a smile slowly etching itself in his face. “I had given up long ago that you were alive… Everyone had. I just… I just never expected to find you.”

Find me?

“Great,” he muttered, sharply turning away. “I have a bastard prince for a son.”

He couldn’t miss the gasp of shock from the kid.

Rob couldn’t take it. He ran off, needing to get away. To get away from his mistake, his horror.

He had been wrong to run after the wars.

He had abandoned a son.

How could he face this child he never knew?
**********
Now I’ve got both characters miserable. Next time, how they’re going to resolve this. Enjoy the journey!