NaNoWriMo 2013

*CLICK*

Flash, sputter, tape reeling, the picture finally comes into focus. A simple set fills the screen, an empty view with only a back brick wall and a wood floor.

But then he walks in. He holds himself proudly, though not with arrogance. His dark brown hair is cut short and his hazel eyes seemed defiant. His clothing is a bit strange, a sharp blue suit trimmed with silver and a red sash across his chest. There are no medals pinned to his coat, an oddity if anyone knew him well enough. After all, according to his people, he’s a hero.

“Hello!” he says, waving at those watching the screen. “The name’s Martin Santer. Perhaps you’ve read about me. Or maybe you’ve read the three books about me. If not, well, I suggest you go to the beginning of this blog and start there.

“However,” he goes on, standing at military attention. “I’m not here to promote myself. My story is done.”

“IT’S NOT DONE YET!”

Martin rolls his eyes at the sound of the voice off screen. “That’s Kelley,” he tells the audience. “She’s my author. While she has finished my main story, that doesn’t mean that she’s done with me. I can’t blame her though. I have been part of her life for a while now. And she’s going to be editing my story in hopes of finding a publication contract for me.”

“Martin! Hurry up!”

Martin glances off to his left, to someone just off screen. “I’m getting there,” he promises. He turns back to the screen, smiling. “But I’m on a break now and Kelley really needs to stretch her writing abilities. It’s once again time for NaNoWriMo, a literary challenge to write 50,000 words in November. And this time, she’s not writing about me.”

“About time,” the person off screen mutters.

Martin chuckles. “Without further ado, let me introduce to you who’s going to be taking my place this November.” He holds his hand out to his left, grinning impishly. “Amy McPeir!”

A young woman walks up to Martin. She’s also dressed funny, in what looks like a jumpsuit with black pants, a red v-ed belt, purple top, and strange grey armbands down her arms. Unlike Martin, she stomps into view, her head held high but with an annoyed look on her face. Her blond hair is caught up in a sever ponytail and her blue eyes sparkles with mistrust.

“Thank you for the long explanation on yourself,” Amy sneers at him. Martin’s only response is another grin.

“Care to explain yourself?” he asks her. He seems very amused.

Amy rolls her eyes. “Why not?” She turns to the audience, attempting to smile without her annoyance but fails. “As my coworker has just said, I’m Amy McPeir. I’m also known as Aims in the upcoming novel Kelley will be writing, called Racer.

“What’s a Racer, you may ask.” Amy then stands taller, trying to copy Martin’s easy confidence but failing to do so. “A Racer is a Talented, a Talented being a person with an ability to do something magically great. My Talent is Speed.”

“Care to demonstrate?” Martin asks.

Amy glares at him. “No,” she mutters. “Not really. I don’t like my Talent. The only thing I can do with it is join the Race Circuit. And that’s something I really oppose to.”

“Then,” Martin says, not the least bit affected by her rotten attitude. “How about telling us a bit about your story?”

“It’s simple really,” Amy brushes off. “Kelley describes it this way. Take this:

“Mix it in with this:

“Plus this:”

Martin stands thoughtfully. “So basically,” he figures, “it’s Tron mixed with Hunger Games, plus college.” He shakes his head. “And I thought my life was rough. Oh, and what about this?”

“There is no love/hate relationship in my book,” Amy snaps.

Martin grins. “You forget. I know Kelley better than you. There’s going to be one. What’s his name again… Jordan…?”

“It’s Jason,” she grumbles. “He likes going by Jay.”

“Ha!” Martin laughs, pointing at her triumphantly. “I knew it!”

“You’re a jerk!” Amy yells at him.

Martin laughs again. “My own wife calls me a stupid idiot prince. Calling me a jerk isn’t going to faze me.”

“When did you get married?” Amy demands to know. “Your book left off with you just getting engaged!”

“Kelley has my entire life planned,” Martin points out. “I even know how I’m going to die. You? You’ve only been in her head for a couple of years now. She doesn’t even know how your book is going to end yet.”

Amy looks horrified at him. “You know how you’re going to die?” she asks, stunned.

He shrugs. “Peacefully in bed, surrounded by my children and grandkids. I’m quite old at that point and a widower. Everyone will be surprised that I hadn’t passed on years before.”

“That’s disgusting,” Amy spits.

“It’s our lot in life as characters,” Martin yawns. “I’ve seen a bit into your story and you’re in for some unpleasant surprises yourself.”

“Why doesn’t Kelley tell me these things?” Amy asks.

“Because you’re too new,” Martin tells her. “She hasn’t flushed everything about you out yet. Don’t worry, once she’s figured you out completely, you’re going to know things about yourself that even you didn’t know.”

“Honestly?”

Martin nods solemnly. “And don’t get too frustrated with her when she switches her attention to someone else. In the last twelve years I’ve known her, I’ve had to wait several time for her to turn her attention back to me. She’s written a bit on you, on Rynna from the Dawmeria Soul, Ben from her newest novel A Hero’s Wish, Meg from Fiction Riders, even on The Runaways. Each time I had to wait for her to come back. It was only once my story was finished that I learned the rest of my life.”

“Do you think she’ll quit on me this NaNo?” Amy asks, showing a bit of concern.

Martin shrugs again. “Who knows? She couldn’t get into Dawmeria in April. That’s why A Hero’s Wish was finished.

“But she’ll get there,” Martin promises. “Eventually.”

“You’re not the greatest at giving comfort,” Amy accuses, “are you?”

“Street urchin turned spy turned prince,” he musses. “No. I’m not.”

“I think our lives are equally tough,” Amy concludes.

“Kelley doesn’t make character lives easy,” Martin agrees.

“How am I going to survive this?” she wails.

“One word at a time,” Martin advices her. “Always one word at a time. There will be some pleasant moments and she’s not going to let you go through this alone. She’ll be right there, fingers on the keyboard and adding characters to help you through.”

“You think I’ll survive this?” Amy asks seriously.

“I survived,” Martin says with a shrug. “And I’m happy now. Trust me; Kelley does not like unhappy endings.”

“I guess that’s something…” Amy falls silent, looking worried.

“I’m passing the torch,” Martin suddenly says, surprising her. “My story is, for simplicity sake, done. Oh, Kelley has to do some editing and she’ll write more adventure for me. But I’m complete. She needs someone new.”

Amy frowns at the man, her expression no longer annoyed but rather thoughtful. “Think I can do it?”

Martin smiles. “You’re a character of M. Kelley, Amy McPeir. You can do anything.”

Amy glances off screen, lips tight as she considered what was ahead for her. “I’ll beat you in popularity,” she finally says, thrusting the challenge at Martin.

Martin snorts a laugh. “I’d like to see you try!”

“It’s on!” Amy runs off screen, heading straight for her own adventure. Martin merely shakes his head, a small smile on his lips.

“Good luck, Amy McPeir,” he says. “Enjoy your journey.”

The screen becomes static once again.

*CLICK*

A Hero’s Legacy

Well, here it is! The last post on A Hero’s Wish. As I mentioned before, this is a shorter story. And for it being the first major thing I’ve written since finishing Martin’s story, I think that I’ve done fairly well with it. Enjoy!
***********
Ben tugged at the stiff collar around his neck. “I can’t believe this,” he muttered, wanting so much to take the silly coat off and relax. But it wasn’t a day for relaxing. He was going to be crowned king in less than an hour.

“Can’t believe what?” his father asked. Ben glanced at his dad. Rob wore a simple uniform since he made it very clear that he wasn’t going to stand for any frivolities. In the time that Rob had returned to court, it became very clear to everyone that the only reason he was there was for his son. He never attended parties, unless Ben was there, or went to court, unless Ben was, or even joined in idle chatter around the nobles, even if Ben was there.

“I’m supposed to be king,” Ben grumbled, finally managing to stretch the collar out enough for it to not scrap at his neck. “You’d think that I’d have a say in my wardrobe by now.”

“Pah!”

The Great Kings suddenly appeared, grinning. Ben knew what made these spirits happy. They were excited that he was going to be crowned, proving that they were right about it all along.

“What are you laughing at me for?” he asked, turning to the mirror to check his suit. It was far more ornate than he was used to; medals that he didn’t understand were pinned to the coat, a red sash crossing his chest and encircling his waist, and more gold and silver sewed into it than he ever thought possible.

“This is supposed to make an impression on everyone,” one King said.

“First impressions are important.”

“Especially for a new king.”

“A lot of people will be judging you based on what you wear. This will impress a lot of people.”

“Trust them,” Rob teased. “They know what they’re talking about. They were kings once.”

That made Ben pause, but not for what his father pointed out.

“I just realized,” he said, turning to the kings. “What are your names and what kingdoms do you rule over?”

Even the Great Kings looked surprised by the question.

“You wouldn’t be able to pronounce our kingdoms,” one King said.

“Their names are lost to history.”

“They were conquered long after we were gone.”

“And we’ve long forgotten our relations to them.”

“And your names?” Ben asked.

Rob coughed, trying to cover his laugh. The Great Kings scowled at him but said nothing.

“Ironically,” Rob said, grinning. “They’re all John.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “John?” he asked them, seeking their confirmation. “You’re all John?”

They all spoke with the same dejected tone.

“Yes.”

Ben started laughing with his father.

“Then tell me,” he asked after he got that out of his system, “how do you tell each other apart?”

“I came up with a way,” Rob said, pointing to each one. “That’s John C, he’s John K, he’s John A, and he’s John D.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to use ABCD?” Ben asked.

“Just because no one can pronounce our kingdoms doesn’t mean our friend didn’t use them,” John C grumbled.

“He used the first letter of our kingdoms to keep us apart,” John K added.

“It’s useful,” argued John A.

“If a bit degrading,” John D pointed out.

Ben shook his head, still smiling.

There was a knock on his door and a servant came in with a bow. “Your Highness,” he said, keeping his head respectfully down. “It’s time.”

Ben froze. Time.

“Come on,” Rob said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll come with you.”

Ben nodded and let his father escort him to the throne room. There was no one in the halls as they walked there, everyone waiting for him at the throne room. Ben would have been frozen stiff in his rooms if his father hadn’t been there to help him get moving.

“Dad?” he asked softly.

“Yes?” he said, not a hint of fear in his tone. Oh, Ben envied that in his dad.

“How long are you going to stay?”

For a long moment, Rob didn’t say anything.

“I know you don’t want to be here,” Ben went on to say. “It’s painful for you.”

“The Johns told you, didn’t they?”

Ben shrugged. “They’re nosy.” It had only been recently when the Great Kings approached him and told him how Rob had been doing. City life didn’t treat the Hero well. It brought back memories and people Trenton had tried to run from for so long.

“I’m going to be fine,” Ben said. “You’ve taught the guards how to build and use your guns… I’ll be protected. You shouldn’t stay here for my sake.”

Rob sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit from the truth. “I want to see you safely married first,” he admitted. “I’ll stay that long. Then… I need to go back.”

“Safely married?” Ben repeated, surprised. “Why then?” He wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment, he had been focused on other things lately.

“I just want to make sure the woman you marry you’ll love,” Rob admitted. “I want to see you have happiness.”

Ben didn’t say anything, but he understood. His parents never got their happy ending. His father just wanted to make sure that he got his.

However, before he could say anything else on the matter, they had arrived to the throne room and his future was laying out before him.

“Ready?” Rob asked, straightening his back and ready to face the world again. Not as the prophesied hero, but as the father of a king. A proud father.

Ben took a deep breath, copying his father’s stance. “Even if I’m not, I’ll do it.”

Rob grinned. “That’s my boy.”
***********
“And then,” Ben said, balancing the toddler on his knee, “your grandpa saw to it that I was safely married.”

“To mommy!” the little girl giggled.

Ben chuckled, flicking his daughter’s nose. “Yes. We met that night at the coronation ball, in the same place that my parents met.”

“Destiny brought us together.”

Ben glanced up, smiling at his wife, Bethann. They had been married for over fifteen years now but the love they had for each other kept growing, along with their family. Marie, their youngest, was the fifth child.

“What happened to Grandpa Rob?” Marie asked, tugging on his front to get his attention again.

“He went back to his home in the mountains,” Bethann answered for him, picking their daughter off his lap. “You’ve been there. Grandpa is very happy there.”

“Grandpa is happy,” Marie repeated with a smile. “We’re all happy!”

Bethann laughed, the sound music to Ben’s ears. “Yes, we all are.” She flicked their daughter’s nose. “Now, its time for a certain little girl to go to bed.”

“No!” Marie screamed, trying to escape.

“Kisses goodnight to daddy,” Bethann said. Ben stood and kissed his daughter’s forehead.

“Goodnight, my princess,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll tuck her in,” Bethann said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She left the room, taking their struggling daughter with her.

Ben smiled and went into his office. There was a lot of paperwork still on his desk, but that was to be expected. Running the kingdom took a lot of paperwork. He sat at his desk, looking over the letters his cousins had sent him. His oldest son, Crown Prince Trenton, was with them, learning more about different cultures. Apparently, his fourteen year old was very adapt at sailing, much to both Matt’s disgust and joy.

Life doesn’t get better than this, Ben thought, smiling as he read the letter. His kingdom was flourishing, his family healthy and growing, and hardly a hint of any war. There had been a few close calls, but Ben had worked hard to keep that from happening. Among his people, he was called King Peace, able to work through any conflict.

“Ben?”

Ben glanced up, surprised by the apparition suddenly floating in front of his desk. “John K,” he said, recognizing the Great King. “Another letter from dad?” Rob didn’t trust the mail service up in the mountains and usually sent one of the Great Kings to send word to him. Not that Ben blamed him. Mail got easily lost in the mountains.

The Great King shook his head, his expression serious. Ben knew that look. He had been dreading it.

“Is it dad?” he asked, stumbling to his feet.

“You should come as quickly as possible,” John K said. “He didn’t want us to tell you, but… He needs you now.”

Ben didn’t need to ask for anything more. He took off, leaving brief instructions with his wife, and was out of the city before night had completely fallen.
***********
The cabin was not the same from the first time he had seen it. Ben rode up to the now large cabin. It had new rooms added to it, a few more chimneys, and a larger barn to accommodate visiting family. Ben and his family tired to make it up at least every other year, visits that Rob always looked forward to.

Ben dismounted his horse and ran inside. John K didn’t say much about his father’s condition but kept urging him to get here quickly.

Inside was much as he remembered it; simple yet strong. He ignored it all and rushed into his father’s room.

Rob lay in his bed, coughing pitifully. The three other Great Kings hovered by his side, looking worried.

“Dad,” Ben said, coming to his bedside.

“Ben,” Rob said, coughing again. He turned to him. Age had taken over the Hero, his hair now thin and grey, his face lined with the years he had lived. “What are you doing here?”

“John K got me,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “He said that you weren’t doing well.”

Rob coughed, turning enough to glare at the Great Kings. “I thought I told you not to get him.”

“We couldn’t do that, our friend,” John A said.

“You shouldn’t be alone at a time like this.”

“Ben has every right to be here.”

“You need him now.”

Rob couldn’t keep glaring, sighing as he closed his eyes. “I guess not,” he grumbled. “They’re always looking out for my good.”

“Dad,” Ben said, grabbing his father’s hand. “How long?”

“I dunno,” Rob admitted. “I caught a cold this last winter and it just won’t go away.” He coughed again, a racking sound that came deep from within his chest. “Ugh,” he groaned as the coughing subsided. “Getting old is not fun.”

“I don’t believe it is,” Ben joked. “I warned you that if you weren’t careful, you were going to work yourself to death.”

“That was the point,” Rob said weakly. “It just took a lot longer than I thought it would.”

Ben smiled a bit. When he had met Rob, the hermit had nothing to live for. Now, his father had grandchildren and a reason to keep going. But it looked like fate finally decided to take back the Hero into legend.

“How are the kids?” Rob asked. “Doing well?”

“Better than well,” Ben said. “They’re growing happy and healthy.”

Rob smiled. “That’s good.” He sighed again, closing his eyes. “I was kinda hoping to die alone, you know.”

Ben snorted. “What?” he asked. “Leave my father to die alone? I think not.” He squeezed his father’s hand. “A hero shouldn’t die alone.”

Rob opened his eyes again, turning to him. “A hero, am I?”

“You’re a hero to me,” Ben said softly. “That’s all that matters.”

Rob smiled weakly. “I suppose that is all that matters.” They didn’t need to say it. If Rob had still been in the capital, still praised for the prophesied hero that he was, hundreds of people would be gathered, weeping as they waited for him to die.

But that wasn’t how it was going to be. Trenton the Hero had disappeared years before, when Sarries had been killed. Rob, the father of King Benjamin, was instead dying in his own home, a place he built with his own hands, surrounded by no one other than his friends and only child. There was no thousands grieving, no false mourners trying to gain political power from his passing, no pompous that came with the death of a great leader.

No, all he needed was there with him.

“My friends,” Rob said, turning to the Great Kings. “I have one last request of you… one last thing I want you to do for me.”

“Of course, our friend” they answered. “We will serve you.”

“My life is about to end,” Rob said, tears in his eyes. “I’ve done my part and your bond with me will finally be broken…” He sighed. “Will it be too much of me to ask that you will instead…. Protect my family? My son? His wife? My grandchildren? Even beyond them?”

Phantom tears welled in the eyes of the ghosts. “It is not too much,” they answered. “We will serve them.”

Ben wiped the tears from his cheek. “Dad…” he choke, his throat clogging.

“Ah,” Rob chuckled weakly, patting his cheek with his free hand. “Don’t cry, my boy. I leave with no regrets.” He smiled. “You are my legacy, my greatest achievement, even if I wasn’t there all the time.”

“You were there enough,” Ben managed to get out, tears now streaming. “You’re my dad and that’s all that matters.”

“Yes,” Rob sighed, closing his eyes. “That’s all that matters. Live well, my boy. Thank you.” He breathed out, never to breath in again.

Ben sat there all night, holding his father’s hand as it grew cold. His tears never stopped, but he felt little sorrow. His father was in a better place, back with his Marie. He left with no regrets.
************
Ben stood before the finished grave, staring sadly down at it. It was the glen his mother was buried. He couldn’t bring himself to separate his parents, so he buried his father next to her. Beside him, the Great Kings hovered silently, respectfully. They had their own sorrow to come to grips with.

“Some would call this a pitiful end for the Hero,” one of them said.

“Buried out in the wilderness…”

“Where none will come to pay their respects.”

“No one will visit this gravesite.”

“I’ll come,” Ben said softly. “My family as well…” He wiped the tears from his eyes. “Dad wouldn’t want anyone else to come.”

“True.”

They fell into silence, staring at the grave. However, as dusk settled, Ben and the Great Kings returned to the cabin. The next day, Ben had to return to the capital, where he will tell the world that their Hero had a peaceful passing and that he was now at peace. A peace long denied to him by war and prophecy. And that his reward wasn’t riches, or glory, or even a place in legend.

His reward for his acts would simply be, and most important to him, being a father.

The End
*************
Isn’t family always the best reward we can ever have?

Enjoy the journey!

“My Life Belongs to the People.”

Yep. No intro coming to mind. To the story!
***********
Ben waited as the court began to fill the hall. He was instructed upon entering to wait by the throne until his grandfather came. Matt and Pat were also there, waiting with their mothers. Ben hadn’t had much chance to talk with his aunts since returning. They were too busy spending time with their sons to worry about their estranged nephew. Ben began to finger his nose again, wishing that his dad was there.

“Hey, Ben.”

Ben glanced up. Matt and Pat approached him, smiling in a way he didn’t remember them using on him before.

“We’re sorry.”

Ben blinked. “Where’s this coming from?” he asked, surprised by their apology.

“We’ve been mean to you,” Pat explained. “For a long time. We’d like to apologize.”

“And you didn’t finish your quest,” Matt pointed out. “We wish you would have found your father.”

Ben smiled, not showing the pain he felt inside. “Oh, you don’t have to apologize. It’s all just a fact of life. We’ve all lost a parent or two, we should just take comfort that we still have each other.”

This surprised both of them.

“Wow,” Matt said, chuckling. “You’ve really have grown in your time out there.”

“We all have,” Pat laughed. “Grandfather was very clever to send us out on those quests.”

“I don’t envy him though,” Matt said. “He has to pick which one of us is going to take the throne.” He shook his head. “I honestly don’t know who he’ll pick.”

Probably not me, Ben thought, remembering the confrontation he had with the king the night before. He knows I’ve lied to everyone about finding my dad. He started rubbing his nose again. What if Cameron told the court the truth? How was he going to stop people from finding his dad?

I shouldn’t worry about it, he had to tell himself. The only reason why I found him was because he wanted to save my life. That was his dad. He didn’t want to see anyone else die.

“What’s it like up in the mountains?” Pat asked. “You said that you had almost been killed by bandits.”

“Yep,” Ben grumbled. “Its an unforgiving place up there. They don’t like outsiders and most try to work to forget. I don’t blame them, but I couldn’t live like that.”

“We’re princes,” Matt agreed. “As much as I enjoyed by time out on the sea, I did miss palace life.”

“I don’t take this life for granted anymore,” Pat said, shuttering. “But I’m glad I’m back.”

Both Matt and Ben laughed at that. Pat had learned compassion, yes, but he still liked being a prince.

“I wonder where Al is,” Ben said, noticing that Al wasn’t there.

“He’s probably with Aunt Whitney,” Matt figured.

“The Great Kings forbid that her son should appear to court without looking his best,” Pat said, rolling his eyes. “Ma may be a pickler about some things, but she knows the limits.”

“He’s going to be late if he doesn’t come soon,” Ben said. “Grandfather is supposed to show up any moment now.”

Even as he said it, a valet pounded his staff onto the stone floor three times, quieting the court. “People of Caanom,” he said loudly, “your king approaches!”

People bowed out of the way as King Cameron walked in, followed by his retainers. Ben and his cousins also bowed out of the way, letting the king walk up to his throne unassisted.

King Cameron paused when he reached his throne, then slowly sat. Others were quick to find their own seats. Ben’s aunts quickly sat at their own chairs at the foot of their father’s, leaving him and his cousins standing alone before them.

“Hum,” Cameron said, squinting as he looked at them. “We’re missing one. Where is Prince Albert?”

“Apparently not here,” Pat muttered under his breath. Matt and Ben struggled to keep their snickering to themselves.

“I cannot make my announcement without one of my grandsons present,” the king huffed. “Find him and his mother.”

The servants attending to the king were quick to bow and left to follow his orders. Ben wanted to sigh. They had to wait for Al? He wanted this thing done as quickly as possible.

“Now I’m a bit worried.”

Ben turned to Matt, surprised. “Worried?” he asked. “Why?”

“Al’s never late,” Matt said softly. “He wouldn’t be late for such an important announcement.”

“You’re right,” Pat agreed, looking around the court. “And doesn’t it seem strange that there are so many solider here?”

“Soldiers?” Ben repeated, also looking around. It was true. There were many listed men among the court goers. While it wasn’t uncommon for soldiers to be there, it seemed a bit usual for so many to be there now.

“Friends of Al’s?” he suggested to his cousins.

“Why would they be here though?” Matt asked. “We weren’t supposed to use our titles. They shouldn’t have known about Al being a prince.”

Ben frowned, looking at the soldiers. That was true. “You didn’t bring anyone back with you, did you?” he asked them.

“Nope, not me,” Pat replied.

“Sailors don’t do well on land,” Matt pointed out. “Did you bring anyone?”

Ben shook his head. “They were trying to forget their pasts up there. No one would come with me.”

“Something isn’t right,” Pat said, sounding a bit nervous. “Things are too…”

BANG!

They jumped and spun around. Al stood in the center of the entryway, the door broke open, his face grim and determined. Behind him stood more soldiers, each bearing a weapon, swords and spears out and ready to attack.

“I’m taking over this court,” Al announced, his voice carrying over the stillness. “Caanom is now mine.” He pointed his sword down at his cousins and king. “Take them!”

Ben immediately reached for Gift but the soldiers in the crowd grabbed him, holding his hands behind his back. He tried to struggle out of their grasp, but it was impossible. Beside him, he could see his cousins also trying to free themselves.

Grandfather! He glanced behind him, horrified to see the king had been dropped to his knees, soldiers pinning him down. Looking around the court, he saw the soldiers pin the nobles and commoners to the wall, keeping them from intervening.

“It shouldn’t have come to this,” Al said, strolling down the hall towards them. “Mother and I had it all planned out.”

“Planned out?” Cameron spat, obviously struggling to keep conscious. “What did you and Whitney plan out?”

“My ascension to the throne, of course,” Al snorted, stopping before the king. “We had it all planned before we even went out on those pathetic quests of yours. We had our people follow my cousins and try to hinder their quests so that when I returned, I would have been the only one to have completed my quest.” He spat to the side. “However, it seems that only Ben failed to complete his.”

Ben paled. “You,” he breathed. “You had Professor Ferrell killed!”

“The accidents on the ships?” Matt demanded to know.

“The thieves who tried to kill me?” Pat yelled.

Al half smiled at them. “Yes, all of those were carefully planned to stop all of you.” He then glared at the king. “I was supposed to be the only one who have completed my quest. But my cousins are stubborn and finished theirs. Expect Ben.” He turned to face him, the sword out to the side.

“Ben the Bastard,” he growled, approaching him. “Ben, the son of a dead hero. Ben, the failure at his quest.” He paused before him, half turning to glare at his grandfather. “And you decided to pick him as king?”

Gasps filled the hall. Ben felt numb. Grandfather was going to pick him?

“How would you know if I was going to pick Benjamin?” Cameron asked with a sneer.

“Your attendant talked,” Al snapped. “We made him. He would have suffered a less painful death if he had talked sooner.”

“Bastard!” Cameron yelled. “You’d stoop this low for the throne!”

“I’m not the bastard,” Al yelled. He turned back to him, murder in his eyes. “This one is.” He brought his sword up. “And he’s not going to take the throne from me.”

Ben tried to stumble back, but the soldiers kept him in place.

“You can have the throne!” Ben said, wishing at least one hand was free to use Gift. “I didn’t want it in the first place!”

“Then why did you come back?” Al snapped. “Now, go to hell with your parents!”

Ben watched horrified as the sword came rushing towards him.

BANG!

The sword cluttered to the side, ripped from Al’s surprised grasp. The ringing of metal echoed through the hall. People started screaming, huddling towards the walls for protection. The soldiers holding him gasped in shock, loosing their grip on him.

“Ben!” he heard over the din. “Now!”

Ben obeyed and ripped out of their grasp. Without even pausing, he pulled Gift out of his coat and shot the two soldiers in the legs, dropping them both in pain. There were more screams, but he didn’t listen. Whipping around, he shot each of the men holding his cousins and king, not killing them but keeping them from doing any harm.

He then leveled the gun at Al.

Al stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. “Where…” he breathed. “Where did you get that!”

“It’s a gift,” Ben said darkly. “A gift to protect me.”

“Kill me then,” Al spat, glaring. “I tried to kill you, after all.”

Ben glared at his cousin. He had liked Al, even admired him for how smart he was. But this… “You’ve been playing us,” he growled. “You and your mother.”

“Ha,” Al barked. “Fools, all of you. It’s easy to manipulate people when they think they can walk all over you.” He spat to the side. “I should have been king. I’m the only one with enough guts to take it!”

“Guts have nothing to do with it,” Ben snapped. “It’s knowing what’s best for the kingdom that’s important!”

“You’re a fool,” Al sneered. “The throne will be taken from you. You’re just a bastard…”

“I’m not a bastard,” Ben said calmly. “And I’m not going to kill you. You’ll stand trail for your crimes. I’ll see to it.”

Suddenly, Al grinned. “I doubt that.”

Ben frowned. Why…

BANG!

Ben spun around, surprised to find another soldier bleeding on the floor behind him, a spear just outside of his reach. Glancing up, he saw Rob come out of the cowering crowd, pushing past the soldiers and sighting down the rifle as he came beside him.

“You need to watch your back,” Rob warned, making sure all the soldiers knew that he wasn’t afraid to use his rifle if they approached. “Al was dragging this out to have another soldier kill you.”

“Thanks,” Ben said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Rob didn’t take his eyes off the enemy. “I’ve abandoned you once,” he said softly so no one else could hear him. “I’m not making that mistake again.”

Ben couldn’t stop a smile. His dad was there, despite having revealed his existence to everyone.

“Keep your Gift on your cousin,” Rob warned. “We don’t want him to get away before the guards come to take them away.”

“Right,” Ben said, spinning around again to keep his gun on his cousin. Al took a step back, holding his hands up in surrender.

It took a few more minutes before the guards came and took his cousin and his followers into custody. A quick search of the castle had also resulted in the arrest of several others of Al’s conspirators, including his mother. Doctors had been summoned to treat the men Ben had shot and quickly the hall had been cleared of all the conspirators.

But everyone’s attention was on the Hero who kept his rifle at the ready.

“Unbelievable,” Cameron said, walking down from his throne and joining his grandsons. “To think that Al would have done this…” His vassals tried to help him, but he kept waving them away. It seemed that the king didn’t suffer anything physically from Al’s attempted coop.

“He’s been planning it for a long time,” Pat pointed out. “Quietly too.” He shook his head. “I would have never had suspected him.”

“Sometimes,” Rob said, resting his rifle up on his shoulder, “it’s the quiet ones you have to look after.”

Ben’s cousins, aunts, and grandfather all stared at him. In truth, there were very few people not staring at him.

“Trenton,” Cameron said formally.

Rob nodded his head. “Cameron.”

“Wait…” Matt said, pointing at his father. “I thought you said that you didn’t find him…”

Ben started to rub his nose. “Yeah, well,” he muttered, “he asked me not to say anything.”

“You look different,” Nareen observed, pointing to his nose. “What happened there? I thought you were proud of your nose.”

Rob went cross eyed as he looked at his broken nose. “It’s something I did to get away from it all,” he confessed. “Everyone focused on my nose.”

“It’s a nice nose,” Ben teased.

Rob shot him a smirk. “Pert.”

“So Benjamin was right,” the king said, switching his gaze between the two of them. “You would come out of hiding for your son, even if he is a noble.”

Rob snorted. “So what if he is a noble?” he asked. “He’s my son. That’s all that matters.”

Cameron smiled. “Funny. Benjamin told me the exact same thing.” The king turned to him, his expression serious.

“Benjamin,” he said, “I am sorry for the trouble this has caused you. I was not aware that Albert would resort to such trickery.”

“None of us could have known,” Ben said softly. “That’s why he did it.”

“True,” Cameron agreed. “However, I’m surprised by your own actions. Instead of killing him like he would have to you, you held off and wanted him to face judgment for his crimes.” He smiled. “You have grown much in your time away. You have learned the importance of listening others, to hold back on violence, and that the kingdom comes before your own wants and needs.”

Cameron turned and returned to his throne. The court hushed, all attention now focused on the old king.

“My grandson has proven himself as someone who understands the people and their needs,” the king said, his voice easily carrying over the hall for everyone to hear. “He knows his place and the duty that he has.” He paused, looking down at him. “Prince Benjamin, son of my beloved Marie and Trenton the Hero, I name you as my heir and the next king of Caanom. Do you accept?”

Ben was well aware of all the eyes that were on him, the people holding their breaths for his answer. He glanced briefly at his father. Rob simply nodded, an acceptance that meant more to him than anything else. Taking a deep breath, Ben approached his grandfather and knelt before him.

“My life,” he said meekly, “belongs to the people. If they desire me to be their future king, then I will accept.”

Cheers roared through the hall, surprising Ben. Glancing behind him, he saw the people clapping and jumping in joy. His cousins were among the loudest. However, his gaze was quickly fixed on his father.

Rob had put the rifle down, resting it against his side. He stood there proudly, beaming at his son. Ben returned the smile.

His father was proud of him. That was all that mattered.
************
Trenton the Hero stood by his son’s side, quietly waiting for the end. There were others gathered around King Cameron’s bedside; his surviving daughters, his grandsons, various doctors, self important nobles. But he didn’t pay any attention to them. The only reason he was there was to be with his son, Crown Prince Benjamin.

Ben sat at his grandfather’s side, just holding his hand as the old man struggled to breath. It had only been a month since the king had named Ben his heir, but it was still too short of time for Ben to learn his new responsibilities.

Before the day was done, he would have another one.

The room was extremely quiet, too quiet for his tastes. With this many people here, there should have been some conversation, someone trying to cover their coughs, or at least someone uncomfortable with the silence.

Or maybe that was just him.

“Dad.”

Trenton glanced down at his son. Ben hadn’t taken his eyes off of his grandfather. Not that he could blame the boy. He had been practically raised by the old king. It always hurt to see someone you deeply care for come to this, dying without any idea how to help.

“Yes?” he asked softly. Though he couldn’t stand the silence, he was still nervous to say anything to break their grief.

“Does it hurt this much to watch someone die?”

The Hero put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “This and more,” he said softly.

Ben glanced briefly up at him, his expression firm but his eyes wide with the welling sorrow he was feeling. Trenton knew that feeling. Oh, he knew it all too well. Squeezing his shoulder, all the Hero could do was give what comfort he had for his son.

A doctor stood on the other side of the bed, marking Cameron’s progress each minute, checking the old man as the signs of life started to fade.

Still, no one said anything. The clouded weather muted the room of light, making the atmosphere more depressing by the minute. He really didn’t want to be here. He had seen enough death in his years. However, he wouldn’t abandon his son. Never again.

It was nearly dusk when the doctor finally pulled away from the king, bowing his head respectfully. “King Cameron of Caanom has died,” he said softly.

Carnetta and Nareen wept bitterly, clinging onto their sons for strength. The boys didn’t do well either, clinging to their mothers for support and comfort. The nobles each bowed their heads respectfully, some crying openly. Even now, Trenton wondered just how many of those tears were real.

Instead, he knelt by his boy, putting his arm around his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, trying to lend some of his comfort. Ben merely nodded, turning away from his grandfather as the doctor pulled the sheets over the old man’s face.

“He knew he was dying,” Ben said softly, sniffing as he tried to keep his tears back. “Before he sent us out on our quests… The doctors said that he only had a year to live…”

A year, Trenton thought. His last year of life and he sent his grandsons out to learn. It must had been lonely for the old king, dying a little bit each day without anyone to lend him strength.

But it had to be done. Cameron believed in Caanom and cherished its wellbeing more than anything else in the world. He needed to know which of his grandsons would be best on the throne.

And he finally picked Ben.

“We’ll have a week of mourning,” Ben said, not bothering to look around to the assistants that now surrounded him. “We’ll hold off the coronation until after my grandfather has been laid to rest.”

“Yes, Prince Benjamin,” one of the assistants said respectfully, a tightly controlled sorrow somehow slipping through his tone.

Trenton continued to kneel by his son’s side, wondering what he could do to help.

I’m doing what I can, he thought, holding his son close. I’m with him. That’s all that he needs.
************
Next post is the last of A Hero’s Wish. It’s a nice small story. I never had big plans for this. Question: Have you liked it?

Anyway, there’s something I’d like to get off my chest. Guess what’s coming?

NANOWRIMO!!!!!!!!

Eek! I’m so excited! Alright, that’s out. Enjoy the journey!