Berlina's Quest Read Free Page A

than the messenger had ridden. It was an hour or so later that it reached the gates of the castle. The drawbridge was lowered, the portcullis raised up, and an honor guard was put in place with a dozen men to each side. The prince stood in the main doorway facing the courtyard, ready to welcome his guests as the troops and carriages of the caravan entered.
    Soon, all of the caravan was inside and came to a halt, but then nothing happened. The prince turned to his Castellan beside him and asked, “Caliban, why is nobody getting out of the carriages?”
    The Castellan shook his head. “I don’t know, My Lord.”
    There was another minute of silence. Suddenly one of the troopers near the head of the caravan pulled out his trumpet and blew a signal. Instantly, twelve horsemen on either side of the caravan drew swords, turned, and struck down the men of the honor guard. As the honor guard fell, the swordsmen spurred their horses to gallop around the courtyard, striking down any other palace guards they could reach.
    The prince and the Castellan stood there with shocked expressions on their faces until several guardsmen standing behind them grabbed them. The guards pulled them back into the castle and slammed the door just before the marauding troopers reached it. The sound of palace guards trumpeting an emergency alarm carried all over the castle.
    â€œMy God,” asked the prince, “what was that?”
    â€œTreachery, My Lord,” said the Castellan. “A ruse to invade the castle, and I fear maybe a successful one. Considering the number of soldiers they have, compared to what we have left after their cowardly slaughter of our honor guard and those taken by surprise in the courtyard, they outnumber our men by a good margin.”
    The captain of the castle’s guard interrupted at this point. “Your Highness, Lord Castellan, this location is not safe, or at least it will not be for long. You must go to the Chamber of Safety. If things go as badly, as it seems they might, you must be ready to take the exit tunnel that leads from there to the secret stronghold in the village.”
    â€œAbandon the castle?” asked the prince.
    â€œThe castle could stand an attack from outside, or a siege, but as these villains are already inside and have such an advantage in numbers, defense becomes near impossible. We must gather everyone still alive in the Chamber of Safety and salvage what we can through the tunnel.”
    The prince shook his head in disbelief and then said, “All right, let us go. See if you can leave an observer or two to tell us who did this dastardly trick. I must know who is in those carriages.”
    â€œYes, Your Highness. I will do that.” The captain of the guard gave orders for observers to be posted. Then, he and his men led the prince and the Castellan down the passage to the Chamber of Safety.
    As the captain had predicted, it was not long before it became necessary for all those still alive, except for a few brave volunteers, to take the tunnel out of the castle and down to the stronghold in the village below.
    After several days, one of the observers returned to report. “Your Highness, although all the soldiers wore the colors of Prince Drailsen, the prince himself was not present during the attack. One of those carriages contained only one man—a sorcerer. The other had a prisoner and two guards.”
    â€œA prisoner?”
    â€œYes, he wore chains. He had on the royal colors purple and gold, but he was definitely in chains, shackled to his guards. When they took him out of the carriage, he struggled and fought, but to no avail. I tried to see where they took him. I couldn’t follow him all the way, but I think it was to the dungeons.”
    â€œCould you identify the prisoner?”
    â€œNot for certain, but based on some portraits I have seen, it may have been the Crown Prince.”
    Prince Quince turned to his Castellan and