Magician Prince by Curtis Cornett

seeing was
real.
    “They did what you allowed them to do when
you handed me over without a second thought.”
    “You were planning treason- murder of Prince
Janus,” Kellen sought to explain, but the words were hard to find.
“I was honor-bound-”
    “Do not speak to me of honor! Any honor you
held was bastardized long ago. Or is it honorable to take a little
boy as a captive to use as bait?”
    “Lord Kellen is a great man,” Donovan
protested putting himself between his master and the sorcerer, “He
owes no explanation to the likes of you, old man. You complain
about your treatment, but you admit to being a traitor as if it is
a matter to be proud of. You deserved death for plotting against
the prince and you may have had it if not for this man.” He nodded
to Kellen over his shoulder. “He spoke on your behalf to Warlord
Nightwind and again to King Kale and begged that they keep your
head off of the chopping block.”
    A gentle hand was placed on the Kenzai
apprentice’s shoulder. “That is enough, Donovan,” Kellen told him
kindly, so that Donovan would know that the fault was Kellen’s and
not his, “Set the boy free. He has no place in this.” To Sane, he
inquired, “What do you intend to do from here?”
    “I will follow where Byrn leads.”
    “And I will be going to the Collective to
entreat them for peace on the kingdom’s behalf,” Byrn answered
without waiting to be asked.
    “An easy enough story to verify,” Kellen
responded. “Send one of our couriers to the castle-”
    “If you do that, then Sane will be a slave
again before the sun rises,” Byrn warned him, “I have my father’s
backing. Sane does not. His only hope is to join the Collective and
treat with the king for peace.” Byrn entered the room slowly and
held his closed fist out to Kellen. The crow signet ring could be
clearly seen in the light from the window.
    “I would sooner die than go back to that,”
Sane called magic to him. Whether or not he was doing it
consciously was difficult to tell.
    No one spoke as Donovan untied Kaleb and the
boy ran to Byrn’s side. More than a dozen Kenzai stood on either
side of the magicians with their swords held at the ready. They
only awaited Kellen’s command to act. Byrn squeezed Kaleb’s
shoulder to reassure him that all would be well.
    “If you truly want to help Sane, then he must
come with me,” Byrn told him sincerely, and hoped that the knight
would agree.
    “Do you have horses?” Kellen finally asked
and the sorcerers breathed a collective sigh of relief.
    Byrn shook his head, “We would be
appreciative for any assistance.”
    Donovan was unbelieving, “Lord Kellen, we
can’t just let them go. They are magicians! They probably killed
Sari too!”
    “Sari is fine, you dolt,” Sane told him
unkindly, “She is back with her people.”
    “Follow my orders, apprentice. The
consequences will be mine to bear.” Kellen called forth one of the
other Kenzai and told him to make ready with three rested mounts.
Then he turned his attention back to Byrn. “Get out of Mollifas now
before I change my mind.”
     
    ***
     
    Grass was trampled under hoof as Byrn, Kaleb,
and Sane rode towards the rising sun. Kaleb was an impressive rider
for such a young lad and Byrn caught himself wondering if he was an
apprentice courier as Byrn had once been for what seemed like a
lifetime ago. There were more than a dozen towns and cities between
Mollifas and Wolfsbane. Surely Byrn could find a caring home for
the boy in one of them. Mollifas was no place for a ten year old to
be left to fend for himself.
    “What do you think will become of Kellen?”
Sane asked tearing Byrn away from his thoughts of his little
friend.
    “It depends on the story he decides to tell
and whether his men will back him up,” Byrn guessed, “If he leaves
you out of his report, then he may not be punished at all. However,
if he admits to letting you leave, he could end up in the palace
dungeons in your