Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court by Chuck Black

asked.
    Bentley smiled and nodded as if to think, his mind racing to remember Demus's teachings. “His hair is like strands of gold, and his eyes burn like fire. His brow is noble, and His arms are as strong as iron. The power of His sword is like the force of a thousand horses, and when He speaks, the birds of the air hush to listen and the mountains tremble at His voice.
    “He is a Knight of knights, children. And though He is as grand as all of this, He cares deeply for the humblest of His subjects.”
    At this, Bentley reached over and stroked Anya's cheek. She smiled up at him as he continued.
    “And so, with heaviness of heart, the King sent His Son to Arrethtrae. But you would not have recognized Him when He came.”
    “Why not?” a little boy asked.
    “Because He did not come as a Prince but as a pauper, just like you and me.”
    The children tilted their heads.
    “The Prince clothed himself in rags and lived with the commoners, calling them to follow Him and train for battle against the Dark Knight. The Prince trained many to become knights. And when the training was complete…”
    “He fought and defeated the Dark Knight?” one little boy shouted.
    “No,” Bentley said, and his thoughts turned back to that day when he was but a lad. This was where the stories of years past caught up to his own life, and he no longer became just a narrator but a character in his own tale. “An army of mighty knights came to capture the Prince because they did not believe He was the King's Son. They surroundedHis men, and though He could have fought and survived the battle, He gave himself freely so that His men would not be killed. It was a dark day for the Followers of the Prince, for these powerful but foolish knights killed the mighty Prince.”
    The children shook their heads. “No!” they exclaimed in a commotion. Tears were running down little Anya's face.
    “But wait.” Bentley held up his hand. “That is not the end of the story.”
    The children hushed again.
    “The King reached across the Great Sea with His great love for His Son and for His subjects and used the power of the Life Spice to bring Him back to life. This may sound preposterous, little ones, but let me tell you that I know men who have seen the risen Prince with their own eyes and will breathe their very last breath swearing to the truth of it all.”
    Bentley paused and looked at the children and then to the parents gathered around. The crowd had swelled even larger now.
    “Those who choose to follow the Prince and believe Him can become gallant Knights of the Prince.” He looked at Anya's huge, questioning eyes. “Yes, even little ones. His Knights know who the Dark Knight is and that he is trying to destroy Arrethtrae and the King's people. They train, they battle, they journey, they live, and they die because of the greatness of the Prince. If you look closely, you will see the heart of the Prince within them. And one day, the great Prince will come back to Arrethtrae with an army to utterly destroy the Dark Knight and his evil warriors.”
    Bentley put his hand to his ear. “Listen!” he said, and the children hushed once more to silence. “When you hear the sound often thousand horses and feel the rumble beneath your feet, know that the Prince is coming and the day of the Dark Knight will end!”
    The children's eyes were wide with excitement. They began to clap and cheer, and Bentley bowed to them all. Before long the parents gathered them up and journeyed on their way.
    When all the children had left, Anya came to Bentley. He knelt down, and she put her left hand on his shoulder. She looked deeply into his eyes, and his heart melted.
    “Bentley,” she whispered, “are you the Prince?”
    Bentley's eyes teared up in an unexpected wave of emotion. He knew he fell so wholly and completely short of who and what the Prince was. And yet he realized that it was the Prince in him that Anya saw, and he was humbled. This trek of